Category: Live Sports News

World’s Richest Mile Handicap Highlights Day 1 Of The Championships

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Since The Championships format was established in 2014, combining some of Sydney’s biggest races into a rich and prestigious two-day carnival, there’s been a common element – rain. Sadly, 2017 isn’t shaping up any differently. The Harbour City copped another drenching on Thursday, sending the track into the heavy range. Showers are forecast for Friday and Saturday so, fingers crossed, the track doesn’t deteriorate into the dreadful state of Randwick Guineas day. It’s black type top to bottom but four G1 races stand above the rest on Day 1.

Waller Chasing Fifth Donny in a Row

The highlight of the day is The Star Doncaster Mile, worth $3 million. Australia’s unofficial mile championship was first run in 1866. The late TJ Smith and his daughter Gai Waterhouse (with Ecuador running this year) are the most successful trainers having each won seven times but they could be joined by Chris Waller, who is chasing an incredible fifth successive win in the world’s richest mile handicap (Sacred Falls 2013-14, Kermadec 2015, Winx 2016). Recent runnings of The Doncaster show that off-pace runners and horses in the fourth or fifth run of the prep perform well here. A capacity field of 20 is virtually assured and more than half of that line-up are priced at better than 20-1 to win! With so many chances, we can afford to go wide. #6 Le Romain ($6 favourite with Sportsbet) trailed only Winx in the George Ryder and carved through the wet at Randwick to win the Canterbury Stakes two back. Lightweight chances #15 Hey Doc and #16 Antonio Giuseppe also appeal ($15 apiece at William Hill).

Viva la Revolution

The latest class of Australia’s best sprinters will be on show in the $2.5 million Darley TJ Smith Stakes. The inaugural race in 1997 was known as the Endeavour Stakes before being named in the honour of champion trainer Tommy ‘TJ’ Smith, who won 33 training titles in Sydney. #1 Chautauqua returns in pursuit of a third successive win in this race but hasn’t hit the heights of previous preps this campaign. In a wide open field, the $5 favourite #14 Russian Revolution still represents decent value. He’s lost just once in six career starts and carved through a bog (10) track at Rosehill to win the G1 Galaxy last time out. With so much exposed form here, this 3yo colt for Peter and Paul Snowden is the one with potential to keep improving. And there’s no better jockey in the country than Kerrin McEvoy when it comes to group races and big fields.

Kiwi Champ Looks Vulnerable

The $2 million BMW Australian Derby dates to the same year that the Melbourne Cup was first run (1861). The Derby has been historically dominated by colts and geldings – over the past 27 years, the only filly to win the race was Shamrocker (2011). This is one of the toughest races on the Australian turf calendar to win. The past three winners have come from barrier 1 and double-figure gates feature only twice in the places in the past four years. The public is mad for the $3.50 (Unibet) favourite Gingernuts (NZ) after his stunning win in the Rosehill Guineas on a heavy track on March 18. But he’s hardly bulletproof – this is his seventh run for the prep and goes back up in distance to 2400m from a wide draw. #1 Prized Icon is the proven product having won the VRC Derby (2500m) last spring and looks overs at $11 (Ladbrokes) if the track stays in the soft range. #9 Harper’s Choice ($61) will lead this race and could pinch if Jason Collett can pinch a big lead heading for home.

Snowden’s Invader Ready for Battle

The Sires’ Produce Stakes is Royal Randwick’s 2yo championship and forms the second leg of the Sydney autumn carnival’s 2yo triple crown (along with the Golden Slipper and Champagne Stakes). The Gai Waterhouse-trained Pierro was the last horse to win the Triple Crown, becoming just the sixth juvenile in history to achieve the feat when claiming all three races in 2012. The Slipper has provided two of the past four winners and six of the 12 placegetters but there is a trend developing of horses being specifically set for this race having an edge. With Gunnison scratched, another Snowden runner Invader appeals at a juicy quote of $9.50 (Luxbet). He didn’t have any favours in the Todman, but he still found the line strongly and being scratched from the Golden Slipper may prove a blessing in disguise. Hugh Bowman returns to the saddle while he’s drawn nicely in gate 4 of 19.

Burnley vs. Tottenham: Could Injuries Cause an Upset?

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Few football fans would liken Burnley FC to a banana skin, but that’s exactly what the club could prove to be on April 1 when they welcome Tottenham. Indeed, on a day when everyone and their dog will be doing their best not to look like a fool, Spurs will be hoping a few untimely slips don’t scupper their chances of moving clear of Manchester City.

By all measures of form and success this season, Mauricio Pochettino’s men should claim a comfortable win at Turf Moor on Saturday. Harry Kane has been firing on all cylinders with 19 Premier League goals, Hugo Lloris has kept 10 clean sheets from 25 appearances this season and the team as a whole are second in the league. In contrast, Burnley is sitting in unlucky 13th place after 29 games with a goal difference that’s three times worse than Spurs’.

Spurs are the Obvious Betting Favourites

From this season’s stats alone, it’s easy to see why Sun Bets has the London club as the 13/20 favourites heading into the game. In fact, things don’t get any better for Burnley when you look back through history. Of the 109 times the two teams have met, Tottenham has the edge with 43 wins to Burnley’s 40. Again, if we looked at the numbers, Bet365’s odds makers appear to have every right to make Tottenham the 3/5 betting favourites.

However, as any self-respecting football fan knows, numbers only go so far and there are a few knocks (quite literally) that could swing this match in favour of the home side. Firstly, Sean Dyche has worked wonders with what many would consider a mediocre team this season. Aside from getting his players to gel as a unit and move eight points clear of the relegation zone, Dyche has brought out the best in Michael Keane.

The 24-year-old has come on leaps and bounds since his days as a Manchester United academy prospect and he’s now a key figure in the Burnley first team. As a testament to his recent form, Keane recently ran out for England and it’s this achievement that could give him a confidence boost ahead of Saturday’s game. To coincide with the defender’s current rise to prominence, Spurs will be without hotshot Harry Kane this weekend. An ankle injury against Millwall could keep him out until the end of April which will hurt his team’s scoring abilities.

A Clash of Forces Could Cause an Upset

On top of this, midfielder Erik Lamela will be out with a hip injury as will striker Vincent Janssen. This spate of injuries will leave the striking duties to Son Heung-Min. Unfortunately, having played 90 minutes of international football already this week, there’s a chance he’ll be slightly fatigued and not at his best. When we piece all this together it seems we’ve got two issues at play here. Firstly, we’ve got a Burnley defence that’s likely to be buoyed by Keane’s form. Secondly, we’ve got an under strength Spurs that look to be lacking some firepower.

The combination of these two factors could result in a shock result on April 1. Now, Burnley hasn’t exactly been banging in goals this season. In fact, the side’s 31 goals for is the fourth worst in the Premier League, which would suggest they probably won’t be too much of a threat for a Tottenham side that’s only conceded 21. If we accept this, a draw would be a fair shout. With William Hill offering 3/1 on that result, a cheeky punt could be worth your time this weekend. For something a little more lucrative, 1-1 with William Hill is a tempting 13/2.

On the face of it, Tottenham should walk through Burnley and take all three points. However, with injuries threatening to provoke an upset, this could be the one time Burnley become a proverbial banana skin.

Picking a Winner in Every MLB Division

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

We are now just three days away from the start of what promises to be another thrilling Major League Baseball season, and there is plenty of value to be had in predicting who will win each division. Here we run through them all, offering odds and predictions on how they will end up.

American League East

The Boston Red Sox are second favourites for the World Series and should be able to prevail in this division over the Blue Jays and Yankees. Boston has everything you want in a franchise, a strong blend of youth and experience, and the cash to fix any problems that may arise. Boston looks a great bet in this division at 4/5 with Paddy Power.

American League Central

This is another no brainer but the odds are nowhere near as attractive as the Cleveland Indians are best priced at just 1/4 with Ladbrokes and BetFred. BetVictor has them as low as 1/50. Odds of 1/4 are not attractive when you have to wait a whole season to cash out, but if you are compiling an accumulator, stick Cleveland in.

American League West

This is a very tough one to call and there is great value as a result of that. It looks like a three horse race between the Houston Astros (6/4 with BetWay), the Seattle Mariners (3/1 with BetWay) and the Texas Rangers (3/1 with Ladbrokes). The Rangers have won the division for the last two years running, but they are rebuilding and the popular pick is Houston, a team full of exciting youngsters. Seattle, however, is a real dark horse, full of power and speed, and look really interesting at 3/1.

National League East

This will come down to the Washington National and the New York Mets. Washington is the favourite at 4/6 with Bet Victor, but the loss of Wilson Ramos will be a blow. The Mets are one of the best teams in baseball when they are all healthy, which has not happened much in recent times, but if they get a bit of luck with injuries, they can win this division. So, the 19/10 Paddy Power is offering looks attractive.

National League Central

St Louis is a good team and can make things interesting, but the Chicago Cubs will dominate this division. Chicago is favourite for the World Series and with good reason: it won the World Series last year and proved itself as the best team in baseball. Little has changed since then to suggest the Cubs cannot win this division at a canter. There is barely any value in it – just 1/5 with Bet Victor and Paddy Power – but it is another one for that accumulator.

National League West

The LA Dodgers are a dark horse for the World Series as they have a really great team with superstars in Clayton Kershaw and Kenley Jansen, and a fantastic supporting cast. The Dodgers look a great bet to win this division at 8/13 with Paddy Power.

Oregon v North Carolina: Predictions on Point Spread and Totals

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Every year armchair fans across the USA and further afield complete a March Madness bracket in which they predict the teams that will progress in the tournament. Tens of millions filled in online brackets this year and just 0.000003% anticipated that we would see North Carolina, Gonzaga, Oregon and South Carolina in the Final Four, illustrating what a rollercoaster ride this competition really is. Earlier this week we previewed Gonzaga v South Carolina, a game Gonzaga is expected to win, so now we move on to North Carolina v Oregon, which is a little closer in the betting lines.

Oregon Ducks v North Carolina Tar Heels

North Carolina was the favourite before the start of the tournament and has justified that status by cruising through to the Final Four. The Tar Heels have had to do it the hard way, overcoming second-seeded Kentucky in the Elite Eight and a very strong Butler team in the Sweet Sixteen. North Carolina is still the outright favourite to win the NCAA Championship (6/4 with SkyBet, compared to 13/8 at Ladbrokes on Gonzaga, 5/1 at BetVictor on Oregon and 9/1 at William Hill on South Carolina) and with good reason. The Tar Heels are by far and away the most experienced team left standing in this tournament.

Last year North Carolina suffered the heartbreak of losing to a three-point buzzer beater in the Championship Game against Villanova, and their four leading scorers this time around – Justin Jackson, Joel Berry II, Kennedy Meeks and Isaiah Hicks – all played a part in last year’s run to the final. They have tasted what it feels like to be runner-up and will be desperate to go one better this time around. In Roy Williams, they have a coach making his ninth appearance in the Final Four. None of the other three coaches left has ever been this far before. Third-seeded Oregon beat very good teams in Rhode Island and Michigan to reach the Elite Eight and then surprised everybody with a 14-point win over top-seeded Kansas. It has proved it can frustrate and beat the sport’s best offensive teams and will be very dangerous, especially due to the confidence gained from upsetting Kansas. The outright looks close to call, and UNC may shade it, but Oregon +5.5 at 5/6 with Betfred looks a really good bet. Kansas was considered by many the best team in the tournament and Oregon shut it down completely, so it could well do a similar job on UNC.

Prop Bets

This being a big game there are all sorts of weird and wonderful specials bets, from guessing the winning margin to whether the points in a particular half will be odd or even. The crazier ones are best avoided, but the traditional total points look good in this game. They are both strong offensive sides, but this is such a good game that it should prove a cautious affair under 153.5 points at 5/7 with Bet365 looks good.

Roosters to Shade Sea Eagles in Blockbuster Clash

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Bulldogs Under the Pump

When you are coming off a 36-0 thumping and the recent headlines have all been about a crisis at the club and massive clouds over the future of your coach, then it’s hard to go into a game with too much confidence.

But that’s exactly what the under pressure Bulldogs will need on Thursday night when they face the Broncos.

Contrarians and true believers who think there is nothing better to galvanise a bunch of players than a heavy defeat last time out and a sense of panic around a club can take the $3.40 for the hosts available with Unibet…But they will have to be optimists. The Broncos are $1.40 with the same company

Show Night at Allianz

Friday night is show night, and what better prospect than the big clash between the Sea Eagles and the Roosters at Allianz Stadium.

The Roosters are flying high and are one of only two teams with a 100 per cent record this season, the Sydneysiders topping the early season table on points difference.

The Roosters have been good in the tighter matches this season, while Manly has been big winners at their past two outings.

Still, the Roosters are well fancied here, with Ladbrokes and Bet 365 putting them up at $1.38, with those who reckon the Sea Eagles can keep their recent winning vein going able to get $3.35 from Unibet.

This promises to be a tense, tight and taut affair, with the Roosters fancied to shade it.

The Cowboys entertain the Rabbitohs, also on Friday night, and the Queenslanders will be looking to go on with the job with a victory over a Rabbitohs side coming off a loss to the rampaging Roosters in round four.

The Cowboys were last time out winners, bouncing back from their heavy defeat against Manly in round three to see off the Titans in the Queensland derby last weekend. So, it’s hardly surprising that they are short-priced favourites here (top price of $1.32 with Unibet), and they should justify market confidence.

Storm Set to Continue Run

Premiers Cronulla should have too much for the hapless Newcastle Knights on Saturday evening.

The Storm is the ultimate grinders and they are expected to confirm their dominance over the Penrith Panthers, against whom they usually win, on Saturday evening. Those who reckon this can be a home banker can get $1.60 with Unibet.

On the same day, the Raiders host the Eels at GIO Stadium and will fancy their chances of making it seven straight wins against their opponents at that venue. The Canberra side may well be only 1-3 for the season so far, but two of those losses have been by narrow margins, and they are around the $1.45 mark to win here.

The New Zealand Warriors are favoured to beat the Titans across the ditch on Sunday, while St George Illawarra and the Tigers face off in an intriguing encounter on Sunday, where the Dragons can be backed at $1.60 with Sportsbet to continue their good start to 2017.

Washington Capitals the Team to Beat?

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The Washington Capitals have embarked on a five-game winning streak at just the right time and now look the team to beat going into the playoffs. With just seven games left, the Caps have the highest points tally in the NHL, the most wins, the most goals for and the fewest goals against. That is an emphatic set of statistics and they deserve to be the favourites for the Stanley Cup.

Divisional Futures

The quirk of the NHL this season is that the team with the second highest points tally, second highest number of games won, second highest goals for and second fewest goals against plays in the same division as Washington. The Columbus Blue Jackets are on a roll, having gone 7-2-1 in their last 10, and are just three points behind the Caps in the Metropolitan Division. Still, the Caps have won five in a row and there are just seven games left, so they should hold off the challenge and win the division (1/4 with William Hill). The Blackhawks have all but sewn up the Central Division, while there is no value in backing the Canadiens over the Senators in a poor Atlantic Division. There is plenty of intrigue in the Pacific, though, where the Anaheim Ducks are two points clear of the San Jose Sharks with two games to go. Bet365 has 1/2 on the Ducks and 11/4 on the Sharks. The Sharks lost six straight and are 3-7 in the last 10, while Anaheim is 8-1-1, so the momentum is with the Ducks and Anaheim-Washington could be a good double.

Stanley Cup

Right now it is hard to look past the Caps for the Stanley Cup as they have the stats and the form to back their claim. The 6/1 at Ladbrokes and Coral looks good. Joint-favourites the Minnesota Wild have really fallen apart in the closing weeks of the season, while a 7-0 loss to Florida for the Chicago Blackhawks sets alarm bells ringing. The injury-ravaged Pittsburgh Penguins are on a three-game losing streak and have fallen behind Columbus. The Blue Jackets look a decent outside bet at 10/1 with Bet Victor and Stan James, particularly attractive when many bookmakers will only go to 7/1. Columbus goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky is in outrageously good form and the Blue Jackets are 9-0-2 in his last 11 games. A longer shot could be the Ducks at 20/1 with Stan James. They have momentum at a crucial time and Ryan Getzlaf is playing sensational hockey.

Upcoming Games

The Ducks are in Winnipeg to play the Jets on Thursday night and should win that one at odds of around 14/19. You should find similar odds on the Blue Jackets to beat the Carolina Hurricanes at the same time, and that could make a nice double. Saturday sees the Blue Jackets take on the Blackhawks in Chicago, where they will be underdogs, but given the way both teams have played recently Columbus could win it.