Tag: Lions

Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions set for tense finale

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Week 17 promises to be a nail-biting one for thousands of NFL fans as there are four teams vying for the final two playoff berths in the NFC. It is win or bust for the Green Bay Packers and the Detroit Lions as their game will decide who wins the NFC North, while the Washington Redskins and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are also in with a chance of earning a wildcard spot in the playoffs.

New York Giants at Washington Redskins

The NFC East looks to be the best division in the league right now, with the Cowboys leading the way on 13-2 and the Giants second with a 10-5 record. Both have already qualified for the playoffs, but a third team from the division could also go through if Washington secure the final wildcard spot. That would mean three of the six teams going to the playoffs have come from the same division, and it is looking pretty likely.

The Redskins host New York knowing that the Giants have nothing to play for. They are locked in for the fifth seed spot, so they will more than likely rest key players to avoid the risk of sustaining any injuries ahead of the playoffs. The Redskins have it all to play for and come into the match fresh from a 41-21 thrashing of the Chicago Bears. They should be able to beat the Giants, but about the best price you can get is 3/10 at Paddy Power. It looks good for any accumulators you are considering, but it does not represent great value. The spread is pretty tough on the Redskins as they are -8 and they will struggle to cover that. You would expect them to win but not by a huge margin, so the 20/23 on the New York Giants +8 looks a good bet, as the Redskins are likely to win this by only three or four points.

Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions

The biggest fixture in week 17 has been saved for last as the Packers travel to Detroit for the crunch game. Both teams are 9-6 and are tied at the top of NFC North and the winner takes it all. Things are not looking good for the Lions. They have led the division for most of the season, but have lost their last two games and seen the Packers catch up with them right at the death. Last week’s 42-21 drubbing at the hands of the Cowboys, who had already qualified for the playoffs and had nothing to play for, will have caused a great deal of consternation among their fans.

By contrast, the Packers are flying, having embarked on a five-game winning streak, the best in the conference. That run has included victories over excellent teams such as the Seahawks and Texans, both of whom have made the playoffs, and they should be able to topple Detroit. In that five-game winning streak, their average margin of victory has been 13 points, so they look good to cover a -3.5 spread at 19/20 with Bet365 when they travel to Detroit. Aaron Rodgers has been absolutely sensational during their winning run with 11 passing touchdowns – four of them against the Vikings last week – and zero interceptions. A creaking Detroit defence will struggle to contain him and we could see a repeat of the game earlier in the season when Green Bay beat them by seven points. If you think it will be closer than that, Bet365 has 4/6 on the Packers at -2 or 4/7 on them simply winning outright.

Super Rugby Round 14 Results

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Round 10 was always going to feature some riveting Rugby with the top of the conference New Zealand duel expected to grab most of the headlines.  However, it was the performances of the Blues and the Reds that surprised most and grabbed plenty of newspaper space.

Here’s the mashup from Super Rugby’s Round 14 Results

Blues (23) v Bulls (18) 

The leadership struggle between private investors and the Auckland Rugby Football Union at the Blues took a back seat to the footy action on Friday night as the Blues were able to hold on for win number three of 2015.

An understandably dismal crowd saw quality individual tries from Lolagi Visinia and George Moala get the better off the Bulls rolling mauls and a quality individual performance by Jan Serfontein.  The pieces of back magic gave the Blues a five point win and gave a hint of what the Blues could be capable of if they were led well and governed by strong administration.

The third win at Eden Park means respite for Blues fans, and possibly points to some 2016 magic at the home of New Zealand rugby.  Considering two of the wins have come against the Bulls and the Brumbies, the 2015 season will always be an enigma.

Youngsters Blake Gibson, Akira Ioane, lock William Lloyd and halfback Jamison Gibson-Park all took their chance to shine for the hosts.

Blues: Tries – L.Visinia, G.Moala, Pen – I.West 3, Con – I.West 2

Bulls: Tries – J.Serfontein 2, Pen – H.Pollard 2, Con – H.Pollard

Reds (46) v Rebels (29)

The Reds got win number three of 2015, shocking the Rebels at home with a deadly five try burst in the second half at Suncorp.  The Reds, now, might just be the most unfancied opponents, as playoff contenders will view the Queensland outfit as banana skin foes.  The Reds’ final two games of the season come against the Chiefs and the Waratahs – they could have a big influence on the final standings.

The win means the hire of former Wallabies coach John Connolly paid instant dividends for the Reds who put together their best effort of the season, despite trailing by 11 after just 36 minutes.  However, the second half was full of quality from Lachie Turner and Liam Gill in particular, but also a solid effort from young Jack McIntyre at fly half.

As much as the backs benefited on the scoresheet there were plenty of bumslaps for a forward pack that dominated the Rebels tight five.  Led by lock Rob Simmons the Reds back men were worthy recipients of plenty of praise.

The loss is a major blow for the Rebels playoffs chances, now six points outside the top 6.

Reds: Tries – R.Simmons, J.McIntyre, L.Turner 2. C.Feauai-Sautia, L.Gill, Pen – J.O’Connor 2, Con – J.O’Connor 5

Rebels: Tries – S.Naivalu 2, D.Shipperley, L.Jones, Pen – M.Harris, Con – M.Harris 3

Hurricanes (22) v Chiefs (18)

The Chiefs were left to rue a controversial TMO decision in the final stages as they lost to the Hurricanes 22-18 in Wellington.  An undermanned Chiefs side missing a host of players and then losing two locks inside they first half were brave and perhaps deserved more out of the top of the NZ conference match.

The controversial incident came in the closing stages as the Chiefs were camped in the Hurricanes 22.  Replacement halfback Augustine Pulu snuck out from the back of the ruck to score a potential game winner but the TMO ruled a knock on in the ruck and called the play back.  In fairness the knock on was courtesy of Hurricanes hands in the ruck and should have been a penalty to the Chiefs.  They deserved the chance to tap that penalty and look for a match winner but the decision went against them.

Ma’a Nonu scored a double for the Hurricanes in an accomplished performance.  He lost midfield partner Conrad Smith but made the most of breaks from the Savea brothers and displayed super handling to score his five pointers.  He was one of only a few bright spots for a Hurricanes team that were down a gear from when Beauden Barrett plays, and one that struggled to take advantage of a numerical advantage when Liam Squire was binned.

Elsewhere, James Broadhurst and Brad Webber continued to press their All Black claims with fine efforts.

Hurricanes: Tries – M.Nonu 2, A.Savea, Pen – J.Marshall, Con – J.Marshall 2

Chiefs: Tries – C. Ngatai, S.Cane, Pen – D.McKenzie 2, Con – D.McKenzie

Waratahs (33) v Sharks (18)

The Sharks lost their sixth match in a row and helped the Waratahs to top of the Australian conference and second overall at Allianz Stadium.

A disappointing fixture saw plenty of clumsiness, plenty of errors and ultimately another Sharks loss – equalling their work streak in 19 years of Super Rugby.

They had their opportunities to win this one, especially when Francois Steyn scored to make the score 20-18 with a quarter of the match remaining.  But Bernard Foley’s converted try made it impossible and inflated the scoreline in the Waratahs favour.

The Waratahs will be concerned about their 12 handling errors and the fact that they conceded 18 turnovers.  Those worries may be cancelled out by the realisation that they have one of the most damaging ball runners in the competition in the form of  Rugby League convert Taqele Naiyaravoro who scored his fourth try of the campaign.

Waratahs: Tries – A.Ashley-Cooper, T.Naiyaravoro, B.Foley, Pen – B.Foley 4, Con – B.Foley 3

Sharks: Tries – O.Ndungane, F.Steyn, Pen – F.Steyn 2, Con – F.Steyn

Lions (20) v Brumbies (30)

Six Super Rugby points during a difficult tour to South Africa is a decent return for the Brumbies who grabbed five of them in a win over the Lions on Sunday morning.

The bonus point win courtesy of four tries to two keeps the Brumbies in the hunt for a home semi-final (the Hurricanes a 14 points clear with a game in hand and the race is essentially one for second place).  It’s the second time in succession the Brumbies have grabbed a win in Johannesburg, and helps atones for last weeks shocker against the Stormers.

Defence was again critical for the Brumbies.  They have conceded less than 200 points in their 13 games, and in this fixture were able to support the defence with some devastating attack.  Tevita Kuridrani, Christian Lealiifano and Joe Tomane were the best for the ACT side, while the Lions got plenty of work out of flanker Jaco Kriel.

Lions: Tries – J.Kriel, A.Coetzee, Pen – E.Jantjies, R.Combrinck, Con – E.Jantjies, J.van der Walt

Brumbies: Tries – T.Kuridrani, I.Vaea, C.Lealiifano, J.Tomane, Pen – C.Lealiifano, J.Mogg, Con – C.Lealiifano 2

Cheetahs (24) v Highlanders (45)

The Highlanders scored a bonus pint win over the Lions in Bloemfontein to make it three New Zealand teams in the top six.  Much like last week a destructive first half saw the Highlanders run out to a 26-3 lead, and unlike last week this time they were able to build on it and win crucial competition points.

The seven try to three win was full of quality running footy in nice conditions at Free State Stadium.  Rugby League convert Ryan Tongia scored two well taken tries, as did Aaron Smith. Ben Smith, Patrick Osbourne and the prolific Gareth Evans also got on the scoreboard as the Highlanders moved to 5th on the Super Rugby table.

The final scoreline has a hint of competitiveness to it, but that wasn’t the case as all of the Cheetahs were scored late in a consolation mould.  The respectability of the scoreboard however won’t do anything to improve the mood of the Cheetahs, nor do they get any competition points for their efforts.  They remain last in the South African conference.

Cheetahs: Tries – R.Benjamin,C Wegner, F.Venter, Pen – F.Brummer, Con – F.Brummer 3

Highlanders: Tries – R.Tongia 2, A.Smith 2, P.Osborne, G.Evans, B.Smith, Con – L.Sopoaga 4, M.Banks

AFL Round 7 Results

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After last weeks round of shock upsets, the AFL settled down to a degree and pretty much ran the course predicted.  Upsets (while there were still a few) were replaced with huge scores, low scores and just two close contests (as exciting as they were).  Fremantle kept winning and at the other end of the table the Brisbane Lions finally hauled themselves off the bottom.

Here’s a quick run down of all the moments that matter in Round 7:

Essendon (12-10-82) v North Melbourne (13-15-93)

The North Melbourne Kangaroos did enough to get by a Dons side that has far too many wADA and drug scandal distractions to be expected to put together some decent footy.  But put together okay footy they did, matching the Kangaroos for much of the close Etihad Stadium that acted as a replay of last years elimination final.

The difference was Jack Ziebell who collected 29 disposals (15 of them contested), had 11 disposals and kicked 2 goals (including one from outside the 50) to help seal the 11 point win.  Goals also came from Petrie (2), Thomas (2), Waite (2) but the Roos will be keen to work on their kicking during the week as accuracy in front of goal was a little concerning.

The win means North Melbourne get to 4-3 for the season and the Bombers the opposite at 3-4.

Adelaide Crows (18-11-119) v St Kilda (10-13-73)

A brutal encounter at the Adelaide Oval may have robbed the league of two of its stars for a significant amount of time.  Both Nick Riewoldt and Matthew Jaensch appear to suffer serious injuries in contrasting nasty and innocuous challenges.

Injuries aside the match was relatively one-sided once the Crows were able to overcome a quick three goal start form the Saints.  Eddie Betts was the star of the match, kicking five goals for the third straight week (he had six in all here) and seeing his protege Charlie Cameron also kick three.

Josh Bruce was excellent in a losing side.  He again led the forward line with five goals and 12 marks.  His man bun was everywhere and kicking goals from some obscene angles.

Adelaide’s win takes them to second on the ladder, ahead of a tricky period which starts with GWS in Sydney then Fremantle at home before facing an unpredictable Carlton side who may have some players back by then.

Hawthorne (24-11-155) v Melbourne (7-8-50)

The Hawks came out as everyone expected and buried the Demons (of last week) with a huge win at the MCG.  Gearing up for next weeks Grand Final rematch against the Swans, the Hawks won by a mammoth 105 points and in the process gave Melbourne coach Paul Roo’s his biggest coaching defeat.

As the scoreline suggested the match was largely uncompetitive.  Hawthorne led at every quarter and kicked at least four majors in each of the four terms.  Jarryd Roughead was the most prolific of the Hawk’s front line with four goals, while Luke Breust (3) and Cyril Rioli (3) also got amongst the fun as did ten other goal kickers.

The reigning premiers were never going to be rolled over two weeks in a row, but nevertheless the 40,000 plus crowd will be disappointed by the Demons showing.  Schoolboy errors in the face of unrelenting pressure are excusable but unforced errors such as the failure of Cameron Pedersen to get the distance from 35m out, and his teammates failing to contest the resultant scramble.

Carlton (9-3-57) v GWS Giants (19-21-135)

The Greater Western Sydney Giants backed up their win over reigning premiers Hawthorne with another quality performance to comprehensively beat Carlton in Saturday’s twilight fixture at the Etihad Stadium.

The 78 point thrashing heaps more misery on a Blues team that could see coach Mick Malthouse fired by the end of the week.  The Giants registered their highest ever score thanks to five majors from the in form Jeremy Cameron.  But the real winning of the game was the Giants getting the better of a lopsided 78-32 inside the 50 count.

The result proves two things.  One, the Giants are actually shaping as a pretty decent side.  And two, Carlton are not.  Expect a few more renditions of the club song from the Giants as they continue to build on  their 2014 season, and expect plenty of turmoil for the Blues.

Sydney Swans (18-12-120) v Geelong Cats (11-11-77)

Lance Franklin was again wasteful in front of goal but still managed four goals to make amends for his donut last week.  His effort wasn’t the major talking point of the Swans 43 point win over Geelong however,   instead the arrival of Luke Parker to the upper echelon of Aussies Rules players took that honour.

Parker was the best midfielder on display and the catalyst of a dominant second half that saw the Swans kick10 goals to two and streak away.  Geelong actually led at halftime before being blown away by the Swans second half show.

Jarrad McVeigh celebrated his 250th game by marshalling the Swans defence in his usual professional manner.  He also added his second goal of the season and was carried off by his teammates in recognition of his longevity, loyalty and ongoing Swans contribution.

The Swans move up to third and will be hoping they can take Saturday’s form into next weeks epic encounter against the Hawks.

West Coast Eagles (21-9-135) v Gold Coast Suns (6-7-43)

The Eagles continued their dream run in 2015 with a relentless win over the Gold Coast Suns at a wet and miserable Domain Stadium.  The 92 point win means the Eagles early season march continues all the way to second on the competition ladder, and inflicted a damp and dreary mood on the Suns to match the conditions.

26,000 brave fans saw a number of records and almost records.  The Eagles had 12 goals in the third quarter which set a new club record, while the Suns narrowly avoided posting their lowest ever score.  That was largely due to four goals in the final term a much better effort than the solitary minor they managed in the second quarter.

Standouts were everywhere for the Eagels.  Matt Priddis gathered 39 disposals and kicked two goals; Elliot Yeo kicked 4 goals from 29 touches; Shannon Hurn was also involved, he had 25 touches and 12 marks; Chris Masten had 43 disposals; and Josh Kennedy kicked four goals.

Western Bulldogs (14-4-88) v Fremantle (15-11-101)

Fremantle’s unbeaten start to the season continued, but Sunday’s result was perhaps the closest of them all as they narrowly beat a dogged Western Bulldogs unit.  The win seventh straight may come with a hefty price tag mind you, with Brownlow Medal contender Nat Fyfe facing a possible suspension for tripping (slightly souring his 30 disposals performance).

The Dogs outlined exactly what it takes to defeat the Dockers without actually doing so.  They were accurate, disciplined and above all plucky as they fought back from 34 points adrift only to see late goals to Michael Walters and Matthew Pavlich break their hearts.

Tory Dickson was on target seven times for the Bulldogs, and captain Bob Murphy was at his snappy best, but the side were left to lament a ground ball that stifled a scoring chance to Mitch Wallis.

The Bulldogs drop to 8th bit should be able to regain a placing or two if they beat Melbourne next week like they should.

Richmond (16-9-105) v Collingwood (15-10-100)

It took 7 rounds to find an absolute classic and it might not be matched for the rest of the season.  The mid table clash between the Tigers and the Magpies served up a thrilling contest in one of the best games in recent memory with ebbs and flows, lead changes (ten to be exact) and only five points separating the sides at the final whistle.

The Tigers were able to grind out the narrow win despite an inside 50 deficit of 7.  They relied on big plays in the closing moments from Trent Cotchin and Brett Deledio.  Cotchin was particularly influential in the final quarter, racking up 9 disposals, including 3 inside fifties, 6 contested possessions and 3 score involvements.  Deledio had 30 possessions (10 contested) and 13 marks for the game.

The win means the Tigers snap a worrying three game losing streak and are now just one win outside the top 8.

Travis Cloke and Dane Swan were the best from the beaten side.  Swan worked tirelessly all day, and while his stats didn’t quite match the Tigers’ best, he didn’t deserve to be on a losing side.

Brisbane Lions (15-12-102) v Port Adelaide (8-17-65)

The Brisbane Lions have gone back to back and dragged themselves off the bottom of the ladder with a win over an unenthused Power side at the Gabba on Sunday.

The scalp is an excellent result for a Lions side that reward 17,000 loyal fans, however some serious questions will need to be asked of a Port Adelaide side that failed to fight for loose ball or bring any energy or intensity to the contest.

A low scoring first quarter would have had the purists worried, but Brisbane exploded with six majors to take the lead (one they never relinquished) and control of the game.  The goals in that period were shared around, but Josh Green (3), Mitch Robinson (3), Allen Christensen (2) were the leaders in that respect for the match.

Port Adelaide have exactly a week to change their attitude and improve their intensity.  They meet the much improved Tigers who will be riding high over this weeks win over Collingwood and need a win to keep in touch with the leaders.

AFL Round 7 Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Two months into the AFL season and we’re now starting to get a good handle of where the teams are at.  Fremantle obviously appear to be the team to beat, but with so many upsets thrown around last week, it’s getting harder to separate the mid table sides.  We’ll do our best to come back form our horror tipping show last week, and provide some better quality predictions this week in our AFL Round 7 Preview:

Essendon v North Melbourne

Essendon – $2.35

North Melbourne – $1.60

I doubt this one will be one for the purists but it is an important match for the two teams.  Essendon host North Melbourne in the Round 7 opener where both teams will be looking to stay in touch with the top 8 after up and down starts to the season.

North Melbourne are favourites on the back of their defeat of Richmond last week.  They should be too strong for an Essendon side that have gone backwards in recent weeks after a pleasing start to the season.  Although both teams are struggling to bring intensity in defence this season, their attack has also been disjointed so a winning score in the 80’s or early 90’s seems about right.

North Melbourne to win.

Adelaide Crows v St Kilda

Crows – $1.25

St Kilda – $4.15

Round 6’s surprise packages the Saints have it all to do against an Adelaide side that has been decimated by injury in recent weeks.  Both sides enter this one on the back of Round 6 wins.  As alluded to St Kilda recorded their biggest come from behind win in the history to beat the Western Bulldogs away from home. The Crows also enjoyed a win, their’s a comprehensive win over the Suns.

History is against St Kilda in this fixture.  They have lost their last four games against Adelaide, meaning it will take some special to overcome then on Saturday.  Perhaps the fact that the Crows are missing Rory Sloane is the slice of luck they need to in.

We doubt it.  The Crows to take this one out.

Hawthorne v Melbourne

Hawthorne – $1.08

Melbourne – $8.50

The Demons are about to see a demon unleashed on them this week.  Melbourne hosts an embarrassed Hawthorne side that suffered a shock loss to the Giants last week.  The result of which will be a revengeful monster that doesn’t bode well for Melbourne’s chances.

The Hawks very rarely suffer two losses in a row and despite still being without suspended duo Luke Hodge and Jordan Lewis should have too much firepower for their opponents.  If they win on Saturday it will be their 12th straight victory over the 15th placed Demons.

Hawthorne to get through comfortably.

Carlton v GWS Giants

Carlton – $2.70

Giants – $1.48

Carlton coach Mick Malthouse is under huge pressure to get a result in his side’s match with the Greater Western Sydney Giants on Saturday.  The three time premiership winning coach has been lambasted in the media throughout the week after Carlton’s loss to Brisbane last week.  Malthouse calls the media comments “unsavoury”, but the media and greater AFL public are likely to determine his employment status over the coming weeks, so a win on Saturday is probably more needed than any other win in his glittering coaching career.

The Blues were so poor last week.  The opposite of the Giants, who enjoyed a ten point win adjacent reigning premiers Hawthorne.  The Giants are in the unfamiliar position of favourites, and we’re a little worried how they’ll respond to that.

Therefore, we’re giving the Blues the win (in a risky tip).

Sydney Swans v Geelong Cats

Swans – $1.27

Cats – $3.90

The Sydney Swans at ANZ Stadium presents a stern test for an improving Geelong side in Saturday nights penultimate game.  The Cats returned to some form by destroying high flying Collingwood with one of the best half of footy we’ve seen this season.

But, the Swans are in some quality nick too. Currently 4th on the championship ladder and having enjoyed a comfortable win in last week’s action against Melbourne, the Swans should be too much for Geelong.

Isaac Heeney’s forced injury layoff is the only change to the Swans side.  In his place Dean Towers in a move that shouldn’t affect the play of the team too much.

Sydney to win.

West Coast Eagles v Gold Coast Suns

Eagles – $1.10

Suns – $7.50

The Suns have never beaten the West Coast Eagles, a statistic that is unlikely to change at Domain Stadium on Saturday.  The Eagles are always a difficult proposition at home, and currently sit second on the AFL ladder despite many pundits assuming they would struggle this year after key retirements in the back field.

However, they have proven themselves to be finals contenders with key wins in four of their last five games.  The Suns best chance of causing an upset is through the middle of the paddock, however that’s hard to fathom given the relative inexperience of their midfielders.  Gold Coast were better than the 31 point losing margin suggested last week but will find their Round 7 opponents too tricky.

West Coast to remain in the competitions top three with an easy win.

Western Bulldogs v Fremantle

Bulldogs – $3.65

Fremantle – $1.28

Fremantle are not only the early leaders of 2015, they’re also the team to beat the entire year after putting together six wins from as many games to start the season.  Getting plenty out of stars Nathan Fyfe, Aaron Sandilands and David Mundy, Fremantle have already established an 8 point lead at the top of the ladder.

While other sides that were tipped for success in 2015 stumble through the opening rounds, the Dockers look untouchable.  That should hold even against a Bulldogs side that are the surprise packages of this year’s action.  It’s somewhat remarkable that an unbeaten side is still only at $1.28 to get the job done – a testament to the Bulldogs play.

The Western Bulldogs have gone 4-2 to start the season, and should have beaten St Kilda last week when they led by as much as 50 points before letting it slip.

While we think this will be close, we can’t see Fremantle losing.  Dockers to get up.

Richmond v Collingwood

Richmond – $2.05

Collingwood – $1.75

A strange game to predict features a Tigers side that were tipped to finish well inside the top 4 this season, but are now languishing in 13th, playing a Collingwood side who were pathetic in last Friday’s loss to Geelong.

Ordinarily we’d give this to Collingwood, however the pressure on both sides could result in some desperation that makes it close and difficult to determine a winner.

Players aside the major talking point of the match will be the tactics and performance of the two coaches.  Damien Hardwick in charge of the Tigers, and Nathan Buckley at the helm of Collingwood are both under pressure (more so Hardwick) and it will be interesting how they ask their chargers to play in this one.

We think Collingwood should be okay.  They’ll win in by 15 points.

Brisbane Lions v Port Adelaide

Lions – $4.50

Port – $1.20

Brisbane enjoyed a win last week, their first of the 2015 campaign, but we can’t see them getting any points out of their Sunday showdown against the Power at the Gabba.  The Lions snuck a win over the under pressure Carlton side, mainly thanks to Tom Rockliff and new recruit Dayne Beams.

They’ll need plenty more out of their in form big men if the are to trouble a Power side who currently occupy 10th on the ladder with a 3-3 record.  That’s an okay return from a difficult opending draw, and they showed signs last week against the Eagles that they would compete with the better teams this year.

They were slightly unlucky to lose at home last week, however with Robbie Gray kicking goals for fun.  We think they’ll justify their favourite tags and beat the Lions.

 

Super Rugby Preview Round 14

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Odds, tips and snippets from the latest round of Super Rugby action.  Here’s the weekly Super Rugby Preview Round 14 Edition:

Blues v Bulls 

Blues – $2.15

Bulls – $1.70

The Blues have had plenty of distractions this week.  Most of them revolve around their coach John Kirwan’s future, which apparently won’t be decided until August.  Will he stay?  Will he get Wayne Smith as an assistant?  Those are the questions being asked, notably because the Blues season is already well and truly over.

However, they play pretty decently at home so they could sneak some points from this picture against the susceptible Bulls outfit.  The Bulls have not won outside of South Africa since 2013, but have plenty to play for as they currently top the South African conference with the Stormers.

On this seasons results the Bulls should be too strong, but we’re sensing an upset, even though the Blues got licked by the Rebels last week.

Blues 1-12.

Reds v Rebels

Reds – $2.25

Rebels – $1.62

Game two of the week also features two teams enjoying contrasting seasons.  Former Champions the Reds are done and dusted.  Struggling with injuries and form, the Reds were badly beaten last week and look to be second best in this fixture too.

In contrast, the Rebels are still in the hunt for a playoff spot – just 4 points behind the Brumbies and will undoubtedly bring plenty of confidence to Suncorp Stadium after mauling the Blues last week.

Jake McIntyre has been asked to make his Super Rugby debut at 10 for the Reds, while Karmichael Hunt returns from injury at outside centre.  Big things are expected of McIntyre.  The 21 year old replaces Nick Frisby who is out with concussion in the Reds problem position.  He could thrive without the pressure of a playoff spot beckoning.

We’ll go for an upset here.  Reds 1-12.

Hurricanes v Chiefs

Hurricanes – $1.62

Chiefs – $2.30

The New Zealand conference decider features two of the better teams in 2015’s Super Rugby season.  The always enterprising Hurricanes face the equally ambitious and attacking Chiefs team at home, bidding to win their 11th game of the season.

The Hurricanes have a poor overall record against the Chiefs, having won just twice of their last seven matches against the side from Waikato.  However, the most recent matchup saw the Hurricanes destroy the Chiefs 45-8.

The Canes are bolstered by the return of TJ Perenara and Julian Savea, returning them to full strength.  Conversely, the Cheifs have lost James Lowe and Sonny Bill Williams in what appears to be two massive hits to their chances.

Hurricanes 13+.

Waratahs v Sharks 

Waratahs – $1.30

Sharks – $3.50

The bookies are giving the Sharks little chance of beating the Waratahs at Allianz on Saturday night.  The Sharks have been disappointing all year and particularly poor away from home, something that is frustrating Bismarck du Plessis no end.  Sydney appears an unlikely venue to turn that statistic around however, as the Sharks have won just 2 of 10 encounters in the area.

That pretty much points to a Waratahs win.  A desperately needed one too after they dropped valuable points against the force last week.  The Tahs have not lost two games in a row all season and we don’t believe that will start on Saturday night.  Buoyed by the inclusion of Michael Hooper, who looked set to miss a few weeks after limping off last week, the Waratahs will win 1-12.

Lions v Brumbies

Lions – $2.10

Brumbies – $1.72

In arguably the most difficult of the round’s games to predict, the Lions face the Brumbies at Ellis Park.  The Brumbies top the Australia conference but are currently in the midst of a mini form slump.  Narrow losses to the Waratahs and the Stormers (3 points and 1 point respectively) have left the ACT franchise needing to win in Round 15 to avoid three straight losses that would equal their worst ever losing streak.

Matt Toomua returns for the Brumbies to aid the cause.  His inclusion adds a tremendous amount of sought after experience in the cauldron that is Johannesburg.

The Lions have surprised many in this campaign.  Most recently they surprised the Highlanders with a stirring second half fightback.  They might not have the paddock across the park, but they can grind out wins at home better than most.

We like their chances and will give them (the Lions) the win by 1-12 (because the Brumbies always lose narrowly if they lose).

Cheetahs v Highlanders

Cheetahs – $2.50

Highlanders – $1.53

An important match for the Highlanders at Free State Stadium this one.  The Highlanders have failed to win any of their four games in the republic and need to keep in touch with the New Zealand conference pack that is currently chasing the Hurricanes.

Last week’s win will still be hurting, and the best tonic will be a win against a Cheetahs side featuring a new halves pairing of Tian Meyer and Francois Brummer.  The Highlanders are not without their own changes. They lose breakout star Waisake Naholo to a bruised foot – replaced by little known Ryan Tongia.

We see the Highlanders finally breaking their South African hoodoo and getting a win by 1-12.

AFL Round 6 Results

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

An unimaginable number of upsets gave bookie all sorts of headaches over the AFL weekend.  The upsets also made a mockery of our predictions – we struggled to four tips for the week.

All the action reviewed in our weekly piece titled AFL Round 6 Results below:

Collingwood (8-11-59) vs Geelong Cats (15-10-100)

A hot first half from the unfancied Geelong team helped them get the better of the Collingwood Pies at the MCG on Friday night.  In the first of many upsets in Round 6, the Cats jumped out of the gates and kicked the first seven goals of the match before surviving a brief comeback in the second stanza to win by 41 goals.

An incredible 425 possession form the Cats undid the Magpies and confounded them to their second loss of the season, no doubt incredibly flummoxed as to how they gave up 11 goals in the first half to their 2.

Mitch Duncan, Steven Motlop (3 goals) and Cory Gregson (3 goals) were all standouts for Gellong.  While Scott Pendlebury was excellent in a losing cause for Collingwood.

Geelong’s third win of the campaign gets them to three wins from six matches and up to 12th on the ladder, however they’re equal on points with Hawthorne who currently occupy 8th.

North Melbourne (16-13-109) vs Richmond (10-14-74)

A 16,000 strong crowd at Blundstone Arena saw North Melbourne get the better of Richmond in the first of Round 6’s Saturday games.

In a close first half only a goal separated the teams as both teams benefitted from a direct running game and tight control of the ruck.  However, six consecutive goals in the crucial third term sent North Melbourne on their way as Richmond suffered a monumental lapse in concentration.  They’ll need to get to the bottom of that ahead of their difficult upcoming fixtures against Collingwood, Port Adelaide, Essendon and Fremantle.

Lindsay Thomas will receive most of the praise for his five goal effort (from just nine attempts), but Shaun Higgins and Brent Harvey were also key contributors.

North move to 9th on the competition ladder but will face much more tougher matches than this one.  They were gifted 92 points from Richmond turnovers, a statistic that is unlikely to be offered by the competitions stronger teams.

Western Bulldogs (13-9-87) vs St Kilda (14-10-94)

St Kilda staged a dramatic comeback to shock almost everyone and beat the Western Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium.  The cellar dwellers were down by 55 points in the third quarter but amazingly kicked twelve goals to three in an incredible second half.  The comeback is the fifth biggest comeback in AFL history and will no doubt have had bookies seething.

The comeback may have been sparked by an all in brawl right on the stroke of halftime because directly after the break the teams showed up with wildly different energies.

St Kilda midfielder David Armitage was the star of the show.  He had a career best 45 possessions and 8 clearances.  Together with Jack Billings who kicked 4 goals, he was largely responsible for sparking the wild scenes.

GWS Giants (16-12-108) vs Hawthorn (14-14-98)

In another Round 6 match we failed to predict the Giants beat last year’s premiers by ten points in Sydney.

The win is arguably the Giants greatest ever in their short history and was delivered courtesy of an incredible second half that completely shocked the Hawks.  Jeremy Cameron was the hero at Spotless Stadium kicking seven goals to help reel in a 27 goal first half deficit.

Much like other games in the round the impetus came in a flurry.  GWS kicked five straight goals to finish the half and take an unexpected cushion into the second half.  They managed to hold on to that lead and with it two valuable completion points.  They are now ahead of Hawthorne six games into the season.

The Giants’ 2015 record resembles a symmetrical gang sign – WLWLW.  They’ll be hoping to turn this into a web address over the next few weeks.

Gold Coast Suns (11-12-78) vs Adelaide Crows (18-11-109)

Fellow league infants, the Gold Coast Suns, couldn’t replicate the amazing win of the Giants, instead suffering a large defeat at the hands of the Adelaide Crows.  The match was largely one-sided.  The undermanned Suns struggling to feature after conceding five straight goals in the first quarter.

After a number of their players were given bans for breaching the alcohol policies of the Club, the Suns were always destined to struggle, and that’s exactly how it panned out.  The Suns were simply not good enough.  The only silver lining was a last quarter win.

Eddie Betts had five goals, taking him to twenty for the season.  He’s currently second behind West Coast’s Josh Kennedy in the Coleman Medal race, and the Crows are back on track.

Melbourne (7-8-50) vs Sydney Swans (12-16-88)

Sydney atoned for last week’s shock loss to the Western Bulldogs by beating a wasteful Melbourne side in Melbourne on Saturday night.  The Swans got plenty of return from star forward Kurt Tippet (4 goals) but are facing six weeks without talented youngster Isaac Heeney who badly injured his knee.

The Swans crushed the haunting memories of last years grand final disappointment and reeled of seven goals to one in a first half that essentially killed off the contest.

Melbourne may cling to some positives from a gutsy second half.  They actually took the half out by two points in a display that had coach Paul Roos pleased his side didn’t lose by 100.

Fremantle (12-8-80) vs Essendon (7-10-52)

The Dockers kept up their unbeaten start to the season by beating the Bombers in a low scoring encounter at home on Saturday night.  A crowd of 37,000 packed Domain Stadium to see their ladder topping heroes get the better of an Essendon side that were expected to give them more trouble than they did.

The Bombers have gone away form their aggressive hard nosed footy and looked directionless at times in the face of constant Fremantle pressure.

Aaron Sandilands, was brilliant for the home side, registering 33 hit-outs, and he was aptly supported by the disposals of Lachie Neale (33), David Mundy (28) and Nat Fyfe (27).  That service was in stark contrast to the ball Fremantle had to deal with, but they were wrong around the stoppages.

A 54 goal three quarter lead was shortened in a fourth quarter that won’t concern the Dockers coach Ross Lyon too much.  It felt as though the Dockers were simply going through the motions, and that’s understandable after five consecutive wins and a handy lead in the sixth.

Carlton (11-9-75) vs Brisbane Lions (12-12-84)

Carlton lost to the Brisbane Lions in the battle of the early season wooden spoon.  The Lions were given little chance by the bookies ahead of their matchup, however overturned their $4.00 odds to grab a narrow victory over 17th placed Carlton.

The nine point win came courtesy of a brave second half as they built up a third quarter lead and held on to it during a tense finale.  The win gets them underway for the season and helped answer the critics who accused them of not caring about their results.

Dayne Beams and big off season recruit Allen Christensen were instrumental in winning quality ball for their unlikely attacking spearhead to kick the goals.  Daniel McStay was that unlikely spearhead – he kicked a career best 4 goals in what turned out to be a one on one battle with Brisbane’s Levi Casboult (4).

The drought breaking win will give Carlton some confidence ahead of their Round 7 home match against the Giants, whereas the Lions have now lost four in a row, amounting to huge pressure on coach Mick Malthouse.

Port Adelaide (10-8-68) vs West Coast Eagles (11-12-78)

The final match of the round at the Adelaide Oval continue the trend of Round 6 upsets as the West Coast Eagles got up over the more favourited home side.

The Eagles ripped the form book, and their pre match odds of $4.50, to shreds as they responded brilliantly to a fierce last quarter barrage by the Power.  Port gave it their all in an engrossing last quarter, but their all wasn’t enough to get past the Eagles desperate backline.

We had said before the game that the Eagles start to the season was a little misleading because of their favourable draw, however, on this evidence that is simply not true.  They are genuine contenders, and with a number of youngsters (Jeremy McGovern, Elliot Yeo) starting to hit their straps they have the basis of a strong team for a number of seasons.

The Eagles remain near the top of their leaderboard after the win.  The four points gets them to second on percentage.  Port are in 10th, but with no cause for immediate panic.