The Melbourne Cup is known to all Australians as the race that stops the nation - and it’s coming up quickly… It will be run on the first Tuesday of November as it is every year and the bookies will be getting their best odds out. If you don’t know much about the race (or have lived under a stone), then you might want to read the Melbourne Cup guide at Punters.

However, we are expecting a race more exciting than ever - with a massive prize pool - and some incredible performances. If you are looking to watch the race - and put your money on your favourites, then here are some of the best Melbourne Cup betting markets.

The Most Popular Melbourne Cup Betting Markets

As the most popular race in the country, it certainly attracts a lot of betting activity - more than any other race in Australia. On average, every year, the top Australian betting sites turnover around $100 million in wagers - and winners often get quite an excellent return given its large open field. However, some betting markets attract more attention than others. Here are the five most common Melbourne Cup bet types:

The Outright / Straight Out Winner Bet

This is the most common of all - and is particularly popular with those who don’t bet that often on horse races. It is simply a bet on which horse will win the race. If your chosen horse doesn’t come first, then you lose your bet. A win bet pays out more return than a place bet (which we will look at below) - but it is a lot harder to win, so it’s always a case of risk v reward.

Place Bet: Bet on the First Three Positions

A place bet is when you are betting on a horse to come in either first, second or third. Because they are easier to win, they will usually pay out one-quarter of what you would win for a straight-out winner bet. So, placing $10 on a straight-up bet on a horse might win $80, but placing the same $10 bet on the horse placing would only win $20.

These are very popular with casual bettors as they offer a better chance of winning.

Each Way Bets

Another common type of horse bet is each-way betting. This is a mix of the two above bets - you are betting on the horse to win or place. However, this means that if you place a $10 each way bet on a horse, it would cost you $20 - $10 on the win and $10 to place. If your horse wins, you get paid for both bets. If the horse places, you only get paid out at the terms set by your bookmaker.

Quinella Bets

A quinella bet is placing a bet on two horses - one to come first and one to come in second. It won’t matter which order they come in though - as long as one of the horses comes in first and the other one second. This is the most straightforward multiple bet you can make on the Melbourne Cup

Trifecta Bet

This is similar to the above-mentioned bet but you are betting on which three horses you think will come in first, second and third. However, although it’s just one more horse, it is a lot harder to win a trifecta bet than it is a Quinella bet, but that also means that the payouts are much better in return. You can place trifecta bets from as little as $0.50. You can make a boxed bet - where they can come in in any order, or a straight trifecta where you also need to predict their exact order.

Similar Races

If you are a fan of Melbourne Cup betting, here are some similar races to enjoy:

• The Breeder’s Cup, November: This is held over two days and is a famous US race that signals the end of the racing season.
• The Kentucky Derby, May: America’s most famous horse race and part of the prestigious Triple Crown.
• The Preakness Stake, May: A Group 1 race held every May in Baltimore, and another part of the Triple Crown in US racing.

One of the game’s greatest Quarterbacks, Len Dawson, passed away today at the age of 87 while in hospice care.

A college star at Purdue, Dawson was a First Round Draft Pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1957 but the former Boilermaker accomplished nothing there as he would in Cleveland shortly thereafter.  It looked like Dawson become a bust but after being released by the Browns he would sign with the Dallas Texans and it was a match made in football heaven.

Dawson would lead the American Football League in Touchdown Passes in his first season there while more importantly taking the team to a league championship win (1962).  Dawson and the team would move north to Kansas City where they would become the Chiefs but while the team’s geography would change, Dawson’s efficiency would not. 

Dawson’s AFL league leading Passer Rating of 1962 would be duplicated in every season from 1964 to 1968 as well as posting four seasons where he led the league in Touchdown Passes.  Dawson would take the Chiefs to the first Super Bowl where although they lost, Dawson impressed many in defeat.  He would later take the Chiefs to a win in Super Bowl IV (where he was named the Super Bowl MVP), which was the only one in franchise history.

Overall as a Chief, he threw for 28,507 Yards and 237 Touchdown Passes numbers which are incredible for his time period.

Dawson would enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987, and was inducted into the Chiefs Hall of Fame the same year.  His no. 16 has also been retired by the team.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to extend our condolences to the fans, friends and family of Len Dawson.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced today that Don Coryell has advanced as the 2023 Coach/Contributor Finalist.

Coryell is one of the most innovative minds in the history of Pro Football, having developed the Air Coryell” offense which is the prototype for today’s modern offense.  A Finalist six times before, Coryell’s creativity has never been in question, but it did not yield a Title, which is likely the reason that he has not been enshrined yet, but that day seems to be coming.  While this is not a lock for Coryell to get in, patterns indicate that this is his time.

The other Finalists who Coryell beat out were:

Roone Arledge:  Arledge was a powerful television industry executive and producer whose creativity, leadership and technical innovations revolutionized the presentation of both news and sports.  He was the brainchild behind Monday Night Football, and has never been a Finalist.

Mike Holmgren: The Head coach of the Green Bay Packers from 1992-98 and the Seattle Seahawks from 1999-2008, Holmgren was a Finalist in 2020.

Frank “Bucko” Kilroy:  Kilroy worked in player personnel and scouting for the Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys. He was the Patriots’ general manager from 1979 to 1982 and vice president from 1983 to 1993.  An outstanding player in his own right, Kilroy has a Finalist in 2020.

Robert Kraft: Kraft is the current Owner, Chairman and CEO of the New England Patriots since 1994. His teams have won six Super Bowls.  Kraft has never been a Finalist.

Art Modell:  Modell was the Owner of the Cleveland Browns from 1961-1995 and Baltimore Ravens from 1996-2011.  He has been a Finalist twice.

Buddy Parker: Parker was the Head Coach of the Chicago Cardinals (1949), Detroit Lions (1951-56) and the Pittsburgh Steelers (1957-1964), and a Finalist in 2020.

Dan Reeves:  Reeves was the Head Coach of the Denver Broncos (1981-1992), New York Giants (1993-96) and the Atlanta Falcons (1997-2003), and was a Finalist in 2020.

Art Rooney Jr.:  Employed with the Steelers since 1961, from 1964 through 1986, worked in the Steelers’ Scouting Department, Rooney is currently a Steelers Vice President and member of the Board of Directors.  He has never been a Finalist.

Mike Shanahan:  Shanahan was the Head coach of the Los Angeles Raiders (1988-89), Denver Broncos (1995-2008) and the Washington Redskins (2010-13).  He has never been a Finalist.

Clark Shaughnessy:  The former Head coach of the Los Angeles Rams from 1948-49 and longtime assistant coach for the Washington Redskins from 1944-47 and Chicago Bears from 1951-1962.  He was a three-time Finalist.

John Wooten:  A former nine-year Guard, Wooten was one of the first African-American executives in the NFL, working for the Philadelphia Eagles and Baltimore Ravens.

We here at Notinhalloffame would like to congratulate the late Don Coryell, for making it to this stage.

Duane Brown began his pro career in 2008 with the Houston Texans where he is arguably in the top group of Offensive Linemen in franchise history.  The former First Round Pick went to three Pro Bowls in Houston, but in the search for a better contact, he sat out the first six weeks of the 2017 Season.  After one Game that year, he was traded to the Seahawks, where he proved again why he was one of the best Left Tackles in the game.

Playing only nine Games with Seattle that year, Brown went to his fourth Pro Bowl.  Although he was not one of the chosen ones in 2018, he arguably his best season as a Seahawk in 2018, with a 13 in Approximate Value with a Second Team All-Pro nod.  Brown performed well in 2019 and 2021, Pro Bowl number five fell his way in 2021.

Following the 2021 Season, Brown signed with the New York Jets, ending his Seattle career with 70 Games, all as a starter.