Oxford and Cambridge take each other on again in the 154th annual University Boat Race run from Putney to Mortlake on Saturday 24th March. Boat Race betting sites are favouring the heavier crew, Oxford, to win with Ladbrokes offering 1-2 on the Dark Blues and  6-4 on Cambridge. William Hill gives 4-6 on Oxford while the Light Blues are quoted at 11-10.

Cambridge suffered a calamity with the withdrawal of Shane OÂ’Mara on medical advice on Wednesday to be replaced by fellow-American, Ryan Monaghan at stroke. Even so, Oxford expect a tough challenge from last yearÂ’s winners, Cambridge whose resolve will be all the greater in the face of this adversity. Oxford will fiercely fight to regain their crown, however, and with three wins out of the last four years must be regarded as a pretty solid bet.

The weather is going to be rough at the 5.15pm start time with 20mph headwinds making it a difficult race for both teams. Cambridge are traditionally renowned for their use of technical skill over Oxford’s brute power and will be looking for an early lead with coach Dave Holland declaring that its not about being first to Mortlake, ‘It’s a race to be in front’.

Both coaches will be hoping their crews respond well to the bad weather with this being a key to the success of either team. Insiders are confident that Oxford will take it but they also quietly mention that they are not quite as confident as they would like to be.