Friday, May 27, 2005
Play-Off Final Preview
After all the excitement of Istanbul, punters have just one last weekend of football to enjoy before a well earned summer break. If you can't resist the temptation to have one final flutter, there is still time to open a Sporting Index account* and try your hand at spread betting. There's GBP100 free cash up for grabs for new clients** (after placing ten bets, risking GBP20 each, see below for details) and a wide range of markets on each match to choose from. They've even got a market on the number of penalties to be scored in the play-off finals this weekend! Here's an analysis ahead of the big games, to help you get started:
Lincoln v Southend
Southend are favourites according to most bookies, but this game could be very tight. None of the semi-final ties had many goals, so the final may be a low scoring affair as well. Southend faded badly towards the end of the season, losing the LDV Vans Trophy Final and throwing away automatic promotion. Although Lincoln also stuttered, they have a solid defence which makes up for their lack of goals. The key to success for The Imps will be to keep the prolific Eastwood quite. If they can do that, it will be a hat trick of wasted opportunities for the Shrimpers this season.
Sheffield Wednesday v Hartlepool
Sporting Index have priced up the Owls to win this one by a margin of 0.1 to 0.3 goals. Wednesday are not blessed with great players and weren't particularly impressive against Brentford. In Paul Sturrock however, they do have a manager with plenty of experience in these situations. Hartlepool were very lucky to beat Tranmere on penalties, having been battered in the second leg. Man for man they are as good as Wednesday, and have been involved in plenty of high scoring games this season. Anything can happen at this stage of the season, so there's every chance that Hartlepool can cause an 'upset'.
West Ham v Preston
Both sides looked strong during the second leg of their semi-finals, and there is not much between them. Preston did the double over the Hammers this season, so the London team's position as favourites is deceiving. Preston were the better side over the regular season, reaching the play-offs with relative ease compared to their opponents. The partnership of Nugent and Cresswell has worked very well, so it will be interesting to see how Ferdinand and Ward cope. The two twenty year olds have very little experience and this could be exploited at Cardiff. West Ham will always cause problems with Zamora and Harewood up front, but man for man Preston have the edge. Sporting Index have priced up West Ham to win by a margin of 0.1 to 0.3 goals, but if form and quality are anything to go by, Preston will be confident of playing Premiership football next season.
Free GBP100 Cash for New Clients**
Hopefully that's given you plenty to think about. If you haven't got a Sporting Index spread betting account yet, it's a good time to take advantage of the cash on offer:
Open a Sporting Index account* and place ten bets (risking GBP20 per bet) to claim GBP100 free cash straight into your account.**
*Credit and suitability checks, **terms and conditions apply. See site for further details about an account with Sporting Index. Sports spread betting involves a high level of risk and you can lose more than your original stake. It is not suitable for everyone so please ensure that you understand the risks involved and only bet with money you can afford to lose. Sporting Index is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.
Lincoln v Southend
Southend are favourites according to most bookies, but this game could be very tight. None of the semi-final ties had many goals, so the final may be a low scoring affair as well. Southend faded badly towards the end of the season, losing the LDV Vans Trophy Final and throwing away automatic promotion. Although Lincoln also stuttered, they have a solid defence which makes up for their lack of goals. The key to success for The Imps will be to keep the prolific Eastwood quite. If they can do that, it will be a hat trick of wasted opportunities for the Shrimpers this season.
Sheffield Wednesday v Hartlepool
Sporting Index have priced up the Owls to win this one by a margin of 0.1 to 0.3 goals. Wednesday are not blessed with great players and weren't particularly impressive against Brentford. In Paul Sturrock however, they do have a manager with plenty of experience in these situations. Hartlepool were very lucky to beat Tranmere on penalties, having been battered in the second leg. Man for man they are as good as Wednesday, and have been involved in plenty of high scoring games this season. Anything can happen at this stage of the season, so there's every chance that Hartlepool can cause an 'upset'.
West Ham v Preston
Both sides looked strong during the second leg of their semi-finals, and there is not much between them. Preston did the double over the Hammers this season, so the London team's position as favourites is deceiving. Preston were the better side over the regular season, reaching the play-offs with relative ease compared to their opponents. The partnership of Nugent and Cresswell has worked very well, so it will be interesting to see how Ferdinand and Ward cope. The two twenty year olds have very little experience and this could be exploited at Cardiff. West Ham will always cause problems with Zamora and Harewood up front, but man for man Preston have the edge. Sporting Index have priced up West Ham to win by a margin of 0.1 to 0.3 goals, but if form and quality are anything to go by, Preston will be confident of playing Premiership football next season.
Free GBP100 Cash for New Clients**
Hopefully that's given you plenty to think about. If you haven't got a Sporting Index spread betting account yet, it's a good time to take advantage of the cash on offer:
Open a Sporting Index account* and place ten bets (risking GBP20 per bet) to claim GBP100 free cash straight into your account.**
*Credit and suitability checks, **terms and conditions apply. See site for further details about an account with Sporting Index. Sports spread betting involves a high level of risk and you can lose more than your original stake. It is not suitable for everyone so please ensure that you understand the risks involved and only bet with money you can afford to lose. Sporting Index is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.
Thursday, May 26, 2005
Get In The Game - with Nigel Ridgway of bet365
GOLF
****
Fedex St Jude Classic
Th May 26 – 21.00 BST (SS2)
Fr May 27 – 21.00 BST (SS2)
Sa May 28 – 20.00 BST (SS2)
Su May 29 – 20.00 BST (SS2)
‘Get in the game’ regulars will know that I always try to find a value alternative to the favourite, but for this week’s event, it’s hard to get past our 8/1 ‘jolly’ David Toms. Even at that price, he looks good value when you consider that he virtually owns this event, winning it for the last two years, and being placed 4th the year before. Last year’s win was even more meritorious after he turned up in miserable form (missed five of his last 7 cuts), and the fact that he’s in much better form this time around (2nd last week), makes the case for backing him even stronger. He can be chased home by veteran Nick Price, a perennial contender here, who showed there was life in the old dog yet with a 6th place at the Byron Nelson. As a rank outsider, I like the look of Ben Crane (a massive 125/1), who’s coming off his first top-20 of the season at Colonial, an indication that he’s coming back to the form that won him the Bell South Classic a couple of years back.
Nigel’s Three Off The Tee … David Toms @ 8/1, Nick Price @ 22/1, Ben Crane @ 125/1. Each-way ¼ odds, 1.2.3.4.5. Betting In-Play available throughout.
BMW International
***************
Th May 26 – 1.30 pm BST (BBC2)
Fr May 27 – 1.30 pm BST (BBC2)
Sa May 28 – 5.10 pm BST (BBC2)
Su May 29 – 2.30 pm BST (BBC2)
On this side of the pond, Ernie Els is our 9/2 favourite to win the European Tour’s flagship event but, a word of warning, recent results here have been a nightmare for punters. Last year’s winner, Scott Drummond, was an unconsidered 500/1 rag, his maiden victory following on from winners at odds of 150/1, 80/1 and 150/1! However, with a top-class field assembled this week, it’s high time that one of the bigger names did the business, and we’ll pin our hopes on a couple of in-form Englishmen – Lee Westwood and Luke Donald. Donald needs no introduction after knocking on the door in the States recently, including a tied for 3rd place at the Masters. It’s surely only a matter of time before he breaks his winning duck for 2005. After missing his last four PGA cuts, Westwood’s chance is not quite so obvious, but he was not at the top of his game then. Instead, we should go on his fast finishing 5th place in last week’s Irish Open – a course not dissimilar to this week’s set-up.
Nigel’s Picks: Luke Donald @ 12/1; Lee Westwood @ 33/1. Betting In-Play available throughout.
HORSE RACING
************
Scottish Spring Cup Handicap, 3.15 Musselburgh, 5f
Sa May 28
In these top sprints, it usually pays to stick with a runner who’s at the top of their game, and Richard Fahey’s Fonthill Road looks an obvious candidate. Beaten a short head in a competitive six-furlong handicap at York last time out, the five-year-old looks capable of defying a 6lb hike in the weights here. He seems to handle any ground, but won’t mind any rain as he goes particularly well on an easy surface. The danger could be Corridor Creeper, another sprinter in form, who has been runner-up in the past two renewals of this race. As the race is live on Channel 4, anyone backing the winner at 4/1 or more will be entitled to a free bet on the next live Channel 4 race.
Group Cup (Heron Stakes), 3.25 Goodwood, 1m
Sa May 28
Rebuttal, the 3rd highest-rated two-year-old in Britain last year, will be all the rage for this, but he could be worth taking on tackling a mile for the first time here on his reappearance. Besides, he doesn’t have the scope for improvement that some of the other runners, and Mogaamer has the potential to do a fair bit better than what he has already shown. Un-raced at two, the Marcus Tregoning-trained colt would have gone close to winning last time out at Newmarket had he enjoyed a clear run, and the form of that race is working out well. What’s more, his stable is really getting into gear right now, and has a great record at the track.
FOOTBALL
********
League One Play-Off Final – Hartlepool v Sheffield Wednesday
Su May 29 – ko 3.00 pm BST (SS2)
This weekend’s footy, as we can discount as a serious betting proposition England’s friendly against the USA, is all about the Play-Off finals. Besides, England are hard to fancy at 6/5 considering that most of the ‘A’ team have cried off for various reasons, and against a squad who largely play their football in the major European leagues. The Yanks will certainly be a lot more up for this than we are, and could even be worth a few quid at 9/5. However, the bet of the weekend has to be Sheffield Wednesday to beat Hartlepool at the Millennium Stadium. Ok, the Owls were thrashed 3-0 at the Victoria Park as recently as April 15th, but this will be a very different game. For one, conditions were atrocious back in April, and the Cardiff pitch will suit Wednesday’s style much better, while hat-trick hero, Adam Boyd, is sure to be man-marked this time around. There’s also the two teams away form to consider. Hartlepool have only won one of their last eight aways, while the Owls are here mainly on the strength of their away performances, gaining more points on the road than at Hillsborough.
Championship / League Two Play-Off Finals
In the other Playoff final games, the value could be in opposing both the favourites. In Saturday’s league two encounter, the Shrimpers are marginal favourites, but they have already tasted defeat at Cardiff this season (LDV Trophy), and they could again come unstuck against a stubborn Lincoln side. The Imps have developed a reputation as being away specialists, and aren’t conceding many goals right now (5 clean sheets in their last 9 games), so the draw looks the best call. In Sunday’s Championship final, the Hammers are only favourites on account of their past reputation, rather than their performances over the past nine months. Over that period, Preston were the better side and, having come way with the honours in their two Championship matches this season, Billy Davies’ side should be favourite, so take the 15/8 now.
Play-Off Picks: Sheffield Wednesday to beat Hartlepool @ 6/5; Preston to beat West Ham @ 21/10; Southend v Lincoln (draw) @ 11/5 – treble pays out £436.48 (£20 stake)
Tennents Scottish Cup – Celtic v Dundee Utd
Sa May 28 – ko 3.00 pm BST (BBC Scotland/SS1)
North of the Border, Celtic are un-opposable in Saturday’s Scottish Cup. After last week’s disaster, the Bhoys will want to send Martin O’Neil off in style, and Dundee United could be in line for a hiding. The 2/5 in our HT / FT market looks banker material, while a few quid on 5-0 at 12/1 might not be far off the mark! And, as with all live games, once the game kicks off you can take your pick for any of our 14 ‘In-Play’ markets!
Celtic to beat Dundee United 5-0 @ 12/1
Get in the game and be lucky.
****
Fedex St Jude Classic
Th May 26 – 21.00 BST (SS2)
Fr May 27 – 21.00 BST (SS2)
Sa May 28 – 20.00 BST (SS2)
Su May 29 – 20.00 BST (SS2)
‘Get in the game’ regulars will know that I always try to find a value alternative to the favourite, but for this week’s event, it’s hard to get past our 8/1 ‘jolly’ David Toms. Even at that price, he looks good value when you consider that he virtually owns this event, winning it for the last two years, and being placed 4th the year before. Last year’s win was even more meritorious after he turned up in miserable form (missed five of his last 7 cuts), and the fact that he’s in much better form this time around (2nd last week), makes the case for backing him even stronger. He can be chased home by veteran Nick Price, a perennial contender here, who showed there was life in the old dog yet with a 6th place at the Byron Nelson. As a rank outsider, I like the look of Ben Crane (a massive 125/1), who’s coming off his first top-20 of the season at Colonial, an indication that he’s coming back to the form that won him the Bell South Classic a couple of years back.
Nigel’s Three Off The Tee … David Toms @ 8/1, Nick Price @ 22/1, Ben Crane @ 125/1. Each-way ¼ odds, 1.2.3.4.5. Betting In-Play available throughout.
BMW International
***************
Th May 26 – 1.30 pm BST (BBC2)
Fr May 27 – 1.30 pm BST (BBC2)
Sa May 28 – 5.10 pm BST (BBC2)
Su May 29 – 2.30 pm BST (BBC2)
On this side of the pond, Ernie Els is our 9/2 favourite to win the European Tour’s flagship event but, a word of warning, recent results here have been a nightmare for punters. Last year’s winner, Scott Drummond, was an unconsidered 500/1 rag, his maiden victory following on from winners at odds of 150/1, 80/1 and 150/1! However, with a top-class field assembled this week, it’s high time that one of the bigger names did the business, and we’ll pin our hopes on a couple of in-form Englishmen – Lee Westwood and Luke Donald. Donald needs no introduction after knocking on the door in the States recently, including a tied for 3rd place at the Masters. It’s surely only a matter of time before he breaks his winning duck for 2005. After missing his last four PGA cuts, Westwood’s chance is not quite so obvious, but he was not at the top of his game then. Instead, we should go on his fast finishing 5th place in last week’s Irish Open – a course not dissimilar to this week’s set-up.
Nigel’s Picks: Luke Donald @ 12/1; Lee Westwood @ 33/1. Betting In-Play available throughout.
HORSE RACING
************
Scottish Spring Cup Handicap, 3.15 Musselburgh, 5f
Sa May 28
In these top sprints, it usually pays to stick with a runner who’s at the top of their game, and Richard Fahey’s Fonthill Road looks an obvious candidate. Beaten a short head in a competitive six-furlong handicap at York last time out, the five-year-old looks capable of defying a 6lb hike in the weights here. He seems to handle any ground, but won’t mind any rain as he goes particularly well on an easy surface. The danger could be Corridor Creeper, another sprinter in form, who has been runner-up in the past two renewals of this race. As the race is live on Channel 4, anyone backing the winner at 4/1 or more will be entitled to a free bet on the next live Channel 4 race.
Group Cup (Heron Stakes), 3.25 Goodwood, 1m
Sa May 28
Rebuttal, the 3rd highest-rated two-year-old in Britain last year, will be all the rage for this, but he could be worth taking on tackling a mile for the first time here on his reappearance. Besides, he doesn’t have the scope for improvement that some of the other runners, and Mogaamer has the potential to do a fair bit better than what he has already shown. Un-raced at two, the Marcus Tregoning-trained colt would have gone close to winning last time out at Newmarket had he enjoyed a clear run, and the form of that race is working out well. What’s more, his stable is really getting into gear right now, and has a great record at the track.
FOOTBALL
********
League One Play-Off Final – Hartlepool v Sheffield Wednesday
Su May 29 – ko 3.00 pm BST (SS2)
This weekend’s footy, as we can discount as a serious betting proposition England’s friendly against the USA, is all about the Play-Off finals. Besides, England are hard to fancy at 6/5 considering that most of the ‘A’ team have cried off for various reasons, and against a squad who largely play their football in the major European leagues. The Yanks will certainly be a lot more up for this than we are, and could even be worth a few quid at 9/5. However, the bet of the weekend has to be Sheffield Wednesday to beat Hartlepool at the Millennium Stadium. Ok, the Owls were thrashed 3-0 at the Victoria Park as recently as April 15th, but this will be a very different game. For one, conditions were atrocious back in April, and the Cardiff pitch will suit Wednesday’s style much better, while hat-trick hero, Adam Boyd, is sure to be man-marked this time around. There’s also the two teams away form to consider. Hartlepool have only won one of their last eight aways, while the Owls are here mainly on the strength of their away performances, gaining more points on the road than at Hillsborough.
Championship / League Two Play-Off Finals
In the other Playoff final games, the value could be in opposing both the favourites. In Saturday’s league two encounter, the Shrimpers are marginal favourites, but they have already tasted defeat at Cardiff this season (LDV Trophy), and they could again come unstuck against a stubborn Lincoln side. The Imps have developed a reputation as being away specialists, and aren’t conceding many goals right now (5 clean sheets in their last 9 games), so the draw looks the best call. In Sunday’s Championship final, the Hammers are only favourites on account of their past reputation, rather than their performances over the past nine months. Over that period, Preston were the better side and, having come way with the honours in their two Championship matches this season, Billy Davies’ side should be favourite, so take the 15/8 now.
Play-Off Picks: Sheffield Wednesday to beat Hartlepool @ 6/5; Preston to beat West Ham @ 21/10; Southend v Lincoln (draw) @ 11/5 – treble pays out £436.48 (£20 stake)
Tennents Scottish Cup – Celtic v Dundee Utd
Sa May 28 – ko 3.00 pm BST (BBC Scotland/SS1)
North of the Border, Celtic are un-opposable in Saturday’s Scottish Cup. After last week’s disaster, the Bhoys will want to send Martin O’Neil off in style, and Dundee United could be in line for a hiding. The 2/5 in our HT / FT market looks banker material, while a few quid on 5-0 at 12/1 might not be far off the mark! And, as with all live games, once the game kicks off you can take your pick for any of our 14 ‘In-Play’ markets!
Celtic to beat Dundee United 5-0 @ 12/1
Get in the game and be lucky.
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
Virtual Football has arrived!!
The football season may have ended and a wait for 3 months for it to all kick off again, may bring withdrawal symptoms for many. This now needs not be the case, as Coral has launched Virtual Football which will provide you the ultimate football fantasy with matches every 90 seconds.
Theres so much exciting football at the moment the crucial Champions League matches, Cup finals, promotion and relegation.
Well at Coral.co.uk you can have all of this from start to finish in the space of an hour with Virtual Football click here
for Virtual Football now!
Virtual football offers
· A round of matches every 90 seconds
· A full 38 match season completed in an hour
· Betting available on individual matches, multiples and outright markets · Comprehensive statistics keep you in touch with who's hot and who is not!
With over 40 international leagues to choose from whether you fancy Grindavik for the Icelandic league or Juventus to turn over Lazio at home, its just minutes away with Virtual Football from Coral.co.uk
Theres so much exciting football at the moment the crucial Champions League matches, Cup finals, promotion and relegation.
Well at Coral.co.uk you can have all of this from start to finish in the space of an hour with Virtual Football click here
Virtual football offers
· A round of matches every 90 seconds
· A full 38 match season completed in an hour
· Betting available on individual matches, multiples and outright markets · Comprehensive statistics keep you in touch with who's hot and who is not!
With over 40 international leagues to choose from whether you fancy Grindavik for the Icelandic league or Juventus to turn over Lazio at home, its just minutes away with Virtual Football from Coral.co.uk
Monday, May 23, 2005
Champions League Preview
Few people would have tipped Liverpool to reach the Champions League Final back in August, when they scraped through a qualifying round against GAK. However, some 12 matches later, 'only' tournament favourites AC Milan stand in the way of a fifth European Cup for the Reds. If you're thinking of having a punt on the game, you might consider opening an account with Sporting Index*. With plenty of spread betting markets to choose from and GBP100 free cash on offer to new clients**, you could be celebrating at the final whistle regardless of which team wins. Here's an analysis ahead of the big game, to help you get started:
Seven Up
Sporting Index have priced up AC Milan as favourites to win by a margin of 0.3 to 0.5 goals (in 90 minutes). The Italian side would probably have been stronger favourites a few weeks ago, but their recent form has been poor. They were outplayed in both legs of the semi-final by PSV, and have just handed the Italian title to a very average Juve side. When you consider that Liverpool outplayed Juventus in the quarter-finals of this competition, plenty of punters are likely to get behind the Reds by betting 'low' on Sporting's prediction.
Milan will be at full strength, having rested all their key players on the weekend. However they seem very low on confidence right now, struggling to keep possession and uncharacteristically fragile at the back. The big question is whether Liverpool can make the most of these deficiencies, particularly if they play as defensively as they did against Chelsea. Once again, the key for Liverpool will be a strong, co-ordinated team performance. With Baros off-form and Cisse lacking sharpness, they will rely on Garcia and Gerrard to provide the attacking threat. Sporting Index are predicting a total of 2.1 to 2.3 goals over 90 minutes.
If the Milan defence rediscover their confidence, they should be able to keep a clean sheet. In Pirlo and Kaka they have enough creativity to provide Shevchenko with chances. It will be a very tight match, but on paper the Italian side have too much class for the Reds. This one may even be settled by a single goal in extra time, but AC Milan possess the greater attacking force and will be confident of lifting the European Cup for the seventh time.
Free GBP100 Cash for New Clients**
Hopefully that's given you plenty to think about. If you haven't got a Sporting Index spread betting account yet, it's a good time to take advantage of the cash on offer:
Open a Sporting Index account* and place ten bets (risking GBP20 per bet) to claim a free GBP100 cash straight into your account.**
*Credit and suitability checks, **terms and conditions apply. See site for further details about an account with Sporting Index. Sports spread betting involves a high level of risk and you can lose more than your original stake. It is not suitable for everyone so please ensure that you understand the risks involved and only bet with money you can afford to lose. Sporting Index is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.
Seven Up
Sporting Index have priced up AC Milan as favourites to win by a margin of 0.3 to 0.5 goals (in 90 minutes). The Italian side would probably have been stronger favourites a few weeks ago, but their recent form has been poor. They were outplayed in both legs of the semi-final by PSV, and have just handed the Italian title to a very average Juve side. When you consider that Liverpool outplayed Juventus in the quarter-finals of this competition, plenty of punters are likely to get behind the Reds by betting 'low' on Sporting's prediction.
Milan will be at full strength, having rested all their key players on the weekend. However they seem very low on confidence right now, struggling to keep possession and uncharacteristically fragile at the back. The big question is whether Liverpool can make the most of these deficiencies, particularly if they play as defensively as they did against Chelsea. Once again, the key for Liverpool will be a strong, co-ordinated team performance. With Baros off-form and Cisse lacking sharpness, they will rely on Garcia and Gerrard to provide the attacking threat. Sporting Index are predicting a total of 2.1 to 2.3 goals over 90 minutes.
If the Milan defence rediscover their confidence, they should be able to keep a clean sheet. In Pirlo and Kaka they have enough creativity to provide Shevchenko with chances. It will be a very tight match, but on paper the Italian side have too much class for the Reds. This one may even be settled by a single goal in extra time, but AC Milan possess the greater attacking force and will be confident of lifting the European Cup for the seventh time.
Free GBP100 Cash for New Clients**
Hopefully that's given you plenty to think about. If you haven't got a Sporting Index spread betting account yet, it's a good time to take advantage of the cash on offer:
Open a Sporting Index account* and place ten bets (risking GBP20 per bet) to claim a free GBP100 cash straight into your account.**
*Credit and suitability checks, **terms and conditions apply. See site for further details about an account with Sporting Index. Sports spread betting involves a high level of risk and you can lose more than your original stake. It is not suitable for everyone so please ensure that you understand the risks involved and only bet with money you can afford to lose. Sporting Index is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.
Sunday, May 22, 2005
Champions League: Goals could be in short supply in Istanbul
Defences will rule the day when Liverpool face AC Milan in the Champions League final on May 25.
That’s the call from VC Bet’s Nick Blezard who believes the watertight rearguards of both teams could see one goal decide European football’s premier club competition.
”With so much at stake the only attacking we’ll be seeing in Turkey will be of the ‘counter’ variety,” he said. ”Liverpool have built their tremendous run on the foundations of some great defending and we all know what sort of game plan the Italians will take into the final.”
AC Milan played out an ultra defensive 0-0 with Juventus when they took on their Italian rivals in the 2003 Champions League final. Milan eventually claimed the trophy in a penalty shoot-out.
”There is no doubt that the return to full-fitness of Djibril Cisse is a massive plus for Liverpool and he will be a huge boost for Rafael Benitez’s European tactics but I believe that Milan’s superior big match experience tilts things towards the Italians.
”This game has got 1-0 written all over it and with that in mind I recommend backing the under 2½ goals quote as well at 4/7.”
Interestingly, one VC Bet punter thinks goals won’t be a problem for either side in Istanbul.
The firm face a monster £100k pay out if Liverpool beat AC Milan 4-2. The big hitting punter has staked £1k at 100/1 on Rafael Benitez’s side pulling off that unlikely scoreline after he recently dreamt the whole game.
Suggested bets: AC Milan 1-0 11/2, under 2½ goals 4/7.
That’s the call from VC Bet’s Nick Blezard who believes the watertight rearguards of both teams could see one goal decide European football’s premier club competition.
”With so much at stake the only attacking we’ll be seeing in Turkey will be of the ‘counter’ variety,” he said. ”Liverpool have built their tremendous run on the foundations of some great defending and we all know what sort of game plan the Italians will take into the final.”
AC Milan played out an ultra defensive 0-0 with Juventus when they took on their Italian rivals in the 2003 Champions League final. Milan eventually claimed the trophy in a penalty shoot-out.
”There is no doubt that the return to full-fitness of Djibril Cisse is a massive plus for Liverpool and he will be a huge boost for Rafael Benitez’s European tactics but I believe that Milan’s superior big match experience tilts things towards the Italians.
”This game has got 1-0 written all over it and with that in mind I recommend backing the under 2½ goals quote as well at 4/7.”
Interestingly, one VC Bet punter thinks goals won’t be a problem for either side in Istanbul.
The firm face a monster £100k pay out if Liverpool beat AC Milan 4-2. The big hitting punter has staked £1k at 100/1 on Rafael Benitez’s side pulling off that unlikely scoreline after he recently dreamt the whole game.
Suggested bets: AC Milan 1-0 11/2, under 2½ goals 4/7.
Friday, May 20, 2005
Get In The Game - with Nigel Ridgway of bet365
GOLF
****
Bank of America Colonial, Fort Worth, TX
Th May 19 – 21.00 BST (SS3)
Fr May 20 – 21.00 BST (SS3)
Sa May 21 – 20.00 BST (SS2)
Su May 22 – 20.00 BST (SS3)
After last week’s top-five we’re down to just one this week – Phil Mickelson – but we’ll swerve him for betting purposes due to the fact that this course (only two par 5’s) gives him no great advantage over the shorter hitters. Instead, after a superb run of form which includes back-to-back seconds, we’ll get stuck into Jim Furyk at a working man’s price of 12/1 (*** in our ‘Enhanced Win Only’ market!), His form here is not bad either – four top-tens in nine visits. He’s due a win this week, as is Justin Leonard, a Dallas native, who has been the model of consistency in his event. Leonard has yet to miss the cut in 10 starts, including five top-10 finishes and a personal best second-place in 2002. He can be forgiven a modest 58th in the Byron Nelson as it was his first run back after a four-week paternity break. Bo Van Pelt completes the trio of selections a tasty 66/1. That price look generous considering his 5th place here last year, one of several high finishes on par 70 courses in his short career.
Nigel’s Three Off The Tee … Jim Furyk @ 12/1, Justin Leonard @ 33/1, Bo Van Pelt @ 66/1. Each-way ¼ odds, 1.2.3.4.5. Betting In-Play available throughout.
HORSE RACING
************
Irish 2000 Guineas, Curragh 1m
Sa May 21
There’s a feast of top-class racing this weekend, including Classic action from the Curragh, where Footstepsinthesand aims to supplement his 2000 Guineas win in the Irish equivalent (3.55pm). Although there’s a suspicion that the race at Newmarket was not a vintage renewal, the winner was most impressive, looking the winner from a long way out and there must be every chance that he can find even more improvement in Saturday’s race. On the same card, Ehsan goes on trial for the Derby in the Gallinule Stakes, and he can book his ticket for Epsom (current price 8/1).
Channel 4 racing – Haydock / Newmarket
In the feature race at Haydock, the Totesport Silver Bowl (3.30pm), Mogaamer fits the profile of recent race winners – a progressive three-year-old with a recent win under his belt. He certainly caught the eye last time out with a luckless run in the bet365 Fielden Stakes, the form of which has worked out well. At Newmarket, the nap goes to Intoxicating (3.45pm), who looked a sprinter to follow when gaining his second success over this trip (6f) last Saturday at Nottingham. As both races are live on Channel 4, anyone backing a winner at 4/1 or more will be entitled to a free bet on the next live Channel 4 race.
FOOTBALL
********
FA Cup Final – Arsenal v Man Utd
Sa May 21, ko 3.00pm BST (SS1)
After their 7-0 demolition of Everton the Gunners were all the rage to take this, but their odds have eased in the last few days, after they were dealt a major blow with the injury to Henry. However, it is worth pointing out that, brilliant though he is, Henry did not score any of those seven goals and the absence of one individual is unlikely to prevent the Gunners from leaving the Millennium Stadium with the FA Cup. United will, of course, have their backers. The fixture history tells us that they have won all four of the last four meetings after a run of three draws, however, they still finished behind the Gunners in the league. This is because the Gunners rediscovered their early season form, piling up nine clean sheets since March 1st and failing to score in only one game (against Chelsea). On the other hand, United have performed indifferently over the same period, being held to draws by Palace, Blackburn and West Brom. So, providing Arsenal can hit Cardiff in the same sort of form, they’re going to be very hard to beat.
As well as taking the 6/4 in the win market, a bet on Robin van Persie to score first at 6/1 could be profitable. His two goals against Blackburn in the last round were outstanding and, with Henry on the sidelines, he can be expected to continue his relationship up-front with Jose Antonio Reyes. Taking our Goalcorer Cashback Offer into account the 6/1 is even greater value, as we’ll give you your money back if he scores the last goal in the game instead! As regards the Correct Score, we should be backing Arsenal to win 1-0 and 2-0, at 7/1 and 10/1 respectively. In the last ten years, only United themselves have scored more than three goals (v Millwall), while nine of the last ten winners have kept a clean sheet. At the odds, it’s hard to resist a bit on the Scorecast, which pays out a handsome 35/1 and 50/1.
Once the game kicks off, don’t forget to check out our ‘In-Play’ service which offers you up to 14 markets to choose from.
Cup Final picks:
Arsenal to win @ 6/4
Arsenal to win 1-0 @ 7/1; 2-0 @ 10/1
Robin Van Persie to score first @ 6/1
Enjoy the game and be lucky!
Nigel.
****
Bank of America Colonial, Fort Worth, TX
Th May 19 – 21.00 BST (SS3)
Fr May 20 – 21.00 BST (SS3)
Sa May 21 – 20.00 BST (SS2)
Su May 22 – 20.00 BST (SS3)
After last week’s top-five we’re down to just one this week – Phil Mickelson – but we’ll swerve him for betting purposes due to the fact that this course (only two par 5’s) gives him no great advantage over the shorter hitters. Instead, after a superb run of form which includes back-to-back seconds, we’ll get stuck into Jim Furyk at a working man’s price of 12/1 (*** in our ‘Enhanced Win Only’ market!), His form here is not bad either – four top-tens in nine visits. He’s due a win this week, as is Justin Leonard, a Dallas native, who has been the model of consistency in his event. Leonard has yet to miss the cut in 10 starts, including five top-10 finishes and a personal best second-place in 2002. He can be forgiven a modest 58th in the Byron Nelson as it was his first run back after a four-week paternity break. Bo Van Pelt completes the trio of selections a tasty 66/1. That price look generous considering his 5th place here last year, one of several high finishes on par 70 courses in his short career.
Nigel’s Three Off The Tee … Jim Furyk @ 12/1, Justin Leonard @ 33/1, Bo Van Pelt @ 66/1. Each-way ¼ odds, 1.2.3.4.5. Betting In-Play available throughout.
HORSE RACING
************
Irish 2000 Guineas, Curragh 1m
Sa May 21
There’s a feast of top-class racing this weekend, including Classic action from the Curragh, where Footstepsinthesand aims to supplement his 2000 Guineas win in the Irish equivalent (3.55pm). Although there’s a suspicion that the race at Newmarket was not a vintage renewal, the winner was most impressive, looking the winner from a long way out and there must be every chance that he can find even more improvement in Saturday’s race. On the same card, Ehsan goes on trial for the Derby in the Gallinule Stakes, and he can book his ticket for Epsom (current price 8/1).
Channel 4 racing – Haydock / Newmarket
In the feature race at Haydock, the Totesport Silver Bowl (3.30pm), Mogaamer fits the profile of recent race winners – a progressive three-year-old with a recent win under his belt. He certainly caught the eye last time out with a luckless run in the bet365 Fielden Stakes, the form of which has worked out well. At Newmarket, the nap goes to Intoxicating (3.45pm), who looked a sprinter to follow when gaining his second success over this trip (6f) last Saturday at Nottingham. As both races are live on Channel 4, anyone backing a winner at 4/1 or more will be entitled to a free bet on the next live Channel 4 race.
FOOTBALL
********
FA Cup Final – Arsenal v Man Utd
Sa May 21, ko 3.00pm BST (SS1)
After their 7-0 demolition of Everton the Gunners were all the rage to take this, but their odds have eased in the last few days, after they were dealt a major blow with the injury to Henry. However, it is worth pointing out that, brilliant though he is, Henry did not score any of those seven goals and the absence of one individual is unlikely to prevent the Gunners from leaving the Millennium Stadium with the FA Cup. United will, of course, have their backers. The fixture history tells us that they have won all four of the last four meetings after a run of three draws, however, they still finished behind the Gunners in the league. This is because the Gunners rediscovered their early season form, piling up nine clean sheets since March 1st and failing to score in only one game (against Chelsea). On the other hand, United have performed indifferently over the same period, being held to draws by Palace, Blackburn and West Brom. So, providing Arsenal can hit Cardiff in the same sort of form, they’re going to be very hard to beat.
As well as taking the 6/4 in the win market, a bet on Robin van Persie to score first at 6/1 could be profitable. His two goals against Blackburn in the last round were outstanding and, with Henry on the sidelines, he can be expected to continue his relationship up-front with Jose Antonio Reyes. Taking our Goalcorer Cashback Offer into account the 6/1 is even greater value, as we’ll give you your money back if he scores the last goal in the game instead! As regards the Correct Score, we should be backing Arsenal to win 1-0 and 2-0, at 7/1 and 10/1 respectively. In the last ten years, only United themselves have scored more than three goals (v Millwall), while nine of the last ten winners have kept a clean sheet. At the odds, it’s hard to resist a bit on the Scorecast, which pays out a handsome 35/1 and 50/1.
Once the game kicks off, don’t forget to check out our ‘In-Play’ service which offers you up to 14 markets to choose from.
Cup Final picks:
Arsenal to win @ 6/4
Arsenal to win 1-0 @ 7/1; 2-0 @ 10/1
Robin Van Persie to score first @ 6/1
Enjoy the game and be lucky!
Nigel.
FA Cup Final Spread Betting Preview
We’ve seen plenty of classic encounters between Arsenal and Man Utd in recent years, but you have to go back to 1979 for their last FA Cup Final meeting. Arsenal emerged victorious that day, but can they break United’s four game winning streak against them on Saturday? With one of the most evenly matched finals in recent years expected, it’s shaping up to be a record breaking weekend for the bookies. If you fancy having a punt on the game, it’s well worth checking out the massive range of spread betting markets offered by Sporting Index. With £100 free cash available to new clients, they offer an attractive addition to the usual fixed-odds perspective. To help you get started, read on for our opinion ahead of the big game:
Dutch of Class
A lot of pundits think that the loss of Henry is a massive blow to Arsenal, but the facts don’t bear this out. Until their final-day defeat to Birmingham, the Gunners were unbeaten in all competitions for 14 matches and Henry didn’t play in 7 of those. Considering the 45 minutes he played against Everton, he would lack the match fitness to make an impact. The return of Gilberto and Edu has been a major reason for Arsenal’s return to form, and with Ljungberg back from injury they could have the edge over United’s midfield. Accordingly, Sporting Index have priced the Londoners up as favourites to win by a margin of 0.0 to 0.2 goals.
On the other hand, United go into this game with more negatives than positives. The well-publicised boardroom activity may have an adverse effect on a team which has been inconsistent this season. United would certainly miss the experience of Scholes and Gary Neville; both are currently rated as doubtful. On top of that, Ferguson is expected to stick with a 4-5-1 formation. The one major bonus for the cup holders is their recent record against Arsenal. Expect them to kick the Gunners all over the park, a tactic that has seen them do the league double over their great rivals.
All in all it should be a tight affair. Arsenal are a much less direct side without Henry, and with only van Nistelrooy up front for United I can’t see this game getting stretched. Sporting Index have predicted 2.4 to 2.6 Total Goals, but there’s a chance we’ll see a cagey match settled as the game opens up in extra time. With Bergkamp and Pires in great form, could Arsenal lift the cup for a 10th time?
Dutch of Class
A lot of pundits think that the loss of Henry is a massive blow to Arsenal, but the facts don’t bear this out. Until their final-day defeat to Birmingham, the Gunners were unbeaten in all competitions for 14 matches and Henry didn’t play in 7 of those. Considering the 45 minutes he played against Everton, he would lack the match fitness to make an impact. The return of Gilberto and Edu has been a major reason for Arsenal’s return to form, and with Ljungberg back from injury they could have the edge over United’s midfield. Accordingly, Sporting Index have priced the Londoners up as favourites to win by a margin of 0.0 to 0.2 goals.
On the other hand, United go into this game with more negatives than positives. The well-publicised boardroom activity may have an adverse effect on a team which has been inconsistent this season. United would certainly miss the experience of Scholes and Gary Neville; both are currently rated as doubtful. On top of that, Ferguson is expected to stick with a 4-5-1 formation. The one major bonus for the cup holders is their recent record against Arsenal. Expect them to kick the Gunners all over the park, a tactic that has seen them do the league double over their great rivals.
All in all it should be a tight affair. Arsenal are a much less direct side without Henry, and with only van Nistelrooy up front for United I can’t see this game getting stretched. Sporting Index have predicted 2.4 to 2.6 Total Goals, but there’s a chance we’ll see a cagey match settled as the game opens up in extra time. With Bergkamp and Pires in great form, could Arsenal lift the cup for a 10th time?
Free £100 Cash for New Clients**
Hopefully that’s given you plenty to think about. If you haven’t got a Sporting Index spread betting account yet, it’s a good time to take advantage of the cash on offer:
Open a Sporting Index account* and place ten bets (risking £20 per bet) to claim a free £100 cash straight into your account.**
*Credit and suitability checks, **terms and conditions apply. See site for further details about an account with Sporting Index. Sports spread betting involves a high level of risk and you can lose more than your original stake. It is not suitable for everyone so please ensure that you understand the risks involved and only bet with money you can afford to lose. Sporting Index is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.
For full details of this offer, and to open your Sporting Index account, click here.
Saturday, May 14, 2005
Sky Sports free for one month.
Sky Digital - Ordering Sky Digital online is the quickest and most cost effective way to order Sky Digital. It only takes a few minutes and you can even select your own installation date. Installation is currently free when you book online (normally £60) and every subscriber will also receive a free minidish and free Sky box. ALSO, for a limited time, you will also get Sky Sports free for one month.
Thursday, May 12, 2005
Juddmonte Lockinge Stakes Preview
This Saturday, all eyes will be on Newbury for one of the highlights of the Flat season. With an exceptionally strong field, this year’s race promises to be another classic. If you’re thinking about having a punt on any of the runners, it’s well worth checking out the spread betting markets offered by Sporting Index. As well as being able to bet on an individual horse that you think will win, you can also bet on those which you think will lose. So, with £100 cash on offer to new clients**, you could be sitting pretty no matter which horse wins the race. If you’re struggling for inspiration, we’ve had a look through the form to help you out:
We should be in store for a fascinating race, particularly since last year’s winner Soviet Song will not be running. Of the main contenders, Rakti is regarded as the favourite and cannot be overlooked. He’s a brilliant performer who is almost unbeatable when at his best. However, this horse needs to settle well and has disappointed in the past. Antonius Pius is another strong candidate. Although he forgot how to win last year, this horse has shown respectable form in top races this time around and is a big danger with his stable in form.
La Vie Dei Colori’s price looks too short, considering his form lacks a little at Group One level, and he will need to show a big improvement to win here. The Australian horse Elvstroem was a surprise entry for this race, but arrives in good form having won the Dubai Duty Free in March. It would be a big surprise if he manages to win on Saturday, but there could be some each way value.
Of the remainder, forget about Arakan, Babodana, Mac Love and Tarfah; they will all struggle at this level. Bigger priced runners to consider are Autumn Glory, Grand Emporium and Hurricane Alan. If I was going to have a punt on any of these, my preference would be for Hurricane Alan, who is tough and reliable. With a trainer in form this horse should go well. All in all, Antonius Pius also offers great value at current prices, and Fallon should get the best from this Irish Runner.
£100 Cash for New Clients**
If you haven’t got a Sporting Index spread betting account yet, it’s a good time to take advantage of the £100 cash on offer. Open an account* and place ten bets (risking £20 per bet) to claim a free £100 straight into your account**.
*Credit and suitability checks, **terms and conditions apply. See site for further details about an account with Sporting Index. Sports spread betting involves a high level of risk and you can lose more than your original stake. It is not suitable for everyone so please ensure that you understand the risks involved and only bet with money you can afford to lose. Sporting Index is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.
For full details of this offer, and to open your Sporting Index account, click here
The information contained herein is for your general information and use. In particular, it does not constitute any form of advice or recommendation by Sporting Index Ltd and is not intended to be relied upon by users in making (or refraining to make) any specific decisions.
We should be in store for a fascinating race, particularly since last year’s winner Soviet Song will not be running. Of the main contenders, Rakti is regarded as the favourite and cannot be overlooked. He’s a brilliant performer who is almost unbeatable when at his best. However, this horse needs to settle well and has disappointed in the past. Antonius Pius is another strong candidate. Although he forgot how to win last year, this horse has shown respectable form in top races this time around and is a big danger with his stable in form.
La Vie Dei Colori’s price looks too short, considering his form lacks a little at Group One level, and he will need to show a big improvement to win here. The Australian horse Elvstroem was a surprise entry for this race, but arrives in good form having won the Dubai Duty Free in March. It would be a big surprise if he manages to win on Saturday, but there could be some each way value.
Of the remainder, forget about Arakan, Babodana, Mac Love and Tarfah; they will all struggle at this level. Bigger priced runners to consider are Autumn Glory, Grand Emporium and Hurricane Alan. If I was going to have a punt on any of these, my preference would be for Hurricane Alan, who is tough and reliable. With a trainer in form this horse should go well. All in all, Antonius Pius also offers great value at current prices, and Fallon should get the best from this Irish Runner.
£100 Cash for New Clients**
If you haven’t got a Sporting Index spread betting account yet, it’s a good time to take advantage of the £100 cash on offer. Open an account* and place ten bets (risking £20 per bet) to claim a free £100 straight into your account**.
*Credit and suitability checks, **terms and conditions apply. See site for further details about an account with Sporting Index. Sports spread betting involves a high level of risk and you can lose more than your original stake. It is not suitable for everyone so please ensure that you understand the risks involved and only bet with money you can afford to lose. Sporting Index is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.
For full details of this offer, and to open your Sporting Index account, click here
The information contained herein is for your general information and use. In particular, it does not constitute any form of advice or recommendation by Sporting Index Ltd and is not intended to be relied upon by users in making (or refraining to make) any specific decisions.
Premiership Preview
With the last day of the Premiership season upon us, and all bottom three places yet to be decided, we focus on the four clubs fighting to avoid relegation. Anything can happen at this late stage and that’s why it’s the ideal time to consider the spread betting markets offered by Sporting Index. With a free £100 cash** on offer to new clients and a number of markets on each game, you could be all smiles on Sunday evening – even if it’s your team that goes down! To help you get started, read on for our opinion on all the big games:
Charlton v Palace
Under normal circumstances Palace wouldn’t be favourites for this one. However, this local derby is crucial for the Eagles and they’re travelling to The Valley at the right time. Charlton haven’t won for eight games and their home form has been very poor in 2005. The end of the season can’t come quick enough for the Addicks, and it’s difficult to see them matching Palace for commitment and desire. Sporting Index have priced up the visitors to win by a margin of 0.0 to 0.2 goals, and although it’s going to be tight I’d back them to grab at least a point.
Fulham v Norwich
It’s difficult to predict what you are going to get with Fulham at the moment. Considering the squad they have, the Cottagers shouldn’t be anywhere near the bottom of the table. The loss of Collins John should give the visitor’s defence slightly less to worry about, particularly since his replacement Andy Cole is out of form. The Canaries have three Premiership-quality attackers in Ashton, Mackenzie and Francis and I think they should get something out of this match. Sporting Index have made Norwich favourites to win by 0.0 to 0.2 goals, and they must be favourites to be playing Premiership football next season.
Southampton v Man Utd
United were very disappointing against Chelsea; they lacked desire and heads dropped after the Blues’ second goal. Their midfield needs a makeover this summer, and the team’s current lack of confidence should be encouraging for Southampton. Ferguson is also expected to name a slightly weakened team ahead of the FA Cup Final. For the Saints, the loss of Crouch is a massive blow. Neither Phillips nor Camara provide much of an aerial threat, and unfortunately their weak midfield seems most comfortable pumping long balls forward. We’re likely to see a few goals in this match, but it’s difficult to see Southampton coming away with the points they need.
WBA v Portsmouth
The Baggies are strong favourites to take all three points. Sporting Index has priced up WBA to win by a margin of 0.9 to 1.1 goals. Of the four teams fighting the drop, they have by far the strongest squad and have improved dramatically since Christmas. Confidence should be high after snatching a point at Old Trafford, and in Campbell, Kanu and Earnshaw they should have enough firepower to see off Pompey. The visitor’s season effectively ended once survival was guaranteed by beating Southampton, so don’t expect them to put up too much of a fight.
Free £100 Cash for New Clients**
Hopefully that’s given you plenty to think about ahead of Sunday’s games. If you haven’t got a Sporting Index spread betting account yet, it’s a good time to take advantage of the cash on offer:
Open a Sporting Index account* and place ten bets (risking £20 per bet) to claim a free £100 cash straight into your account.**
*Credit and suitability checks, **terms and conditions apply. See site for further details about an account with Sporting Index. Sports spread betting involves a high level of risk and you can lose more than your original stake. It is not suitable for everyone so please ensure that you understand the risks involved and only bet with money you can afford to lose. Sporting Index is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.
For full details of this offer, and to open your Sporting Index account, click
here.
The information contained herein is for your general information and use. In particular, it does not constitute any form of advice or recommendation by Sporting Index Ltd and is not intended to be relied upon by users in making (or refraining to make) any specific decisions.
Charlton v Palace
Under normal circumstances Palace wouldn’t be favourites for this one. However, this local derby is crucial for the Eagles and they’re travelling to The Valley at the right time. Charlton haven’t won for eight games and their home form has been very poor in 2005. The end of the season can’t come quick enough for the Addicks, and it’s difficult to see them matching Palace for commitment and desire. Sporting Index have priced up the visitors to win by a margin of 0.0 to 0.2 goals, and although it’s going to be tight I’d back them to grab at least a point.
Fulham v Norwich
It’s difficult to predict what you are going to get with Fulham at the moment. Considering the squad they have, the Cottagers shouldn’t be anywhere near the bottom of the table. The loss of Collins John should give the visitor’s defence slightly less to worry about, particularly since his replacement Andy Cole is out of form. The Canaries have three Premiership-quality attackers in Ashton, Mackenzie and Francis and I think they should get something out of this match. Sporting Index have made Norwich favourites to win by 0.0 to 0.2 goals, and they must be favourites to be playing Premiership football next season.
Southampton v Man Utd
United were very disappointing against Chelsea; they lacked desire and heads dropped after the Blues’ second goal. Their midfield needs a makeover this summer, and the team’s current lack of confidence should be encouraging for Southampton. Ferguson is also expected to name a slightly weakened team ahead of the FA Cup Final. For the Saints, the loss of Crouch is a massive blow. Neither Phillips nor Camara provide much of an aerial threat, and unfortunately their weak midfield seems most comfortable pumping long balls forward. We’re likely to see a few goals in this match, but it’s difficult to see Southampton coming away with the points they need.
WBA v Portsmouth
The Baggies are strong favourites to take all three points. Sporting Index has priced up WBA to win by a margin of 0.9 to 1.1 goals. Of the four teams fighting the drop, they have by far the strongest squad and have improved dramatically since Christmas. Confidence should be high after snatching a point at Old Trafford, and in Campbell, Kanu and Earnshaw they should have enough firepower to see off Pompey. The visitor’s season effectively ended once survival was guaranteed by beating Southampton, so don’t expect them to put up too much of a fight.
Free £100 Cash for New Clients**
Hopefully that’s given you plenty to think about ahead of Sunday’s games. If you haven’t got a Sporting Index spread betting account yet, it’s a good time to take advantage of the cash on offer:
Open a Sporting Index account* and place ten bets (risking £20 per bet) to claim a free £100 cash straight into your account.**
*Credit and suitability checks, **terms and conditions apply. See site for further details about an account with Sporting Index. Sports spread betting involves a high level of risk and you can lose more than your original stake. It is not suitable for everyone so please ensure that you understand the risks involved and only bet with money you can afford to lose. Sporting Index is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.
For full details of this offer, and to open your Sporting Index account, click
here.
The information contained herein is for your general information and use. In particular, it does not constitute any form of advice or recommendation by Sporting Index Ltd and is not intended to be relied upon by users in making (or refraining to make) any specific decisions.
Get In The Game - with Nigel Ridgway of bet365
GOLF
****
Byron Nelson Classic
Th May 12 – 21.00 BST (SS3)
Fr May 13 – 21.00 BST (SS2)
Sa May 14 – 20.00 BST (SS3)
Su May 15 20.00 BST (SSX)
For only the third time this year, the top five players in the World Ranking tee it up this week and it’s an odds-on chance that one of them will win. Of the five, Woods and Els have the best records here, but value hunters should be looking elsewhere for the winner this week. Sergio Garcia is capable of beating anybody on his day, and it could be worth taking the chance that he can bounce back from blowing a six-shot lead last weekend. Bounce-back-ability is a term that has been used to describe a golfer’s ability to shrug off the disappointment of a bogey (or worse) and bouncing back with a birdie (or better) on the next hole. The stats for the 2005 US Tour show that Sergio is high up in these rankings, and he looks good each-way value to successfully defend his title this week. Alternatively, you could back him in our ‘Enhanced Win Only’ market at 28/1!
Other players fancied to go well this week are Jim Furyk, Scott Verplank and Shigeki Maruyama. The latter, in particular, looks overpriced judged on his record here (winner in 2002, 7th last year), and could also be value in our ‘1st Round Leader’ market at 33/1. A streaky player who is capable of shooting low, it’s also significant that he’s playing the easiest of the two courses used for this tournament in the first round. The pick of the three-figure prices this week could be Bart Bryant at 150/1, a dead-straight hitter with a couple of top-10’s to his name already this season. Even if he doesn’t make the frame, he could still be value in our ‘3 Ball’ betting.
If recent results are anything to go by, we could be in for another thrilling finish on Sunday night. Last week’s win for Vijay was the 12th straight week a Tour event has been decided on or beyond the 72nd hole - five of the last six have been decided by a playoff! Incidentally, Garcia was 1/8 going into the final round last Sunday which only underlines the unpredictability, and excitement, of our ‘In-Play’ market.
Nigel’s Three Off The Tee … Sergio Garcia @ 25/1, Shigeki Maruyama @ 66/1, Bart Bryant @ 150/1. Each-way ¼ odds, 1.2.3.4.5. Betting In-Play available throughout.
HORSE RACING
************
Juddmonte Lockinge Stakes, Newbury 1m
Sat May 14
Rakti is by far the star attraction in this race and he should win it with ease, providing he chooses to. The problem with backing him is that you’re never sure which Rakti is going to turn up. In the Prince of Wales’ Stakes at Royal Ascot last year, and in the QEII Stakes, he was simply awesome, but he ran stinkers in the Eclipse, in Japan and Hong Kong. In his favour is the fact that his yard (Michael Jarvis) is firing on all cylinders right now, and has shown that he goes well fresh. Dropping back in trip to 1m should be no problem either. His jockey, Philip Robinson, will be able to utilize his mount’s high cruising speed to lay up with the pace, before his superior stamina comes into play. If everything goes to plan (and that’s a big if), his rivals will surely be fighting it out for the placings half a furlong out and, of those, Pastoral Pursuits, looks the one to follow the selection home.
Race Pick: Rakti @ 7/2
Rakti is unlikely to be any bigger than his current 7/2 on the day, but if you can find a winner or two, at 4/1 or more, in any of the six races live on Channel 4 this Saturday, we’ll give you a free bet (up to £50) on the next live Channel 4 race.
bet365 Lockinge Stakes prices … Rakti 7/2, Le Vie Dei Colori 4/1, Antonius Pius 6/1, Chic 13/2, Pastoral Pursuits 8/1, others on bet365 website.
FOOTBALL
********
Premiership Relegation
With just one game left in the Premiership, the fear of relegation still hangs over four teams – the first time in history there is still no club relegated going into the final weekend of the season. All four teams are odds on for relegation but, instead of concentrating on the team most likely to survive, a more fascinating market is who will finish bottom. "The team that’s bottom at Christmas always gets relegated" may be a myth that’s about to be dispelled, with West Brom looking the most likely to secure victory (home to Portsmouth) of the four teams. Crystal Palace will be confident of getting at least a point from their game at Charlton, while Southampton may also fancy their chances against a Man United side who clearly have one eye on the Cup Final. So, the value bet could be Norwich, who have a tricky away tie at Fulham.
bet365 To Finish Bottom prices … West Brom 11/10, Palace 9/4, Southampton 5/2, Norwich 12/1
Relegation Picks: West Brom (4/7), Crystal Palace (6/5), Southampton to draw (5/2) and Fulham (8/5) - accumulator pays £314.60 for a £10 stake, including a 5% bonus as part of our Premiership Accumulator Offer.
Play-offs
As well as the relegation battles, there’s also some tricky looking play-off games to consider. With away goals not counting for double in these eliminators, the away teams who finished in the higher league positions will be hoping to avoid defeat in the hope of finishing the job at home. In the nine seasons of the play-offs, half or more of the openers have been stalemates. Ipswich are likely to be down after missing out on automatic promotion, and the Hammers can take heart from that, while the tie is also the best candidate in the Preston v Derby game. Both Lincoln and Macclesfield have struggled to find the net recently, and a goal-drought is very much on the cards.
Once the games kick off, don’t forget to check out our ‘In-Play’ service which offers you up to 14 markets to choose from.
Playoff Picks: West Ham (9/4), Derby (9/4) and Lincoln (9/4) all to draw – treble pays out £343.28 to a £10 stake.
Get in the game and be lucky!
Nigel.
****
Byron Nelson Classic
Th May 12 – 21.00 BST (SS3)
Fr May 13 – 21.00 BST (SS2)
Sa May 14 – 20.00 BST (SS3)
Su May 15 20.00 BST (SSX)
For only the third time this year, the top five players in the World Ranking tee it up this week and it’s an odds-on chance that one of them will win. Of the five, Woods and Els have the best records here, but value hunters should be looking elsewhere for the winner this week. Sergio Garcia is capable of beating anybody on his day, and it could be worth taking the chance that he can bounce back from blowing a six-shot lead last weekend. Bounce-back-ability is a term that has been used to describe a golfer’s ability to shrug off the disappointment of a bogey (or worse) and bouncing back with a birdie (or better) on the next hole. The stats for the 2005 US Tour show that Sergio is high up in these rankings, and he looks good each-way value to successfully defend his title this week. Alternatively, you could back him in our ‘Enhanced Win Only’ market at 28/1!
Other players fancied to go well this week are Jim Furyk, Scott Verplank and Shigeki Maruyama. The latter, in particular, looks overpriced judged on his record here (winner in 2002, 7th last year), and could also be value in our ‘1st Round Leader’ market at 33/1. A streaky player who is capable of shooting low, it’s also significant that he’s playing the easiest of the two courses used for this tournament in the first round. The pick of the three-figure prices this week could be Bart Bryant at 150/1, a dead-straight hitter with a couple of top-10’s to his name already this season. Even if he doesn’t make the frame, he could still be value in our ‘3 Ball’ betting.
If recent results are anything to go by, we could be in for another thrilling finish on Sunday night. Last week’s win for Vijay was the 12th straight week a Tour event has been decided on or beyond the 72nd hole - five of the last six have been decided by a playoff! Incidentally, Garcia was 1/8 going into the final round last Sunday which only underlines the unpredictability, and excitement, of our ‘In-Play’ market.
Nigel’s Three Off The Tee … Sergio Garcia @ 25/1, Shigeki Maruyama @ 66/1, Bart Bryant @ 150/1. Each-way ¼ odds, 1.2.3.4.5. Betting In-Play available throughout.
HORSE RACING
************
Juddmonte Lockinge Stakes, Newbury 1m
Sat May 14
Rakti is by far the star attraction in this race and he should win it with ease, providing he chooses to. The problem with backing him is that you’re never sure which Rakti is going to turn up. In the Prince of Wales’ Stakes at Royal Ascot last year, and in the QEII Stakes, he was simply awesome, but he ran stinkers in the Eclipse, in Japan and Hong Kong. In his favour is the fact that his yard (Michael Jarvis) is firing on all cylinders right now, and has shown that he goes well fresh. Dropping back in trip to 1m should be no problem either. His jockey, Philip Robinson, will be able to utilize his mount’s high cruising speed to lay up with the pace, before his superior stamina comes into play. If everything goes to plan (and that’s a big if), his rivals will surely be fighting it out for the placings half a furlong out and, of those, Pastoral Pursuits, looks the one to follow the selection home.
Race Pick: Rakti @ 7/2
Rakti is unlikely to be any bigger than his current 7/2 on the day, but if you can find a winner or two, at 4/1 or more, in any of the six races live on Channel 4 this Saturday, we’ll give you a free bet (up to £50) on the next live Channel 4 race.
bet365 Lockinge Stakes prices … Rakti 7/2, Le Vie Dei Colori 4/1, Antonius Pius 6/1, Chic 13/2, Pastoral Pursuits 8/1, others on bet365 website.
FOOTBALL
********
Premiership Relegation
With just one game left in the Premiership, the fear of relegation still hangs over four teams – the first time in history there is still no club relegated going into the final weekend of the season. All four teams are odds on for relegation but, instead of concentrating on the team most likely to survive, a more fascinating market is who will finish bottom. "The team that’s bottom at Christmas always gets relegated" may be a myth that’s about to be dispelled, with West Brom looking the most likely to secure victory (home to Portsmouth) of the four teams. Crystal Palace will be confident of getting at least a point from their game at Charlton, while Southampton may also fancy their chances against a Man United side who clearly have one eye on the Cup Final. So, the value bet could be Norwich, who have a tricky away tie at Fulham.
bet365 To Finish Bottom prices … West Brom 11/10, Palace 9/4, Southampton 5/2, Norwich 12/1
Relegation Picks: West Brom (4/7), Crystal Palace (6/5), Southampton to draw (5/2) and Fulham (8/5) - accumulator pays £314.60 for a £10 stake, including a 5% bonus as part of our Premiership Accumulator Offer.
Play-offs
As well as the relegation battles, there’s also some tricky looking play-off games to consider. With away goals not counting for double in these eliminators, the away teams who finished in the higher league positions will be hoping to avoid defeat in the hope of finishing the job at home. In the nine seasons of the play-offs, half or more of the openers have been stalemates. Ipswich are likely to be down after missing out on automatic promotion, and the Hammers can take heart from that, while the tie is also the best candidate in the Preston v Derby game. Both Lincoln and Macclesfield have struggled to find the net recently, and a goal-drought is very much on the cards.
Once the games kick off, don’t forget to check out our ‘In-Play’ service which offers you up to 14 markets to choose from.
Playoff Picks: West Ham (9/4), Derby (9/4) and Lincoln (9/4) all to draw – treble pays out £343.28 to a £10 stake.
Get in the game and be lucky!
Nigel.
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
bet365 is excited to announce the launch of it’s new cutting edge Casino software!
After many months of hard work and fine tuning, bet365 is proud to announce the launch of the brand new bet365casino. Customers can either play instantly at a flash version of the site (over 40 games) or instead opt for the downloadable version and play up to 60 games.
bet365 CEO John Coates says, "The initial feedback we’ve had about the casino has been very encouraging. Naturally, we offering a free match bonus to all new customers and, as it’s a brand new site, everyone will count as a new customer."
The new bet365casino has been developed in association with Playtech and is available in a range of 8 different languages. A live dealer features on a number of games, giving customers the feel of a real casino from the comfort of their own office or living room.
As with the previous site, there’s the option to play for fun or real money while there are also some huge progressive jackpots up for grabs. Thanks to bet365’s simple one-wallet account system, customers can use their existing username and password to log in at the bet365casino, transferring funds between bet365 and bet365poker if necessary.
bet365 CEO John Coates says, "The initial feedback we’ve had about the casino has been very encouraging. Naturally, we offering a free match bonus to all new customers and, as it’s a brand new site, everyone will count as a new customer."
The new bet365casino has been developed in association with Playtech and is available in a range of 8 different languages. A live dealer features on a number of games, giving customers the feel of a real casino from the comfort of their own office or living room.
As with the previous site, there’s the option to play for fun or real money while there are also some huge progressive jackpots up for grabs. Thanks to bet365’s simple one-wallet account system, customers can use their existing username and password to log in at the bet365casino, transferring funds between bet365 and bet365poker if necessary.
Sunday, May 08, 2005
Get In The Game - with Nigel Ridgway of bet365
GOLF
****
Wachovia Championship
Th May 5 – 21.00 BST (SS3)
Fr May 6 – 21.00 BST (SS2)
Sa May 7 – 20.00 BST (SS2)
Su May 8 – 20.00 BST (SS2)
This week’s event features nine of the top eleven players, including Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh and Phil Mickelson. Woods is a best priced 7/2 with us this week, but the one weakness still evident in his game - inaccurate driving – could be exposed on a course full of danger. The same applies to Mickelson, while Singh faded very quickly out of contention last week, so it could pay to look further down our betting lists for the winner. Lucas Glover did us a favour by finishing third in New Orleans last week, and this long accurate hitter should again be in his element here. Throw in the fact that he was 10th last year, when playing with less confidence, and the evidence to back him is compelling. Another player who seems to excel on these long courses is Bo Van Pelt, now ranked ninth in the total driving stat, vital on a course measuring 7,442 yards. Ties for fifth and seventh in the last two weeks make his price of 125/1 look extremely generous. The final pick goes to Woody Austin (150/1), who also looks overpriced judged on his 5th place last week, and a tie for 11th here two years ago.
Nigel’s Three Off The Tee … Lucas Glover @ 50/1, Bo Van Pelt @ 125/1, Woody Austin @ 150/1. Each-way ¼ odds, 1.2.3.4.5. Betting In-Play available throughout.
HORSE RACING
************
Newmarket / Beverley
Sa May 7
This weekend’s Channel 4 racing takes in Newmarket and Beverley, with 6 live races in total. The feature race at Newmarket, the Suffolk Handicap, is a new race over the unique Cambridgeshire distance of 1 mile and 1 furlong, and Able Baker Charlie looks the one to be on. He failed to build on last season’s excellent second in the Hunt Cup in his two subsequent races but, as a consequence, he’s still on a winning handicap mark, only 2lb higher than at Royal Ascot. At Beverley, the best bet looks to be the evergreen sprinter Smokin Beau in the televised 3.30 race. He’s sure to appreciate the stiff nature of this track, and looked to be coming back to his best when chasing home Corridor Creeper last time out.
Don’t forget, if you back the winner in any of the live Channel 4 races, at 4/1 or bigger, we’ll give you a free bet to the same stake (up to £50) on the next live race. If your free bet also wins at 4/1 or more, have another free bet on the next live race, and so on.
Lingfield / Haydock
Sa May 7
Over at Lingfield, the Aidan O‘Brien trained Yehudi has the form to win the Derby Trial (2.10). He did not appear on the track until late last season, but had no trouble winning his maiden race at Navan and a listed race at Leopardstown, before running an excellent second in a Group 1 on his final outing. He’s 33/1 in our Derby list at the moment and, while he’s unlikely to be the stable first string in that race, a win on Saturday would see his price considerably shorten. Over the sticks at Haydock, Genghis will again have the assistance of Tony McCoy when he lines up for the Swinton Hurdle (1.50). Despite going up 10lb for his latest win, the presence of Rooster Booster at the top of the handicap will help to keep the weights down, and he can notch a five-timer.
FOOTBALL
********
Arsenal v Liverpool
Su May 8 – ko 4.05 pm BST (SS1)
Liverpool will be on a high after their gutsy win over Chelsea, but their record in the league after a European game is not great – two wins in 13 attempts – although one of those was against Arsenal in the reverse fixture. They’ve also lost six of their last aways which have all been against modest opponents, so the recommendation has to be a small wager on the Gunners. A better bet, however, could be on the total goals. Last season’s 4-2 was not typical of this fixture: the previous 22 here had yielded only 35 goals. Once the game kicks off, don’t forget to check out our ‘In-Play’ service which offers you up to 15 markets to choose from.
Verdict: Arsenal @ 8/11; Under 2.5 (Total Goals) @ 3/4
****
Wachovia Championship
Th May 5 – 21.00 BST (SS3)
Fr May 6 – 21.00 BST (SS2)
Sa May 7 – 20.00 BST (SS2)
Su May 8 – 20.00 BST (SS2)
This week’s event features nine of the top eleven players, including Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh and Phil Mickelson. Woods is a best priced 7/2 with us this week, but the one weakness still evident in his game - inaccurate driving – could be exposed on a course full of danger. The same applies to Mickelson, while Singh faded very quickly out of contention last week, so it could pay to look further down our betting lists for the winner. Lucas Glover did us a favour by finishing third in New Orleans last week, and this long accurate hitter should again be in his element here. Throw in the fact that he was 10th last year, when playing with less confidence, and the evidence to back him is compelling. Another player who seems to excel on these long courses is Bo Van Pelt, now ranked ninth in the total driving stat, vital on a course measuring 7,442 yards. Ties for fifth and seventh in the last two weeks make his price of 125/1 look extremely generous. The final pick goes to Woody Austin (150/1), who also looks overpriced judged on his 5th place last week, and a tie for 11th here two years ago.
Nigel’s Three Off The Tee … Lucas Glover @ 50/1, Bo Van Pelt @ 125/1, Woody Austin @ 150/1. Each-way ¼ odds, 1.2.3.4.5. Betting In-Play available throughout.
HORSE RACING
************
Newmarket / Beverley
Sa May 7
This weekend’s Channel 4 racing takes in Newmarket and Beverley, with 6 live races in total. The feature race at Newmarket, the Suffolk Handicap, is a new race over the unique Cambridgeshire distance of 1 mile and 1 furlong, and Able Baker Charlie looks the one to be on. He failed to build on last season’s excellent second in the Hunt Cup in his two subsequent races but, as a consequence, he’s still on a winning handicap mark, only 2lb higher than at Royal Ascot. At Beverley, the best bet looks to be the evergreen sprinter Smokin Beau in the televised 3.30 race. He’s sure to appreciate the stiff nature of this track, and looked to be coming back to his best when chasing home Corridor Creeper last time out.
Don’t forget, if you back the winner in any of the live Channel 4 races, at 4/1 or bigger, we’ll give you a free bet to the same stake (up to £50) on the next live race. If your free bet also wins at 4/1 or more, have another free bet on the next live race, and so on.
Lingfield / Haydock
Sa May 7
Over at Lingfield, the Aidan O‘Brien trained Yehudi has the form to win the Derby Trial (2.10). He did not appear on the track until late last season, but had no trouble winning his maiden race at Navan and a listed race at Leopardstown, before running an excellent second in a Group 1 on his final outing. He’s 33/1 in our Derby list at the moment and, while he’s unlikely to be the stable first string in that race, a win on Saturday would see his price considerably shorten. Over the sticks at Haydock, Genghis will again have the assistance of Tony McCoy when he lines up for the Swinton Hurdle (1.50). Despite going up 10lb for his latest win, the presence of Rooster Booster at the top of the handicap will help to keep the weights down, and he can notch a five-timer.
FOOTBALL
********
Arsenal v Liverpool
Su May 8 – ko 4.05 pm BST (SS1)
Liverpool will be on a high after their gutsy win over Chelsea, but their record in the league after a European game is not great – two wins in 13 attempts – although one of those was against Arsenal in the reverse fixture. They’ve also lost six of their last aways which have all been against modest opponents, so the recommendation has to be a small wager on the Gunners. A better bet, however, could be on the total goals. Last season’s 4-2 was not typical of this fixture: the previous 22 here had yielded only 35 goals. Once the game kicks off, don’t forget to check out our ‘In-Play’ service which offers you up to 15 markets to choose from.
Verdict: Arsenal @ 8/11; Under 2.5 (Total Goals) @ 3/4
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