McEwan already 'listed' by bookies

It's begining all over again. This time it's earlier than usual. From Telegraph online:

Ladbrokes is tipping Ian McEwan's Saturday to win this year's Man Booker Prize at odds of 4-1 - even though the shortlist is not announced until September. Offering odds so early was unprecedented, said Ladbrokes, but the novel earned such praise that readers had already asked for odds. The bookies' early confidence is surprising because authors such as Salman Rushdie and Zadie Smith have new novels out this year.

I hesitate to add that it is probably not the "readers" but sad, pathetic betters that have asked for odds.