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For every major sporting event, the traders at Sporting Index provide us with a preview called Trading Talk -this analyses all the relevant factors that may affect how you spread bet!
Rather than keep all this vital traders' room info to ourselves, we are going to share it with you on our Trading Talk page -this includes World Cup, Prem & FA Cup football, Rugby, Test Match & ODI Cricket, race meetings, grand slam tennis and major golf tournaments.
Trading Talk - Premier League Preview
The race for the Premier League title has the potential to be one of the most fascinating for years and spread bettors will have plenty of opportunities to make a profit in the process. The two main contenders are likely to be Chelsea and Manchester United, which is reflected in Sporting Index's Premier League points spread market. Chelsea lead the way with a spread of 82 - 83.5 and those spread punters tempted to buy will remember the 86 points that the side scored last year. Spread buyers of Man United's points spread, at 82, will hope the team can claim their 19 th domestic league title.
Supporters of either club's outright spreads will have been disappointed with the injury news from both camps. Petr Cech will miss the opening four weeks of league action, while United's spread will have been rocked by the injuries to Rio Ferdinand and Owen Hargreaves. Wayne Rooney was poor in South Africa and spread buyers of United's outright index will need him to find club form from the off. Chelsea are going for their second successive league title and buyers of their outright index spread might be worried the side have only added the talents of Yossi Benayoun, although Michael Essien's return will be a concern to sellers of the side's outright spread.
A lot of the transfer action has revolved around Manchester City and they are third in the total points spread market at 73.5 - 75. Having already signed David Silva, Yaya Toure and Jerome Boateng, City's spread followers would argue they have a squad good enough to challenge the leaders. Spread punters willing to sell their Premier League index will count on Roberto Mancini failing to keep a healthy team spirit with so many new arrivals.
Arsene Wenger has also been fairly busy in the transfer window having secured the services of Marouane Chamakh and Laurent Koscielny. Those that have bought the Gunners' spread at 74.5 will be desperate for both to make an immediate impact, especially as they travel to Anfield for their opening fixture.
Liverpool's spread supporters know that Roy Hodgson still has a number of issues to conclude; mainly Fernando Torres' future. Punters looking to sell Liverpool's spread at 68.5 will hope Joe Cole's arrival at Anfield won't be enough to persuade the Spanish forward to remain on Merseyside. The Reds' Spanish number nine still managed to score 18 league goals from just 22 matches last year.
Other clubs' spread punters will be following with interest will be Tottenham, Everton and Aston Villa. Any spread bettor that bought Spurs' outright index last campaign will have made a healthy profit from their fourth-place finish and make-up of 70. From August, Harry Redknapp will lead his team into the Champions League and sellers of their total points spread at 66 will expect the side to have trouble balancing both Europe and the League.
David Moyes' Everton side have added Jermaine Beckford, who along with fit again Mikel Arteta will offer plenty of encouragement to their outright point buyers at 62. Spread bettors that have sold Aston Villa's points at 61 maybe foresee Martin O'Neill's side again succumbing to fatigue towards the end of the season.
Trading Talk - England v Pakistan Test Series
England's four-match Test series against Pakistan gets underway at Trent Bridge next week and buyers of their series win index spread (25 points per test win, 10 points per draw) will have taken note of Pakistan's opening warm-up defeat against Australia. Buyers of the spread will have also heard Shahid Afridi announce his retirement from Test cricket after the final Test against Australia at Leeds. England's four matches will be held at Trent Bridge, Edgbaston, the Oval and Lord's.
In contrast to Pakistan's preparations, spread buyers of England's series win index will be pleased with the squad's progresson. The only blemish on Andy Flower's plan was the unfortunate injury to Ian Bell. England's spread followers need not worry as Flower can call upon Eoin Morgan and Paul Collingwood can also return to his middle order position.
Spread punters should note that these sides have met 43 times in England since 1954, with England winning 17 and losing 8, with 18 Tests being drawn. England's win/loss ratio on home turf against Pakistan is a healthy 2.12 and punters following England on the spreads can also take heart from the side winning their recent Test series against Bangladesh.
Those spread bettors looking to buy England's series win index will have been pleased with their performances in the Test and ODI series against Bangladesh - although Pakistan will represent tougher opposition. Spread buyers know that getting off to a fast start will be important and England's unbeaten record against Pakistan at Trent Bridge will offer plenty of encouragement. Spread buyers of England's win index will be interested to know these sides have met three times at the Nottinghamshire ground and they have won twice and drawn the other.
Buyers of the Pakistani's series win index spread will argue that these sides last played at Trent Bridge in 1967. The last completed match was in 2006 at Headingley which England won by 167 runs. Spread bettors might remember the more recent time these Test sides clashed on English soil for the wrong reasons - the game was awarded to England after Pakistan refused to play. Buyers of England's first innings supremacy for this match will want a similar performance to the opening Test of the 2006 series at Old Trafford where they bowled out their opponents for 119 runs before scoring 461.
Punters looking for a spread bet on total series runs will be interested to learn that England made 2145 runs in their 2006 Test series against Pakistan. Buyers of England's first innings spread might like to know that the team averaged an impressive 419 runs in their opening efforts. In comparison, Pakistan averaged 401 and spread sellers will be interested to know that the side only made 119 in their first innings of the second Test.
Sporting Index's player spread markets often spark debate, especially with Alistair Cook and Paul Collingwood having both scored well against Pakistan. Buyers of either of their series run spreads will look for a repeat performance of the opener in 2006 - Collingwood and Cook scored 186 and 105 respectively.Trading Talk - King George
The King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes is without doubt the mid-season pinnacle of the flat season. It is the purest test for the middle-distance thoroughbred and is the race where spread bettors can see for the first time how good the Classic generation is against its elders. However, recently the make-up of the race has changed as Derby winners have tended to drop back in trip for the Eclipse or Juddmonte International to prove that they have the speed that is so important for stallions, as well as the stamina.
Sir Michael Stoute has what looks to be an unbeatable hand in this year's race with Derby winner Workforce and Hardwicke Stakes hero Harbinger. There appears to be little between them on ratings, but those punters who like a match bet on the spreads will have to decide whether they go with the three or four-year-old generation. Ryan Moore has opted for the Derby winner and he will be hoping to notch another massive win in what has already been an unbelievable season for the champion.
Workforce was electrifying at Epsom, but no horse has done the Derby-King George double since the mighty Galileo in 2001 and only two three-year-olds have won the race in the last 14 years. Spread punters who like to look at these trends will also be concerned that English-trained horses have only won three of the last ten renewals, although two of those were trained by Stoute. Widely regarded as the finest trainer on these shores, he pulled off a remarkable one-two-three in the race last year and it would take a brave spread bettor to sell either of his two stars on the Sporting Index win index.
Aidan O'Brien is always to be feared in these top quality races and he has taken two of the last three runnings. He looks set to rely on Cape Blanco, who actually beat Workforce earlier in the season and has since gone on to take the Irish Derby. Spread punters looking to get with O'Brien's runner will be pleased to hear that five of the last nine winners have come from the other side of the Irish Sea.
There are aforementioned reasons for the spread betting public trying to oppose the favourite, Workforce, but there are also positives for his supporters. Firstly, any spread buyer of the Khalid Abdullah runner on the win index, or seller of SP's will take huge encouragement from recent results. All of the last six favourites have been successful at prices between 4/6 and 5/2, while the biggest priced winner in the past decade was just 13/2. In fact, eight of the last ten King George favourites have entered the winner's enclosure, so this is certainly no race for the outsiders.
The winning distance market is always an interesting one on the spreads and some punters might be forgiven for thinking that a race like this would produce some incredibly tight finishes. Now, although of course that is true in history, eight of the last eleven winners have won by at least 1 ¼ lengths and four of those have won by 3 lengths or more.
Trading Talk - Glorious Goowood 2010
Glorious Goodwood is the third major flat racing festival of the summer and it's truly an oasis for any spread bettor who adores flat racing. Set on the idyllic Sussex Downs, the course is very demanding and course form often proves important here. It is also wise for spread punters to look at the trainers who target this meeting year-in year-out, just like Mark Johnston who was on fire 12 months ago.
There are five days of top quality action, but the first major highlight is Wednesday's Sussex Stakes which is likely to see the mouthwatering battle between Canford Cliffs and last year's winner Rip Van Winkle. Spread bettors will be interested to learn that this race was opened up to four-year-olds in 1960 and then to five-year-olds and above in 1975. 'Rip' will be many people's idea of the winner after his highly impressive performance last July, winning by 2 ½ lengths, the first horse to win the race by more than 2 lengths in the past decade. However, no horse has ever won this more than once which is a blow to those that will be buying him on the spreads. Aidan O'Brien's record in the race is not to be sniffed at though, winning the last two renewals and four of the last ten.
Canford Cliffs proved himself to be a top quality horse when winning the St James' Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot and his spread followers will be encouraged by the record of three-year-olds in this race. The classic generation have won six of the last ten runnings and 24 of the last 34 since the race was opened up to five-year-olds in 1975. There have been four winning favourites in the past decade which will please SP sellers on the spreads, especially that the last two jollies have both been successful. However, prior to Henrythenavigator's win in 2008, no favourite had won since Rock Of Gibraltar in 2002 and Reel Buddy took this prize at 20/1 in 2003.
Thursday's highlight is the Goodwood Cup, famously won by Double Trigger three times in the 90's and last year by Godolphin's Schiaperelli. There are no clear trends for spread bettors to follow in terms of age as a four-year-old (Allegretto) and a ten-year-old (Persian Punch) have won the race in the past seven years. However, you have to go back 21 years for the last time a three-year-old won this contest, so most spread punters will be opposing any of the younger generation that line up.
The most successful current trainer of the race is Mark Johnston with five wins since 1995, but three of those were down to the incredible Double Trigger. Other trainers with a strong record in the race for spread bettors to consider are Sir Michael Stoute, Aidan O'Brien, David Elsworth and Saeed bin Suroor, who have all won the race twice since 1999. In fact, the only other trainer to win this since 1997 is Alan Jarvis with Jardines Lookout in 2002.
This has been a good race for spread sellers of SP's recently, as five of the last six favourites have won. Allegretto was successful at 8/1 in 2007, but that was a big shock as she was the first filly to win the race since Gladness in 1958.
Netherlands v Spain - spread betting preview
7.30pm, 11th July, Johannesburg Soccer City
After 63 matches during South Africa 2010, spread punters now know that come Sunday evening there will be a new World Cup winner. Spread bettors that had bought the Netherlands' outright tournament index at the beginning will have already turned a healthy profit, while buyers of favourites Spain's outright spread will be hoping for one last victory.
Spread buyers of Netherlands' win index at 9.5 will be desperate for the Oranje to make it a case of 'third time lucky' at World Cup finals. Buyers of the spread will be aware that the Netherlands lost out in 1974 and 1978, against West Germany and Argentina respectively. Holland have won every game this finals which will give confidence to those spread punters considering buying their win index. Interestingly, five of the Oranje's six victories in South Africa have been by a one goal margin. Although Bert van Marwijk's team are second favourites on the supremacy spread market their semi-final triumph came without two of their most influential players, Nigel de Jong and Gregory Van Der Wiel.
Sporting Index has set the final supremacy spread at 0.35 - 0.55 in favour of Vicente Del Bosque's Spanish side. The impressive victory over the high-flying Germans will give the supremacy spread buyers plenty of encouragement but buyers will have also noted that the Spanish have, like their opponents, found a knack of winning games by the smallest of margins. Each of their knock-out victories has been by a 1-0 scoreline, which includes games against Portugal, Paraguay and Germany.
The news that Spain have averaged just a goal a game since the group stage will please those spread bettors looking to sell the total goals spread at 2.1. In contrast, spread buyers, at 2.3, will be pleased that the Netherland's three matches since the group stage have all seen at least three goals. Their previous game saw five and a total goal minute make-up of 292 points.
Howard Webb has capped a fine refereeing year by being awarded the final in Johannesburg and punters that enjoy a spread bet on the bookings index, set at 44-48pts, will be watching his every move. The final will be the Englishman's fourth match at the finals and he previously has yet to issue a red card. Spread bettors might like to know Webb's highest bookings index tally at the finals is 80 points in the Italy v Slovakia match while his lowest make-up is 40 points, when Spain lost to Switzerland.
The Golden Boot index hangs in the balance with David Villa and Wesley Sneijder locked on five goals each. Buyers of Sneijder's index spread at 72 will know the midfielder has bagged four goals in his last three games, while Villa at 78-82 failed to score in his last outing.
Trading Talk - England v Australia, ODI Series
It is fair to say Bangladesh provided underwhelming opposition as England began their cricketing summer at home with a walkover against the Test minnows. If those fixtures failed to whet spread punters' appetites, then a five-game One Day International series against Australia should provide something to get their teeth into.
Spread buyers of England's supremacy for this one will feel that the ease with which the Three Lions dispatched of Bangladesh was more a reflection on the host's ability than the Tigers' deficiencies. They will also fondly recall a seven wicket victory against Australia in May's World Twenty20 final - a result which secured a first global crown in an ICC limited-overs tournament. On the other hand, Sporting Index sellers of England spreads might claim both sets of results came in versions of the game other than the upcoming series. For spread punters buying Australia's supremacy, there's also last year's ODI series in this country to consider which the Baggy Green were a whisker away from whitewashing.
The 6-1 defeat was humiliating for England, but the embarrassment tempered by their preceding Ashes victory. Captain Andrew Strauss' runs then were one of few bright notes then and, fresh from a couple of decent knocks versus Bangladesh, he will be full of confidence. Spread buyers of his individual runs will know his make-up in the seven game series in 2009 was higher than any other man from either team at 267. His runs sellers for each fixture and this series will, though, take heart from the fact that his average of 38.14 was lower than colleagues Paul Collingwood and Tim Bresnan at 40 and 46 respectively.
From an Aussie perspective, batsmen Michael Clarke and Cameron White both motored along at an average of over 50 and each man struck more than 250 runs in total. Spread bettors wanting to get with the tourists will take a keen look at each man's buying price in the player runs markets. Cricket traders preferring to back the duo's team's run scoring capability will be looking to both men to help secure a profit when buying Australia runs.
Clarke is used to a bit of freedom in the lower middle order and he demonstrated his potential value to his 50-ups buyers then with three half-centuries in six innings. Kevin Pietersen was forced to miss the entire series through injury, but his spread supporters will feel that the Hampshire man has shown what he can do since coming back into the fold. Buyers of his 50-ups will recall match-winning T20 hits in the Caribbean last month and a score of 64 from 81 balls in the second Test against Bangladesh.
With Steve Finn missing out to undertake a strengthening programme, spread punters will have to asses who else in England's attack can take the wickets. Buyers of Graham Swann's performance index for any of the ODI's will know that he's more than capable of a decent knock - as revealed by a Test best of 85 and 34 when it comes to 50 overs. He was also leading England series wicket taker for Australia's last visit, thanks in part to the 5/28 he claimed during his country's single victory in the closing match at Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street.
Trading Talk - The Championships, Wimbledon
The relatively unknown 22-year-old Sam Querrey will bid to join the illustrious roll call of players to have followed up their win at Queen's with victory at Wimbledon. Spread bettors might rush to buy the Californian's Wimbledon win index spread in the knowledge that a total of 14 players have won both events in the same year including John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors, Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg, Michael Stich, Pete Sampras, Lleyton Hewitt and, most recently, Rafael Nadal. Buyers of Murray's outright spread, however, will know that he faltered in the semis at SW19 weeks after winning the AEGON Queen's Club Championships last year.
Spread buyers of Roger Federer's win index will be aware that he has an extra incentive at Wimbledon this year, as he attempts to equal Pete Sampras' open era record of seven titles. Sellers of his spread have probably sold on the back of Fed's defeat to Hewitt in the final of the Gerry Weber Open, but spread sellers should be aware that this defeat was only one of two on grass since 2002, along with his 2008 Wimbledon final loss to Nadal. Federer has also competed in every final at the All-England Club since 2003.
After last year's record-breaking final Sporting Index's tennis traders are primed for plenty of action on the game spreads, including the total games markets and X-courts. Federer's marathon slog with Andy Roddick in last year's final saw a 16-14 final set decide the winner and made-up a staggering 361 on the X-courts spread market, while buyers of total games were europhic in front of the 77 game match. By way of contrast, Nadal's win over Robin Soderling in the 2010 French Open final featured 28 games and a X-Court total of 60.
In fact, there is plenty more in recent Wimbledon finals to encourage spread buyers of total games, X-Courts and total points for the final or in that match's individual sets. In finals in the 'Federer era' (last seven years), all have featured at least one tie-break, five have featured two tie-breaks and the last three were decided in five sets.
In the women's draw, based on recent history, spread punters may conclude it's less a case of picking which player and more a case of picking which Williams sister's Championship index spread to buy. Venus and Serena have won eight of the last ten tournaments between them and many would expect to see the Williams name on the Rosewater Dish again this year, including the tennis spread traders who place the siblings atop the win index ratings.
Their strongest challenge will likely come from Justine Henin, but spread buyers of the Belgian's match index spreads should consider that she is more at home on clay than lawn. Sellers of Maria Sharapova's match supremacies and outright spread will note that the 2004 winner has got progressively worse since her memorable triumph here, exiting in the semis in '05 and '06, the fourth round in '07 and the second round in each of the past two years.
Trading Talk - South Africa 2010 World Cup Preview
Spread bettors up and down the country are united in their anticipation for the 2010 World Cup. Punters are no doubt itching to get stuck in on Sporting Index's myriad spread markets on every single game as well as the tournament as a whole. To whet the appetite, the firm have already got a number of spread markets live, including the outright index which awards 100pts to the tournament winner, 75pts to the runner-up, 50pts to the losing semi-finalists, 25pts to the losing quarter-finalists and 10pts for reaching the last 16.
Spain are favourites according to their outright spread of 43-46pts and buyers will hope that the side can keep star strikers Fernando Torres and David Villa fit. Sellers will be hoping that Vincente del Bosque's side are unable to emulate France and win consecutive major international tournaments, following up their 2008 European Championships triumph. Spread sellers will also be pleased that no European team has ever lifted the trophy outside their own continent. Second favourites Brazil, currently at 40-43pts on the outright index spread, have had no such problems. The Samba Kings have claimed World football's top prize in Europe and Asia as well as North, Central and South America. Spread buyers will hope Dunga's side can add another with victory in Africa.
Sporting Index have also made their eight outright group markets live this far in advance of the tournament allowing spread punters to challenge their traders' predictions on which teams will escape from the three-game group stage to the last 16 knockout. In these spread markets, 25pts are awarded to the group winner, 10pts to the runner-up and 5pts to third place, and few would dispute the index spreads assigned to most teams. There are a number of tough groups though and spread buyers and sellers will be relying on these for the best returns. Group A features the hosts South Africa alongside Mexico and France. With an index spread of 15-16.5pts, Les Bleus are favourites to win the group, but spread sellers will remember a disastrous attempt at the defence of their crown in 2002, when they finished bottom of their group. Mexico, with a spread of 8.5-10pts, have reached the knockout stages in each of the last four tournaments.
Brazil share the best candidate for 'group of death', Group G, with North Korea (0.5-2pts), Ivory Coast (9.5-11pts) and Portugal (10-11.5pts). Assuming Brazil are most likely to top the group, spread buyers and sellers are fairly evenly split on the other group members.
In England at least, the World Cup can hardly get mentioned without the image of a white-shirted captain (whoever it may be) flitting across spread bettors' minds for the briefest of moments. Sellers of Capello's side's outright spread at 39 hope the team will again get no further than the quarter-final stage - the round which they have reached in the previous two competitions. Sporting Index are also offering a number of England tournament specials to satisfy patriotic (or otherwise) spread punters including spreads on the total number of goals the team will score, currently at 10.3-11, and their number of wins, set at 3.4-3.7.
Trading Talk - South Africa 2010 Group A preview
Group A is the only one to contain two previous World Cup winners, France (1998) and Uruguay (1930 and 1950). Mexico's best run in the finals saw them reach the quarter-finals in 1970 and 1986, which means that South Africa face a tough task if they're to escape Group A.
France are favourites on the Group A Index spread (25pts to the winner, 10pts to runner-up and 5pts to third-place), currently at 15-16.5pts. Although the French are ranked seventh in the Fifa World Rankings, buyers of their group win index will be concerned with their current form. Qualification for South Africa came by an already infamous goal to get past the Irish and sellers of France's group index will also have noted that the side recently failed to score against the Spanish. Any spread punters who like to bet on Sporting Index's total goals markets should note that during 2009 Les Bleus played seven consecutive matches in which neither team managed to score more than one goal.
Mexico were impressive in 2009, winning eight, drawing twice and losing just once. Buyers of their group index at 10 will hope they can carry the same form into the finals. An strong qualification record will offer some encouragement to buyers of Mexico's outright and group spreads as from 20 qualifying matches the side won 11, drew three and lost six. Javier Aguirre's side are appearing in the finals for the fifth time in a row, and buyers of their group index spread will be pleased to know they have made the last 16 in their last four World Cup appearances. But the side look set to play 37-year-old Blanco as their main forward, so buyers of their outright win index (100pts to the tournament winner, 75pts to the runner-up, 50pts to the losing semi-finalists, 25pts to the losing quarter-finalists and 10pts for reaching the last 16) must be wary of his age and fitness as the tournament progresses. The striker does have 37 goals for his country however.
The Uruguayans played 12 internationals in 2009, winning seven of them, losing six, and drawing seven. Buyers of their outright win index spread will have been concerned that the team only just secured their trip to South Africa after beating Costa Rica in a playoff. A further worry for spread buyers is that since 1966, when Uruguay reached the quarter-final stage, they have failed to rediscover their early World Cup dominance. The Uruguayans have only made two of the previous five finals and they failed to progress beyond their group on their last appearance in 2002.
Buyers of their group A index at 7 will be concerned that South Africa were victorious just five times in their 18 matches throughout 2009. Other punters hoping to buy Bafana Bafana's outright win index at 9 will wish that South Korea's efforts in 2002 - when the then hosts reached the semis - can inspire the hosts to outperform their other group members. Supporters of South Africa on the spreads will also remember the decent performances in the Confederations Cup, where the side reached the semi-finals to finish fourth overall.
Trading Talk - South Africa 2010 Group B preview
The first decision when looking at Group B for many spread punters to make is how Argentina are going to fare under former captain Diego Maradona. During his playing days, El Diego was a peerless national hero and an international icon. Having won a total of 91 caps, he scored 34 goals and also led his country to glory at Mexico 1986 - the World Cup that witnessed his infamous 'Hand of God' goal against the late Sir Bobby Robson's England.
Spread bettors looking to buy the South American side's Group B index at 19.5 with Sporting Index (winner: 25pts; runner-up: 10pts; third: 5pts; fourth: 0pts) will hope that he can prove just as inspirational in the dugout as he was on the pitch. He bids to become only the third man after Brazil's Mario Zagallo and Germany's Franz Beckenbauer to win the tournament as a player and a manager.
Sellers of Argentina's Group B spread index will know that they have, though, only been pool leaders at two of five tournaments since lifting the last of their two trophies nearly a quarter of a century ago.
In addition to victories in 1978 and 1986, Argentina can boast a further pair of showpiece appearances. While defeats in 1930 and 1990 meant that they finished as runners-up on both occasions, if they can make another visit to the final in South Africa, then any spread bettor who buys their outright index (winner: 100pts; runner-up: 75pts; lose semi-final: 50pts, lose quarter-final: 25pts; last 16: 10pts; others: 0pts) at 33 will be handsomely rewarded. Alternatively, those choosing to sell at a price of 30 will be kissing their coupons if Argentina do not make it through the group, as they failed to in Korea/Japan 2002. An elimination at the round of 16, seen at USA 1994, would also prove profitable for any sellers of their spread, as would quarter-final defeat, witnessed at France 1998 and Germany 2006.
None of the other group teams are strongly fancied by bookmakers to make a lasting impression at the tournament. Nigeria are second-favourites for the group, behind Argentina, and spread bettors who think the Super Eagles will still be in the shake-up come the second fortnight will avoid selling their index at 8.5. Of the three World Cups they have been to, they have twice topped their group - at 1994 and 1998 - and a replication would see a nice reward for spread buyers of their Group B index at 10. However, sellers of the West African nation's spreads will know that they finished bottom of a group also involving Argentina in 2002.
Greece and South Korea complete the pool contestants, with layers anticipating a battle for the wooden spoon between the duo, even though canny spread buyers from some of the recent major international tournaments will point-out both are capable of upsets. Greece sent tremors through planet football when lifting the 2004 European Championships, while South Korea finished fourth on home soil at the World Cup eight years, causing Italy and Spain to crash out along the way.
Those spread punters selling Greece's indices at 7 for both Group B and the competition itself, as well as spreads in their individual games, will know that they have failed to make the last three tournaments and required a play-off victory over Ukraine to reach South Africa after finishing below Switzerland in the qualifiers. They also lost all three games in their only previous World Cup appearance in USA 1994.
Buying South Korea's Group B index at 5.5 will appeal to spread bettors who feel that they are able to repeat the memorable run from 2002, having made it to their seventh successive finals unbeaten. By contrast, sellers of their spreads will point to a failure to advance beyond the group stages at any other previous World Cup.
Trading Talk - South Africa 2010 Group C preview
The spread betting public will have breathed a huge sigh of relief when England were drawn in Group C alongside Algeria, USA and Slovenia. Fabio Capello has provided England supporters with an added belief that the side can go all the way and repeat their World Cup triumph in 1966. Those looking to buy the Three Lions' outright win index (winner: 100pts; runner-up: 75pts; lose semi-final: 50pts, lose quarter-final: 25pts; last 16: 10pts; others: 0pts), currently at 42, will expect the side to capitalise on an impressive qualification campaign.
Under the watchful eye of Capello, England won nine of their ten matches to the delight of those spread bettors that had bought their group qualification index. The only blotch on an otherwise perfect qualification path was the 1-0 defeat in Ukraine. Capello's overall record during 2009 was seven wins, one draw and three loses from their eleven matches - a sequence that has regularly rewarded buyers of England's supremacy.
The Sporting Index traders have created a number of England spread markets that will run throughout the tournament. One of which is 'Total England Goals', set at 11 for the finals. Spread buyers confident of profiting will say England showed excellent scoring form in reaching South Africa 2010. The side scored 34 times - at an average of 3.4 per game and conceded just six.
The Three Lions' first match in South Africa is against USA. Any spread bettors supporting America will take encouragement from the side's performance in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, where among others; they beat Spain in the semi-finals. The USA eventually lost 3-2 in the final to Brazil, but their 2009 record saw them win 13 of their 24 matches - drawing three and losing eight. Bob Bradley's side are second favourites on the Group C Index (winner: 25pts; runner-up: 10pts; third: 5pts; fourth: 0pts), at 10.
Spread enthusiasts debating whether to sell the Stars and Stripes' Group C Index will have noted their erratic results since the Confederations Cup - highlighted by beating Mexico, then losing heavily to them 5-0 and only managing a draw against Haiti.
Slovenia finished second to Slovakia in qualifying and then beat Russia in a two-legged play-off. Supporters of Matjaz Kek's team on the spreads will take confidence from the Slovenian's defeating Guus Hiddink's much-fancied Russia. Furthermore, buyers of their qualification index, at 6, will be pleased to see they only conceded four goals in their ten qualification games.
But concern will rest in their mixed results in 2009 - where they only won five of their ten matches.
Algeria complete the group and arrive in South Africa at the expense of Egypt which will please spread punters buying their group qualification index at 5.5. The Pharaohs have won the previous three African Nations, which underlines Algeria's efforts in reaching the World Cup. The Desert Foxes lost only once in 2009, so buying their group qualification index could prove profitable seeing as they are available at 5.5 to reach the last 16.
Sellers will have noted that the Desert Foxes have only ever played in two World Cup finals and they were eliminated in the first round both times.
Trading Talk - South Africa 2010 Group D preview
Spread favourites for Group D, Germany, have been one of the best performing nations in World Cup history. Any spread punters that have bought their outright win index at 27 will be confident of seeing them in the mix at the latter stages of the tournament. Spread bettors looking to buy the side's Group D index at 16 with Sporting Index (25pts for the winner, 10pts for runner-up, 5pts third, 0pts fourth) will hope that they progress as they have done in previous tournaments. During the naughties Germany were particularly strong in major tournaments, and spread buyers will be pleased to see that the nation finished runner-up at the 2002 World Cup, third in the 2006 World Cup, and runner-up at Euro 2008.
Sellers of their group index spread should note that they have two proven goal scorers in Lukas Podolski and Miroslav Klose. Klose is third on the all-time list of top goal scorers for the country and scored a total of seven in Germany's ten qualifying matches.
Serbia are second favourites to win Group D but spread bettors should note that this will be their first appearance at a finals as an independent nation. A positive for buyers will come from the Serbs' excellent qualifying campaign that saw them finish above France, who have an outright tournament index spread of 25-28. Serbia's qualification run saw them win nine games, lose twice and draw once. Buyers of bookings index spreads in any of Serbia's matches will of course be familiar with Manchester United and Serbia defender Nemanja Vidic style of play.
Australia, coached by Pim Verbeek, have only ever reached the World Cup finals in 2006 and 1974. Those looking to buy their Group D index will have noted a dramatic improvement in their recent results. Spread punters that bought their outright win index at Germany 2006 can count themselves unlucky that they lost out to a late penalty from the current World Champions, Italy.
Buyers of their outright tournament index in South Africa will be banking on a repeat of the defensive efforts during qualifying which saw them only concede one goal. The Aussies also topped their group. However, sellers of their group index will argue their group didn't contain the any of the world's top sides.
Ghana are also making their second appearance at the finals, and buyers of their Group D index will the hoping they can build on their decent record on the African continent. Spread buyers will be pleased to know the Black Stars have won the African Nations on four occasions and narrowly missed out on a fifth to Egypt earlier this year.
The Black Stars' under-20 side won the 2009 World Cup, beating Brazil in the final which is good indication that the side have a good squad. Sellers of their group index will argue that the last of their African Nations triumphs came in 1982.
Trading Talk - South Africa 2010 Group E preview
Spread bettors addressing Group E will have noted it offers a wide range of footballing styles with the Netherlands, Denmark, Japan and Cameroon all battling for qualification. The Dutch are favourites on the Group E Index (25pts to the winner, 10pts to runner-up and 5pts to third-place), currently with a spread of 16.5-18pts.
Buyers of the Dutch Group E index will have noted that Holland comfortably qualified for South Africa 2010 with a flawless record. They won all eight of their qualification matches, bagging 17 goals in the process and conceding only two. Spread sellers of their tournament win index at 30 will however be aware of the side's disappointing record at major tournaments and quick to point to the inconsistent results from Euro 2008 - the men in orange beat Italy and France before crashing out to Russia after extra time in that tournament. With midfielders like Rafael van der Vaart and Mark van Bommel and strikers of the quality of Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben, Holland will prove tough for anyone they face in the finals.
Cameroon are the second joint spread favourites, at 9-10.5, to qualify from Group E along with Denmark. Those punters thinking of a spread bet on the Indomitable Lions should note that they are Africa's highest ranked side according to FIFA. Inter's Samuel Eto'o will provide much of the attacking threat for Cameroon and he scored nine times in the eleven qualifying matches. In Paul Le Guen they have a manager with a proven pedigree as he found success with Lyon in the French domestic league. Spread buyers of their tournament index at 13 will be relying on the Cameroonians to at least replicate the form they showed at the start of the Noughties, when they triumphed in the Olympic Games and the 2000 and 2002 African Nations.
With their spread set exactly the same as Cameroon to qualify from Group E, spread punters might well see Denmark as decent value. Spread punters looking to challenge the Danes on the spreads will be aware that they failed to reach the 2006 World Cup and Euro 2008 however. Buyers will respond by arguing that they showed their quality by qualifying in first place on the road to South Africa. In doing so they pushed Portugal into the play-off places - a side which, with a spread of 17-20, is rated seven points higher on the outright tournament index than Denmark. Buyers of Denmark's group spread will be pleased to know that whenever the Danes have reached the World Cup finals they have always reached the second round stage.
Japan complete the quartet and bring up the rear in terms of their group spread (3-4.5pts). The Asian nation head to their fourth consecutive finals but, as spread sellers will have noted, have only ever tasted a World Cup victory in their homeland. In both 1998 and 2006 Japan finished bottom of their group and Sporting Index's traders are, unsurprisingly, not expecting too many buyers of their group spread for 2010.
Trading Talk - South Africa 2010 Group F preview
Group F contains the defending World Champions and buyers of Italy's outright index at 29-32pts (winner: 100pts; runner-up: 75pts; losing semi-finalist: 50pts, losing quarter-finalist: 25pts; last 16: 10pts; others: 0pts), will be aware of the team's excellent record in the finals. The Azzurri already have four World Cups to their name and have far more experience in big cup competitions that their group rivals. With that in mind the Sporting Index traders have installed the Italians are spread favourites on the Group F Index at 19-20.5 points (25pts to the winner, 10pts to runner-up and 5pts to third-place).
Buyers of their group index will know that the side rely on their defensive strengths, which includes the ever-impressive Gianluigi Buffon. With such a solid backline they have been able to rely on the odd goal to get them through important matches and spread buyers of their match goals will be interested to know that the 2006 winning side only scored 11 goals in normal time on their way to the trophy. Those brave enough to sell the Italian's group index will have noted some of their 2009 results. Their recent record includes a 3-0 loss to Brazil in the Confederations Cup and two close run victories against New Zealand (4-3) and Cyprus (3-2). Sellers will be banking on the side repeating some of these less than spectacular defensive performances, although Italy still won nine, drew four and only lost twice in 2009.
Paraguay, with a spread of 10.5-12, are the second favourites on the Group F Index. Managed by Gerardo Martino, they started their qualification campaign in great form and were actually top of the South American table. Spread bettors debating whether to sell their group index will be pleased however to discover that the team lost six matches in 2009, winning just four and drawing two.
The last time the Paraguayans were at a World Cup was back in 2002, when they scraped into the second round on 'goals scored' over this year's hosts. A concern for buyers of their match supremacy spread during the finals will be that the side have proven less productive in front of goal of late. Spread buyers of total goals in their group fixtures should be aware that they did not score more than two in any match in the whole of the qualifying stage. But on the other hand Paraguay's defence never allowed a side to score more than two against them in the same period.
It is the first time Slovakia have qualified for the World Cup finals as an independent nation, but they've done so eight times as part of Czechoslovakia. Spread punters that have sold the group win index, at 6.5, will have seen the side's results in 2009 weren't great. They won on five occasions, drew two and lost four. However, buyers will be quick to point out that Vladimir Weiss's side piped the Czech Republic and Slovenia to first place in their qualification group.
New Zealand's second appearance in the World Cup finals came courtesy of a 1-0 play-off victory against Bahrain. The All White's Group F Index can be bought at 2.5 and their record in 2009 suggests why. New Zealand won just twice, drew three times and lost five matches on their route to South Africa.
Trading Talk - South Africa 2010 Group G preview
Can anyone stop Brazil this summer? That is the big question for spread punters tempted by a World Cup wager on Dunga's side. Those taking a glass half-full approach would argue they have lifted the trophy more times than any other nation and can boast superstars in every department. For the less optimistic evaluators, there is a 'Group of Death' to negotiate before any notions of a sixth winner's star being embroidered on the famous golden jerseys can be considered.
In Sporting Index's outright index (winner: 100pts; runner-up: 75pts; lose semi-final: 50pts, lose quarter-final: 25pts; last 16: 10pts; others: 0pts), Brazilian spread buyers will see a profit on their price of 43 if the USA '94 World Cup winning skipper-turned-manager can oversee a march to the semi-finals. A stage they have at least reached in six of the previous ten tournaments, and three of the last four. The five-time winners' qualification campaign saw them top their group and their victory in last year's Confederations Cup will boost confidence for bettors buying their spread.
Sellers of Brazil's outright index at 40 will, though, hope for an early exit and recall an ultimately disappointing campaign four years ago where France progressed at their expense in the quarters.
In the Group G index (winner: 25pts; runner-up: 10pts; third: 5pts; fourth: 0pts), sellers of Brazil's spread at 17.5 will hope that the promised challenge of Portugal and Ivory Coast is great enough to keep the Samba Stars off top spot. However, spread punters buying at a price of 19 with Sporting Index will be confident that neither of the pair, nor North Korea, will be able to produce enough to end a run that has seen Brazil win their group at every tournament from 1982 onwards.
Portugal are second favourites in the Group F index, with a spread of 10-11.5. Sporting Index punters buying at that price will be looking for Cristiano Ronaldo to help put the Portuguese on top of the pile, knowing that the Real Madrid flyer has netted nearly a goal a game for his club since joining the Spaniards. Spread buyers of his country's Group G index would make a profit from a repeat of their first-place group stage finish in 2006, but sellers will be hoping another struggle is in store, like that which saw Portugal rely on the parachute of the play-offs to reach South Africa.
First-timers in 2006, Ivory Coast will prove profitable for any spread sellers of their Group G index at 9.5 if they again fail to reach the second round. The Elephants bowed out last time with a maiden victory in the final group game and spread buyers of their Group G index at 11 will need Didier Drogba and co to carry on where they left off in the first fixture against Portugal.
North Korea are anything but frequent World Cup-goers themselves, this being only their second appearance on the biggest stage. Emulating the squad of '66 and reaching the quarter-finals would be a shock to spread sellers of their group or World Cup indexes, both of which are priced at 0.5, but provide a handsome payday for any spread punters buying in either market at 2.
Trading Talk - South Africa 2010 Group H preview
The final World Cup group features Spain, who are looking to emulate France's efforts in 1998 and 2000 to become both World and European champions. Spain are ranked first in FIFA's World Rankings which has been reflected in Sporting Index's outright index. Vicente Del Bosque's side can be bought at 46 points and spread punters that have done so will have been buoyed by the side's recent form. Before the defeat to the USA at the end 2009 at the Confederations Cup, the Spaniards were unbeaten for 35 matches. Spread buyers will take further encouragement that the loss to the Americans was the only blemish on an otherwise perfect 2009 when they won all their other fifteen games, scoring 47 and conceding just 12.
Spain are strongly fancied to progress to the knockout stages and can be bought at 21.5 on their group index (25pts to group winner, 10pts for runner-up, 5pts for third). If Spain do have an Achilles heel it's that they have not performed that well in previous World Cups and sellers of their outright spread will have noted that their best finish was fourth in the 1950 World Cup.
The Sporting Index traders have installed Chile as second favourites to win the group and they can be bought at 10.5 on the spread index. Any spread buyers will be impressed with the side's qualifying campaign for South Africa when only Brazil finished higher. During 2009 the Chileans played 14 games, winning on eight occasions, drawing three and losing three. Buyers of goals spreads or Chile's supremacy in any of the team's matches will hope that their three top players Matias Fernandez, Humberto Suazo and Alexis Sanchez are firing on all cylinders.
Switzerland come next on the group index having finished top in their qualification group, which featured 2004 European Champions Greece. During qualifying the Swiss only conceded eight goals which will offer plenty of encouragement for spread buyers will the fact that they only lost once in 2009. Sellers of Switzerland's group index spread at 6.5 will note that the side are very reliant on Alexander Frei, the striker who has scored 40 goals in his 73 international caps, and if he were to pick up an injury the side might struggle for goals.
Honduras secured their trip to South Africa with a third-place finish in the CONCACAF qualifying group. The Hondurans are fourth favourites to win the group and can be bought at 3.5. 2009 saw the side play 24 matches, losing 8 of those, winning 15 and drawing once. Spread buyers of the group index will be concerned that the side have only once before made the finals, in 1982. Spread buyers of their group index and match index spreads will take some confidence from the Honduran's resolute defense that only let in eleven goals in qualifying against a number of top sides and will be relying on good showings from Premier League stars Wilson Palacios and Maynor Figueroa.
South Africa 2010 - Players to watch (Europe)
Spread betting may add an extra dimension of highs and lows but the emotions of watching your team compete in the World Cup are like no other. Football fans from across the world however are all able to share the joys of seeing the world's best exponents of the beautiful game gathered in one place. Europe is lucky enough to boast a disproportionate number of gifted footballers, many of whom will be shooting, strutting and sulking their way through the 2010 World Cup.
There at least three reasons why Spain are Sporting Index's outright spread index favourites, at 43-46 - named Fernando Torres, David Villa, and Xavi Hernandez. Spread buyers will be counting on Xavi to conduct the entire side from midfield, but buyers of Spain's total tournament goals spread at 11.3-12, the highest of any team, will be counting on Torres to be fit enough to resume his devastating pairing with the Valencia striker. B oth men hit three in Germany and are likely to be Golden Boot contenders.
Staying in Iberia and Portugal possess the most expensive player of all time in Cristiano Ronaldo. Spread bettors are likely aware that if his side reaches the latter stages he will be largely responsible and buyers of Portugal's tournament team match goal minutes at 315 would expect a fair contribution from the former Manchester United man. There seems to be no type of goal he cannot score, but spread buyers of the bookings index in Portugal's matches will also be aware of his surly nature. It's no coincidence that Sporting Index has given the side one of the highest quotes in their total bookings market, with a spread of 110-116pts (25 points per red, 10pts per yellow).
Ron's former teammate is the man opposition defences will perhaps most fear. Wayne Rooney netted nine goals in as many qualifying games, and was second top-scorer in European qualifying. There will be plenty of buyers of Rooney's performance and goals spreads throughout the tournament, but spread sellers will remember his record in the 2006 tournament - he didn't score before a red card ended his tournament at the quarter-final stage.
Spread sellers of total goals and goal minutes throughout the finals won't be focusing on the flamboyant strikers and speedy wingers however. They'll be dependent on the miserly defences and they don't come more so than that of current World Cup champions Italy. Key to their stinginess at the back is goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, still only 32 despite seemingly having been around forever. Buyers of Italy's supremacy spreads in any of their matches will be more confident of Buffon keeping the goals out than Italy's strikers knocking too many in. Sporting Index offer a group stage mini-performance spread where each team is rewarded for clean sheets and wins among other things. Italy's is set at 94-100pts so spread buyers will hope to see Buffon at his best.
There are plenty of other European players who have the ability to make or break a spread bettor's World Cup so special mentions must go to French flyer Franck Ribery, Germany's midfield general Michael Ballack and dutch pair Robin Van Persie and Arjen Robben. Fellas, there's a fair bit of spread betting wedge depending on your performances - no pressure!
South Africa 2010 - Players to watch (Americas)
Europe has the best leagues in the world, as every Sporting Index soccer spread punter who has bet on matches in the Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga or Serie A knows. But South America, a continent which lives and breathes football, boasts the most naturally gifted players in the world and spread bettors can look forward to seeing some of the best from Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay and Chile at the World Cup in South Africa. Throw in a couple of members of a talented family from Honduras and an established star who plies his trade next to David Beckham and spread bettors will be spoilt for choice when it comes to player markets involving teams from across the Atlantic.
It would be rude not to start with arguably the world's best player, Argentina's Lionel Messi. His likeness to Diego Maradona has long since drawn comparisons and, over the past couple of seasons, the Barcelona front man has shown an exceptional goalscoring pedigree to go with his exemplary talent netting at nearly a goal a game for his club side. Spread bettors will rush to buy his goal minutes when he takes on the poor group opposition of Greece, South Korea and Nigeria, exactly as they did when he faced Arsenal in the Champions League recently. Four goals and a spread make up of 188 then had spread buyers jumping for joy and Sporting Index traders running for the hills. Spread buyers of La Albiceleste's tournament win index at 35 will know that Leo is capable of winning the World Cup on his own.
In Brazil's team of global superstars, however, it is not straightforward to name one key man. While Kaka and Robinho hog the limelight, buyers of player goal minutes and performance spreads may be better off relying on Luis Fabiano to score the goals. Spread buyers of Brazil's tournament team goals at 11.2 will know he did just that in qualifying when he netted nine times and at last summer's Confederations Cup where he top-scored with five.
Premier League spread punters will be familiar with Uruguay and former Manchester United striker Diego Forlan and buyers of his match performance spreads will hope he can repeat his qualifying record of seven goals in 13 matches. Likewise for Paraguay and Manchester City striker Roque Santa Cruz, although Sporting Index are likely to take more rather more 'sell' requests for his goal minutes. Tottenham's Wilson Palacios has been outstanding for his club this season and spread bettors will be very interested to see how he performs at the World Cup for Honduras alongside sibling Johnny. Finally, the star of the USA side, Landon Donovan, impressed in a brief spell with Everton when on hiatus from his normal duties with LA Galaxy last season. As his nation's top-scorer with 42 goals, there's no doubt he holds the key for spread buyers of the USA's total tournament goals at 4.7.
South Africa 2010 - Players to watch (Africa)
Before Cameroon put African soccer on the world map at Italia '90 even fanatical football fans would've struggled to identify more than a handful of the continent's players. Now there's no doubt about the region's strength and supporters and spread punters alike can reel the names off without hesitation.
With a spread of 15-18, Ivory Coast lead Sporting Index's outright index ( winner: 100pts; runner-up: 75pts; lose semis: 50pts, lose quarters: 25pts; last 16: 10pts; others: 0pts) among the African contingent and have a very familiar feel to them. Coached by ex-England boss Sven Goran-Eriksson, the Swede has at his disposal Emmanuel Eboue, Salomon Kalou, Didier Zokora and the brothers Toure, Barcelona's Yaya and Manchester City's Kolo. The undisputed main man, though, is captain Didier Drogba.
The Chelsea star has 66 caps and 43 goals. Spread bettors buying the Elephants' total tournament goals at 5.8 will be hoping his goals keep flowing after winning the Premier League Golden Boot this season with 29 strikes.
Next from the continent in Sporting Index's outright index are Cameroon - with a spread of 10-13 they're another nation with strong Premier League ties. Tottenham Hotspur defensive duo Sebastien Bassong and Benoit Assou-Ekotto line-up alongside Arsenal regular Alex Song, while many spread punters will remember veterans Rigobert Song and Geremi from their time in England. Spread buyers of the Indomitable Lions' outright index will also be looking to Samuel Eto'o to profit from the team's tournament performance. After back-to-back Champions League finals with Barcelona and Inter Milan, the striker will be hopeful of adding to nine qualifying goals - a strike-rate spread sellers of Cameroon's tournament team goal minutes at 225 won't want Eto'o to continue.
Ghana, runners-up at this year's African Nations, are a powerful outfit with Michael Essien the driving force. Spread bettors selling the Black Stars' outright and Group D indexes, both at 9, may feel he'll be rusty after a long spell sidelined. Any spread buyers of Ghana in the group, outright and individual game markets on Sporting Index will hope he's well rested and look for important contributions from the likes of Sulley Muntari and Stephen Appiah as well as AC Milan's hot prospect Dominic Adiyiah.
Elsewhere, Nigeria have an identical spread to Ghana's 9-12 in the outright index. Spread buyers getting with the Super Eagles will profit from a campaign that lasts until at least the quarters. Buyers of the West African side's spreads will expect a defensive stability that helped them reach the semis in Angola this year to provide the foundations. Joseph Yobo, John Obi Mikel and Yakubu Ayegbeni make a strong spine while Taye Taiwo's explosive left boot can cause trouble. On the other hand, spread sellers may be anticipating a potential clash with France in the last 16 proving too tricky.
With no World Cup appearance since 1986, Algeria are a somewhat unknown quantity. Karim Ziani is one to watch and buyers of the Wolfsburg playmaker's individual performance will hope his delightful skill can materialise into something productive with goals, assists and shots on target.
Finally, hosts South Africa aren't given much chance by bookies. Bafana Bafana have little strength in depth and few quality players but their Group A spread sellers will be wary that no host has been eliminated in the first round before and recall South Korea's run to the semis eight years ago. Everton's Steven Pienaar is the man most likely to help the Rainbow Nation into the last 16 and return a profit for their group and outright index spread buyers at 7 and 9 respectively.
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