A new year is with us and there are some interesting bets that can be placed on the possible events of 2022. Whether it be politics, movies, wrestling or the sports personality of the year, there are odds available.
2021 was an eventful year for Boris Johnson. Bookmakers believe this year might not be the best for the current Prime Minister. Odds are available on when Johnson will be replaced as leader of the Conservative Party. It’s not that far away according to Paddy Power who have odds of 5/6 on him being deposed in 2022.
The same bookies have him at 4/7 not to be the Tory leader at the next General Election. More bad polls and decisions could easily see the Tories hit the panic button. Who would replace Boris? Rishi Sunak is the 2/1 favourite with SkyBet with Liz Truss 3/1.
If you fancy losing some money, SkyBet have Nigel Farage at 66/1 to be the next Tory leader. Politics can be strange at times but not that strange. Mind you, Donald Trump is the 3/1 favourite to win the 2024 US Presidential election. He’s 1/1 to be the Republican nominee and if he is going to stand again, a decision either way will most likely have to be made sometime in 2022.
Enticing outcomes for 2022
Will Lewis Hamilton continue his F1 career this year? Bookmakers believe he will, and the British driver is 5/4 at Coral to regain his title. He’s also 5/1 favourite at SkyBet to be named the BBC Sports Personality of the Year.
It’s a World Cup year so perhaps Harry Kane at 14/1 with Paddy Power is a possibility. Tyson Fury isn’t a fan of this award but he’s 10/1 at Paddy Power. If he wins the unified title in 2022, then those odds could look pretty good come December.
It could be a big year for Kenneth Branagh. His film ‘Belfast’ is the 5/2 favourite at SkyBet to win a Best Film Oscar. There’ll be tough opposition though from the remake of ‘West Side Story’ (3/1) and ‘The Power of the Dog’ (5/1). The latter was directed by Jane Campion and the New Zealander is 1/1 at SkyBet to pip Branagh for the Best Director Oscar.
Not so close a market is the Best Actor Oscar. Will Smith is 1/2 at SkyBet for his role in ‘King Richard.’ The same bookies give 1/3 on Kirsten Stewart winning the Best Actress Oscar for playing Princess Diana in ‘Spencer.’
WWE events for 2022
WWE fans were shocked when Brock Lesnar won the WWE title on January 1. The next big event is the Royal Rumble, a 30-man match with the winner getting a title shot at WrestleMania in April. Lesnar was the favourite to win that before becoming WWE champion. The new favourite with SkyBet is Seth Rollins at 3/1.
Former champion Big E. is 6/1 but a good bet looks to be Lashley at 7/1. Lashley challenging Lesnar for the WWE title would be a pretty good match-up. The Rock is only 8/1 but there’s no indication he will be appearing for WWE this year.
As for the women’s match, Bayley is the 5/2 favourite. The former champion has been out injured for a while but is expected back soon. An interesting but unlikely contender is Paige. The British wrestler retired due to injury but is only 8/1 at SkyBet to win the Rumble. Now that would be a surprise in what could be a fascinating 2022.
