'Tis the season for letting it ride on the Patriots, reveling in riches when they cover the spread, and wincing when they don't. The season for cursing out the Celtics — for manic second guessing, hand wringing, and placing regrettably parlayed bets.
Oh yeah, and it's also the Christmas season. That too. Can't forget about that.
As such, a UK-based betting website has combined two of our favorite seasonal activities: hearty consumerism and gambling. A quick scan of ladbrokes.com reveals tempting opportunities to take a stab at predicting this season's top-selling book and video game, plus the number-one charting single come December 25. Here's a rundown of the favorites at print time: Meals in Minutes: A Revolutionary Approach to Cooking Good Food Fast by Jamie Oliver (odds: 3/10), Call of Duty: Black Ops II (odds: 1/10), and the Hillsborough charity single (odds: 3/10).
Now, if you're not familiar with betting odds, this is where we should recommend against biting on any of these picks (not only because such gambling is immoral, but also because you wouldn't win any money). Rather, we'd suggest taking a step back, assessing some of the long shots from an Anglophile perspective, and then reconsidering your picks. For example, we're sure Jamie Oliver is a popular guy, and nothing says thoughtless last-minute gift like a cookbook — but they do realize that J.K. Rowling has released a book in the past two months, right? And at 14/1, a wager on the lady who fucking invented Harry Potter wouldn't be misguided. Also, while I'm not entirely sure what the Hillsborough charity single is, the Spice Girls are sitting at a ripe 33/1. If there's anything I've learned during my 26 years on earth, it's never to bet against the Spice Girls.
Anyway, happy gambling (as if you needed another stress in your life to worry about).
