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.

Wildcard Sends Defending Champ Djokovic Packing In Second Round Shock

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Denis Istomin is coached by his mother and is one of the few players on Tour who needs glasses when he plays. Today, he’s celebrating the biggest win of his career after ensuring the earliest exit of a reigning Australian Open champion in 20 years. The Uzbek wildcard has blown the men’s draw wide open with a gruelling five-set win over second seed Novak Djokovic, which drastically boosts the title chances of No.1 seed and five-time runner-up Andy Murray and those of former champions Stan Wawrinka and Rafael Nadal.

The 30-year-old thanked his mother Klaudiya, who’s always been beside him as coach. Istomin had only claimed one set in five previous matches against Djokovic. Making his win over four hours and 49 minutes more remarkable was the Uzbek’s past year. Injuries and a seven-match losing streak left him out of the top 100 for the first time in six years and battling for an Australian Open spot through December’s Asia-Pacific wildcard playoff. He warmed up for his 11th Australian Open in humbling conditions at the $70,000 Bangkok Challenger!

Gloomy day looms

When it comes to Grand Slam tennis and rain, it’s a combination more associated with south-west London than Melbourne. But a day of delays looms after the Australian Open site was drenched overnight, with showers expected to continue throughout the afternoon. On the men’s side, Roger Federer graces the court against Czech 10th seed Tomas Berdych and enjoys a 16-6 record against the 10th seed, including the past five clashes. Four sets look the key number ($2.50 with William Hill).

World no. 27 Bernard Tomic faces off against Great Britain’s Daniel Evans. The pair shares a win apiece in their past meetings, however, it was the Australian who triumphed last time they met in the 2015 Davis Cup. The Aussie is quietly chipping away and looks nicely priced at the small start of -1.5 games ($1.91 on Luxbet). World no. 1 Andy Murray takes to Hisense Arena to battle American 31st seed Sam Querrey. The market doesn’t appear to be too concerned with Murray after he rolled his ankle in the previous round, installing him a $1.02 favourite to prevail. A nibble on Querry at the handicap might be the value here +7.5 at $2.10 with bet365).

Aussie making waves

In her first third round ever at a Grand Slam after a stirring win over Simona Halep’s conqueror Shelby Rogers, Ashleigh Barty is up against German qualifier Mona Barthel. Canadian star Eugenie Bouchard takes on American firebrand CoCo Vandeweghe, followed by World no. 1 Angelique Kerber battling Czech Kristyna Pliskova. Barty is continuing to prove that she made the right decision turning her back on a cricket career to focus on tennis. She created 13 break point chances in 11 return games against Annika Beck and eight in nine games on Shelby Rogers’ serve. If she can maintain such form, Barty will beat many better players than Barthel (take the Aussie straight-up to win at $1.80 on Unibet). Expect a fiercely competitive and highly entertaining encounter when Bouchard meets Vandeweghe. Bouchard, a Canadian, beat the American Vandeweghe, from California, in their only other encounter at Indian Wells in 2015 but they’ve each come a long way since that match-up. Genie wins this in three ($3.75 on Crownbet).

Black Caps Look Set to Send Bangladesh Home Winless

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Bangladesh’s final match of their New Zealand tour at Hagley Oval is their last chance to take a win off the home side. It looks pretty unlikely though after they blew their chance in the first test after posting 595 in the first innings. A tour that has so far promised much but delivered little is likely to finish 8-0 to the Black Caps on account of the Bangladesh confidence being pretty low after squandering a nice chance in several games. Add to that a desire to get back home and it appears the Christchurch test will go the same way as the every other game between the two sides this summer. We’d love to be proven wrong, though; we’d also love to see an end to the short pitched bowling attack New Zealand so often employs.

The Series So Far

Game one was an instant classic. The draw looked likely for the first three days on account of Bangladesh’s record first innings score, however, a late day four panic, injuries to key players and some exceptional Mitchell Santner spell of bowling confined Bangladesh to another test defeat. The game had everything test cricket needs: runs, wickets, multiple storylines (short pitched bowling and concussion rules as applied to Neil Wagner and Shakib Al Hasan; Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson race to Martin Crowe’s century record). The Black Caps ultimately won by six wickets, chasing down 217 with 17 overs to spare

New Zealand accordingly leads the two test series one nil as it heads to Christchurch.

The Teams

New Zealand (likely):

1 Jeet Raval, 2 Tom Latham, 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Henry Nicholls , 6 Colin de Grandhomme, 7 BJ Watling (wk), 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Lockie Ferguson / Neil Wagner, 11 Trent Boult

The only change being contemplated in the Black Caps set-up is swapping out Neil Wagner or Tim Southee for Lockie Ferguson. The change adds impetus to a bowling unit that struggled to take wickets in the first innings in game one. Ferguson’s raw pace could scare a Bangladeshi unit struggling against the short ball and help the Black Caps take twenty wickets much quicker than they achieved at the Basin Reserve.

Bangladesh (likely):

1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Imrul Kayes, 3 Mominul Haque, 4 Mahmudullah, 5 Shakib Al Hasan, 6 Sabbir Rahman, 7 Nurul Hasan (wk), 8 Mehedi Hasan, 9 Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), 10 Mustafizur Rahman, 11 Taskin Ahmed

With Mushfiqur Rahman out of the test with a finger injury/concussion concerns, Nurul Hasan will make his test debut, just as he did in the ODI series earlier in the tour. While Mishfiqur is a massive loss, the addition of Mistafizur after the crafty left armer was given a rest for the first game in Wellington provides Bangladesh a massive boost.

The Key Players

New Zealand

The Black Caps don’t play a whole lot more test cricket this year. Sure, they host South Africa later in the summer, but then their attention turns towards limited overs cricket in England for the Champions Trophy. One player who therefore needs to take every chance he can get to solidify his place in the side is Henry Nicholls. Nicholls made 53 in the first innings in game one but never really looked assured. His innings summed up his career thus far: some potential, plenty of nerves and some glaring technical deficiencies. Time in the middle will help correct or mould all three of these traits and Nicholls must score runs to secure his long-term future.

Bangladesh

Without Mishfiqur, Shakib Al Hasan shapes up as the most important player in the tourist’s side. The world-class all round compiled a polished fifty in the first game but needs to turn that into a big hundred here in game two if his side is to have a chance. Shakib does need to be careful not to get too loose attacking the short ball. He appeared to get too hyped up flailing at the short stuff and needs to be more composed; picking the appropriate ball to go after.

The Match Odds*

New Zealand – $1.25

Bangladesh – $15

Draw – $5.50

*All odds courtesy of Bet365.

The Prediction

Bangladesh’s spirit may be broken after the devastating loss in game one. After dominating the opening two days the tourists were left red-faced in their second innings as they succumbed to nerves and injuries. It’s hard to see them bounce back from the defeat, so we’re predicting a big win for the Black Caps.

The Best Bets

Shakib Al Hasan looks good money to top score at $5. His first test double century (just the third double century scored by a Bangladeshi batsman) was all class and given the rest of his competition (within his team) are either injured, wounded or desperately out of form.

With two strings to his bow and both of them at their best at present, Mitchell Santner is a nice tip for Man of the Match honours. Santner scored runs in Wellington (despite not looking that comfortable against the short ball) and took wickets (second innings only), and could be a threat on a Hagley Oval pitch that should be pretty similar to the one served up at the Basin. He’s paying $15 to be Man of the Match.

Arsenal vs. Burnley: Will Wenger’s Men Prove Too Strong?

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If you’re a Burnley fan, or just a canny punter looking for a bargain bet, you may be prepping yourself for a tough match on Sunday. Heading to Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium is never fun for any team, so when you’re a relatively small club like Burnley, this sort of fixture is always going to be tough.

However, just before you hold your hands up in despair, it’s worth noting that Burnley’s record against the Gunners isn’t that bad. In fact, since the two clubs first locked horns in 1896, Burnley has won 38 games, drawn 21 and lost 48. The optimistic among you will have already spotted that these stats mean Burnley have come away with at least a point on more occasions than they haven’t.

Recent Results Mean More than History as a Whole

Now, it’s fair to say that most of the positive results were recorded a few years ago (quite a few in some cases) and in recent times the Clarets haven’t fared as well. In fact, the last five meetings between the two clubs have all gone Arsenal’s way. With this being the case, the question for all betting bods then becomes: can Burnley roll back the clock and produce a vintage performance on January 22, or will Arsenal reconfirm their modern superiority?

Before we answer that question, let’s take a quick look at the outright betting markets. As it stands, Arsenal will start the game as favourites according to Sun Bets. With the home side a commanding 2/11 and the visitors way out of town at 12/1, the odds would suggest this match is only going to go one way. However, despite the betting markets not favouring the northern side, Sean Dyche’s men are far from pushovers.

Burnley Have Pushed the Top Dogs on Numerous Occasions

Yes, Turf Moor has been something of a fortress and provided the majority of Burnley’s best performances this season, but the club’s away form hasn’t been terrible. In fact, over the last five games, Burnley has only lost twice to Tottenham away (2-1) and Manchester City away (2-1). Narrow losses to two of the top sides in the country on their home patches are nothing to be ashamed of.

Of course, prior form against top competition on the road doesn’t necessarily mean Dyche and his men can do the same against Arsenal. But, if we’re going to put our necks on the line, at least one goal for Burnley isn’t out of the question. Now, stopping the likes of Ozil and Giroud from scoring two or more won’t be easy, but the least we can expect is Burnley to bring the pressure.

Odds Favour Arsenal but there’s Value in Burnley

From a betting perspective, Paddy Power’s 4/9 on over 2.5 goals isn’t a bad shout, but Joey Barton to score anytime at 13/2 with Coral looks to be the value bet of the day. With a goal against Southampton in the side’s last Premier League outing, Barton proved that he’s not quite done with top flight football just yet.

Yes, there was a deflection on the free-kick, but his effort in the middle of the park throughout the game was impressive (especially at 34-years-old) and that could earn him an opportunity at the Emirates. However, if we accept Barton to score anytime as a punt with some value, then a “banker” bet for this match looks something like Arsenal to win 2-1. Sun Bets currently has that result priced at 17/2, while the similar (and possibly more likely) 2-0 is 11/2.

Overall, it’s hard to see passed Arsenal in this one. With a 4-0 win last time out against Swansea, Arsene Wenger’s men are certainly fighting hard for second place this season. This sort of form, combined with previous results and a clear gap in quality, should see Arsenal secure a comfortable win. The question, on this occasion, is by how many goals.

Another Day, Another Farce For Controversial Aussie Young Gun Kyrgios

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The 7.30pm timeslot on Australia’s Seven Network is normally home to one of the nation’s most loved soap operas, Home And Away. So it was only appropriate that last night’s Australian Open second round clash between Nick Kyrgios and Andreas Seppi was played at the same time on the free-to-air TV partner of the tournament. In a spectacular collapse, Kyrgios blew a two-set advantage to fall 1-6 6-7 (1-7) 6-4 6-1 10-8 to Italian Andreas Seppi. It featured the full gamut of drama that Aussie tennis fans have come to know, and mostly detest, about the 21-year-old.

Kyrgios, who carried a knee injury into the season’s first grand slam, appeared unhappy about apparently having to put in extra work on his day off on Tuesday and continued a verbal battle with his courtside box throughout the night. Kyrgios was then docked a penalty point after receiving a second code violation for angrily smashing his racquet into the court. Fellow former world No.1 Jim Courier described Kyrgios’s antics as “apathetic” while John McEnroe called Kyrgios’ apparent lack of effort mid-match as “black eye for the sport”.

Short shift looms for Djokovic

In the men’s draw, no. 2 seed Novak Djokovic continues his title defence against Denis Istomin, 2009 Australian Open winner Rafael Nadal faces beaten finalist Marcos Baghdatis and third seed Milos Raonic meets Gilles Muller on Margaret Court Arena. Emerging local Jordan Thompson will take on eighth-seeded Austrian Dominic Thiem. Djokovic is 5-0 against Istomin, taking 12 of the 13 sets they have contested – this one won’t last 27.5 games ($1.91 with Ladbrokes). Likewise, Grigor Dimitrov figures to have an easy time against South Korea’s Hyeon Chung, an emerging player on the verge of breaking into the top 100 thanks to some strong performances on the Challenger Tour. The Bulgarian will complete the job inside three sets ($1.80 on Luxbet). We can’t wait for the clash against big-serving duo Gilles Muller (Luxembourg) and Milos Raonic (Canada). Muller has been making quick work of opponents with his serve on-song and claim several big-name scalps on the road to the title in Sydney. Raonic is more accomplished from the back of the court but Muller has a superior game at the net. 41.5 games ($1.83 on Sportsbet) looks a given.

Konta can’t go wrong

Australian-born Brit Johanna Konta will be hoping to continue her red-hot run of form when she takes on Japan’s Naomi Osaka in the opening match on Rod Laver Arena on Thursday. Seeded ninth at the Australian Open, Konta defeated Canadian star Eugenie Bouchard and World no. 3 Agnieszka Radwanska on her way to the Sydney International title in an impressive preparation for the season-opening grand slam. With Osaka carrying a wrist injury, Konta wins this in a canter (-5.5 games at $1.91 on Crownbet). In other women’s draw highlights on day four, no. 2 seed Serena Williams faces Lucie Safarova, fifth seed Karolina Pliskova takes on Ana Blinkova and no. 6 seed Dominika Cibulkova clashes with Su-Wei Hsieh of Taiwan. Blinkova is a player to watch – just 18, she’s a talented player who is regularly reaching the latter stages of the few events she’s contested. Pliskova has only covered a line of his magnitude seven times in 20 matches so the Russian looks nice value over her Czech opponent here (+6.5 games is priced at $1.83 with Unibet).

Stoke City vs. Man United: Can Stoke Stall Mourinho’s Machine?

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This Saturday sees Man United travel to the Bet365 Stadium, hoping that a win against Stoke will keep the dream of 4th place within reach.

Mid table giants

There really aren’t any surprises when looking back across Stoke’s last 10 or so league games. We can sketch out a rough pattern of taking points against teams around or lower than them in the table and being beaten by teams in the top 4. They’ve racked up victories against Sunderland, Watford and Burnley, drew against Southampton and Leicester, and lost their games with Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal. Having performed well and taken the necessary point in targeted matches against mid-table rivals, Stoke can be forgiven for coming up short against the bigger clubs.

However, assuming this pattern of losing against the bigger clubs will continue through the game against United could prove dangerous, as the games they lost were all played away. If we take a look at the head to head stats, Stoke hasn’t lost to United at home since 2013 and has managed to take at least a point in three out of the last four meetings, including a grabbing a draw at Old Trafford in October. I expect a tight and organised performance from Stoke in this game. Playing from the back, frustrating their opponents and grabbing goals where they can, Mark Hughes will be quietly confident in his team’s ability to take a point, maybe more.

Want-away Bojan Krkic has a hip injury and is in doubt for Saturday, alongside longer term injuries to Butland, Walters, Cameron and Ireland.

Improving United

United has been going from strength to strength since their terrible start to the season. Their draw against Liverpool last Sunday ended a 6 game winning streak that had seen them steadily close the gap that had emerged between them and the pack at the top of the table. The game against their bitter rivals was hard fought, and Mourinho can be forgiven for being frustrated by not taking 3 points in a game that saw one of Liverpool’s best defensive displays of the season so far. Should they beat Stoke, United will leapfrog Man City into 5th spot, and with a fraught and fraying City entertaining an ever improving Spurs in the 17:30 Saturday fixture, they very well might be keeping it.

As mentioned earlier, United don’t have the best recent record playing at Stoke, but this is a very capable squad in some of the best form they have had in the past few seasons. Bouncing back from the game against Liverpool in time to pip Pep is a prospect Mourinho will relish.

With no first team injuries to contend with, Mourinho will be able to pick freely from a fit squad. He will certainly be hoping for an improved performance from Paul Pogba, who has been heavily criticised for a poor display last weekend, particularly in defence. I expect United to dominate possessions and chances, constantly probing for weakness, and should they find any, it will come down to whether they can capitalise.

The value

My instinct here would be to back Under 2.5 goals (at 17/20 on Bet365). The bookies are giving this a very slight nod over Over 2.5. Only one out of the last 6 Stoke home games have finished with more than 2.5 goals and considering they will likely have their backs against the wall, I really don’t see a goal fest here. Man United Win & Under 2.5 at 13/5 is good value, as a 0:1 or 0:2 result seems fairly likely. If you fancy Stoke to get a result, William Hill has Double Chance Stoke or Draw at 11/10.

Can Liverpool End 27 Years of Pain?

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It was 1990 when Liverpool last tasted success by winning the league title. They have won numerous cups since then, including the Champions League, but haven’t won the league title. Their loyal fans have had to sit back and watch close rivals Manchester United override their previous record of 18 titles. Liverpool came agonisingly close several years ago under Brendan Rodgers but ultimately fell short. Jurgen Klopp is making their fans believe again and Liverpool has put in some stellar performances this season.

Chelsea is firm favourite to land the title and currently have a seven point lead over Liverpool and Tottenham. It is looking increasingly likely that both Manchester clubs have too much to do to overhaul Chelsea. Liverpool seems to be the best-placed team to catch the Blues should they suffer a blip.

Will Greed Costa Chelsea the Title?

This is why they will be keeping a close eye on events at Stamford Bridge and the saga surrounding Diego Costa. Chelsea has been heavily dependent on Costa and Hazard this season for their goals. If Diego Costa ultimately decides to go to China for a reported thirty million per season then Chelsea may struggle to score enough goals without him. Liverpool host Swansea City on Saturday in what is a must-win game for the Reds.

If they are ultimately to go on and win the title under Jurgen Klopp then these are certainly games where they need to pick up all three points. Swansea has struggled badly this season and has changed their manager again with Paul Clement now taking charge.

Swansea Simply Lack Quality

The fact of the matter is that Swansea City is not bottom of the Premium League for nothing. With just seventeen games of the season to go, they are going to struggle to survive the drop. They may be only one point from safety but they appear to lack quality. Opposing teams don’t fear them anymore. The one shining light for Swansea for their trip to Anfield is that Liverpool has hit inconsistent form since Christmas.

Liverpool is a best-priced 1-4 with Stan James and Coral but there is certainly no value in taking those odds. Stan James and Coral also go 11-2 on the draw while Swansea is a best-priced 14-1 with Bet365. Big odds always seem appealing but not at the risk of them taking too long to win. One bet that may appeal is the 19-20 from Bet365 for both teams to score.

There are three factors which point to this being a good bet. Firstly, as the home team, Liverpool is expected to score! Swansea needs to start picking up points very soon, and finally, Liverpool has been inconsistent of late. If Swansea City finds the net at Anfield then this bet looks a sure winner at almost even money.