Ireland, Tiger & Liverpool To Rule In 2019?

An Irish Rugby World Cup triumph is one of the most popular bets with punters as the speculation mounts as to what the 2019 sporting calendar has in store.

The Webb Ellis Cup will be handed over in November and Ireland are 7/2 second favourites with us behind the All Blacks after they defeated their southern hemisphere rivals on home soil for the first time last month. They are also proving a popular selection in the Six Nations antepost markets and are 5/2 to win the Grand Slam for a second year in a row.

Early betting patterns also suggest 2019 could be the year of the Tiger, with resurgent golfer Tiger Woods 9/1 joint favourite to win the US Masters in April, while the Gordon Elliott-trained Tiger Roll is 16/1 favourite to defend his Grand National crown in the same month.

Liverpool’s first top division title since 1990 is firmly on the cards after they were backed into 8/11 from 6/5 as they went 6 points clear at the top of the table on Wednesday.

The highlight of July promises to be the visit of The Open Championship to Royal Portrush, for which Rory McIlroy is 10/1 favourite, the same price that Tyson Fury will end 2019 by picking up the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award. He is expected to get a second chance next year to beat Deontay Wilder after their controversial draw in Los Angeles.