Pompey's Miracle?
After a nail-biting Premier League drew to a close on Sunday afternoon, all that remains for football spread bettors domestically is the FA Cup. Spread punters that bought Chelsea's FA Cup outright index (100pts for winner, 70 pts for runner-up) at the start of the season will be pleased to see that they are now at 96.5pts and although they could sell the spread for an immediate profit most will be hoping the London club can claim a domestic cup double. It's no surprise to see that the Blues are the big spread favourites for the Wembley clash while Portsmouth and their spread supporters will be sweating over the fitness of star player, Jamie O'Hara, who has two stress fractures in his lower back.
Supremacy spread buyers and sellers will be interested to know that only two of the last eleven finals have needed penalties to settle the result, in 2005 and 2006. However, sellers of Chelsea's supremacy spread should note that a single goal or less has separated the teams in eight of the last eleven finals. Manchester United's 3-0 triumph over Millwall in 2004 is the largest winning margin of those eleven finals. Chelsea are going for back-to-back FA Cup final victories after they came from behind to beat Everton last year, but those selling Chelsea's spread might remember that the Blues were on the receiving end of the heaviest final defeat since 1990, losing 4-0 to Manchester United in 1994. Buyers of Portsmouth's win index spread will also remember that Pompey lifted the cup during the 2007/08 season with Harry Redknapp at the helm.
Spread bettors looking at the total goals market should note the highest scoring final ever was when Blackpool defeated Bolton 4-3 in 1953. For the interest of any spread bettors weighing up whether to buy the total goal minutes spread for this year's cup final, the 2006 final between Liverpool produced an impressive make up of 291 minutes.
Head-to-head outside of the Cup, buyers of Portsmouth's goal spreads will not be pleased to know that in the 15 meetings since Portsmouth joined the top flight in 2003, Chelsea have won 14 times (with one draw), winning to nil on 12 occasions. Worse for Portsmouth's spread buyers is that their team have only scored three times against their opponents in these meetings. In the two Premier League games between these sides this campaign, Pompey managed just one goal and conceded seven. Goal spread buyers for the league match at Fratton Park will have been delighted to see the Blues knock in five - with the total goal minute spread being settled at 309. The bookings market will spark debate among spread bettors, seeing as the game at Portsmouth in March produced five yellows. However, the game at Chelsea didn't produce a single booking to the delight of sellers that day.
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