With the football season well past the half way mark, most of our attention has been on the top six or seven sides, particularly the battle for fourth and fifth place. If you check the opposite end of the table, there are eight sides, each with realistic chances of being relegated.

Current betting on relegation shows Portsmouth (1/5), Hull (4/6), Burnley (8/11) and Wolves (11/8). What are your tips? Let’s look at them all starting from the top.

Sunderland (10/1) are on 24 points and would look to be safe. However, they have only won one of their last 14 matches now. Keep them in mind over the next month, especially if they draw or lose to Wigan this weekend.

Wigan (9/2) are on 22 points and travel to Sunderland this weekend. If Sunderland win, Wigan could be a lot closer to the bottom than their current 14th.

West Ham (5/1) are on 21 and would have to be the disappointing team of the season. Deserve their price of 5/1 but they probably have a better run home than some of the others.

Bolton (7/2) are also on 21 and they seem to be poorly priced. Their run home is not too bad compared to the others – I wouldn’t be putting my money on them at 7/2.

Wolverhampton (5/4) are the third team on 21 and after showing so much promise in the first half of the season and have slumped badly of late. They don’t have a good run home and look to be heading back to the Championship League.

Burnley (4/7) are on 20 and currently in the hot seat. I am one punter that feels they will be safe come season end. They have played well enough to worry top teams. I tip them to stay up.

Hull (4/7) also on 20 and after a great season last year couldn’t manage a repeat effort this year. Whether they will face relegation is another matter. They have some tough games (Chelsea tonight) but once clear of them, a fairly easy run home.

Portsmouth (1/6) are on 15 points and I think it’s fair to say their season is done. Mind you, Stoke picked themselves up from this position last season and avoided relegation. Pompey have too many problems off the pitch as well as on. Say goodbye, I think.

My tips to go down this season – Portsmouth, Wolves and a toss up between Hull and Wigan. Keep your eyes on the prices set by sportsbooks – grab some value while you can.

Arsenal have the chance to replace Manchester United today – but they will have to beat them to do it. In Arsenal’s favour is home ground advantage and a good record against United in home games. Against them is a run of injuries that will have some of Arsenal’s younger players tested to the limit.

Online sportsbetting has posted Arsenal as narrow favourites at 8/5 just in front of Manchester United – 15/8. There has been some good money for the draw with some bookmakers pricing the result at 2/1. The best price around for a draw is 12/5.

Arsenal are going to need a win today if they are to stay in touch of the top two. Their next game is away to league leaders Chelsea so a loss today could see them drifting back into the pack.

At 8/5 Arsenal represent a good bet. They should scrape home in what should be a great game to watch – you can see it all on Sky Sports HD1 at 4:00 this afternoon.

Today’s other game has also got some implications for the leading group on the league tables. Manchester City are currently in 7th place and a win today could see them jump to 5th. They host bottom of the table Portsmouth so expect a flurry of goals – they will need them too.

There’s really no betting on the match with City 3/10 favourites to Pompey’s 12/1. The real betting will be on ‘by how many’ rather the result. If City win, the battle for 4th and 5th will really heat up. Spurs hold 4th on 42, a point ahead of Liverpool on 41 and Villa on 40. City are on 38 with a win today taking them to 41 and challenging that number four spot.

All four teams have interesting games coming up this week. City, who face a challenging away game to Hull this week, cannot really afford a loss today. More importantly, with the battle so tight, they can’t afford to miss any scoring opportunities. They need as many goals as possible to boost their for/against averages. City to win by three.

Tottenham Hotspurs travel to Birmingham today in what should be an interesting game of football. The home side have certainly surprised many with their form in the top league following promotion at the end of last season. Spurs have also performed far better than last season after languishing in the bottom half of the table for much of the season.

Bookmakers have posted Tottenham as early favourites with best prices being around the 11/8-6/4 mark. The home side are showing odds of 2/1-11/5. Away games are always difficult and Spurs will find this a difficult ask. The draw at 5/2 looks tempting and is worth consideration. Our tip – Birmingham to take the three points.

It’s actually an interesting round of football with several upset wins more than likely. Our tips for the weekend:

Fulham (7/4) – Aston Villa (7/4): Villa need the win to stay in touch with top six. Fulham are playing well in the middle of the pack and at home, will trouble Villa. As the betting suggests, a close call. Villa by a whisker.

Hull (7/5) – Wolverhampton (23/10): The battle for relegation honours – or at least – the battle to escape. Wolves played well early in the season, but have since faded. Hull seemed to be rebuilding before falling back again. Hull in a close game and only because they are at home.

Liverpool (5/11) – Bolton (8): The Reds should be all over Bolton – a easy and much needed three points for the home side.

West Ham (6/5) – Blackburn (11/4): West Ham have struggled of late while Blackburn have been at least consistent. Away from home is their downfall – The Hammers to break free of the drop zone with three points.

Wigan (12/5) – Everton (11/8): The Toffees come into this game on the back of some strong performances. Wigan at home have proven hard nuts to crack. This could be a good game to watch – this could be a rare draw for the weekend.

Burnley (14) – Chelsea (3/10): Burnley are strong at home but Chelsea are even stronger, even away from home. And easy three points for the Premier League favourites.

Good luck and happy punting.

Roger Federer has blazed his way through the Australian Open so far, giving as good as gets – with interest. Many thought Hewitt would surprise him – instead Federer brushed him aside. In his last match, Federer’s nemesis in recent matches, Nikolay Davydenko almost stole the match, but Federer’s professionalism and spirit saw him fight back and take the match.

After such a tough five setter, the question may be, “How much does he have left in the tank?” He now goes on to play his 23rd consecutive semi-final, this time against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Tsonga defeated an ailing Djokovic in their quarter-final. If this goes to five sets, I would back Tsonga to win – he seems to have endless stamina. Federer will need to get on top early and close out the match as quickly as possible.

On the other side of the draw, can Andy Murray make it through to a Grand Slam final? The best player of 2009 not to win a major, Murray keeps promising but not quite delivering. He plays Marin Cilic in their semi-final and this promises to be a great game.

Murray is playing well. He was all over Rafael Nadal before Nadal retired hurt and goes into this game a little fresher than Cilic who has had to battle through consecutive five setters.

These two matches should follow the seeding with Murray and Federer then meeting the final. Can Murray finally win a Grand Slam event? This may well be his best chance ever. Online tennis betting has Federer at 10/11 to take the title with Andy Murray at 6/4. Tsonga and Cilic are both at 15/1.

Is there any such thing as a sure thing? If you like comparing the odds when it comes to football then there are times when you can come out in front by betting on all the outcomes. It doesn’t happen often since bookmakers are fairly careful when setting their odds. However, if you compare the odds across a range of bookmakers, you will be surprised at the variations on offer.

In today’s Premier League football matches, Portsmouth are at home to West Ham. Pompey are struggling both on and off the field but every now and then they put in a good game and surprise everyone. They are at home too. West Ham have had a bad first half of the season. They are starting to hit some form and will be hoping for a much stronger second half.

In the betting, Portsmouth are favourites and if you shop around, you can get as much as 8/5 (2.60). West Ham’s odds are spread wide with some bookies offering as short as 13/8 (2.63) out to 2/1 (3.00). The draw is being offered at 12/5 (3.40). With all three options in the black, a smart staking plan can see you backing all three for small return no matter which bet wins.

The second game to look at is on Wednesday between Aston Villa and Arsenal. Following their loss to Stoke over the weekend, bookies have allowed Arsenal to slip a little in betting. They are now in the black at 13/10 (2.30) while Villa have remained steady at 9/4 (3.25) although on the exchanges you can get 121/50 (3.42). The draw is being quoted at 23/10 (3.30). Again, with a clever staking plan you can back all three for a small profit.

The profits are small and generally amount to only 3-4% so don’t expect huge wins. For the serious punter, you can steadily grow your bank by comparing the odds and backing the most likely outcomes.

We are in for an intriguing couple of days in the Australian Open with both Roger Federer and Serena Williams facing home town heroes. I would normally expect both of these players to dominate against their opponents, however, this year may just be a little different. Online bookmakers have made them both short priced favourites – that could be to our advantage.

Federer will come up against former number one Lleyton Hewitt, a player Federer has beaten in each of their previous 12 matches. Prior to that, Hewitt had a 100% strike rate against Federer. What’s different this year? There are a number of factors. Federer is getting a little older and can be vulnerable – especially over five sets. Hewitt is the fittest he has been for several years – he also has that hunger to win.

Testimony to the difference between Hewitt’s last appearance in this event and this year was in the match against Baghdatis – his nemesis over the last few years. Hewitt cruised through the first set in a faultless 6-0 performance that was reminiscent of his early days. If Hewitt takes that form into his game against Federer, anything could happen. Hewitt is 8/1 to win, Federer is 1/10. At those odds, it’s either sit back and watch, or have a little on Hewitt. I sense a Hewitt victory.

Serena Williams is in a similar situation. She is facing local favourite Samantha Stosur and if their last match is any indication their current odds are rather strange. Stosur is one player that Williams has trouble getting past. At their last meeting, Stosur took the game away from Williams, eventually winning with ease – and that was on Williams’ home turf in LA. Stosur is determined to make it to a home slam final and with the crowd behind her she will be hard to beat. Stosur is 6/1 to win with Williams at 1/7. Again, at those odds it’s either watch or back Stosur.

I fancy the home town double. The odds should be terrific, around 70/1, plus yet the chance of winning is much lower. That is what a value betting is all about.

Offshore sportsbooks are prepared to take Serena Williams on in the Australian Open, easing her price to 2/1. Meanwhile, Justine Henin may well move into favouritism with bookies following the defeat of Kim Clijsters. Much has been made of her exit, and she did play poorly, but if you look at rankings for this tournament, she was seeded 15 while her opponent was seeded 19. Whichever way you look at it, she is gone and now it’s down to just the two of them – at least when it comes to betting markets it is.

There have been some good contests in the women’s Open so far. Venus Williams has been fairly clinical. Serena Williams is in cruise control; Justine Henin is having to play good tennis every match; and Dinara Safina is cruising behind the lot of them. She could be a dark horse in this event. If you follow the money, she has more than halved her opening quote and is now in to 9/1 on some markets (you can get as much as 15/1 if you shop around a bit).

Venus Williams has moved into third favouritism at 7/1 and is looking good. Henin still looks the one to beat in my books. She is getting plenty of match time which will help to sharpen her game. While the Williams sisters are cruising through their games, the lack of any serious competition may not toughen them enough for the finals. We are in for a top second week tennis in the Australian Open – tomorrow we will review the men’s side of the draw.

As the new golf year gets into full swing, all the major players from last season are back in action – with the exception of one: Tiger Woods. Last year’s European champion and season ending Race to Dubai winner, Lee Westwood, is back in Abu Dhabi ready to defend his crown and start his year off to a good start.

The Abu Dhabi golf championship starts today and Westwood is exceptionally good value in betting odds. Bookmakers are quoting him at 13/1 behind Australian Geoff Ogilvy, who is favourite at 11/1. Westwood finished last season with 10 top ten finishes out of 14 starts – an impressive record for any golfer.

At 13/1 – he is great value for an each way bet to finish in the top five. Each way bets normally pay a quarter of the odds so 13/4 or roughly 3/1 for that top five finish is good value. Ogilvy has started the season in form with some good wins and has earned the right to be favourite.

Rory McIlroy (14/1) is another whose golf betting odds are good value. He was runner up to Westwood in last season’s European champions money list. His biggest problem is lack of consistency – he either wins or puts in a few bad rounds and finishes in the middle of the pack. He won more tournaments than Westwood last year; he just couldn’t back that up with top ten finishes.

If you like McIlroy’s chances in this event, back him straight out to win. He has a poor place record so why take the reduced odds? He will either win, or finish out of a place. For mine, it’s Lee Westwood to win. Others to watch are Martin Kaymer (14/1), Paul Casey (16/1) and Sergio Garcia (25/1).

There are a couple of great games brewing midweek in English football and sportsbooks have made the home sides firm favourites to win. The local derby between Manchester City and Manchester United in the Carling Cup semi final looks to be an interesting clash. City have several injury concerns which may make fielding a winning side interesting.

Carling Cup betting odds have City at 6/4 with United kept safe at 2/1. This is the first leg of the semi final with City having first home ground advantage. I don’t know if it will be enough. United are playing well and given the injury concerns facing City – A United win wouldn’t surprise.

The other semi-final has Aston Villa at home to Blackburn with the home side firm favourites at 8/13 to the visitors 11/2. Villa have everything going for them in this tie and should sail home.

In Premier league games, Arsenal have the chance to go level with table leaders Chelsea on Wednesday night when they again face Bolton. Arsenal had Bolton’s measure easily over the weekend and another win is on the cards here as well. Arsenal are 2/9 with Bolton at 16/1. As the odds suggest, another easy win for the Gunners.

The second game on Wednesday night should be a good one. Liverpool host high flying Tottenham in a game that could make or break the Reds. Sportsbooks have Liverpool 6/4 to win with Spurs at 2/1. Liverpool are floundering and seem to have lost their ability to work well as a team. They desperately need a couple of good wins to regain their confidence. A loss on Wednesday night may just be the proverbial straw. At 2/1 and given the current form of the two sides, it’s hard to go past Spurs – Spurs to win and effectively end the Reds season.

The first Grand Slam event for the year gets underway in Melbourne tomorrow with the start of the Australian Open. Bookmakers are keen to take on Andy Murray in the event – and why not? His form is below his best by a long way. However, Grand Slam events often deliver surprise results. Shop around and you will find several bookmakers offering money back should Murray win.

The Australian Open betting odds are more open this year, which makes for great punting. The favourite this year is the master, Roger Federer, at 3/1. However, bookmakers are wary of rival Rafael Nadal and have opened him at 4/1 second favourite. Few will forget last season’s epic battle where Nadal eventually wore down Federer to take this event. Here’s an early prediction – Federer and Nadal to meet again with this year’s result reversed.

Andy Murray has slipped to number five in world rankings but he comes into this event priced at 13/2. I think he is a little under the odds at that price given his latest form. World number three Novak Djokovic is next in the betting at 17/2 with the most improved player in men’s tennis and world number four, Juan Martin Del Potro, quoted at 9/1. He is well over the odds I think and could be a good value bet if you are looking for someone outside the top two.

The women’s open has finally got a new lease on life with several players coming into this event with good form. Serena Williams is the early favourite although she has already had the staggers in the markets. She has drifted out to 10/3 just ahead of US Open winner Kim Clijsters at 4/1. Justine Henin is next best at 13/2 but the two to watch are on the next line of betting at 10/1.

Maria Sharapova is slowly returning to form and looks to be ready for this event. The player most dubbed the best to have not won a major is Elena Dementieva and she showed her form by making quick work of disposing of Serena Williams in the final of the Sydney International late last week. Her form is such that I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see her win.

Williams seems to be hampered by injuries and may not make the distance. Clijsters, well, she just keeps on winning; Henin has a win around the corner somewhere – will it be here? Perhaps; while Sharapova may need more match fitness. Look for her later in the year.

Dementieva is great value at 10/1 while Clijsters could make a good back up bet. Imagine the return on a Dementieva-del Potro double – 140/1 and it’s really quite feasible.