A punter in Aberdeen placed a £3,000 bet on the Liberal Democrats defying the odds and holding the Gordon seat in the general election as the campaign entered its last 48 hours yesterday.
The 5-1 gamble at Ladbrokes was reported as Lib Dem sources said their canvas results prove their tactical voting message is taking hold and the race could be a lot closer than many people believe.
Former first minister Alex Salmond is widely expected to make his return to Westminster in the parliamentary seat held by Sir Malcolm Bruce for more than 30 years.
The Lib Dems are defending a majority of nearly 7,000, but a collapse in national support for the party, a surging SNP and the personal pull of Mr Salmond are all pointing towards a Nationalist victory.
Mr Salmond, who Ladbrokes have installed as favourite at 1-6, laughed off reports of the wager.
He said: “Hopefully Ladbrokes will now start offering the SNP to win at a more sporting price in Gordon. The latest odds on price means that you would have to put on £6 to only win one.
“If they do they might find more than a few takers among the huge number of local people intending to vote SNP, after five years of the Liberals propping up the Tories Government.”
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie, speaking on the campaign trail in Inverurie meanwhile, urged voters to back “unity, stability and decency” by casting a ballot for his party.
He added: “There can be nothing constructive about a team of SNP MPs hell-bent on securing another referendum.”
Meanwhile, the SNP enjoyed a boost from six local business people in the north-east, who backed candidates across the region.
Jim Gray, founder of manufacturing giants Gray and Adams, backed Banff and Buchan candidate Eilidh Whiteford, Springfield Properties boss Sandy Adam has got behind Moray candidate Angus Robertson, while Gordon Henderson, owner of the Foxlane Garden Centre, is supporting Stuart Donaldson in West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine.
Mr Salmond is being backed by Paddy Crerar, head of the hotel management company that operates Thainstone House in the Gordon constituency, while fellow hotelier Stewart Spence is supporting Callum McCaig in Aberdeen South and construction boss Kenny Anderson has backed Kirsty Blackman in Aberdeen North.