Online Gambling - Sportsbooks

Staff Writer
May 20, 2008

The UEFA Champions league final is an all British affair, with Chelsea taking on the might of EPL winners Manchester United.

Manchester United won another English title this year and have superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. Chelsea has a huge, talented squad and the wealth of billionaire Russian owner, Roman Abramovich.

And that gives Manchester the edge with online bookies. Bodog Sportsbook has them at 2.35 (27/20 or +135) with Roman Abramovich's boys in blue rated a 3.10 (21/10 or +210) chance.

The draw is apparently a safer bet than Chelsea winning, currently paying 3.05 (41/20 or +2.05).

English sportsbook, Bet365 is giving Man U fans slightly better odds, paying 2.50 for the win. They're also offering a whole range of more specific scoreline options than just a draw.

A 1-1 draw is apparently the safest bet, paying 6.00. A 1-0 Manchester win pays 6.50.

We love football (or 'Soccer' to all our American readers) but aren't feeling any karmic gambling forces at work in this one. We have to go with the flow and pick Man U in a close match.

It alway feels strange when betting on a match taking place on a pitch foreign to both teams. And it's the first time the Champions League has featured an all-English team final.

UEFA has been copping some heat over the suitability of the turf only just laid for this match at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.

English groundsman, Matthew Frost had this to say about the surface.

"I'm totally disappointed with the whole project and what we're presenting for the final. It's acceptable, but it's a big personal disappointment for me and the project as a whole because things haven't gone very well from the start, to be honest. That's Russia I'm afraid. It's not a perfect world."

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was just happy not to be playing on an artificial surface.

"The fact they have relaid it from Astroturf to turf is a big delight to me," said Ferguson.

"We are happy in that sense."

Hopefully they'll be happy enough to take the trophy and win us all a few pounds sterling in the process.

The match kicks off at 20.45 Central European Time on Wednesday night, May 21.