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issue 48 posted at 11.00am on 16 November 2007...

We're treating Israel v Russia as importantly as any home nation’s game this weekend. You'll find a full service on the game which kicks off at 6pm on Murdoch Sports 3 but let's look at the bigger picture. If Israel don't get a result on Saturday unemployment levels in the UK will soar. Spare a thought for the people who make St. George’s flags, the journalists who report from pubs full of drunken supporters, Skinner and Baddiel, all of whom might be spotted in a job centre this summer.

Come on Israel!

 

If you're ever struggling to pick the winner of a football match then you might want to consider our Match Performance market that we offer on all televised games. One punter got involved in the Monday night game between Coventry and West Brom and bought at 98 for £20. The market awards 15pts per goal, 3pts per corner, 5pts per booking, 15pts per red, 10pts per penalty awarded and -25pts for a 0-0 draw. He couldn’t have asked for a better start to his bet when Coventry’s Michael Mifsud was rightly sent off for a disgraceful challenge on Carl Hoefkens after 10 minutes. WBA took a while to cement their expected dominance but they say all good things come to those who wait, and by the final whistle the game ended with four goals, 17 corners and three yellow cards! With Mifsud’s red on top of that it meant that the market made up 141 which landed our delighted punter £860.

 

Portsmouth versus Manchester City; five years ago these teams were playing out this fixture in Division One, but now it's seen as one of the most attractive in The Premiership. Both teams’ free-flowing nature and eyes for goal would’ve surely meant that this match was a buyer’s dream! Well, that was the view of one client who settled down to watch the match with his buy of the game’s Total Goal Minutes at 133 for £100. Only Arsenal have scored more goals than Pompey in the league this season, but disappointingly for our man neither team bulged the net despite their best efforts. The punter’s Sunday roast wouldn't have sat too well when the ref blew for full-time leaving him £13,300 adrift.
 

Heineken Cup Two time European champions, Leicester, returned home with their tails between their legs after a disappointing 22-9 defeat against Leinster in Dublin last Saturday. It may be early days, but as a result the Tigers are down seven points to 8-11 on our Heineken Cup Outright Index.

NFL The Cowboys continue to strut their stuff on the road. Dallas maintained their 100% away record when beating the NY Giants 31-20 last weekend and in doing so took their season record to an impressive 8 & 1. Wade’s warriors are up six points to 52-56 on our Superbowl Outright Index.

Entertainment The housewives love a Blue Peter presenter and Gethin Jones is ticking all their boxes, especially with his improved performances on the dance floor. He’s up six points to 17-20 on our Strictly Come Dancing Index.

Beverley has been a bit hit and miss in recent weeks, but is it just down to the wrong choice of songs? (As proclaimed by Louis Walsh’s nemesis Simon Cowell). The primary school teacher may have escaped expulsion, but you have given her a detention. She’s down five points to 5-7.
 

Elizabeth Taylor eat your heart out Every week our own star of the silver screen, Karl ‘Chief’ Suntay, brings you the best of the trading action direct from SPIN towers. Listen to the man who quite literally bleeds red wine and spread betting as he tells you all about where the money is going this weekend. Click here and keep him company.

It’s good to talk! Send us your betting tales and you could be in line for a £100 football supremacy bet if your trade is good enough to be published. Whether it was delight at Doncaster or bananas at Barnsley, get them in to themole@sportingindex.com - the wittier the better.
 
 
 


...1st half goals scored
by Italy on Scottish soil
 
 


...avg 1st half goals in last
7 Wales/Ireland matches
 
 


...home games since Israel conceded a 1st half goal
 
 


...avg Munster pts in last
3 HEC games
 
 


...Wasps winning suprem. in last HEC match v Llanelli
 
 


...avg points in last 3 Quins/Cardiff HEC games
 
 


...% PP Gold Cup winners saddled by Pipe stable in last 11yrs