One calculates the odds, finding novel diet to be extremely deficient (6)

I believe the answer is:

bookie

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'one calculates the odds' is the definition.
I can't tell whether this defines the answer.

'novel diet to be extremely deficient' is the wordplay.
'novel' becomes 'book'.
'to be extremely deficient' indicates the central letters.
The middle of 'diet' is 'ie'.
'book'+'ie'='BOOKIE'

'finding' is the link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for bookie that I've seen before include "Betting organiser" , "Turf accountant" , "One taking bets for horse races" .)

I've seen this clue in The Irish Times.

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