Category: Live Sports News

The Reds Need to Push On

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

2017 has been a poor year in Liverpool if you come from the red half of the city that is! A succession of poor results has left Jurgen Klopp and his Red Army in a precarious position in the league. They currently sit in fourth position and are four points ahead of rivals Manchester United. However, Jose Mourinho and his United side have two games in hand. This means that Liverpool cannot afford to slip up as we enter the final phase of the season.

They play Everton at Anfield on Saturday in what will be a hotly contested Merseyside derby. Everton is having a solid season under Ronald Koeman. They currently reside in seventh spot and are only six points adrift of their city rivals. Making the top four was seen as almost automatic before Christmas for Liverpool fans.

However, as mentioned by SuperHotTips.com, “There has been an average of 2.9 goals scored per game over the last 5 matches in the English Premier League where Liverpool have been at home, and Everton have been away.“. This is a great opportunity for a BTTS bet. Check out other BTTS Tips at SuperHotTips.com

Is Klopp the Reason for the Demise?

Many people are suggesting that the tough training program and high-intensity style has taken its toll on the Liverpool players. Is this the fault of Jurgen Klopp? Another answer could be that he simply doesn’t have the quality that he had at Borussia Dortmund. Whatever the reason, it is clear that Liverpool are struggling at the moment and the odd sporadic result isn’t good enough.

Everton will welcome the absence of Liverpool’s Adam Lallana. He picked up a knock in the International break while playing for England. That is a huge blow for Jurgen Klopp. His thigh injury looks likely to rule him out for around 3-4 weeks. At such a crucial stage of the season then that could well tip the balance in whether or not Liverpool ultimately make the top four.

Koeman in Demand

If Everton continues their impressive form, it is difficult to see bigger clubs not coming in for the “in demand” Ronald Koeman. He is clearly adding to his already impressive managerial CV. It is highly likely that a top job is only just around the corner for the Dutchman. That won’t worry the Everton fans though who will clearly fancy their chances of going to Anfield and getting a win.

Liverpool is a tough team to beat at Anfield having won ten of their fourteen league games there this season. Liverpool can be backed at 4-6 with SkyBet and that seems like very poor value to us. Everton, on the other hand, are a best-priced 4-1 with 888Sport.

The draw is 3-1 with BetVictor and we much prefer that as the value bet of the day. We also like the “both teams to score” market too and 888Sport are quoting 5-7 for both teams to find the net. Given how attack-minded Liverpool are and how fragile they are at the back then we like the look of that bet too.

Swans Look for Grand Final Revenge in Etihad Blockbuster

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Like so many first rounds before it, the opening week of the AFL season contained its share of surprises.

Who would have thought that Port Adelaide might humble the Swans on their own turf in Sydney. The South Australians have been a disappointing team for the past few seasons, but maybe they have turned things around this time, or did they merely catch the slow starting Swans at the right time?

Essendon played on heart, desire and a desperate determination to make a statement when they saw off the Hawks at the MCG last Saturday night.

But was that a one off, players lifted by the hype and emotion of the occasion, or is it a harbinger of things to come for the red and black, who would love to confound the doubters and hit the headlines this season for the right reasons.

Premiers the Bulldogs were workmanlike in their win over Collingwood, while Adelaide made a statement of intent with their solid success over Greater Western Sydney.

Richmond, as they did in round one when they saw off Carlton, get proceedings underway on Thursday night at the MCG when they take on Collingwood.

The Tigers are the team that invariably flatter to deceive, but at $2.15 with Bet 365 and $2.16 with Betfair fixed odds they might be at a decent price to see off an odds-on Collingwood. The Magpies did well against the Premiers, but can they do so again? Average odds of $1.77 doesn’t look that tempting.

Can Swans Get Revenge?

Friday night sees a Grand Final rematch, with the Bulldogs hosting the Swans at Etihad Stadium.

The Doggies are $1.58 ((Bet 365), but the Swans might be the value here at $2.50 with Unibet. Yes, they were beaten in the title decider and yes, they will have to be better than last week. But John Longmire’s team don’t often lose two in a row.

Lions to Upset Bomber Bandwagon?

Elsewhere the Brisbane Lions, at $3.10 Unibet and $3.30 with Betfair fixed look over the odds against an Essendon team priced up at a general $1.40 (Sportsbet, Bet 365).

The Lions held on to win narrowly in a nerve-jangling finale against Gold Coast last weekend, but they will take plenty from that rare success. The Bombers will be buoyed by their win over the Hawks, but they effectively had a year to prepare for that and it was an emotional crescendo for them.

Can they back up again a week later? I am not so sure, certainly at the price on offer.

Five Bankers for Multi Bettors

It’s hard to see West Coast, at $1.17 (Bet 365) slipping up against Saint Kilda.

Value might be had in Hawthorn. Beaten by a pumped up Essendon last week, they have the chance to bounce back against decent opposition in the Crows. At $2.30 (Sportsbet) they might be worth a nibble.

GWS are in the same category as West Coast when they face Gold Coast at home. The latter are at $6.40 with Betfair fixed odds, and some might argue they should be longer.

Geelong, Melbourne and Port Adelaide are all favourites to get the job done at home and should do so, so definitely teams for multi punters looking to swell their take out.

South African Derbies Surprisingly Headline Super Rugby This Week

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Highlanders ($1.03) v Rebels ($12)

Fresh off a hard-fought win against the Brumbies away from home, the Highlanders return to Forsyth Barr in search of another four competition points (plus bonus points) to help get off the foot of the New Zealand conference table. It should be close to a certainty against the winless Melbourne Rebels side. Keep an eye out for All Black bolted Richard Buckman for the ‘Landers. Highlanders 13+.

Blues ($1.06) v Force ($9)

Speaking of All Black boaters, how’s the form of Blues fullback Michael Collins. The Otago product has set the competition alight in the last few weeks and has helped Tana Umaga’s Auckland side get back on track (he’s had good help from Piers Francis and Matt Duffie too). At home again, the Blues should be far too good for the Force. Blues 13+.

Chiefs ($1.06) v Bulls ($9.30)

The Chiefs get the chance to return to the top of the table after enjoying a bye last week. They host a Bulls side that went into the sheds at half-time all level with the Blues last week before falling away badly in the second half. On the bright side, Handre Pollard looked to be regaining some form. We’re expecting the Chiefs to have learnt from the Blues where to expose the Bulls (around the ruck and short kicking game) and win by 13+.

Reds ($6.50) v Hurricanes ($1.12)

The Hurricanes are like the Harlem Globetrotters of Super Rugby. Glitz, glamour and attention grabbing rugby that fans are happy to pay big money to see. Their opponents this week feature a player that, while currently sideline-bound, would love to be considered as a Globetrotter and often tries to play like he is, Quade Cooper. The Reds were dreadful in having two players sin-binned in Buenos Aries last week and deservedly lost. They’ll lose again, while Quade complains on Twitter. Hurricanes 13+.

Stormers ($1.25) v Cheetahs ($4)

The first of two South African derbies features the unbeaten Stormers against perennial under-achievers the Cheetahs. For about the third time in as many weeks in this blog, we’ll make the point that the Cheetahs should be better than they are, they just aren’t. To that end, we can’t tip them again, especially against the Stormers who, along with the Lions, have established themselves as the best from South Africa. Stormers 1-12.

Lions ($1.28) v Sharks ($3.78)

The Lions have a flair for scoring points this year – conceding them too – but their scintillating attack has seen them register four wins from five in the competition thus far. Averaging just under 40 points a game (and having hit that mark three times – we sense a bet in this), the test will be in their defence against the Sharks at Emirates Airline Park. This is the toughest round to pick this week – we’ll go an upset Sharks 1-12.

Waratahs ($3.60) v Crusaders ($1.29)

Two very successful Super Rugby franchises come together in the final match of the round. This shouldn’t be as close as some of their past grudge matches – my favourite the 2014 final that the ‘Tahs won by one point in the dying stages. The Crusaders to carry on their unbeaten way and win by 13+.

All odds from Palmerbet.

March Madness Final Four: Gonzaga v South Carolina Predictions

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

March Madness has most certainly lived up to its name over the past week, and after several crazy twists and turns, just four teams remain. Sixty-four have packed their bags and gone home, and just the four regional winners are left standing: Gonzaga, North Carolina, Oregon and South Carolina. Gonzaga and North Carolina are top seeds and were expected to be standing, but third-seeded Oregon’s presence is a shock, and few would have predicted South Carolina would be representing the east rather than Villanova, Duke, Baylor or Florida.

Clearly, South Carolina is the huge underdog at 9/1 with William Hill and Ladbrokes, while North Carolina (6/4 with Sky Bet) and Gonzaga (13/8 with Ladbrokes) are heavily favoured, but this is March Madness and anything can happen. First up is South Carolina v Gonzaga, so we have previewed that one and we will feature the other game later this week.

South Carolina Gamecocks v Gonzaga Bulldogs

Gonzaga went into the tournament with the best regular season record of anyone and was among the favourites to win it. The Zags’ route to the final was made all the easier when 11th seed Xavier beat second seed Arizona in the Sweet 16. Arizona was the second seed and many expected the Wildcats to topple Gonzaga. Instead, they played Xavier in the Elite Eight and won by a huge 24-point margin, by far the heaviest win in the round.

South Carolina’s journey to the Final Four has been far less orthodox. The seventh-seeded Gamecocks were expected to crash out in the Second Round, where they faced pre-season favourite Duke, which had the best team on paper in the entire tournament. But South Carolina exploited Duke’s defensive weaknesses and earned a resounding 88-81 victory. They then played third seed Baylor in the Sweet 16 and defied their status as seven-point underdogs by absolutely thrashing the Bears, winning 70-50. They then knocked out fourth seed Florida in the Elite Eight and have earned themselves a place in the Final Four for the first time ever.

South Carolina’s superb defence has got them this far. It has the second best defence in the country now, but Gonzaga has the best. Gonzaga’s offence is also scoring a lot more points than the Gamecocks. Gonzaga should win this, but whether they can cover the spread is another matter as South Carolina is scrapping really well. South Carolina +8.5 at 8/13 with Betway looks good.

Futures Update

If Gonzaga gets past South Carolina it will face North Carolina or Oregon. The Tar Heels were pre-tournament favourites and have excelled in beating some excellent teams, so expect them to get the better of Oregon. That would be a sensational final and it’s easy to envisage a tight game that could be won by a single point. North Carolina’s Roy Williams is on course for a third NCAA Championship, while Gonzaga’s Mark Few has never before reached the final four, so that experience could swing it, but it will be tight.

James Harden pulls ahead in NBA’s exciting MVP race

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

For months James Harden and Russell Westbrook have been locked in a fierce battle to be named regular season MVP, but in the past week, Harden may just have done enough to snatch it. The Beard has achieved four straight games of scoring at least 30 points and having 10 assists, and the odds have been cut on him landing the prize. There is still some value to be had in backing him, however, as we approach the final nine games of the season.

MVP Race

Westbrook led the field for the first half of the season but Harden muscled his way into the reckoning with a record-breaking spell over Christmas. On December 31, he recorded 53 points, 17 assists and 16 rebounds in a 129-122 win for the Houston Rockets over the New York Nicks. It was the first time anyone had ever posted stats better than 50-15-15, and it tied the record for the most points in a triple-double, which Wilt Chamberlain had held alone since the 1967-68 season. Two days later, he recorded his ninth triple-double of the season.

The records have come tumbling down for Harden since then. A 51-13-13 game against the 76ers in January made him the first player ever to achieve more than one 50-point triple-double in a season. He has already broken his own record for the most turnovers in a season. He is now on 19 triple-doubles for the season. He is on course to surpass 2,400 points and 900 assists this season, which would break another record.

But Westbrook refuses to go away. Despite playing for a poorer team, he has 36 triple-doubles and leads the league in points per game. Kahwi Leonard and LeBron James are also still in the mix. Harden is 4/6 with Sky Bet and Westbrook is 11/4 with Paddy Power, which also has 10/1 on Leonard and 12/1 on James. It will be tight, but momentum is with Harden right now, and 4/6 looks a good price.

Futures Update

The divisions are pretty much wrapped up now, so the value comes from predicting the winner of each conference and the NBA Championship. Momentum can play a crucial role at this time of year, and the form of the Boston Celtics (8-2 in their last 10) is very exciting, so they could give the Cavaliers a real run for their money in the east and look an interesting bet at 7/1 with Sky Bet and William Hill. The Warriors have won six straight and turned the screw in the west, so the value might not be there as they are just 4/9, but the Spurs (4/1 with Ladbrokes) are also in good form.

Upcoming Games

A huge game sees the Warriors face the Spurs in San Antonio on Thursday. Golden State is on a roll but has injury problems and the Spurs to win outright looks good. The Celtics over the Bucks and the Washington Wizards over the Clippers would make an interesting treble.

Mercedes Hamilton on Pole but Ferrari Star Vettel the Danger

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Lewis Hamilton will start favourite to win the season-opening Australian Grand Prix after posting yet another pole position around the Melbourne street circuit at Albert Park – his fourth in four years.

But he might not have everything his own way after Ferrari’s former world champion Sebastian Vettel pulled out a blistering lap of his own in the final seconds of the qualifying to snare second spot on the 20 car grid.

The Ferraris had shown themselves to be more competitive in winter testing than they had been in 2016, and both Vettel and his team mate Kimi Raikkonen (another former world champion) are well placed to take the challenge up to Hamilton and his Mercedes team-mate Bottas, who was third fastest.

At $4.60 on Betfair fixed odds, Vettel might be the value investment, while those looking for a more enticing wager could be tempted by the $11 available with both Sportsbet and Bet 365 on Bottas should anything happen to Hamilton’s car.

Bottas in for the Fight

Certainly, the Finn is up for the challenge.

”Third is not ideal – I think in general I’m not happy for the result,” said Bottas, whose previous best qualifying in Australia was sixth.

” I didn’t quite get any perfect laps in, so I’m not that satisfied. But tomorrow is the day that matters – it seems that we have been quite strong on the practice starts, so hopefully we can keep that going tomorrow.”

Hamilton is Expecting a Fierce Contest

” As you can see it’s going to be a close race between us (Mercedes and Ferrari) this year I think.”

Vettel too sounded in confident enough mood. The German is a four-time world title winner and has won in Melbourne before, so he too took plenty of confidence from his strong qualifying run.

”We are working well as a team. I wasn’t entirely happy with my final lap, and tomorrow I hope we can do something.

“We are fired up about tomorrow’s race. The confidence was there from testing and it has been a big winter for us.”

Ricciardo’s Nightmare

Any patriotic punters who splurged on Daniel Ricciardo to fly the flag for Australia will need an enormous amount of luck to pick up any returns after the West Australian skidded off at high speed and crashed into the wall in the final qualifying session.

Ricciardo and his team-mate Max Verstappen had not enjoyed the easiest of weekends, but this was a body blow to the ever smiling Ricciardo’s hopes of winning his first ever home Grand Prix. He can now be backed at odds of $151 with Sportsbet.

Former world champion Fernando Alonso has not got warm in the past few seasons since his move to McLaren and the formerly great team continues to struggle.

But at least the Spaniard could smile a little after the first qualifying session of the season when he qualified in 13th position. He will be desperate to at least finish this time, and if his car can hold together, he certainly knows how to reach the chequered flag so his price of $2.20 with Bet 365 to complete the race might be worth a look.