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Thursday, March 29, 2012

CRICKET : Sri Lanka beat England in first Test in Galle

Sri Lanka 318 and 214 beat England 193 and 264 by 75 runs

England collapsed to a 75-run defeat in the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle after losing their final 6 wickets for just 31 runs.

Chasing a potential record 4th innings total of 340, England seemed well set as Jonathan Trott (112) and Matt Prior took the tourists to 233-4, but Prior's dismissal for 41 sparked the latest collapse for England in what has been a miserable winter.

England, who are still ranked as the world's top Test Cricket side, have now lost four successive test matches, following on from a 0-3 series defeat by Pakistan.

You can follow the post mortem on the BBC cricket website pages where there will be the usual wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team sold for $2 BILLION!!

A financial group that includes former Los Angeles Lakers basketball star Magic Johnson and longtime baseball executive Stan Kasten agreed to buy the Los Angeles Dodgers from owner Frank McCourt for a record $2 billion.

The deal is one of several steps toward a sale of the Los Angeles Dodgers team by the end of April. It is subject to approval in federal bankruptcy court. It remains to be seen whether Major League Baseball will challenge the deal in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware, where the case is before Judge Kevin Gross.

The price would shatter the mark for a sports franchise.

Stephen Ross paid $1.1 billion for the NFL's Miami Dolphins in 2009, and in England, Malcolm Glazer and his family took over the Manchester United soccer club in 2005 in a deal then valued at $1.47 billion.

The current record for a baseball franchise is the $845 million paid by the Ricketts family for the Chicago Cubs in 2009.

Arsenal looking to clear out make-weight players before buying in talent

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is set to clear out his fringe players, which are currently costing the club £23m a year in wages, to fund a summer spending spree.

Among those set to go are Andrey Arshavin, Marouane Chamakh and Nicklas Bendtner. Andrey Arshavin, who earns £75,000 per week, Marouane Chamakh, who gets £60,000 per week, and Sebastien Squillaci, Nicklas Bendtner, Denilson and Carlos Vela, who are paid £50,000 per week, can all leave

Manager Arsene Wenger wants to add at least two big-name signings to his squad and reward a clutch of players - chiefly Robin van Persie - with improved contracts.

Lille forward Eden Hazard, Rennes midfielder Yann M'Vila and Borussia Dortmund starlet Mario Gotze - who extended his contract to 2016 yesterday - are all targets. Chelsea forward Daniel Sturridge and Blackburn midfielder Steven Nzonzi have also been mentioned by Wenger.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Inter Milan sack manager Claudio Ranieri

Inter Milan have reacted to a poor run of form by sacking manager Claudio Ranieri after only one win in their last 10 league matches.

Ranieri, who previously managed Chelsea. only took charge at the San Siro in September, replacing Gian Piero Gasperini, who was dismissed after only five games in charge.

President Massimo Moratti had earlier said "I think that Claudio Ranieri will remain until the end of the season" but clearly his discussions with the beleaguered manager did not go well.

Youth team coach Andrea Stramaccioni will take charge of the Nerazzurri, but clearly that is just a stop-gap measure and another former Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas has been strongly linked with taking up the manager's role on a permanent basis.

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Bovada covers the betting action this week - NHL - NCAAB - F1 - NBA


Bovada sportsbook is the new US facing brand for Bodog Sports, Bovada is based out of and licenced by the Mohawk Territory of Kahnawake, Canada, and they bring a weekly round-up of some of the best sports action to look forward to.

Top Events to Bet on at Bovada Sportsbook
1. NHL: Detroit at NY Rangers (Wednesday, 7:30 pm)
Both the Red Wings and Rangers are gearing up for the playoffs with just a few weeks of NHL betting action remaining in the regular season, and this midweek matchup is a potential preview of the Stanley Cup final.

Detroit is currently listed at 8/1 on the NHL futures odds to come out of the Western Conference and win the Stanley Cup, while New York is at 7/1 and enter this week in first place in the Eastern Conference. The Penguins (5/1), Canucks (11/2), Blues (15/2), and defending champion Boston Bruins (9/1) round out the current Top 6 Stanley Cup contenders.

2. NCAAB: Wisconsin vs. Syracuse (Thursday, 7:15 pm)
The Sweet 16 is set to hit the court this week as March Madness continues with No. 4 seed Wisconsin taking on No. 1 seed Syracuse in Boston in the first of four Thursday night college basketball betting matchups at the NCAA Tournament.

Also Thursday, No. 4 Louisville takes on No. 1 Michigan State at Columbus, No. 6 Cincinnati tangles with No. 2 Ohio State at Boston, and No. 7 Florida tips off against No. 3 Marquette at Phoenix.

3. NCAAB: Indiana vs. Kentucky (Friday, 9:45 pm)
The overall top-seeded Kentucky Wildcats opened as the NCAA Tournament chalk at 9/4 odds but they’ll face a stiff test on Friday in the second night of Sweet 16 college basketball betting action, as the No. 4 Indiana Hoosiers will be gunning for the upset in Atlanta.

Also Friday, No. 10 Xavier faces No. 3 Baylor in the early matchup in Atlanta, while at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis No. 13 Ohio tackles No. 1 North Carolina, and No. 11 North Carolina State battles No. 2 Kansas.

4. Formula 1: Malaysia Grand Prix (Sunday, 4:00 am)
Jenson Button will be looking to make it two wins in a row to open the new campaign of Formula 1 auto-racing betting action at the Malaysia Grand Prix in Kuala Lampur this weekend, after the McLaren driver won the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on Sunday.

Button’s teammate Lewis Hamilton finished third in Melbourne while the defending F1 champion driver Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull Racing was the runner-up at Albert Park.

Vettel won the Malaysia Grand Prix last year and opened as the 9/4 favorite to repeat, with Button (5/2 odds) finishing in second place.

5. NBA: Miami at Oklahoma City (Sunday, 8:00 pm)
The top two teams on the NBA futures odds to win a championship square off in prime-time on Sunday night, as LeBron James and the Miami Heat (3/2 odds to win the NBA championship) square off against Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder (4/1 odds).

The last time these two teams met was back on March 16, 2011 when Durant netted a game-high 29 points and the Thunder held James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to a combined 61 points on 21-of-59 shooting in a 96-85 outright victory by OKC as 6-point road dogs on the NBA betting odds.

Get in on the action - Bet at Bovada

Sunday, March 18, 2012

SCOTLAND : Kilmarnock beat Celtic 1-0 to win League Cup for first time

Kilmarnock won the Scottish League Cup for the first time in their history with a 1-0 victory and ended Celtic's hopes of winning the domestic treble.

Having lost in the final of this competition on six previous occasions, Killie were also trying to win their first trophy since 1997's Scottish Cup triumph.

The only goal of the game came in the 84th minute, when Ben Gordon released substitute Lee Johnson on the left and his whipped cross was headed into the net by Dieter van Tornhout at the back post, the Belgian's first goal for Kilmarnock.

Celtic chased a leveller and Kille goalkeeper Cammy Bell made a double save to deny Georgios Samaras and fellow replacement Kris Commons.

And Killie held on to claim the cup.

FA Cup : Semi-final draw throws up potential derby games

The draw for the 2012 FA Cup semi-finals have been made and offers the prospect of a couple of derby matches at Wembley, if Tottenham and Everton can win their quarter-final games.

Chelsea will face the winners of the Tottenham v Bolton Wanderers quarter-final, after their match was abandoned on Saturday following the collapse of Fabrice Muamba.

No date for the rearranged quarter-final between Tottenham and Bolton has been set and Coyle's side's trip to Aston Villa, originally scheduled for Tuesday, has been postponed.

Liverpool will face the winners of the Everton v Sunderland tie, which will need a replay at the Stadium of Light after a 1-1 draw.

The semi-finals will be at Wembley on the weekend of 14 and 15 April.

RUGBY : Wales claim Six Nations title with 16-9 win over France

Wales beat France 16-9 at the Millennium Stadium at Cardiff to clinch a fifth straight victory and win the 2012 Six Nation title.

It is Wales third RBS 6 Nations Grand Slam in eight seasons.

Wales scored the only try of the match via Alex Cuthbert's first-half effort and Leigh Halfpenny added the conversion and three penalties to seal the win, meaning further three-pointers from Yachvili and Lionel Beauxis were not enough for France.

---

England finished second after beating Ireland 30-9 after leading 9-6 at halftime.

England's forward pack obliterated the Irish scrume and earned their reward with the first try of the match - a penalty try. Ben Youngs then came off the bench to score England's second try from a quick tap penalty that had been earned by his forward pack.

FINAL SIX NATIONS TABLE

PldWonPts
Wales
5
5
10
England
5
4
8
Ireland
5
2
5
France
5
2
5
Italy
5
1
2
Scotland
5
0
0

Friday, March 16, 2012

Champions League : Spanish Giants kept apart - AC Milan face Barcelona

Spanish clubs Real Madrid and Barcelona have been kept apart in the draw, and will only meet if both clubs reach the final in Munich.

However, with the draw for both the quarter-finals and semi-finals having taken place it's clear to see that Real Madrid recieved the easier draw of the two sides.

In the quarter-finals, Real Madrid face APOEL Nicosia and will face the winners of Marseille v Bayern Munich in the semi-finals.

Meanwhile Barcelona will face AC Milan in the quarter-finals, and the winner of this match will take on the winner of the Benfica v Chelsea tie in the semi-finals.

Paddy Power offers money-back special in Everton v Sunderland FA Cup match

Everton v Sunderland - Saturday 12.45pm

Money-Back Special: If there is a penalty scored in this match Paddy Power will refund all losing 1st/last goalscorer, correct score and scorecast singles.

Check it out at Paddy Power before betting on the game.

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Bovada Sportsbook release MLB 2012 World Series Odds - Phillies Favored

Offshore sportsbook Bovada.lv has released their lines for the 2012 MLB season with the Philadelphia Phillies the early favourities to take the pennant.

Here are the odds for anyone rated at 25/1 or less :

Philadelphia Phillies ... 11/2 (+550)
New York Yankees .... 13/2 (+650)
Los Angeles Angels .... 7/1  (+700)
Detroit Tigers .............. 8/1  (+800)
Texas Rangers ........... 10/1  (+1000)
Boston Red Sox ......... 10/1  (+1000)
San Francisco Giants .. 15/1  (+1500)
Tampa Bay Rays ....... 18/1  (+1800)
Miami Marlins .......... 20/1  (+2000)
Cincinnati Reds ........ 20/1  (+2000)
Atlanta Braves .......... 22/1  (+2200)
St. Louis Cardinals .... 25/1  (+2500)

For the rest (if you think you've got a hot tip on an outsider) you can check the Bovada.lv website directly.

Chelsea and Real Madrid go through to Champions League Q/F draw.

Chelsea beat Napoli 4-1 after extra-time to progress 5-4 on aggregate, while Real Madrid also won 4-1 on the night over CSKA Moscow for an easier 5-2 aggregate victory.

QUARTER-FINAL LINE-UP
There are seven different nations represented in the draw for the last eight - perhaps this geographic distribution is a reflection of the changes made by Michel Platini to allow more Champions of smaller countries reach group play?

APOEL (Cyprus)
Barcelona (Spain)
Bayern Munich (Germany)
Benfica (Portugal)
Chelsea (England)
Marseille (France)
Milan AC (Italy)
Real Madrid (Spain)

DRAW FORMAT
The draw will be open, meaning Madrid and Barcelona can be matched against each other, with the ties to be played on 27/28 March and 3/4 April.

The semi-final pairings will also be determined and those games take place on 17/18 and 24/25 April.

2011/12 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL
The 2011/12 UEFA Champions League final will be held on Saturday 19 May at the Fussball Arena Munich, and a draw will determine the 'home' team for administrative purposes / team colours.

Monday, March 12, 2012

Bet365 offer FREE in-play bet on Chelsea v Napoli

On Wednesday 14th March (7:45pm), Napoli take on Chelsea at Stamford Bridge and bet365 are again offering a £50 free in-play bet offer on the match for new and existing customers.

With the departure of Andre Villas Boas the pressure now transfers to Roberto Di Matteo to ensure Chelsea progress into the latter stages of the Champions League.

Punters must place a bet prior to kick-off at Bet365 and once the game starts place another bet on any In-Play market. If the first In-Play bet loses then bet365 will refund this stake, up to the same value as their largest pre-match bet (to a maximum £50*).

It's that simple, and it's clear that this offer means that Bet365 is the best place to be betting on the Chelsea v Napoli game on Wednesday.

Friday, March 09, 2012

BetVictor Double Up on First Goalscorer Bets

UK bookmaker Bet Victor are offering a chance for you to double up your first goalscorer odds on all the big matches over the weekend.

If your winning 1st Goalscorer bet scores two goals (or more) in the match, Victor Chandler will pay you out at double the odds. Maximum stake £25 per person per match.

Applies to all English Premier League, Spanish Primera League & German Bundesliga matches.

Anyone fancy Didier Drogba at 19/4, Wayne Rooney at 3/1, or Robin Van Persie at 11/4 now?
New betting customers get a matching GBP 25 bonus !



Check out ALL the odds at BetVictor and find your first goalscorer bet.

Thursday, March 08, 2012

Bovada suspends MyPayLinQ transfers for four US States

Bovada customers in Utah, New York, Washington and Maryland were met with a notification from Bovada.lv when signing in to their accounts informing them that they “will not be able to use your MyPaylinQ account to transfer”.

The notification reads: “Bovada has suspended transfers from residents of the following States: Maryland, Washington, New York and Utah."

“If you are a Bovada customer from one of the above states, you will not be able to use your MyPaylinQ account to transfer. Please contact support at Bovada for further information.”

You can visit the Bovada website here

Lukas Podolski agrees to join Arsenal in the summer transfer window

As we blogged last week, German striker Lukas Podolski has been in transfer talks with Arsenal, and news has come through that a deal has been agreed and Arsenal will sign Podolski from Cologne.

Arsenal's German defender Per Mertesacker had talked to Podolski and said "I have told him this is a great place to work and Arsenal are an amazing club." The pair have played together for Germany since 2004 and now look set to join forces at club level as well.

Reports suggest that the 26-year-old will attract a £10.9 million fee and that the player will earn around £100K per week.

Podolski scored three goals to help his country qualify for Euro 2012 and has scored 16 goals in 22 club games this season - with the rest of his Cologne side managing a further 15 goals between them.

Wednesday, March 07, 2012

Lionel Messi scores five goals as Barcelona beat Leverkusen 7-1

Lionel Messi helped Barcelona to take Bayer Leverkusen apart as Barcelona swept past the Germans and into the quarterfinals 7-1 on the night and 10-2 on aggregate.

Messi, the current World Player of the Year, became the first player to score five goals in a Champions League match with the holders handing out one of the biggest knockout wins in the competition's history.

After Leverkusen lost last month's first leg 1-3 at home, the Bundesliga side's qualification seemed unlikely - and that small chance was effectively ended when Messi sped on to Xavi's lofted pass and scooped the ball over Bernd Leno in the 25th minute.

Messi added a second with a trademark run across the defence and low shot three minutes before halftime and completed his hat-trick with another stunning chip, this time with his right foot, four minutes after the break.

Substitute Cristian Tello netted twice either side of Messi's fourth goal, which came after Leno spilled the ball at his feet, and the Argentine midfielder bagged his fifth goal with a powerful strike six minutes from time before Leverkusen substitute Karim Bellarabi scored an added-time goal.