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BOBBY’S BEST WEEKEND BETTING EVENTS – 13th-14th JULY

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Soccer – Russian Premier League – Spartak Moscow  vs FC Sochi

History will be made this weekend as FC Sochi play their first game in the Russian top flight. The club are barely 12 months old, but they’ve managed to work their way into the Premier League, and they will kick off their campaign against Spartak Moscow. It is the first of our big betting events for this weekend.

Their story is not without controversy. They are essentially the ‘MK Dons of Russian football’ as they were formed following the relocation of Dinamo St.Petersburg, and this hasn’t sat well with the football purists. However, despite their lack of popularity in some areas, they thoroughly deserve their chance to shine in the top flight. They were promoted without kicking a ball, and the celebrations continued throughout the week.

The side, who will play their games at the Fisht Stadium, will begin their campaign with a tough game against Spartak Moscow, and they will be heavy outsiders to pick up the points. However, there is often a momentum that comes with newly-promoted sides, and the hosts cannot afford to take them lightly.

Spartak were a little disappointing last season, finishing fifth, and although they ended the campaign with three wins in four games, their lack of consistency proved to be an issue. They couldn’t keep pace with Zenit, Lokomotiv and Krasnodar, and they’ll be desperate to get off to a speedy start.

Ezequiel Ponce is the only new signing over the course of the summer, although a number of players have returned from loan spells elsewhere, and will be keen to impress.

There are several new faces in the FC Sochi side, many of whom will be looking to impress on debut. Pavel Shakuro, Ibraghim Tsallagov, Dmitri Poloz and Vladimir Obhukov have all joined, and they will help bulk out the squad ahead of a tough-looking campaign.

Naturally, there is no previous head-to-head record for these two sides, and we don’t know what to expect from this game. With Spartak odds-on for the victory, it is expected to be an easy ride for the hosts, but the visitors should give them plenty of think about.

I’ll be following the progress of FC Sochi carefully this season, they face Krasnodar and Zenit in the first three weeks, and they couldn’t have asked for a tougher start to life in the RPL. However, they come with a huge amount of momentum, and shouldn’t be underestimated.

Several online bookmakers will be streaming all of the Russian Premier League games live throughout the season. 

 

Boxing – Heavyweight Division – Daniel Dubois vs Nathan Gorman

Fans of British boxing will be watching this bout with a keen eye on the future. Both of these two fighters are being touted as the future of the sport, and this could be a fascinating insight into the contrasting styles of the pair. It is the second of our big betting events this weekend, and it should be a cracker!

Both fighters have flawless records so far, and look extremely progressive, but one of those records look set to be ended in the capital this weekend.

We last saw Dubois in April, stopping Richard Lartey in the fourth round, and with 10 KOs from 11 fights, he will be full of confidence coming into this bout. Gorman, who is two years his senior has taken a similar path, and he comes off the back of a unanimous decision win. Both have beaten Kevin Johnson and Razvan Cojanu in the last twelve months.

The betting makes Dubois clear favourite, but there isn’t much between them on paper, and this could go either way. Both are taking similar routes to Anthony Joshua, and although they are still some way off reaching his level, they look extremely bright prospects for the future.

They will hope for a title shot in the future, and a bout against Joe Joyce is likely going forward. Although there is plenty on the line here, I’ve got very little doubt that we’ll be hearing plenty more about these two extremely talented boxers in the future.

Dubois vs Gorman may not be a high-profile, glitzy affair, and it may not even get too much attention outside of Northern Europe, but it could tell us a lot about the future of Boxing in the UK.

I can’t wait to see these two fighters in action, and it should be a fascinating match-up, which could potentially go all the way.

BT Sport 1 will be showing this fascinating fight at the weekend for UK viewers

 

Aussie Rules – AFL – Hawthorn Hawks vs Fremantle Dockers

This is a fairly mid-table affair, but the fact that both teams CAN still reach the top eight means that there is plenty riding on this fixture. Time is running out, and neither of these sides can afford to slip up here. It is the third of our big betting events this weekend.

It is being billed as a potentially season-defining encounter, and the Dockers must find a way of turning around their form. Captain Nathan Fyfe has urged has side to bounce back in style after an embarrassing 91-point loss to West Coast Eagles. It was a crushing loss, and their third in a row. They’ve hit the buffers at just the wrong time, and another defeat here would all but extinguish their top eight hopes.

They also suffered a four-point defeat to Carlton just seven days earlier, and were edged out by the Demons prior to that.

The Hawks have been one of the most inconsistent sides in the division, but they did pick up a very impressive victory last weekend. Heading into this clash, held in Launceston, they will be full of confidence, and will be aiming to pour more misery on their opponents.

They beat Collingwood 67-63, and will be pleased with that result. They edged out a side in the top four, and if they can put in a similarly diligent performance here, they should have no problems getting their top eight hopes back on track. It was a thrilling match, one of the games of the season, and they mustn’t let those level drop here.

Prior to that victory, they’d lost four in a row, with defeats to the Bombers and Swans sending them spiralling down the ladder.

The Hawks have a great record in this fixture, and have won each of the last five meetings. The 112-58 victory of twelve months ago will be fresh in the minds of the Dockers players, and they must make a faster start in order to avoid a similar embarrasment.

BT Sport are showing highlights of each AFL match throughout the course of the season in the UK. 

 

Soccer – Norwegian Eliteserien – Rosenborg BK vs Viking

Our final big betting event comes from Norway, and this should be a cracker in Trondheim.

Rosenborg made an uncharacteristically slow start to the campaign, and there was plenty of value to be found backing against them. However, they appear to have turned it around, and their midweek victory over Ranheim typified their season. They were in-front twice, but still found a way to almost blow it!

However, they’ve now won four of the last five, and they’ll be feeling confident ahead of this clash with Viking.

Viking are just two points below RBK, but they’re not in the best of form. They have only won one of the last five, and they failed to beat Haugesund at home on Friday night. They lost heavily to Molde, and conceded four times to Bodo/Glimt, and they are suceptible at the back. Their clean sheet on Friday was a step in the right direction, but they still could be caught out by this very handy Rosenborg outfit.

They haven’t previously enjoyed their visits to this ground, losing 2-0, 4-0 and 2-0 during their last three visits, and they’ll be keen to find the back of the net on this occasion.

Alexander Soderlund’s last-minute goal put Rosenborg back on track, and they will be looking up the table going into this fixture. They will fancy their chances of collecting three points, but Viking offer a clear threat going forward, and cannot be ruled out.

Many online bookmakers in the UK will be showing the action from the Eliteserien this season. 

See the LATEST ODDS now for the above FEATURED BETS at BOBBY’S WEEKEND BETS!

 

 

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Big Sporting Events: The Ashes

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The Ashes is a series of test cricket matches which are competed between England and Australia. Originating in 1882, the Ashes is the renewal of one of sports oldest and fiercest rivalries. It typically takes place every two years, and alternates between the two countries. 

The term derives from an English newspaper column, which was written in 1882 following Australia’s victory at the Oval. The writer reported that “English cricket has died”, going on to say that “the body will be cremated, and the ashes will be taken to Australia”. Following this embarrassing defeat, captain Ivo Bligh declared that his side will “regain those ashes”.

The term “Ashes” wasn’t widely used at first, and became more prominent following the retirement of Ivo Bligh. The term caught on in Australia, before gradually becoming the accepted name for this great sporting rivalry.

The trophy itself comes in the form of a small urn, which is around 6 inches, and is made from terracotta. It is widely speculated that it contains the ashes of a burnt cricket ball. Many replicas have been made of the trophy over the years, and regardless of which side is victorious, it remains in the MCC Museum at Lords. The trophy is one of the smallest (physically) prizes in sport, yet it is one of the most fiercely contested.

There have been 70 Ashes series so far, and both nations have been victorious on many occasions. At the time of writing, Australia lead 33-32, with just five series ending all-square. Remarkably, four of these draws took place between 1962 and 1972.

There was a concerted period of English dominance between 1884 and 1896, with Australia winning just one of the first twelve Ashes contests. England won seven series, losing just four tests out of 23. There was no official board of selectors at this time, so it wasn’t unusual for a number of changes to be made with each passing test.

England’s dominance ended following a 2-1 series victory in 1896 under the captaincy of WG Grace.

The 1902 series is one of the most notable Ashes contests especially considering that the first two tests were drawn following a bout of bad weather in the UK. Following this, the Ashes became a little more regimented with the MCC taking charge, and organising the first official tour of Australia. England won this series 3-2.

In 1912, the format briefly changed into a Triangular Tournament which also featured South Africa.

Australia took control of the Ashes series following the First World War with a period of dominance which including a 5-0 whitewash in 1920. England won just a single test between 1918 and 1925.

In 1930, Don Bradman put in a mesmerising performance to score 974 runs at 139.14. This remains a world record Test Series aggregate. His total included making 334 at Headingley.

Australia won the Ashes in 1934, and they held it until 1953. This included a barren period during the Second World War.

Another record was set in 1956 with Jim Laker taking 19 of 20 possible wickets during the course of the test. Richie Benaud was also in formidable form around this time, taking 31 wickets during the course of a five-match test series in 1958.

England failed to win a single series during the 1960s, mainly due to Australia’s powerful array of bowlers.

When the WSC formed in 1977, it meant that the Australian Cricket Board would not select players who had signed up to this organisation, and this severely dented their progress over the next few years.

Australia’s convincing victory of 1989 was arguably one of their finest Ashes performances to date. It contained the likes of Steve Waugh, David Boon and Merv Hughes. They continued to win a number of Ashes series throughout the early 1990s.

The 2005 series was described as one of the most exciting within living memory, and it provided England with their first test success since 1985. It was also the smallest winning margin in Ashes history. Australia regained the trophy just two years later.

When and Where?

The Ashes Series alternates between England and Australia. Each test tends to be staged at a different stadium within that country. In 2019, England will host the Ashes, with Headingley, Lords and Trent Bridge all taking turns to stage a test. It tends to take place at the end of the calendar year, although this is not a fixed agreement, and it is fairly fluid.

 

Why is it So Popular?

It is one of the greatest sporting rivalries on the planet, and there are plenty of bragging rights at stake. It is very popular with cricket fans as it gives them the chance to see competitive cricket being played at various venues.

Each test match is full of drama and excitement, and the series can often go down to the wire.

 

What Betting Opportunities Are Available?

Plenty! The Ashes series tends to be priced up months in advance with many additional markets being added to bookmakers websites once the squads are announced.

 

Key Betting Markets

To Win the Series – Punters can back one of three options when it comes to the Series winner market. The draw is the biggest price as it rarely occurs. This is a case of simply choosing which country will secure bragging rights for the next couple of the years. Bettors will be forced to wait for a pay-out until the series has officially concluded.

Series Correct Score – Bigger odds are available for punters who choose to predict a series score. There are many variations available, and draws can significantly change the outcome. Bettors will often dutch a couple of these correct scores.

To Regain / To Retain the Ashes – This is similar to the series winner market, but takes the draw out of the equation. There can often be variations of this market, but they are often worded slightly differently bookmaker-to-bookmaker.

Series Winner – Draw No Bet – This is a safer way of betting on the test series. Each team will be available at shorter odds, but you will receive your money back if it ends level after five tests.

1st Test Match Winner – Punters can bet on the result of each test throughout the series. Usually, each test will only be priced up once the previous one has concluded. There are three options in this market – England Win, Australia Win or Draw. Your chosen team must be the clear winner following the five days of the test match.

To Win the Toss – A fun 50/50 market which is available throughout the series. Bettors can choose which of the two sides will win the toss and opt to bat or bowl first.

Top England/Australian Batsman – This market allows bettors to pick which batsman will amass the highest number of runs throughout the five-day test match. They must score a higher amount of runs than any other team-mate.

Top England/Australian Bowler – As above, but punters must select which bowler will take the highest amount of wickets during the course of the five-day test match.

Player X to Score a Century – The main protagonists will usually feature in this market. It is possible for punters to choose which batsman (if any) will amass over 100 runs during the course of an innings.

Method of Next Dismissal – How will the next batsman be dismissed? Punters must decide whether it will be bowlers, caught or LBW.

Opening Partnership Total – Punters must decide how many runs the first pair of batsmen will total before either player is dismissed. This will usually go up in increments of 10. Examples include Over 59.5 Runs and Over 69.5 Runs.

Man of the Match – After each series, a Man of the Match will be declared. Punters must decide which player will be the star of the show. Who will catch the eye during each test?

 

Bobby’s Big Betting Tip for the Ashes

How do the Pitches Shape Up? – It’s always a good idea to take a look at how the pitch will hold up during the course of the five-day test. Some grounds are just perfectly set up for the home side to prevail. In Australian, England rarely have much luck at the Gabba whilst there are certainly UK venues which make it easier for native players. Many of the top players are simply used to competing at this venues, and are aware of every single undulation. Bowlers often know the exact spot to aim for, and this can sometimes catch the opposition out. Obviously, scouting and research can take place, but it could be a different story once the action gets underway.

Always Check the Forecast – Five days is a long time in any sport, and the climate can change dramatically during that time (particularly down under). It’s always worth planning ahead in this regard, as significant time lost to the weather will increase the liklihood of the draw. If you can bet intelligently when it comes to predicting the conditions, it is possible to find value in this market.

Psychology Can Play a Significant Role – Before placing a bet on each test match, it’s always advisable to listen to each team’s press conference, and listen to the various nuances. It is likely that both captains will be feeling bullish about their chances, but occasional nuggets can be extracted. Which side will be able to outsmart their opponents? Are the captains saying things deliberately to get into their opposite numbers’ head? If you can unravel this – it will certainly help matters.

 

Sky Sports will be broadcasting the entirity of the Ashes Series in 2019, and they will have a dedicated channel which will be showing every single minute of the event. 

 

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Best Bets of the Day – Sunday, July 7th 2019

Gabriel Jesus

Australia v South Africa
Cricket World Cup – 1.30 pm
Sky Sports

A win and Australia will guarantee themselves top spot at the end of the round robin phase of the Cricket World Cup. They have been wonderfully relentless in their charge so far. Their only loss of the tournament came in their third match when they found the power and depth of India too much to handle. But the Aussies have responded in such a wonderful fashion by running off five straight wins since then. That includes successes over hosts England and close rivals New Zealand in high profile matches.

They are back in tournament mode are the defending champions, and positioning in the top four will determine who they face in the semifinals. It will be either England or New Zealand. There is little surprise that Australia are 4/9 odds on favourite with top bookmakers to win this game. South Africa were one of the first teams to be eliminated from the tournament. They started off on a three-match losing streak and have won just two games since then against Afghanistan and Sri Lanka. They did look more relaxed in their last game, maybe the pressure is off them and they are at 7/4 to upset the Australians.

Brazil v Peru
Copa America Final – 9.00 pm
Premier Sports

Brazil have delivered a treat for the home fans. As the host nation, they have landed in the final of the Copa America. They were the pre-tournament favourites, but they did struggle early on in the group stage to get their rhythm going. But they still won their group regardless. That moved them onto face Paraguay in the quarterfinals. The Selecao had to survive a nerve-wracking penalty shoot-out there. That set them up with a huge clash against old rivals Argentina. With the Albiceletsee looking out of sorts at the tournament, Brazil eased to a 2-0 victory.

Peru have now made the final four of three of the last four editions of the tournament. They were big outsiders to have an impact this time around and only finished in third place in the group stage, the same group as Brazil. When the two met in the third round of group stage matches, Peru were smashed 5-0. The Brazilians are 1/3 odds-on favourites with the leading bookies to beat Peru once again.

But they have grit. They survived a peppering on their goal from Uruguay in the quarterfinals to hold out for a 0-0 draw. Peru won the penalty shootout. They then, as underdogs, beat the outgoing champions Chile 3-0 in a semifinal showdown. That was as many goals as Peru scored in their four previous games in this tournament. This would be a shock if they defied 8/1 underdog odds and that would be a brave punt to back that as one of the best bets of the day. But Peru did claim a win over the Selecao in the 2017 edition of the tournament.

USA Women v Netherlands Women
Women’s World Cup Final – 4.00 pm
BBC

The reigning World Champions the USA will be taking on reigning European Champions the Netherlands. The bookmakers clearly have a picture of which way this World Cup Final is going to go. The USA women are 4/9 odds on favourites against their European counterparts. The USA sailed through the group stage scoring 13 unanswered goals. Then it was three straight 2-1 success for them in the knockout stages. They edged their way past a plucky Spain in the round of sixteen, before coming up big to eliminate host nation and pre-tournament favourites France in the quarterfinals.

The USA then beat England’s Lionesses by the same scoreline but had a huge slice of luck with England missing a late penalty kick. The USA have won three of the seven previous World Cup editions and have never finished lower than third. The Netherlands are in their first World Cup final. This is just their second campaign and their first one four years ago ended in the group stage. But the Dutch have managed to build on their huge 2017 success when they won the European Championships.

At this World Cup, the Netherlands topped their group against Canada which moved them through to a quarter-final against Japan. A late penalty secured a 2-1 win for the Dutch. They then impressively shut down the exciting Italy in the quarterfinals, to move through to face Sweden in the semi’s. After a long, cagey tussle with the Swedes, the Netherlands got the breakthrough in the first period of extra time with Jackie Groenen slotting home. The Dutch have real star power up front in Vivianne Miedema and Lieke Martens who have over 100 international goals between them. But will it be enough to stop the USA juggernaut though? The Dutch are 6/1 underdogs.

Being a big bettor you deserve that special bit of treatment, so look for a bookmaker who delivers high-quality services and top bonuses.

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Best Bets of the Day – Saturday, July 6th 2019

Ellen White

Sri Lanka v India
Cricket World Cup – 10.30 am
Sky Sports

This is the final weekend of group stage action at the World Cup but there is still the final positioning of the top two to settle. If India win this game then they will jump to the top of the pile ahead of current leaders Australia who play their final game on Sunday. India have been majestic throughout the tournament, having won six of their seven completed games. The one defeat which they suffered was against a desperate England who needed to beat them to keep their own qualification hopes alive.

But other than that, the power that Virat Kohli’s men have delivered has been joyous to watch. They are heavy odds-on favourites to win this one. That’s to the point that it’s not even worth looking at them in the outright. India will want to flex their muscles and get some pressure on Australia for top spot, as well as carrying momentum through to the knockout stages. A Century for any India player is at 23/20 odds with top bookmakers. That would make for a reasonable best bet of the day for a lot of punters, especially if the Indians bat first. Sri Lanka pulled off a big upset against England in their sixth match, but haven’t found consistency or threat otherwise at the tournament. They are 4/1 underdogs with top bookies.

Egypt v South Africa
Africa Cup of Nations 8.00 pm
Eurosport

Egypt are the hosts of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations and they have so far, produced the goods for the home fans. Egypt produced three wins from three in the group stage, not conceding in any of them. Those were successes over Zimbabwe, DR Congo and Uganda. Liverpool star Mo Salah has scored one in each of their last two group stage games, as has Aston Villa’s Ahmed El Mohamady. That’s the thing about Egypt, they have plenty of quality running through their ranks. The leading bookmakers have them as clear favourites to win this game, to the point of them being at 6/5 to win to nil.

They are facing a South Africa side who aren’t in terrific form. While Egypt can boast a current five-match winning streak, South Africa haven’t won that many games in the last twelve months. They came through their group stage with a W1 L2 record. Their win was against Namibia giving them the points to qualify as one of the best third-placed teams. South Africa’s victory over Namibia was their second in the last nine games. They have scored in just one of their last four fixtures. South Africa are 6/1 underdogs to pull off what would be a huge, huge shock.

England Women v Sweden Women
Women’s World Cup – 4.00 pm
BBC

This is the game that no-one wants to play in. It is the third-place playoff at the World Cup. For the third straight major tournament running, England fell at the semi-final hurdle. They suffered a 2-1 defeat against the reigning champions the USA. It was a fantastically spirited performance by the Lionesses though. But captain Steph Houghton missed a spot kick to pull them level deep into the second half. Then who knows what would have happened? But instead, England were hit with a 2-1 defeat.

England are 4/6 favourites with top bookmakers to win this game. They have had a day’s extra rest and Sweden had to go through extra time in their semi-final. The Swedes were up against the Netherlands in their final four match. It was a long war of attrition, a really cagey affair. That was to be expected really in a game of such high importance. The Swedes had their chances, as did the Dutch, but it was the Netherlands who came through with a goal in the first half of extra time to settle the tie. Sweden are 4/1 underdogs after their exhausting effort, to win on Saturday. As a positive, Sweden have lost just one of 9 previous games against England (W4 D4).

Argentina v Chile
Copa America – 4.00 pm
Premier Sports

And so they meet again. These two have contested the previous two Copa America finals, Chile winning both on a penalty shootout. Now they come together again but in the third place play off of the 2019 edition. Argentina fell short in their semi-final tussle against host nation Brazil. It was a stuttering campaign from the Albiceleste right from the off. They lost their opening group stage game against Colombia. Something never looked quite right with them and never at any point did they get up a head of steam to suggest that they were going to win the title. So once again, Lionel Messi will go back home without an international title.

Chile could only manage a second place finish in the group stage to Uruguay. There were question marks over their ability to defend their title for a second tournament running. But then they knocked out the dangerous threat of Colombia in the quarterfinals (via a penalty shootout). Suddenly it looked as if a third straight Copa America title may be on. It wasn’t. It all fell horribly apart for them in the semifinals as they were crushed 3-0 by Peru, who had only qualified as one of the best third-placed teams. Argentina are 4/6 favourites to sign off with a win, leaving Chile as 10/3 underdogs with leading bookmakers.

It would be a shame to miss out on the latest action and to ensure that you don’t, take a look at our latest live bets section.

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Best Bets of the Day – Friday, July 5th 2019

Sadio Mane

Pakistan v Bangladesh
Cricket World Cup – 10.30 am
Sky Sports

Pakistan will be frustrated heading out in this game, their final fixture of the round robin in the 2019 Cricket World Cup. With England beating New Zealand on Wednesday, it means that the door was shut in the face of Pakistan’s semi final qualification hopes. They had needed the Kiwis to beat England. Mathematically Pakistan could still move up into the top four at the expense of New Zealand. However, the mathematics involved in them beating New Zealand on run rate is simply, astronomical. They would need to beat Bangladesh by around 300 runs.

Pakistan are the 1/2 favourites to finish their campaign with a win and they have been wonderfully entertaining. After a poor start with just one win from five games, they suddenly raced up through the gears and won three on the bounce beating South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan. But that poor start has come back to haunt them. Bangladesh were eliminated in a spirited defeat against India on Tuesday. So this is a dead rubber. But even though Bangladesh are 13/8 underdogs, they are capable of mixing it up. There’s no pressure on anyone in this game.

Morocco v Benin
Africa Cup of nations – 5.00 pm
Eurosport

This is the opening round of sixteen fixture from the Africa Cup of Nations. Morocco will be going as the clear favourites to take the match win and they are at 8/13 with leading bookmakers to collect the victory. So that is strong favouritism in their court then. They did win all three of their group stage games by a 1-0 scoreline, two of those wins coming inside the final two minutes of their games against Namibia and South Africa. So it wasn’t three comprehensive wins.

Benin were one of the best third-place finishers only after drawing all three games in Group F. Their last two were both 0-0 draws as well so the under 1.5 goals option at 5/4 may play on the minds of punters as one of the best bets of the day. Morocco haven’t conceded in any of their last five competitive games. So Benin, who are on a six match undefeated streak (W3 D3) may have their work cut out in trying to break down the favourites. Seven of Morocco’s last eight games have finished under that 2.5 goal line incidentally, so again, this may not be a goal-fest.

Uganda v Senegal
Africa Cup of Nations – 8.00 pm
Eurosport

It is an interesting match in the round of sixteen this one. Both Uganda and Senegal finished second in their respective groups. Uganda fell short against host nation Egypt in terms of the battle for top spot in Group A, but that was expected from the start. Uganda went W1 D1 L1 in their three group stage games, the defeat happening against the Egyptians. That loss against the tournament hosts is just their second defeat in their last thirteen games though. It also snapped a six-match undefeated streak of form that Uganda were on.

Senegal were up against Algeria for top spot in Group C. Those two met in the second round of action and Algeria claimed the 1-0 win to drive on to the group win. So that left Senegal to lock in second place which they did comfortably, winning their other two games. So they aren’t going to be too stressed about how they progressed. They are actually the 4/7 odds on favourites with leading bookies to get the win out of this one. Senegal have won eight of their last nine games (L1) and with star power like Liverpool’s Sadio Mane, they will be expected to beat the 7/1 underdogs.

Look ahead to other top sporting action that’s heading your way with Bobby’s Big Weekend Bets

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Big Bets Bobby’s Take on the Nordine Oubaali Vs Arthur Villanueva Fight!

Nordine.Oubaali Vs Arthur.Villanueva

As we approach the end of the boxing “season”, the action quietens down this weekend with a real lack of noteworthy action. The main attraction comes from Kazakhstan, as Arthur Villanueva challenges Nordine Oubaali for the WBC bantamweight championship on an #MTKFightNight at the Barys Arena.

Streamed live on iFL TV as well as ESPN+, the fight which is in association with Top Rank has gathered support in recent weeks. Without the fear of being lost in a weekend of stacked action, it’s a great chance to delve a little deeper down the weight divisions, with two fighters that are well known outside of France or the Philippines.

Oubaali’s stock is rising. Having beaten Rau’shee Warren via a fairly wide unanimous decision earlier this year, the 32-year-old southpaw is looking forward to the first defence of his WBC strap this weekend. At 15-0, Oubaali turned over fairly late from the amateurs having had success in the unpaid ranks. Since then, he’s been fast-tracked in the pro game and had taken each opportunity as they’ve come. His trip to Vegas to fight for the vacant bantamweight strap in January was only the second fight he has had outside France; he made his debut in Marrakech in 2014.

Arthur Villanueva isn’t a bad opponent, but with just two wins in his last five matches, ‘El Matador’ will need to find something special in Kazakhstan to wrestle the title away from the champion. He’s the younger man at 30, but with 36 fights in his career, his chance may have come a little late in the day. A loss to Zolani Tete in 2017 for the interim WBO title was the closest he has previously come to glory, outside of the International and Pacific titles.

His losses have come at the fists of Arroyo, Nery and Tete – all world level fighters. If you’d put any of those three in with this version of Oubaali, then the result would be unclear. This will underline Villanueva’s chance of upsetting the odds on Saturday.

The number of times that Villanueva has been down in his career is the biggest concern to his challenge. Oubaali isn’t a huge puncher, but he has proven he can hurt opposition in the past – his 73% KO record shouldn’t be overlooked.

I’m of the opinion that Oubaali will be too strong for Villanueva this Saturday, but how the win comes about is the biggest question. It could prove to be a systematic beatdown in Barys, with the challenger happy to hear the final bell. Oubaali has proven he has the minerals to perform at the highest level – now he will be looking to cement his place as a world champion.

Nordine Oubaali to beat Arthur Villanueva @ 1/12 (BetVictor)
Nordine Oubaali to beat Arthur Villanueva by Decision/Technical Decision @ (odds not yet available)

Check out the Hottest Boxing Odds now at BigBetBookmaker’s BIGGEST BETS OF THE DAY & BIG LIVE BETS NOW!

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The stage is set for the Stars and Stripes to align in Lyon

Ellen.White Alex.Morgan

Despite the bias I had towards wanting to see England’s Lionesses through to the Women’s World Cup final, the prospect of the USA facing off against the Netherlands is a final worthy of the world’s eyes.

It’s the reigning World champions against the European champions on Sunday, with the USA looking to scoop their fourth crown, underlining their dominance in the sport.

The United States – and forward Alex Morgan in particular – have blitzed through this competition will very little trouble. 18 goals in their three group wins were emphasized by not one goal being conceded. Sure, 13 came against a proud Thailand side; however, negating Sweden and Chile without any concerns was still a hint that this USA side meant business in France. Wins over Spain, France and England, all by scores of 2-1 has seen them glide into a meeting with a technically impressive Netherlands side.

USA’s greatest strength has always been in their size, fitness and athleticism. Forever known as the guiding lights of the women’s game, the Stars and Stripes have enjoyed a clear advantage over their rivals for a number of years.

For all their on-field swagger, the United States side have shown discipline in shutting up shop whilst holding a narrow lead in their knockout wins. Early goals have been a common feature of their 2019 World Cup, clinging on in professional style once the opposition turn up the heat.

An extra-time win against Sweden in the semi-final may well have zapped the energy of the Dutch ladies. Their route to the final has been slightly less flamboyant, but the European champions have winning in their D.N.A, and won’t be bullied by Jill Ellis’s side.

Late goals have been a trademark for the Dutch, where as mentioned, early goals have been the USA’s. This trend could well be set to continue in Lyon, with the sides entering the closing minutes of the match with it all to play for. USA are rightful favorites to scoop the win on Sunday, but I can’t see them achieving this at a canter.

England’s Lionesses take on Sweden in the third placed playoff, and despite heartbreak against the USA in their semi-final there is enough spirit to see England push hard for another 90 minutes. Phil Neville has rotated heavily in this tournament, so fresh legs can be recalled in a shot at a last bit of pride in Nice.

Ellen White is tied on six goals with Alex Morgan for the World Cup’s Golden Boot. Don’t back against either netting in their respective fixtures.

England Women to beat Sweden Women @ 67/100 (MarathonBet)
USA Women to beat Netherlands Women @ 43/100 (MarathonBet)