By Garry Howe
Being Melbourne Cup week and with the state election looming, it seems appropriate to have a look at how the bookies see the poll playing out.
Betting agency Sportsbet has Dan Andrews at almost unbackable odds to be returned as Victorian Premier – offering up 1.05 compared to Matt Guy at 10-1.
To the uninitiated, that means a return of five cents for every $1 invested in an ALP win and $10 for every $1 invested on the Coalition.
Locally, Brad Battin is a hot favourite to win the newly redistributed seat of Berwick at $1.35, with ALP candidate Malik Zaveer at odds of $3.10.
In the other new seat of Pakenham, the ALP’s Emma Vulin ($1.70) is marginally favoured to take the seat over the Coalition’s David Farrelly ($2.10). Anyone liking the chances of Cardinia councillor Brett Owen upsetting the applecart as an independent candidate can snap up the generous odds of 20-1.
In Bass, the bookies have incumbent Jordan Crugnale at 4-1 to retain the seat, with the Coalition a hot favourite to win it back at the prohibitive odds of $1.40. That would mean a win to either Liberal candidate Aaron Brown or the Nationals’ Brett Tessari.
Wayne Farnham, replacing the retiring Gary Blackwood, is across the line in Narracan, according to the bookies, with odds of $1.01 offered, as opposed to 14-1 for the ALP.
Incumbent Narre Warren South ALP MP Gary Maas is also at odds of $1.01 to retain the seat, while over at Narre Warren North ALP candidate Belinda Wilson is at odds of $1.02 to replace the retiring Luke Donnellan.
New mum Gabrielle Williams is at a similar $1.01 quote to retain Dandenong, while Labor is a hot $1.15 favourite to maintain Cranbourne.
