Lump on rightful favourite Bradley Wiggins for SPOTY

Bradley Wiggins may be the big 2/5 favourite to win the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award but he’s still well worth backing even at such short odds.

The Tour de France winner was big favourite before the shortlist was even announced and little has changed since we found out the identity of the 12 athletes shortlisted for the award.

Winning the Tour de France should have been enough to see him follow former Sky teammate Mark Cavendish in winning the award but, combined with his gold medal in the Olympic road time trial, he looks unbeatable – even with such strong contenders.

Watching Wiggins – with the yellow jersey already assured – lead out Cavendish in the final stage in Paris was arguably the highlight of a brilliant year for British sport and canny punters can still make a decent profit with a punt on him.

It may be worth waiting until closer to the event though as, with the likes of Jessica Ennis more inclined to do media appearances than the endearingly grouchy Wiggins, his odds may lengthen slightly.

Ennis is currently third in the betting at 10/1 while double-Olympic champion Mo Farah is second at 5/1.

However, there is a distinct possibility that their presence at the top of the betting may split the athletics vote – another reason to back Wiggins.

Elsewhere, Andy Murray can count himself unlucky (sort of) that he won his maiden Grand Slam title in a year when Britain hosted and performed brilliantly at an Olympic games. Considering Greg Ruzedski won SPOTY for finishing runner-up in the 1997 US Open, he would have been a shoo in any other year.

Murray – who also won an Olympic gold and was losing Wimbledon finalist – is currently 10/1 along with Ennis but still a long way from troubling the brilliant Wiggins.

All odds and markets accurate as of publication’s time and date