Stan James International Hurdle betting

Otherwise known as the second leg in the road to Cheltenham, the Stanjames.com International Hurdle should give us a better idea of the leading players for March’s Champion Hurdle, writes Mikey Mumford. Last year’s supreme novice winner Menorah bids to keep up Richard Johnson’s excellent record in this race, Overturn bids for a four-timer for Donald McCain while Grandouet looks another major player. The race over 2m1f will see eight flights of hurdles negotiated with the winner in for a share of the £130,000 pot.

Menorah Surprising he reverted back to hurdles after unseating last time out in a three-runner novice chase at Exeter. Would have won that day had it not been for that mistake but interesting connections have opted to go back down this route. He is a course and distance winner and has struggled a little taking on some useful rivals but holds a strong chance here.

Overturn Game front-runner who has made all on his last three runs all over 2m plus including when beating Binocular in the fighting fifth at Newcastle latest.  Faces some more classy rivals here but holds every chance if getting his own way in front and possibilities if being able to dictate again.

Brampour Better than ever this season with two impressive wins the last twice at Ascot and over slightly shorter at this track last time. Has the excellent Harry Derham aboard who has marshalled him in those two victories and should get his ground. Chance of completing hat-trick bid if he’s in similar mood.

Clerk’s Choice Trainer won this race three times before and although he is a previous course and distance winner here, he faces another step up in class. Was beaten favourite last time and not difficult to look elsewhere.

Grandouet Easy winner at Haydock last time and that dispelled the disappointment when he fell at Wincanton the time before when going well 2 out. Looks a horse still on the upgrade after his excellent Punchestown win in May and receives 4Ib from both Menorah and Overturn and should go very close.

Sanctuaire Often too keen at the start of his races and that has been his downfall a little in his recent races. However, if he settles he merits serious respect and had Overturn comfortably behind when scoring at Ayr earlier this year and could be one for the each-way  honours at a price.

Pittoni Failed to make an impression at Punchestown latest on soft ground which he often enjoys and looks up against it here against this field. Has the assistance of champion jockey Tony McCoy but that probably one of the few positives.

Stormy Weather Not in the same class as some of these and  would be a major surprise to see him trouble any of these.

Really competitive renewal where Menorah can make an impression back over hurdles after a short but unsuccessful chasing career. Donald McCain must be very hopeful Overturn can complete a hat-trick but if being able to stretch these from the front. But the port of call goes to GRANDOUET who looks the one to beat receiving 4Ib from those two rivals. Brampour could run another big race at a price. [Mikey Mumford]

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Sunderland v Blackburn Rovers betting

Martin O’Neill will begin his reign of the club he supported as a boy on Sunday. Sunderland have struggled this season but face opponents who have also failed to impress their fans. Can Sunderland get off to the perfect start under O’Neill’s management, or will Blackburn be able to build on their victory against Swansea last weekend?

Sunderland – Form: DLDLL

Last week’s loss at Wolves saw Sunderland go a fifth game without victory. Only one of their last seven games has seen more than three goals. The best odds you can get for there to be under 3.5 goals in this game are 2/5 from Boylesports.

Sebastian Larsson is the club’s top scorer. The Swede takes the majority of set pieces for Sunderland and the best odds you can get for him to score anytime are 7/2 from William Hill.

Sunderland could make a very quick start as their players will be vying to impress their new manager. For Sunderland to open the scoring in the first half, you can get odds 6/5 from Ladbrokes.

Blackburn Rovers – Form: DLDLW

Blackburn finally managed to get their second victory of the season when they defeated Swansea last weekend. Yakubu scored all four goals in the fixture, taking his tally to nine goals in eight appearances already for Rovers. The best odds for Yakubu to be first goalscorer are 8/1 from bet365.

Blackburn have conceded three goals in each of their last three away Premier League matches. The best odds of this to continue and for Sunderland to score three goals are 5/1 from William Hill.

Paul Robinson has not kept a clean sheet all season for Blackburn Rovers. For him, and Blackburn to keep their first clean sheet, you can pick up odds of 4/1 from bet365.

Match Prediction: Sunderland to win 2-1 (8/1 Ladbrokes)

Sunderland are playing poorly but now have Martin O’Neill at the helm. The players will want to impress the new manager and will have the home crowd supporting them along the way. Blackburn have been poor away from home, without a win all season. Their morale-boosting  victory against Swansea is likely to spur a good performance, but they face a tough task in this relegation six-pointer.

Article by Nick Whittaker

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West Brom v Wigan betting

West Brom take on Wigan on Saturday in a game that could have real impact on the bottom of the table come the end of the season. Both sides will be looking for all 3 points, but which side can improve on their poor recent form to take them? Or will it end all square like last season?

West Brom v Wigan odds

West Brom

West Brom are coming off the back of a tough run of recent fixtures which has only seen them pick of 7 points from their last possible 18. They are though, currently sitting fairly clear of the relegation zone in 14^th place. Roy Hodgson will fancy his chances against bottom of the league Wigan, and with their home advantage they are clear favourites. The best odds on a home win come from Paddy Power at 1.73, but a 2-0 correct score is looking even better at 8.8 from Betfair. Shane Long is back with a bang after his knee injury and scored in West Brom’s last game out at Q.P.R. The Irish striker should be considered a good bet then, to score at any time with 2.3 also at Paddy Power. West Brom’s games so far this season have averaged 3 goals, so betting on over 2.5 goals is looking good with 1.85 at Bet365.

Wigan

Wigan are having a tough time of it at the moment, they are bottom of the league and have just 1 win to their name in their last 12 games in all competitions. It doesn’t make pleasant reading for Wigan fans and they are clear outsiders with odds of 6.0 available from Betfred. Of course they did win away at Sunderland a few weeks ago, but that came down to a defensive mistake at the back. The main problem for Roberto Martinez this season has been scoring goals, they have really missed Charles N’Zogbia and have only managed 12 goals in the league all season. Franco Di Santo looks Wigan’s most likely source of a goal after netting 4 so far this season, and the big striker is a good price at 12.0 with Bet365. Their lack of goals also means that there is some real value to be had in betting on both teams to score in the first half. Skybet are offering odds of 4.5 which are definitely worth an outside bet.

Highlighted Bets

2-0 Home WIN – 8.8 Betfair

Shane Long anytime scorer – 2.3 Paddy Power

Franco Di Santo 1^st scorer – 12.0 Bet365

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Chelsea vs Valencia betting

Chelsea’s performance on the weekend against Newcastle was promising, they had chance after chance and it could have easily been 5-0 to Chelsea just at half time. However the manager is still under some pressure from the fans, Newcastle did create a few chances and the biggest worry for Chelsea is their defence, they were quite lucky to not have conceded against Newcastle, although overall Chelsea were the better side.

The Champions League is a whole different ball game, and even the pressure must be getting to the manager, Chelsea have a good record in the Champions League and regularly feature in the knock out stages of the competition, but this season all is not well. They were outplayed against Bayern Leverkusen in their last fixture, but were quite unlucky to concede such late on in the game. But a problem that is apparent is the concentration levels of the Chelsea players during the Champions League is lacking, they are struggling to set their own terms, they find themselves playing a whole different type of ball game, especially when they are playing away as was seen when they played Genk.

Consistency is the aim for Chelsea, they need to keep a few clean sheets and their attacking force will be fine.

Stats:

• Although Fernando Torres has yet to find form with goals in the premier league, he has scored the most goals for Chelsea in this competition this season and he is second for the most assists in this season Champions League with 3 assists.
• Chelsea’s goal different in this stage of proceedings is only 6 which is their lowest in many seasons.

Valencia:

Valencia is a team who possesses a strong reputation across Europe for their style of football. They have not impressed or set the world alight for quite a few seasons but their history speaks for themselves, they have historically done well against major English clubs such as Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool in the past.

In the Spanish league, Valencia are 3^rd behind both Real Madrid and Barcelona which only goes to show that they are defiantly a strong team and not one to be taken lightly in any circumstances.

In the Champions League, they are 3^rd and will be hoping for some good results to just pip Chelsea and make it into the latter stages of the competition. It is clear that they need to win each of their remaining matches, and with the patient type of football they play, they are suited to do well in the competition.

Valencia’s last match against Genk has only gone to put some fear into other teams mind, they absolutely thrashed Genk 7-0 and it could have easily been more, Valencia’s intentions are clear, they are going to play in their natural patient and quick attacking way in order to secure progression in the competition.

Stats:

• Roberto Salado is the 3^rd leading goal scorer this season in the Champions League with 5 goals.

Match Prediction: 1-1 (6/1 SkyBet)

This is set to be a big match, both teams are equal in points but despite Valencia’s thrashing over Genk the other week Chelsea are ahead on goal difference.

Both teams must win, Valencia have been strong in recent years in the Spanish league and they look organised and able to attack and tear apart any defence, and with Chelsea’s recent form defensively, there is potential for goals if Chelsea’s back 4 don’t get their act together.

The last time these 2 teams met the score line was 1-1 which was a fair result. Chelsea was sloppy in picking up 4 yellow cards in the last 10 minutes and it’s clear that fitness wise Valencia were pushing Chelsea’s defence to the limit.

Chelsea’s Jose Bosingwa looks set to miss this match due to his injury, but with Daniel Strurridge’s recent form, their attacking force does have some good potential.

Odds:

First goal scorer: Fernando Torres 5/1 at BET365 and Roberto Salado 7/1 Coral.

To Qualify: Chelsea 4/9 Bluesquare and Valencia 13/8 888Sport

Scores: Chelsea to win 1-0 7/1 32Red, Valencia to win 2-1 14/1 BetFred, 0-0 draw 10/1 William Hill.

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FC Basel v Manchester United betting

FC Basel: Group Position: 3rd, Group Form: WDLDW

Basel travelled to Old Trafford in September as expected whipping boys and came away with a point. But that was not the whole story. Two nil down inside 20 minutes, the game looked over for the team storming the Swiss top division. However, not only did they battle back to parity, which is not a familiar occurrence for away side at United, they actually went 3-2 ahead, and were only pinned back for the draw by a stoppage time Ashley Young header.

Basel vs Man Utd odds

This year they have already bettered their points tally from last year’s group stages, but come into the last game with the daunting task, albeit at home, of having to beat Manchester United to qualify for the knockout stages. Mere minutes they may have been from an away victory in the reverse fixture, but this is pressure time against last year’s beaten finalists.

The threat will surely come from the man who scored two at Old Trafford; Alexander Frei.

Manchester United: Group Position: 2nd, Group Form: DDWWD

Manchester United travel to Switzerland needing only to avoid defeat. You would imagine this a rather straightforward assignment for Sir Alex Ferguson’s side, but they have been a little inconsistent in this season’s Champions League. Two home 2-2 draws, one with Basel the other last time out against Benfica, have shown United to be a little bit vulnerable.

Having recovered from their defeat to Crystal Palace last week in the League Cup by defeating Aston Villa away from home, can United now come here and do a professional job? The likelihood is that even with victory they will finish second in a group they should be topping, and will find themselves facing a much harder knockout stage than they usually expect.

Having used this competition to rotate his side, Sir Alex surely will not risk their Champions League place by dropping big names? The squad is a little bare up top, with Hernandez following Berbatov and Owen into the physio room this weekend, and Danny Welbeck short of match fitness. Wayne Rooney could lead the line and be supported by a five man midfield to secure a tight match and passage to the next round.

Match Prediction: DRAW – 4.00 Stan James

Manchester United are coming to Switzerland to take qualification and leave. Nothing else. How they get there is not important as long as the job is done. Their indifferent performances in the competition, only beating bottom placed Otelul Galati so far, have stuck them in second place and in an uncomfortable last game situation.

Basel proved themselves able of scoring against United, not many teams get three goals at Old Trafford, but this time round United will be looking to suffocate them and the flow of the game. For all their flair, Sir Alex’s teams know how to bore out a result.

Since the crushing defeat to Manchester City in October only two of United’s games have had over 2.5 goals, the 2-2 draw with Benfica and the 3-0 victory over Aldershot. That Aldershot game on the 25^th October is the last time United scored more than two in a game. They’ve tried to tighten up, back to grinding wins, and a ground out point here is all they need.

Highlighted Bets:-

Over/Under: Under 2.5 Goals – 2.2 Ladbrokes

First Goalscorer: Ashley Young – 9.5 Bet 365

Correct Score: 1-1 Draw – 8.5 William Hill

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Manchester City v Bayern Munich betting

In the last round of matches Man City suffered a crucial defeat against Napoli. It’s fair to say that they haven’t adapted to the Champions League well and they know that even a win may not be enough to qualify for the knockout stages. With Bayern already through, will this make City’s task of winning the match a bit easier, or will the Germans provide the final blow for Mancini’s men?

Manchester City – CL Form: DLWWL

Man City’s home form in the Champions League so far reads as one win and one draw. They know that they must win and hope Napoli don’t in order to reach the knockout round. They are likely to send out a strong side to face Bayern, who may rest some of their stars having already won the group.

Mario Balotelli, alongside Yaya Toure, is City’s top scorer in the competition. If he starts then the best odds you can get for him scoring first are 11/2 from skybet.

Both of the home matches at the Etihad Stadium have been close. City beat Villarreal 2-1 and drew 1-1 with Napoli. For an equally tight match and there to be under 3.5 goals, you can get odds of 4/9 Bet365.

Bayern Munich – CL Form: WWDWW

Bayern Munich have enjoyed a near perfect group campaign this season. They have already guaranteed the top spot and can afford to rest a few of their key players for Wednesday’s match.

If they are to play their best team then Mario Gomez is the clear danger man, with 6 goals already this season. The best odds for him to score anytime are 9/4 from Stan James.

If you fancy putting a bet on Bayern to win the match then there are some really good odds. The best odds come from William Hill who have given Munich a 5/1 shot to win.

Match Prediction: Man City to win – 4/6 BlueSquare

Roberto Mancini is likely to name a very strong side to get the victory needed against Bayern to have any hope of qualifying. Man City know it’s crunch time and with their home fans cheering them on surely there’s no other result thinkable other than a home win. But they must be cautious, Bayern Munich are still one of the European giants and can cause plenty of problems for City’s defence.

Article by Nick Whittaker

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Aston Villa v Manchester United betting

Aston Villa: League Position: 8th, League Form: LDWLD

Five points from their last six games is not a glowing record of recent form for Alex McLeish’s Aston Villa side. Last week’s 0-0 draw at Swansea was set on the background of a tragic death in football, and maybe the dull game can be excused accordingly, but the fixture before at White Hart Lane was never a contest. With full backs on the wings to defend all over the field, Tottenham walked all over Villa. McLeish set out a side to nullify his opponents and failed miserably.

Aston Villa vs Man Utd odds

For a side that has spent years set up to attack with pace, McLeish’s defensive nature (if his Birmingham side is anything to go by at least) has not settled immediately. They do have, however, the speed up front that can keep them dangerous at all times. The likes of Agbonlahor, Bent and N’Zogbia certain offer a lot of threat to defenders, and the goals of Bent and Agbonlahor at home (the pair have scored 10 goals between them this season, nine of which have come at Villa Park) have got them three wins and two draws from six home fixtures.

Manchester United: League Position: 2nd, League Form: LWWWD

Unbeaten in the four Premier League games since that defeat against rivals Manchester City, taking all competitions into account United are without a win in three games. It’s not often Sir Alex Ferguson’s side go three games without a win, and you would not want to be the team facing them after a League Cup defeat in midweek that Sir Alex described as “not a Manchester United performance”.

14 points from a possible 18 away from home shows the Red Devils are not exactly suffering this season, but whilst they got away with average performances in their title win last season, this time around Manchester City have upped the game and are already five points ahead of the Champions.

Having seen Aaron Lennon and Gareth Bale terrify and outplay the Aston Villa defence you would expect to see the pace of Nani and Villa old boy Young used to full effect out wide, with Rooney and Hernandez sharing a similar dynamic to Van Der Vaart/Adebayor partnership that proved so successful in that game. With Berbatov, Welbeck and Owen unfit and Valencia and Park used in the poor midweek game, it is likely these four will start, and surely have too much for a shaky Villans backline.

Match Prediction: Manchester United Win – 1.75 William Hill

This is Aston Villa’s worst start to a season since 2005-06 when they had 12 points after 13 matches and finished 16th. And yet they have not come up against the big sides. Their one appearance against the pre-season top six prospects was that one sided defeat against Spurs.

Some ominous stats are out there to detract from any positive Villa result too. United have lost only one of their last 31 league meetings with Aston Villa (W21, D9, L1), and Ferguson is unbeaten in the last 28 matches in which he has faced a former player of his who has turned to management.

Manchester United are used to winning at Villa Park, and they are not using to going four games without victory. Whilst Villa are on their worst league start for years and are happy with their position, Manchester United have only ever had more points at this stage of the season three times since the Premier League began, and they are disappointed with how things are going.

The big four players up top for United look a real class act. With Rooney without a goal in his last seven Premier League appearances it has been down to Javier Hernandez to stick the ball in the net, which he has done four times in the past six games. Old boy Ashley Young has been a little quiet lately, but old players always come back to score, don’t they?

Highlighted Bets:-

Over/Under: Over 2.5 Goals – 1.91 Stan James

First Goalscorer: Javier Hernandez – 5.5 Paddy Power

Correct Score: Aston 1 – 3 Manchester United – 15.00 William Hill

To Score Anytime: Ashley Young – 3.6 Paddy Power

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Newcastle v Chelsea betting

Newcastle take on Chelsea on Saturday lunchtime as the 2 sides in 4^th and 5^th battle it out. Chelsea probably didn’t expect to be lower than Newcastle in the table at this stage, but a slow start for them and a flying one for Newcastle means they are. Both sides come into this on the back of good Premier League results last time out, but Chelsea suffered the 2-0 Carling Cup defeat to Liverpool in midweek.

Newcastle

Alan Pardew has done a great job with Newcastle this season and the Magpies are currently unbeaten at home in the league so far. Chelsea’s poor recent form means that Newcastle are a little shorter than usual, but there is still some good value to be had in a home win. Ladbrokes are offering especially good odds of 4.0 on the home team taking all 3 points. Demba Ba has been in particularly good form this season, with 9 goals in 12 games, and is looking like a great bet at 8.0 with Ladbrokes. Alan Pardew has instilled a steely defence in his troops this season, and it has paid off so far, as they have conceded just 12 goals, the joint best record in the league. With this in mind, betting on under 2.5 goals is definitely looking like a good bet with odds of 1.95 available from Bet365.

Chelsea

Chelsea’s slow start to the season has continued recently as they have lost of their last 4 games in all competitions. They are though, still only 10 points off top of the table Man City. Scoring goals, hasn’t really been a problem for the Blues so far this season, except Fernando Torres of course, but it’s at the back they have been found wanting. Villas-Boas has continued to play a high line, which has seen his team caught out by pace on many occasions. Because of this, even if Chelsea do manage to get a win, you can definitely see Newcastle scoring. So betting on a 2-1 away win is looking a great bet with 9.0 available at Paddy Power. Daniel Sturridge has been a shining light for Chelsea this season with a great record of 6 goals in 9 league matches. Therefore he is definitely worth betting on to score at any time with odds of 2.88 available from Stan James.

Highlighted Bets

Home WIN – 4.0 Ladbrokes

Demba Ba 1^st goal scorer – 8.0 Ladbrokes

Under 2.5 Goals – 1.95 Bet365

2-1 away WIN – 9.0 Paddy Power

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Tingle Creek Chase betting preview

Paul Nicholls relies on Kauto Stone and Tataniano for Saturday’s Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown Park in a race he has won for the last six years, writes Mikey Mumford. The Ditcheat handler has a magnificent record in this 2m contest but will face stiff competition from Irish challenger and Queen Mother conqueror Sizing Europe while Wishfull Thinking could have a say in where the £120,000 pot ends up.

Cornas Much improved effort last time when finding only the useful Medermit too good and his last victory came over course and distance earlier this year. Ran poorly in the Queen Mother and has work to do to get on terms with a couple of these; so best watched this time.

Dan Breen Not showed much since his odds on win in a weak event at Uttoxeter and has struggled against similar opposition before now. He was disqualified over course and distance in February in a three-runner affair but looks up against it here; easy to look elsewhere.

Fix The Rib Weakened quite rapidly when tackling this trip in similar company two runs back and blundered and tailed off latest. That form doesn’t instil confidence and unlikely to trouble any of these rivals.

Gauvain German raider who won easily on his reappearance and has previous course and distance winning form from 2009. Noel Fehily won this race last year and Gauvain does most of his winning on good to soft. Possibly in with a chance of minor honours providing he puts in a good round of jumping.

I’msingingtheblues Ridden out to win over a little further at Ascot last time in a lesser contest than this but was well beaten when tackling Grade 1 company at the Cheltenham Festival this year. Has a preference for good ground but others preferred.

Kauto Stone Half-brother to top class chaser Kauto Star and brother to 2m hurdle winner so very likeable pedigree. Got off the mark in impressive fashion at Down Royal last month over this same trip and improvement expected once more. Has an excellent chance and very much one for the shortlist.

Sizing Europe Queen Mother victor and although he was beaten last time after a mistake 2 out, that was over an extended 3m trip. He drops back to 2m and should be in with a good chance if the ground softens; not one too dismiss.

Tataniano Probably the stable’s first string with Ruby Walsh aboard but lightly raced sort who was mightily impressive at Chepstow latest. He was disappointing over this course and distance two runs back despite being sent off market leader but better can be expected this time from a trainer who boasts an excellent record in this race in recent years.

Wishfull Thinking Was well supported for last month’s Paddy Power Gold Cup and didn’t do himself justice but should be judged on his previous efforts. He scooped back-to-back wins at Punchestown and Aintree this year over a little further so likely to be thereabouts.

It is very likely Paul Nicholls representatives will be thereabouts and Tataniano just shades the verdict of his two runners. However, WISHFULL THINKING was well supported last time and couldn’t deliver but he is given another chance here to get it right. Sizing Europe is likely to be in the shake-up too dropping back to 2m. [Mikey Mumford]

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Manchester United v Crystal Palace betting

On a weekend full of emotions, this week’s matches will be overshadowed by Gary Speed’s death. Minutes of respect are expected at all the matches but the games will still go ahead. Can Palace continue their excellent progression under the management of Dougie Freedman, or will United’s second string be able to march through to the Semi Finals?

Man Utd – Form (all competitions): WWWDD

United have had an easy run in this year’s Carling Cup. They have defeated Leeds and Aldershot and face another relatively easy side in the Quarter Finals. They’ll still have to work hard though, as Palace are a tough nut to crack this season.

In both matches this year, United have managed 3-0 victories. The best odds on a repeat of that scoreline are 7/1 from Boylesports.

Dimitar Berbatov is likely to continue his run in the side for Carling Cup matches. The best odds for him to score first are 7/2 from totesport and Betfred.

Crystal Palace – Form (all competitions): DDLLD

Palace’s season has hit a bit of a lull. They have failed to score in their last five games and they will find it difficult to score at the Theatre of Dreams. If they are to have a goal-scoring hero then it is likely to be their top scorer Wilfried Zaha. Zaha has scored 3 in the League Cup and the best odds for him to score anytime are 6/1 from William Hill.

Palace have got a great defence, but that will surely be tested out on Wednesday. If they are to somehow qualify, then you can get odds of 11/1 to win in 90 minutes (Bluesquare), 66/1 to win after extra time (bet365) or 40/1 to win on penalties (bet365)

Match Prediction: Man United to win – 1/4 (Victor Chandler)

United should be far too strong for Crystal Palace. With arch-rivals City dominating the league, Sir Alex Ferguson will want to ensure that the Blue side of Manchester don’t dominate all of the domestic competitions. Therefore, he will be expecting a polished job from his side, whether they’re the second string or not.

Selected Odds:

Berbatov to score a hat-trick: 20/1 totesport

Man United to win 5-1: 28/1 Skybet

Both teams to score: 6/5 Ladbrokes

Article by Nick Whittaker

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