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.

Euro 2016 – England v Lithuania Preview

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Marco Reus struck early for Germany against Australia to give Betcirca followers a 5-point profit but what a great effort by the visitors to draw with the World Champions. Admittedly it was only a friendly but it continues a worrying run of form for the Germans since their famous win in Brazil.

Attention turns to England on Friday and their Euro 2016 qualifier against Lithuania. England have already got one foot in the next round with four wins out of four and are not likely to slip up here. Roy Hodgson has not been blighted by the Premiership managers on this occasion and should be able to field a strong side.

A stray bit of paper indicating that Harry Kane will lead the attack was enough for the media to go into a frenzy but it is hardly a surprise. With 29 goals in all competitions and a relatively easy home game, this is surely the ideal time to see if the Tottenham man can fulfil his potential on the International stage.

He has come a long way from being a fringe player at the start of the season and is now the first name scribbled on the team sheet at White Hart Lane. Bookmakers are apparently dreading goals from the Spurs man on Friday with 20-1 proving surprisingly popular for a Kane hat-trick. I’m not sure if he will accomplish that on his debut but there are probably worse bets than the 4-5 that he scores during 90 minutes.

Let’s not forget the great form shown by Wayne Rooney since he took over the captaincy. He is also on hand for any penalty awards that go England’s way so is also worth considering in the goals markets.

Lithuania have beaten San Marino and Estonia but were thrashed 4-0 by Switzerland and this could be one of those nights when England can bag a few goals. The odds on 5-0 and 6-0 make plenty of appeal and that would underline England’s dominance in the group.

England/England H-T/F-T @1.45 Sportsbet

Over 3.5 goals @8-5 888Sport

England 5 Lithuania 0 @17-1 BetVictor

England 6 Lithuania 0 @40-1 Coral

Kane to score and England win @10-11 Ladbrokes

Rooney to score and England win @8-11 Ladbrokes

England to score 4 or more goals @5-2 Coral

Newbury Friday Preview

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National Hunt racing is pretty quiet this week as the big stables take stock of Cheltenham and prepare for the upcoming Grand National meeting at Aintree. Newbury has managed to put together a decent card on Friday and we have selections in the first three races on the card.

The opening novices hurdle at 2.30 can go the way of Mr Dinosaur for Paul Nicholls. He arrives at Ditcheat with a big reputation from the point-to-point scene after being snapped up by the Wylie family. He looked in a different league to his rivals last time and this two miles and five furlongs looks the ideal starting point.

The likely danger is Nicky Henderson’s Mite Bite, third here in a National Hunt flat race on his only previous outing. David Pipe’s Sadler’s Gold was backed as if defeat was out of the question at Plumpton last time but trailed in a dismal fifth.

Nicholls has a chance of a quick double with top weight Katgary in the next after a decent run at Kempton when sixth to Theinval. However, there are a couple of progressive types here in Chosen Well and Ugolin De Beaumont. Chosen Well has won his last three races and was particularly impressive at Exeter last time. He was in front a long way from the finish and may have further improvement to come.

I’m just going to pass him over in favour of Ugolin De Beaumont who won by 22 lengths at Chepstow last time. He could be named the winner as they turned for home and bounded clear with his rider looking around for dangers. His victory was just a bit more eye-catching than that of Chosen Well and he gets the vote.

There are three horses chasing back-to-back successes in the third race at 3.40. Nigel Hawke’s Kadalkin responded well to pressure to win at Doncaster while Owen Na View and Morning Reggie are turned out again quickly under a penalty.

Owen Na View took a keen hold under Paddy Brennan here last week and made a bit of a hash of the third last before bounding clear to win by 11 lengths. He is going up three furlongs in trip and that may not be ideal for a hard pulling sort. The vote here goes to Morning Reggie who stormed clear in a four-runner race at Warwick and gets in here with bottom weight. Oliver Sherwood has always had faith in the grey son of Turgeon and he can defy a penalty. Hopefully a Patent on the three can bring a return ahead of a busy weekend of racing at home and abroad.

Mr Dinosaur 2.30 @5-2 Bet365

Ugolin De Beaumont 3.05 @11-2 Betfair

Morning Reggie 3.40 @7-2 Skybet

International Soccer Preview – Wednesday 25th March

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The domestic action takes a break this week with some Friendly Internationals ahead of this weekend’s Euro 2016 qualifiers. The top match on Wednesday night sees Scotland welcome Northern Ireland to Hampden Park while there is also a fascinating clash between Germany and Australia.

A game between Scotland and Northern Ireland is unlikely to be the recipe for a half-hearted kick-about, even if many International friendlies go down that route. Both teams have given their supporters plenty to cheer about in the early qualifying games for Euro 2016 and will be keen to keep the momentum going here.

Scotland face Gibraltar on Sunday while Northern Ireland host Finland so neither team will line up at full-strength. Both managers will be intent on using this match to add the finishing touches to their preparation for Sunday so we can expect plenty of squad rotation.

Scotland are currently in third position in Group D behind Poland and Germany while the Irish have taken nine from a possible twelve points in Group F. Both will be expected to consolidate their positions with victories this weekend. This looks a very tricky one to call and that usually makes the draw the logical choice. Hopefully there could be some goals and 2-2 may be worth a punt at long odds.

The game between Germany and Australia in Kaiserslautern will also be a warm-up for Euro action for the hosts who have made a sticky start to their campaign. They currently trail Poland in the group and have suffered a dip in form since lifting the World Cup in Brazil.

Ange Postecoglou’s Socceroos won the Asian Cup in front of their home fans and it will be a great opportunity for them to test their mettle against the world champions. This is Australia’s first match since beating Korea Republic in the Cup final on January 31st but they are without Tim Cahill and Matthew Spiranovic. They showed in that tournament that they have some strength in depth and are likely to test the Germans.

The man to be on in the goal scorer markets is Marco Reus. He missed the World Cup through injury and will be keen to make up for lost time. He has been in fine form for Borussia Dortmund and can set the Germans on their way to a two-goal victory.

Scotland v Northern Ireland DRAW @14-5 Boylesports

Scotland 2 Northern Ireland 2 @28-1 Betfair

Marco Reus to score first @5-1 Paddy Power

Marco Reus to score and Germany win @7-5 Paddy Power

Germany 2 Australia 0 @6-1 Paddy Power

Premier League Darts – Week 8: Dublin Preview

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With relegation upon us next week, the pressure is on various this players this week at the 3Arena in Dublin as they seek to avoid the drop.

Adrian Lewis v Dave Chisnall

Starting proceedings, ninth place Adrian Lewis takes on Dave Chisnall, who has lost his last two. Chizzy got off to a flying start to Premier League Darts this season, winning each of his opening four matches, seeing him soar to the top of the leaderboard. A subsequent draw with James Wade, as well as defeats against Stephen Bunting and Michael van Gerwen, now sees him battling to stay in the top four places.

The pressure really is on Adrian Lewis to add to his sole victory to date, which came on the opening day of the season as he obliterated defending champion, Raymond van Barneveld, 7-1. Can Lewis pull himself out of the relegation places with a win?

Verdict: Dave Chisnall win – 15/8 at SkyBet or William Hill

Gary Anderson v Stephen Bunting

Anderson just missed a D12 for a nine-darter at his homecoming in Glasgow last week during his narrow victory over Kim Huybrechts, but he is still on fine form this season and currently sits in second place.

He’ll be looking to pile the pressure on Bunting who threw away a 5-1 lead against Peter Wright last week and had to settle for a draw. The St Helens lad has impressed in his debut Premier League Darts campaign, but he is still not safe from relegation yet.

Verdict: Gary Anderson win – 4/6 at Stan James or William Hill

Peter Wright v James Wade

Both drew last week, and just one point separates them in the table at the moment, with James Wade just ahead. Snakebite will be eager to ease his relegation concerns with a win, while James Wade still has his sights set firmly on a top four place.

Verdict: Draw – 18/5 at 888sport

Raymond van Barneveld v Michael van Gerwen

In the night’s all Dutch clash, can Barney – fresh of the back of a spectacular win over Phil Taylor that included a magical 144 checkout – overcome the man of the moment, Michael van Gerwen?

The defending champion has struggled so far this season, and earned just his second win of the competition last week. Indeed, he is still far from relegation safety, and a defeat here will pile the pressure on him in Manchester next week.

Van Gerwen is at the top of his game. He currently leads the way in the table and also won the Gibraltar Darts Trophy at the weekend to further emphasize his dominance.

Verdict: Michael van Gerwen win – 8/15 SkyBet

Phil Taylor v Kim Huybrechts

Phil Taylor suffered a defeat against Barney last week despite averaging a remarkable 115 – giving him the highest losing average in Premier League Darts history. The Power will hope to bounce back quickly from that disappointment though, and could even consign Huybrechts to relegation with a victory.

Despite being bottom of the table, Huybrechts has been a scoring machine this season – with just his finishes at important moments letting him down week-after-week. Can Huybrechts compose himself at key moments in order to steer himself to a vital victory?

Verdict: Phil Taylor win – 4/9 at bet365 or BetVictor

Cricket World Cup: Australia v India – SF 2 Preview

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The current Australian stranglehold over the Indians is nothing new, especially in home conditions.  Plenty of touring teams have come to Australia full of expectation only to be humbled by the pace and bounce of the likes of the WACA and the GABBA.  India’s 2014/15 tour has been no different.  They have failed to beat Australia in any format.

However, if there’s one leveller, it’s a Cricket World Cup semifinal.  If there’s another, it’s the Sydney Cricket Ground; traditionally slower than other venues and often taking turn.  Such a pitch would suit India’s game immeasurably more than anywhere else in Australia.  India’s Ravi Ashwin and Jadeja could thrive in the Sydney conditions and help balance a game that is otherwise largely in Australia’s favour.

Australia do not possess a quality spin bowler and have given Xavier Doherty just a solitary game.  Therein lies the only shortcoming for Australia and the only opportunity for India.

The Last Time These Two Met

Australia have got the better of India all summer.  The Aussies enjoyed dominance in a 2-0 test match series win, before lifting the Carlton Mid Tri Series trophy without dropping a game.  India failed to win in the ODI series, and it took a match against Afghanistan to finally win a game on the tour.

In total the teams have player 117 times.  Australia winning 67 of them, and India 40.

The Teams

Australia (likely): 1 Aaron Finch, 2 David Warner, 3 Steven Smith, 4 Michael Clarke (capt), 5 Shane Watson, 6 Glenn Maxwell, 7 Brad Haddin (wk), 8 James Faulkner, 9 Mitchell Johnson, 10 Mitchell Starc, 11 Josh Hazlewood

No changes expected to the Australian side.  Josh Hazlewood should player after his four wickets against Pakistan.

India (likely): 1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 Rohit Sharma, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Ajinkya Rahane, 5 Suresh Raina, 6 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Mohit Sharma, 10 Mohammed Shami, 11 Umesh Yadav

India won’t change their winning formula either.

The Key Players

Mitchell Starc – Starc is one of a handful of dangerous left arm quicks still lurking in the competition.  However, Starc is undeniably the most accurate of them; making him the biggest threat in today’s semi.  His ability to mix between toe-crushingly accurate yorkers and bumpers has seen him consistently among the tournaments leading wicket-takers (currently 2nd behind Trent Boult), and he’ll be more than a handful against opponents that traditionally dislike searing speed.

MS Dhoni – The Indian captain has had a quiet time of it in New Zealand and Australia of late.  Rarely being asked to win matches with the bat, Dhoni has made just one significant contribution in the entire event – an unbeaten 85 against Zimbabwe.  Nevertheless, he has led his side with distinction, enterprise and calmness.  Traits that have helped his side win 11 World Cup games in a row, and traits that will be crucial here today.  He’s also a known finisher having led India to their 2011 World Cup win with 91 not out.  He’ll play a part and could end up doing something similar against Australia.

The Match Odds*

Australia – $1.40

India – $3.00

*Courtesy of Sportsbet Australia.

The Prediction

Australia have the best side in the competition, hands down.  They are understandably the favourites after bouncing back powerfully after a slight Pool game hiccup at Eden Park.  They also have a significant mental advantage over the Indians, and there is no better team in the World to leverage off the mind games.  Australia to win, by 60 runs or 6 wickets.

The Best Bets

Michael Clarke is without runs in the tournament, but Sydney is well suited to his game.  He’s a big chance to Top Score and if he does and Australia win you’ll get @ $7.50

Ravi Ashwin has been one of the few spin bowlers to take wickets at the tournament.  He’ll enjoy Sydney too and is @ $4.25

PGA Tour: Valero Texas Open Preview

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Just two stops to go on the Texas Swing before the world stopping Masters at Augusta, therefore just two more opportunities for those who haven’t qualified already to do so.  Marc Warren and Harris English are two players on the bubble who will be worth a watch this week as they attempt to break into the Top 50.

Additionally, Jordan Spieth, Jimmy Walker and Dustin Johnson head a field featuring 13 of the world’s top 30 ranked golfers.  Plenty of reasons to watch live golf and flick through our Valero Texas Open Preview below:

The Course

The unlikely pair of Greg Norman and Sergio Garcia got together to design the TPC San Antonio (AT&T Oaks) course situated in Texas Hill Country, and crafted a 7,435 yards, par 72 test of driving ability.  Narrow fairways, deep bunkers and unplayable vegetation areas make the course incredibly challenging (Kevin Na once made a 16 on the 9th), and that looks set to continue during the 2015 edition.

Plenty of locals get the chance to play on familiar surrounds.  Ryan Palmer, Jimmy Walker and Jordan Spieth are all born and bred nearby and should be factors in home soil.

The Sound Bites

“This week off does also have the benefit of allowing me to stay up late and watch South Africa in the Cricket World Cup tonight, taking place in New Zealand. Not everyone will understand the allure of cricket but those who do will understand how exciting this game will be” – Ernie Eels talks about an event we’ve featured heavily on Betcirca.

“Given how I’ve been playing, I guess if you go on form, then probably no” – Rory McIlroy gave a frank assessment of his Masters chances.  In 10 rounds over three tournaments in the US in 2015, he’s only had one sub-70 score.

The Defending Champion

Unheralded Australian Steven Bowditch was the benefactor of a difficult scoring week last year when he hoisted the Valero Texas Open trophy.  Opening rounds of 69-67-68 were enough to atone for a disappointing closing 76; Bowditch winning by a solitary shot with the worst final round in a win since 2004.  Will MacKenzie and Daniel Summerhays were tied for second.

The Contenders*

Jordan Spieth – $9.00

Dustin Johnson – $11.00

Matt Kuchar – $23.00

Ryan Palmer– $31.00

Harris English – $41.00

Charley Hoffman – $51.00

*Valero Texas Open odds available at Sportsbet.

The Winner

Spieth has five top-10 finishes (including two wins) in his last seven events and he ranks first in putts per round, he’s so tough to look past; Palmer has six top 25s this season and is an excellent driver of the ball which is key around TPC San Antonio; Hoffman has made all six of his cuts here with a worst result of T13; Johnson was in sublime form before a two week break winning the WGC Cadillac and recording two other top 5’s; Kuch makes the grade after tying for 4th here last year.  Even with Spieths pull we’re going Harris English – he’s just outside automatic Masters qualification at 52nd in the World Golf Rankings so we’re tipping him to make a play for the top 50 and win in Texas.