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Tuesday, December 31, 2013

BOVADA discusses SuperBowl XLVIII odds movement.

Kevin Bradley the Sports Book Manager for offshore betting site bovada.lv discusses the pattern of money coming for the Super Bowl XLVIII futures ahead of the wildcard playoffs.

 
Kevin says : “It seems that every year the last weeks leading up to the playoffs we see an influx of money on a trendy team, a team that is usually coming in hot, and we saw that with the Packers who a few weeks ago were at 50-1 now all the way down to 14-1."

"The Packers are right now a big liability for the book and after taking a beating the last two years on Super Bowl Future odds with the Giants and Ravens I am hoping the third time is not a charm."

"Aside from Green Bay, Philadelphia have seen some money at 16-1 while a team like New Orleans at an interesting 22-1 are not being touched.”


Betting Lines to win 2014 Super Bowl XLVIII at BOVADA.LV :
+275 Seattle Seahawks
+275 Denver Broncos
+700 San Francisco 49ers
+900 New England Patriots
+1000 Carolina Panthers
+1400 Green Bay Packers
+1600 Cincinnati Bengals
+1600 Philadelphia Eagles
+2200 New Orleans Saints
+2500 Kansas City Chiefs
+2800 Indianapolis Colts
+4000 San Diego Chargers

Monday, December 30, 2013

EPL FIXTURES FOR NEW YEARS DAY.

 
There is another round of Premier League football on New years Day in England. Arsenal and Liverpool have winnable home fixtures, Man City are on a tricky trip to Swansea.

Man United host Spurs - normally a home banker, but Tottenham won 3-2 at Old Trafford last season, and United have already lost a couple at home this season ... so a possible surprise draw?

How do you think your favourite side will go? 

WED 1ST JAN 2014 - PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES.
12:45 Swansea v Man City

15:00 Arsenal v Cardiff, Crystal Palace v Norwich, Fulham v West Ham, Liverpool v Hull, Southampton v Chelsea, Stoke v Everton, Sunderland v Aston Villa, West Brom v Newcastle.

17:30, Man Utd v Tottenham

Friday, December 20, 2013

Luis Suarez signs Liverpool deal through to 2018

Luis Suarez has signed new long-term Liverpool deal that will take him through to 2018.

The striker, who is now 26 and in the best form of his life, joined the Reds in January 2011 and has scored 17 goals in 11 Premier League starts this season.

Suarez will earn around £160,000 a week until the end of this season and then £200,000 per week over the final four years of the contract for a total value of around £12 million.

Full details on the BBC Sport Website

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Ladbrokes raise sports betting offer to GBP 50 in time for Christmas punts.

ladbrokes sports betting free 50 bet Ladbrokes have JUST upped the sportsbook joining bonus for UK punters to a GBP £50 matched free bet.

You get the freebie when you join up, deposit and bet £50, then Laddies will credit a matching free bet to your account.

The promo code is F50 ... and you can get it via this link ... or by simply clicking on the banner over there on the right.

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Andre Villas-Boas sacked by Tottenham - Glenn Hoddle angling for another shot ...

Tottenham have sacked manager Andre Villas-Boas in the wake of Sunday's 5-0 Premier League thrashing by Liverpool.

The loss was Tottenham's worst at White Hart Lane in 16 years and left Spurs seventh in the table - eight points behind leaders Arsenal.

Former Chelsea boss Villas-Boas, 36, took over at Tottenham in July 2012. Villas-Boas was dismissed by Chelsea in March 2012 after just over eight months in charge at Stamford Bridge, and he was hoping to rebuild his reputation at Tottenham.

Technical co-ordinator Tim Sherwood will take charge of the Capital One Cup tie against West Ham on Wednesday.

Former Spurs manager Glenn Hoddle is keen to become Tottenham manager for a second time in a short-term or long-term capacity. Hoddle managed Spurs between 2001 and 2003 and is among those tipped to replace Andre Villas-Boas, who was sacked on Monday.

2013-14 Premier League managerial changes so far :
Paolo Di Canio (sacked by Sunderland)
Ian Holloway (left Crystal Palace)
Martin Jol (sacked by Fulham)
Steve Clarke (sacked by West Brom)
Andre Villas-Boas (sacked by Tottenham)

Monday, December 16, 2013

FT : TOTTENHAM 0-5 LIVERPOOL : No shots for Spurs, AvB under pressure

Liverpool grabbed their biggest ever victory at White Hart Lane, as Spurs lose without registering a shot on target.

Luis Suarez scored twice as Liverpool dominated 10-man Tottenham to move second in the Premier League table.

The Uruguayan's 16th goal of the season took him past the total for the whole Spurs side when he found the bottom corner from Jordan Henderson's flick. Philippe Coutinho hit the bar before the excellent Henderson volleyed in.

Paulinho was then sent off for a high kick on Suarez before goals from Jon Flanagan, Suarez (again) and Raheem Sterling completed Spurs' humiliation.

Bookmakers have manager Andre Villas-Boas as ODDS-ON to get the sack now.

Friday, December 13, 2013

Manchester United striker RvP out for a month with thigh injury

Manchester United striker Robin van Persie has been ruled out for a month with a thigh strain after picking up an injury while taking a corner against Champions League opponents Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday.

Van Persie has endured a campaign disrupted by injury so far after suffering toe and groin problems. Last weekend, he had returned from a month-long absence in the 1-0 defeat to Newcastle.

RvP arrived at Old Trafford for £24m from Arsenal in August 2012 and scored 26 goals while playing all 38 league games last season as United claimed the Premier League title.

Manchester United manager David Moyes said : "It's unfortunate, as our record is good with Wayne Rooney and Robin in the team. We've not had them for quite a period recently."

However, Van Persie has a track record of injury, missing an average of 14 league games each season during his 8 season stay with Arsenal and only playing between 15-28  league games with the Gunners each season.

So Moyes had better come up with a "Plan B" for United.

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Arsenal Champions League mission (half) accomplished.

Arsenal managed to ease into qualification for the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League while resting key players - and I'm sure that manager Arsene Wenger will consider it a "job done" - despite a 0-2 loss to Napoli in Naples.

Arsenal rested Wilshere and Walcott, and only played Ramsey for 22 minutes, meaning that all three players are well positioned to face Manchester City and will be claiming that rotation is important.

But is it really a job done ? or is it only half done as Arsenal have only managed to qualify in runners-up spot, and will very likely face a very tough opponent in the round of 16.

Group winners are Barcelona (149), Bayern Munich (145), Real Madrid (144), Chelsea (132), Manchester United (124), Dortmund (76), Paris Saint Germain (72), and Atletico Madrid (104).

Group Runners-up are Arsenal (111) , Bayer Leverkusen (69), Galatasaray (54), Olympiakos (65), Manchester City (72), Schalke (94) , Zenit (71) and AC Milan (97).

(Number is brackets are the club UEFA Rating)

Arsenal's failure to take a point on the final day and win the group means that the Gunners will face one of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Paris St Germain or Atletico Madrid in the next round. The draw really doesn't matter - all the opponents are top drawer - as it's a choice of one of the top three sides in Spain, the top side in France or the top side in Germany (and defending champions).

Wenger might well be a top football manager, but I think that he needs to sit down and take a few more lessons in game theory, as in looking ahead to Manchester City, Wenger picked a side that failed to do the required job in Naples and Arsenal's path in Europe is likely to be very difficult indeed.

To my way of thinking Wenger has just created a new mountain to climb, and if / when Arsenal get knocked out again in the round of 16, he will have provided detractors ammunition to say that he still not able to maintain a squad of highest calibre.

Is Wenger thinking that Arsenal have to beat the best anyway - so it doesn't matter who Arsenal are drawn against? Is he thinking that competing in two fronts to too tough and domestic success is more important? Or is he simply being too clever for Arsenal's own good - and diminishing the chances of European success?

I feel it's a slice of all three - Arsenal's squad is small - and it is unlikely that they can sustain a challenge against the best in Europe and in England - but isn't that an indictment on the continued state of the Arsenal manager's approach to the transfer market?

Of course, if Arsenal avoid Barca and Bayern ... and then beat Manchester City on Saturday then Mr Wenger is a genius and I'm an amateur blogger again ... ;-)

We will see.



Monday, December 09, 2013

Florida State and Auburn to face off in BCS title game

NCAAF : #1 Florida State (13-0) and #2 Auburn (12-1) top the final BCS standings and will play for the national title in Pasadena, California on January 6th, 2014.

The Ohio State Buckeyes fell to #7 in the BCS standings but will still have the opportunity to play in a record 10th BCS bowl. Ohio State will face #12 Clemson in the Discover Orange Bowl.

Alabama is ranked #3, which guarantees it a spot in a BCS game. Alabama will play #11 Oklahoma in the Allstate Sugar Bowl.

The Rose Bowl Game presented by VIZIO will feature its traditional matchup between the Big Ten and Pac-12 champions: #4 Michigan State and #5 Stanford.

The Tostitos Fiesta Bowl will pit #6 Baylor, the Big 12 champion, against #15 UCF, the American Athletic Conference champion.

ESPN has all the BCS Bowl match-ups here

Saturday, December 07, 2013

BETFRED offer 7/1 on Arsenal to beat Everton on Sunday

betfred mobile betting But of course there is a catch - it's only for new customers - and only a tenner maximum bet. Applies to single bets only.

New customers will also get a free 25 GBP matched bet!

To visit BetFred click here

Friday, December 06, 2013

2014 World Cup Final Draw completed - who is in the group of death?

WORLD CUP : Draw for Final groups has been made, and Spain will face Netherlands, while Italy will meet England and Uruguay.

Group A: Brazil, Croatia, Mexico, Cameroon
Group B: Spain, Netherlands, Chile, Australia
Group C: Colombia, Greece, Côte d’Ivoire, Japan
Group D: Uruguay, Costa Rica, England, Italy
Group E: Switzerland, Ecuador, France, Honduras
Group F: Argentina, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Iran, Nigeria
Group G: Germany, Portugal, Ghana, USA
Group H: Belgium, Algeria, Russia, Korea Republic

There are three "groups of death" this time with Group B (Spain, Netherlands, Chile), Group D (Uruguay, England and Italy), and Group G (Germany, Portugal and Ghana) looking particularly tough.

Brazil and Croatia will play in the opening match at the Arena Corinthians in Sao Paulo on 12 June 2014.

Read FIFA's round-up of the draw here

Monday, November 04, 2013

Bet365 looks at the Midweek Champions League Fixtures

Bet365 The UEFA Champions League continues this week - and Eddie from Bet365 has his views of the best fixtures and which bets might be worth taking on.

JUVENTUS v REAL MADRID
For Tuesday night, the highlight for me is Juventus v Real Madrid and since losing their last away leg to Real Madrid at the Bernabeu.

Juventus have recorded 3 league wins in a row which puts them in good form before they host the Spanish giants. Real Madrid have scored an impressive 11 goals in their 3 league games whilst Juve have not conceded at all, so it will be very interesting to see the clash of pure goal power potential versus a rock solid defence.

MANCHESTER CITY v CSKA MOSCOW
Elsewhere, Man City (1/5) will be looking to take further revenge when they host CSKA Moscow (16/1), whose fans were found guilty of racially abusing their beloved central midfielder Yaya Toure when the two sides last met.

Manchester City looked in fantastic shape on Saturday when they put 7 goals past a helpless Norwich side - and after winning the first match 2-1 in Moscow it easy to see why City are strong favourites.

Moscow have also been in good form as in the last week however as they’ve won their last 2 games, scoring 7 in total. I’m sure that the home Ethiad fans will be looking to make their counterparts feel as uncomfortable as possible!

In my opinion, it may also be worth a bet on Toure to be the first goal scorer at 15/2 with bet365.

Other odds options at Bet365 include Man United (11/8), PSG (1/8), Bayern Munich (1/7), Benfica (11/5) and FC Copenhagen (5/2); plus loads more!

BARCELONA v AC MILAN
On Wednesday night, my highlight is of course Barcelona (2/9) v AC Milan (14/1).

The Catalonians have yet to lose a single game this season, winning 13 from 17. They earned a 1-1 draw away at the San Siro in the reverse leg but Milan’s form has been somewhat less impressive as of late as they’ve earned one point from their last 3 fixtures and most recently lost at home to Fiorentina.

The obvious favourites are therefore Barcelona but the fixture will be far from easy, and the price is not a good one.

BORUSSIA DORTMUND v ARSENAL
Borussia Dortmund (7/10) v Arsenal (4/1) will be another big game as Arsenal will be eager to demonstrate their European credentials for this season to back up their impressive Premier League campaign so far.

Dortmund have also been in great form, winning 14 games from 17 this season, and with an impressive average goal per game ratio of 2.7. Dortmund scored 6 past Stuttgart at the weekend.

So despite Arsenal's an impressive home win against an in-form Liverpool side; I think this may be a challenge too big for Arsenal’s capability. Bet365 have got great odds of 16/5 on a draw however, which could well prove to be a worthy result for both sides.

Again, many other exciting fixtures consisting of teams such as Zenit St Petersburg (6/4), Porto (2/1), Celtic (15/4), Athletico Madrid (1/9), Chelsea (4/11), Schalke (17/2), Napoli (4/11) and Marseille (9/1);

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

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Tuesday, October 29, 2013

MLB Odds: World Series within Reach for Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox are a win away from their third World Series title in 10 years and are perfectly set up to walk away victorious at Fenway Park – no wonder they’re favorites on the MLB moneyline heading into Game 6.

It’s been a wild ride for both Boston and the St. Louis Cardinals so far this week, one that’s put two of the most dominant MLB clubs of the past decade through the ringer. Now with an end in sight, St. Louis and their young manager Mike Matheny will have to find a way to respond.

While the Cardinals have dug themselves a whole heading into the final two series matchups, they’ve been mainstays atop the MLB futures for much of the season. Why? Because they have legitimate World Series experience.

Sure, there’s no guarantee that that translates over into success late in the best-of-seven, but the veteran attitude in the clubhouse certainly doesn’t hurt.

Home advantage has not panned out so far with Boston only going 1-1 at Fenway initially, and then St Louis going 1-2 when they hosted, so despite the "home advantage" the World Series is still up for grabs.

Can the Red Sox hold on in front of their faithful Beantown crowd when Game 6 unfolds Wednesday night? Expect John Lackey and Michael Wacha on the mound when we find out.

GAME 6 MONEY LINES : WED 30th Oct : 8:07pm.
-105 St Louis Cardinals (Pitcher : Michael Wacha  : W-L 4-1 : ERA 2.78)
-115 Boston Red Sox (Pitcher : John Lacey : W-L 10-13 : ERA 3.52)

Bet on Major League Baseball at Bovada and get a free 50% Bonus.

Sunday, October 13, 2013

NFL Betting: Three Things We Have Learned About The NFC East So Far

Once among the deepest and most competitive divisions in the NFL, the NFC East has a much different look to it early on this year as not a single team has a winning record through the first five weeks.

The Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles are tied for the NFC East lead at 2-3, with the Washington Redskins and New York Giants owning just one win between them. The NFC East is certainly not nearly as good as most fans thought it would be, but that isn’t all that we have learned about this division.

Notable Lesson #1: The Giants Are Much Further Away Than Anyone Thought
One of the biggest surprises of the year has been the awful play of the Giants, which are one of four NFL teams that are still winless heading in to week six of the NFL season. A season that began with the hope that New York could play in the Super Bowl it will host this February has taken a straight nosedive, and that dream really has ended almost before it began.

The Giants are allowing an average of 36.4 point per game – easily the worst in the NFL, and the offense hasn’t been much better with Eli Manning already at a league-high 12 interceptions. Everything that could have gone wrong for New York has through the first five weeks, and what is clear is that the Giants are much further away from contending than anyone thought.

Notable Lesson #2: RGIII Is Human After All
The Redskins have won a game, but they aren’t much further ahead of the Giants in terms of the outlook for this season. Robert Griffin III missed the entire preseason, and it really affected his play when he returned to the field for week one.

Griffin is still cautious about his knee despite saying that he is at full strength, and that has to do with the mental side of the injury and getting back to full speed. Washington is 1-3 and will have a tough time climbing out of that early hole, and it’s clear now that RGIII is human after all.

Notable Lesson #3: Cowboys Could Finally Win Division Title
With the Giants out of it, the Redskins struggling, and the Eagles still trying to figure out how to play defense, the NFC East is wide open for Dallas to take this year.

The Cowboys have plenty of weapons on both sides of the ball including an offense that seems to finally be figuring it out with Tony Romo under center and a defense that will continue to improve under new coordinator Monte Kiffin.

Dallas is just 2-3 at this point, but the division is wide open and they certainly have the weapons to capture that elusive NFC East title this year if they can finally put it all together.

Click here to get a full list of NFL futures at Bovada Sportsbook for the 2013-14 NFL season.

Saturday, October 12, 2013

NFL Betting: Three Things We Learned About the NFC West So Far

Many football experts predicted that the NFC representative in the 2013-14 Super Bowl would come from the NFC West.

The San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks were supposed to go head to head all season long and leave everyone else in the dust. But when the season actually got underway, things did not go as planned.

The 49ers had problems winning games and the other teams in the NFC West refused to roll over and go away. There were a lot of things that we expected to see from the NFC West this season, but the reality is much different than what we thought.

Lesson #1: The Seahawks grew up fast.
The big question surrounding the Seattle Seahawks was whether or not the young team would be able to learn from its experiences last season. The Seahawks have proven to be consummate students of the game and have shown a level of maturity that most NFL teams do not possess. When faced with adversity, the Seahawks have been able to come out a winner in almost every occasion.

The loss that Seattle suffered in week five to the Indianapolis Colts would devastate most teams. But fans are confident that the Seahawks will use that loss to become a better and more dangerous football team.

Lesson #2: The San Francisco 49ers are human.
Everyone likes to come down on the 49ers because they are not 5-0 and ruling the NFC West, but people have to remember that Anquan Boldin is the only healthy starting receiver that the San Francisco 49ers have right now. The San Francisco defense is still adjusting to the indefinite loss of Aldon Smith, who was a huge part of the team’s front seven.

While the 49ers are definitely human, they are also showing the heart of a champion to rise above all of the problems they are having and to post a 3-2 record at this point in the season.

Lesson #3: The Arizona Cardinals never learn.
One of the lessons learned so far this season is that the Arizona Cardinals never learn. The team is 3-2 and nipping at the heels of the division-leading Seahawks. But this is the same position that the Cardinals were in at this point last season before the wheels came off.

The Cardinals are not putting together a core of young players that will develop into a winner. Instead, Arizona continues to sign older players who, many football experts feel, are past their prime. These veteran players are always going to start out strong for Arizona, but they will fade as the season wears on.

Until Arizona learns its lesson and starts building a younger team through the draft and free agency, it will always be like this for the Cardinals.

2013 NFC West Projected Champion: San Francisco 49ers +150


Check out all the NFL Betting Lines at Bovada Sportsbook.

Thursday, September 26, 2013

BETTING : Paddy Power offers a CAN'T LOSE accumulator on the weekends English Premier League

Top Irish bookmaker Paddy Power is offering a "You Can't Lose" £/€10 bet on this weekend's English Premier League football.



If your 5-fold Win-Draw-Win ACCA bet (or bigger) on England's Premier League doesn’t win this weekend, then Paddy Power will give you your money back as a free bet on football. You can't lose!

TERMS AND CONDITIONS :
  • Applies to 5+ fold accums on English Premier League win-draw-win markets placed pre-match only.
  • Applies to all Premier League fixtures played from 28th-30th Sept. The offer will be credited the following day.
  • Accums placed with a free bet will not count towards the offer.
  • Refund will be credited as a free bet on football and will be valid for 7 days.
  • Max free bet €/£10 per customer. Free bet stake not included in winnings.
  • Applies to online and mobile bets only. Phone, text or shop bets do not apply.
It's the best ACCA offer you'll see this weekend. Get along to Paddy Power - and place your accumulator now!

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE : Arsenal, Barca and Basel (!?) all grab opening day wins.

FT : MARSEILLE 1-2 ARSENAL : Arsène Wenger’s side secured a vital victory at Marseille on the opening night of Champions League Group F on Wednesday and, with it, extended the Club record for consecutive away wins to 10 games.

Match report at Arsenal.com

FT : BARCELONA 4-0 AJAX : A Messi hat trick plus a Piqué header handed FC Barcelona the three points in their first group game this season.

Match report at FCBarcelona.com

FT : CHELSEA 1-2 BASEL : Chelsea fell to a first home defeat in the Champions League group stages for a decade, having surrendered the lead against a dogged Basel side.

Match Report at ChelseaFC.com

Sunday, September 15, 2013

FOOTBALL : Sunderland 1-3 Arsenal - Goal highlights (2mins)

Aaron Ramsey's scored twice in the second half to seal the points for Arsenal at the Stadium of Light.

Arsene Wenger's men dominated the first half but only had Giroud's 11th-minute opener to show for it after the Sunderland defence was carved open by impressive £42.5million debutant Mesut Ozil.

Craig Gardner brought the hosts level from the penalty spot after a "foul" by Laurent Koscielny on Adam Johnson two minutes into the second half, then Steven Fletcher had an effort ruled out for offside.

Ramsey put Arsenal back in front with a superb volley in the 67th minute, before Sunderland striker Jozy Altidore thought he had equalised for the Black Cats.

Altidore was fouled by Bacary Sagna, but continued on after the referees whistle and bundled the ball over the line in the 70th minute, only to be brought back.

Three minutes later Ramsey was sent through by Olivier Giroud at the other end to wrap up a 3-1 win for the Gunners.


Tuesday, September 10, 2013

WORLD CUP : Italy and Netherlands qualify for 2014 Finals in Brazil

The Netherlands and Italy have qualified for the finals of 2014 World Cup in Brazil with wins in UEFA Qualification on Tuesday night.

Robin van Persie scored twice as the Dutch beat Andorra 2-0, and combined with Turkey's 2-0 win in Romania ensured that the Dutch side could not be overtaken at the top of Group D.

Italy just needed to beat the Czech Republic to qualify, and goals from Giorgio Chiellini and Mario Balotelli overturned an early Libor Kozak strike for a 2-1 Italian victory and qualification.

Elsewhere in Europe, Germany and Switzerland and Belgium are still unbeaten and now only need two points from their final two games to secure a place in Brazil.

LIKELY UEFA GROUP WINNERS :
Group A - Belgium (5 points ahead of Croatia)
Group B - Italy (confirmed)
Group C - Germany (5 points ahead of Sweden)
Group D - Netherlands (confirmed)
Group E - Switzerland (5 points ahead  of Iceland)
Group F - Russia (1 point ahead of Portugal)
Group G - Bosnia-H (tied with Greece)
Group H - England (1 point ahead of Ukraine and Montenegro)
Group I - Spain (tied with France but played 1 game less)

Blatter admits : Qatar 2022 World Cup award may be a mistake

FIFA may have made a "mistake" in awarding the 2022 World Cup to Qatar, according to president Sepp Blatter.

Asked by insideworldfootball.com about awarding Qatar the tournament, the 77-year-old said: "It may well be that we made a mistake at the time."

The FIFA bid document clearly stated that FIFA World Cup is, in principle, "expected to be held in June and July of the year of such Competition" ... but summer temperatures in Qatar can reach 50C  and it will clearly be impossible to play in such conditions.

Despite that fact, Blatter oversaw a decision process that awarded the 2022 tournament to Qatar anyway, and now the head of FIFA wants to move the World Cup to a European Winter timeframe - but that has met with loud resistance from European football federations and leagues.

The next step will be a FIFA Executive Committee meeting on October 3/4 where it will be discussed further and the committee will decide whether to adopt Blatters "recommendation" to change the dates to Januaary 2022.

Will FIFA continue to submit to Blatter's increasingly eccentric diktats? Or will the October meeting see the end of Blatter's reign and will FIFA see common sense and revisit the decision to award Qatar the World Cup ?

Thursday, September 05, 2013

AFL Finals : Punters tipping Carlton to beat Richmond


PUNTERS TIPPING BLUES TO TOPPLE TIGERS

The Richmond Tigers have finally made the Finals, but punters are tipping their celebrations will be short lived, with more money coming for the Blues to beat Richmond with online bookmaker sportsbet.com.au.

Richmond v Carlton
Punters are tipping an upset as there has been more money bet on the Blues. Despite being $2.65 outsiders, punters have come for the Blues and have been well backed, with little interest on the Tigers at $1.50.

“It’s taken the Tigers 12 years to make the finals, but punters are tipping their September action will be short lived and we keep taking money on Carlton, with their price of $2.65 appealing given they beat the Tigers only a few weeks ago,” said sportsbet.com.au’s Shaun Anderson.
Hawthorn v Sydney
Despite missing Buddy Franklin, the Hawks have so far been the best backed team in the first week of the Finals. There has been little interest in the Swans and they have drifted from $2.58 to $2.60.

Geelong v Fremantle
The fact the game will be played in Geelong and not Etihad Stadium has seen the odds change significantly (Cats would have been $1.42 if it was played at Etihad instead of $1.35 in Geelong. Fremantle would have been $2.85 if it was played at Etihad instead of $3.25 in Geelong). Regardless, punters cant split these two teams, with money virtually even.

Collingwood v Port Adelaide
Punters have declared Collingwood as the safest bet of the week. There has been five times the money on the Pies, with virtually no interest in Port Adelaide.

Markets courtesy of sportsbet.com.au

Finals Week 1

(Prices in brackets from Monday 2 September)
$1.50   Hawthorn                   (steady)
$2.60   Sydney                         (out from $2.58)                  

$1.35   Geelong                      (out from $1.32)
$3.25   Fremantle                   (steady)

$1.28   Collingwood               (in from $1.32)
$3.75   Port Adelaide              (out from $3.30)

$1.50   Richmond                   (steady)
$2.65   Carlton                        (out from $2.55)                  

2013 AFL Premiership winner
$2.75   Geelong                     
$3.00   Hawthorn                   
$6.00   Sydney                     
$7.00   Fremantle                  
$14      Collingwood               
$34      Richmond                   
$51      Carlton                    
$101    Port Adelaide             
            

Wednesday, September 04, 2013

NCAAF : Can Georgia bounce back against South Carolina?

College Football Odds: SEC Contender Georgia Faces Formidable South Carolina Challenge

The Georgia Bulldogs start to the 2013 NCAAF season always looked a tough task, and losing a high-profile Week 1 matchup 38-35 on the road to a highly ranked opponent the Dawgs will have to find a way to bounce back from the opening game loss and brace for a Week 2 tilt with yet another top 10 opponent.

Bet on college football and get a free 50% Bonus at Bovada.

While the Bulldogs entered the season as the #5 team in the AP polls, Georgia’s three-point loss to #8 Clemson was enough to bump them down to #11 in the national rankings.

Now this weekends clash with #6 South Carolina Gamecocks should give fans and critics alike a good idea of what to expect over the course of the rest of the 2013 season.

The college football moneyline gives hometown Georgia a 3-point advantage over the Gamecocks on Saturday, but given everything that’s happened so far already this season, will home cooking be enough without momentum?

Georgia's only SEC conference losses the past two seasons have come against South Carolina, but I've got a feeling that Georgia will put that right this weekend - and get their season back on track with a win.

Get your college football odds at Bovada today.

Saturday, August 31, 2013

NFL - Tim Tebow cut by Patriots - what now?

The New England Patriots released 25-year-old Tim Tebow on Saturday, deciding to carry just two QBs on their final 53-man roster.

Head Coach Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots took a chance on the former Heisman winner in pre-season, but Tebow went 11 for 30 for 145 yards, two touchdowns, two picks and a dreadful seven sacks.

Belichick apparently didn't see much better in practice and the Pats essentially gave up on using Tebow, an excellent athlete, in any non-quarterback role such as running back or tight end.

This might be it for Tebow in the NFL, and it's been a downward spiral since January 2012 when Tebow he connected on an 80-yard touchdown pass to lead the Denver Broncos to an overtime victory over Pittsburgh.

At that moment he was probably most famous player in the NFL. While there were still plenty of doubts about his ability, the idea he wouldn't throw a single touchdown in the 2012 season and not be picked up by any NFL team in 2013 was unthinkable.

So what now? Sitting on the free agents list waiting for a call from a team that suffers a series of injuries? That's not supposed to be how it goes for Heisman winners !

Friday, August 30, 2013

SUPER CUP : Bayern Munich beat Chelsea on penalties after last gasp equaliser.

Bayern Munich grabbed hold of the UEFA Super Cup, winning on penalties after the two sides battled to a 2-2 draw in 120 minutes.

Fernando Torres had given Chelsea the lead early in the first half, but Frank Ribery scored to level the scores just after halftime.

Eden Hazard gave Chelsea a 2-1 lead early in extra-time, but Javi Martinez equalised in the 120th minute to send the match into a penalty shoot-out.

The first nine penalties were all converted, but Chelsea's Romelu Lukaku decided on a stutter-step with the final kick and keeper Manuel Neuer made a sprawling save to claim the trophy.

FINAL : BAYERN MUNICH 2-2 CHELSEA
Bayern Munich win 5-4 on penalties.

Thursday, August 29, 2013

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE - Group Stage Draw announced


The draw for the group stages of the UEFA Champions League has been made, and there are some big clubs that will clash in group play.

Group B sees Real Madrid and Juventus facing each other, while Group H has Barcelona and AC Milan as the top two seeds.

 Arsenal have a tricky start versus Borussia Dortmund, Marseille and Napoli while Manchester United is up against Shakhtar Donetsk, Bayer Leverkusen and Real Sociedad.

Bayern Munich take on Manchester City, CSKA Moscow and Viktoria Plzen while Chelsea have an easier group of Schalke, FC Basel and Steaua Bucharest.

The first round of group matches will be played on 17-18 September.

Full Champions League draw:
--------------------------------------------
Group A: Manchester United, Shakhtar Donetsk, Bayer Leverkusen, Real Sociedad
Group B: Real Madrid, Juventus, Galatasaray, FC Copenhagen
Group C: Benfica, Paris St-Germain, Olympiakos, Anderlecht
Group D: Bayern Munich, CSKA Moscow, Manchester City, Viktoria Plzen
Group E: Chelsea, Schalke, FC Basel, Steaua Bucharest
Group F: Arsenal, Marseille, Borussia Dortmund, Napoli
Group G: Porto, Atletico Madrid, Zenit St Petersburg, Austria Vienna
Group H: Barcelona, AC Milan, Ajax, Celtic
 
The 2014 Champions League final will be held at Benfica's Stadium of Light in Lisbon.

TRANSFER - Arsenal bring in Mathieu Flamini on free transfer

Former Arsenal midfielder Mathieu Flamini has returned to Arsenal on a free transfer.

Flamini had been training with the north London club in recent weeks after being released by AC Milan in the summer. The 29-year-old France international, spent four years at the Gunners from 2004 to 2008.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said of his new signing :
"He is a player of real quality, with a fantastic work rate and great mentality."

"He can play as a defensive midfielder or provide cover for first-choice full-backs Bacary Sagna and Kieran Gibbs."

"As we know, Mathieu is a strong midfielder, but is also comfortable playing in defence too. He is a very good addition to our squad."

Saturday, August 24, 2013

BETTING : Bet365 give risk-free £25 in-play bet on Man Utd v Chelsea.

Top UK bookmaker Bet365 are giving a risk-free £25 in-play bet on Monday nights feature game between Manchester United v Chelsea at Old Trafford.



To qualify for your free In-Play bet, simply place a bet on Manchester United v Chelsea at Bet365 before kick-off, then once the game starts place another bet on any In-Play market.

If your FIRST In-Play bet loses then Bet365 will refund this stake, up to the same value as your largest pre-match bet (max £25 or currency equivalent).

Check it out at Bet365 Now.

bet365

BETTING : Coral offer free £10 in-play bet on Fulham v Arsenal

Fulham v Arsenal – Coral offer free £10 in-play bet on Fulham v Arsenal.

Have a £/€10 bet before kick-off on the Fulham v Arsenal match and Coral will give you a free £/€10 bet to use in-play during the match.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS :
Offer applies to website & mobile Coral customers aged 18 years or over whose accounts are registered in the UK or Republic of Ireland.

Free bet Token will be credited to customer at 12:46 BST, and will expire after the match is finished.

Check it out at Coral now.

And of course if you are not a customer of Coral already you can join up and get a further £50 free bet as a new depositing customer.


Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Brazil World Cup 2014 Tickets go on sale

Tickets for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil went on sale on Tuesday August 20th, with fans able to apply on FIFA's website.
 
FIFA is expecting a similar demand to Germany 2006, when there were about seven applicants for every ticket of the 64-match tournament, Around 3.3 million tickets will be available for the tournament.

Tickets will range in price from US $90 for first-round matches to $990 for the final at Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.
 
As the process will be massively over subscribed, all applications made before 10 October 2013 will enter a random selection draw.
 
The sales of the leftover tickets will begin on 5 November on a first-come, first-served basis. Another phase will begin on 8 December after the draw is made.
 
The tournament begins on 12 June, with Brazil playing the opener in Sao Paulo.

Sunday, August 18, 2013

BETTING : We won the football pools - how did your weekend go?

We won the pools on Saturday!
We won the pools! That's right - we had a winner in the opening weekend at ColossusBets ! 

OK - it was not the 10 million GBP Colossus pool ... but it was still a winner.

After 3 games on Saturday, we had 3 winners and our writers syndicate decided to cash in our HDA 5 ticket in the Bundesliga for a an early payout.

And there does seem to be a bit of value in the HDA pools betting concept too - especially with the early cash out feature.

We had Bayern Munich, Leverkusen and Monchengladbach on Saturday ... all favourites that won and would have paid out at 5.66 at the bookies ...

But due to the guaranteed pools prize of 1,000 and the fact that there were only 39 tickets remaining we got a return of 23.01 at odds of 11.50 ...

That's a reasonable return, and twice what we would have got in the high street. It's an interesting concept for regular accumulator punters.

You can checkout the Colossus Bets website here ... just remember to use the bonus code of GOONER3FREEBETS and you will get 3 free lines to play with your first deposit of £10 or more

See our full page review of ColossusBets Pools Betting on the main site.

Win £10,000,000 at Colossus Bets

Thursday, August 15, 2013

BETTING : Colossus Bets - Pools Bettting - How to Play Video

Colossus Bets has recently launched offering normal Home-draw-away polls betting as well as their groundbreaking “Pick 7 Correct Scores” COLOSSUS football pool product.

There are all sorts of features, including the ability to "sell back some of your ticket" and bank some guaranteed profits over the course of the games.

To help new players build awareness of how much control they have over their picks, Colossus Bets has released an informative How-To-Play video via YouTube.

Watch it here!



You can check out their website at Colossus Bets now

Monday, August 12, 2013

BETTING : BetVictor offers to match your first EPL treble with a FREE treble!

UK online bookmaker BetVictor is offering a FREE matched treble to get your new seasons betting up and running.

Place a Treble on the Opening Weekend of the Premier League season and get a FREE treble on the following week's Premier League matches!

Check it out at BetVictor now.


-----

Terms And Conditions :
1.Offer applies to your first Treble in the Match Odds market across the opening set of fixtures in the Barclays Premier League, Aug 17th - 19st, inclusive.

2.'Match Odds' market means the 90 minute Win/Draw/Win market which is the main market on the match.

3.Best Bet Bundle or any other Enhanced markets featuring three teams or more will NOT count.

4.Max Free Bet stake is £/€25 per person or household.

5. Offer is open to new and existing customers from UK, Ireland and Greece

Saturday, August 10, 2013

FOOTBALL : Arsenal beat Manchester City in pre-season friendly

Arsenal enjoy Helsinki trip with a 3-1 friendly win against Manchester City.

The Gunners took an early lead when Theo Walcott chipped over Joe Hart when played in by Aaron Ramsey.
 
Walcott returned the favour after the break for Ramsey to round Hart and score in the 59th minute and 3 minutes later another Walcott pass saw Olivier Giroud lift in a third goal for Arsenal to take a 3-0 lead.
 
Manchester City striker Alvaro Negredo scored a consolation with little more than 10 minutes remaining when he side-footed under Lukasz Fabianski .
 
Arsenal begin their top-flight campaign next Saturday when Aston Villa visit the Emirates Stadium, while Man City play Newcastle at the Etihad Stadium on Monday.

UPDATED:
Link to 5 mins video highlights from official Arsenal website.
 
Arsenal: Szczesny (Fabianski 46); Sagna (Jenkinson 73), Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs; Arteta (Perez 67), Wilshere (Cazorla 46), Ramsey (Hayden 88); Oxlade-Chamberlain (Zelalem 73), Walcott, Podolski (Giroud 46). Subs: Fabianski, Jenkinson, Sebastian Perez, Hayden, Zelalem, Cazorla, Giroud.
 
Manchester City: Hart; Zabaleta (Richards 46), Kompany, Lescott (Boyata 85), Clichy; Milner (Jesus Navas 46), Fernandinho (Rodwell 79), Toure (Javi Garcia 67), Silva (Jovetic 67); Dzeko (Nasri 46), Negredo. Subs: Pantilimon, Wright, Kolarov.
 
 

Friday, August 09, 2013

UEFA : Arsenal to face Fenerbahce in Champions League play-off

Arsenal will face Fenerbahce in the play-off round of the Champions League.

Arsène Wenger's side will travel to Sukru Saracoglu Stadium for the first leg on August 21, before hosting the Turkish side at Emirates Stadium six days later.

In other tough looking games, PSV Eindhoven will take on AC Milan, and Lyon face Real Sociedad.

Draw in full :
Lyon v Real Sociedad
Schalke 04 v FC Metalist Kharkiv
Pacos Ferreira v Zenit St Petersburg
PSV Eindhoven v AC Milan
Fenerbahce v ARSENAL

According to Uefa, the participation of Fenerbahçe and Metalist Kharkiv in the competition is subject to pending disciplinary and CAS proceedings.

FOOTBALL : Fabregas commits future to Barcelona

Cesc Fabregas spurns Man Utd and commits to Barcelona

Cesc Fabregas has pledged to stay with Barcelona, ending Manchester United's hopes of signing the midfielder.

Manchester United had two bids rejected during the close season and were considering a third offer, which would have broken the club record of £30.7m.

Fabregas said : "I am very happy at Barcelona and I haven't spoken to any other club in the last two years ... Triumphing in Barcelona has been my dream since I was a child,"

FOOTBALL : Arsenal complete £8m transfer deal !!

But ... Arsenal are SELLING .. not buying !


Gervinho has joined Italian Serie A side Roma from Arsenal in an £8m deal.

(You had to be mad to think that Wenger had finally prised open his chequebook !!)

Gervinho was signed from Lille by Gunners boss Arsene Wenger in 2011, but managed only four goals in his first season before scoring seven last season. But the Ivory Coast international striker found his first-team opportunities limited at the Emirates last season, mainly because he seemed to waste about five times as many chances as he converted.

An Arsenal statement read: "Everyone would like to thank Gervinho for his contribution to the club and wish him well for his future career."

Gervinho is the 13th signing this summer by Roma coach Rudi Garcia, whose side finished sixth in Serie A last season. THIRTEEN new players !!!

IF you want to see whether Arsenal have spent any money yet - just bookmark our special Arsenal transfer blog post

Tuesday, August 06, 2013

BETTING : Punter turns $10 into over $9000 with MLB parlay bet at BOVADA

One US-based sports punter who reads GoonersGuide had a successful day on Sunday 4th August, turning a single $10 parlay bet into a total return of $9022.29 !!

The reader had a 12-team ML baseball parlay bet at top offshore sportsbook Bovada on a day where 15 games were played and when MOST results went the way they were expected to go.

Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles, Tampa Bay Rays, and the Pittsburgh Pirates all won at home to no-ones surprise, but the bettor still had to get through some tricky results to get a collect.

Did you have the St Louis Cardinals to win in Cincinnati?
Or The Texas Rangers to beat the Oakland Athletics?
Or the San Diego Padres to beat the travelling Yankees?

Our punter did all three as the Cards won 15-2 (!), the Padres beat the Yankees 6-3, and The Rangers beat the A's 4-zip!

Well done Sir, and if you want to start writing a regular column for the GoonersGuide on baseball betting - then we'd be very happy to hear from you and host it!

In the meantime you can visit Bovada Sportsbook here, or read our full page review of Bovada's sports betting site here.

Monday, July 29, 2013

Tottenham player Gareth Bale has said that he wants to speak to Real Madrid, but Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is adamant the Welsh player will not be sold.

Real Madrid have yet to submit a written offer, while Spurs have said that are determined to keep the 24-year-old, even if they receive a world record bid of £85m. Spurs bought Bale from Southampton for £10m in 2007.

Tottenham are hopeful of persuading Bale to fulfil another year of the three years remaining on his current contract.

Tottenham arrived back in London on Sunday from their final pre-season matches in Hong Kong. Bale did not play in either of the club's matches in the Asia Trophy because of a "muscle problem".

Saturday, July 27, 2013

FOOTBALL : Man Utd told Cesc Fabregas not for sale

Barcelona vice-president Josep Maria Bartomeu has told Manchester United that they will not sell midfielder Cesc Fabregas at any price.

Man United manager David Moyes revealed on Thursday that the deal was "ongoing" but the Spanish club insist no offer will be accepted for the 26-year-old.

Bartomeu said: "United's interest for Cesc Fabregas is obvious, he's a great player but it does not bother us. It does not matter what they offer us, we are not selling him."

Monday, July 22, 2013

FOOTBALL : Nagoya Grampus 1-3 Arsenal + video highlights link

Arsenal recorded a 3-1 friendly win against Japanese side Nagoya Grampus, on their tour of Asia.

Nagoya Grampus was the last side Arsene Wenger managed, some 17 years ago, and the game was played in a jovial atmosphere in front of a crowd of almost 43,000.

Olivier Giroud opened the scoring in just the 3rd minute with his sixth goal of the tour, before young Japanese winger Ryo Miyaichi scored from the penalty spot to make it 2-0 before halftime.

Theo Walcott added a third goal before Kisho Yano got one back for Nagoya Grampus late on.

Free Video Highlights are available here at Arsenal's official website.



Friday, July 19, 2013

FOOTBALL : FIFA announce ticket prices for 2014 World Cup in Brazil

FIFA have announced the ticket prices for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil with prices being lower than previous editions of the World Cup.

Ticket prices for international fans attending the football World Cup in Brazil will start at $90 (£59, €69) for initial group matches.

Tickets will go on sale from 20 August 2013, and the biggest problem for football fans will be getting any sort of allocation, as the tickets will be massively oversubscribed, and applicants will go into a balloting system to "win" the right to purchase tickets.

In total about three million tickets will be available for fans, but demand will be much higher for most matches.

Football's governing body Fifa announced that the cheapest ticket for the final on 13 July will be $440 (£288) and the most expensive $990 (£650).

The TST tickets (team specific tickets to follow one team) are reasonably priced in Category 3, at just USD $297 for three group games, plus $605 for three knockout matches to the semi-finals, and a further $484 to include the final.

That's a total of $1384 - pricey but not outrageous given the demand.

World Cup ticket prices (overseas fans)

Matches Category 1 Category 2 Category 3
Source: FIFA.
Opening Match $495 $330 $220
Group Matches $175 $135 $90
Round of 16 $220 $165 $110
Quarter Finals $330 $220 $165
Semi Finals $660 $440 $275
3rd / 4th Place Match $330 $220 $165
Final $990 $660 $440

The tournament starts on 12 June 2014, with the first game being played

FOOTBALL : Have Arsenal spent any money yet?

Fed up with getting up in the morning full of hope - only to have it dashed after 30 minutes of searching the internet in the vain hope of news of a star player heading to Arsenal football club - with absolutely no success?

Well, we can't make Wenger spend money - but I can save you time as I've found a site that does it all with one simple click ... just go to :

Absolute classic site - well done that man !
;-)


(Iframe of the site shown)

Thursday, July 18, 2013

FOOTBALL : Manchester City agree fee for Fiorentina striker Jovetic

Manchester City agree Stevan Jovetic fee say Fiorentina

Manchester City have dipped into the transfer market again - agreeing a fee to sign Fiorentina striker Stevan Jovetic. Jovetic, 23, has been a long-term target for the 2011-12 Premier League champions and is rated at about £28m.

The Montenegro forward, who scored 13 goals in 31 games for Fiorentina last season, and his club Fiorentina tweeted:  "An agreement has been reached with Manchester City for the permanent sale of the player."

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has already strengthened his squad this summer with the signings of midfielder Fernandinho, 28, from Shakhtar Donetsk and winger Jesus Navas, 27, from Sevilla.

Striker Alvaro Negredo, 27, is expected to follow former Sevilla team-mate Navas to the Etihad Stadium in a £20m deal.

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

FOOTBALL : Aussie Bookmaker expects Manchester United to score twice on Saturday.

HOW MANY GOALS WILL MANCHESTER UNITED PUT PAST THE A-LEAGUE ALL-STARS?

It’s widely expected Manchester United will put at least a couple of goals in the back of A-League All-Stars net this Saturday night , especially after their 0-1 loss in Thailand last weekend, and Australian online bookmaker sportsbet.com.au is taking bets on exactly how many it’ll be.
ManYoo scoring two goals is the $3.25 favourite, followed by one or four or more (both $4.00) and three ($4.20). Going goalless, as they did last weekend, is paying a juicy $10.

sportsbet.com.au’s Ben Hawes said : “The betting says the Red Devils might struggle to rack up a score against the All-Stars. We’re tipping the over/unders for nightclub visits will be much higher!”

Markets courtesy of sportsbet.com.au
How many goals will Manchester United score against the A-League All-Stars?  

$10      No goals
$4.00   Exactly 1
$3.25   Exactly 2
$4.20   Exactly 3
$4.00   4 or more goals

In match betting, United are the $1.36 clear favourites, the All-Stars are at $7.50, with draw paying $4.50.

Manchester United v A-League All-Stars - Match Result

$1.36   Manchester United
$4.50   Draw
$7.50   A-League All-Stars