Football proves popular in Olympics 2008 betting

If the rest of the 2008 Olympic Games are as successful as the $300 million opening ceremony, the watching world is in for an incredible spectacle.

Olympics 2008 betting was already underway by then, with the Olympic football competition having started on August 6. And despite the absence of a British team, a flood of Olympics 2008 bets have been placed on that event.

A host of star names, including Lionel Messi playing for Argentina and Ronaldinho for Brazil, make it one of the most popular in Olympics 2008 betting.

Argentina justify short Olympics 2008 odds

The Argentineans started at short Olympics 2008 odds, and rewarded those who had placed Olympics 2008 bets on them by winning their opening two games. Brazil and Italy did likewise, to leave the three countries as the most favoured in Olympics 2008 betting, with no other team shorter than 12/1.

China showed right from the off that they were determined to come out as the top nation. And after the first four days of competition they had won 13 golds, four more than the Americans, justifying their short Olympics 2008 odds.

The USA, though, have proved a popular Olympics 2008 bet and at that stage topped the overall chart with 25 medals in total.

Athletics to focus of many Olympics 2008 bets

Arguably the most eagerly awaited sport, both for Olympics 2008 bets and the worldwide TV audience, is athletics, which gets underway on August 15.

There are 47 gold medals up for grabs, and the 2008 Olympic medals betting market suggests one will go to Belarusian hammer thrower Ivan Tikhon, a silver medallist in Athens four years ago and now an even money proposition in Olympics 2008 odds.

An even warmer favourite in Olympics 2008 odds is Irving Saladino, last year's world champion who is favoured to win Panama's first gold medal of the games in the long jump.

Gomez Noya a sound Olympic 2008 bet for repeat

Another Olympic 2008 betting event which gets underway late is the triathlon, where Spain's Javier Gomez Noya will aim to repeat his win in the 2007 Beijing World Cup.

His leading challenger, and a potential value Olympics 2008 bet, should be New Zealand's Bevan Docherty, who took silver in Athens.