Soccer – League Two Play-Offs – Newport vs Tranmere
The first of our big betting events takes place at Wembley, with a big weekend of play-off action taking place at the National Stadium.
This game is an intiguing one as it involves two extremely well-organised sides, both of whom are adept at keeping clean sheets. Although that might not neccessarily sound like a recipe for entertainment, it will still be a fascinating match-up.
Mike Flynn’s side have been absolutely incredible this season, and the casual football fan is likely to remember them from their FA Cup exploits which saw them beat Premier League opposition. They are a fairly unfashionable set of players, but they will always give 100%, and thrive on being the underdog.
Luckily for them, Tranmere have been priced up as the favourites for this encounter, and the bookies fancy Mickey Mellon’s side to return to League One.
Newport are the epitome of a hard-working, dogged and diligent team, and even though Tranmere possess the prolific James Norwood, he may have a frustrating afternoon in West London. He netted the equaliser against Forest Green which helped send the Wirral outfit through, but he will come up against a top goalkeeper in Joe Day, and the likes of Mark O’Brien and Mickey Demetriou.
During the regular season, Tranmere failed to find the net against the South Walians, and they will have to come up with something special this time around. The games ended 0-0 and 0-1 this camaign, so don’t expect it to be raining goals in this one. The odds reflect the notion that it could be a tight game, and extra time and penalties may be required to separate the pair.
Newport are incredible when it comes to knock-out football, and have a formidable team spirit. They will relish the occasion, and having already beaten some of football’s big boys, they are unlikely to be fazed by the importance of the day.
The Exiles are also incredibly effective from set-pieces, so as-and-when the deadlock is broken, it is likely to be a header from a free-kick or long throw.
As a spectacle, this isn’t going to light up Saturday afternoon, but it is a very intriguing betting heat, and there isn’t much between the two sides on paper. Newport are the outsiders here, but the odds should be theoretically much closer, and it is going to be a intriguing tactical battle between two sides who are incredibly difficult to penetrate.
You can watch the League Two Play-Off Final in the UK on Sky Sports Football on Saturday afternoon.
Soccer – Portuguse Cup Final – Sporting vs Porto
Both Sporting CP and Porto may have missed out on the Liga NOS title, but there is the chance to secure some silverware this weekend as they face one another (again) in the final of the Taca de Portugal. It is the second of our big betting events.
These two sides met on the final day of the regular season, with Porto winning 2-1. As always, it was a feisty affair, and the referee dipped into his pocket as early as the 19th minute. Unless their appeals are overturned, both Borja and Jesus Corona will miss the Cup final after being dismissed last weekend, and that is a blow to their respective managers.
One player who will feature is Militao, who will play his final game for FC Porto. Ahead of his summer move to Real Madrid, he bid the fans farewell, and will be keen to end his spell on a high.
Marcel Kaizer admitted he was disappointed with his side’s display last weekend, although he did describe the performance as “reasonable”. He will be hoping for a little more from his side, who finished eleven points behind their rivals. FC Porto have had the monopoly in recent years, winning each of their last three home meetings 2-1, as well as drawing the away fixtures 0-0. They have the psychological advantage, and are understandably favourites. However, these are one-off games, and absolutely anything can happen!
Sporting CP have already ousted Benfica from the competition over two legs, and they have been excellent in the Taca de Portugal in recent years. They will also be desperate to bounce back from their disappointing result in last season’s final, where they were beaten by Deportivo Aves.
There is unlikely to be much between these two sides, and the last couple of meetings in this competition have both ended 1-0 to the home side. Sporting CP snuck through on penalties, and this game may also go all the way.
Another fascinating battle between two of Portugal’s top three sides, and it is set to be a terrific match-up. Expect quality football, and a flurry of cards.
UK Soccer fans can enjoy this game via online bookmakers live streaming services.
Soccer – League One Play-Offs – Charlton vs Sunderland
It’s a busy weekend for soccer fans with another Play-Off fixture taking place at Wembley Stadium. Many fans will look back fondly on the 4-4 draw between the pair when they last met in this end-of-season competition.
It’s been a strange season for Sunderland, who were under a lot of pressure to return to the Championship at the first time of asking. The Black Cats hired Jack Ross, and bought fairly senisbly. They later added Will Grigg to their squad, although the Northern Irishman has failed to really fire so far.
Charlton have been the model of consistency this season, although they come into this off the back of a potentially worrying defeat to Doncaster at the Valley. The Addicks will also be backed by a decent sized following, although that may be dwarfed by the sheer volume of supporters travelling down from Wearside.
Lee Bowyer’s side reached the play-offs last year, but fell short against Shrewsbury, and will be desperate to get the job done this time around.
These two sides met on the opening day of the season with Sunderland falling behind after just ten minutes, they fought back, and managed to secure three points in stoppage time. This could be a very dramatic and entertaining 90 minutes.
Charlton’s young side is full of skill, and unpredictability, whilst Sunderland rely on organisation coupled with individual moments of magic. Chris Maguire was the hero in the semi-finals, and the former Oxford man is likely to play a significant role once more.
The Addicks will be relying on Krystian Beilik to keep things ticking over. The Arsenal midfielder has been superb this season, and he will need to be at his imperious best here. Lyle Taylor and Joe Aribo are their main danger men.
One of the things which makes this tie even more intriguing is the fact that the bookies are struggling to separate them. The betting is extremely close, and there is barely anything between them.
We aren’t expecting eight goals this time around (although it would be most welcome), but it should be hugely entertaining watch. Both of these sides would love to return to the Championship, and there was just three points between them at the end of the regular campaign. This should be a cracker!
League One fans can enjoy all of the action from Wembley on Sky Sports Football this weekend.
Aussie Rules – AFL – St.Kilda vs Carlton Blues
When it comes to the AFL fixtures this weekend, this is far from the glamour tie. However, I’ve picked it out because it is an intriguing match-up, and an interesting betting heat. That’s the main reason why it is the final big betting event of the weekend.
It’s been a horrible start to the season for Carlton, who sunk to their eighth defeat of the campaign last weekend. Not only were they defeated, they were trounced by GWS 138-45, and they need to recover quickly. Former Carlton captain Mark Maclure called the defeat “embarrassing”, and told the press that many people “should be worried about their positions”.
However, they will be able to regroup this week, and look forward to a tie with an out-of-form and injury hit side. St Kilda started very positively, and were amongst the early pacesetters, but they’ve sunk in recent weeks, and they have now lost four on the bounce. They have fallen to 16th on the ladder, following their 112-71 defeat to the high-flying Magpies.
Despite their tonking, St.Kilda are the odds-on favourites for this game, and they will certainly have a little more confidence than their opponents.
The Saints picked up a resounding win here last season with a 116-52 victory, and a repeat is highly likely, but Carlton will be set up to avoid another heavy loss. They have collected just four points this campaign, but they aren’t too far behind the Kangaroos, and they will be hoping to avoid finishing bottom.
It’s an interesting match-up between a sink falling down the ladder at an alarming rate and a side who are rooted to the foot. St.Kilda have won the last two fixtures here, and they should be able to continue their dominance in this match-up.
BT Sport have coverage of the AFL this season, and viewers in the UK can catch highlights of every single game this year.
