Category: Live Sports News

Battle to win NHL divisions intensifies

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The trade deadline has now passed and the leading NHL teams are gearing up for a hectic February as the playoffs loom. The top three teams in each division make the playoffs, with two wildcards in each conference, and the battle to qualify is really ramping up. Here we run through each division, providing odds and predictions as to who will win, along with a roundup of some of the most intriguing upcoming games:

Atlantic Division

The Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators and Boston Bruins have pulled away from the chasing pack in the Atlantic Division, and it looks like turning into a three-way fight between them to win it and therefore gain a favourable playoff schedule. A revival by the Florida Panthers turned into a three-game losing streak, so the Canadiens, Senators and Bruins should all qualify. The Canadiens are leading the way on 34-21, but Ottawa is hot on their heels on 33-22, and Ottawa has the momentum. While Montreal has stumbled in recent weeks, Ottawa has looked strong and more consistent, and have been bolstered by the arrival of Canucks star Alex Burrows. The Canadiens are the even favourites with Paddy Power, but Ottawa looks good at 4/1 with Sky Bet.

Metropolitan Division

The Washington Capitals has been the best team in the league this season. They have won more than anyone else and are deservedly joint favourites with the Minnesota Wild to win the Stanley Cup (both 5/1 with Sky Bet). They are in the same division as 2016 champions the Pittsburgh Penguins, but look set to finish above them, and the 3/10 that William Hill is offering on Washington looks a banker.

Central Division

The Wild has won 40 and the Chicago Blackhawks has won 39, but Minnesota has played two games fewer. The Wild are the heavy favourites to win the Western Conference (9/4 with Betfred) but they have a fight on their hands to win the division as Chicago is on fire. Minnesota is 7-2-1 in its last 10, while Chicago is 9-1, making the Blackhawks the league’s form team. That makes the odds on Minnesota winning the division – 3/10 with Paddy Power – looks risky and unattractive. A speculative punt on Chicago at 9/4 with Sky Bet might be more rewarding. The Blackhawks just need to stay healthy, which is a big if.

Pacific Division

The Pacific Division is led by last year’s beaten Stanley Cup finalists, the San Jose Sharks, and they should maintain that position between now and the end of the regular season. Their recent form has been poor, but so has that of their chief rivals – the Anaheim Ducks and the Edmonton Oilers – and they have a comfortable cushion at the top, on 36-18 versus 32-21 for the Ducks. They are 2/5 with Sky Bet to win the Pacific and that looks a very good bet. An interesting double would be the Sharks and the Washington Capitals.

Upcoming Games

A huge game on Thursday sees the Penguins travel to Chicago for a showdown with the in-form Blackhawks. It should be a close one but Chicago has great momentum at present and can be expected to scrape a narrow victory, with odds of 4/5 looking pretty appealing on the Blackhawks. The big game on Friday sees the Wild face the Blue Jackets in Columbus, Ohio. The Blue Jackets are battling it out with the New York Rangers for a playoff place and have it all to play for, but the Wild are in superb form and should edge it. On the same day, the Ottawa Senators will be expected to beat Colorado, and the Canadiens should comfortably beat the Nashville Predators in Montreal, so that looks a great treble.

Smerdon Colt To Shine Brightest On Blue Diamond Day

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The last rays of summer sun will shine on Caulfield this Saturday, but it’s all about elite autumn racing and the second of the 2yo features of the year – the AUD $1.5 million Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes over 1200m at set weights. We’ve been watching the action at Melbourne Racing Club headquarters carefully in recent weeks, and can report that the track is racing fairly. However, runners turning for home in the back half of the field will still face a tough challenge on a surface that generally favours horses on the speed and off the fence.

Colts and geldings have won 28 of the 46 editions of the Blue Diamonds including the past two (Pride Of Dubai and Extreme Choice). In the past decade, that figure closes to 6-4 in favour of the boys. The speed and class of this field make outside barriers a tough prospect. Of the past 34 winners, 24 have jumped from a single figure gate with only four winners since 2000 starting from outside barrier 10 – Extreme Choice (2016, gate 11), Earthquake (2014, 15), Star Witness (2010, 14) and Nadeem (2006, 12).

Magic Man Brings Bag of Tricks Down Under

Punters are spoiled for choice in this year’s Blue Diamond with #13 Catchy a $5 favourite and only a handful of the 17 runners without a realistic chance of victory. Jockey Craig Williams had the choice of riding most of the leading contenders so his decision to go with this Lindsay Park filly must be respected. We’re leery – two of her three were close run affairs while she’s drawn out in barrier 13. Our money will be on the #1 Property for trainer Robert Smerdon (chasing his second Blue Diamond) with superstar Hong Kong hoop Joao Moreira taking the ride from barrier 3. This will be the Magic Man’s first trip to Caulfield but he’s familiar with Aussie tracks and tactics so that’s no concern. Not in the original nominations, connections paid the $55,000 late entry fee for their Starcraft colt. Beaten by Catchy on debut, he’s since won both the Blue Diamond Preview (1000m) before settling midfield and finishing strongly to take out the Blue Diamond Prelude (1100m). A price of $7.50 is currently available on Ladbrokes, which could improve by race time.

Crème to Rise to the Top in Saturday’s Other G1s

There are two other Groups 1s at Caulfield on Saturday – in the $500,000 italktravel Futurity Stakes (1400m at WFA), #1 Black Heart Bart will start in the red as he chases successive G1 wins at this track. In contrast, the $500,000 Resimax Group Oakleigh Plate (1100m) is a wide open affair but we wouldn’t be surprised to see last year’s Blue Diamond winner #3 Extreme Choice saluting once again – Mick Price’s 3yo colt looks slightly overs at $4.60 with William Hill.

North of the border, the G1 $600,000 TAB Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) is the day’s feature at Royal Randwick. The market for this WFA event is once again stifled by the presence of the superstar mare #9 Winx. She’s at $1.12 on Sportsbet to make it 15 wins in a row. That’s right, 15! Winx crushed the bulk of this field in the G2 Apollo (1400m) here two weeks ago and again looks simply unbeatable. Our money will be with stablemate #8 Endless Drama to again fill a place after his meritorious third in the Apollo.

Chance for NZ, SA to Break Series Deadlock

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New Zealand finally managed to break South Africa’s long standing unbeaten one day international cricket streak with a tight 6-run win in Christchurch on Wednesday. The win, built around a solid first innings total and some excellent death bowling, gives the series much-needed context, rather than the prospect of a rampant runaway away side.

The close nature of the two completed games suggests another close one may be on the cards at Westpac Stadium. The teams have played twice at the venue before with one win apiece. AB de Villiers will have fond memories of the ground, he scored 106* here in 2012 to win South Africa the game.

The Series So Far

Game one was a rip-roaring affair that went down to the final over. The result was a win to South Africa by four wickets.

Game two was awfully similar. Down to the last over again, this time New Zealand managed to get their death bowling in order to sneak a win by 6 runs. The win was built around solid contributions from Ross Taylor (102*), Jimmy Neesham (71*) and Kane Williamson (69), but at the halfway stage, New Zealand’s 289 looked to be about 20 runs short on an excellent surface.

South Africa’s chase again looked on course at 192-4, before middle over wobbles saw the wheels briefly fall off at 214-8. The optimism was restored with a fighting ninth-wicket partnership of 61 between Pretorius and Phehlukwayo only for Tim South and Trent Boult to produce 10 un-hittable block hole deliveries.

The Teams

South Africa (from)

AB de Villiers (capt), Faf du Plessis, Hashim Amla, Farhaan Behardien, Quinton de Kock (wk), JP Duminy, Imran Tahir, David Miller, Chris Morris, Wayne Parnell, Dane Paterson, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi

There was no surprise to see Behardien lose his place in the side after his struggles and David Miller contributed to a much more balanced side. The Proteas desperately missed Kagiso Rabada and will be hanging out for his return to full fitness.

New Zealand (from)

Kane Williamson (capt), Trent Boult, Neil Broom, Lockie Ferguson, Colin de Grandhomme, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, James Neesham, Luke Ronchi, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Ross Taylor

Tom Latham is under huge pressure after struggling to make an impact in the series thus far. Wearing the gloves seems to be an imposition he hasn’t been able to deal with. NZ will probably remain unchanged, but the Sodhi vs Ferguson debate will probably be had again on the morning of the match.

The Key Players

South Africa

Quinton de Kock hasn’t looked in the best form since he’s arrived in New Zealand, but he hasn’t let that stop his scoring. After a duck in the T20 game, de Kock responded nicely with 69 in the opening one-dayer despite struggling with his timing early (although most others did too). And then 57 on Wednesday in Christchurch. It’a measure of his ability that he turned the difficult starts into a score, although surprising he didn’t turn either fifties into a hundred. His conversion rate is incredible, 12 hundreds and 11 fifties, and the fifty and out was a surprise ending on both occasions.

New Zealand

Colin de Grandhomme probably should’ve played more cricket for the Black Caps than he has. A devastating all-rounder at domestic level, de Grandhomme has struggled to find his feet at international level. However, recent performances might be indicating that the footing is getting a little more stable. de Grandhomme has made important contributions with both bat and ball in the opening two games of the tour, 34* off 19 balls in the ODI; 15 off 7 in the T20 and 2-22 with the ball in the T20. It’s these ‘bits and pieces’ contributions that make him a valuable all-rounder and a high strike rate cameo could be the difference between NZ winning and losing.

The Match Odds*

South Africa – $1.55

New Zealand – $2.45

*All odds from Unibet.

The Prediction

New Zealand has a lot of players contributing to their success. Bowlers are sharing wickets, batsmen are in the runs (excluding Latham) and we think that’s enough to give them a win here by 5 wickets or 30 runs.

The Best Bets

Casting aside some individual player betting markets for a second, we’ve found a near certainty. Okay, so nothing’s a certainty, but South Africa to have the higher opening partnership (Amla and de Kock) at $1.72 looks easy money. Tom Latham can’t buy a run.

Individually, Chris Morris is priced at $4.25 to be South Africa’s top bowler. He’s swung the ball both ways in the opening two outings and is a nice option again.

Leicester Face Mané Troubles Ahead

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Just over a year ago, Jamie Vardy terrorised Liverpool and scored a true contender for goal of the season, in a 2-0 win for Leicester at the King Power Stadium. The incredible volleyed shot which flew past Simon Mignolet was just one of many manifestations of the miracle that was Leicester’s title-winning 2015/16 campaign.

Today, the situation could not be more different. Only a miracle of similar magnitude can now stop Leicester from becoming the first relegated champions since 1938. The odds of that particular event unfolding grow ever shorter, with 15/8 ( Paddy Power) now the best price.

Meanwhile, Liverpool Football Club is far from the meek outfit that finished eighth last term. For all their inexplicable inconsistencies, Jürgen Klopp’s men remain well on course for a top-four finish. They also boast what may be the most hell-raising attacking skills in the entire league – when in form.

A Foxic Mess

Eliminated from the F.A Cup by Millwall – and on current form, soon to be eliminated from the Champions League – the party has not only died but transmogrified into a wake. Even back in August, nobody expected much of Leicester, but the statistics are nothing short of appalling for Claudio Ranieri’s flailing Foxes.

In the last six league games, his Leicester charges have conceded no less than 12 goals. Worse yet, they have done so without once finding the back of the net in response. Where a standard 1X2 bet is concerned, the only worthwhile option for bettors is to delve into the handicap markets.

Given Leicester’s plight, all bookmakers have slashed the typical odds for a Liverpool handicap over bottom half opposition. Subsequently, Paddy Power is offering a market-best 9/2 on a Liverpool win, with a handicap of –2 against.

Sadio the Superstar to Enjoy Glut

Overall, this year has begun disastrously for the Reds by their own lofty standards. However, much of the recently-arrested winless run can be attributed to Sadio Mané’s international duties at AFCON 2017.

Liverpool’s most recent game, against fellow Champions League chasers Tottenham, is a case in hand. In his first Anfield start since returning from Gabon, Mané was in inspired form. Within the first eighteen minutes, he netted a double blast which demonstrated his lethal combination of pace and shooting prowess.

If Ranieri has conjured the courage to watch footage from that game, then many sleepless nights will have followed. On Monday, a red-hot Mané’s personal opponents are likely to be Marc Albrighton and Wilifred Ndidi. Bluntly put, the latter has proven to be a sorry excuse of a replacement for N’Golo Kante. However, Albrighton also bears much responsibility and remains badly out of form.

If backing Mané to be the first goalscorer on Monday night, bettors can enjoy odds of 5/1 across at most respected bookmakers. For those of a braver disposition, William Hill is also offering 8/1 on Mané to score two or more goals against a hapless Leicester side.

Riot running reds to begin strongly

Above all else, it was Liverpool’s transformed attitude from the first whistle, against Tottenham, which resonated most deeply in the last round of the Premier League.

If a usually well-drilled side like Tottenham can fold in such an alarming manner, then logic dictates that Leicester will do likewise. As such, Sky Bet’s specialist first-half market is currently offering tempting odds of 10/3 on Liverpool to score two or more goals in the opening 45 minutes.

Ultimately, it is only a question of how many the Reds will win by. The official Betcirca prediction for this match is Leicester 0-3 Liverpool, which is available at 12/1 with Bet 365.

Sunderland Simply Must Start Winning

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David Moyes is a man under pressure. Sunderland is rooted to the bottom of the Premier League with only thirteen games to go. The arrival of Moyes at the Stadium of Light was seen as a move that would bring solidity to Sunderland. The reality has been much different. A procession of near misses in recent seasons with regards to relegation has taken its toll.

Whether the blame is with Moyes or with the Sunderland board is unclear. It has been slightly surprising to see Moyes still in a job in February. The demand to stay in the Premier League has never been higher. A creditable goalless draw with Tottenham and a 4-0 thumping of Crystal Palace were deceiving.

Is Sunderland Good Enough?

This is a big question? They were humiliated at home to Southampton with most of their crowd leaving early. With several relegation candidates picking up points recently, Sunderland is clearly under pressure. If they don’t begin to pick up points soon, it is tough to see David Moyes surviving until the end of the season.

Sunderland travels to Everton in what appears to be a really challenging encounter. Everton is clearly the best team in the Premier League outside of the top six. Ronald Koeman has done a fantastic job of pulling them together. They work to a really solid system that suits them. What Sunderland need is a couple of easier fixtures. Goodison Park certainly isn’t on that list.

Can we Back Sunderland to win?

Sunderland is a best priced 13/2 with SkyBET but even at those odds, it is difficult to see them winning. Sunderland just looks so poor at the moment. Everton is currently 2/5 with William Hill and that is almost like buying money.

The Black Cats are still in the hunt for survival and are only two points adrift of the safety zone. It is this that has kept David Moyes in a job. If that gap increases to five points or more then we can expect the board to take action. Bet365 are a best priced 17/4 for the draw and that is a good bet too.

So the decision is whether to bet on the draw or the home win? The better option is the home win. Sunderland simply doesn’t appear to be capable of getting a result against a top seven side away from home. Their 0-0 draw with Tottenham was misleading. The look of despair on Moyes’ face during their display against Southampton said it all. That was the look of a man who knew his team are in trouble.

Chelsea v Swansea: Clement Returns Home In Search Of Points

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Paul Clement will return to Stamford Bridge on Saturday afternoon for the first time as a manager since departing Chelsea unceremoniously back in 2011. The Englishman and former Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti were sacked by Chelsea’s ruthless owner Roman Abramovich despite the club winning the Premier League title in their first season in charge and finishing as runners-up to Manchester United in their second campaign in West London.

Clement, who spent four years at The Bridge between 2007 and 2011, two as first team coach and two as Ancelotti’s assistant, will travel down the M4 motorway with his Swansea team aiming to spring a huge surprise against the champions-in-waiting, and in the process boost their own hopes of Premier League survival.

Swans Reinvigorated by Clement’s Arrival

When he took over the reigns from the hapless Bob Bradley in early January, Swansea was languishing in the relegation zone and seemingly destined for the drop. However, an impressive sequence of results which has seen the team collect 12 points from Clement’s first six games in charge, earning him January’s Manager of the Month prize in the process, has garnered renewed optimism amongst the club’s loyal fan base that relegation can be avoided.

And the bookmakers clearly agree with the Swans now as far out as 7/2 with Paddy Power to end the season in the bottom three. However, Saturday could prove a match too far for Clement’s improving team when they face Antonio Conte’s high flyers who have lost just once at home this season and have recorded 11 wins, nine of them on the bounce.

Chelsea Out to Continue Unstoppable Home Form

There’s little profit to be had in backing Chelsea, who are eight points clear of nearest challengers Manchester City, with most bookmakers offering them as short as 1/4 for the win. But with seven clean sheets on home soil from 12 matches, better value can be sought from BetVictor who have priced a Chelsea win to zero at a tasty 21/20 which has to be worth a second glance.

Conte’s team are currently a massive 36 points ahead of Swansea in the league table. Yet the team from South Wales hasn’t lost to their hosts on Saturday since January 2015, gaining a respectable 2-2 draw at the Liberty Stadium back in September and a win and a draw with the Blues last campaign. BetVictor will offer any optimistic Swansea supporters or neutrals 11/2 for another draw on Saturday while William Hill goes even further by quoting an unlikely win for the visitors at 12/1 which may be worth a few quid after Swansea ended Liverpool’s own unbeaten record at Anfield back in January.

Costa the Smart Money to Net First

Despite his apparent flirtations with a mega-money move to China, Diego Costa tops the scoring charts for the Blues with 15 goals so far this term and is 4/1 with Betfred to beat the likes of Alexis Sanchez and Harry Kane to the Golden Shoe. Eight of those 15 goals have seen Chelsea open the scoring and William Hill will give any willing backers odds of 12/5 for the big Brazilian-cum-Spanish forward to repeat the trick on Saturday afternoon.

For anybody wanting something a bit different, though, how about Icelandic star Gylfi Sigurdsson, Swansea’s joint top goalscorer with eight and dead ball specialist to net at any time during the match? He’s scored in the last two meetings between the clubs and is available at a more than tempting 5/1 with Paddy Power to beat the Chelsea defence once again on Saturday.

It promises to be another entertaining clash whatever the result on Saturday. If Chelsea, as seems highly likely, emerge unscathed, they will take another big step towards a sixth league title while pushing Swansea closer to the trap door in the process. Yet if Swansea can achieve the unthinkable and ruin another great home record, the odds of them setting up a reunion with fierce local rivals Cardiff City next season in the Championship will widen even further.