Bet on that thing that starts tomorrow here

It’s a lot harder to predict who will be top after a month that it is to predict who will be celebrating come May. After all, last season Manchetsre Utd took just two points from their first three games but still claimed the title when all was said and done. So, the devilishly handsome folks at chickendinner have looked at all 20 teams, and by process of elimination determined who will end the month on top…

*Man United and Fulham are only playing twice in August, which means they’d be relying on everyone else losing one of their opening three to finish the month on top. We can write them off.

*Only one newly promoted team - Bolton in 2001-02 - have led the Premier League table at the end of August. Thank you for your interest West Brom, Stoke and Hull.

*Excluding Liverpool’s controversial Evans/Houllier partnership in 1998-99, the only newly appointed managers to

The Blues are currently 7/4 to win it - bet here

If his four goal haul against AC Milan is anything to go by, poor Nicolas Anelka has recovered admirably from the heartache of missing the decisive penalty in the Champions League final shootout. But with Shevchenko still not delivering, Drogba out injured and no sign of Samuel Eto’o or David Villa bursting through the gates of Stamford Bridge with arms wide open, it looks like Chelsea will start the season depending largely on their stroppy Frenchman. And that can never be a good thing.

Here’s why the stats boffins at chickendinner believe they won’t win the title:

» In only one of the last 22 seasons (2004-05, Jose Mourinho) has a team with a new manager won the league.

» Newcastle and Arsenal have both finished second in the Premier League in successive seasons, but neither managed to go one better and win the title in the following campaign. That spells bad news for Chelsea who have been runners up in the last two seasons.

» Only once in Premiership history has a side finished second three years running, (Arsenal, 1998 - 2001). The Gunners finished behind Manchester United in each of the three seasons.

For more betting information on the forthcoming Premier League season, the Olympics and just about any other event worth punting on, head to chickendinner

Four nations battling to be the new Greece

Jens Lehmann has told the press he would ‘give his life’ to reach the final of Euro 2008: “I don’t want to go out in the semis again,” said the grumpy shot stopper. So if Die Deutschen make it through tonight and a certain Stuttgart keeper gets struck by lightning, we’ll know a deal with the devil went down.

Favourites Germany are just a few hours away from taking on Turkey in the first Euro 2008 semi, so it’s as good a time as any to ask you all who you think will win the tinny little Henri Delaunay trophy. Votes and comments below, please folks.

Big Rog takes on Dominik Hrbaty from 1pm BST today, bet here

It has been a tough old year for Roger. Apparently Grand Slams don’t come quite so easily anymore and maybe, just maybe, he’s about to surrender his Wimbledon crown. Rafael Nadal tops the list of the young pretenders ready to step into Federer’s flashy gold shoes and cream blazer, and the young Spaniard can’t possibly lose a third successive Wimbledon final. Here’s why…

Why Federer won’t make it six in a row

* Federer is having a disappointing year by his standards, losing in the semi final in Australia and enduring a crushing straight sets defeat in the final at Roland Garros.

* Rafael Nadal will head to Wimbledon in fine form, having won his fourth successive title at Roland Garros prior to his first victory at Queen’s club.

* The Spaniard convincingly beat Federer in the French Open, sealing a 6-1, 6-3, 6-0 victory in just one hour and forty eight minutes.

* Nadal’s victory over Federer at the French was the most one sided men’s Grand Slam final since Jimmy Connors

Cold, hard evidence of who will walk away with the Henry Delaunay Cup

The bookies have been frothing at the mouth about Germany, everyone always says it will be Spain’s year - even though it never is - while the World Cup was all about France and Italy. But forget all that. Using just hard stats, the boffins at chickendinner have already worked out the winner.

Drink in the facts, people. Drink them in.

The chickendinner ten step guide to Euro 2008 victory

1. Only one of the last nine winners have been a host nation - that counts out Austria and Switzerland

2. The last eight winners had all qualified for past European Championship tournaments - that counts out Poland

3. The European Championship has NEVER been retained - say goodbye to Greece

4. And Germany are the only country to have ever bounced back from losing

Which nation will prize silverware from Greek hands?

Without a British team on which to place unreasonable expectations in Euro 2008, it’s time to pick a side in order to make the next three weeks vaguely interesting. The Germans are favourites at 4/1, despite the fact that they haven’t won a game in the past two tournaments. But who will you go with? The unlucky Spaniards? The solid Portuguese? Votes and comments below, please.

Based on last night, who will get a step closer to Moscow?

It looks as if the Manchester Utd/ Barcelona is a done deal, but what will happen in the other semi? Arsenal looked the better side against Liverpool last night, but the Mersey Reds will be comfortable knowing they don’t have to score in the second leg, and only a fool would bet against them in this competition.

Meanwhile, Fenerbahce have made it difficult for Chelsea at the Bridge - can they do enough to progress in the second leg? (Avram, hanging onto his job by a thread, will certainly hope so)

So who do you think will be playing in the other semi? Votes and comments below, please.

The Grand National, Saturday, 4.15pm, BBC One, bet here

When it comes to picking a winner at the Grand National, everyone has a different method - some put on blindfolds, scatter bits of paper with horses names on into a clay pot and then select at random. The handsome devils at chickendinner, however, tend to use things such as facts and logic to conjure up a winner. They’ve whittled it down to one horse, and are kind enough to share the secret with you:

» The last time a horse won with odds longer than 33/1 was in 1995 (Royal Athlete, 40/1). Eliminating all those with longer odds than 33/1, and we’re left with twenty-three horses in contention.

» The winner must have won a three-mile plus race - that counts out King John’s Castle, Royal County Star and Patsy Hall. Twenty left.

» Experts insist that the winner should be carrying between 10 and 11 stone. That eliminates Slim Pickings, Simon, Butlers Cabin, Snowy Morning, Mr Pointment, Chelsea Harbour, Hedgehunter, Lami, Vodka Bleu, Knowhere and Turko. Nine remain.

» Only six favourites have won since 1960 - that eliminates Cloudy Lane. Eight left.