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Just after looking at the odds for the football and was just wondering if you might be able to get odds on the hurling championship as well Lone Shark?? And also any idea if hacketts will be doing odds on the matches this year,i used to see the odds in the paper you write with lone shark and just wondering if they will be available again this year??

I would presume that when the time comes, Hacketts will happily cover the games - however a lot depends on this group format for the SHC. If a couple of clubs get a few early wins under their belts and it becomes like a glorified league, then it mightn't happen.

As for outrights, well I was looking for the football myself, but I'm sure they'll have a crack at the hurling as well at some stage if someone asks. You'd be surprised what you can get from theese lads simply by way of asking.

Question for you LS while we are talking punting.

How do the bookies arrive at their handicap odds and how do they (bookies) all end up having very similar handicaps......its rare to see a differeing opinion. An example would be Kilkenny footballers recently. They were generally getting 27 last week and all the bookies were either 26, 27 or 28. Why is it that no bookies stands up and says I think it'll be 32 or anothers says 23 etc. Do they all use the same mathematical formula. What is the maths involved? Is it averages of other defeats etc. Not sure if anyone here has the answer (maybe LS knows)????

bracknaghboy wrote:Question for you LS while we are talking punting.

How do the bookies arrive at their handicap odds and how do they (bookies) all end up having very similar handicaps......its rare to see a differeing opinion. An example would be Kilkenny footballers recently. They were generally getting 27 last week and all the bookies were either 26, 27 or 28. Why is it that no bookies stands up and says I think it'll be 32 or anothers says 23 etc. Do they all use the same mathematical formula. What is the maths involved? Is it averages of other defeats etc. Not sure if anyone here has the answer (maybe LS knows)????

Generally speaking match odds and handicap odds follow a fairly close link, however this obviously goes out the window when it comes to games like this, where there is no chance of one side winning.

In theory each compiler looks at it separately and assesses the game and comes up with his own figure - however that's not really possible any more since any outlandish opinion will be descended upon by arb sharks. Basically what happens here is that if Powers went up with 30 on this game while Ladbrokes went up with 24, punters would fill their boots backing KK +30 with PP and Leitrim -24 with Lads. If they backed at 10/11 either side and had 550 on each, they'd stand to lose 50 if the margin was 24 or less or 30 or more, but if it landed in the middle, which would be anywhere between 25 and 29, they'd win 1000 since both bets would click.

The market is full of people looking to do this, so it spoils the value for the genuine punter who just wants to back one side. Everybody ends up falling into line.

Seeing as this starts next week does anyone know if hackett's or anyone has odds yet?

I dont have odds but its hard to see past the four semi finalists from last year, Birr, Coolderry, Kilcormac and Kinnity. Realisticly i think its between coolderry and birr again but Kinnity and Kilcormac are tricky teams to play against.