A FEW betting opportunities that may tempt supporters to resist buying their club's latest replica kit and have a bet instead.

1: Manchester United are 15-1 with the Tote to win the title for the seventh time in the past nine years. The catch: the Reds are handicapped and start 40 points behind some of their rivals.

2: Chris Hutchings should not get too familiar in his new surroundings at Bradford because William Hill make him 8-11 to be dismissed before the season is over. John Gregory (5-4), Bryan Robson (15-8), Glenn Hoddle (15-8), Jim Smith (2-1), Gianluca Vialli (2-1), George Graham (5-2) and Walter Smith (5-2) also figure in Hills’ "sack race".

3: SportingOdds.com offers 6-4 on Jimmy Hasselbaink scoring 20 or more League goals.

4: Firststake.com has opened up a ten-player "Bad Boys" market, with ten points awarded for each yellow card and 25 points for each red. Vieira (7-2), Keane (9-2), Dacourt (11-2), Wise (13-2) and Ince (8-1) are among the no-nonsense brigade quoted.

5: Manny Bernstein make Aston Villa (8-15) to be top Midlands club, ahead of Leicester City (7-2), Coventry City (13-2) and Derby County (13-2).

ANDY STEPHENS