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2013 Europa League Final preview – Chelsea vs Benfica – Wednesday 15th May

After a tremendously exciting, dramatic & action packed journey which saw the Europa League start way back in June 2012, the big moment of truth has arrived with two of european football’s premier teams, Chelsea & Benfica set to do battle to win the Europa League.

The focus of the footballing world turns to Amsterdam with the Amerstam ArenA a truly magnificent, vibrant stage for this year’s Europa League Final and now it rests between Chelsea & Benfica to see which team can best hold their nerve on this magical occasion & produce the necessary quality, team spirit & desire to claim the trophy on the night.

Chelsea & Benfica bring their high quality squads into this showpiece event knowing they have the necessary talent & qualities within their squads to achieve their goals & win the Europa League but equally they will both have massive respect for each others squads facing the reality that this final becomes the biggest test of their respective seasons & ultimately it won’t just be about quality but indeed also which side shows the greater character, belief & spirit on the night.

The magnitude & intensity of this clash, the incredible mix of experience, quality & sheer talent that both Chelsea & Benfica bring to this match is remarkable & the vast capabilities of both managers makes this Final an incredibly tough one to call & so it’s going to be fascinating, intense viewing with Chelsea going for the rare achievement of winning all the major Europan football trophies & Benfica looking to relive their great past & win a major once again.

I have had a good look at the likely set ups of both teams, their strengths & weaknesses, the likely tactical approaches of both sides & indeed the statistical records of both Chelsea & Benfica in this years Europa League & based on all of that here are my own honest thoughts on the match & the betting recommendations that I feel offer value & are worth consideration:

Key statistics for Chelsea & Benfica in Europa League (from Last 32 stage onwards):

Chelsea:-

Matches played = 8 – 6 wins, 0 draws & 2 defeats
Goals Scored = 15
Goals Conceded = 9
Both teams to score matches = 5
Over 2.5 goals matches = 5
Over 3.5 goals matches = 4
Clean sheets = 1
Matches failed to score in = 1

 

Benfica:-

Matches played = 8 – 6 wins, 1 draw & 1 defeat
Goals Scored = 14
Goals Conceded = 7
Both teams to score matches = 5
Over 2.5 goals matches = 4
Over 3.5 goals matches = 3
Clean sheets = 2
Matches failed to score in  = 1

 

Chelsea vs Benfica – Wednesday 7.45pm:- Now for once this is a final that I’m really looking forward to & I’m expecting Chelsea & Benfica to put on a show in the Amsterdam ArenA & give us all of watching plenty to enjoy.

Sometimes the nature of the competition & indeed the prize at stake means that 10 months of two teams fighting hard to win through to the final ends up producing a final which is tight, mundane & in some cases a virtual non-event with very little entertainment or excitement provided as the win at all costs mentality & indeed the fear of losing takes over the desire to entertain but I’m fully confident Chelsea & Benfica will look to win this by playing positive, attacking football & score goals.

Chelsea & Benfica have had to play a lot of matches spread all across europe to reach this final & the way they’ve gone about it in generally such a positive way does make me believe they won’t change that approach in the final & the statistics posted above certainly seem to back that theory up.

Both Chelsea & Benfica won 6 of their 8 games from the last 32 stage onwards, those 16 games they played in combined had a total of 45 goals, 10 of the matches had both teams scoring, 9 of the matches had over 2.5 goals & 7 of them had over 3.5 goals scored, Chelsea only kept 1 clean sheet in 8 & Benfica only 2 and they both also only failed to score once during their 8 matches.

Of course those statistics are no guarantee of what will happen on this one off occasion on the night but given the positive way both Chelsea & Benfica play and the attacking talent they both have then there surely a strong chance those statistics will be boosted further here & surely this game will have entertaining football & goals.

No matter the fact that european glory is at stake, I just don’t envisage either Chelsea or Benfica looking to play tight, controlled & defensive football and to be honest even if they are tactics they wanted to try I do not believe that either the Chelsea or Benfica squads are made up in such a way to allow that to be possible & I do believe this will come down to which sides shows the best attacking intentions & quality on the night.

Benfica have to be given massive respect here because they’ve most definitely got the required quality, mentality & confidence to believe they can win this final and the likes of Cardozo, Gaitan, Perez, Gomes, Aimar, Garay, Pereira & Luisao are top class players that would comfortably fit into the squads of the major teams in european football  can push Chelsea all the way if they play to their best.

Rafa Benitez was hated by the Chelsea fans from the very second it was revealed he was taking over as Chelsea manager but surely now that quite frankly stupid over reaction from the Chelsea fans can be put to one side & the Chelsea fans can appreciate the mainly fantastic job he’s done & especially in guiding Chelsea to this Europa League final while handling a hectic push for the top 4 in the Premier League as well.

Chelsea have largely been very impressive in the games since Benitez took over & especially in this competition with some fantastic, entertaining flowing football produced with their games full of goals and I would expect more of the same from Chelsea in this final as the presence of the likes of Mata, Hazard, Oscar, Torres, Lampard, Luiz, Ramires, Ba, Ivanovic, Cole, Cahill provides Chelsea with the proven quality they need to show their best & win this final, indeed if they do that & keep defensively sound then I do believe they will be too strong for Benfica here.

With regards to how I think this game will go result wise then it’s dangerous to rule out of dismiss the chances of Benfica here as they can definitely win this but for me I think this will come down to which sides shows the most attacking, intent, quality & creativity and on that score Chelsea have the edge over Benfica & I think CHELSEA are sound bet to outscore Benfica to win this & hopefully play their part in a game full of quality football & goals.
Match Betting Recommendations:
Outright Match Result & Correct Score options:- CHELSEA to win 2-1/3-1
First Goalscorer/Players to score anytime options:- Torres/Lampard/Mata

 

Well hopefully you find those views interesting & useful, as ever I recommend you do as you choose with the advice & endeavour to search around for the best betting terms & conditions before you place your bets.

 

 

Premier League match previews & predictions for matches played Saturday 11th to Sunday 12th May

Aston Villa vs Chelsea – Saturday 12.45pm:- Excellent back-to-back wins against relegation rivals Sunderland & Norwich City really have massively boosted Aston Villa’s chances of staying up but they still need more points to secure safety & that definitely increases the importance & intensity of this match as Chelsea come into it needing the points as well.

Everybody connected to Aston Villa will certainly not want to remember the last time Villa & Chelsea met as Chelsea absolutely destroyed them 8-0 at Stamford Bridge & it could well have been double that, of course nobody expects a scoreline anything like that again here & coming into this match Villa are in just as good, confident form as Chelsea are and they will believe they can get a positive result.

Chelsea need the points in their quest to achieve a top four finish & Champions League place for next season so they’ll obviously be going to win this but they’ve got the problem of the Europa League Final coming only a few days after this match so that will surely affect team selection & affect the mentality of the players involved in this match.

Villa Park will be rocking as Paul Lambert has got the team confident & playing well so I expect the Villa players to reflect that here, Chelsea will be confident of beating anybody right now and will be looking to win this game so it should be open & should provide goals, either side can win this given the attacking talent they’ve got but Villa & Chelsea have shared a few draws in this fixture over the years & I think the value lies in backing this to be another one scoring draw.
Match Betting Recommendations:
Outright Match Result & Correct Score options:- DRAW 1-1/2-2
First Goalscorer/Players to score anytime options:- Benteke/Ba/Agbonlohar

 

 

Stoke City vs Tottenham – Sunday 1.30pm:- Stoke City have regained their form & confidence after a very dodgy spell so the Britannia Stadium should be rocking once again & that really isn’t good news for Tottenham who are chasing the points they need for a top 4 spot & this really is one tough test they’ll have to pass if they are to achieve them.

Tony Pulis will really want his Stoke City players to finish on a high in front of the home fans & he’ll believe that the resurgence in Stoke City’s form & confidence levels will mean Tottenham will have to be at their strong, organised & talented best here to get something, it’s not impossible by any means but it will be tough for Tottenham.

Tottenham undoubtedly have more individual quality than Stoke City, they have more match winners in their team & they’ve got the far greater motivation to win but I’m expecting Stoke City to be very hard to break down & beat here and I think the best Tottenham can hope for here is a draw & backing a draw is where I believe the betting value lies.
Match Betting Recommendations:
Outright Match Result & Correct Score options:- DRAW 1-1/2-2
First Goalscorer/Players to score anytime options:- Crouch/Bale/Walters

 

 

 

Everton vs West Ham United – Sunday 3.00pm:- David Moyes has always stated that he’ll keep pushing the Everton players to giving their maximum right until the season finishes & I’m certainly expecting Everton to be too strong at home for a West Ham United side who have already achieved their target of Premier League safety & who don’t travel well.

Obviously no Premier League match is as simplistic as that & West Ham United will want to show commitment & energy in this match but Everton are a far superior team in terms of player quality & I believe it’s well worth backing that extra quality to get Everton another win in what’s been an excellent season for David Moyes’s team.
Match Betting Recommendations:
Outright Match Result & Correct Score options:- EVERTON to win 2-0/2-1
First Goalscorer/Players to score anytime options:- Jelavic/Anichebe/Fellaini

 

 

Fulham vs Liverpool – Sunday 3.00pm:-  Fulham’s weak, embarrassing defeat at home to Reading really has put them back into the relegation mix & now this match against Liverpool really does much more than it should so the pressure is on & from that I’m expecting this to be an intense, open game as both Fulham & Liverpool will be looking for the win.

I’m expecting commitment & determination from both Fulham & Liverpool here with Fulham wanting to give the home fans something to enjoy for the last home match of the season & Liverpool looking to finish the season strong so they go into next year positive & ready to go.

I can see a few goals going in here & I would not be at all surprised to see either Fulham or Liverpool edge it by the odd goal but I can also see both sides giving as good as they get & on balance a scoring draw looks the value call in this and I’m sure both managers will be happy with that come the final whistle.
Match Betting Recommendations:
Outright Match Result & Correct Score options:- DRAW 1-1/2-2
First Goalscorer/Players to score anytime options:- Sturridge/Ruiz/Berbatov

 

 

Norwich City vs West Brom – Sunday 3.00pm:- This match is now an absolutely huge, potentially Premier League life or death scenario for Norwich City as they sit precariously close to the relegation only 3 points above Wigan having played a game more & with only this home game & away game at Man City to come and quite clearly the pressure really is now on Norwich City in this match.

The scary facts for Norwich City are that even a win here might not well be enough to save them come the end of the season because I really don’t expect them to get anything at Manchester City and if they don’t win this match then I’d say they probably will get relegated so this has to be a home win for Norwich & they’ve got to go all out for it.

The big problem for Norwich City though is the fact they don’t look like a side who go all out for games, they don’t look like a team good enough for this level & they certainly don’t look like as side who can score goals, their only strength is keeping games tight & not conceding too many but that’s no good now.

As for West Brom then although they are completely safe, have nothing of importance to play for in terms of points or league position I would expect Steve Clarke to have his players really pumped up for this to respond after shockingly losing 3-2 at home to Wigan after twice being in the lead, he won’t stand for that & I’m expecting one last big push from the West Brom lads here.

Ordinarily I’d have gone for a no or low scoring draw in this as Norwich are hard to beat at home & West Brom have nothing to play for but given how much pressure Norwich City are under in this match I think this is a great time to back West Brom to get the win as they’ve got more attacking quality & can make Norwich City suffer by getting the 3 points & probably virtually relegate Norwich in the process.
Match Betting Recommendations:
Outright Match Result & Correct Score options:- WEST BROM to win 2-0/2-1
First Goalscorer/Players to score anytime options:- Long/Lukaku/Morrisson

 

 

QPR vs Newcastle United – Sunday 3.00pm:- Harry Redknapp, the QPR board, players & fans have already given up on what’s been a completely disastrous season for them & I don’t think Newcastle United will have a better opportunity  to get the vital win that will secure their Premier League safety in what’s admittedly not been a very good season for Newcastle either.

Indeed both QPR & Newcastle United will want to forget this season very quickly & it can’t end quick enough for them so I’m certainly not expecting a classic match here but Newcastle United are the only team who have the genuine motivation to win & I believe they are worth backing to take advantage of QPR’s poor quality, poor team spirit & general sense of failure that surrounds them & I believe Alan Pardew’s men can take the 3 points here.
Match Betting Recommendations:
Outright Match Result & Correct Score options:- NEWCASTLE UNITED to win 2-1/3-1
First Goalscorer/Players to score anytime options:- Cisse/Cabaye/Ben Arfa

 

 

Sunderland vs Southampton – Sunday 3.00pm:- This is an absolutely huge, vital match for both Sunderland & Southampton and it really is a game that both sides have to look to win & certainly one that they cannot afford to lose so it’s going to be intense,  pressurised & nerve wracking for everybody involved.

Both Sunderland & Southampton are still desperately involved in the fight against relegation, admittedly Southampton’s situation is better given they’ve got more points than Sunderland a bigger cushion but Wigan’s win at West Brom really has dragged them bagged into the mix along with Norwich, Newcastle, Villa & Sunderland and as I say this really is a game neither side can afford to lose.

So the big, key question for me is will either side be able to handle the intense pressures here & control the fear of losing because this is a really tight game to call & despite Sunderland having home advantage, I really do think this is a game that can go either way.

A few weeks ago I would have been really tempted to back Southampton to win this as they were playing very well & looked confident but successive defeats against West Brom & Tottenham have dragged them down & they don’t look as good while Sunderland losing 6-1 at Villa really hit them hard as well so I’m taking this to be a competitive, pressurised & intense match and I believe the value lies in backing a draw.
Match Betting Recommendations:
Outright Match Result & Correct Score options:- DRAW 1-1/2-2
First Goalscorer/Players to score anytime options:- Lambert/Graham/Rodriguez

 

 

 

Manchester United vs Swansea – Sunday 4.00pm:- This is not a game to dwell on for too long as neither Manchester United or Swansea have anything at all to play for this season & this occasion really will just be all about Manchester United being presented with the Premier League winners trophy & the celebration that takes places afterwards.

Of course neither Sir Alex Ferguson or Michael Laudrup will admit that beforehand & they’ll talk about both teams trying hard to play well & look to win but I just can’t see either side going all out for it here &  I’d say that good football is just about the only thing that can be guaranteed about this match so it should at least be entertaining to watch.

This is not a game to go crazy about in terms of staking when betting given that neither side will be giving everything to win but I certainly expect Manchester United to be the more positive, dominant side at home & get the win that will crown their title win & set the title celebrations up in the right way.
Match Betting Recommendations:
Outright Match Result & Correct Score options:- MANCHESTER UNITED to win 2-0/3-0
First Goalscorer/Players to score anytime options:- Van Persie/Giggs/Rooney

 

 

Well hopefully you find those views interesting & useful, as ever I recommend you do as you choose with the advice & endeavour to search around for the best betting terms & conditions before you place your bets

2013 Snooker World Championship Final preview

17 days of enthralling, intense & high quality snooker action is now all set to come to what will hopefully be an exciting, quality packed 2 days of snooker at the Crucible in Sheffield as four times World Champion Ronnie O’Sullivan takes on debutant finalist Barry Hawkins to see who can take snooker’s biggest prize & become 2013 World Champion.

Ronnie O’Sullivan & Barry Hawkins have each had to win through 4 intense snooker matches & each win 53 frames of snooker to earn this chance at World title glory & there’s no doubting that they are the two players who deserve the opportunity to do so & all that’s left is for all us snooker fans to hope that it’s going to be a final that gives the Championships the send off it deserves.

The Crucible Theatre is all about drama & performance and so let’s hope Ronnie O’Sullivan & Barry Hawkins can deliver on the biggest stage that snooker has to offer.

I’ve had a look at the profile for this World Final clash between Ronnie O’Sullivan & Barry Hawkins & indeed looked at some of the varied betting markets on offer and here are my views on how I think the final may go & the bets for consideration:

2013 Snooker World Championship Final preview

I’ll start by saying that I personally believe this clash of Ronnie O’Sullivan vs Barry Hawkins is a final line-up that I certainly would never have expected & I believe it’s the most surprise line-up since Stephen Hendry took on Nigel Bond in 1995 & beat him 18-9.

Looking at the odds framed by the bookmakers for this final then I’d say the bookmakers definitely agree as well as quotes of 1/8 for Ronnie O’Sullivan to win & 5/1 for Barry Hawkins to win illustrate the gap they believe exists between them & indeed the relative chances they both have of achieving World Champions glory.

World Snooker Champion is something that Ronnie O’Sullivan has already achieved 4 times with wins in 2001, 2004, 2008 & 2012 & indeed Ronnie O’Sullivan doesn’t really need any introduction as he’s the one genuine snooker name that transcends the sport of snooker & he’s a player that people outside of snooker would easily recognise & know.

Ronnie O’Sullivan has been given countless tags during his incredible, illustrious & unpredictable snooker career and they include enigma, genius, wild, sensational, crazy & unbelievable and I’d simply say he’s most definitely a potent mix of all of those & most importantly he’s a genuine snooker genius who’s widely regarded by everybody in snooker to be the best, most natural snooker talent there is ever likely to be.

Indeed Ronnie O’Sullivan has displayed all of those characteristics in varying measures at this years World Championships but as I said most importantly he’s showed incredible snooker talent & incredibly I have to say he makes odds of 1/8 look like half decent value as he’s looked that superior to the rest of the players in Sheffield in the last 17 days.

Now that’s not being dismissive or disrespectful to all the other incredible players that have competed at this years World Championships but Ronnie O’Sullivan really has been very impressive in most of the sessions he’s played & incredibly he’s yet to lose a single session of snooker in the 4 matches he’s played to get to this point.

So I’ll say now that I fully expect Ronnie O’Sullivan to be crowned 2013 World Snooker Champion to give him his 5th World Snooker title and take him one position closer in terms of all time successful World Champions behind Steve Davis & Ray Rearden who won 6, Stephen Hendry who won 7, John Pulman & Fred Davis who won 8 & Joe Davis who won 15 titles.

Of course out of those great historical snooker names it’s the achievement of getting closer to Stephen Hendry & Steve Davis that will mean the most to Ronnie O’Sullivan & carry the most relevance in terms of modern snooker, those two have set incredible standards in terms of winning & I do expect Ronnie O’Sullivan to get 1 step closer to them here.

Now I also want to make it clear that I am not just dismissing Barry Hawkins without giving him the maximum credit & respect which his fantastic, gutsy, quality packed performances at this years World Championships deserve and in terms of the quality of player who he’s had to beat to get to the final then there is no doubt Barry Hawkins has achieved more & had a much more demanding test in beating the likes of Mark Selby, Ding & that tough, gruelling semi-final against Ricky Walden.

The way Barry Hawkins won through those matches & indeed especially the Semi-Final in which he did not really start playing well until 12-8 down really does highlight the incredible mix of talent & guts that he possesses and I really do hope he has the opportunity to show it in the final, if he does then Ronnie O’Sullivan will know he’s got a fight on his hands.

I’ll admit that as soon as Ronnie O’Sullivan won through to the final by impressively beating Judd Trump 17-11 then it was only ever going to be Ronnie O’Sullivan winning this in my mind & having saw how Barry Hawkins looked after his incredibly demanding semi-final against Ricky Walden then I’m totally convinced that this final probably will be one tough test too many for Hawkins & I believe Ronnie O’Sullivan can win this with something to spare, especially if he gets into a positive mind set early & gets an early lead.

Now while it’s possible that given his incredible, natural snooker talent Ronnie O’Sullivan could win this final by a huge margin of 12 frames or more, I just don’t see that being the case this year because Barry Hawkins is a top quality player & has proven all tournament that he can fight, he can compete & he can take chances when given them.

So when I look to see what betting opportunities exist & which ones fit in with my beliefs about this match then I feel Ronnie O’Sullivan to win on the Handicap market at -6.5 frames at 5/6 is most certainly a bet that looks very tempting to me as I feel that Ronnie O’Sullivan can win this match in a frame range margin of 18-8 to 18-10, indeed I’d also consider Correct Frame Score bets of Ronnie winning 18-8, 18-9 or 18-10 all around the 10/1 mark for some bigger priced, value fun bets.

Now that’s how I personally believe this World Snooker Final will go & the betting recommendations I believe are worth consideration, here are some statistics covering the last 15 World Snooker finals, hope you find them interesting & useful:

The Final Scores for the last 15 World Snooker Finals have gone like this:

18-17 = 1

18-16 = 3

18-15 = 1

18-14 = 2

18-13 = 2

18-12 = 1

18-11 = 2

18-10 = 0

18-9 = 1

18-8 = 2

• Ronnie O’Sullivan has won his 4 previous World Finals by 18-14, 18-11 & 18-8 twice
• The last time the World Snooker final went to a final frame decider was when Peter Ebdon beat Stephen Hendry in 2002 & the closest it’s been since then was 18-16 in 2005 when Shaun Murphy beat Matthew Stephens
• The winning frame margin has been 5 frames or more in 5 of the last 6 years

 

Well hopefully you find those views interesting & useful, as ever I recommend you do as you choose with the advice & endeavour to search around for the best betting terms & conditions before you place your bets.

 

2013 Snooker World Championships Preview

Watching sport at any level is enjoyable but watching sport at the very highest level is truly fantastic, to see how the drama & action unfolds as the very best in the world clash is incredible & when that happens in an historic, epic arena then that takes it to the next level & becomes something extra special.

Something extra special is exactly what the World Snooker Championships at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield represents & the great news is it’s that time of year again when the very best in the world of snooker turn their focus to Sheffield for 17 days of guaranteed drama, tension, excitement & of course pure sporting theatre that only snooker played at the Crucible can produce.

Athletics has the Olympics, Tennis has Wimbledon, football has the World Cup, they are the major, pinnacle events for those sports & from Saturday 20th April to Monday May 6th, the Crucible in Sheffield becomes exactly the same for the world of Snooker & hundreds of thousands of snooker fans from all around the world will be glued to the action.

I love playing snooker & love watching it for the pure sport of it but in recent years betting on snooker has really taken off & it’s most definitely something that I’ve got involved in at the major tournaments & course they don’t get any bigger or more interesting than the World Championships, watching & punting on the very best snooker players around really is a fantastically enjoyable combination.

I’ll definitely be one of those thousands of fans watching & I can’t wait for the snooker action to start this Saturday when the brilliant, enigmatic & snooker genius that is Ronnie O’Sullivan kicks off the action in the opening match.

Here is my preview on this years Snooker World Championships, I’ve included the full draw so you can see how the ties may potentially work out round by round, indeed betting wise I’m going to cover the first round matches that catch my eye with correct score predictions & also present my ante-post picks for the Outright Tournament winner market as well for your consideration:

 

History & statistics for the last 15 Snooker World Championship Finals: from 1998 to 2012:

• The last 30 finalists slots have been filled by only 13 different players: John Higgins, Ronnie O’Sullivan, Mark Williams, Stephen Hendry, Shaun Murphy, Graeme Dott, Peter Ebdon, Neil Robertson, Matthew Stevens, Mark Selby, Ali Carter, Judd Trump & Ken Doherty

 

• There have been 9 different winners in the last 15 years: John Higgins 4 titles, Ronnie O’Sullivan 3 titles, Mark Williams 2 titles & 1 each for Hendry, Neil Robertson, Shaun Murphy, Graeme Dott, Peter Ebdon & Ken Doherty

 

• 6 Players have been both winners & runners-up during the last 15 years: Higgins, Murphy, Dott, Ebdon, Hendry & Williams

 

The Final Scores for the last 15 World Snooker Finals have gone like this:

18-17 = 1
18-16 = 3
18-15 = 1
18-14 = 2
18-13 = 2
18-12 = 1
18-11 = 2
18-10 = 0
18-9 = 1
18-8 = 2

 

Outright Tournament Winner ante-post predictions:

Attempting to predict the winner of any major sporting tournament ante-post is always a tough & yet fascinating task for punters to handle but the enjoyment gained from doing it & then hopefully the rewards gained from achieving success really does make it worthwhile.

It’s great fun to just watch the very best snooker players in the world taking each other on but there is no doubt the excitement increases several levels when a punting investment has been made on an event & indeed that’s definitely the case when trying to pick the winner of the Snooker World Championships has started.

It’s often very hard to confidently pick the winner even when it gets down to latter stages of this magnificent tournament given the ultra-competitiveness of it & so trying to do just that before a cue has been lifted & before a single ball has been potted really is a test of judgement.

Trying to confidently evaluate which of the 32 players who have made it to the Crucible can last the 17 days of fierce, demanding competition & come out as World Champion is a tough challenge but it’s just the sought of challenge I enjoy & here goes my own thoughts on the major contenders & from that the ones I think are worth consideration from a betting perspective:

I’ll start my analysis of whom I believe can win this World Championship by referring to the World Championship Final statistics quoted above because quite simply the facts show that only a select group of players end up contesting the World Championship final & year after year those select group of players prove to be the main contenders as they are proven to handle everything that comes with playing a Snooker World Championships at the Crucible.

Those players that make it to the finals have proven they’ve got the necessary combination of skill, competitive edge, fighting spirit, the stamina to last the physical test that the 17 days places on the mind & body & indeed the ability to produce their best when it really matters most when put under the most intense pressure.

Now I know that I’m taking a risk in dismissing the likes of Ding Junhui, Stephen Maguire & Mark Allen just on the basis they’ve not made a final yet and there is no doubt they’ve got the talent to prove me wrong but I’m going to stand by the statistics as they look very solid to me & the history books show us what we need to know.

I do strongly believe that the finalists & indeed winner will come from that group of players who’ve made the final in the last 15 years and  I’m going to use the statistics I’ve quoted to cut the field down from 32 to 7 and those 7 are John Higgins, Mark Selby, Shaun Murphy, Ronnie O’Sullivan, Ali Carter, Neil Robertson & Judd Trump.

I’ll say right now that I believe any one of those 7 can win this & I do believe the winner & finalists will come from that group of 7 players, Higgins, O’Sullivan, Murphy & Robertson have all already won the World Championships while Selby, Carter & Trump have been runners up so they’ve all proven they’ve got what it takes already & there is no need to doubt them.

Of course all 7 can’t be backed so I’m going to adopt a policy of getting that group down to 4 each way selections by nominating 1 player whom I believe to be the best option in each quarter of the draw as the field of 32 players is split into 4 quarters & in theory the winners of each quarter meet in the semi-finals to fight for their place in the final.

With snooker you can back players each way for the first 2 places ie if your player reaches the final then you are onto a winner so of course I know nominating 4 players means 2 of them are guaranteed to be losers, but I think this line-up of players looks so competitive & so tough to sort out it does make sense to have extra cover in the hope the draw works out, if it does it should be happy days.

So from that group of 7 players that I believe will fight it out, I’m going to with each way bets on JOHN HIGGINS, MARK SELBY, SHAUN MURPHY & NEIL ROBERTSON.

5 times finalist & 4 times World Champion John Higgins gets my vote as he absolutely loves the Crucible, his game & everything about the way he plays is perfectly suited to the unique demands of the Crucible & having secured 3 World titles since 2007 I cannot see any stronger looking, better value options that JOHN HIGGINS at around the 11/1 mark, 1/2 odds each way for getting to the final looks excellent value to me.

MARK SELBY has been in my mind for the World Championships for a very long time now & definitely this season more than ever after the brilliant, confident & importantly winning form he’s shown in some of the major tournaments this year, admittedly Selby has so far only made it to 1 World Championship finals & he’s got the pressure of being amongst the favourites but for me he’s easily been the most impressive player this season & I feel certain he’s set for a major attempt to secure World title glory this time around and 13/2 each way looks solid to me.

SHAUN MURPHY gets my vote as the 16/1 on offer for him looks massive given he’s a 2 times finalist & of course previous World Champion so he’s proven at the Crucible & this time around I believe he’s got just about the best draw he could have & in my opinion there is only Judd Trump in his section of the draw that can cause him serious problems as long as he is at his best here.

NEIL ROBERTSON is without doubt probably in the top 2 or 3 in the world in terms of playing entertaining, exciting snooker & being a recent winner of this great competition he’s proven he’s got the focus, the stamina, the mental strength & everything else that’s required to be a Champion and for me he’s the absolute standout pick in his quarter of the draw, he looks a major contender here & at around 7/1 he’s certainly looks very solid to me.

I think this World Championships is destined to be one of the very best ever given the amazing talent lining up & there will undoubtedly be some epic matches & great excitement along the way, it’s most definitely a very tough tournament to call from a betting perspective but in JOHN HIGGINS, MARK SELBY, NEIL ROBERTSON & SHAUN MURPHY I do believe I have found 4 excellent, very solid looking contenders who will hopefully give us a good run for our money & of course fantastic snooker for us to enjoy.

Ante-post recommendations:

MARK SELBY each way at 13/2
NEIL ROBERTSON each way at 13/2
JOHN HIGGINS each way at 11/1
SHAUN MURPHY each way at 16/1

 

 

Predictions for selection of Round 1matches from the 2013 Snooker World Championships (Best of 19 frames):

I’ve had a look at the set-up of the matches that catch my eye for Round One & here are my Outright Result & Correct Score options for your consideration, correct frame score betting in snooker really does add an extra element of interest & gives punters a way of getting value odds as well:

Ronnie O’Sullivan v Marcus Campbell:- The enigmatic, snooker genius that is Ronnie O’Sullivan kicks of the defence of his title that he won for the 3rd last year & although he’s been away from the snooker since then & talked of not knowing what he’s going to play like, the 3 times World Champion will surely be way too good for Marcus Campbell in this opening round & I think Ronnie is worth supporting to win with comfort.
Match Result & Correct Frame score predictions: RONNIE O’SULLIVAN to win 10-2/10-3

 

Ali Carter v Ben Woollaston:- Right then, time to get the cheap jokes out of the way, I’m expecting qualified pilot & more importantly 2 times Crucible World Finalist Ali Carter to fly through this Round 1 match & secure a safe landing into Round 2. Ali Carter will have respect for Ben Woollaston’s talent but at the same time he’ll know this is a huge chance to get up & running in this tournament and I believe the 2008 & 2012 runner-up is worth backing to start with a smooth, comfortable win.
Match Result & Correct Frame score predictions:- ALI CARTER to win 10-2/10-3

 

Stuart Bingham v Sam Baird:- I love watching snooker & seen quite a few tournaments this season but I’ll confess I know next to nothing about Sam Baird, all I can say is he’s clearly hugely talented & committed to fight his way through the qualifiers to get to this point so no doubt he’ll have the respect of Stuart Bingham here but in terms of the match result then I can’t see anything other than a solid win for Bingham here as he’s enjoyed an excellent season & he’ll be confident of making the most of his superior big tournament experience and lining up in Round 2 to face either Higgins or Mark Davis.
Match Result & Correct Frame score predictions:- STUART BINGHAM to win 10-3/10-4

 

John Higgins v Mark Davis:-  Proven champions & major contenders for the World title always say they have most fear about getting through Round 1 & I would imagine that’s what John Higgins is privately thinking here because there is no doubting that he could have got a far kinder draw than to be picked to play against the tough, talented & confidence boosted Mark Davis and I do think this will be a true Crucible test for John Higgins.

I’ve got big respect for Mark Davis & so will have John Higgins but that said John Higgins know he is a proven Crucible specialist, 5 times World finalist & 4 times World Champion with victories in 1998, 2007, 2009 & 2011 and I really do believe that Higgins is still as well equipped as anybody in the world game & in my eyes he’s a major contender for the title again this year so I’m taking Higgins to show his class, grit & determination to win through here.
Match Result & Correct Frame score predictions:- JOHN HIGGINS to win 10-4/10-5

 

Shaun Murphy v Martin Gould:- As soon as I saw the draw produce this fixture then I did think that this could be one of those 1st round matches that either goes all the way to the final frame or very close to it as both Shaun Murphy & Martin Gould are tough, talented players who have shown their very best form in this competition at this venue and I just sense that this really could be one of the tightest opening round matches.

Shaun Murphy is a former World Champion & former runner-up here so he undoubtedly deserves to be clear favourite for this match but I’ve seen Martin Gould a few times this year and he’s looked in good, confident form & I do believe he’ll see this match as a big opportunity to cause a shock, he’s certainly done it before & he’s capable of doing it again if he shows his best in the match.

That said I’m expecting Shaun Murphy’s superior quality, experience & proven ability to win tough, pressure matches in this tournament to be the deciding factors and I believe it’s worth backing Murphy to win through this 1st round tie & once he’s done that he’ll believe he can go far in the tournament as the draw looks potentially very favourable for him.
Match Result & Correct Frame score predictions:- SHAUN MURPHY to win 10-6/10-7

1st Round match betting recommendations to consider:

RONNIE O’SULLIVAN to win 10-2/10-3
SHAUN MURPHY to win 10-6/10-7
JOHN HIGGINS to win 10-4/10-5
STUART BINGHAM to win 10-3/10-4
ALI CARTER to win 10-2/10-3

 

Full Draw for the 2013 Snooker World Championships at the Crucible, Sheffield:-

ROUND ONE (Best of 19 frames)

1. Ronnie O’Sullivan v Marcus Campbell
2. Ali Carter v Ben Woollaston
3. Stuart Bingham v Sam Baird
4. John Higgins v Mark Davis

5. Shaun Murphy v Martin Gould
6. Graeme Dott v Peter Ebdon
7. Matthew Stevens v Marco Fu
8. Judd Trump v Dominic Dale

9. Neil Robertson v Robert Milkins
10. Ricky Walden v Michael Holt
11. Mark Williams v Michael White
12. Stephen Maguire v Dechawat Poomjaeng

13. Mark Allen v Mark King
14. Ding Junhui v Alan McManus
15. Barry Hawkins v Jack Lisowski
16. Mark Selby v Matthew Selt

ROUND TWO (Best of 25 frames)

17. Ronnie O’Sullivan/Marcus Campbell v Ali Carter/Ben Woollaston
18. Stuart Bingham/Sam Baird v John Higgins/Mark Davis

19. Shaun Murphy/Martin Gould v Graeme Dott/Peter Ebdon
20. Matthew Stevens/Marco Fu v Judd Trump/Dominic Dale

21. Neil Robertson/Robert Milkins v Ricky Walden/Michael Holt
22. Mark Williams/Michael White v Stephen Maguire/Dechawat Poomjaeng

23. Mark Allen/Mark King v Ding Junhui/Alan McManus
24. Barry Hawkins/Qualifier 15 v Mark Selby/Matthew Selt

QUARTER FINALS (Best of 25 frames)

Q1. Winner Match 17 v Winner Match 18
Q2. Winner March 19 v Winner Match 20
Q3. Winner Match 21 v Winner Match 22
Q4. Winner Match 23 v Winner Match 24

SEMI-FINALS (Best of 33 frames)

SF1. Winner Q1 v Winner
Q2 SF2. Winner Q3 v Winner Q4

FINAL (Best of 35 frames)

Winner SF1 v Winner SF2

 

 

As always hope you find the above interesting, useful & ultimately successful if you bet but remember that whatever you decide to bet on, please take the time & effort to shop around ensuring you get the best value, check all the latest information before you bet & of course good luck with your bets.

 

Predictions for matches from the Premier League, Championship, League 1 & League 2 played Tuesday April 16th & Wednesday April 17th

The end of the domestic football season is now fast approaching & it looks guaranteed to be a final few weeks packed full of intense, dramatic football action with so much to play for & so much at stake for virtually every team in each of the main leagues.

League titles are being chased, places in European football are being competed for, automatic promotion, play-off places & desperate fights against relegation are all motivating teams to give absolutely everything as they fight to achieve their end of season targets.

All of that guarantees the action will be seriously competitive & most certainly incredibly tough from a punting perspective but I’ve had a good look at the fixtures & relative odds and here are my result & correct score predictions for the midweek matches for your consideration:

 

Premier League predictions:

ARSENAL vs EVERTON DRAW 1-1/2-2
MANCHESTER CITY to beat Wigan 3-0/4-0
CHELSEA to beat Fulham 2-1/3-1
MANCHESTER UNITED to beat West Ham 2-1/3-1

Championship predictions:

BARNSLEY vs DERBY DRAW 1-1/2-2
BLACKBURN to beat Huddersfield 2-0/2-1
BIRMINGHAM CITY to beat Bristol City 2-0/2-1
CARDIFF CITY to beat Charlton 2-0/3-0
CRYSTAL PALACE to beat Ipswich 2-0/2-1
LEEDS UNITED to beat Burnley 2-0/2-1
LEICESTER CITY vs BOLTON DRAW 1-1/2-2
NOTTINGHAM FOREST to beat Middlesbrough 2-0/2-1
WATFORD to beat Millwall 2-0/2-1
PETERBOROUGH vs BRIGHTON DRAW 1-1/2-2
HULL CITY to beat wolves 2-1/3-1
BLACKPOOL to beat Sheffield Wednesday 2-0/2-1

League 1 predictions:

BURY vs SCUNTHORPE DRAW 1-1/2-2
COLCHESTER vs MK DONS DRAW 1-1/2-2
YEOVIL vs OLDHAM DRAW 1-1/2-2
SHEFFIELD UNITED vs BRENTFORD DRAW 1-1/2-2
SWINDON to beat Crewe 2-1/3-1

League 2 predictions:

SOUTHEND to beat Aldershot 2-0/2-1
ROTHERHAM to beat Bradford 2-1/3-1
CHESTERFIELD vs PLYMOUTH DRAW 1-1/2-2
TORQUAY to beat Barnet 2-0/2-1
WYCOMBE to beat Northampton 2-0/2-1

 

As always hope you find the above interesting, useful & ultimately successful if you bet but remember that whatever you decide to bet on, please take the time & effort to shop around ensuring you get the best value, check all the latest information before you bet & of course good luck with your bets.

2013 Grand National Meeting Preview – Day 2

Day 1 of the Aintree Grand National Festival provided fantastic, dramatic racing of the highest quality & indeed the intensely competitive action continues at Aintree on Friday & here are my own race by race views for Day 2 & hopefully they help to highlight a selection of winners & places:

2.00 – Rose Appeal Supports Alder Hey Top Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 2) 2m 110y:- Nicky Henderson & JP McManus won this with the brilliant & unfortunately ill-fated DARLAN last year & this time around their representative MY TENT OR YOURS is expected to collect this prize after narrowly failing in the Supreme Novices at Cheltenham.

Quoted at a general 1/2 to win this 5 runner contest then it surely will be a huge shock if MY TENT OR YOURS does not win this & win it well given his outstanding form and outside of hugely talented stablemate FORGOTTEN VOICE it is hard to imagine any of the other 3 runners being good enough to contend with MY TENT OR YOURS in this.

Race Verdict:- MY TENT OR YOURS & FORGOTTEN VOICE to give Nicky Henderson a 1-2 in this looks the safest way to go, the short odds on the favourite make it prohibitive for betting but it should be great to watch future stars showing their class again.
Main Selection:- MY TENT OR YOURS (nap)
Main Danger:- FORGOTTEN VOICE

 

2.30 – John Smith’s Mildmay Novices’ Chase (Grade 2) 3m 1f:- Silviniaco Conti winning this last year shows how this is a race that certainly can produce future stars & it’s going to be fascinating to see which one of the 6 declared runners can show their best on the day in this.

Paul Nicholls saddled Silviniaco Conti to win this last year & he’ll definitely be hoping that his ROCKY CREEK has the required credentials to give him back to back wins in the race, he’s certainly got class, stamina & jumps well so he does look a major player here as long as the ground doesn’t get too quick.

DYNASTE will get most attention here having been such a well backed & well fancied favourite at Cheltenham and while the winner that day was impressive, it was disappointing to see DYNASTE struggle to show his very best & while his best will probably be good enough here, there has to be a doubt he can show it so soon after Cheltenham.

That point about Cheltenham possibly coming too soon for these young novice chasers also makes it very hard to have serious faith in the likes of SUPER DUTY, VIENO GRIEGO & THIRD INTENTION as they all ran at the Festival as well and to be fair I don’t think they’ll be quite good enough for this unless the more fancied runners fail.

Form figures that read 50P-126 would usually mean that I’d stay well clear of that horse but in this case the fact Barry Geraghty has been booked to ride SEA OF THUNDER does catch my eye & indeed the ’1′ in those form figures was a very impressive, fluent win over 3 miles and given that SEA OF THUNDER comes here fresh that might just be a big factor as well.

Race Verdict:- I expected DYANSTE to win & win well at Cheltenham but he was a disappointment & I’m not prepared to back him at short odds again here so soon after that so I’ll go with ROCKY CREEK as my main play to give Paul Nicholls & Ruby Walsh another win in this race while I think SEA OF THUNDER is the most interesting of his rivals & can run a big race under the guidance of Geraghty.
Main Selection:- ROCKY CREEK
Main Danger:- SEA OF THUNDER e/w

 

 

3.05 – John Smith’s Melling Chase (Grade 1) 2m 4f:- How far will SPRINTER SACRE win by& which one of the other 5 declared runners will come 2nd ?

To be honest they are the only questions that should apply here as the incredible, unbelievable SPRINTER SACRE will surely win this as easily as Barry Geraghty wants him to & incredibly the likes of CUE CARD, FINIAN’S RAINBOW, FOR NON STOP & FLEMENSTAR are all high class horses in their own right yet realistically only playing for 2nd at best here.

Working out which of those high class runners will take 2nd here is not easy but personally speaking I’d love to see FLEMENSTAR show his true class & if he does then I think that will be enough to see him home in 2nd although that may well be 10 or more lengths behind SPRINTER SACRE.
Main Selection:-SPRINTER SACRE
Main Dangers: FLEMENSTAR & CUE CARD

 

3.40 – John Smith’s Topham Chase (Grade 3 Handicap) (National Course) 2m 5f 110y:- WARNING!! – THIS RACE CARRIES A PUNTERS WEALTH WARNING!!! – PROCEED WITH EXTREME PUNTING CAUTION!!!

Ok, that might sound dramatic & extreme but I don’t know another way of describing a 30 runner handicap over 2 miles 5 furlongs of the Grand National course, all the best jockeys & trainers represented.

The truth here is that absolutely anything is possible here & if you are having a bet in this race you need to pick a few at value prices then hope that you get luck in running, luck in jumping & hope that somehow your pick or picks make it around safely & are given the chance to show their best & only then will you have a chance of collecting, well maybe anyway.

These races are just so tough to solve & there are so many different form lines to workout that it just becomes almost impossible to distinguish between what looks to have a chance & what doesn’t, in the end my approach in this type of event always comes down to selecting a group of each way picks that hopefully represent value & will hopefully give us a good run for the money.

My group of four each way shots against the field here are:- WALKON, CHANCE DU ROY, RENARD & MISTER FIRST.

WALKON is an old favourite of mine & indeed a high class horse on his best form & while it might be too much to expect his very best form here, he’s got class, he’s a course winner & looks huge price at 25/1 if he can show something like his best.

CHANCE DU ROY ran very well in this last year, leading for a while before being headed & finishing 2nd and so that proven liking & ability to handle this course warrants huge respect here as he’s surely been targeted at this race since then.

RENARD is one that I put my faith in at Cheltenham, it didn’t pay off that day as he finished 7th but he made a mistake when going well that day & I believe he has the ability to win or go close in a contest like this, worth a shot at huge odds.

MISTER FIRST gets my vote here as I know Andrew Lynch thinks pretty highly of him & he believed after riding him to win a decent Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse that he was a horse with a decent future & especially over fences so while he comes here with little fencing experience, the huge odds make it worth the risk in my opinion.

Race Verdict:- As I said absolutely anything is possible in this race & it’s only a race for small each way punts, CHANCE DU ROY is the proven one of my picks having finished 2nd here last year so he gets the main vote while WALKON, RENARD & MISTER FIRST will hopefully run well at huge odds for some each way fun.
Main Selection:- CHANCE DU ROY e/w
Main Dangers:- WALKON, RENARD & MISTER FIRST e/w

 

4.15 – John Smith’s Sefton Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1) 3m 110y:- Tony McCoy is expected to collect in the first race on My Tent Or Yours and he’ll certainly also be expected by most to collect this prize aboard the hugely impressive AT FISHERS CROSS and to be fair I’m one of those that expect another McCoy/McManus win here.

AT FISHERS CROSS has been hugely impressive all season & once again showed his class, stamina & guts to win at Cheltenham when getting the better of AFRICAN GOLD in what was a great race and as long as he shows something like his best form here then he should win.

The one that I believe could pose most problems for McCoy & AT FISHERS CROSS is the Irish challenger ROAD TO RICHES who comes here having won last 4 including very easily last 2 times and I believe Barry Geraghty has picked up a very nice spare ride here & certainly can get involved in the finish.
Main Selection:- AT FISHERS CROSS (nb)
Main Dangers:- ROAD TO RICHES e/w

 

 

4.50 – John Smith’s Daily Mirror Punters Club Handicap Hurdle (Listed) 2m 4f:- Punters come into this race having faced trying to solve a 30 runner handicap over the National fences & now it’s the small matter of trying to sort out 22 runners in another fiercely tough handicap hurdle.

Just like the Handicap at 3.40, this race just looks like a lottery where absolutely anything can happen & so I’m just going to adopt my usual approach of 4 each way plays against the field in the hope of landing something and my 4 against the field are HAZY TOM, NATIVE GALLERY, GRANDADS HORSE & SIMPLY NED.

I just belive my 4 choices have got chances on their best form & have profiles that give them a chance of featuring here, I’ll put COTTON MILL as my main shot while HAZY TOM, SIMPLY NED & NATIVE GALLERY give me some each way back-up at decent odds, going into a race like this that is all you can hope for.
Main Selection:- COTTON MILL e/w
Main Dangers:- SIMPLY NED, HAZY TOM & NATIVE GALLERY e/w

 

5.25 – John Smith’s Mares’ Standard Open NH Flat Race (Listed) 2m 1f:- Another completely wide open looking contest for punters to try & sort out here and to be honest I really don’t know how you can sort out 20 National Hunt flat horses with confidence.

David Pipe has had a lot of impressive Bumper winners this season so the fact he relies on CENTASIA here looks very interesting to me while I did see one of MOLLY’S A DIVA wins and I was greatly impressed by that and I can also say the same about NOUVEAU MOULIN who won well at Limerick.

CENTASIA, MOLLY’S A DIVA & NOUVEAU MOULIN are my 3 each way shots against the field and I’ll give the main vote to David Pipe’s CENTASIA although I do think the other 2 can certainly get in the mix as well.
Main Selection:- CENTASIA e/w
Main Dangers:- MOLLY’S A DIVA & NOUVEAU MOULIN e/w

 

Well hopefully you find those views interesting & useful, they are just my views for Day 2 of Aintree on what I believe to be the main contenders & best value selections in each race, as ever I recommend you do as you choose with the advice & endeavour to search around for the best betting terms & conditions before you place your bets.

 

Predictions for matches from Premier League, Championship, League 1 & League 2 between Friday 29th March & Sunday 31st March

Premier League predictions:

MANCHESTER UNITED to beat Sunderland 2-0/2-1
ARSENAL to beat Reading 4-0/4-1
MANCHESTER CITY to beat Newcastle United 2-0/2-1
TOTTENHAM to beat Swansea 2-0/2-1
WEST HAM vs WEST BROM DRAW 1-1/2-2
WIGAN to beat Norwich 2-1/3-1
EVERTON to beat Stoke 2-0/2-1
ASTON VILLA vs LIVERPOOL DRAW 1-1/2-2
CHELSEA to beat Southampton 2-1/3-1
FULHAM to beat QPR 2-0/2-1

 

Championship Predictions:

BLACKBURN to beat Blackpool 2-1/3-1
WATFORD to beat Burnley 2-0/2-1
CRYSTAL PALACE to beat Birmingham City 2-0/2-1
DERBY COUNTY to beat Bristol City 2-0/2-1
LEICESTER CITY to beat Millwall 3-0/3-1
CHARLTON vs BOLTON DRAW 1-1/2-2
LEEDS to beat Ipswich 2-0/2-1
NOTTINGHAM FOREST to beat Brighton 2-0/2-1
CARDIFF CITY to beat Peterborough 3-0/3-1
SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY to beat Barnsley 2-0/2-1
WOLVES vs MIDDLESBROUGH DRAW 1-1/2-2
HULL CITY to beat Huddersfield 2-0/2-1

 

League One Predictions:

BRENTFORD to beat Notts County 2-0/2-1
CREWE to beat Bury 2-1/3-1
CARLISLE vs SHREWSBURY DRAW 1-1/2-2
BOURNEMOUTH to beat Colchester 2-0/2-1
CRAWLEY vs STEVENAGE DRAW 1-1/2-2
HARTLEPOOL vs MK DONS DRAW 1-1/2-2
SCUNTHORPE vs LEYTON ORIENT DRAW 1-1/2-2
SWINDON to beat Oldham 2-0/3-0
SHEFFIELD UNITED to beat Tranmere 2-0/2-1
YEOVIL to beat Walsall 2-0/2-1
PRESTON to beat Portsmouth 2-0/2-1
DONCASTER to beat Coventry 2-0/2-1

 

League 2 predictions:

BARNET to beat Dagenham 2-0/2-1
BRADFORD vs SOUTHEND DRAW 1-1/2-2
OXFORD vs MORECAMBE DRAW 1-1/2-2
PORT VALE vs CHELTENHAM DRAW 1-1/2-2
ROCHDALE to beat Aldershot 2-0/2-1
ROTHERHAM to beat Wimbledon 3-0/3-1
WYCOMBE to beat Accrington 2-0/2-1
NORTHAMPTON vs TORQUAY DRAW 1-1/2-2
PLYMOUTH vs EXETER DRAW 1-1/2-2
BRISTOL ROVERS to beat York 1-0/2-0
BURTON vs CHESTERFIELD DRAW 1-1/2-2
GILLINGHAM to beat Fleetwood 2-0/2-1

 

 

As always hope you find the above interesting, useful & ultimately successful if you bet but remember that whatever you decide to bet on, please take the time & effort to shop around ensuring you get the best value, check all the latest information before you bet & of course good luck with your bets.

Predictions for F.A. Cup 5th Round, Championship, League 1 & League 2 matches from Tuesday 26th February to Wednesday 27th February

At this time of the season the football action is relentless with league & cup action seemingly on a daily basis and that’s certainly the case again this week with fascinating looking action set to take place in the F.A. Cup, Championship, League 1 & League 2.

I’ve had a good look at the midweek fixtures lists &  here are my predictions on how I see the games going & hopefully you find them useful in some way if you are thinking of a potential punt on the football:

 

F.A. Cup 5th Round predictions:

EVERTON to beat Oldham 3-0/3-1
CHELSEA to beat Middlesbrough 2-1/3-1

Everton were absolutely gutted to concede a 95th minute equaliser against Oldham which forced this replay that they certainly didn’t want but I’m expecting David Moyes men to make no mistake here & do a thoroughly professional job to win through with a degree of comfort on home soil.

Chelsea & Rafa Benitez will not find it easy up at Middlesbrough as I’m sure their players & the local fans will be up for their biggest game for some time but ultimately I’m expecting Chelsea’s superior quality to have the edge and earn themselves a quarter final tie away at Manchester United.

 

Championship predictions:

LEICESTER CITY to beat Blackburn 2-0/2-1
BOLTON to beat Peterborough 2-0/2-1
BURNLEY to beat Huddersfield 2-0/2-1

Three very important Championship games in prospect here with all 6 teams having very strong motivations to fight hard & win the points so caution when punting has to be the first message.

That said I do believe that all three home sides LEICESTER CITY, BOLTON & BURNLEY are well worth supporting to make the most of home advantage in what will be competitive games & take the points.

 

 

League 1 predictions:

BOURNEMOUTH to beat Coventry 2-0/2-1
CARLISLE to beat Walsall 2-0/2-1
COLCHESTER vs YEOVIL DRAW 1-1/2-2
CRAWLEY vs BRENTFORD DRAW 1-1/2-2
CREWE to beat Hartlepool 2-0/2-1
MK DONS to beat Portsmouth 2-1/3-1
PRESTON vs OLDHAM DRAW 1-1/2-2
SCUNTHORPE to beat Stevenage 2-0/2-1
SHEFFIELD UNITED to beat Leyton Orient 2-0/2-1
SHREWSBURY vs DONCASTER DRAW 1-1/2-2
SWINDON to beat Bury 3-0/3-1
TRANMERE to beat Notts County 2-0/2-1

 

I have to say it looks set to be a very interesting night in League 1 with some really interesting looking matches and with everything to play for.

The headline fixture in League 1 looks likely to be SHEFFIELD UNITED at home to Leyton Orient and I think Danny Wilson’s men are worth a punt to get another vital win in their push for promotion although Leyton Orient will not make it easy for them.

SWINDON will be rated as many punters banker for the night at home to Bury & I have to agree with that, it will be a big shock if Swindon don’t win & win comfortably.

I also fancy  BOURNEMOUTH, TRANMERE & CREWE to get important wins on the boards as well.

 

League 2 predictions:

WIMBLEDON vs PLYMOUTH DRAW 1-1/2-2
BURTON vs MORECAMBE DRAW 1-1/2-2
CHESTERFIELD to beat Aldershot 2-0/2-1
FLEETWOOD vs CHELTENHAM DRAW 1-1/2-2
GILLINGHAM to beat Oxford 2-0/2-1
PLYMOUTH vs OXFORD DRAW 1-1/2-2
PORT VALE to beat Exeter 2-0/3-0
NORTHAMPTON vs BRILSTOL ROVERS DRAW 1-1/2-2
ROTHERHAM UNITED to beat York City 2-1/3-1
TORQUAY to beat Wycombe 2-0/2-1
SOUTHEND to beat Barnet 2-0/2-1
BRADFORD to beat Dagenham 2-0/2-1

 

Judged on form & the league table in Division 2 then this fixture lists does look home friendly with the bigger, better teams at home & I’m expecting the likes of PORT VALE, GILLINGHAM, ROTHERHAM, TORQUAY & CHESTERFIELD to get home wins.

The other matches look seriously competitive to me & very tight to call with scoring draws very tempting options at value odds

 

As always hope you find the above interesting, useful & ultimately successful if you bet but remember that whatever you decide to bet on, please take the time & effort to shop around ensuring you get the best value, check all the latest information before you bet & of course good luck with your bets.

Champions League draw

The draw for the last 16 will take place on December 20 at 1030 GMT.

The teams will be drawn from the following pots:

Group winners:
Paris St Germain
Schalke
Malaga
Borussia Dortmund
Juventus
Bayern Munich
Barcelona
Manchester United

Group runners-up:
Porto
Arsenal
AC Milan
Real Madrid
Shakhtar Donetsk
Valencia
Celtic
Galatasaray

The group winners will be drawn against the group runners-up.

Teams from the same country cannot be drawn against each other.

Sides who met each other in the group stage cannot be drawn against each other.

Group winners will play the away leg first.

The first legs will take place on February 12/13 & 19/20; the second legs will take place on March 5/6 & 12/13.

Here are who the major contenders for the Champions League could get drawn against in the first knockout phase:

Barcelona could get drawn against:- Porto, Arsenal, AC Milan, Shaktar Donetsk or Galatasaray

Real Madrid could get drawn against:- Man United, PSG, Juventus, Bayern Munich or Schalke

Borussia Dortmund could get drawn against:- Porto, Arsenal, Valencia, Galatasaray, Celtic, AC Milan or Shaktar Donetsk

Bayern Munich could get drawn against:- Porto, Arsenal, Celtic, Shaktar Donetsk, Galatasaray, Real Madrid or AC Milan

Manchester United could get drawn against: Porto, AC Milan, Real Madrid, Shaktar Donetsk, Valencia or Celtic

PSG could get drawn against:- Arsenal, AC Milan, Read Madrid, Shakhtar Donetsk, Galatasaray, Celtic or Valencia

Juventus could get drawn against:- Porto, Arsenal, Valencia, Celtic, Galatasaray or Real Madrid

….and then there was Arsenal:…

Arsenal could get drawn against: PSG, Malaga, Borussia Dortmund, Juventus, Barcelona or Bayern Munich

I do love watching all the action unfold in the Champions League group stages with 8 games per night, 2 nights a week for 6 weeks of the season but the knockout stages really is when the true, proper Champions League action starts with every single game having a special intensity to it & all the teams under pressure to give their best at all times because if they don’t they will be out.

So with the draw for last 16 of the Champions League now upon us, the only questions that remain are who will be drawn against who & which side will ultimately take the biggest prize in club football when all the Champions League action has finished in May, ultimately whichever way you look at those potential fixtures listed above, it just screams high quality, hugely fascinating games that should be fantastic to watch & experience.

Pick of the Day (Sunday 29th July)