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2019 EFL Cup Final Preview – Chelsea v Man City

Man City EFL

Chelsea v Man City
EFL Cup Final
Sunday February 24th, 2019 at 4.30 pm

The fabled quadruple. Manchester City will have the chance to put the first leg of that on the board this weekend as they entertain Chelsea in the EFL Cup Final. Granted, of the four titles that the Citizens are gunning for this season (Premier League, FA Cup, EFL Cup and Champions League) this will probably rank as being the lowest in priority.

But it is all about that winning mentality, that drive to win everything that is put in front of you. That is where Manchester City are at.

It is the EFL Cup Final of Chelsea v Manchester City on Sunday. The first piece of domestic silverware for the season will be handed out. Will the trophy be staying in London or will it be winging its way up north? Catch the action live on Sky Sports

Title defence

Winning becomes a habit as the saying goes and the Citizens are no strangers at doing that. They are the reigning champions in the EFL Cup having beaten Arsenal comfortably 3-0 at Wembley in last season’s corresponding fixture. The Citizens have won three of the last five editions of the EFL Cup. So even though it is down the pecking order in of prestige, it is something that Manchester City clearly still target, regardless.

They have won the title five times before, which makes them the joint second-most successful club in the history of the League Cup (Manchester United, Aston Villa and Chelsea). But of those five wins, they haven’t managed to secure back to back titles in the competition. They head into the weekend’s action as the 11/20 favourites with leading bookmakers to pull it off.

There’s little surprise that Pep Guardiola’s men are going to be stepping out at Wembley as heavy favourites. They recently played host to Chelsea in the Premier League and the Citizens put a resounding 6-0 win on the board. It was as comfortable of a victory as they could have gotten. A clear show of dominance. They were playing on a different level to what a Chelsea side, who were (and are) in low-confidence, could match.

Recent Meetings

That is three times this season that the two clubs have met. The first was in the Community Shield back at the start of August which Manchester City won 2-0. Sandwiching that and their recent 6-0 thumping of the Blues, was a league home win for Chelsea. The Blues were the first side to beat Manchester City in a domestic fixture this season.

But now the weight of current head to head form is swinging well away from Chelsea. The Blues have lost four of their last six now against the Citizens in all competitions. The London club failed to score in any of those defeats. In some of them, they haven’t even been close to laying a glove on Manchester City.

Chelsea’s woes mount

With a limp FA Cup exit at the hands of Manchester United in midweek and some recent heavy away losses in the Premier League, Chelsea are in a bit of turmoil. A win at Wembley from the position of 9/2 underdogs though would surely lift the grey clouds somewhat. It remains now their only realistic shot at any domestic silverware this season. So there is pressure on Chelsea at Wembley, but after what happened to them at the Etihad Stadium, will their mentality be one of caution. Will they simply start with the mindset of simply not wanting to get so badly embarrassed again?

Or can they come up with something new and imaginative? They may well need to.

While the Blues have only scored in one their last five against the Citizens, (which surely has to pique interest in the Both Teams To Score and To Win To Nil markets for the EFL Cup Final) the Blues have been having goal scoring issues in general, recently. Far too many. Chelsea have failed to score in three of their last five games in all competitions (written prior to their Thursday night Europa League fixture against Malmo). Outside of Stamford Bridge, they have scored in just one of their last five played. The arrival of Gonzalo Higuain hasn’t exactly sparked them into goalscoring life.

But the EFL Cup has brought them recent success. Since 2005 they have won three finals and have finished as runners up in one. This becomes a huge piece of silverware for them now. It would at least keep the restless fans happy for a day. The Blues have proven once already this season that they can produce the perfect performance to stifle the Citizens. They are just going to need to dig deeper than ever before to stop the might and power and offence that Manchester City bear.

Recent EFL CUP Final Trends

Four of the last six EFL Cup Finals have produced at least three goals (90 minutes)
Three of the last ten EFL Cup Finals have been settled by a penalty shootout
The most recent penalty shootout success was produced by Man City over Liverpool in 2016
The last team to win back to back EFL Cup title was Man Utd in 2010/11

A Measure of status

The meaning behind the EFL Cup final is vastly different. It is a big measure of status as well. Chelsea need this, need something to try and ignite a bit of self-belief and fight when they return to their other main goal this season, namely trying to finish in the top four in the Premier League. They walked off the pitch with their tails between their legs recently against City, which would make a win at Wembley for them even more significant, even more dramatic.

For City, it could be the first leg of an epic season for them. The other three titles would still be well within their reach. For them, it is about being able to push on to an even higher level of success. Another win at Wembley would see them make a big statement of intent.

Take a look ahead at some more of the weekend’s top action with Bobby’s Big Weekend Bets

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Big Betting Sporting Events: The Cheltenham Festival

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The Cheltenham Festival is one of biggest sporting events on the UK calendar. It stretches across four days in mid-March, and attracts legions of horse-racing fans to Prestbury Park in Gloucestershire. The Festival pitches together National Hunt’s biggest stars, with the biggest trainers from the UK and Ireland sending their charges to the track. The entire National Hunt season pivots around this four-day extravaganza. 

The Cheltenham Festival is usually timed to coincide with St.Patricks Day, and it attracts a large number of Irish visitors. Trainers from the Emerald Isle have also enjoyed plenty of success in recent years with the likes of Jessica Harrington, Gordon Elliott and Willie Mullins all enjoying major triumphs at the track. Elliott ended 2018 as the top trainer, with eight winners across the four days.

There are a number of historic races taking place at the track during the four-day festival with the Champion Chase, Champion Hurdle, Supreme Novice’s Hurdle and the Cheltenham Gold Cup all attracting a frenzy of betting activity. Many of these races are also popular with ante-post bettors. The contests generally remain on the same day each year, with the organisers only tending to embark upon minor reshuffles every couple of years.

The festival attracts revellers from far and wide, and tickets often change hand for eye-watering prices. It is noted for it’s outstanding atmoshere, with the infamous “Cheltenham Roar” becoming more prevalent over the last couple of years. This is the wall of noise which rings around the venue when the Supreme Novices Hurdle kicks things off on the opening day.

The Cheltenham Festival also commands a healthy TV audience with many horse racing fans taking the week off to enjoy all of the action from the comfort of their own home.

It has taken place over four days since 2005, with four new races added to help stretch out the championship races. It brought the total to 28 races, and it has remained that way for the subsequent 14 years.

There are many warm-up races ahead of the Cheltenham Festival, which take place throughout the National Hunt season, including Cheltenham Trials Day, which is staged at the end of January.

It is closely followed by Grand National meeting at Aintree with many Cheltenham horses also competing at the Merseyside course.

When and Where?

The Cheltenham Festival is held at Prestbury Park, which is located in the heart of Gloucestershire and is easily accessible by rail and road. It is always held during the second week of March and will begin on the Tuesday afternoon at 13:30. It finishes on Friday afternoon.

 

Why is the Cheltenham Festival so Popular?

Sports fans who don’t necessarily follow horse racing throughout the season will often make a special effort to tune into the Cheltenham Festival. It sees some of National Hunt’s best-loved horses competing across the four days, and that is a huge part of the appeal. It is also an opportunity to see the next generation of chasers compete at the track. The high-quality of race is a huge draw and the audience continues to grow with each passing year.

 

What Betting Opportunities are Available?

There are so many betting opportunities available at the Cheltenham Festival. It is one of the most punted events of the calendar year and sees large amounts of money gambled on every single race. Even the less-glamorous races attract plenty of money.

Accumulators across the week are hugely popular at the Cheltenham Festival whilst ante-post bets are also commonplace. Throughout the season, punters are able to place wagers on these pre-race markets, although horses are liable to be withdrawn at any given point.

Huge amounts of money are also gambled on a race-by-race basis, with punters both on-course and off-course analysing the form before picking their chosen horse.

There are betting opportunities on the festival as a whole with markets including: Number of Irish Winners, Number of Winners for Jockey X, Number of Winners for Trainer X.

 

Popular Betting Markets

To Win the Race – This barely needs explaining, but it is simply a case of picking which horse will cross the line in first place. The market are generally priced up 12 months in advance by some bookmakers, and it is possible to take advantage of big prices by wagering earlier in the season. On a race-by-race basis, this is the most popular way of betting at the Cheltenham Festival.

Each Way Betting – The Cheltenham Festival is a hugely competitive spectacle and it attracts massive fields. Some races may have 20+ runners participating, and that leads to a huge prices on outsiders. The four-day meet does produce a fair share of bigger price winners and it isn’t unusual to see a 33/1 shot picking up second or third place. Many betting companies will offer 1/4 of the odds and will pay out five or six places in order to encourage customers to bet with them, and this is a great incentive.

Top Festival Jockey – A number of top jockeys will compete at the festival with the likes of Barry Geraghty, Ruby Walsh and Richard Johnson all taking to the turf. These experienced sportsmen can help get a little extra out of the horse in the closing stages, and its no surprise to see the top jockeys firing in winners on a regular basis. Punters can place a bet on which jockey will have the most winners across the four days and if these totals are tied at the end of the Cheltenham Festival, it will be judged on second places.

Top Festival Trainer – Irish trainers have fared well in recent years and a number of experienced hands will be aiming for the much-coveted title of top trainer at the Cheltenham Festival. The likes of Nicky Henderson and Paul Nicholls are always likely to be heavily involved, whilst Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott will be representing Ireland. Generally, a trainer will need at least seven winners in order to challenge for this honour.

Number of Winners for Trainer X… – Betting companies will price up markets for all of the major trainers, and punters can choose to the number of winners for each handler. These are often listed as 4-5 or 6-7 etc. This will apply to all races across the four days.

Number of Irish Trained Winners – The additional narrative to the Cheltenham Festival over the last few years is UK vs Ireland. Irish trainers have dominated over the last few years and punters can choose to predict the number of winners from this sphere.

 

Bobby’s Big Betting Tips for the Cheltenham Festival

The Going is Vitally Important – Cheltenham can be hugely suceptible to the elements and the weather has been known to batter Gloucestershire in recent years. This can alter the going significantly overnight and this is something which simply has be factored into the betting. If a horse has history on a sodden-course, this may be one to keep an eye on. Good-going horses could struggle with the competitive nature of the course if there has been plenty of moisture around in the last 24 hours.

Previous Cheltenham Winners Should be Considered Carefully – Many horses return time-and-time again to the course, and regularly run well here. It is a left-handed track, which doesn’t suit all horses, so it’s always best to check this beforehand and whilst it isn’t as stiff as the likes of Carlisle, it is very different to the likes of Ascot, Aintree and Sandown. Always consider a horse who has won or placed at the track previously.

Warm-Up Races Tend to Help – Horses coming to Cheltenham should have run at least once in the calendar year, but it isn’t always possible due to track conditions, injuries or logistics. Some meetings are cancelled during the winter months, which makes it often impossible to judge the form ahead of the festival. If a horse has performed well during the build-up to the Cheltenham Festival, that is a big tick in the box.

Pay Attention to Trends – Ahead of the race, many sites will trot out the usual ‘Cheltenham Festival Trends’ articles, but these are generally worth paying attention to. For example, 18 of the last 25 winners of the Champion Hurdle have raced at the track previously and 21 of the last 24 winners have started the race in the top six of the betting. This may not lead you directly to the winner, but it certainly helps to narrow down the field.

Take Advantage of Bookmaker Offers – The Cheltenham Festival is a biggest time of year for UK bookmakers, and they will have a number of incentives for new and exisiting customers. It is a great time to sign-up for a new account or take advantage of additional places. Don’t miss out on these promotions.

 

Where Can I Watch the Cheltenham Festival in the UK?

The Cheltenham Festival remains on terrestrial TV and is broadcast on ITV 1 and ITV 4 each year. The whole festival is also broadcast on Racing UK.

 

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BOBBY’S BEST WEEKEND BETTING EVENTS – 23RD-24TH FEBRUARY

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Soccer – Premier League – Manchester United vs Liverpool

We’re getting to the stage of the season where the Premier League throws up regular meetings between the top six, and this week is no exception. Manchester United, who have been a revelation since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took over host Liverpool on Sunday, and it’s the understandably the first of my big betting events this weekend.

The Red Devils were at their rampant best against Chelsea in the FA Cup on Monday night, and barring their poor display against PSG in the Champions League, they’ve seldom looked like losing a game since the Norwegian took over from Jose Mourinho.

Paul Pogba looks like he’s enjoying his football again, and he’s slowly returning to his influential best. They are a very dangerous side and it’s surprising to see them chalked up as the second favourites for this tie.

Liverpool will come off the back of an energy-sapping Champions League encounter with Bayern Munich, and they may struggle with Manchester United’s energy. The Reds are the favourites for this match, and I can understand why, but I find it very surprising.

Games between these two teams are always high-scoring, and this one should follow suit. There’s a freedom to the way that Manchester United play, and Liverpool aren’t keeping many clean sheets, particularly on the road. Even with Virgil Van Dijk back in the side, they are liable to concede at Old Trafford.

This is a fascinating betting heat due to the fact that the odds appear to be the wrong way around, in my opinion. Therefore, I’ll be following this one with interest.

One additional narrative is the fact that Manchester United will not want to hand their city rivals any initiative in the PL title race, and if they take three points here, it could hand a distinct advantage to Pep’s men.

UK Premier League fans can enjoy this potentially-thrilling 90 minutes of football on Sky Sports. 

 

Rugby Union – Six Nations – Wales vs England

The Principality Stadium will host another hugely intriguing Six Nations clash this weekend as Wales take on England in Cardiff. It’s good to have the competition back, after a weeks break, and there’s plenty riding on this tie. It is the second of my big betting events for this weekend.

This is the top-of-the-table clash between two unbeaten sides and something is likely to give here. It will be typically hostile and electric atmosphere inside the stadium, and that should favour the hosts here.

England are top of the embryonic Six Nations standings due to their bonus points, and Wales will be determined to overthrow them. Warran Gatland says he want to leave Welsh rugby on a high, and a victory over England would certainly help him achieve that goal.

He’s been quick to highlight the quality of their opponents and he knows it won’t be easy for his side to see off Eddie Jones’ men. Leigh Halfpenny’s return is a huge boost for Wales, and they’ll be hoping to continue their perfect winning sequence.

Gatland regularly analyses opponents carefully, and his meticulous nature should help his side exploit England’s weak spots. They come off the back of two tough away matches, but have prevailed in both of them, and that makes them a solid prospect.

They have been priced up as underdogs for this clash, and that could help punters find some value in this meeting of the two neighbours.

England are playing some superb rugby at the moment, and they came through a tough assignment against Ireland, and that’s the reason for their shorter odds here.

I’m looking forward to spending my Saturday afternoon watching the Six Nations and following the betting markets in this nicely-poised tie.

This match will be broadcast on BBC One on Saturday afternoon. There will also be additional coverage across the network. 

 

Soccer – Championship – West Brom vs Sheffield United

There’s a promotion showdown at the Hawthornes on Saturday night as West Brom take on Sheffield United and this should be a superb second tier spectacle. There’s plenty at stake here and that’s why its the third of my big betting events this weekend.

The Baggies have improved massively in recent weeks, picking up some notable wins, including a 2-0 success at Villa Park last weekend. Darren Moore’s could barely register a clean sheet earlier in the season, but all of a sudden, they’re looking defensively secure.

Sheffield United were worthy winners against Reading last weekend and were ahead after just 38 seconds. Chris Wilder mixed things up and gave games to Kieran Freeman, Gary Madine and Scott Hogan, and they all did enough to merit an inclusion here. The Blades boss is likely to bring back the prolific Billy Sharp and David McGoldrick for this tie, but the competition for places in the side is mightily impressive.

WBA have the likes of Dwight Gayle and Jay Rodriguez in superb form coming into this game, with the latter scoring yet another thumper last weekend against their Midlands rivals.

This is such a fascinating match-up between two sides who harbour real play-off ambitions and it’s difficult to pick them apart. The market is slightly favouring the hosts in this one, and I can understand why. However, the Baggies actually seem to be slightly better on the road this season AND, I’ve learnt never to write off Sheffield United. Every time I’ve doubted the Blades, they’ve shown me up, and I certainly won’t be backing against them here.

There should be plenty of quality on show, but theres bundles of midfield experience as well, which should help control the game.

This could prove to be a decisive game in the race for Premier League football, and I can’t wait to see how it pans out.

UK viewers can enjoy all of the action on Sky Sports this weekend. This game takes place on Saturday evening at 5:30pm.

 

Boxing – Super Middleweight Championship – Chris Eubank Jr vs James DeGale

This is a fantastic match-up between two of the best British fighters, and I’m looking to staying up late and taking in all of the action from this bout. It is the fourth of my big betting events this weekend. Taking place at the 02 in London, there will be a huge crowd in place to create a wonderful atmopshere for the two fighters.

This fight has been at least four years in the making, and there is a huge amount of anticipation surrounding this match-up. Chris Eubank Jr says that it will be a “painful lesson” for his opponents and he admits that he’s been training for years in order to see off James DeGale. The 29-year is full of confidence, as always and told the media that his opponent is going to “get the schooling of his life”.

He’s also anticipating a hugely explosive fight which will entertain the crowd in the English capital. Those who have tickets or have paid to watch the fight at home (like me!) are hoping he’s spot on in his assessment.

Eubank Jr starts as the narrow favourite for this bout, and he’s got 21 KOs from his 27 fights so far. He will be tough opposition for DeGale, who has a very similar record to his rival. The two-time World Super-Middleweight champion has hinted that he may retire, depending on the result of this clash.

This is one of the biggest fights of the year, and I cannot wait to watch the action unfold. There’s a decent undercard to enjoy as well, and it should be a cracking night in the ring.

This fight is live on ITV Box Office on Saturday night and should be a brilliant spectacle. 

 

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

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Best Bets of the Day – Sunday February 17th 2019

Bristol City v Wolves
FA Cup 1.00 pm
BT Sport

More great FA Cup action for Sunday’s best bets of the day focus. Even though this pits Championship side Bristol City against Premier League opposition Wolves, given the form that the two are carrying it could be a really tight battle at Ashton Gate. Bristol City are on a remarkable run of form. The Robins have won each of their last nine fixtures across all competitions. They are on a six-match winning streak at home.

That is the kind of form which the visiting Wolves should be worried about. The Robins have already seen off one Premier League side, taking a 1-0 victory over Huddersfield in the third round. Still, the Robins are 10/3 underdogs at top bookmakers to win this tie. That is because they are facing a Wolves side who are in a pretty confident streak of form themselves.

The Premier League side are unbeaten in six games across all competitions. The goals have been flowing from them recently too. Wolves have scored at least two goals in three of their last four on the road. Overall home and away they have scored at least three goals in five of their last six. With no clean sheet in their last nine away from home though, will they be able to deliver on their 4/5 odds-on favouritism? It should be a really engrossing FA Cup tie.

Doncaster v Crystal Palace
FA Cup – 4.00 pm
BBC One

Premier League side Crystal Palace may have their hands full as they make a trip to The Keepmoat on Sunday. There they will face League One opposition Doncaster. Rovers are actually on a good promotion push in their league and they go into this FA Cup tie with a pretty decent chunk of form behind them. Doncaster have a W8 D2 record in their last 10 home fixtures in all competitions. Rovers have netted at least two goals in each of those fixtures in that sequence.

Will Doncaster, who are the 17/4 underdogs at top bookies, give Palace a run for their money? This is a great thing about the FA Cup, it produces matches like this. Crystal Palace have only won two of their last 11 away games, losing seven of those. So they are not particularly a team in form, and they have conceded at least two goals in four of their last six away from Selhurst Park. The  Eagles are 4/7 favourites to produce the win, but this doesn’t look as if it is going to be an easy fixture for them.

Swansea v Brentford
FA Cup – 4.00 pm
BBC

So this is an all-Championship clash in the fifth round of the FA Cup, with Swansea grabbing home advantage. These two have already met in the Championship this season. Swansea earned a one-goal margin victory out on the road against Brentford in that. Swansea are unbeaten in five home games, and they have big head-to-head form over the Bees. Swansea have won their last five in a row against Brentford.

Four of those were actually 2-0 scorelines. Overall Swansea are unbeaten in seven against Brentford. With that head-to-head record behind them and home advantage in this fifth round tie, the Swans are favourites but only out at 7/5 odds with leading bookmakers, who have left Brentford at 19/10 odds for the win. That pretty much tells punters to expect a tight scrap in South Wales.

Bulls v Stormers
Super Rugby 3.15 pm
Sky Sports

With the Six Nations taking a break we head to the Super League for some top rugby union action. This is an all-South African clash between the Bulls and the Stormers. Neither had a particularly great season in the 2018 Super League campaign. The Stormers and the Bulls finished fourth and fifth respectively at the bottom of the South African conference. In the overall standings they were both inside the bottom four. What makes this clash all interesting  is that there is a big intense rivalry between the Bulls and the Stormers.

That always adds a nice bit of extra spice to sporting events. In last season’s championship it was a case of both teams making the most of home advantage, trading home successes. This may not be a game between two sides who are going to challenge for success in the Super League this season, but it is a massive rivalry. The leading bookmakers are expecting things to be tight with the Bulls narrowly edging 1/2 favouritism in the odds against the 6/4 on the Stormers.

Motherwell v Hearts
Scottish Premiership – 12.15 pm
BT Sports

We are going to take a dip into the Scottish Premiership to round off the best bets of the day. Ahead of the weekend, of Hearts sat in fifth with Motherwell two places beneath them and a big 10 points back. So there is not a great deal at stake other than looking ahead to the split in the league later in the season. Motherwell have some catching up to do to try and get in the top six. But they have a fantastic winning streak of five straight games in the Premiership currently. Motherwell are running hot and will be looking for a change of fortunes against Hearts.

Hearts have won three games against Motherwell already this season. Those were two 1-0 wins in the league, and a 4-2 Scottish League Cup success over them. Hearts are not going to be a big pushover in this one as they have won four of their last six league games. Hearts have also taken a clean sheet in four of their last six. But while it is Hearts who are 6/4 odds favourites with leading bookmakers, their away form certainly isn’t anything to write home. Hearts have lost four of their last seven away fixtures (W1 D2). But will they be able to make it count against Motherwell again?

Take a look at some of the best bookmakers around available for your sports betting

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Calgary Beat Ottawa to win Eight Grey Cup Championship

Calgary Beat Ottawa

The 2018 Grey Cup saw the Calgary Stampeders take on the Ottawa Redblacks in a repeat of the 2016 final, but this time it was the Stampeders who prevailed 27-16.

The Grey Cup Final was the climax of the popular Grey Cup Festival, this year held in Edmonton, Alberta, and after four days of festivities, the Commonwealth Stadium was packed as the two best teams in Canadian football went head to head for the top prize in the sport.

Having been beaten in the 2016 and 2017 Grey Cup finals, Calgary were aiming to make it third time lucky. Many experts tipped them to have a strong 2018 and according to the implied probabilities on the bigbetbookmakers.com site, they were the clear favourites for Grey Cup glory.

Those predictions proved well founded as the Stampeders turned out to be the outstanding team of the CFL regular season. They made a superb start to their campaign, winning the first seven games, and although they couldn’t maintain that form in the second of the season, they clinched the West Division, finishing one game ahead of Saskatchewan, with a 13-5 record, before defeating the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Division Final to reach the Grey Cup.

Ottawa had a bumpier ride to the Championship game, and after thirteen weeks of the season, had a disappointing 6-5 record. But five wins in their last seven matches was enough to take them to the top of the East Division, and they crushed Hamilton Tiger Cats 46-27 in the Division game.

Calgary had won both of their meetings with Ottawa during the regular season, but their most important encounter remained in the balance for most of the first quarter until Don Jackson ran in a 21-yard touchdown with a little under five minutes remaining. In slippery conditions, that proved to be a crucial score, and gave the Stampeders the edge.

The Redblacks hit back with a field goal midway through the second quarter, and then in the last eight minutes of the quarter, there was a dramatic burst of scoring. First Calgary quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell linked up with Lemar Durant for another touchdown, converted by Rene Paredes. Six minutes later, Ottawa were back in the game when Julian Feoli-Gudino caught a 25-yard pass from Trevor Harris and ran it in 30 yards for a score. Ottawa then opted for a two-point conversion, closing the gap to 14-11. Yet within two minutes, Calgary had extended their lead again, when punt returner Terry Williams ran in for a 97-yard touchdown, breaking the previous Grey Cup record, set in 1995.

That proved to be the last touchdown of the game, and although both teams exchanged field goals in the second half, and Ottawa closed the gap through a safety, Calgary held on comfortably to record a nine-point win and claim the Grey Cup trophy, with Stampeder quarterback Mitchell earning a deserved MVP award for his pivotal role.

You’ll Find the Best Betting Odds On Canadian Football here at BigBetBookmakers.com within the BIGGEST BETS OF THE DAY & BIG LIVE BETS NOW sections .

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Van Gerwen Wins World Darts Championship for Third Time

Van Gerwen World Darts Champion

At the end of sixteen days top quality darts action, it was Dutch star Michael Van Gerwen who emerged on top, defeating Michael Smith 6-3 in the final at Alexandra Palace in London.

Last season’s event saw a major surprise as Rob Cross won the tournament at his first attempt, defeating the legendary Phil Taylor in the final, but 2019 represented the return of the elite of the professional darts establishment as Van Gerwen recorded his third World Title triumph, having previously won the competition in 2014 and 2017.

Van Gerwen had struggled at times during the 2018 season, but he went into the competition as top seed, and favourite according to the implied probabilities on the bigbetbookmakers.com site and he was dominant throughout. He dropped just five sets in five matches on his way to the final, thrashing Gary Anderson 6-1 in the semi-final. Tenth seed Smith had also been in impressive form, beating Luke Humphries 5-1 in the quarter-final and beating Nathan Aspinall 6-3 in the semis.

The final itself was notable for being one of the most youthful ever. It was the first time since 1983 that both players in a World Championship final had been under thirty. But it was the former World Champion who set the piece throughout, twice opening up four-set leads.

The tone was set with a spectacular early 129 checkout from Van Gerwen, finishing on the bullseye, and the Dutchman eventually won the deciding leg to take the opening set. And there were more fireworks from Van Gerwen in the second, as he pulled off a superb 126 checkout on his way to making it 2-0. Two sets later, it was 4-0 and Smith was facing a potential whitewash.

But Smith, a rising star of the PDC, was not beaten. He showed tremendous character in the fifth set with a remarkable 124 to clinch the deciding leg to make it 4-1. The confidence gained from winning the fifth carried over into the sixth, as he swept it without losing a leg to make it 4-2. At this point, the Alexandra Palace crowd were sensing what would be a famous comeback.

Van Gerwen had other ideas. He opened the seventh set in determined fashion, and never looked in danger as he opened up a 5-2 lead, then cruised through the eighth to put himself on the brink of victory. To his credit, Smith kept battling to the end, winning a tough ninth set to keep his hopes alive, but Van Gerwen was in no mood to let the trophy slip from his grasp, and in a tense final leg of the tenth set, he hit double 16 with his third match-dart to claim the Sid Waddell Trophy.

The Dutchman is likely to start as favourite for next year’s World Championship, but Smith has shown he is a force to be reckoned with and is sure to back with a strong challenge in 2020.

Find the Latest Betting Odds for Professional Darts here atBigBetBookmakers.com featured at the BIGGEST BETS OF THE DAY& BIG LIVE BETS NOW Pages 

 

 

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Best Bets of the Day – Saturday February 16th 2019

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Waratahs v Hurricanes
Super Rugby – 8.45 am
Sky Sports

Action from the first weekend of the new Super Rugby season leads the best bets of the day. While it needs a bit of an early start on Saturday morning, it is likely going to be well worth it. This is a big highlight feature of the weekend with Australian side Waratahs at home in Sydney. They are playing host to New Zealand challengers the Hurricanes. For this new season, teams have been reduced down to 15 from 18 across three geographical conferences; the Australian conference, the New Zealand conference and the South African conference.

The top teams from each of the conferences, along with the five best runners-up, go through to a quarter-final knockout stage later in the season. Both the Waratahs and the Hurricanes made it through to the semifinals last season. That was the stage at which both of them fell as well. The Waratahs did top the Australian conference. The Hurricanes finished in second in the New Zealand conference.

This has the makings of being a tremendous clash. It is the New Zealanders who are the 1/3 odds-on favourites to win the duel in the match outright. The Waratahs are at 23/10 with leading bookmakers. It is just one of those great occasions where teams are coming out cold, so they have no form either way. So both will be eyeing up a positive start. While it is the visitors who are the favourites, the bookmakers have a narrow +/-7 handicap line at 10/11 odds in favour of the Hurricanes.

Brighton v Derby
FA Cup – 12.30 pm
BT Sport

Do we have a whiff of an FA Cup upset happening at the Amex Stadium? Premier League side Brighton will be looking to defend home soil in this. But with their current drop in form, they are going to face a stiff challenge against Championship side Derby. Brighton are almost at the point where they have forgotten what a winning feeling is like. The Seagulls haven’t claimed one in any of their last seven fixtures (D3 L4).

So undoubtedly there is going to be pressure on them. In the last round, they faced Championship opposition in the form of West Brom. It was substitute Glenn Murray who came to the Premier League side’s rescue with two goals in extra time of their replay. Brighton have only taken one victory in their last seven home fixtures. Worryingly for them too, the Seagulls have failed to score in three of their last four there. While Brighton are 5/6 odds favourites to win this tie at the first attempt, Derby will be rolling onto the South coast looking to defy 10/3 underdog odds on their backs.

The Rams have started come into much better form recently. They have won three of their last five fixtures (D2). They have only seen the one defeat in their last ten played and so this may end up being an evenly matched contest. The Rams have three clean sheets in four games, so it may also be a low scoring contest too. The over/under 2.5 goals market could offer punters some appeal as an alternative. Derby have already had a taste of giant-killing this season in the FA Cup. The Rams knocked out Southampton in the third round. Can they do it again?

Newport v Manchester City
FA Cup – 5.30 pm
BT Sport

This is the kind of FA Cup tie that is a bit of a double-edged sword for Newport. The League Two side have a tremendous occasion in front of them at Rodney Parade. They get to host the reigning champions of England. However, there has to be some concern within the ranks of the Welsh club having seen recently what Manchester City can do to teams. How do the Exiles approach such a fixture? Do they simply park the bus from the kick-off to try and not get beaten heavily?

Any team in the country would fear playing Manchester City at the moment, the mood that Pep Guardiola’s men are in. The Citizens have scored 12 goals in their two FA Cup games so far. They beat fellow Premier League side Burnley five-nil and then put seven unanswered goals past Championship side Rotherham. With a big 9-0 victory over Burton in the EFL cup and a 6-0 drubbing of Chelsea handed out too, the Citizens are going to be expected to be filling their boots in South Wales.

The Premier league side are a value-less 1/20 odds-on price to win the game. So it may be a perfect occasion for punters to go shopping around in the likes of the Asian handicap and winning margin markets.

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