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Unstoppable Juventus Continue to Dominate in Serie A

Juventus Dominate Serie A

They’ve won the Italian title on 34 occasions and have topped Serie A for an astonishing seven seasons in a row, but there is no sign that Juventus is about to relinquish their dominance.

Going into the New Year, the Turin club had a healthy nine point lead over their nearest rivals Napoli, having remained top of the table since Week Two. Such has been their domestic strength in recent seasons that the club is almost able to count on winning Serie A every year and appears to be focusing its efforts on climbing to the summit of Europe. Juventus have been to two of the last four Champions League finals, but haven’t won the tournament since 1996.

European ambitions undoubtedly lay behind their headline-grabbing signing of Cristiano Ronaldo last summer, and the legendary Portuguese forward has made a predictably significant contribution this season, leading the Serie A scoring charts with 14 goals. Just as important has been his competitive attitude, exemplified by his headed goal in the 78th minute against Atalanta shortly after coming on off the bench, which snatched a draw and maintained Juventus’s unbeaten record.

With an astonishing 17 wins and just 2 draws at the half-way stage of the season, Juventus have set a new record, and it is no surprise that they are heavily favoured to win the title by the implied probabilities on the Bigbetbookmakers.com site, ahead of Napoli and Internazionale.

As has often been the case in recent seasons, it is Napoli who have been the closest challengers to the champions, but although they have played well under the vastly experienced Carlo Ancelotti, their defensive lapses have cost them crucial points. They have been formidable at home, but have lost three times on the road, most notably to both Juventus and Internazionale, and the suspension of Kalidou Koulibaly, who will is set to miss a crucial game against Lazio, has not helped.

With their transfer dealings restricted under UEFA Financial Fair Play rules, Internazionale made a terrible start to the season, winning one of their first four and losing to Sassuolo and Parma, but Luciano Spalletti’s team began to pick up form after that, and though they subsequently lost to Juventus and free-scoring Atalanta, a run of 11 wins in 14, including significant victories over Napoli and Milan, has put them in a good position to capitalise if Juventus suffer a major slump.

Five draws in eight games have hit Lazio’s hopes and they have fallen behind the top three, while draws have also been a problem for Milan, where manager Gennaro Gattuso is under increasing pressure. Of the chasing pack, Roma have the best form, winning three of their last four in 2018, and their sole defeat in that run was a narrow 1-0 loss in Turin against the reigning champions, and both Sampdoria and Atalanta are still in the hunt for European places.

Discover the hottest Serie A Soccer Bets at BIGGEST BETS OF THE DAY & BIG LIVE BETS NOW here at BigBetBookmakers.com  .

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West Coast Eagles Triumph in Epic AFL Grand Final

AFL West Coast Eagles

Prior to the 2018 AFL season, no-one was predicting that West Coast Eagles would claim the flag. In fact, one pundit went as far as to suggest that they would finish dead last.

That view wasn’t widely shared, in fact, according to the implied probabilities on the Bigbetbookmakers.com site, the Eagles were regarded as fourth favourites to win the tournament, behind Melbourne, Collingwood and overwhelming favourites Richmond, who went into this year’s edition as reigning champions with eleven titles to their name.

But the Eagles had other ideas. West Coast defied predictions and a series of setbacks, including the injury that ended Nic Naitanui’s season, the eight week suspension handed to Andrew Gaff for an off-the-ball punch, and the troubles of Liam Ryan, who served a two game suspension for a drink-driving incident. They finished third in the ladder but battled through a tough Finals run to beat Collingwood in the Grand Final with an epic display that will live long in the memory. Along the way they regularly attracted huge crowds of over 50,000 to the new Perth Stadium, and the passionate home support from Eagles fans played a major role in their successful campaign.

Early on in the final, it seemed as though the Eagles would fall at the final hurdle. Collingwood made a fast start, building up a 31-2 lead at the MCG, but then West Coast staged a remarkable comeback, with the resilient Jeremy McGovern one of several Eagles players to put in a heroic performance. He made a crucial intercept mark late on to set up Dom Sheed who squeezed in the winning goal from a tight angle and send West Coast supporters delirious.

But while Magpies fans were devastated at the way their team let victory slip away, there was no arguing that the Eagles deserved to come out on top. In fact, in addition to finishing four points ahead of Collingwood in the regular season, they had also beaten them in the Second Qualifying Final; the first time that a team has beaten the same opponents twice in the finals.

Collingwood also had their troubles during the season. Sam Murray tested positive to an illegal substance in August, and could face a long ban, and it was only three years ago that former Collingwood players Lachie Keeffe and Josh Thomas were also banned following failed drug tests, though team coach Nathan Buckley vehemently denied that the club had a drug problem.

The team to beat for most of the season was Richmond. The reigning champions topped the AFL ladder by eight points and were big favourites to defend their title, but they were trounced by Collingwood in the Preliminary Final, as their swarming style of play, which had proved to be irresistible for most of the season was finally found out.

Hawthorn, who finished fourth, were dumped out by Richmond in the First Qualifying Final, but Melbourne made a welcome return to the finals after a twelve year absence, thanks to a victory over the eventual champions West Coast in the final round of regular season games. They overcame Geelong and Hawthorn to reach the last four, but their hopes were ended by the Eagles.

You can finds the hottest wagers on Australian Rules football at the BIGGEST BETS OF THE DAY & BIG LIVE BETS NOW sections of BigBetBookmakers.com .

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Spanish La Liga Primera Prediction Report 2018-19

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La Liga is the top flight of Spanish football and it is watched by millions of fans around the world. It contains iconic teams such as Real Madrid and Barcelona and is home to some of the most technically-gifted footballers in the world.

It is one of the most-watched leagues in Europe and the title race is always competitive. There are twenty sides in the division and they each play one another home and away during the course of the campaign. The league begins in mid-August and concludes in May. It takes two-three week break around Christmas.

The top four sides will each gain automatic qualification to the Champions League whilst the bottom three sides will be relegated into the Segunda. There is plenty at stakes and that results in plenty of entertaining games.

With Real Madrid and Barcelona having dominated the Champions League In recent years, the division has attracted a number of top players with the likes of Antoine Griezmann and Lionel Messi both plying their trade in La Liga in recent seasons. Until the summer, Cristiano Ronaldo was one of the main attractions in the division. Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid are another side who are always competitive and they have some very technical players.

Sides such as Huesca, Rayo Vallecano and Rayo Valladolid have recently been promoted to the division and are likely to be involved in a scrap at the bottom of the table.

The division is televised in the UK and the games are spread out across the weekend including Friday and Monday night games.

2018-19 Prediction Reports

At the beginning of the season, Barcelona were clear favourites for the title once again. They finished 14 points clear at the end of the 2017-18 campaign and were fancied to make it back-to-back titles. They were given 57.80% implied probability and were clearly favourites at the top of the betting. It was Valverde’s second season in charge of the club and despite some questions being asked about his flexibility, fans were confident of further success.

Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid were second and third favourites in the betting. Los Blancos had a tumultuous campaign last year but were still given a 44.44% implied probability of bouncing back and securing the title. Zinedine Zidane announced his departure at the end of May and that may have also affected their place in the betting market. In June, it was announced that Julen Lopetegui was to take over and join the club after the World Cup. Spain sacked the head coach just days before the tournament was about to get underway.

Atletico have had recent success but they regularly have to play second fiddle to the “big two”. They were given a 5.88% implied probability of success and were fancied to fill the Champions League spots. Sevilla and Valencia were also-rans with both being given an implied probability of less than 1%.

With uncertainty over the quality of the top two and some questionable transfers, Atletico were receiving the majority of support in the betting market. They moved up to an implied probability of 13.79% by mid-August. Diego Simeone’s side wrapped up the Europa League at the end of last season and although they have a small squad, they possess a striker who won the World Cup with France.

Real Madrid’s probability wasn’t too negatively affected by the transfer of Cristiano Ronaldo. The Madeiran joined Juventus in mid-July and that saw their chances go from 44.44% to 41.07%.

Barcelona’s transfer policy this summer may have been modest but their chances rose to 60.06% ahead of the new season.

2017-18 Season Overview

Barcelona were the runaway winners and were 14 points clear of the remainder of the competition. It was a hugely disappointing campaign for Real Madrid, who despite winning the Champions League, were desperately inconsistent. They won just 58% of their games and finished behind their rivals Atletico Madrid.

Simeone’s side picked up 79 points and were suitably consistent. They were followed by Real Madrid with Valencia, Villareal and Real Betis filled the European spots. The latter booked their place in the Europa League.

 

 

 

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English Football League Two Prediction Report 2018-19

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EFL League Two is the fourth tier of English football and is a hugely competitive and enjoyable division. It consists of 24 teams who play each other home and away throughout the season. The league acts as the bridge between League One and the National League.

There are 46 games throughout the season with the majority of them taking place at the weekend. There are also some midweek matches which are staged on Tuesday nights.

At the top of the table, there are four promotion places up for grabs. The top three teams will go up automatically whereas those who finish 4th-7th will head into the end-of-season play-offs with the final staged at Wembley Stadium at the end of May.

At the bottom end, there are fewer relegation places to avoid with just two sides being demoted to non-league. This regularly results in a real scrap between the strugglers and there is always plenty of drama and entertainment as a result.

The league was previously called Football League Division Three but was rebranded ahead of the 2004-05 season.

There are a number of teams who have flitted between League Two and the National League over the last couple of years and there are plenty of sides who have been playing at this level for a number of years.

It is a hugely competitive division and games can often be scrappy as a result.

2018-19 Prediction Report

At the start of the season, MK Dons were the early favourites with a 13.33% implied probability of promotion. The Buckinghamshire club were relegated from League One and moved quickly to appoint the hugely experienced Paul Tisdale. The former Exeter man had guided the Grecians to the play-offs in two consecutive seasons and is a steady hand at this level. His appointment promoted a flurry of betting activity.

Lincoln and Mansfield were close behind in the betting and were both given 9.09% implied probability of promotion. Danny Cowley’s side made some eye-catching signings including John Akinde and Alex Woodyard and this saw them attract plenty of interest. Mansfield had a strong squad in place and David Flitcroft moved quickly to sign Ryan Sweeney and Tyler Walker, who became their highest paid player.

Bury had a troubled 2017-18 campaign but they were still priced up favourably. They were given an 8.33% implied probability and will have been bolstered by keeping hold of Danny Mayor and Jay O’Shea. There were a few doubts about the ability of caretaker manager Ryan Lowe but they have a strong squad and they were expected to be in the top six.

Forest Green were another side who had been slowly building towards promotion and were given a 2.44% implied probability of promotion. The vegan-club were relative outsiders but had made some decent additions over the course of the summer.

The signing of Jason Shackell saw Lincoln’s odds shorten further. The experienced defender had previously been playing for Championship club Derby and helped Lincoln’s implied probability rise to 16.67% at the beginning of August. The Imps went on to beat Swindon and Northampton in their first two matches and their implied probability increased to 23.09% with their odds shortening significantly.

They were playing some wonderful football and were winning matches at a canter. It saw their chance rise to 50% on October 20th shortly after their 6-2 hammering of Port Vale in Burslem.

After a solid start to the campaign, MK Dons struggled to turn draws into wins throughout September and October and their implied probability reduced to just 10.00% on 29th September. Three consecutive 2-0 wins at home saw their chances rise yet again to 38.17% at the end of November.

Mansfield remained steady throughout the campaign and kept on picking up points. They’d suffered just a single defeat going into 2019 and were given an implied probability of 28.57% as a result.

Bury’s excellent home form saw their probability rise to 15.38% but concerns remain over their poor away form.

2017-18 League Two Season

Accrington were unlikely champions during the 2017-18 season. The club who have limited funds were consistent enough to finish top, ahead of the swashbuckling Luton Town. The pair traded blows throughout the campaign but it was the Lancashire club who finished on top.

Wycombe were the third side to pick up promotion under Gareth Ainsworth. They were another side who couldn’t afford to spend big and relied upon team spirit instead.

Exeter, Lincoln, Coventry and Notts County went into the play-offs with Mark Robins’ Coventry progressing in the final.

At the bottom, Chesterfield’s miserable existence continued with yet another relegation whilst Barnet were the second side to join them in the National League. Morecambe managed to escape the drop-zone yet again.

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English Football League One Prediction Report 2018-19

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League One is the third tier of English football and it is a highly competitive division which features a number of former-Premier League sides. The likes of Sunderland, Portsmouth and Bradford compete on a weekly basis with the trio all bidding for promotion to the Championship.

The league consists of 24 teams, all of whom face one another twice between August and May. Each side will host 23 home games and 23 away games throughout the course of the campaign.

The top two sides in the division will be automatically promoted to the Championship with the four team who finish directly below going into the end-of-season play-offs.

At the other end of the table, the bottom four sides will be relegated to League Two.

The majority of the games take place on Saturday afternoons although there are a smattering of matches taking place in midweek throughout the season.

The name has been in existence since the 2004-05 season. It was previously known as Football League Division Two.

There are a number of teams who have playing at this level for many years whilst others such as Accrington and Fleetwood are relatively new to this tier.

The EFL League One gets plenty of media coverage and matches are televised by Sky Sports. The division does not take a break for International games.

2018-19 Prediction Report

At the beginning of the season, the betting markets were extremely competitive. A number of high quality teams would likely be fighting it out for promotion with Portsmouth and Sunderland largely viewed as favourites.

The Black Cats dropped out of the Championship and following a summer takeover and the appointment of Jack Ross, they were much-fancied to immediately bounce back to the second tier. They were given a 23.08% implied probability and were clear favourites at the top of the betting. They made some impressive signings and given their spending power, they were rightly fancied by the punters.

Barnsley were another side relegated from the Championship and although the Tykes didn’t overhaul their squad in the summer, they were still well-fancied for promotion. The unknown Daniel Stendel was drafted in during the summer months and his high-tempo style was predicted to work well at this level. They were given an 11.11% implied probability this season and were viewed as second favourites.

Portsmouth are another side who overcame adversity to reach the upper echelons of League One last season. They were given a 6.67% chance of promotion, the same as recently promoted Luton. Pompey have a steady presence in the dugout in the shape of Kenny Jackett and they made some exciting signings in the summer including Irish winger Ronan Curtis.

Charlton may still be having wranglings over the ownership but they impressed last season and although they were defeated in the play-offs, they were fancied to put that disappointment behind them. Lee Bowyer’s side possess some very talented youngsters and the signing of Lyle Taylor was a significant step forward. Their summer business saw their implied probability increase from 7.69% to 9.09% and although they faced Sunderland on the opening day, they were fancied to start well.

Sunderland won four of their opening five games in League One and scored twelve goals in that period. Their probability increased significantly and their odds shortened as a result. By August 25th, they were top and were given a 44.44% chance of promotion.

Barnsley also made a positive start to the campaign and won four of six matches and were given a 26.67% implied probability of promotion. Their home form was particularly impressive.

On October 13th, Barnsley beat Luton at Oakwell and made a significant statement. This result saw the betting change and the Tykes were given a 42.02% implied probability with Luton dropping to a 5.88% chance of getting promoted to the Championship.

Between October and November, Portsmouth won six of eight games and showed tremendous consistency. This saw their implied probability increase to 34.72% as a result. They remained top throughout the festive period and at the beginning of 2019, their chances had increased to 45.45%. Charlton’s troubling away form has seen their chances decrease to 1.96% and the Addicks look likely to drop into the play-offs.

2017-18 League One Season

The 2017-18 season saw all three of the relegated sides promoted straight back to the Championship. Blackburn and Wigan were automatically promoted back to the second tier whilst Rotherham had to do it the hard way, beating Shrewsbury in the Play-Off final.

At the bottom, Bury stunk out the place and were rightfully relegated to the fourth tier. They were joined by Northampton, MK Dons and Oldham who were victims of a late Rochdale goal.

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Best Bets of the Day – Saturday, January 12th 2019

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West Ham v Arsenal
Premier League – 12.30 pm
SkySports

Let’s kick off the best bets of the day for Saturday with a visit to the EPL. West Ham went on a tear of a four-match winning streak through December, but they have slipped back a gear. The Hammers have won one of their last four played now in the Premier League (D1 L2). They have home form of W4 D2 L5 this season so it’s been hit and miss with them. They have lost four of their six home games against current top half of the table sides. But I, like many will be thinking, yeah, but what about Arsenal’s defence?

The Gunners have no clean sheet on the road this season (posting a W4 D3 L3 record). They haven’t take a win in their last four EPL away games, losing two of the last three. So there’s that. Despite that Arsenal are the even-money favourite with leading bookmakers for this game. They did beat West Ham earlier in the season and are unbeaten in their last four away games against them. The Gunners certainly have the scoring power to produce a win (averaging over two goals per away game) but can their defence hold it together?

Leinster v Toulouse
European Champions Cup Rugby – 1.00 pm
Channel 4

It is a huge afternoon in the European Champions Cup pool stage on Saturday. In Pool 1 there is a top two clash between Toulouse and Leinster going down. This is matchday five, with one to play after this, so it is really at the point of no return. Leinster trail leaders Toulouse by two points only. I am so looking forward to this one because the first meeting between them didn’t fail to live up to the hype. Toulouse sneaked a 28-27 win thanks to a converted try twelve minutes from time.

Leinster though got a bonus point for their efforts. Can the Irish side land a win to put them in the driving seat going into matchday six? Given that they have destroyed Wasps and Bath at the RDS Arena in the group (52-3 and 42-15 respectively) they are in a way, justifiable odds-on favourites. Toulouse are backed at a +11 handicap for 10/11 odds with leading bookmakers.

Montpellier v Newcastle
European Champions Cup Rugby – 1.00 pm
Channel 4

I’m sticking with the rugby for the best bets of the day once again, as there could be a thriller out at the ltrade Stadium. Newcastle head to Montpellier in a big Pool 5 clash. This is sort of the last-chance saloon for both of these in the race to get out of the pool. The group leaders are Edinburgh who hold a four-point gap at the top and the powerful Scottish side are likely to seal the group win. But the door isn’t closed for either of these. Whoever gets the win in this one controls second place. Newcastle trail second-placed Montpellier by three points.

Newcastle took a win in France on matchday one, grinding out a one-point win over Toulon. They then beat Montpellier back at Kingston Park thanks to a try in the 88th minute. That’s drama for you. After back to back heavy losses against Edinburgh their challenge has fallen away. An underdog win in this would revive hopes. However, the bookies have Newcastle at a massive +16 handicap. Why? Montpellier have won their two home games and yes, that includes knocking down Edinburgh.

Chelsea v Newcastle
Premier League – 5.30
Sky Sports

Chelsea are holding well in their fight for a top-four finish in the Premier League this season. At home this campaign they have remained unbeaten in four games against current top-six sides. They have only suffered the one loss all term at Stamford Bridge. That was a shock 1-0 loss against Leicester just before Christmas. There has been a hint of a problem for them though. Chelsea have failed to score in three of their last four league games. They haven’t netted in their last two EPL games at Stamford Bridge.

Will they be able to find a way to break down Newcastle? The Magpies are huge 12/1 underdogs to win the match across the top bookmakers, in opposition to the 2/9 favouritism of the Blues. Newcastle have had a tough season but they have only lost one of their last six away games in the top flight. The chance of them actually landing the win, on paper, does look slim. But will they be able to come up with a defensive plan to stop the Blues who aren’t exactly firing on all cylinders in front of goal? This should be very interesting.

Millwall v Blackburn
Championship – 5.30 pm
Sky Sports

Millwall deserve a huge pat on the back for the way they have started to shrug off the threats of relegation. They have stormed their way to a three-match winning streak in the second tier after edging bottom side Ipswich on New Year’s Day. The Lions have only lost one of their last eight games at The Den in the Championship as well, winning their last two there by a 1-0 scoreline. Can they edge out Rovers?

The Lions are even money value at the leading bookmakers to land three points. Blackburn have not been in the greatest form, losing three of their last four away games (D1). However, they blew off all of their poor form on January 1st to beat top-four side West Brom. After holding Premier league side Newcastle to a draw in the FA Cup on the weekend, their confidence has to be growing a bit.

It’s just the second weekend of 2019 and it is another one packed to the rafters with sport, so keep up with the latest odds with our live bets!

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Best Bets of the Day – Sunday, January 13th 2019

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Perth Scorchers v Sydney Sixers
Big Bash Cricket – 10:35 am
BT Sport

I think an early look at the best bets of the day can start with some heavy hitting action from the T20 Big Bash. This is expected to be a tight battle between the two. Perth could really use a win as they are sat bottom of the table heading into the next round of action. But they are only two behind the Sixers who are up in fourth place. So there’s all to play for at around the halfway stage of the campaign. The Scorchers can take some inspiration from their big 6-wicket win at the Melbourne Stars in their last match.

That was a great effort with Andrew Tye taking 4/18 with the ball for the Scorchers. The last action that the Sixers had was a 6-wicket away win over the Adelaide Strikers with Joe Denly firing off an unbeaten 76 with the bat. This day/night clash from the Optus Stadium in Perth should be a tight battle. That’s highlighted by the fact that the visiting Sixers are at evens with the top bookmakers to win the fixture. The Sixers won by 17 runs at home over the Scorchers when they met back in December.

Everton v Bournemouth
Premier League – 2:15 pm
Sky Sports

Everton have not been able to shake themselves back into form. It’s been four defeats in their last five league games and no win in last four league outings at Goodison. An air of vulnerability has settled across the club. They get the chance to at least restore some temporary order on Sunday. The Toffees face Bournemouth on Merseyside. Everton have averaged over 1.5 goals per home game this season but will that be enough to push them past the leaky Bournemouth defence? The two played out a 2-2 draw at the Vitality Stadium back on August 25th last year. That was an entertaining scrap which I can only hope repeats here.

It should. Entertainment always seems to follow the Cherries. There have been a total of sixteen goals scored in of Bournemouth’s last three EPL games. The leading bookmakers have over 2.5 goals as short as 4/6 odds on. Problematically for Eddie Howe’s men, they have only taken one point from those three games. The Cherries have lost seven of their ten away games this season and are on a five-match slide away from home. But as I mentioned, Everton are rocky at the moment and could find themselves in an even duel with the Cherries.

Lyon v Saracens
European Champions Cup Rugby – 3.15 pm
BT Sport

Saracens could be taking a giant step towards sealing top spot in Pool 3 of the European Champions Cup this weekend. They are top of the pile by four points ahead of the Glasgow Warriors. This is the penultimate round of Pool action. Sarries will meet Glasgow in the final round of action in the Pool stage. Saracens have a perfect four-from four win record in the Pool so far.

They have amassed an untouchable fourteen tries in their campaign and back on matchday two they beat Lyon 29-10 at the Allianz Park. As for Lyon, they have just been outclassed along the way having lost all four games. Lyon have conceded 72 points in their two home games. While the outcome may not be in jeopardy it’s the perfect occasion to consider a handicap bet. For example, the top bookmakers have Saracens at 10/11 to cover a -13 handicap away from home. Can they run up an even bigger win for a bigger handicap?

Tottenham v Manchester United
Premier League – 4.30 pm
Sky Sports

Of course, I had to go there. It is the big feature for my best bets of the day. 13I’ve got one big eye on Wembley to see if Spurs can keep touch with the leaders in the Premier League. Spurs have won six of their last seven league games and they have been scoring for fun lately. They will be defending a six-match undefeated streak of home form  against United in the top flight as well. Spurs go in the game trailing leaders Liverpool by six points so there is no room for them to be slipping up.

The top bookmakers have Spurs at 21/20 favourites to win the game. Doing so would see them keep their title challenge on track somewhat. Manchester United have rolled on to four straight EPL wins since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer got the hot seat. All four of those wins though were against sides currently in the bottom half of the table. This will be their first big test under Solskjaer and it is one of the toughest that they could get. The improved momentum has seen them close the gap on the top five. Three points would be absolutely huge for their confidence and their own goals of trying to reach the top four.

John Higgins v Ryan Day
Masters Snooker – 7.00 pm
BBC

The Masters is underway and fifth seed John Higgins will be taking on Welshman Ryan Day in the first round. Higgins is the 4/7 favourite for the match with leading bookmakers. Higgins and Day met four times last year and the first of those was in the Masters which Higgins won 6-1 in the quarterfinals. However, Day won the following two meetings.

He beat Higgins at the Romanian Masters and then at the Shanghai Masters before losing a decider against Higgins at the Champion of Champions tournament. So this may not be the walkover that the Scotsman produced last year at this very tournament over Day. This could be a very interesting duel with Day starting as the 11/8 underdog for the match.

Check out the top bookmaker options that are around so get the right fit for your sports betting