ACCORDING TO the bookmakers, the outcome of season 2008-09 in the Clydesdale Bank Scottish Premier League is not a two-horse race. No, they haven't taken leave of their senses, they have just altered the market.
Celtic and Rangers are overwhelming favourites with all the bookmakers to dispute the title between them, with the Parkhead side a best-priced 5-6 with Stan James, Bet365 and Betdirect, but only 4-5 with Ladbrokes and William Hill. Rangers are also a
shade of odds-on with most layers, with Ladbrokes and Paddy Power offering 10-11 while William Hill are a tad more generous at evens.
These are not the sort of odds to make you rich, though if either half of the Old Firm gets off to a better start than the other then the prices will disappear rapidly.
As often happens in horse races where a horse is viewed as unbeatable, most bookies have decided to make a market on the SPL without the Old Firm. That makes good business sense for the bookmakers as it will give fans of the other clubs a chance to punt on their team with the prospect of winning something.
It's well worth a look at this 10-horse market, not least because there is a bit of disagreement among the various companies as to which of the remaining clubs will come third and 'win' the favourites-less title.
There could be value out there for punters who sense that this could be the season for a real 'third force' to emerge.
Ladbrokes and Coral confidently suggest that Aberdeen will come top of the 'tiny 10', as the other clubs were known during that long internal dispute in the SPL a few years ago. The Magic Sign and Coral confidently make the Pittodrie side – fourth last season – their 3-1 favourites, with last year's fifth-placed side Dundee United their second choice at 7-2.
By contrast, William Hill make United favourites at 10-3, and have installed Aberdeen at 7-2. Paddy Power and BlueSquare disagree with the big three and make Hearts – second once and three times third since the SPL began in 1998 – their favourites at 3-1.
Last year's third-placed club Motherwell are as big as 5-1 with Coral to repeat the feat, but are more generally priced at 4s along with Hibs. The rest of the 10 don't have an earthly, according to the bookies, with Falkirk a best-priced 33-1 with Paddy Power, the same price being offered about Kilmarnock by Stan James.
Inverness are a best-priced 66-1 with Ladbrokes, and BetDirect offer 100-1 against St Mirren, while Hamilton are 150-1 with Stan James.
Not surprisingly, new boys Hamilton are everybody's favourite to finish bottom at a best-priced 5-6 with William Hill.
The full article contains 488 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
