When we sat down at the end of October and wondered what the hell we were going to run as our cover story in this issue, someone came up with the bright idea of running a feature on the best bets to make in 2005. It proved quite an undertaking.

The editorial team at InsideEdge knows quite a lot about football, their racing knowledge is pretty good, too, but when it comes to rugby league and tennis, you can forget it. That's why, during the course of the last year, we've found the best people in the country, many of them professional gamblers themselves, to tell you where the betting action should be in any sport you can think of. You name it, we've covered it.

They don't just tell you who they think is going to win and should be backed in a race, an event or a tournament, though. They tell you who or what can't win and must be laid on the betting exchanges, which football team's points tally has to be sold on the spreads, what golfer isn't likely to make the cut, which tennis player should be backed now and laid before a tournament. Using the many different ways there are to trade these days, you really can make the betting game pay. And you can start by following the advice here throughout 2005.

HORSE RACING

01.) BACK ROYAL ROSA EACH WAY AT 10/1 FOR THE WORLD HURDLE AT CHELTENHAM

With Baracouda on the downgrade and Iris Royal likely to go chasing if he races at all this season, Royal Rosa is a stonking each-way bet at a top-priced 10/1 for this particular race. Be warned, though: you may not be able to get the 10/1, because we've grabbed a bucket load of it!

02.) HAVE A WAGER ON BACK IN FRONT AT 16/1 FOR THE CHAMPION HURDLE

The Champion Hurdle is one of the most open ante-post events this National Hunt season. Don't be tempted to back Rooster Booster - he won't win it. The forgotten horse is Back in Front, who had several niggles last season and was given a very easy time by his shrewd handler. He showed by winning on the flat recently that all is now well and, at around 16/1, is an absolutely mammoth price for the race. If both he and Royal Rosa do the biz, I may even pay off the Editor's mortgage (Terrific! - Ed) if he gets down on his knees and begs! (Bugger that - Ed)

03.) LAY BEST MATE FOR THE GOLD CUP

Don't take a short price about Best Mate now or even seven days before the race. The only reason he was pushed so hard in last year's renewal was because the ground was dead after heavy overnight showers. This horse needs fast ground. Under such conditions his biggest rivals to date - Kingscliff, Sir Rembrandt and Beef or Salmon - would be at a huge speed disadvantage. However, should the rains come in profusion, either one of the three would have a sound claim to taking the scalp of Henrietta Knight's charge. And here's one piece of overwhelming statistical evidence that suggests he will fail to make it a fourth time. Over the last two years, the Cheltenham Festival has featured 40 races. No fewer than 37 of them were won by horses aged nine or under. Best Mate will be ten years old when he turns up at Prestbury Park for the Gold Cup next March.

04.) BACK A FIVE-YEAR-OLD TO WIN THE ARKLE CHASE AT THE CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL IN MARCH

With their 4lb allowance, they always have a distinct advantage over their elders.

05.) BACK YOUR PICK EARLY FOR THE GRAND NATIONAL

If you fancy something big time for the Grand National and the horse is 33/1 or less, figures show you must back the animal at least seven to ten days before the race. Why? Because the bookies are the tightest bastards on God's Earth in the lead-up to the race. On average, the bookies shorten the price of horses in the top half of the betting by up to 25% each during that time span.

06.) BACK THE FAVOURITE FOR THE GRAND NATIONAL

Everyone knows the Grand National fences are nothing like as fierce as they once were. What's more, the race is a much better spectacle as a handicap, with many of the 40-odd runners now running off their proper mark in the race. Nonetheless, favourites still have a decent record in the great race. A tenner staked each time on the winning jolly over the last decade would have yielded £160 for £100 staked.

07.) BET ON DISTANT PROSPECT TO WIN A BIG HANDICAP HURDLE

We've no doubt this horse will claim victory in a big handicap hurdle in 2005. The horse jumps for fun and goes well at Cheltenham. 2m 5f around there would suit, so watch out for a huge gamble on him at Prestbury Park. He is a winner waiting to happen over hurdles, and Andrew Balding showed with Scorned at Sandown last year that he is the perfect trainer to pull off such a coup.

08.) USE FIRST-HAND JUDGEMENT WHEN PICKING A HORSE FOR THE NOVICE EVENTS AT THE CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL

Trust yourself - don't be blinded by what the press says about certain novices being certainties to win this, that and t'other in the novice events at Cheltenham. Watch the horses run and then judge them. All the scribes were waxing lyrical about Sporazene after he won his first novice chase at Exeter, but to my eyes he was workmanlike at best and jumped poorly. Sure enough, he fell next time out with long odds on. If he wins the Arkle, I'll marry the Managing Editor's daughter, and I haven't even met her yet! Sporazene is one to swerve big time.

09.) LOOK FOR A HORSE PRICED AT 20/1 OR MORE TO BE AN EACH-WAY SUCCESS AT THE GOLD CUP

This is an excellent-value bet, as at least one horse has finished in the frame priced at 20/1 or more in all but one of the last 15 renewals of the big race (the exception being 1996).

10.) BACK THE FAVOURITE TO WIN THE ST LEGER AT DONCASTER

September 2005 is a fair way off for making a prediction. However, in recent years, the St Leger, which is the last of the five English flat racing Classics, has been the best one in which to have a lumpy bet on the favourite. Rule of Law's victory in the 2004 renewal made it seven winning jollies out of the last ten. If you'd staked a tenner a race on each of the favourites over the last decade, you would be holding £228, a profit of £128 on top of your £100 wagered.

11.) BACK THE FAVOURITE IN THE STEWARDS' CUP RUN AT GLORIOUS GOODWOOD IN AUGUST

Yep, that's right - we're giving you the winner of next year's high-summer, 30-runner cavalry charge across the Sussex Downs before you've even had chance to scoff your Christmas lunch. Despite endless speculation each year about draw bias, going and all the rest of it, this is a race that, over the long term, has been kind to punters who steam into the favourite. £10 staked on each of the last ten market leaders in this race would have yielded a tasty overall return of £250, a profit of £150. The previous race on the card, the Group 1 Nassau Stakes, has also been good for favourites in recent years (producing a return of £160 for £100 staked). So consider a win double on both market leaders on the day!

12.) BACK THE FAVOURITE IN THE ROYAL & SUN ALLIANCE HURDLE AT THE CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL

If you do want to steam into a favourite at the Festival, make sure it's the market leader in this race. This event is the one that has been most punter-friendly over the last decade. Basically, this is a 'class will out' race. It's always a tough affair for horses with limited experience over obstacles and, results-wise, the cream tends to rise to the surface in this race more than in any of the others. If you had put £10 on the favourite in each of the last ten renewals, you would have returned £123 for £100 staked. Not a colossal return it's true but, crucially, a positive one.

FOOTBALL

13.) BACK THE DRAW IN ALL SPANISH SECOND-DIVISION MATCHES

Want to know the most boring division in European football? I'll tell you: it's the Segunda División - the second tier of Spanish football. Why is it so boring? Well, this league has a higher ratio of draws than any other in Europe. Up until the end of October 2004, of the 110 games played, 33 (30%) resulted in draws, and this figure is down on recent years. From 2000-01 onwards, the percentage of draws has read 33.41%, 30.67%, 35.71% and 35.71% (yes, again!). So you need to back the draw at 7/4 or bigger over time to gain profit. The layers know this, of course, but they have to be competitive, so you will still see odds that hover above the desired price.

14.) BACK AWAY WINS IN SCOTTISH LOWER-LEAGUE FOOTBALL

Rewards at the lower end of Scottish football are notoriously low (East Stirlingshire players are famously on a flat rate of £8 per game, including expenses) and by the end of the season this translates into away wins. Imagine the scenario: you're in mid-table and have nothing to play for, and your home crowd are on your back again - all this after you've done a full week's work. The opposition, however, have been playing cards on the bus, and don't have the crowd on their back. The net result is that relatively few away fixtures are lost by teams that are even remotely closely matched. Over the course of last season, only five of the 20 teams in divisions Two and Three lost a majority of their away games, and three of those were the hopeless bottom three in Division Three. Not only that, but the rate of away wins is almost twice as high after the New Year, so start betting as soon as 2004 becomes 2005.

This also applies to non-league teams whose players are semi-professional. When they're playing in midweek games, most of the players will have already done a full day's work before travelling to their matches. This is particularly relevant when the part-timers play away to professional sides midweek. It's well worth getting to know which teams are professional. This rule is often particularly profitable in FA Cup matches, when semi-professional, non-league teams hold league opposition to a draw and then have to travel for the replay on a Tuesday or Wednesday night. Those teams are always worth opposing.

15.) BACK A 3-3 SCORE AT 50/1 IN EVERY GAME IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP, LEAGUE ONE AND LEAGUE TWO, ON THE FINAL DAY OF THE SEASON

On the last day of the regular football season, there's a high proportion of 3-3 draws. This is because teams' fates are already sealed: some are up, others are down, a few are stuck in the play-offs and the rest, well, they're looking forward to more of the same the following season. As a result, teams play with freedom and carelessness. The goals flow and teams lack the energy or desire to nick late winners, so many more high-scoring draws occur. Nevertheless, the bookies still offer odds of 50/1 on a 3-3 score, and with a small, level-stakes bet on every Football League match, you need only one to come in to be in profit.

16.) BACK CHELSEA TO WIN 1-0 IN ALL THEIR MATCHES

Jose Mourinho's team may finally have adopted more attacking tactics in recent weeks but at heart he is a coach who prefers a defensive approach and likes his teams to keep it tight. The real odds of Chelsea winning a game 1-0 are 5/2, while the odds that appear on the correct score coupon are around 6/1. Back Chelsea to win 1-0 in every game during 2005.

BLOOM'S FOOTBALL BETTING TIPS

Bookie Tony Bloom, owner of Premierbet and arguably the world's best football analyst, suggests four ways to make money from betting on the beautiful game in 2005

17.) LAY OR LOOK TO OPPOSE ENGLISH LOWER-LEAGUE TEAMS WHO HAVE TO TRAVEL VERY LONG DISTANCES TO PLAY AN AWAY MATCH

Imagine you're playing for Arsenal in a long-distance Premiership away match. First class air travel, top-quality air-conditioned coaches, five-star hotel suites, the very finest meals prepared by the team nutritionist. With three points at stake, no expense will be spared. Now think about playing for a team from the lower leagues in a match taking place at the other end of the country. With money almost certain to be tight, there will be no luxury journey away from home.

In most cases, teams won't even be staying in a hotel overnight before their match. Almost certainly, they'll be making an early start to drive down by coach on the day of the game. In such circumstances, it's no surprise travelling players arrive at the ground mentally and physically fatigued. And with such a large distance bet ween their match and home, they will run out into a stadium where few of their fans will be there to support them.

It's no coincidence, then, that the teams with the best home records in recent years are the likes of Plymouth, Yeovil and Hartlepool, all teams that are conveniently positioned in far corners of the country.

I have a map of England pinned to my wall as a constant reference point, and anyone looking to make a profit from betting in the Coca-Cola leagues should do the same.

18.) OPPOSE TEAMS WITH A LARGE NUMBER OF FOREIGN INTERNATIONAL PLAYERS IN THEIR NEXT MATCH AFTER INTERNATIONAL FIXTURES

Once again, this one is all about the difficulties of travelling, and affects the top teams, such as Arsenal and Chelsea, as virtually every member of their multi-national squads represent their country. Players who have had to travel abroad to play an extra international match will return weary, and, in most cases, only the day before their next match for their clubs, so there will be no time to regain energy.

Playing for a different team on international duty can also have a negative effect on morale. Players such as Patrick Viera and Robert Pires are used to winning with Arsenal week in week out. When they go away and play for the French team, who are struggling at the moment, it's inevitable that they will be affected mentally.

Sometimes the top teams will also rest their international players if they haven't had time to recover sufficiently, weakening their line-up. It's always worth looking out for teams with a large number of Caribbean or African players, whose internationals often have problems getting back from matches! The internationals factor is particularly relevant when the top teams face rivals such as Charlton or Everton, who have few international players. In these circumstances, those teams will have a week off between matches, and will have been able to prepare with virtually their full squads on the training ground.

19.) OPPOSE ENGLAND BOTH IN INTERNATIONALS AND IN THE OUTRIGHT BETTING FOR MAJOR COMPETITIONS

It may not be pleasant to watch if you're an England fan, but it's an almost failsafe long-term route to profit. Bookmakers know they're going to see money from patriotic punters. As we all know to our cost, they're not stupid: they realise punters will back England whatever the price, and so the odds they put up are always artificially short. The result is that this almost always leads to a value price on the other side, with England's opponents usually likely to start at a far larger price than the true odds for their chances.

As well as the issue of value, England are also consistently overrated on the world stage by both punters and pundits alike. The truth is, while England have some decent players, they're no more than a fair international side who rank alongside teams such as Denmark and Sweden, rather than the best in the world. Events in international tournaments over the last two decades have shown time and time again that England are a street length behind the likes of Brazil, Argentina and Italy. What, after all, have England achieved to justify always being priced up so short for major tournaments? Just a win on home soil almost 40 years ago.

20.) BET ON FEWER THAN 2.5 GOALS IN DERBIES

Anyone whose team plays in a local derby will tell you the match is always about far more than three points. Regional pride, stirred up by the inevitable barrage of local media coverage, means every local derby is a life or death encounter for both sets of fans. Managers, who rely on the backing of the fans to help them stay in their jobs are, of course, acutely aware of this, and come into the match thinking about not losing rather than going all out for the win. This often leads to negative tactics, with both teams looking to avoid the defeat that would disappoint their fans.

With little or no distance to travel for away fans, and more time for the away team to prepare, home advantage can also be negated, while the passionate atmosphere can also lead to the players playing safety-first football - no one wants to be the man who loses such a big game through a personal error. All of these factors very often lead to a scrappy, hard-fought affair with few scoring opportunities.

The low-scoring angle in local derbies is particularly relevant in League One at the moment, where there's currently a glut of teams from the south Yorkshire area. Matches between Sheffield Wednesday, Barnsley, Doncaster, Huddersfield - even Hull and Chesterfield - can all be considered local derbies.

21.) LAY THE 0-0 SCORE IN EVERY CHAMPIONS LEAGUE MATCH AT 10/1 OR SHORTER

The days when 0-0 was considered a good result in European football are long gone. In the eight seasons of Champions League football up until and including 2003-04, only 7.3% of matches ended in a goalless stalemate, making the true odds a lot different from the price on offer at the bookies. Cash in on this anomaly by laying the 0-0 draw, and you'll make a profit.

GOLF

22.) BACK ERNIE ELS TO WIN THE HSBC WORLD MATCHPLAY CHAMPIONSHIP

The Big Easy is usually priced at around 5/2 to win the HSBC World Matchplay Championship at Wentworth, which takes place in September, and the South African just has to be backed. Everything points to an Els success when he tees it up down the Burma Road. For one, he owns a house on the Wentworth Estate, so he plays the golf course regularly and has home comforts, and his family around him. Also, he has won this title six times in ten appearances and holds numerous tournament records, including most wins, best round, best match score and best back nine. Why oppose an odds-on chance at an odds-against price?

23.) SELL TIGER WOODS' FINISHING POSITION IN ALL THREE WORLD GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENTS

At a press conference in September 2002, a Tiger Woods told a journalist the WGC-Amex Championship was more important to him than the Ryder Cup. 'Why?' asked the journalist. Tiger turned and said: 'I can think of a million reasons.' He was referring to the $1 million prize money on offer for first place at the event. He was slaughtered for the remark, as it was deemed to belittle the Ryder Cup, but shrewd punters took note. Woods has won eight out of the 16 World Golf Championship events he has competed in and, crucially, his average finishing position has been 4.5 - and that's taking into account a first-round exit in the 2002 WGC Matchplay event (resulting in a make-up of 33). Even in 2004, arguably his worst year on tour, his form figures in the WGC tournaments read 1-2-9. Remember, with golf betting, if you're selling a player's finishing position, you're betting on them to do well.

CRICKET

24.) LAY THE DRAW IN ALL HEADINGLEY TEST MATCHES

The legion of 'Lay the draw in test matches' converts have had a profitable 2004, but those that have been more selective over the years have fared better. At Headingley, in particular, they've never had it so good. Generally the price at which you have to lay the draw is around 6/4. There have been 17 draws in 65 tests since 1899, so you could have laid the draw at 3/1 and still made a profit. Consider this, though: only two of the last 22 matches have ended in stalemate at the Leeds ground, yet the draw traded odds-on on Betfair during the test against New Zealand in 2004. There's no test at Headingley in 2005, but make sure you lay the draw in 2006 for the visit of either Pakistan or Sri Lanka.

25.) BACK PAKISTAN TO WIN EVERY TEST MATCH IN KARACHI

The National Stadium in Karachi has been rich in compelling contests between its hosts and the rest of the cricket-playing world for nearly half a century. However, if you're betting on one side or the other to win, you must back Pakistan. Of the 37 Test matches played in this capital city, the home side have won 19 and lost just once. This is the ground that saw Fazal Mahmood and Khan Mohammad take 20 Australian wickets between them in the 1956-57 series and where Pakistan scrambled home to 66 for seven against England in 1983-84. Pakistan have won seven of their last nine Karachi Tests, including, most recently, against Sri Lanka last October, when the tourists were skittled out for 208 in their first innings before being knocked to all four corners of the ground.

26.) LAY THE DRAW IN THE ASHES SERIES

2005 could be your retirement year if you've got enough funds to get on the exchanges and lay the stalemate when Australia play England over five tests next summer. Not since 1972 have the sides shared a series and, with draws a dying species throughout the world, one is unlikely in this contest. Australia have taken the game to new levels with the speed with which they score runs, while England's bowling attack is considered the best in the world. The pitches in England are dodgy and the weather never as bad as its reputation.

27.) BACK ENGLAND TO LOSE THE SEVEN-MATCH, ONE-DAY SERIES IN SOUTH AFRICA STARTING IN JANUARY

It's a well-known fact that touring sides get sick of the country they're in towards the end of a long haul, and poor old England will be desperate to get back to Blighty midway through a gruelling seven-match, one-day series against South Africa in January and February. By then, they will have been in the country since the start of December and put all their energies into preserving their record as the emerging test force over five games, two of which are back to back. So when it comes to raising their game for a ridiculously long, one-day jamboree, England - an average limited-overs outfit - will be found wanting.

28.) BACK ANDREW FLINTOFF TO BE TOP SERIES ONE-DAY RUN-SCORER VERSUS AUSTRALIA IN THE SUMMER

It may come as a surprise to hear Andrew Flintoff is always too big on England's top-bat, one-day series market. He has been England's most consistent performer with the willow in the shorter version of the game and should come just behind Marcus Trescothick in the pecking order. Normally, Flintoff is there at the end of an innings, enabling him to score quickly, making each-way prices around the 5/1 mark a steal.

29.) BACK LANCASHIRE TO WIN DIVISION TWO OF THE COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP

Big club, small pond is the argument most punters may choose for why Lancashire will win the second rung of the championship ladder next summer. Back them on the strength of that if you like, but you'll sound far more knowledgeable talking to your mates about what Aussie run machine Brad Hodge and Sri Lankan spin ace Muttiah Muralitharan will bring to the party. With those two in their side, the Red Rose county are unstoppable. Although they will go off at around the 6/4 mark, fill your boots.

30.) BACK ENGLAND TO BEAT AUSTRALIA AT THE OVAL

This is a big call because if England win at Vauxhall in the last Ashes Test, whisper it, as it means they will more than likely just have won back the urn. Don't let that cloud your judgement, however, as history dictates that The Oval is England's favourite ground, particularly against the Aussies. Down the years England have played the old enemy 33 times and won 15, losing just six. They've won four of the last ten with just two defeats and have had two wins in the last three.

TENNIS

31.) BACK THE AMERICANS TO WIN THE US OPEN MEN'S AND WOMEN'S SINGLES EVENTS

On home soil, the US men are a dominant force. Roger Federer may have triumphed in 2004 but the odds are still stacked in favour of a home men's winner - 16 of the men's champions since 1980 have been Americans, an incredible success rate of 67%. Contenders are Andy Roddick and, at longer odds, Taylor Dent and James Blake. Also worth noting is that American women are almost as successful, with 14 winners since 1980, so check out the Williams sisters, as well as other contenders such as Lindsay Davenport and Jennifer Capriati.

32.) BACK TIM HENMAN TO WIN WIMBLEDON ON THE EXCHANGES IN JANUARY AND LAY HIM DURING WIMBLEDON FORTNIGHT

The logic is too obvious to ignore - Henman is always a long price in January to win Wimbledon because the season has just started and he often performs badly at the Australian Open. Then, as Wimbledon approaches, a combination of his improving form (particularly in grass tournaments) and patriotic punting from the 'tennis-fans-for-two-weeks-a-year' brigade brings his price racing in. Last year, he was available at a meaty 12/1 in January but by late June his price was 4/1. Back him at one, lay him at the other, and net yourself a nice profit. This is known as a buffet bet: just help yourself!

33.) BACK AMELIE MAURESMO IN EACH OF THE WOMEN'S GRAND SLAM EVENTS AT 10/1 OR BETTER

The golden girl of French tennis could be the star name on the women's circuit in 2005: at 25, she is finally realising her potential. She finished the 2004 season in impressive form and, finally, for a short time, became the world's number-one player. With Serena Williams at times seemingly more interested in fashion, Kim Clijsters hampered by injury and the Russians dominant but mentally fragile, Mauresmo, at 10/1 to win each of the Slams, is an excellent bet.

GREYHOUNDS

34.) BUY SPORTING INDEX'S 'BARKING MAD' QUOTE IF THERE'S A DOWNPOUR BEFORE RACING STARTS AT ANY ROMFORD GREYHOUNDS MEETING

Everyone knows what a deluge can do to a horse-race track, but what about the greyhound equivalent? There's generally no bias towards the inside or outside traps at the major circuits up and down the country, but when the rain comes, the camber on the track can make the going very slow on the inside. Romford seems to be affected more than most and the best way to take advantage is to buy the Barking Mad quote (which usually trades around 132-136 for an 11-race BAGS card) with Sporting Index. It works like this: you multiply the winning trap by the second trap to get the make-up of an individual race. Then, add up all the make-ups to get the result. So if six beats five in race one, the make-up is 30; if one beats four in the second race, the make-up is four - so the running total will be 34 and so on. For buyers, the bigger the total the bigger the profit, so you can make a killing when it rains.

RUGBY UNION

35.) SELL THE LIONS' TOTAL TRIES VERSUS NEW ZEALAND ON THE SPREADS IN JUNE AND JULY

New Zealand have plenty of pace and power out wide but, with the notable exception of Chris Jack, there's scarcely a second row in the country who could get into a Heineken Cup side, while front row forwards aren't exactly thick on the ground. Together with the lack of pace of what could be a monster Lions pack and you'll find the tourists trying to dominate games up front and passing up the opportunity to spin the ball wide, instead driving through the channel around the All Blacks' weak-tackling combo of Daniel Carter and Aaron Mauger. With most of the visitors' points coming from penalties and the home side struggling for possession, a close, low-scoring test series with fewer tries than expected is the key bet.

36.) BACK ITALY TO BEAT SCOTLAND IN THE SIX NATIONS

Scotland hate playing Italy. The Azzurri forwards play a hard driving game against the Scots, and keep possession for long periods. The ball is rarely thrown wide when Kirwan's men take on the Scots, and these matches are low-scoring affairs. Italy have played Scotland five times in the Six Nations, winning twice, as they did last year in Rome. The matches at Murrayfield have always been uncomfortably close, with Scotland winning 33-25 and 23-19. Expect more of the same this year - and with Scotland likely to be heavy odds-on favourites, back Italy to win it.

37.) BUY THE SPREAD ON SIX NATIONS TOTAL POINTS AT 650 OR LOWER

Last year, the total number of points in the tournament was 642, and in 2003 it was 708. The 2003 total was nearer to what we can expect for the 2005 tournament. There are several reasons for this, the primary one being that last year England and France followed the usual pattern of being subdued, especially against Italy, after the exertions of the World Cup. Despite the Italians' improved defensive coordination and fitness, the trip to Twickenham to face a side in which almost every player is looking to secure a Lions place will yield a lot of points. Moreover, England, who tend to amass the biggest totals, have three home games, and new coach Andy Robinson has talked of adopting a more expansive attacking style. A points bonanza is on the cards.

38.) BACK SALE SHARKS TO WIN THE EUROPEAN CUP

They're already favourites but, at 10/3 with Skybet, they offer outstanding value. Just think about it for a minute. They may lose captain Jason Robinson, wing Mark Cueto and second row Chris Jones during the Six Nations, but Philippe St-Andre has assembled a squad with genuine strength in depth, and gnarled French forwards such as Sebastien Chabal will be there grinding out victories while the fancy-dans are away. Not only that, but at least some of their main challengers in the competition - Saracens, London Irish and Leeds - will be far more concerned with the relegation dogfight.

39.) SELL OR LAY THE ALL BLACKS IN THE TRI-NATIONS

The All Blacks were particularly disappointing in the recently concluded 2004 Tri-Nations, and deservedly came bottom of the pile. The reasoning that underpins the Lions bet (No. 35 - see page 75 overleaf) also holds true for this tournament, with the New Zealanders' main problem remaining a dire lack of grunt up front. This is where South Africa beat them (they simply outmuscled them) and although the Wallabies are similarly challenged in the tight five, they have the armoury elsewhere - primarily quick opensides capable of nullifying Richie McGraw and the most defensively secure back division in world rugby to put Graham Henry's men to the sword.

RUGBY LEAGUE

40.) BET IN-RUNNING IN CLOSE MATCHES ON THE TEAM WITH FRESHER FORWARDS

Games between equally matched SuperLeague Rugby League teams are generally decided in the last quarter when the team that have had to do the most work for the first 60 minutes begin to tire and the team that have been on top can take advantage. The safest barometer of the tiredness of a side is the number of tackles the two sets of forwards have had to put in.

If, at the three-quarters mark, the scores are still nip and tuck but one side's forwards have put in a significantly greater number of tackles, stick your money on the side that will have the fresher forwards. This only works with sides at the very elite level (those that only make mistakes when they're tired), so try to restrict yourself to matches between the top four to six sides.

SNOOKER

41.) BACK ALI CARTER IN EVERY RANKING TOURNAMENT AT 50/1

Don't believe the elite of snooker is a closed club - Ali Carter is the player who will break through and join the big boys in 2005. He's a huge talent who has threatened to make the leap over the past two years. The fact he disappointed in the World Championship last year and has yet to win a ranking event works in your favour - he is still priced at around 50/1 for all tournaments. From his current world ranking of 29, he is the value pick to win one of the ten ranking events in 2005.

FORMULA 1

42.) LOOK TO SELL FERRARI IN THE CONSTRUCTORS' CHAMPIONSHIP INDEX

A no-brainer, perhaps, but it's already clear Ferrari will hit the ground running during the next Constructors' Championship and that the 2005 car will be better than anything anyone else comes up with, which in turn means they will win the Constructors' Championship. With Rubens Barrichello and Michael Schumacher still in tandem, the interest will come on the spreads and handicap bets. There's no chance of Ferrari being 143 points ahead of the second-placed team again, as the chances of maintaining their uncanny reliability and crash-free status are slim. If the quoted superiority over the second team is around 130pts, sell Ferrari - they simply can't be as successful this time around.

43.) FELIPE MASSA TO FINISH AHEAD OF JACQUES VILLENEUVE IN AUSTRALIA

The sawn-off Canuck has come back into F1, but it takes more than just testing to get back up to speed, as he found in his cameo for Renault in the 2004 championship. Villeneuve will be a huge favourite to finish ahead of team-mate Massa, but the young Spaniard is well worth backing in a fixed-odds matchbet. 2004 was his first year, and he got faster as the year went on, outqualifying his vastly more experienced team-mate Giancarlo Fisichella in seven of the 18 second qualifying sessions. On the subject of Sauber, watch out for them to be the surprise package of 2005, in much the same way BAR were in 2004. Not only do the Swiss outfit have Ferrari's cast-off engine, but the real benefits of the work done in their wind tunnel will become apparent.

44.) BUY MARK WEBBER IN QUALIFYING MATCHBETS NEXT SEASON

The Aussie was in outstanding form in 2004, apeing his pre-F1 performances by topping the stats for coming in ahead of his team-mate in the second qualifying session. In fact, Webber qualified on average more than half a second faster than his rival Christian Klien, and outqualified the Austrian on 29 of the 36 sessions, with Klien only qualifying ahead of Webber in two of the 18 races. Despite Jaguar's demise, there seems little doubt Webber will continue to make life impossible for his new co-driver at Williams. As such, wherever the odds are anywhere near evens (as they were several times at the beginning of the last Championship and will be until he establishes superiority over his new team-mate), feel free to wade in.

45.) SELL JENSON BUTTON'S POINTS

Patriotic punters being what they are, there will be a sufficient rush to buy Button's Championship points that it will be worth readying yourself to take advantage. The Boy Wonder scored an amazing 82 points in 2004, 26 points clear of fourth-placed Fernando Alonso, but there are good reasons to question whether he will be able to do the same again. For a start, Ralf Schumacher missed a big chunk of the season through injury, and will be back picking up points. McLaren and Williams will both be more competitive than last year, while the driver line-up will be cumulatively stronger at those two teams. Chuck in Jacques Villeneuve in an ultra-reliable and fast-improving Sauber, and Button is unlikely to enjoy quite as exceptional a season as he did in 2004. If his points spread is anything over 75, then sell!

CYCLING

46.) LAY LANCE ARMSTRONG AT AROUND EVENS TO WIN HIS SEVENTH TOUR DE FRANCE

The super-human Texan may have notched up six consecutive Tour wins but there are clear reasons to believe his era is over. First, the route for the 2005 Tour, which takes place from 2-24 July, reveals fewer intense mountain-top finishes and shorter time trials, which will severely restrict Armstrong's advantage over his closest rivals. Second, Armstrong is still uncertain about whether to enter the event. According to sources close to the American, he is having a few doubts about his ability to carry on into another gruelling year. His decision is due in February or March. If you lay him before then and he ends up pulling out, the money is yours - but even if he enters, the odds are stacked against him triumphing again.

DARTS

47.) BACK CHRIS MASON TO WIN A TELEVISED DARTS EVENT IN 2005

He is one of the most charismatic players on the circuit and a former Irish Masters and England Open champion. Mason is steadily getting back to his best after spending time in prison and will make an ideal bet for the New Year. There's no point in backing Phil 'The Power' Taylor to win darts tournaments - his price is so short you are unlikely to find him at a decent odds-against price to win any of the major events. Mason, in contrast, is still ranked as an outsider by many bookies, meaning you could afford a small bet on him in each of the televised tournaments and one victory would leave you comfortably in profit. Mason was a best-priced 50/1 when reaching the quarter-finals of the World Grand Prix in Dublin in October. He's set to improve on that performance and claim a televised victory in 2005 - probably around the same price.

FINANCIAL

48.) BACK THE GAMBLING SECTOR IN 2005

With the Gambling Bill likely to go through in one shape or another, and the onward march of online poker continuing unabated, the best place for your money could be the shares of the firms most likely to profit. Our picks are Sportingbet and William Hill, which were trading at 160p and 507p respectively as we went to press. Sportingbet will benefit from the revenues earned by its newly acquired poker site, ParadisePoker, while William Hill looks nailed on because of the profits drummed up by its dreadful fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs). Although both firms' shares have rocketed in the last year, further growth looks inevitable. They can be traded by buying the shares or spread bets on the share price with firms such as IG Index or Cantor Index.

POLITICS

49.) SELL HILLARY CLINTON ON TRADESPORTS' 2008 DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE MARKET

TradeSports has a fantastic array of different markets ranging from the ridiculous to the sublime. If UK football is your bag, no problems. Fancy a punt on the capture of Osama Bin Laden or perhaps you're already certain you know who will win the Republican and Democrat presidential nominations in 2008 - sorted.

It works in a similar way to a stock exchange. Your objective is to buy a contract at a price and sell it back at a higher price. But you can also sell a contract at a high price and seek to buy it back at a lower price and also profit (known as short selling).

We reckon that selling Hillary Clinton to get the Democratic nomination at 33.1 on Tradesports is the value play. You don't have to wait until 2008 to profit from this bet since you can close out at any time by buying back the contract at a lower price.

Now that George W Bush is safely installed in the White House for another four years the interest in political betting markets will wane, and when this happens then prices tend to drift. Of course, it is by no means certain, or indeed likely, that Hillary Clinton will even decide to run. She is currently hot favourite but the InsideEdge political team reckons she's far from a shoe-in for the Democratic nomination. By our reckonings, several other prominent candidates will make their willingness to run public knowledge well before Bill's wife throws her hat into the ring.

For an explanation of exactly how this way of trading works, go to the appropriately-named 'How it works' section on tradesports.com.

NOVELTY

50.) BET ON A BLOKE TO WIN BIG BROTHER 6

Okay, so when a truculent transsexual trounced the Big Brother 5 field it was something of a freak result because it's usually a boy that triumphs in the grand-daddy of reality TV shows. Out of five runnings, three have been won by males, one by a female and one (Nadia) by, well, a cross between the two. The universe of voters for this mind-numbing television boredom-fest (surely you mean 'cultural phenomenon?' - Ed) is largely made up of teenage girls. They are the ones who actually care enough about the result to text, phone or email their votes through every week. This group is statistically more likely to vote for a lad than a ladette, although Kate Lawler clinched it in 2002. It could therefore pay in 2005 to have a healthy wager on the winner being a guy rather than a gal. You should be able to get 8/11 or better well before the event kicks off in May 2005.