What you could bet on this year

Odds for 1998:

William Hill - WH, Ladbrokes - L

Chris Evans

• 16/1 to have a No. 1 single (WH)
  
• 50/1 to marry Zoe Ball (WH)
  
• 100/1 to be Director general of the BBC (L)

SPICE GIRLS
First to have a solo No.1 single in 1998 (L):

• 6/4 Sporty
• 2/1 Scary
• 5/1 Baby
• 6/1 Ginger
• 10/1 Posh

5/1 - Any Spice Girl to have a baby (WH)
8/1 - Any Spice Girl to have a solo number 1 single (WH)
10/1 - Spice Girls to have 1998 Christmas No.1 single (WH)
500/1 - Spice Girls movie to win Best Film Oscar (WH)

BRITISH SOAPS
9/2 - Grant or Phil from Eastenders to wear a wig/toupe during an episode of the programme (WH)
8/1 - Jimmy Corkhill to get an MBE or OBE for his good works (L)
10/1 - Jack and Vera Duckworth to divorce (L)
20/1 - Coronation Street butcher Fred Elliott to become a vegetarian (WH)
25/1 - Ian Beale to become an MP (L)
33/1 - Rovers Return to change name (WH)
33/1 - Coronation Street or Eastenders to become a daily soap (excluding repeats) (WH)
33/1 - Hollyoaks (Channel 4) to win a Bafta for scripts or performances (L)
50/1 - Rovers Return to become an Irish theme pub (L)

ROYALS
10/1 - Prince Charles to wed (WH)
20/1 - Prince Edward to become a father (WH)
25/1 - Duchess of York to remarry (WH)
25/1 - Queen to abdicate (WH)

PEOPLE
4/1 - Richard Branson to be knighted (WH)
33/1 - Teletubbies to record 1998 Christmas No.1 single (WH)
250/1 - Teletubbies to record England's official World Cup '98 song (WH)
25/1 - David Mellor and Tony Banks to record the official England World Cup song (L)
66/1 - Melinda Messenger to become a nun (WH)
100/1 - Bernie Ecclestone to become a Labour MP (WH)
100/1 - Vinnie Jones to become an MP (WH)
500/1 - Dick Francis to win Booker Prize (WH)

POLITICS
1/2 - Michael Portillo to be elected as an MP (L)
66/1 - Michael Portillo to be elected as a Labour MP (L)
3/1 - Chris Patten (last Govenor of Hong Kong) to become an MP (WH)
3/1 - William Hague to become a father (WH)
7/2 - Tory Leadership contest (L)
10/1 - David Mellor and Tony Banks to record top 40 duet (L)
20/1 - Paddy Ashdown to be given a Cabinet post (L)
20/1 - Streaker to cause the Speaker to adjourn the House of Commons (WH)
25/1 - By-election to be held on any day other than a Thursday (WH)
33/1 - Labour/Liberal Democrat official coalition (L)
50/1 - Cannabis to be legalised for recreational use (WH)
66/1 (WH) 20/1 (L) - General Election to be called
100/1 - Bernie Ecclestone to become a Labour MP (WH)
100/1 - Vinnie Jones to become an MP (WH)
100/1 - Smoking to be banned in all public places (WH)
100/1 - Great Britain to withdraw from the EU (WH and L)
1000/1 - Income Tax to be abolished (WH)
10,000/1 - The Franc or Mark to become Britain's national currency (WH)

Next Conservative PM (L)

• 4/1 William Hague
• 8/1 Archie Norman
• 10/1 Kenneth Clarke
• 20/1 Chris Patten

Winners of the next general election (L)

• 1/4 Labour victory
• 5/2 Conservative victory
• 33/1 Liberal Democrat victory

MUSIC
Unlikely pairings to record a top 40 Duet (L)

• 12/1 David Beckham - Posh Spice
• 20/1 Liam Gallagher - Damon Albarn
• 50/1 Michael Jackson - Jarvis Cocker
• 100/1 Garry Glitter - Michael Jackson
• 150/1 Keith Flint (Prodigy) - Whitney Houston

ODDBALLS
4/1 - Franki Dettori to present the National Lottery programme (L)
10/1 - Oasis to record official FA endorsed England World Cup '98 song (WH)
50/1 - 'Lost in France' by Bonnie Tyler to become official World Cup song for England or Scotland (WH)
25/1 - UK temperature to reach 100F (WH)
100/1 - Thames to freeze over between Westminster and Tower bridges (WH)
66/1 - NASA to confirm current existence of intelligent extra terrestrail life (WH)
500/1 - Loch Ness Monster to be proved to exist (WH)
1000/1 - Human brain transplant to take place (WH)