Compare, Select, and Save... (Oh, and Win More!)

It's common practice to compare the difference in odds offered by the many betting agencies out there, and moreso if you're going to have a dabble in the Brownlow market prior to the season starting. So for those long term Brownlow bets, you'd want to be getting the biggest bang for your buck when you invest your hard earned on a particular player/s.

To demonstrate the type of value that is on offer, i'll compare player odds using the TAB and Sportsbet as two examples.

Gary Ablett. TAB - $7.00 Sportsbet - $6.00

Chris Judd. TAB - $13.00 Sportsbet - $12.00

Sam Mitchell TAB - $13.00 Sportsbet - $26.00

Lenny Hayes. TAB - $21.00 Sportsbet - $17.00

Adam Goodes TAB - $26.00 Sportsbet - $21.00

Simon Black TAB - $26.00 Sportsbet - $21.00

Joel Selwood TAB - $17.00 Sportsbet - $21.00

Lance Franklin TAB - $34.00 Sportsbet - $26.00

Jonathan Brown TAB - $26.00 Sportsbet - $26.00

Nick Riewoldt TAB - $26.00 Sportsbet - $26.00

Matthew Pavlich TAB - $51.00 Sportsbet - $34.00

Dane Swan TAB - $13.00 Sportsbet - $34.00

Marc Murphy TAB - $26.00 Sportsbet - $34.00

Bernie Vince TAB - $51.00 Sportsbet - $34.00

Adam Cooney TAB - $51.00 Sportsbet - $41.00

Brent Harvey TAB - $101.00 Sportsbet - $41.00

Luke Hodge TAB - $51.00 Sportsbet - $41.00

Bryce Gibbs TAB - $51.00 Sportsbet - $41.00

Nick Dal Santo TAB - $21.00 Sportsbet - $34.00

So there we have it folks! It looks as though the TAB are offering the longest odds out of the two agencies for 12 out of the 19 early punting faves. Not bad! If you're a punter who simply looks to have a 'value bet' prior to the start of the season, there are a fair few players to consider. Most surprisingly, the player with the biggest value margin is Harvey with a $60 gap in odds. Fair value, but i think it's safe to say the veteran has a very slim chance of even making the top 3, let alone win it.

For me, the greatest value out of the top 19 (also factoring in each players potential to win outright) would lie in any of (but not confined to) Mitchell, Hayes, Goodes, Black, Selwood, Murphy, and Dal Santo.

You'll notice i didn't include Swan in that group of players - who has a $21 difference in odds when comparing the two agencies. Sure he may represent great value, but personally, i don't think Swan has what it takes to win the Charlie yet. Last season people called me crazy when i stated Swan wouldn't finish in the top 5, and as it turned out he didn't even finish in the top 10. One of my theories which i applied to Swan last season is that the number of possessions a player gets doesn't necessarily equate to Brownlow votes, and nor does playing as an outside receiver. I'll expand upon my thoughts on Swan in further depth when i analyse a few players individually in the coming months.

In summary, just remember value exists out there, so if you've got your heart set on a particular player, i recommend scouring the different betting agencies and comparing the odds they offer.

After all... you'd be "Socking Staker" to go about Brownlow betting any other way. ;)

Oh, and Happy New Year for 2010!