Online Betting News

Amir Khan is today quoted at the longest odds he has ever been since turning pro by William Hill to win his latest fight this weekend when he takes on the more experienced Willie Limond.

However, Khan is still a red hot favourite at odds of 1/20 with Hills quoting Limond at 8/1 and the draw at 28/1.

‘This is definitely Amir’s toughest fight yet.

He is taking on an experienced opponent who has lost only once, but punters won’t hear of defeat for the ‘boy wonder’ and the biggest bet we have taken for an upset win by Limond is £15′ said Hill’s spokesman Graham Sharpe.

Hills make Kham 9/4 to have to go the distance to win on points, with Limond 20/1 to do likewise while Khan is 4/9 to win by knockout, Limond 14/1.

While Limond is 125/1 to win in any named round from 1- 6 and 100/1 any named round from 7- 12, Hills makee Khan 10/1 to win in any named round from 1 to 6, 12/1 to win in rd 7; 12/1 rd 8; 14/1 rd 9; 14/1 rd 10; 16/1 rd 11; 16/1 rd 12.

In other news MATT SKELTON is now 1/ 4 favourite with William Hill to beat Michael Sprott, offered at 11/4, with the draw at 20/1, in this weekend’s big British heavyweight showdown.

Hatton v Mayweather to be biggest betting fight ever, but Ricky 3/1 to stay undefeated until end of 2008:

William Hill were left feeling as sore as Ricky Hatton’s kayoed opponent Jose Luis Castillo as fans of the popular world champion relieved bookies of over half a million pounds.

‘Ricky was backed from 6/1 to 5/2 to win by knockout; from 1/ 2 to 3/10 to win the fight outright and at 40/1 to win in round four.

The result was a six figure loser for William Hill alone and the industry is facing up to its worst loss on a boxing match since Frank Bruno won the World Title.’ said William Hill spokesman Graham Sharpe.

‘A fight between Ricky and Floyd Mayweather in England would be the biggest betting fight of all time, with over ten million likely to be at stake on the outcome, double even Lewis-Tyson’

FLOYD MAYWEATHER will be 1/ 2 favourite to beat Hatton, who will be 6/4, say William Hill who make Hatton 5/6 to beat Oscar de la Hoya (also 5/6); He is 5/4 to beat Miguel Cotto, who will be 4/7 favourite; 1/ 4 to beat Junior Witter, who is 11/4, and 1/8 to beat Malignaggi, a 9/2 shot. The draw is 20/1 for each fight.

**HILLS make Hatton 3/1 to stay undefeated until the end of 2008, 2/9 to lose before then.’Hatton is unlikely to have any easy fights before the end of next year and he’ll do well to maintain his unbeaten record’ said Hill’s spokesman Graham Sharpe.

‘We’re perhaps taking a chance by offering 3/1 that he will maintain his perfect career statistics but he won’t be clear favourite to beat any of the three most likely contenders out there.’

One punter staked £10,000, another £8000, on a Hatton victory, and another gambled £1500 on a Hatton knockout victory as bookies were unable to take any significant cash for the beaten Castillo.

**Hatton’s devastating win over Castillo has seen his BBC TV Sports Personality of the Year odds slashed from 25/1 to 14/1 fourth favourite by William Hill who make
Lewis Hamilton 1/8 favourite with Frankie Dettori 9/1;
Andy Murray 10/1;
Monty Panesar 14/1
David Beckham 20/1.

In their market ‘without’ Hamilton, Hills make Dettori 9/4 favourite and also offer 5/1 Murray; 7/1 Hatton; Panesar; 10/1 Beckham.

Following huge Man City fan Ricky Hatton’s spectacular win over Jose Luis Castillo, William Hill have opened a book on what will happen first for either Ricky or City - and offer Evens that Hatton will lose a fight; 4/1 City to finish in the top half of the Premiership; 6/1 City to be relegated; 12 New City boss to leave; 20/1 Hatton to win BBC Sports Personality. Hills offer 4/1 that none of these will happen.

Ricky Hatton is 5/1 with William Hill to retain his World Title with a knockout win over Jose Luis Castillo at the weekend - but punters are betting on a shock result, and William Hill have had to slash their odds for Castillo to win by knockout from 9/1 to 6/1.

‘We have been quite surprised at the level of support for a Castillo win by kayo and after taking a string of three figure bets, and one from a Scottish client of £1000, we have cut the price from 9/1 to 6/1, and we’re already looking at a six figure payout if the challenger puts Ricky down for a ten count’ said Hill’s spokesman Graham Sharpe.

‘Castillo is a come-forward slugger to it could be a dramatic fight.’

Hills make unbeaten Hatton 1/2 to win the fight, with his challenger 6/4 and the draw a 16/1 chance.

‘Ricky has not quite been firing on all cylinders in recent fights and with doubts about his methods of making the weight some punters are also hedging their bets by backing the draw’ said Hill’s spokesman Graham Sharpe.

‘We really haven’t yet seen much sign of a patriotic punt on Ricky.’

Castillo is 9/4 to win on points, for which outcome Ricky is 11/10.

Hatton is 66/1 with Hills to win in round one and round two;
50/1 round three and round four;
33/1 in rd 6;
25/1 in round 7 and rd 8;
20/1 rd 9,10, 11, 12.

Castillo is 80/1 for a first round stoppage and 50/1 to win in the last round.

Souleymane M’Baye defends his WBA light-welterweight crown against Andreas Kotelnik in Liverpool this weekend in a potentially terrific little scrap the layers are struggling to form an opinion about.

M’Baye, now being guided of course by Frank Warren, goes off as a less than convincing 4/6 jolly and the fight does have a pick ‘em feel to it.

This is largely due to the fact that these two European rivals have faced off before.

That was in Paris in 2004 when M’Baye emerged as an unconvincing split decision winner.

There was nothing in it that night and so there will be plenty of punters willing to take a risk on Kotelnik at odds-against.

However I’ve seen M’Baye several times recently and he strikes me as a fighter who is on the up and up.

He was brilliant in winning the WBA belt against Raul Balbi in Bolton last year and his confidence will have been boosted by finally becoming a world champion.

M’Baye, known as ‘The Sensation’, is a very compact, strong box-puncher with a good chin and fine dig to the body.

Ukrainian star Kotelnik on the other hand is a more straight up kind of boxer with good skills, a good jab and average power.

He gave Junior Witter a real argument in 2005 before losing on points but given that only 12 of his 27 wins have come inside schedule he isn’t one of the division’s biggest hitters.

M’Baye, who reckons he wants Ricky Hatton if he comes through this one, does seem to be hitting harder and it’s worth noting that he has won his five fights since decisioning Kotelnik inside schedule.

The bookmakers are convinced this will be a distance fight but I’m not so sure.

Kotelnik will be looking to get the job done early after the anguish he suffered in Paris.

However this means he’ll have to take more risks and if he does so he could leave himself vulnerable.

With this in mind then perhaps the best route to profit here is to back the 35-1 (20) M’baye to win by KO, TKO or disqualification at 6/1.

Local hope Derry Matthews is involved in WBU world title action against Scotland’s John Simpson and while that fight also has the potential to sizzle, I fully expect Matthews to emerge victorious but I simply can’t get enthused about odds as skinny as 1/5 about successful title defence for the Scouser.

While all that is going on in Liverpool, over in Germany Wladimir Klitschko defends his IBF heavyweight title against teak tough American Ray Austin.

The man they call ‘Steelhammer’ is rightly regarded as the best heavyweight out there at the moment and he’s a red-hot favourite to defend the belt he won from Chris Byrd last year.

Klitschko is a tremendous physical specimen and with his impressive KO ratio (of his 47 wins he’s stopped 42) there is no denying he can also bang.

Few are giving Austin a prayer but I have a feeling he could surprise a few and he’s worth backing to at least stay the course.

‘The Rainman’ is a bona fide heavyweight and Klitschko has been known to struggle against bigger men (Sam Peter or Lamon Brewster anyone?).

Austin is as tough as old boots and given what he’s been saying in the press conferences leading up to the fight he’s clearly not intimidated.

The pressure is on for Wlad to deliver in Mannheim but I see this being more of a strategic battle than a shoot-out so take some of the 5/1 on offer about Klitschko winning on points.

Amir Khan is even money to hold a major world title by the end of 2008, according to Ladbrokes.

Khan took another step towards the top with his quickest pro win, a 55-second KO of normally durable Frenchman Mohammed Medjadi on Saturday night.

The Bolton fighter is now 12/1 at Ladbrokes to be crowned the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year.

While Khan was making short work of his opponent, fellow Olympic medallist Audley Harrison suffered a huge setback as his world heavyweight title dream looked to be shattered beyond repair by a crushing knockout at the hands of Michael Sprott.

Ladbrokes spokesman, Nick Weinberg, said: “The contrast between the two Olympians could not have been any more stark on Saturday night. Whilst Harrison’s career looks over, Khan’s goes from strength-to-strength.

“He needs to get a few 12 rounders under his belt, but looks on course to hold a major belt by the end of next year.”

Amir Khan is even money to hold a major world title by the end of 2008, according to Ladbrokes.Khan is one step closer to the top with his quickest win of his professional career, a 55-second KO of normally robust Frenchman Mohammed Medjadi on Saturday night.

The Bolton boxer is now 12/1 at Ladbrokes to be crowned the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year.

Whilst Khan was making short work of his opponent, fellow Olympic medallist Audley Harrison suffered a massive setback as his world heavyweight title dream looked all but over after a crushing knockout at the hands of Michael Sprott.

Ladbrokes spokesman, Nick Weinberg, said: “The contrast between the two Olympians could not have been any more stark on Saturday night. Whilst Harrison’s career looks over, Khan’s goes from strength-to-strength.

“He needs to get a few 12 rounders under his belt, but looks on course to hold a major belt by the end of next year.”

Audley Harrison has been installed as overwhelming odds-on favourite to beat Michael Sprott at the weekend, with William Hill making him 1/6 to win the fight and Sprott 7/2 to cause an upset, with a draw quoted at 25/1.

Hills make Harrison 15/8 to win on points with Sprott 15/2 to do likewise. A first round win for Harrison is 12/1 with Sprott 80/1 to land a first round shock.

Ricky Hatton is the 1/8 favourite to beat the unbeaten Juan Uranago in Las Vegas at the weekend, with Uranago priced at 9/2 and the draw a 20/1 shot.

Ricky is 6/4 to win on points and 12/1 to win in rounds. “Ricky has cost us a pretty penny over the years and we will be taking no chances this time round, hence the 1/8 price tag,” said Hills spokesman Rupert Adams.

William Hill Outright: 1/8 Ricky Hatton, 9/2 Juan Urango, 20/1 Draw

William Hill Round Betting:

16/1 R Hatton Round 1,
16/1 R Hatton Round 2,
16/1 R Hatton Round 3,
14/1 R Hatton Round 4,
12/1 R Hatton Round 5,
12/1 R Hatton Round 6,
12/1 R Hatton Round 7,
14/1 R Hatton Round 8,
16/1 R Hatton Round 9,
16/1 R Hatton Round 10,
20/1 Hatton Round 11,
25/1 R Hatton Round 12.
6/4 R Hatton On Points,