The Confederations Cup starts on Sunday and the reasoning behind hosting the event exactly a year ahead of the World Cup is to provide some sort of a test as to how ready we are and whether there are any areas that need extensive focus over the next 12 months. 

On that note if you have followed sports betting from afar but always been a bit nervous to get involved why not use the next couple of weeks to try your hand as you prepare for the worlds greatest betting spectacle in 2010? 

The first thing you will see on logging onto one of the many local online bookmakers websites is that football betting is about far more than just who will win and who will lose.  

Take Bafana Bafana’s opener against Iraq where one local layer is offering no fewer than 29 markets on that game alone. Sure you can back Bafana to win at odds of 6/10 (you make R6 profit for every R10 invested) but you may decide to focus on the number of goals in the match instead where more than 2.5 goals is on offer at 11/10 and you will need the teams to score 3 goals or more between them to collect.  

Given our history of struggling to find the back of the net it is no surprise to see the “under 2.5 goals” at a shorter price of 7/10 and those who expect a really dour encounter may want to put a few rand down on the exact score market where for example the 0-0 draw is quoted at 9/1.  

The Half Time/Full Time market is also popular and if you fancy a nervous Bafana to concede early but ultimately storm through to win then the 28/1 Iraq to lead at the break but Bafana to win will surely catch your eye.   

Of course long term bets are available with Brazil and Spain currently favoured to win the event at 16/10 with Italy 33/10 and Bafana available at 25/1 and you can also get 6/1 that Santana’s charges shock the Spanish and win their group.  

We have some excellent football to look forward to over the next 13 months and take it from me that a few rand on one of the many betting options available will make it that much more exciting.  

This article first appeared in the Citizen CitiGaming section on Thursday 11 June 2009 

Brent Graham is a blogger on www.goodforthegame.co.za and presents a sports betting radio show every Saturday morning at 07h30 on 1485AM Radio Today or Channel 169 of the DSTV Audio Bouquet.  

You can follow him on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/brentgraham or get on his mailing list by dropping him a line at brent@goodforthegame.co.za 

Goodforthegame will be posting betting previews on every Confederations Cup match.