Ennis looks a shoo-in to land SPOTY top three position

After such a tremendous year for British sport, the betting market regarding the 2012 BBC Sports Personality of the Year has been subject to much fluctuation.

And with such a vast array of potential winners, it may be wise for punters to select who they feel can achieve a top three finish, with Jessica Ennis a 2/5 hope.

The heptathlete took a gold medal home from the Olympics, and the wildly popular Sheffield native now looks nailed on for a top three spot.

After beginning as a 12/1 shot to win the gong, Ennis is now half that price, giving an indication as to her popularity with the general public, and in particular, punters.

With this being an award decided via public vote, that bodes particularly well for a woman widely advertised as a main face of Team GB during the Olympics.

Ennis claimed the first gold medal of a night when Mo Farah and Greg Rutherford also triumphed at the Olympics too, and as such provided one of the brightest memories of the London games.

She now finds herself a clear second-favourite for the SPOTY accolade, ahead of the aforementioned Farah who is 7/1, and a 4/9 hope to make the top three.

But it is Bradley Wiggins who remains favoured to claim the award, after a year that saw him become Britain’s first ever Tour de France winner, in addition to unprecedented Olympic success.

Wiggins is 3/10 to land the BBC honour, and seems a certainty at 1/50 to achieve a top three berth.

However, the sheer mass of heroic British athletes emerging from 2012 make the latter price in particular look well worth avoiding.

Andy Murray, for example, who won his first Grand Slam in addition to an Olympic gold this year, will not even make the top three according to the current betting.

Murray is 16/1 to claim the title, after being as short as 5/2 in the past, whilst he is a 1/1 shot to make the top three.

In light of this, a combination of factors, including Ennis’s achievements and popularity within the public eye, make her seem the best value bet for a top three finish at 2/5.

It could also be wise to pay attention to the current outright market regarding the winner, and therefore a bet on Ennis to place second could pay dividends at 2/1.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.