Author: Online Betting Pro

I am a punter that loves to follow the horse both in Australia and the United Kingdom. I enjoy writing about sports betting and also casino, poker and bingo. In my spare time I like to keep fit by playing football and going for long bike rides. I also like to travel the world and see amazing place s and meet wonderful people along the way.

Grand National 2015 ante-post update

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The weights were announced on Tuesday for the Aintree Grand National and there were no real surprises. As expected, Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Lord Windermere (11st 12lb) is at the top of the handicap alongside recent Irish Hennessy winner Carlingford Lough. Both horses are on target for the festival and I don’t expect either of them to line up at Liverpool.

Many Clouds is next on 11st 9lb and his participation will also depend on what happens at next month’s festival. Paul Nicholls is quite keen on the chances of Unioniste (11st 6lb) but he could end up shouldering top weight and really needs soft ground to show his best.

After Tony McCoy announced that he will be retiring at the end of the season, I highlighted the prospect of Shutthefrontdoor being the gamble of the race. Jonjo O’Neill’s Irish National winner was 20-1 at the time and has now been slashed to half those odds. If you did not get on early, I would not rush out to take the current odds.

Our other ante-post selections were Spring Heeled and Monbeg Dude (both tipped at 33-1). The former is likely to return to action this weekend at either Fairyhouse or Kempton. Connections have been avoiding running him so as to protect his handicap mark and he has been allocated 10st 12lb at Aintree. That looks a perfect racing weight and Jim Culloty will be happy to see him jump round safely in third or fourth this weekend.

I was not at all dismayed to see Monbeg Dude well beaten in the Haydock Grand National Trial on Saturday. He ran in the same race two years ago and came from another county to sneak into the frame. He is 2lbs better off than last year when finishing seventh in the big race and will know more about those big fences this time. Although his best form is on soft, it is not essential and I wouldn’t put anyone off taking any 33-1 that remains about him.

Pineau De Re and Balthazar King are back again after filling the first two places last year. The winner is up 8lbs but you’d have to expect that. I think that everything fell into place for him last season after that eye-catching run over hurdles at the festival. He will need to show something at the meeting again this year to warrant support.

Our Ante-post Portfolio;

Shutthefrontdoor @20-1 William Hill

Monbeg Dude @33-1 Paddy Power

Spring Heeled @33-1 Paddy Power

Cricket World Cup: Day 5 Preview

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The World Cup didn’t see an upset yesterday, but did see a much more fancied New Zealand team struggle against a lively Scotland line-up.  Today’s match see’s Bangladesh face off against Afghanistan.  We preview that match below and pose three interesting questions not he World Cup thus far.

The Three Big Questions

Will the World Cup see a close game?

Arguably the Ireland v West Indies game was close, but none of the other games have.  Even then the Irish looked odds on through much of their chase in another indication that bat is set to dominate ball in this World Cup instalment.  Ireland’s win aside, the smaller cricketing nations will always struggle in the early rounds, and one could expect that the round robin stage will be less competitive than the quarters and semis.  However, the tournament needs some competitive games and some close finishes to hold the attention of fans during the prolonged opening salvo, before everyone starts pencilling in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and India for the top four positions.

Is New Zealand’s top order weaker than we think?

Yesterday got pretty scary for the Black Caps and their high riding fans.  5/117 and then 137/7 are results not indicative of the type of runs the top order has been accumulating recently.  A deeper look at some of those recent results though might point to some top order woes that could have them edgy and other teams excited.  To go with yesterday’s implosion, the Black Caps had the following scores in their ODI series against Sri Lanka: 149/6, 183/6, 63/3, 82/4 and 141/6.  While it’s possible to argue the final totals were impressive and they got the job done, it can also be shown there is some brittleness there and they could be due a permanent collapse.

Is 50-over cricket the new Twenty20?

The mammoth totals being posted by the teams in the opening stint of the World Cup certainly indicate the changing face of 50-over cricket.  Two balls, new fielding restrictions and power plays have led to teams chasing 350+ scores rather than the composed 280’s of the past.  New shots, big bats and small grounds have pushed the realms of possibility and it’s conceivable we’ll see a double hundred in this World Cup and a triple century in ODI cricket before long.  Teams are no longer threatened by losing early wickets – they know by having more time and less fielders in the deep in the final overs they can make up for slow starts or rebuilding phases and still post match winning totals.

Yes, the game has changed and big totals are the norm, but there’s still plenty of tactic for the purists to assess.  It’s just a shame that one-sided games are exaggerated at times in the second innings (see Pakistan and England chases).

Today’s Match

Afghanistan v Bangladesh, Manuka Oval (Canberra – partly cloudy, bit of win), 2:30pm local time

Afghanistan – $4.20

Bangladesh – $1.25

After a long wait (save some sympathy for the UAE who have to wait a little longer) Afghanistan and Bangladesh get to compete in their first games of the World Cup and in the process wrap up the first round of games in Pool A.  Most of the cricketing world eye’s will be on whether Afghanistan can live up to their significant promise.  After a number of international tournaments, and with a handful of genuinely useful international players, this could be their big breakout.

We’re going out on a whim here and saying they’ll win this one too.

Today’s Bet

Afghanistan (To Win)

Odds courtesy of TopBetta

The Three Big Questions

Will the World Cup see a close game?

Arguably the Ireland v West Indies game was close, but none of the other games have.  Even then the Irish looked odds on through much of their chase in another indication that bat is set to dominate ball in this World Cup instalment.  Ireland’s win aside, the smaller cricketing nations will always struggle in the early rounds, and one could expect that the round robin stage will be less competitive than the quarters and semis.  However, the tournament needs some competitive games and some close finishes to hold the attention of fans during the prolonged opening salvo, before everyone starts pencilling in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and India for the top four positions.

Is New Zealand’s top order weaker than we think?

Yesterday got pretty scary for the Black Caps and their high riding fans.  5/117 and then 137/7 are results not indicative of the type of runs the top order has been accumulating recently.  A deeper look at some of those recent results though might point to some top order woes that could have them edgy and other teams excited.  To go with yesterday’s implosion, the Black Caps had the following scores in their ODI series against Sri Lanka: 149/6, 183/6, 63/3, 82/4 and 141/6.  While it’s possible to argue the final totals were impressive and they got the job done, it can also be shown there is some brittleness there and they could be due a permanent collapse.

Is 50-over cricket the new Twenty20?

The mammoth totals being posted by the teams in the opening stint of the World Cup certainly indicate the changing face of 50-over cricket.  Two balls, new fielding restrictions and power plays have led to teams chasing 350+ scores rather than the composed 280’s of the past.  New shots, big bats and small grounds have pushed the realms of possibility and it’s conceivable we’ll see a double hundred in this World Cup and a triple century in ODI cricket before long.  Teams are no longer threatened by losing early wickets – they know by having more time and less fielders in the deep in the final overs they can make up for slow starts or rebuilding phases and still post match winning totals.

Yes, the game has changed and big totals are the norm, but there’s still plenty of tactic for the purists to assess.  It’s just a shame that one-sided games are exaggerated at times in the second innings (see Pakistan and England chases).

Today’s Match

Afghanistan v Bangladesh, Manuka Oval (Canberra – partly cloudy, bit of win), 2:30pm local time

Afghanistan – $4.20

Bangladesh – $1.25

After a long wait (save some sympathy for the UAE who have to wait a little longer) Afghanistan and Bangladesh get to compete in their first games of the World Cup and in the process wrap up the first round of games in Pool A.  Most of the cricketing world eye’s will be on whether Afghanistan can live up to their significant promise.  After a number of international tournaments, and with a handful of genuinely useful international players, this could be their big breakout.

We’re going out on a whim here and saying they’ll win this one too.

Today’s Bet

Afghanistan (To Win)

Odds courtesy of TopBetta

Real Madrid and Porto for Champions League double

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

There are two further Champions League matches on Wednesday night with Real Madrid away to Schalke and Basel at home to Bayern Munich. If you were expecting to see the Premiership teams in action after Chelsea on Tuesday, the matches are being dragged out over the next fortnight. Arsenal and Man City return to the fray next week.

Real Madrid thrashed Schalke 6-1 in the corresponding fixture last season with Ronaldo, Bale and Benzima helping themselves to two goals apiece. A 3-1 defeat in the return leg consigned Schalke to a 9-2 aggregate thrashing. Former Champions League winning manager Roberto Di Matteo is now at the helm for Schalke and they are expected to put up stronger resistance this time.

Di Matteo has brought in Matija Nastasić on loan from Manchester City and his side are now back in the top four in Germany. Summer signing Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting has already scored nine goals in the Bundesliga but they were taken apart by Chelsea in the group stages and it is difficult to see them holding out for 90 minutes.

Swiss champions Basel meet Porto in the in Wednesday’s other match. Basel reached the last sixteen by holding out for a 1-1 draw at Liverpool in December, finishing second to Real Madrid in Group B. Basel beat Liverpool 1-0 at St. Jakob-Park and restricted Real to a single goal. That was only their second home defeat in their last eleven European home games.

Porto have not lost to a team from Switzerland since the Grasshopper Club in the 1980/81 UEFA Cup. They are unbeaten in the Champions League so far this season and finished five points clear at the top of Group H. They were held to a 2-2 draw at Shakhtar on matchday two but won their other away games at Athletic Club and FC Bate Borisov.

Porto won the competition in 2004 but have not gone beyond the semi-finals since. This is the seventh time that they have reached the last 16 since their victory and their league form suggests that they can go further this year. Porto have won ten of their last 13 matches with Colombian striker Jackson Martínez scoring 12 goals in his last 13 games. Both Porto and Real Madrid are capable of winning comfortably and the win double pays around 5-2.

Wednesday Double

Porto to beat Basel @29-20 BetVictor

Real Madrid to beat Schalke @4-9 BetVictor

Cricket World Cup: Day 4 Recap

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Just the one game in today’s Cricket World Cup action, and although the game saw the end of the 300+ batting first scores, it still provided plenty of entertainment.

Day 4 Results

New Zealand v Scotland

New Zealand did one of their disciplines exceeding well today to topple a brave Scotland side on a beautiful summers day in Dunedin.  It’s just a shame they did their other discipline so poorly.  New Zealand surprised a few, and disappointed the local crowd, by bowling first when little was expected to be on offer for the bowlers.

Trent Boult and Tim Southee made a mockery of that statement though and generated prodigious swing and off the pitch movement to have the Scots reeling at 12/4.  Trent Boult, fresh from picking up an $800,000+ IPL contract took two in two balls in his first over, and Southee followed suit with a possible hat-trick of his own just three overs later.  Scotland recovered thanks to Matt Machan and Richie Berrington, before losing their final 6 wickets for just 33 runs; all of those wickets falling to Daniel Vettori and Corey Anderson.  Either side of the 97 run partnership – which was actually really nicely done by the two half-centurions – Scotland were a bit of a shambles, failing to come to grips with the moving ball.

New Zealand were just as reckless at their turn at bat.  Whether the Black Caps were seeking to boost their Net Run Rate, or whether they got complacent, they threw wickets away with as much regularity as repeats of the famous sitcom Friends on television.  Even Mr Reliable, Kane Williamson, slogged wildly to lose his wicket, and only Grant Elliot can say he didn’t fall to a loose swish or swipe.

New Zealand go two-from-two but we imagine they’ll spend a fair bit of time in the nets before they face England in Wellington on Friday.  Scotland play England next too, on Monday.

New Zealand 146 for 7 (Williamson 38, Davey 3-40, Wardlaw 3-57) beat Scotland 142 (Machan 56, Berrington 50, Anderson 3-18, Vettori 3-24) by three wickets

Super Rugby Round 1 Review

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Who would have thought the bookies could have got it so wrong?  Who could have imagined the home sides struggling so much in the opening round?

No one really.  Hence round 1 of Super Rugby surprised many with a number of interesting results.  Check out the review of each game below:

Crusaders v Rebels

The Crusaders continued their sloppy starts in Super Rugby to fall to the Rebels at home in a dull game littered with errors and disciplinary indiscretions.  When the number of yellow cards is the same as the number of tries you know you’re in for difficult viewing and that’s exactly what Friday nights opener was.  Especially for Crusaders fans who were left frustrated by a disjointed effort and another injury to the Daniel Carter.

The Rebels already look a better team this year.  Some strong off season recruitment and an unbeaten pre-season has instilled a belief that could see the Rebels win more overseas games in 2015.

Brumbies v Reds

If the Crusaders were bad, then the Reds were abysmal.  Taking nothing away from the dominant Brumbies outfit who were clinical in all facets, it has to be said that the Reds were the most disappointing of all sides on show this week.  They can’t possibly make the Top 6 on this evidence.  Karmichael Hunt was outdone by Matt Toomua, and David Pocock, Scott Sio and Robbie Coleman were immense in the massacre.

Stephen Larkham’s men are incredibly well coached.  Their set piece was incredibly organised, and their backline penetrative in a strong indication they’ll go a long way this year.

Lions v Hurricanes

Chris Boyd got his coaching tenure underway by overseeing a Hurricanes victory over the Lions at the daunting Ellis Park (Johannesburg).  This was another in the “not overly entertaining” category as the Lions failed to turn big possession into points and were eventually outdone by tries to TJ Perenara and Matt Proctor.

One of the finds of the competition last year, Marnitz Boshoff, was uncharacteristically wayward with the boot, which impacted his side’s ability to win the territory battle.  For the Hurricanes their back row took the pundits over the much fancied backline.

Blues v Chiefs 

In one of only a few matches we correctly predicted the Chiefs got by the Blues at Eden Park by 23-18.  Sonny Bill Williams picked up Rugby where he left off two seasons ago and had a hand in both of the Chiefs’  tries.  Debutant Damien MacKenzie got the better of Ihaia West in the battle of the young number 10’s, and James Lowe was terrific on the wing for the men from Hamilton.  West’s boot was the only source of points for the Blues, who in truth didn’t have that many opportunities in attack and when they did West kicked it away.  The Blues face an interesting next week on whether to go with West again or whether to entrust the retuning Dan Bowden to provide the spark at first five-eighth.

Sharks v Cheetahs

This was by far and away the best game of the round.  Both teams played with energy and enterprise and only a Marcell Coetzee error settled the match in the Cheetahs favour.  The Cheetahs bonus point win on the road is a major coup for the prior year also-rans.  This should have been a difficult game for the Cheetahs away from home, but they remained undaunted by the heavily fancied Sharks and produced an upset that highlights their credentials for the season ahead.

Bulls v Stormers

We actually thought both these teams might do alright this Super Rugby season and if Saturday’s opener is anything to go by they are both right on track.  Beating the Bulls in Pretoria is no mean feat, so fair play to the Stormers who got by relatively comfortably in the end, winning 29-17.  The Bulls were unbeaten at home last year, and will need to get back on track quickly if they are to feature in the qualifying rounds of the tournament.  Handre Pollard will ensure that though, now that he doesn’t have to face Duane Vermeulen again for a bit.

Waratahs v Force

In what was probably the single biggest shock of the round, the defending champion NSW side lost at home to the Western Force.  In a performance that mirrored the Crusaders limp effort, the Waratahs never got going and failed to shake off the early season rust in any aspect of their play.  It’s certainly no cause for panic, as early season woes have been seen across the board in round 1, but the lack of enthusiasm on display from some of the top teams is an unusual trend.  Here’s hoping the Tahs can shake of the early season woes, and the Force can continue their hard tackling and committed efforts throughout the season.

PSG to grab first-leg lead over Chelsea

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Premiership leaders Chelsea renew rivalry with Paris Saint-Germain in the last 16 of the Champions League on Tuesday night. The two sides met in the quarter-finals last year with PSG winning the first leg 3-1 but going out on goal difference after losing 2-0 at Stamford Bridge.

The goalscorers for Chelsea were Andre Schurrle and Demba Ba who have both since left the club. It was a fascinating tactical battle between Jose Mourinho and Laurent Blanc and it produced two fiery encounters. David Luiz scored an own-goal in the blue of Chelsea and is now playing for PSG after his £50million transfer in the summer.

Chelsea are bidding to reach the last eight of the competition for the seventh time in nine years and are currently leading the Premiership by seven points. Talk of them being unbeatable has long since been put to rest with defeats at Newcastle and Tottenham and a humbling FA Cup exit at the hands of Bradford City. They have reached the final of the Capital One Cup but it is the league and this competition on which their season will ultimately be judged.

They went out to Atletico Madrid in the semi-finals last year and face a stern test against PSG. They have looked distinctly average without Diego Costa but managed to secure vital wins over Aston Villa and Everton in his enforced absence. Their top scorer received a three-match ban for stamping on an opponent in the Cup clash with Liverpool. He will return to the side on Tuesday and it will be fascinating to see him playing against Luiz.

I have been impressed by Juan Cuadrado so far and he looks the type of player to relish these big games. Mourinho may elect to rest Willian rather than play his two wingers in the first hour of this match against a strong PSG side.

Blanc’s team have not lost in 32 home matches in European competition but they have looked vulnerable in recent league games. They have been beaten at EA Guingamp and SC Bastia and let a 2-0 lead slip away against SM Caen last weekend. Nevertheless, the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Edinson Cavani and Ezequiel Lavezzi give them plenty of attacking options. I can see this being a long night for the Blues and PSG look good value to grab a first-leg advantage.

The other Champions League match on Tuesday should go the way of Bayern Munich. The 2013 winners visit Shakhtar and are in red-hot form after winning 8-0 in the league. They should have too much class for their opponents and are worth considering in the goal and handicap markets.

PSG to beat Chelsea @7-4 Paddy Power

Bayern Munich (-1.0 handicap) to win @11-10 Paddy Power