With the countdown to the 2012 London Olympic Games hitting 100 days, SkyBetis marking the occasion by releasing a number of betting specials to get the ball rolling leading up to the sporting spectacle’s opening on the 27th of July.Ever fancy yourself cashing in on 50/1 – or better, 100/1 – long shot odds? Well, SkyBet is giving you an opportunity to throw punches on the moon with a variety of betting specials that could be worth a small portion of your disposable income.
In a press release, Sky Bet’s Olympics trader Chris Kennedy said: “The Olympics are fast approaching and we’re celebrating the 100 day countdown with some eye-catching odds on some of the leading GB (Great Britain) medal candidates to strike gold.
For starters, the online betting company gave Great Britain 50/1 odds to win 100 or more medals, a number that may be a tad out of reach for lesser nations, but could be attainable for the host country if they play up to the hype surrounding them. Then again, judging from their past Olympic performances – the GB team won 47 medals in Beijing (2008), 31 in Athens (2004), and 28 in Sydney (2000) – hitting that 100-medal count is tantamount to securing first, or maybe second, in the overall medal tally. That’s why they call it long-shot odds, right?
In addition to the overall medal tally, SkyBet is also offering a number of 100/1 multiple bets for some of the British athletes that are most likely to step on the top of the podium.
One of these betting specials is a six-fold accumulator that involves Mark Cavendish, Chris Hoy, Tom Daley,Rebecca Adlington, Jessica Ennis and Victoria Pendleton all to win respective gold medals. Six bets to score a little too risky? Well, SkyBet has a double offering, too, involving tennis player Andy Murray to win the gold in the Men’s singles and doubles tennis tournament. And then there’s track and field, with a nice treble involving Jessica Ennis, Phillips Idowu, and Holly Bleasdale to win gold in their respective competitions.
“Team GB are very bullish at this stage and you might just get a good run for your money with one of our 100/1 shots,” Kennedy adds.
Outside of these 100/1 shots in the dark, SkyBet is also offering a special prop bet on who the lucky person is going to trot around the opening ceremonies and light the Olympic flame.
The odds-on-favorite is retired rower and five-time Olympic gold medalist, Sir Steve Redgraves, who has been listed with 8/13 odds. Next to Sir Steve is middle distance runner Dame Kelly Holmes at 7/1 odds, followed by decathlete Daley Thompson and football superstar David Beckham with each getting 8/1 odds. And finally, at 10/1 odds, you can pluck down some money on diver Tom Daley and Scottish track cyclist Sir Chris Hoy.
