Tag: Betting

London Calling: Chelsea vs. Tottenham Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Take two London clubs, one that’s yet to lose and another sitting top of the Premier League and what have you got? That’s right, you’ve got a recipe for something truly special. Chelsea vs. Tottenham has always been a battle of attrition, but this season’s inaugural derby on November 26 could be so much more.

Spurs are yet to sample the bitter taste of defeat in the Premier League this season; however, despite this unblemished record, Mauricio Pochettino’s men are still sitting fifth in the table after 12 games. In contrast, even with two defeats already under their belts, Chelsea’s finest are now riding high on 28 points.

Drawing the Short Straw

The difference, in this instance, is draws. While Chelsea has drawn just once and won nine times, Tottenham has a 50/50 win/draw split. This ability to shut down teams but simultaneously fail to punish them has made Spurs something of a unique proposition this season. In some respects, they’re the most impressive team in the league thanks to a lack of losses and only eight goals conceded.

However, on the flipside, they’re one of the most disappointing sides in the top five. As impressive as it is to remain unbeaten, the likes of Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Heung-Min Son haven’t exactly been emphatic up front. With only 18 goals overall, Tottenham appears to lack the firepower necessary to compete with the Premier League’s big boys.

Indeed, if you contrast that strike rate to league leader’s Chelsea, Diego Costa and co have notched up 27 goals. In fact, when you bore down into the individual stats, Tottenham’s leading light, Harry Kane has only scored once this season. Yes, he’s only played 90 minutes and is far from his best, but it’s setbacks like this that have stopped Spurs from becoming an unstoppable force.

Smooth Sailing for Chelsea

For Chelsea, the lack of injury worries and dips in form has seen the blues slip past their rivals and quietly assume control of the league. Fortunately, for those in the south-west of the capital, Antonio Conte won’t have any such worries heading into the Tottenham match. Everyone appears to be present and correct ahead of the clash, and that could be the difference this time around.

According to the odds makers at Sun Bets, Chelsea are the comfortable favourites to take all three points with a betting line currently sitting at 8/11. This confidence is echoed at Coral (7/10) and William Hill (3/4), which would suggest we’ll see Chelsea continue to tighten their grip on the league.

For Tottenham manager Pochettino, injury issues and suspensions will continue to be a problem. Just as Conte has enjoyed a relatively smooth ride this season, Pochettino will have to do without full-back Danny Rose (suspended) and Toby Alderweireld (injury). These missing links could result in a formation change to 3-4-3, which would essentially see Spurs mimicking Chelsea.

Identical Tactics Could Cancel Each Other Out

Now, if Tottenham were firing on all cylinders, going kick-for-kick with Chelsea wouldn’t be a bad idea. However, as we’ve already seen, there has been a distinct lack of attacking prowess from Tottenham and that could be problematic on Sunday. Of course, if you’re in the market for some value or you’re simply a diehard fan of the Lilywhites, Sun Bets will give you 15/4 on a Tottenham win.

For those with an eye on some actual value, the draw could be the most promising betting option for this game. Given Tottenham’s ability to shut down teams but fail to score, 11/4 on a draw with Coral looks to be too good a price to turn down. Naturally, with home advantage, no injury worries and the weight of momentum on their side, Chelsea will be tough to stop. However, if Spurs can dig in and display some flashes of genius as they have at times this season, a draw is more than possible.

Goals Look Certain at Parkhead

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

CELTIC face one of the toughest challenges in world football on Wednesday night when they host the mighty Barcelona at Parkhead in Champions League Group C.

The Scottish champions will need every one of the 61,000 passionate sell-out crowd to play their part in this one and become “The Bhoys” 12th man; it has worked before with them beating the five-times European champions in 2012, but this time around it’s very difficult to make any case for a shock win.

The two sides met at the Camp Nou in September and Celtic was very lucky to come away with just a 7-0 hammering. There is simply too much of a gulf between these two sides, something which is highlighted by the bookies’ odds for the game.

Barca are just 1.30 to bounce back to winning ways after their 3-1 defeat in their last Champions League match at Man City, and it’s impossible to look past them, but I personally couldn’t back them at those very short prices.

The Catalan giants were held to a goalless draw against Malaga on Sunday to let odds-on backers down, and with key players returning in Glasgow they should win this, but the weekend disappointments might still be fresh in some punters minds.

Celtic are a massive 12.00 with Bet365 for the win and even though they are running away with their domestic title again and held City to a 3-3 draw at Parkhead, they won’t be getting anything from this one.

The match prices look spot on offering very little value, and the best way to profit is to get with goals.

In Celtic’s four group C matches 17 goals have been scored, and it’s a similar story over in Barcelona with 18 goals featured in their four matches; over 2.5 goals looks the banker bet, but again it’s a very short price at the 1.50 with Coral. Over 3.5 goals in the game looks a better play for smaller punters at a more generous 2.25.

Despite Barcelona offering an incredible goal threat from all over the pitch but mainly from their front three of Neymar, Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi, they are always vulnerable to concede, and both teams to score “yes” looks another nice bet at 1.91 with William Hills.

With goals expected and obviously an away win more than likely, instead of playing the 1.30 on a Barcelona win, it might pay to look at some nice correct-score bets. I like 3-1 and 4-1 for the visitors at 11.0 and 17.0 which pays 6.60 coupled.

Champions League Betting Preview: Arsenal, Man City and Bayern

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The latest round of UEFA Champions League action is set to get underway on October 19 and this time around there’s not an easy game in sight (unless you’re Arsenal). While it’s fair to say there aren’t many easy games in the Champions League, this week’s selection of showdowns looks particularly tough for the likes of Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Celtic.

Arsenal vs. Ludogorets

With so many tough games to pick through, let’s start with opponents that shouldn’t pose much of a threat to the Gunners: Ludogorets. The Bulgarian champions are far from the biggest names in the competition, but that’s not to say they’ll just come in and roll over for Arsenal. Indeed, an early goal against Paris St Germain almost caused an upset, while a point away at Basel will go down as one of the club’s standout performances of the last decade.

On top of Ludogorets’ propensity to make it difficult for teams, Arsenal have been known to squander “easy” points in the competition before. In fact, you only have to cast your minds back to last season’s home defeat to Olympiacos and you’ll remember the anguish on Arsene Wenger’s face when his side almost failed to make it out of the group stages.

This time around, however, Arsenal should secure a home win before taking a further three points on their trip to Bulgaria. A quick look at Sun Bets’ odds sees the home side enter the match as the overwhelming betting favourites at 1/8. On the other side of the coin, Ludogorets are the proverbial underdogs at 18/1. If you do fancy hedging your bets and believe the Bulgarians can replicate their result against Basel, 15/2 on the draw is a bet you certainly shouldn’t dismiss outright.

Barcelona vs. Manchester City

While Arsenal should be enjoying a gentle Champions League stroll on Wednesday October 19, Barcelona and Manchester City will be engaged in what promises to be another high octane showdown. Despite City’s issues with UEFA in recent years, Pep Guardiola is a man on a mission in the Champions League this season.

City’s 4-0 win over Borussia Monchengladbach last month was just the tonic the club needed, and has since inspired the players to even greater things in the Premier League. However, Monchengladbach and Barcelona are two different beasts and no one will know that more acutely than Guardiola. Having taken Barcelona to Champions League success in 2008/2009, the Spaniard not only knows what it’s like to win the competition, but what makes Barcelona tick.

Unfortunately, as if a group stage match against Barcelona wasn’t enough, City will have to travel to the fabled Nou Camp on Wednesday night. To compound that fact, a three-game winless run means the pressure will be on when the tackles start to fly. For analysts and fans alike, the current problem with City seems to be a lack of tactical consistency.

Guardiola doesn’t seem to have found a groove he likes, and despite sitting atop of the Premier League, there’s still work to do if he’s going to mount a serious challenge in the Champions League. In contrast, Barcelona aren’t short of goals at the moment and a 4-0 win over Deportivo last Saturday just goes to prove that (as does September’s 7-0 hammering of Celtic).

Although there have been some bumps in the road of late (i.e. a 2-1 loss to Alaves on September 10), the Spanish side will enjoy a slight advantage heading into the game. Of course, if you’re not quite sure how the land lies before the kickoff, there’s always the option of making an in-play bet. At bet365 this week you can earn a free in-play bet for the Barcelona vs. City game by making a pre-match wager.

As advertised, you can get a free in-play bet by: “placing a bet before kick-off then, once the game starts, place another bet on any In-Play market. If your FIRST In-Play bet loses we will refund this stake, up to the same value as your largest pre-match bet (max refund £50*)”.

As it stands, Barcelona are 8/15 for the win, while City will start the game as the 5/1 underdogs. A draw with bet365 will return you 15/4 on your money and if you want the latest live odds you’ll have to check out the site during the game for the best prices.

Bayern Munich vs. PSV Eindhoven

The other standout fixture in the Champions League this week is Bayern Munich vs. PSV Eindhoven. Two veterans of the competition, the odds would suggest that Munich will come away with a comfortable win, but they certainly can’t take things for granted. PSV haven’t lost in five matches, and while those results have been mainly draws, Phillip Cocu’s side have shown they have a certain amount of resilience on the pitch.

In fact, when you look at Munich’s last five results there’s not much more to get excited about. A 3-0 win against Hertha back in September was then followed by a 1-0 win over Hamburger SV before a loss to Atletico Madrid. Despite a less than stellar string of performances, Munich are currently commanding odds of 2/9 at Ladbrokes while PSV are the 12/1 outsiders. However, if you’re looking for a value bet based on recent form, 11/2 on the draw is more than worth a look. Although Munich are undoubtedly the better side, nothing is ever guaranteed in the Champions League; especially when the opponents are as experienced as PSV.

Liverpool vs. Manchester United: A Pressure Cooker of Potential

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

In the football fraternity and in Premier League betting, rivalries don’t come much bigger than the one between Liverpool and Manchester United. Even though the two clubs don’t occupy the same county borders and it’s not technically a derby, there is a competitive streak between them that runs deep.

On Monday, October 17th, the latest installment of the age-old rivalry will take place as the Premier League big boys clash at Anfield. Unsurprisingly, Europe’s leading online bookmakers are firmly on the Premier League betting bandwagon ahead of the clash which means you can fill up on tasty odds before washing it down with some high octane action on Monday night.

Does Paul Merson Know Best?

As ever, Betcirca is here to give a complete breakdown of the best Premier League bets for Liverpool vs. Manchester United and, today, our starting point is Paul Merson. Despite being an Arsenal legend and someone who would have done everything in his power back in the day to defeat Liverpool or United, Merson knows what he’s talking about when it comes to tactics.

Ahead of Monday’s match, Merson has tipped Liverpool for the win. Breaking down the action on SkySports.com, Merson believes the attacking prowess of Jurgen Klopp’s men will be too much for United to handle.

“I don’t think Man Utd will be able to live with Liverpool’s attacking players and if the hosts start quickly they will have too much at Anfield,” said Merson.

Pressure is a Fickle Mistress

Adding to Liverpool’s potential firepower on Monday is the fact United could start the game knowing that their closest rivals are gradually moving away from them. Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham all play before United and, assuming they win as many predict they will, the pressure will be on.

As it stands, United are languishing in sixth place with 13 points while Man City sit atop of the Premier League with 18 points. In years gone by, three+ losses in the Premier League was a veritable death knell for a team’s chances of clinching the title. Although recent years have been slightly more forgiving, United have two negative notches on their stats sheet already.

A loss to Liverpool wouldn’t only cause United to fall further behind in the points race, but it would take them another step closer to a potentially fatal tipping point. That fact is possibly the biggest factor working against United moving forward. Pressure is often the catalyst for failure, and with Liverpool riding a rich vein of form, United could find themselves in trouble.

An Ace in the Hole

Of course, it won’t all be one-way traffic at Anfield even if the pressure is on. Jose Mourinho has a proverbial rabbit in the hat in the form of Zlatan Ibrahimović. Capable of something truly special on his day, Ibrahimović is unlikely to be overwhelmed by the occasion and that could work in United’s favour.

In fact, as well as having the ability turn the tide of a match on his own, Ibrahimović is also proving to be something of an inspiration for his teammates. Marcus Rashford recently told the press that the Swede is helping mentor the less experienced players. Maybe the Midas touch from Ibrahimović will rub off on his teammates against Liverpool, and a freshly invigorated United will go on to dominate the match?

Liverpool vs. Man United Best Bets

Picking a winner in this one certainly isn’t easy, so let’s stop waxing lyrical about both teams and take a look at the Premier League betting odds. Whatever side of the divide you fall on, the following bets from our bookmaking partners represent some serious value and are well worth considering if you’re going to ante-up:

  • Sun Bets: Liverpool to win and both teams to score @ 14/5
  • Coral: Total booking points between 21 and 40 @ 5/2
  • William Hill: Daniel Sturridge to score & Liverpool to win 1-0, 2-0 or 2-1 @ 6/1
  • Paddy Power: Manchester United to win @ 5/2
  • Sky Bet: Charlie Nicholas’ Tip, Chris Smalling to score 1st and match to end in a 1-1 draw @ 175/1

Regardless of the predictions and the betting odds, Liverpool vs. Manchester United looks set to be another barnstormer. With neither side wanting to disappoint their fans, we can expect a heady cocktail of passion, aggression and, if things go to plan, some goals.

The Launch of Sun Bets

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

sun bets bet 5 get 10

Betting Giant, Sun Bets, is finally here!

The UK bookie officially opens its doors to punters today, August 2nd, 2016. Click the link to get an account and get a free £10 bet.  Plus win £1,000 of free bets every day.

Sun Bets Introduction:

The UK bookie officially opens its doors to punters today, August 2nd, 2016. Boasting a multi-million pound campaign, the brand explodes to the market; headed by News UK’s in-house agency, Pulse Creative, backed by racing expert, Matt Chapman and ex-England team-mate, Ian Wright.

Media conglomerate News Corp, in alliance with The Sun Newspaper & Australia’s Tab Corp, have come together with the aim of providing betters with the nation’s strongest sports & horse-racing platform. Sun Bets presence will be exclusively on-line throughout their site and mobile apps.

The Sun has solidified themselves as a key player in the gambling market over the past 10 years. The popularity of online Bingo has seen the Sun’s Bingo arm, sunbingo.com, prosper enormously – their quality product, coupled with their above the line media promotion has secured their Bingo brand as one of the strongest in the UK for player base & brand recognition.

With strong brand equity, an innovative product & relevant market experience, it was almost natural progression that the Sun would expand into the broader sports-betting vertical. News UK CEO, Rebekah Brooks believes ‘This is a hugely significant juncture for News UK and The Sun, marking the start of an era where new brands and revenue generating streams are being created on the back of the strength and much sought-after reach of The Sun.”

The relationship between The Sun & Tabcorp represents a 10-year agreement; The Sun will commit the media activity, and Tab Corp will leverage their unmatched betting experience to deliver a strong, innovative product to the market.

Sun Bets originally release was scheduled almost two month’s ago, but with the Summer Olympics & The launch of the Premier League season, the launch couldn’t have come at a better time for keen punters. Will the buzz live up to the expectation?

Keep an eye out on Betcirca for the latest news and insights into Sun Bets… And more importantly, exclusive bonus bets!

Reliability & Security:

Undoubtedly, one of the strongest features of Sun Bets is their reliability. News Corp has nearly monopolized the media industry, owning the Times, News UK, Wall St Journal, New York Times, News Corp Australia & Foxtel. News Corp & their house of brands have cemented themselves at the forefront of this industry for years, proving their legitimacy as leaders in customer-satisfaction.

Additionally, Tabcorp have been front-runners in the Australian betting industry since their inception over 22 years ago, holding exclusive licenses to operate physical betting outlets. When it comes to Australian bookmakers, no one is more secure then Tab.

Payment Methods:

As a key player in the English market, you can expect Sun Bets to offer all the popular payment options. Visa Debit and Credit are currently available as well as Mastercard credit and debit. We expect Sun Bets to fully expand their payment options once they formally launch their product.

Currently, Sun Bets operate towards an up to 24 hour time frame when it comes to processing withdrawals. There is then a 3-5 day wait for funds to arrive into your account. This is standard across the majority of the industry.

Gambling Markets:

Sports & Racing are core betting offerings from Sun Bets, with the aim to be market leaders in these two areas. Given Sun Bets launch is inline with the start of the Premier Season, we can expect cracking bonus offers & Football promotions to celebrate the brand’s launch. Already you will notice a “Price Boosts” tab that highlights daily promotions around various headline sporting events taking place each day.

As well as the major sports, Sun Bets has gone to great lengths to offer an exciting novelty betting selection. There is clear synergy between Sun editorial and the offering of special, topical betting opportunities that reside within the daily headlines.

Sun Bets has also ventured into more niche markets such as eSports betting. This is an emerging industry, so having the support of Sun Bets is a clear indication that they’re trying to appeal to a previously untapped demographic of cash rich video gamers.

Customer Support:

Sun Bets have invested in a full suite of support options. Unlike some bookmakers who only provide an email support option, Sun Bets has Live Chat, Email and Phone support. Live Chat and Email are on offer 24/7.

Review:

It’s early days, the site has only just soft launched. All of the markets are available you’d expect across all of the sports you’d expect. Expect a more concise review upon further use and when future website improvements are implemented.

Join today and get a free £10 Free Bet

 

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Cricket World Cup: Betting Specials

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Many of the major Australia bookmakers are offering specials on the Cricket World Cup.  We’ve scoured the best offers and summarised them for you below.  Happy Betting!

Sportsbet Australia

World Cup Money Back Special!

  • Place a Top Runscorer Team A or Team B bet on a Cricket World Cup match
  • If your bet loses but your selection hits a 6, we’ll refund your bet up to $100!
  • Your first bet for each team’s Top Runscorer is eligible, so you can take advantage of this special twice per match!

Max $100 refund per team, applies to Top Runscorer Team A or Team B markets only, first bet per team eligible, online bets only*

 

Ladbrokes Australia

1. Cricket World Cup Batters Bonus

Bonus bet if your player is bowled or out LBW.

Have a top batsman bet in ANY World Cup match, and if your player is either bowled or out LBW, you’ll get your stake back as a bonus bet. Max bet $100.

2. Cash Back – Cricket World Cup

.Money back if Australia score 250+ runs but lose!

Australia play England in their first World Cup match, and this is an offer too good to refuse! Have a bet on the Aussie’s in head to head market, and if they score 250+ runs but lose, you’ll get your CASH BACK! That’s money back in your account to have another crack. Max bet $100.

 

BetEasy

World Cup Bonus

  • Place a bet on the Australia Top Run Scorer Market for any of Australia’s group matches
  • We’ll match your stake up to $25 with a Bonus Bet to place on the Australia Top Wicket Taker Market for that match!

Applies to your first Australia Top Run Scorer bet on each group match involving Australia.

 

TopBetta

World Cup Cricket – Bigger Bat Promo

It’s World Cup Cricket on TopBetta and throughout the competition we are boosting each batsmans willow by 50%! Pick the Top Batsman in either team market (EG: Top New Zealand Batsman and Top Sri Lankan Batsman) and if he does knock up the most runs we will increase your odds and payout by 50%!

 

PalmerBet

ICC World Cup Top Run Scorer Promotion

How does it work?

A Free Bet Reload applies to all Top Runs scorer bets placed on all ICC World cup matches that select a player who scores 50 runs or more in his innings and does not win the Top run scorer market.

 

TAB Australia

High Bat Money Back

Place a High Bat bet on any player in the Cricket World Cup and if your batsman scores 50 or more runs but doesn’t top score, we’ll give you your money back.