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Today’s Sports Betting Preview – By Rick Elliott

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Chelsea Can Win Today’s London Derby 

It’s rare that you get six 3 o’clock kick-offs and a mainly traditional Saturday football fixture list but that is the case today because there is only one live match. In the olden days every match began at the same time and all you got on television was the highlights of selected matches. Its now wall-to-wall live football but all there is today in the Premier League is Tottenham’s home match against Chelsea at Wembley which is hard to call but a London club could win or the match is a draw.

Chelsea have won seven of their last away matches and beat Tottenham at Wembley in the semi-finals of the 2016-17 FA Cup. They are one of three unbeaten teams in the Premier League after 12 matches which has never happened before in the top division of English football. However, Chelsea have not had an away game against one of the top six so this is a huge test. Tottenham are just one point behind Chelsea but have a poor record against the better opposition. CHELSEA are the bet at 13/8 with Betfair.

  

Any fixture between England and Australia in any sport is never a friendly and today they meet in a rugby union international at Twickenham. It’s the end of a grueling tour for the visitors who now don’t have the advantage of match fitness. In fact injuries have caught up with the camp while England have found able stand-ins when a key player is not fit to play. England have won their last five matches against Australia and the last two at Twichenham by 24 and 16 points so ENGLAND -8 on the handicap is the recommendation at Evens with bet365.    

The Betfair Chase at Haydock has attracted a small but select field of just five runners. The horses that finished first and second in the Cheltenham Gold are in the race. Native River came out on top in that race but there could be a different outcome today. The ground and track will favour MIGHT BITE who is the banker of the day at Evens with Ladbrokes to win the race at 3pm when the football starts. 

Today’s Sports Betting Preview – By Rick Elliott

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The Shrews Can Beat The Class Of 92

Salford and Valencia are miles apart geographically and like chalk and cheese in terms of attractions but they have something in common. Peter Lim owns 50% of Salford and is the majority shareholder of Valencia. The other half of Salford Football Club is owned by the Class of 92. One of those ex-Manchester United players is Gary Neville who had an unsuccessful spell as manager of Valencia. It’s not what you know but who you know! 

Salford are at home against Shrewsbury in tonight’s FA Cup first round replay and the League One outfit can prevail. With so much money behind them Salford are going places but possibly not the second round of the Cup because SHREWSBURY are the team to back to win in 90 minutes at 17/10 with bet365. 

England have won the soccer and rugby union World Cup but never the cricket version. There is a World Cup up for grabs this week and that is the one in golf. The action starts early tomorrow morning in Australia and the home team have a great chance of winning the World Cup for the third time in four events. 

Marc Leishman and Cameron Smith are not the best golfers from Australia just now but as a pairing they will be hard to beat. The Aussie golfers have been planning for the World Cup for weeks and even practiced with the other player’s ball. England are represented by Ian Poulter and Tyrell Hatton but that might not be a harmonious pairing. AUSTRALIA are the favourites and the team to back at 9/2 with William Hill to win this World Cup.  

Kempton stages some decent All-Weather racing this evening and the highlight is a listed race over one mile at 6.40. It’s a Class 1 contest and a Fast Track Qualifier for the All-Weather Championship next spring. Flaming Spear is the top weight and has the highest Racing Post Rating. The horse is owned by Tony Bloom who is also the owner of Brighton Football Club. 

The team are doing fine in the Premier League but at the weights the horse faces a tough task. The football theme applies to Pattie, trained by Mick Channon who played for England and Southampton. William Haggas and James Doyle don’t appear to have any associations with football but the trainer and jockey combination can provide the winner of the Kempton race with VICTORY BOND, on offer at 3/1 with Ladbrokes.   

Today’s Sports Betting Preview – By Rick Elliott

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Tottenham Win And BTTS Is The Bet 

Favourite backers and followers of the big city rich clubs have made hay while the sun shines this season and Tottenham can keep the ball rolling by beating Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. There have been 48 matches between the elite clubs and teams bellow the big six and the higher ranked teams have won 41 times for a strike rate of 85%. If you take Manchester United out of the equation that figure rises to 90% which equates to 1/9. Backing the top five blindly would have produced a massive return and Tottenham can continue the trend today. They have won their last three matches in different competitions but have conceded each time.  Palace rely heavily on Wilfried Zaha like Tottenham would be lost without Harry Kane’s goal but Zaha plays today and is a potential creator of goals. TOTTENHAM AND BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE is 13/5 with Betfair today. 

The early fixture between Cardiff and Brighton in South Wales has low scoring encounter written all over it. The home team have now played 11 times in the Premier League this season and scored in just five of those games. Brighton have produced the lowest number of shots on target in the league this season. Both clubs are dealing with key absentees due to injury but Brighton have the better resources to cope. Despite the fact that in 19 away matches this over the last 12 months Brighton have not scored on 12 occasions they can beat Cardiff today. Correct score betting is fraught with danger but BRIGHTON TO WIN ONE NIL makes senses at 15/2 with bet365. 

Its another day of autumn internationals in rugby union and the four home nations are in action. Scotland and Ireland are home bankers against Fiji and Argentina while England have a tough job in avoiding the sixth loss in succession to New Zealand in their match at Twickenham. The most open fixture is Wales against Australia at the Principality Stadium. Australia have won just 3 of their last 10 fixtures and the home team are match fit. WALES are 4/5 with Ladbrokes to win the match.

The November Handicap at Doncaster (3.15) is the last significant race of the Flat turf season. Twenty-three runners are going to post for a Class 2 race over one mile and four furlongs. Bookmakers go 7/1 the field and some will settle each way bets for five places. One bookie is paying down to seventh place at one fifth the odds so EDDYSTONE ROCK is the each way bet at 12/1 with William Hill.  

This Weeks Sports Betting Preview – By Rick Elliott

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USA Are Tipped To Win The Ryder Cup

During the mayhem as Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy came down the 18th fairway at the end of the Tour Championship shouts of ‘USA’ were heard. The crowd were besides themselves as Woods returned to the winner’s enclosure to record an 80th PGA Tour win but this week’s Ryder Cup was in their minds. The 12 best golfers from the United States and Europe go head-to-head in Paris at the end of the week in a match about experience and current form.

Europe have more hardened Ryder Cup stalwarts and rookies in their side but the US have a number of hungry young fighters and old campaigners. On world rankings the visitors have the edge but Europe are often described as the better ‘team’. However, the head is ruling the heart in tipping UNITED STATES to win the Ryder Cup at 5/6 with bet365.

October is a huge month for Flat racing and when the jumps season begins in earnest. It’s the time of the year when we have the best of both worlds, Group 1 Flat racing and the first significant jumps races of the season. However, the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp and Champions Day at Ascot are slightly more lucrative than graded races at Aintree, Cheltenham and Chepstow.

The feature race this week is the Cambridgeshire at Newmarket, the first leg of the autumn double completed by the Cesarewitch later in October back at the same track. Saturday’s race is run over the Rowley Mile at HQ. Only one favourite has obliged in the last 10 years and the current market leader is KYNREN at 12/1 with Ladbrokes.

The EFL Cup is the Europa League of English football and is not as glamorous as the FA Cup which is more akin to the Champions League. The final is played at Wembley and one of the superpowers of English football generally lifts the trophy. Nobody is really bothered at the third round stage but the fixture between Liverpool and Chelsea at Anfield on Wednesday brings together the first and third team in the Premier League table. The tie means more to the visitors and CHELSEA can progress and win the EFL Cup at 10/1 with William Hill.

The Rugby Championship is the Six Nations equivalent in the Southern Hemisphere. It involves six rounds of matches in which New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina and Australia play home and away on a round robin basis. After four rounds Australia are bottom of the table with a negative point’s difference of 52. South Africa have scored 73 more points than they have conceded so can cover the handicap of MINUS 8 POINTS against Australia at 10/11 with bet365.

Indian Summer – England To Be Tested by Heavyweight Clash with India – By Dave Owens

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With the temperatures in England currently more like Madras than Manchester, the upcoming 50 over series between England and India could well feel more like a home series for the tourists – especially with the fantastic and fanatical support India receive at limited overs game in England, where Indians come out in their droves to support their heroes on English soil when the opportunity arrives.

The three matches 50 over series also sees the arrival of an excellent test for England’s No 1 ranked side. India are a power house limited over line up with a star-studded batting line up and high-class spinners to complement their bowling line up. The dual between the teams should be fascinating with England currently looking at taking the one-day game (particularly batting) to a new level which was seen with their total demolition of Australia 5-0 and in the process scoring the highest international 50 over score of all time with an incredible 481 in the third ODI.

The volume of international cricket can sometimes see a one-day series lack great context or the power to capture the public’s imagination, this series has no such problem with two sides desperate to assert their authority over the other and loud passionate crowds supporting players eager to show their skills at the highest level.

The series could well hinge on the intriguing matchup of India’s two excellent wrist spinners in Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal. The pair have been an absolute revelation in the last year and it seems incredible how easily they have ousted arguably two of the best spinners in the world in Ashwin and Jadeja from the Indian line up to stake their claim in the side. If England’s dominant batsman have had a problem in recent times its against the highest quality spinners and it will an excellent test of how far they’ve come when they go head to head against the Indian pair.

The 50 over games are preceded by a 20/20 series and should give some excellent insight into how the sides and match ups are fairing going into the longer format. From a betting perspective it offers a good opportunity to look at how the form and confidence of England’s batters go against the spin duo and where the main threats are in both batting and bowling markets. Its recently been a case of England’s explosive top 3 batting so well that they have totally dominated the innings and not offered any opportunity to the rest of the line-up. The step up in class offered from the Indian attack could see it take a different tack, with England’s better players of spin being more attractive propositions. Aside from the result of the 20/20s – the sub plots of both sides offer plenty of added interest.

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Today’s Sports Betting Preview – By Rick Elliott

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The England/Kane Double Is Now The Favourite 

Bookmakers reported that Germany’s late goal on against Sweden on Saturday cost the industry a fortune. It meant the three favourites had won and both teams scored in each match. That is the perfect scenario for punters but last night it was a different story. Only Uruguay of the four favourites obliged and both Portugal and Spain drew their matches as odds-on favourites. The bookies could probably have won it all back but we never hear about bookie bonanza results. England and Harry Kane won’t be having sleepless nights about betting outcomes but the World Cup Winner/Top Goal Scorer DOUBLE is now the favourite at 16/1 with Boylesports.

There are final matches in Group C and D today and only one of the favourites is less than even money. Argentina must beat Nigeria to qualify from Group D but are still relying on Iceland not beating Croatia and having a better goal difference. Argentina are in disarray on and off the field and Lionel Messi is having a torrid time. There is no confidence in the team so Nigeria can force a DRAW and that outcome is 16/5 with William Hill. CROATIA have qualified for the last 16 and they can confirm winning the group by beating Iceland at 6/5 with Ladbrokes.

France have qualified from Group C and can win the group by avoiding defeat against Denmark. If the match is drawn both nations progress to the next round and Australia are out even if they beat Peru in the other match. The winners of Group C play the second place team from Group D in the round of the last 16. France are in the driving seat and may settle for the DRAW against Denmark that takes them through which can be backed at 33/20 with Coral.  All the incentive is with AUSTRALIA and they are tipped to beat Peru at 2/1 with Betfair.

The racing fare is average today but that is only to be expected on the Tuesday after Royal Ascot. There is no race at five meetings in Britain and Ireland worth more than £10,000 but the 10 furlongs handicap at Beverley looks an interesting contest. The footballer ZLATAN is not playing in the World Cup but the horse with the same name can win the Beverley race at 11/4 with William Hill.

Harry Angel Is The Horse For The Diamond Jubilee Stakes – By Ian Hudson

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It’s the fifth and final day of Royal Ascot on Saturday and midway through the third day the races to be the top jockey and trainer were still far from over. John Gosden and Frankie Dettori took the honours at the start of the meeting but Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore bounced back with winners on Thursday. There are six races on each of the five days so 30 races up for grabs during the best Flat meeting in the world.

The most famous racing fixture in the sport features eight Group 1 races and 18 Group races in total. The most prestigious race of the summer festival is the Gold Cup. It is the longest championship race at Royal Ascot and the winner will have an influence on who is the leading jockey and trainer. The market leaders were Order Of St George for O’Brien and Moore and Stradivarius for Gosden and Dettori. The latter won an epic race so the trainer and jockey are in good shape to win the leading training and riding honours.

Royal Ascot used to be a four day meeting and the Saturday fixture was called Ascot heath. There was always the odd race goer who thought it was still the royal meeting and turned up in top hat and tails. They probably looked a bit conspicuous amongst those attending in regular clothes. The Saturday of the week is now part of Royal Ascot and the racing justifies that status, especially in the form of the Diamond Jubilee Stakes which is a Group 1 contest over six furlongs.

The race often identifies the best sprinter in Europe in the first half of the season and sometimes even the best in the world. There are some speedy animals racing in the Southern Hemisphere but the journey to Ascot is sometimes seen to be too long and potentially unsettling. However, Redkirk Warrior has made the trek from Australia and connections are confident their horse can win the race. The dual Newmarket Handicap winner will be ridden by Dettori in attempting to become the first winner of the race from Australia since Black Caviar in 2012.

Merchant Navy is an ex-Australia based horse who is now owned by Coolmore and trained in Ireland by O’Brien. The horse finished a neck behind Redkirk Warrior when third in this year’s Newmarket Handicap at Flemington in March. Merchant Navy was going best at the end of the race and can reverse the form. US Sprinter Bound For Nowhere represents North America and could be the fly in the ointment but that is speculation rather than based on proven form.

Limato and Librasa Breeze have something to find on recent form but the former has better prospects based on Group 1 runs in the past. Limato looked like a world-beater four seasons ago but hasn’t quite built on that potential. His best efforts have come in races over six furlongs so the horse has the speed to figure. However, Harry Angel has produced the best sprint form in the last year.

With Redkirk Warrior and Merchant Navy in particular involved Harry Angel won’t have things his own way in the Saturday feature and the race distance is not ideal but class can prevail. The horse is the ante post favourite but no challenge has been beyond him recently and he can enhance his reputation even further by adding another race at the highest level to his record. To record a win Harry Angel will have to finish in front of The Tin Man the horse that won the race last year. Harry Angel is good enough to win the 2018 Diamond Jubilee Stakes.

Today’s Sports Betting Preview – By Rick Elliott

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Frankie Can Get A Tune Out Of Stradivarius In The Gold Cup

Racing gets the headlines today because the feature race of Royal Ascot is the Gold Cup and the race takes place at 4.20pm. Order Of St George won the race in 2016 and was just beaten by Big Orange this time last year. The horse is trying to win back the Flat stayer’s crown but may have to settle for second place again behind Stradivarius. Depending on your age and gender that’s a designer boutique label or a famous make of violin. It doesn’t matter what you associate the name of the horse with because STRADIVARIUS is a proven stayer of the highest quality who can be backed at 2/1 with Ladbrokes to win the Gold Cup for John Gosden and Frankie Dettori.

It’s unthinkable that Argentina in general and Lionel Messi in particular won’t qualify for the knockout stages of the World Cup. However, they are the epitome of a one man team and an individual can’t win football matches by himself. Argentina weren’t impressive in qualifying for the World Cup and could only draw with Iceland in their first match. The pressure is on to get three points today but CROATIA could win the fixture against Argentina today and that outcome is 14/5 with William Hill.

The key to doing well in the World Cup is not necessarily winning the first match as Spain proved in 2010. They were beaten by Switzerland in their opener and went on to win the tournament. Australia won’t be winning the World Cup but all is not lost in terms of getting out of the group despite losing to France. A win against Denmark today brings the Aussies back into contention for a top two finish and they have the energy to pick up three points. AUSTRALIA look a big price at 3/1 with Betfair.

Peru looked the better team in their first fixture against Denmark but missed a penalty while they were dominating the match. France were nothing special in their win over Australia. All but two of France’s last 17 matches have featured two goals or more. France had to thank VAR for a crucial first goal against Australia and generally it was a disjoined effort. Peru need something from today’s match so can achieve a DRAW which can be backed at 3/1 with Paddy Power.

Rick’s Sports Betting: Royal Ascot Could Be Good For Gosden And Dettori – By Rick Elliott

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Royal Ascot is the greatest Flat meeting in the world and the best trainer and jockey have dominated more than most in recent years. Apart from the five English and Irish Classics the Group contests at the meeting are amongst the most prestigious in the sport. When the money is down and reputations are at stake Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore deliver and Royal Ascot is the meeting that matters most.

It is the most lucrative meeting in Britain and attracts the biggest crowd. For some it is a social occasion but racing professionals understand the importance of having runners. The racing is broadcast in over 200 countries as much as for the tradition as the quality of the sport. When the Queen discusses her engagements at the start of the year the first dates that are set in stone are the five days at her course.

The equivalent over jumps is the Cheltenham Festival but that is more a championship meeting. The whole National Hunt season is centred on the four days at Cheltenham and even the Grand National meeting at Aintree is somewhat secondary. The Flat has Champions Day in October so Ascot is a mid-season event and the races standalone rather then be the culmination of months of racing.

Ascot employs an individual whose job it is to attract international runners. Australia has become a target for entries and in the past Black Caviar has raced at the royal meeting. The big target this time was Winx but connections decided there was not a great deal to be gained from a long trip to Britain. A summer campaign in Europe was mooted but in the best interests of the horse Winz will not be at Royal Ascot.

Royal Ascot has become an annual port of call for the US trainer, Wesley Ward and his sprinters have become competitive. Lady Aurelia will take some beating in the King’s Stand Stakes and the horse will be assisted by Frankie Dettori on board. Ward usually has several runners at the Royal meeting and often has winners but Lady Aurelia is his best chance. Frankie loves Ascot and he has a good book of rides.

If O’Brien and Moore are not the leading trainer and jockey John Gosden and Dettori could take the titles. Cracksman and Stradivarius are leading fancies for their races and Gosden has leading contenders in other races. In 1996 Dettori went through the card at a regular meeting at Ascot and he became famous for the magnificent seven winners he rode. We should see several flying dismounts at his favourite track.

There are eight Group 1 races at Royal Ascot and 18 in total. There are 30 races over five days are all covered live on ITV. Bookmakers will be offering concessions and odds boosts for new and existing customers. Only the Classics on the Flat generate more betting interest than the feature races. The time of the year and good ground mean the top races often go to form and you rarely get shock winners. Very few outsiders make the frame or win Group 1 races.

The World Cup dominates the media but racing has its week in the sun. Royal Ascot is the best Flat racing occasion and this year it could be especially rewarding for Gosden and Dettori.

Today’s Sports Betting Preview – By Rick Elliott

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England Are Better Than Australia At Football And ODI Cricket

England and Australia are in the football World Cup. The former will do well to progress beyond the quarter-finals while the latter are also-rans who will struggle to get out of a group that also involves France, Peru and Denmark. Things are somewhat different in the world of one day cricket. England are number one in the world rankings and Australia are the world champions in this form of the game. Both sides have a much better chance of being the world champions in cricket than football in the next respective World Cups. ENGLAND are 16/1 with William Hill to win the football version and AUSTRALIA can be backed at 1000/1 with Coral.

England and Australia are in the opposite sides of the draw in the World Cup and they can only meet in the 3rd/4th place playoff match or final. Today the nations meet at The Oval in the first of five One Day Internationals that take place before the end of June. There are no Ashes Tests this summer but five ODI’s should fill the grounds and keep the money flowing. In theory any sporting contest between England and Australia means something but there are now so many competitions and matches in the cricket calendar that the scarcity value of the clash has gone.  England lost to another old enemy in Scotland in a ODI last Sunday but won’t be so complacent today.

England have beaten Australia in seven of their last 10 meetings in 50 overs matches with a white ball. The middle order collapsed against Scotland but the lower order batsman bailed out the team. England’s batting depth has taken the side to the pinnacle of the cricket one day format. One shock defeat does not negate the progress made in recent years. ENGLAND are the team to back at 4/7 with Ladbrokes.

There is too much racing today with five Flat meetings taking place in Britain and they race over jumps at Punchestown in Ireland. It really is the calm before the storm of Royal Ascot next week which is the best Flat meeting in the world but not quite as good as the Cheltenham Festival. There are three lucrative handicaps at Chelmsford City on the All-Weather today and the standout bet is in the 4.20pm contest. BOSHAM races of a winnable mark so is the nap at 9/2 with Betfair.