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Today’s Sports Betting Preview – By Rick Elliott

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Man Utd Can Beat West Ham Tonight

West Ham are at home to Manchester United tonight in the Premier League but the fixture is meaningless in terms of outstanding issues. The home team will not be relegated to the Championship and United will finish second in the league. Motivation and incentive will be key factors but West Ham players seemed to have downed tools before a crucial win at Leicester last weekend that made them safe.

David Moyes has achieved the objective of keeping West Ham in the Premier League and United’s players are playing for FA Cup Final places. United usually follow a defeat in the Premier League with a win and three points. The Hammers have recorded one victory in their last 12 fixtures with top six opponents so MANCHESTER UNITED are the team to back tonight at 4/5 with Ladbrokes.

It’s the dreaded Playoffs in League One and a 46 match campaign comes down to home and away ties and qualification for the Wembley final. Shrewsbury finished two places and 16 points ahead of Charlton in the regular season. Almost half of first leg matches in the Playoffs over the last 20 years have been drawn and there have been just nine goals in Charlton’s last seven matches.

Shrewsbury have a great profile in the context of moving up a division through the post-season route but Charlton made a strong finish in their league campaign. The form and momentum is with the hosts tonight and Charlton should avoid defeat. A DRAW is not the worst results in the first match in the tie for the home team and that outcome can be backed at 9/4 with Betfair.

It’s the second day of the Chester May Meeting and Idaho could be the best horse on the seven race card. Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore produced another potential Classic winner in Magic Wand in the Cheshire Oaks yesterday. The trainer often brings his best three-year-old colts and fillies to Chester in May but Idaho is one of his older horses. On ratings and form in the Derby, Irish Derby and King George IDAHO is a cut above the other runners in the Ormonde Stakes (3.35) so must be backed at 10/11 with William Hill.

Plenty Of Low Bookings Potential This Weekend – By Ian Hudson

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Manchester City are the champions elect, the three other Champions League places have been decided and West Brom are going down. We are now at the stage of the Premier League season when there are a number of meaningless matches. This weekend the most significant live fixtures are West Ham at home to Stoke and Southampton at home to Chelsea but the other televised matches bring together teams with not much on the line. This is the stage of the season to go low on bookings points because 50/50 challenges are avoided.

Despite sacking Mark Hughes Stoke are still in the relegation mire and since his departure things have actually got worse. Stoke are the only team in the Premier League to have lost their last four matches and the previous fixture was drawn. Chairman believe a new manager will increase the number of points won. Despite an initial upturn in form teams maintain the season long average despite a fresh face. A poor team lacking in confidence is not transformed by a new manager.

West Ham are now six points and 4 places above the drop zone so David Moyes has almost accomplished the objective of keeping West Ham in the Premier League. Assuming West Brom are relegated any two teams from eight could still go down because they have not reached the safety target of 40 points. West Ham have won and drawn their last two matches but that followed three losses on the bounce. A home win will take them closer to safety but that would leave Stoke closer to the drop.

Southampton have hit a poor run of form at the wrong time. They were on the periphery of the relegation dog fight but two draws and three defeats has left them third from bottom and three points adrift of safety. They desperately need a home win against Chelsea on Saturday but that side are out of contention for Champions League qualification. Southampton should have the hunger to pick up three points which would drag the three teams above them into the battle if they lose their matches.

The match between Liverpool and Bournemouth at Anfield is one of those fixtures with low bookings count potential. Liverpool have the massive distraction of the Champions League semi-final and have just about qualified for next year. Bournemouth are in the mid-table no issues zone even though they have not quite reached the magic points tally to definitely stay in the division.

There were no bookings when Liverpool played at Everton and the Merseyside derby is known for producing more than its fair share of yellow and red cards. The home match against Bournemouth kicks off at 5.30 which surprisingly is just 15 minutes after the Grand National at Aintree about five miles away. It seems a strange clash and there will probably be more excitement over the nine minutes of the National than the full 90 minutes at Anfield where a draw could bust some coupons.

The other three live fixtures are ones with not a great deal at stake. Manchester United should take care of West Brom at Old Trafford, Newcastle can avoid defeat at Arsenal and Tottenham and Manchester City can share the points at Wembley. City have lost their last three matches and the title is agonisingly close but the meaningful season at the top can extend for another week but there should be no slip ups now. However, if United beat West Brom and City lose to Tottenham it could get a bit interesting. Stranger things have happened in sport.

Today’s Sports Betting Preview – By Rick Elliott

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Goals Expected In London Derby

These things matter in local rivalries but Manchester City did not clinch the Premier League against Manchester United yesterday. They were probably putting sky blue ribbons around the trophy before United came back from two goals down in the Manchester derby to win the match. City are still a million odds-on to be the champions for third time in six years but in future their fans won’t be able to gloat that the 2017/18 title was decided at home to United. The derby day theme continues today when Chelsea are at home to West Ham.

The sides are on the periphery of issues at either end of the table. Chelsea look destined for fifth place at best and West Ham should escape the drop and nightmare scenario of relegation to the Championship. It would take a bizarre combination of results for Chelsea to finish fourth and West Ham to go down. West Ham have scored in the last six meetings with Chelsea and the home team have a good scoring record at their own ground so the bet is BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE at 4/6 with Ladbrokes. Arsenal should beat Southampton at home in the other televised match.

There are now just six days before the greatest race in the world and bookmakers go 10/1 the field for one of the most open Grand Nationals in several years. There are jumps meetings at Carlisle and Exeter today with no fixtures in Ireland. The novices’ limited handicap chase at Exeter (3.10pm) is the only contest worth more than £10,000 to the winner. THE BAY BIRCH has the form and ratings to prevail and the best price on that outcome is 11/4 with bet365.

Your Chance To Win Big

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Something a little different today as we look at the Sun Bets Free Correct Score Game. 

It’s free to enter and we have to guess the correct scores of 6 games. The weekend games, this week are –

Swansea v Burnley

West Ham v Watford

Everton v C Palace

Huddersfield v Bournemouth

Newcastle v Man Utd

Southampton v Liverpool

We’ve been through the stats and these are predictions for the six games –

Swansea v Burnley 2 – 1

West Ham v Watford 3 – 2

Everton v C Palace 1 – 0

Huddersfield v Bournemouth 1 – 3

Newcastle v Man Utd 1 – 2

Southampton v Liverpool 1 – 1

What do you think? Fancy those scores, or do you think they’ll be different?

You’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain by playing this free game. 

Shrewsbury Could Beat West Ham Today – By Rick Elliott

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There seemed to be something missing from the third round of the FA Cup and it became obvious during media coverage. For the first time since 1951 there were no non-league teams in the draw. Last season Lincoln became the first club from outside the top four tiers to make the quarter-finals since 1914 but this season its just league clubs that are still competing and that takes something away from the concept. Stoke were the biggest losers at Coventry and Mark Hughes was sacked. RYAN GIGGS is the 6/1 favourite with Ladbrokes to take over but odds tend to fluctuate in these markets and things change daily.

There are four ties today and the one with the biggest potential for an upset is West Ham’s match at Shrewsbury. This fixture brings together a home side who are riding high in League One with the best home record in the division and opponents who can’t afford to be relegated to the Championship having moved lock, stock and barrel from Upton Park to the Olympic Stadium. David Moyes has been employed to keep West Ham in the Premier League and could make changes today. It’s more or less a bet on his team selection but SHREWSBURY look a big price at 23/10 with Coral.

Racing is generally of poor quality in Britain on Sundays but Ireland stages many major races. There is a Grade 1 novice hurdle (1.45pm) at Naas but the next superstar, Samcro, was withdrawn earlier in the week. The horse has been backed for the novice hurdle races at the Cheltenham Festival but is absent today. Next Destination is the odds-on favourite but on Racing Post Ratings CRACKING SMART is the horse to back at 9/1 with William Hill.

It’s Liverpool Or Everton For The FA Cup – By Rick Elliott

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There are 32 ties in the third round of the FA Cup this weekend and 22 are starting at the traditional time of 3pm. That means more than 30% of the matches have been rearranged for different reasons but the main one is for live TV coverage. He who pays the piper calls the tune which means one of the ties of the round that brings together Liverpool and Everton is being played on Friday. The home team in Liverpool should win this derby and progress to the next round. Derby themselves can avoid defeat against Manchester United at Old Trafford on the same night.

The matches shown for live coverage in the FA Cup are usually blockbusters between two big Premier league teams and ties that have the potential for a giant-killing. The Merseyside derby is a huge match in that part of the world but there are few matches that would appeal to the romantic and are about David and Goliath. The tie between Fleetwood and Leicester has popular appeal due to the number of subplots.

Leicester caused the greatest upset in sporting history by winning the Premier League in 2015/16. Fleetwood are a club going places and there appears to be no ceiling on their aspirations. After winning the title Leicester struggled but they are now near the level that saw them land odds of 5,000/1 to win the Premier League. Team selection will be key to the outcome but it is hoped that Jamie Vardy plays for Leicester because he scored 31 goals for Fleetwood in 36 matches in the 2011-12 season. The club were then in the Conference Premier but they now play in League One.

Sunday’s tie between the home side in Shrewsbury and West Ham could be a banana skin for the Premier League club. Shrewsbury are second in League One having lost just three times in 25 matches. They have the best home record in the third tier of English football and have lost just one of 12 fixtures on their own ground, scoring 18 goals and conceding just four. West Ham have won just one of 11 Premier League fixtures on the road this season so the potential for an upset is obvious.

The outcome of visit of Chelsea to Norwich will depend very much on the strength of the Chelsea starting 11. The London club are right in the mix for Champions League qualification and that is far more important than a run in the FA Cup. The same could be said of Arsenal’s tie at Nottingham Forest and without knowing the team selection its difficult to offer an opinion on these two ties. Brighton and Crystal Palace meet on Monday night but both sides could still have relegation issues so again team selection is key. Staying in the Premier League is paramount for both clubs.

The FA Cup is the most famous club competition in the world. The Final was a national occasion but it has been devalued by the number of live TV matches throughout the season. However, the cream usually rises to the top and the winner of the tie between Liverpool and Everton will be the ante post selection to win the Cup.

Today’s Sports Betting Preview – By Rick Elliott

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The Christmas and New Year holiday programme in the Premier League finally ends tonight with Tottenham’s home match against West Ham. It all starts again tomorrow night when Liverpool are at home to Everton in the third round of the FA Cup. It might be traditional to play so many matches at this time of the year but the players must be exhausted. However, the London derby last night between Arsenal and Chelsea was one of the best games of the season to date so fans are still getting quality to go with the quantity. Those two words could describe Harry Kane’s goal scoring and he looks like starting against West Ham after recovering from flu. Kane is 16/1 with Betfair to be the top scorer in the 2018 World Cup.

When England are hopeless in the World Cup the issue of a mid-season break comes to the fore. The argument of giving players a rest is flawed because the Premier League is like a league of nations and most international teams have representatives. England’s poor efforts when it matters most are down to lack of motivation and organisation so it will be interesting to see how many goals KANE scores in Russia this summer. He is 1/2 with William Hill to score at anytime tonight in a match that Tottenham should be leading after 45 and 90 minutes. A win tonight would keep them right in the mix for Champions League qualification and they can pick up three points. The Tottenham half time/full time double is 13/15 with Ladbrokes.

There are four race meetings in Britain today and three of those are on All Weather surfaces. At this time of the year this type of racing serves its purpose of almost guaranteeing racing when it’s very cold. However, there is now too much ordinary fare on artificial surfaces. The one turf meeting is at Bangor where six races offer just £41,000 in prize money which is derisory. Jumps racing at the top end is in fine health, most notably with the orgy that is the Cheltenham Festival but the vast majority of horses will never race on the four days that matter most. At Bangor (2.15pm) UPPERTWON PRINCE could be an above average animal but the horse must win impressively at Evens to display decent form.

Today’s Sports Betting Preview – By Rick Elliott

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Burnley busted many coupons by preventing Manchester United winning at Old Trafford yesterday but punters can get their money back by backing Manchester City minus one goal in the handicap markets in their Premier League fixture at Newcastle tonight. Burnley were a 14/1 chance to win their match and only a goal in injury time secured a point for United. City can go 15 points clear in the table with a win in the north east which would be an 18th league victory on the bounce.

Newcastle have been plummeting down the table in recent months but were impressive in beating West Ham away from home last weekend. However, it can be dangerous to look at one match form and the overall trends mean this fixture brings together a struggling side and a winning machine. There is an adage in football betting that you should never back an away team at odds-on but City are an exception. They have scored in the first half of four of their last five away matches in the Premier League but the bet tonight is CITY -1 GOAL at 4/6 with Betfair.

Michael Van Gerwen is by some distance the best darts player in the world and can confirm that status by winning the PDC World Championship again. We have reached the third round of this year’s tournament and tonight’s six matches involve three players with the word Van in their name. The nation that brought us Total Football is now the centre of the darts world but VAN GERWEN is head of shoulders above the two other players from the Netherlands. The Dutchman must be backed to win the world title at 8/13 with Paddy Power.

Betfan members were left in no doubt about the outcome of the King George yesterday. Might Bite was tipped as the winner if not falling and the horse is now the second favourite for the Cheltenham Gold Cup behind Sizing John who won the race last season. The feature of the racing programme today was the Welsh National at Chepstow but the meeting has been abandoned. The Desert Orchid Chase at Kempton (2.30pm) features a clash between the Champion Chase winner and leading contender for next year’s race. Special Tiara won that race at Cheltenham in March but POLITOLOGUE is the bet today at 8/15 with William Hill.

Today’s Sports Betting Preview – By Rick Elliott

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The winners of the League Cup qualify for the Champions League but four of the eight teams left in the competition would be hoping to be playing in the biggest club competition in the sport next season through other routes. Leicester City will not finish in the top four in the Premier League so the domestic cup competitions are important for a club and its fans who got a taste of playing in Europe after their astounding rise to be champions of England in the 2015/16 season.

Leicester play Manchester City at home tonight in the EFL Cup and team selection will have a massive impact on the result. Bookmakers have priced up the match on the assumption that Pep Guardiola will send the City first string for this match. The side are certainties to qualify for the Champions League through their league position so tonight it will be a question of motivation and incentive.

City’s best eleven are unstoppable and unbeatable just now but how many who will be playing tonight is just conjecture on the morning of the match. On the one hand you could say the fringe players will be trying to impress the coach but City’s second string have often failed to deliver this season. Whichever way you read this tie LEICESTER are a huge price at 13/2 to win this match in 90 minutes.

Tonight’s other quarter-final brings together a home side in Arsenal and opponents West Ham. Arsene Wenger doesn’t have the luxury of resting players but historically he is not a huge fan of the EFL Cup which is the current guise of the League Cup. West Ham have suffered defeat in six of their last seven matches away to Arsenal and their main focus is staying in the Premier League. In this case the superior team may represent some value so ARSENAL are the bet at 8/15 with William Hill.

The racing leading up to Christmas is at best moderate but on days like today is dire. The King George on Boxing Day is the mid-season championship for chasers and the Christmas Hurdle is the equivalent in that discipline. There is an inspection at Fakenham so the only turf jumps meeting certain to take place is at Catterick. The most valuable race on the card is a beginner’s chase at 1.20pm. The race is a good opportunity for ALZAMAAR to win a first chase so the horse is the standout racing bet of the day at 9/2 with Ladbrokes.

Today’s Sports Betting Preview – By Rick Elliott

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England are spoiling a good stag do with a game of cricket which starts against Australia early tomorrow morning. If some of the players had been as prolific on the field as in various bars across the country they are touring England may not be 2-0 down in the five match Ashes series. The best player could not make the trip and another player has been sent home for booze related issues on a tour that is more akin to a trip to a European city for your mates last weekend of freedom than a prestigious sporting event. In these circumstances AUSTRALIA are the team to back to win the 3rd Test at 8/15 with William Hill. The series has a 5-0 drubbing written all over it.

Burnley’s late winner at home to Stoke last night has taken them to fourth place in the Premier League. It’s the clubs highest position in the top tier of English football since 1973 other than in the first two weeks of the season. With fixtures involving the three teams below them tonight they will be overhauled but it’s a fine achievement by a club with a relatively small budget and wage bill who were one of the favourites for relegation at the start of the season. Burnley are now 16/1 with Betfair to finish in the top six. Arsenal play West Ham away tonight and Mesut Ozil has scored first in the previous three meetings and he is 13/2 with Ladbrokes to do so again.

There are three race meetings in Britain today and they are each on the All Weather. In the olden days if turf racing was not possible because of ice and snow customers in betting offices could only bet on the dogs. Total prize money for the fixtures at Lingfield, Wolverhampton and Kempton is £124,000 which is derisory for 24 races but the show is still on the road. The most lucrative race is worth £7,246.15 to the winner (Lingfield 2pm) and SHYRON is the each-way steal at 10/1.