Right Said Fred: Can Leicester repeat their fairytale 15/16 season?

Promoted Leicester are 2,000/1 outsiders at Betfred  to do it again....and become Premier League champions.!

The Foxes entered football folklore last time in 2016 they did the unthinkable...and here's praying it doesn't happen again but you never really know especially with Jamie Vardy still banging them in.

Last time we had a customer, a real character, who put his bet on for Leicester to win the title and much to everyone's amusement our shop manager wrote 'and pigs might fly'on his betting slip.

Well they are taking me on again with a surge of bets in Leicester and beyond on lightning striking twice after the club's promotion from the Championship thanks to the win at Preston the other night.

Meanwhile Liverpool after that draw at West Ham and headline-grabbing bust up  between Mo Salah and his departing boss Jurgen Klopp, are out of the Premier League title race as far as we're concerned.

As regular readers of this column will know I've already paid out on City being champs again to the tune of £750,000.

Ahead of the weekend games with leaders Arsenal hosting Bournemouth and  City entertaining Wolves, Betfred have Arsenal at 2/1 for the title - and Liverpool on a huge drift out to 200/1.

Admittedly Arsenal have got me sweating slightly especially as they just scrapped over the line to secure all three points at North London rivals Spurs but I'm sticking with City big time to be champs.

Wire have a great chance to come bouncing back to winning ways against fast-fading Hull FC at the Halliwell Jones on Friday.

My home town club Salford came up with an against the odds win last weekend  to blunt Warrington's progress under Sam Burgess.  

That was just one of three shock results in round nine with Leigh hammering Catalans - and the team to beat Wigan defeated at Hull KR.

The Betfred odds on winning the Grand Final at Old Trafford on October 12 have consequently changed with Wigan still 5/4 favourites, Saints at 9/4, the Dragons at 7/1 with the Wolves at 8/1.

The Black and Whites did rally somewhat before losing at home to Rhinos but Wire are odds on to win on Friday against Hull  - and only 2/1 to triumph by more than 30 points.

Matt Dufty is 9/1 for the opening try...and is being  backed in to 8/1 for the 2024 Man of Steel such is his impact this season.

I notice tickets are selling very fast for Wire's Betfred Challenge Cup semi-final against Huddersfield Giants later this month with  Burgess’s boys 5/2 second favourites to be outright winners behind 5/6 favourites Wigan while Hull KR are at 6/1 - and the Giants at 9/1.

Paul Sculthorpe, the Oldham raised RL legend who is a Betfred TV pundit reflects on the extraordinary results in the last round if Betfred Super League. He writes:

"That weekend of results couldn’t have gone any better for us Saints!

"Everything went our way, including that last gasp 13-12 win over the Huddersfield Giants on Thursday  -  and now  St Helens can  sit back at the top of the Betfred Super League table.

"Their biggest challengers at the summit all had a bad week at the office, as Leigh demolished an out of sorts Catalans and  Warrington suffered a 17-12 defeat to Salford. But the biggest shock came at Sewell Group Craven Park as Hull KR put the sword to table toppers  Wigan, winning 26-10.

"Meanwhile, a competent but far from impressive Saints side claimed the two home points, courtesy of an outstanding 40 metre Jonny Lomax drop goal in the 79th minute. If ever there was a captains knock this was it.

"Saints, who were behind for the majority of the game, never being in front until Mr Cool Jonny’s moment of magic. They got themselves back level after the best player on the park, Daryl Clark spotted the petulant Jake Connor more concerned about whining to the referee rather than defending his try-line, and took advantage to barge over the whitewash.

"This was the home side's second and final try of the game as they  yet again struggled to open up the opposition defence, often looking lost of ideas with the ball.

"One thing is for sure, they will have to be far better this Saturday as they travel over to the east side of Hull to face the in-form Robins. Willie Peters will be looking to build on that win over the Warriors in what will no doubt be in front of a hostile home crowd.

"Unfortunately for the Saints, they will again be without big Alex Walmsley, who not only has a hamstring injury but while out is hoping to cure an ongoing knee problem. He is set for imminent surgery.

"In other news, the word is South Sydney Rabbitohs are set to make a surprise offer to Saints half back Lewis Dodd for the 2025 season. I’m not convinced his game is ready for this move, but if it comes off it will definitely be an experience and a massive learning curve for Doddy, and I wish him well.

"Back to Saturday, there’s no doubt this is going to be an extremely tough game, and if we are to pull off the win and head home with the two points, I think it will be as close as a win by more than four points which is 6/4 at Betfred."

Finally congratulations to one  of the most popular customers at one of our shops in the Midlands has won £22,000 from three bets totalling just £2.50 on the Nifty Fifty numbers game.

The regular punter staff call Mr Nice Guy now plans a holiday in Portugal with his wife...and a new TV set.

He's not been in the best of health suffering a stroke eight years ago which meant he had to give up his job in a car factory.

But life is on the up now for the 52 year old winner from Wolverhampton who last year won £15,000 on the 49s numbers game following that up with the numbers 23,37,44 and 49 that's pocketed him £22,000.

He said : "We have not been on holiday since my stroke so this trip to Portugal will be great.

"The staff in the shop might call me a Mr Nice Guy but I'd say it's because of them that I am a long standing Betfred customer. They are always laughing and cheer everyone up. You can have some real banter with them."

When Betfred launched our own numbers game Nifty Fifty the aim was to give our people the chance to win big from tiny stakes...and that's just what has happened to this fella.