Betting heats up for possible Ibrox vacancy
STUART McCALL and Terry Butcher are among the favourites to succeed Ally McCoist as manager of Rangers although the club reportedly rejected McCoist’s offer to resign on Friday.
The former Scotland striker was expected to take charge of the Gers’ Scottish Championship game at Queen of the South on Friday evening but bookmakers believe 2-1 shot Butcher and 11-4 chance McCall are waiting in the wings.
Billy Davies was trading at 5-1 on Friday night with Dennis Wise 8-1.
Rangers – 4-9 to win the title ante-post – were nine points adrift of second-tier leaders Hearts before last night’s fixture and their recent 3-2 defeat to Alloa in the Challenge Cup semi-final increased the heat on McCoist.
There are three Premier League teams in the top six of the betting for the Europa League but Italian side Roma head the market at 12-1. Liverpool and Tottenham are 14-1 shots with Everton 16-1 and the draw for the last 32 will be made on Monday.
Ladbrokes are betting on Fernando Torres’s future and offer 6-1 that the Chelsea striker, currently on loan at Milan, returns to Liverpool in January. He is 10-1 to go to QPR and 12-1 for a move to Tottenham in the next transfer window.
There is a big game in the Midlands on Saturday as Aston Villa travel to West Brom and bet365 make the Baggies 13-8 to finish above Villa this season.
The last three matches between the pair have seen one team take a 2-0 lead but fail to win the game and bet365 offer 25-1 that it happens at The Hawthorns today.
The firm make Manchester City 3-1 to win their next six games in all competitions while Hills go 5-2 that the Citizens are victorious in their next five league matches.
Hills are also betting on how many goals the champions score in those five games without the injured Sergio Aguero. A tally of ten or 11 goals is the 5-2 favourite and it is 5-1 that they find the net 16 or more times in their matches against Leicester, Crystal Palace, West Brom, Burnley and Sunderland. It’s 14-1 that they manage five goals or fewer.
Chelsea lost their unbeaten record last weekend at Newcastle but bet365 make the Blues 2-1 not to lose a Premier League game at Stamford Bridge this season. They have been eased to 4-1 to pick up a record-breaking 96 or more points.
Bet365 have an in-play offer on Sunday’s clash between Manchester United and Liverpool. Customers who place a pre-match bet on the match will receive a risk-free in-play bet to a maximum stake of £50.
