SPOTY Latest Odds: Hamilton odds-on as Fury says: "Don't vote for me"
Latest odds on Sports Personality of the Year make Lewis Hamilton favourite to win while boxer Tyson Fury has asked to be removed from the shortlist reports Max Liu...
"He is still 2.35/4 to make the SPOTY top three - a shorter price than everyone except Hamilton 1.061/18 and O'Sullivan 1.68/13 - although Doyle could be value at 2.427/5."
Lewis Hamilton is 1.434/9 to win Sports Personality of the Year after Tyson Fury asked to be removed from the shortlist and urged fans not to vote for him.
The seven-time F1 world champion, who is shortlisted for the award along withFury 15.5, Ronnie O'Sullivan 7.613/2, Jordan Henderson 8.415/2, Hollie Doyle 29.028/1 and Stuart Broad 300.00299/1, has been odds-on with Exchange bettors for a few weeks.
But his chances look to have improved following Fury's sensational intervention which saw the boxer drift to his longest price for months.
He is still 2.6213/8 to make the SPOTY top three, although Doyle 2.021/1 and Henderson 2.021/1 look likely to battle it out to see who joins Hamilton 1.061/18 and O'Sullivan 1.271/4.
Hi this is Tyson fury the gypsy king, this is a message for the @bbcsport and there spoty award, please take me off your list as I'm the people's champion and have no need for verification or any awards. I know who I am & what iv done in sport. I have the love of the people... pic.twitter.com/iwNYblTZG4
? TYSON FURY (@Tyson_Fury) December 2, 2020
In February Fury became the favourite to win SPOTY after beating Deontay Wilder in his world heavyweight title fight. The Brit's stunning victory in Las Vegas delighted fans and Fury looked a strong contender to take the award.
But he had been drifting in the betting - first after Marcus Rashford started to gain recognition for his campaign to feed disadvantaged children and then as Hamilton homed in on his record-equalling seventh world championship.
On Wednesday, the world heavyweight champion wrote on his Instagram account: "This is a message for bbcsport (sic) and their SPOTY award - please take me off your list as I'm the people's champion and have no need for verification or any awards.
"I know who I am and what I've done in the sport. I have the love of the people which means more to me than all the awards in the world. To anyone who supports me, don't vote."
The winner of the SPOTY award for 2020 will be announced on 20 December.