Footie fans tired of goalless draws in the World Cup will be glad to know that bookkeepers Paddy Power predict a more exciting outcome.
The lowest average World Cup number of goals per game comes from Italy in 1990, with 2.21 gpg. The South Africa tournament is currently riding at a measly 1.64 gpg after fourteen matches and Paddy Power offer odds of 8/11 for a new all-time low by the tournament's end.
Fortunately, the favourite odds are for an average of 2.1 to 2.4 gpg, at 11/4. This would see a total number of tournament goals of between 135 and 144.
Spokesman for Paddy Power Darren Haines said: “South Africa had the Boer Wars over a century ago and if the goals don’t starting arriving soon they will also be remembered for the Bore Wars. It’s fair to say this World Cup has yet to get going on the pitch with only the noise of the vuvuzelas preventing many people from nodding off but we remain hopeful teams will soon master the Jabulani ball and shrug off their fear of losing for the number of goals per game to start increasing.”
Paddy Power accepted bets on the number of 0-0 draws before the tournament and with two goalless matches already, 5/4 odds for six or more is looking possible. The bookies also offer money-back specials on selected World Cup matches that finish without a goal, such as the Portugal vs Ivory Coast stalemate.
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