Weekend Review: Premier League returns with a bite for bookies

Bookies were not celebrating the return of the Premier League for very long this weekend after a string of favourites delivered, with some big-name strikers among the goals.

Sky Bet described the week-end’s action as a “very good start for punters”, with the most popular Premier League teams all wining.

“It was a tough start for us with the last year’s champions and runners up starting as they left off last season with comprehensive victories,” said Sky Bet’s Mikey Mumford. “Spurs, Arsenal and Man Utd obliging didn’t help matters as the most popular prem teams on the day all won.

“There’ll be plenty of full wallets going into the midweek’s action.”

It was more of the same in the EFL. “Leeds getting pegged back by Lewis Grabban’s equaliser helped us get off to a good start but it was pretty much downhill from there,” Mumford said.

“Wins for Fulham, Hull, Sheffield Wednesday and a late winner for Cardiff didn’t do too much to help us. Neither did the results in Scotland where Rangers and Celtic shared 11 goals as the Old Firm both ran out easy winners.”

Betway and bet365 reported better luck in the lower leagues, while Betfred said it came out slightly ahead from the weekend, helped by the 0-0 draw in Coventry, where the home side were backed into 1/5 pre-off as Bolton were forced to play without the senior players again.

“That was the upset of the week from a betting perspective,” Betfred’s Peter Spencer said.

In the racing, the Shergar Cup was edged by the punters, with Richard Haggas proving a popular trainer.

Ascot hosted the fantastic Shergar Cup weekend, which does divide opinion, but it’s a spectacle to see the world’s best riding talent come together and with points scored in each race, there is a constant talking point,” said Betway’s Chad Yeomans.

“Hayley Turner riding at the top of her game, again, won the Silver Saddle and with her riding two winners, it gave punters the edge at the International fixture.

“William Haggas has his horses in fantastic form and his horse Victory Day took the last race, giving punters the result they wanted to end the day on!”

Elsewhere, Betfred said it is on the hunt for one Yorkshire racing customer who landed an eight-fold to win £11.6k from a 10p bet.

Sky Bet’s Andre Wootton said stakes were strong on horseracing thanks to the operator’s extra place offering across all races on the Shergar Cup card and a recycling of funds as punters enjoyed a good day.

“We were losing on the day after Ascot and the ITV races, where our feature ITV Price Boosted double was successful with two Richard Haggas-trained winners at Haydock,” Wootton said.

“However, results elsewhere were favourable which allowed us to claw back in front by the end of the day.”