Tag: sports betting

Will Leicester City Make History Again?

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Leicester City overcame pre-season odds of 5000-1 to win the Premier League last season. This is surely a feat that will never be repeated in our lifetime. They made history several times with regards to the records that they set but they are in danger of doing so again.

Only one team in the history of the English top flight have been relegated the season after being champions. The Foxes are in danger of repeating that. They only have 17pts from 17 games and that point per game ratio if continued will leave them fighting relegation come the end of the season.

The Big Problems

They host Everton in what is a crucial game for the Foxes. While it isn’t a “must-win” game by any means, defeat would be a big blow for Leicester. So just what has gone wrong? It’s an accumulation of problems. The main one has been their level of intensity. This has dropped alarmingly since last season and the stats back that up. There is a reason why top players and top teams keep on performing season after season. The big advantage that they have is in their mentality.

The top players are “top players” because they produce top performances season after season. If the Leicester players were in that category then they would surely have been snapped up by other clubs before they joined Leicester City. So a big problem has been in being able to rise to the same heights again and to retain the motivation levels. Clearly, Leicester has struggled in this area. Secondly, they lost N’Golo Kante to Chelsea.

Losing the Midfield Dynamo

Allowing Chelsea to snatch N’Golo Kante has proved to be a big loss for Leicester. So much of their play went through him and he was certainly pivotal in most of their attacking play. The new rules on holding and grappling in the penalty area have also handicapped Leicester City. Players like Wes Morgan and Robert Huth were masters of the “dark arts” of defending.

Leicester will continue to struggle this season because they have simply lost their intensity. They host Everton who will be eager to bounce back from their stoppage time home derby defeat to Liverpool. Despite all of Leicester’s problems, they can be backed at an outstanding 9-4 with Coral. That is surely too high and represents great value. Leicester swept aside Manchester City recently which is another indication that 9-4 is a good bet.

The draw can be backed at 12-5 with Ladbrokes while Everton seems poor value at 2-1 with BetVictor. The demands of playing Champions League football have also taken their toll on Leicester. In the Premier League, opponents have become very familiar with Leicester’s style and this is another factor as to why they have struggled this season.

NBA Set for a Christmas Cracker

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Reigning champions the Cleveland Cavaliers have been in sensational form over the past week and blew away the Raptors, Heat, Knicks and Hornets in quick succession. The odds on them winning the Eastern Conference have shortened considerably, and they are now just 10/3 to win the NBA Championship. The Golden State Warriors have maintained their strong form, despite a blip against the Grizzlies, and the two still look on course for a showdown in the Championship series. There are plenty of exciting games to look forward to in the week ahead, but already thoughts are turning to Christmas Day, when the Cavs host the Warriors in what could prove to be the game of the season so far, and that could give a strong indication as to who will seize the Championship.

Eastern Conference

Odds on the Cavaliers winning the Eastern Conference have shortened from 13/20 to just 4/9 in a week, thanks to their excellent winning streak. Star man LeBron James continues to break records and in the past week became the first player to ever reach 7,000 career assists along with 27,000 points and 7,000 rebounds. He is an all-around superstar, and teams simply cannot handle him at the moment. As we suggested last week, the Cavaliers destroyed the Knicks and easily covered the spread. They are now just 1/18 to win the Central Division and look good for the Eastern Conference, so it might be worth getting on them sooner rather than later as the odds are only going one way at present.

Western Conference

We tipped the Warriors to easily cover the point spread against the Clippers and they did so, also beating the Pacers, Jazz and Timberwolves, but an 110-89 defeat to the Memphis Grizzlies was a serious blip. The Warriors were sleepwalking through that game and it raises question marks over their mentality going into a crucial part of the season. The odds on them winning the Western Conference have gone out to 2/5 with some bookmakers, as the Spurs are looking good, so now could be the time to back them.

NBA Championship

The Warriors have drifted out to 5/6 with Sky Bet and Bet Victor thanks to the recent form of the Cavs, so now might be a good time to back them if you still think they will do it. They still rank as the best team in the league this season and top the power rankings as the NBA’s top scoring and top shooting team. But the Cavs are building up a head of steam and the odds are likely to continue tumbling on them, so it could also be worth getting on them at 10/3 with Bet Victor now.

Upcoming games

A standout game sees the Warriors take on the Knicks on Friday. After the Cavs destroyed the Knicks, the Warriors will want to put in a similarly emphatic performance to show they are still the dominant force in the NBA, so backing them to cover the spread might be a good idea. Similarly, the Cavs play the Grizzlies and will be keen to beat them to land a psychological blow against the Warriors.

The Warriors blew everyone away to win the NBA Championship two years ago but lost out to Cleveland in the finals last season, and everything looks to be heading for a grudge match between these two in this season’s finals as they are the best teams in the NBA of late. They face off in Cleveland on Christmas Day and it promises to be a thriller. Bookmakers are already offering odds and it is tight, with Paddy Power offering 20/23 on the Cavs and 20/21 on the Warriors. With the way LeBron is playing at the moment, you wouldn’t want to bet against him turning it on in front of his beloved hometown fans, and that 20/23 on the Cavaliers looks tempting.

Quick Adjustment Required in Chappell-Hadlee Opener

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Australia’s calamitous summer continues tomorrow in Sydney when they host the Black Caps in the first match of the Chappell Hadlee series.

The Australians will look to put behind them a dour 2016 that has seen them be destroyed by Sri Lanka, embarrassed by South Africa twice, and seen several selection personnel and players get discarded.

Having restored some pride in the baggy green in the Adelaide third test dead rubber against South Africa, the Australians head to Sydney to ease media pressure and quash internal discontent.

The Black Caps on the other hand will be buoyant after disposing of Pakistan on home soil in the recent test series. But in order to retain the Chappell-Hadlee trophy they’ll need to win in Australia – something they have’t done in an awfully long time.

Both teams will need to adjust from red ball (pink ball in Australia’s case) to white ball quickly to grab the head start in the three game series.

The Last Time These Two Met

New Zealand hold the Chappell-Hadlee trophy after last year’s 2-1 series win. After dominating to win game one in Auckland by 159 runs, Australia drew level in Wellington, before the Black Caps closed out the series at Seddon Park. The win in Hamilton was especially impressive, built on the back of the fabulous spin bowling and fielding.

But the prospect of a trip to Australia is daunting for the Black Caps. Nine of their squad haven’t played a one-dayer in Australia, and those that have will hold scars from the 2015 World Cup final. The only silver lining and fact that will give NZ some hope is the fact that Australia got thrashed 5-0 by South Africa in an away ODI series recently and have selected a similar group of players for this series.

Interestingly, since the start of 2015 Australia have played 16 ODIs at home. They won 15 of those in a row.

The Teams

Australia (from):

David Warner, Aaron Finch, Steven Smith (capt), George Bailey, Travis Head, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Marsh, Matthew Wade (wk), James Faulkner, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Adam Zampa.

Australia have picked a team pretty similar to the one that travelled to South Africa recently and were beaten 5-0. However, this time around they have not rested Starc or Hazlewood.

Expect Glenn Maxwell to miss out after he made some disparaging comments about fellow squad member and his Victorian captain, Matthew Wade.

New Zealand (likely):

Kane Williamson (capt), Todd Astle, Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, Colin de Grandhomme, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Colin Munro, Jimmy Neesham, Henry Nicholls, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, BJ Watling (wk).

BJ Watling gets a second chance at a ODI career – Luke Ronchi has been dropped. Also in that category is Corey Anderson, Doug Bracewell, Ish Sodhi and Anton Devcich. Ross Taylor is unavailable.

Look out for speedster Lockie Ferguson. He’s been tearing domestic sides apart in New Zealand, regularly touching 150km/h.

The Key Players

Australia

Mitchell Starc – This guy does crazy things with the white cricket ball. Admittedly he does impressive things with the red ball too, but with the white ball he is quick and dangerous. The extra swing he generates will have Guptill and Latham worried and he could completely turn games in his first spell.

New Zealand

Kane Williamson – The New Zealand captain hasn’t scored the amount of runs he would have liked recently. He was quiet in India and had only one half century in the test series against Pakistan. But he’ll have fond memories of Australia after dominating the test series there last year. Williamson will look to spend as much time at the crease as possible; avoiding risk and allowing the rest of the team to build the innings around him, especially big hitters like de Grandhomme and Munro.

The Match Odds

Australia – $1.40 at Palmerbet.

New Zealand – $3.30 at Betfair.

The Prediction

New Zealand will need to scrap their little hearts out all game and rely on the little 1%ers (fielding and so on) to get the better of Australia here. We can’t see it happening given the team is so inexperienced. We’re also worried the likes of Latham, Watling and Nicholls are just not powerful enough to carry New Zealand to a big total. Australia to win.

The Best Bets

Colin Munro is super inconsistent but is starting to feel more comfortable at the top level after playing in the World Twenty20 and the IPL. He loves the ball coming on to the bat and could be dangerous if he gets a start. He’s paying $6 to top score at Bet365, which looks pretty good money.

Steve Smith does one-daters pretty well. There was a period against India last year where he was impossible to dismiss. Look for him to top score at odds of $4.33.

Manchester United vs West Ham: Two Bosses under Pressure

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Manchester United take on West Ham on Sunday in the Premier League. Both managers are under pressure and need a win. After the successes of last season, Slaven Bilic and the West Ham fans would not have expected to be just one place above the drop zone in November.

In fact, a defeat at Old Trafford on Sunday could see them in the bottom three. A large part of their current situation can be blamed on the move to the new stadium. Their results in the impressive Olympic Stadium have been patchy, to say the least.

Any team in the Premier League is going to struggle if they are continually getting mediocre results at home. West Ham played with such energy and passion last season that you tend to wonder where it has all gone wrong. Injuries to key players haven’t helped. Andy Carroll is still some way off being fully fit, and he has only played once all season. West Ham certainly misses his potent threat up front.

Misfiring Reds

The question needs to be asked if Manchester United’s title chances have already vanished this season. Some people argue that it’s too early to say that. Consider the facts. They trail Chelsea by 9pts, and they are behind three teams that are playing much better than them in Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City. All of their big name acquisitions have been misfiring this season. Wayne Rooney has been well below his best.

These are four big reasons why the 9pt gap will likely grow larger rather than contract. You simply cannot underperform for half a season and expect to win the league. The big test for United is to finish in the top four. Jose Mourinho is certainly under pressure, but then again why shouldn’t he be?

United are Still No Better

We can argue about the merits of style but the league position and the stats don’t lie. United are no better off under Mourinho than they were under Moyes and Van Gaal. The bookies now have United at 25/1 for the title. Those odds are not too far short of bookmaker spiel for “no chance”.

As for their game with the Hammers on Sunday, they will start as favourites and rightly so. One negative point for United could be their Europa League tie against Feyenoord on Thursday. What will their energy levels be like against West Ham? Mourinho has openly stated that he is taking the Europa League very seriously this season.

He may need to if they miss out on the top four in the league. Winning the Europa League would then be United’s only chance of playing in the Champions League next season. You can get odds of 1-2 with Stan James for a Man United win. You can also get 7-2 with SkyBet for the draw and a tasty 15-2 with BetFred for a West Ham upset.

Manchester United v Arsenal: Bitter Rivalries Resumed At Old Trafford

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With the (mostly) tedious round of international fixtures thankfully over and done with, a welcome return to the Premier League beckons as Manchester United and Arsenal kick off the bill in fine style on Saturday.

Formerly the bitterest of enemies in their annual tussle for top division supremacy, it is fair to say that this once-fierce rivalry has gone off the boil in recent seasons – but that looks set to change this weekend as old hostilities are resumed between Arsene Wenger and newly-appointed Red Devils manager, Jose Mourinho.

There’s certainly no love lost between the pair, with Mourinho memorably branding his opposite number a “voyeur” after the Frenchman’s comments on what he perceived to be a negative Chelsea side in the 2005 season. Wenger allegedly considered legal action before responding with a withering put-down of his own.

“He’s out of order, disconnected with reality and disrespectful,” the long-standing Arsenal manager said in riposte to what he deemed to be one personal attack too many from his venomous Portuguese opponent. “When you give success to stupid people, it makes them more stupid sometimes and not more intelligent.”

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Although there have been numerous other flare-ups between the pair over the years, both Mourinho and Wenger will surely prefer that their teams do the talking for them on the pitch this Saturday – and the bad news for the visitors is that the statistics make for grim reading as far as an away win is concerned.

Not only do the Gunners have an abysmal record at Old Trafford in recent years, but Wenger is also winless against his opposite number in 13 attempts; with Mourinho drawing six of the pair’s competitive meetings and winning the remaining seven, including a notable 6-0 demolition at Stamford Bridge in March 2014.

That being said, a stuttering start to life as Manchester United boss means that the bookmakers think there is little to choose between the two teams on this occasion, with United seen as narrow favourites at 31/20 by William Hill, and Arsenal not far behind at 23/10 with Sky Bet. The draw, meanwhile, is available at a best price of 19/10 with Bet Victor, meaning no one is entirely sure what to expect from Saturday’s early kick-off.

No PL Audition For Ibrahimovic

One thing that is for certain, however, is that Mourinho’s men will be without the services of talismanic centre-forward, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who misses the match due to suspension. With the big Swede being responsible for six of United’s 16 Premier League goals so far, this naturally leaves something of a void in the first scorer market, with Olivier Giroud surprisingly seen as the man most likely at 11/2 with Sky Bet.

With the French striker being mostly confined to the role of substitute this season, it seems an erroneous price when you consider that Alexis Sanchez is likely to retain his position up front for the Gunners. The Chilean returned from injury to score twice against Uruguay during the international break and is seen as a 13/2 shot with William Hill to break the deadlock here, with teammate Theo Walcott also available at 8/1.

For the home side, meanwhile, Marcus Rashford is the 6/1 favourite with Coral, but there might be more value to be had in Unibet’s 7/1 quote on Wayne Rooney doubling his tally for the season. True, the United skipper has been far from convincing in recent months, but with 14 career goals against Arsenal to date, it would certainly be fitting if an old constant decided the latest meeting between these two evolving teams.

Europe’s Rookies Give USA the Edge in 2016 Ryder Cup

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The Ryder Cup is without a doubt the greatest team event in world golf, and one of the greatest team events in international sport. It pits the entire continent of Europe against the USA. This year’s event will be staged at the Hazeltine National Golf Club in Minnesota from September 30th to October 2nd, 2016.

Europe has been dominant in this golf event in recent years winning the past three tournaments; in fact, it has taken home the Cup in six out of the last seven meetings against rival USA.

So, you could be mistaken for thinking that team Europe would start as a huge favourite at Hazeltine. However, Sun Bets have the USA as short as 4/7 with Darren Clarke’s European side at 15/8 to win the matchup outright and 11/8 to retain it; the defending champions keep the Cup in the event of a tied match.

The Year of the Rookie

Lending the US team the edge is how many well established European stars have either struggled this year, or have just missed the team. Stalwarts like Ian Poulter will be sorely missed, and past greats like Jose Maria Olazabal and Colin Montgomerie have not been easy to replace.

Europe has no fewer than six first time rookies this year in Danny Willett, Chris Wood, Andy Sullivan, Thomas Pieters, Matt Fitzpatrick and Rafa Cabrera Bello. The atmosphere will be white hot at Hazeltine, and big names like Rory McIlroy, Lee Westwood, Sergio Garcia and Henrik Stenson will have a lot riding on their shoulders.

Should these guys underperform, the USA could win this event comfortably buoyed by a passionate homegrown crowd. So what of the USA team, and why do the betting firms favour them so heavily?

Big Tournament Experience

The top end of the order for the USA is looking formidable and even at 46 years of age, Phil Mickelson can still cut it with the young guns just missing out on this year’s Open Championship. Plus, we have Jordan Spieth who is a double major winner and currently ranked top five in the world.

Add to the equation major winners like Dustin Johnson, Zach Johnson and recent USPGA Champion Jimmy Walker all bringing big tournament experience to the fray. Plus, this year the US team has the celebrated Tiger Woods as Vice-Captain, along with Steve Stricker, Tom Lehman and Jim Furyk.

The Value Bet

If you don’t much relish the thought of backing the USA and fancy Europe to win the Ryder Cup yet again, then you can get various odds from numerous betting firms like SkyBet, William Hill and Coral, but the consensus is that the USA will emerge with the trophy in hand this year.

You can also take a wager on other markets, such as the leading European player and points scorer. In this market your best bet is to go with the in-form players, who will be expected to tee off in at least four if not all five matches across the three-day event. So, Rory McIlroy, Henrik Stenson and Sergio Garcia should factor in your thought process before you throw your money down.

If you fancy a long shot and bigger odds SkyBet have some juicy ones on offer with their hole-in-one odds. For example, Ryder Cup rookie Thomas Pieters is 200/1 to make a hole-in-one along with Andy Sullivan, Chris Wood and Rafael Cabrera Bello. Contrast that with the 80/1 for Rory McIlroy to do the same thing, and it’s clear where the value lies.