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Best Bets of the Day – Saturday December 29th 2018

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Liverpool v Arsenal
Premier League – 5.30 pm
BT Sport

I couldn’t start anywhere else, could I? Sometimes winning the league is simply about holding your nerve. Liverpool have played their way to a great position of being six points clear now at the top of the Premier League table. Now that they are there, can they hold things together? Can they push on towards the title? After beating Newcastle easily at Anfield in midweek, for their eighth straight Premier League win, the Reds go into a defining point in their season.

Firstly they face Arsenal at Anfield and then in midweek have a showdown against Man City. Given Liverpool’s home form they are 9/20 odds-on favourites to beat Arsenal at leading bookmakers. But anyone who has watched Arsenal know that the Gunners are no lightweights, certainly not in front of goal. Arsenal have scored at least two goals in all but one away game this season. Can they upset the Reds as 7/1 underdogs? This big feature of our Bets of the Day should be a cracker on Merseyside.

Rangers v Celtic
Scottish Premiership – 12.30 pm
Sky Sports

This is such a crucial Old Firm derby on Saturday. The two Glaswegian rivals go at it again at an important juncture of the league season. Celtic are holding top spot in the Premiership after a great run of three straight wins. But only by three points over rivals Rangers. But Celtic do still have a game in hand. So if they were to raid Ibrox for all three points they would firmly be in the driving seat for another title.

Rangers basically have to keep their title hopes alive in this one but they are 11/4 underdogs at the top bookmakers to do so. Celtic go as the odds-on favourites. Earlier this season Rangers suffered a 1-0 loss at Celtic Park. Will they be able to reverse their fortunes and keep this title race wide open? It’s a fascinating scenario with so much at stake. It’s definitely one to keep an eye on in this busy weekend of sport.

Harlequins v Wasps
Scottish Premiership – 4.00 pm
BT Sport

Harlequins have had a really good season at home in the Premiership this season. They have lost just one of their last five league games there. Harlequins are sat in mid-table in the division and they play host to Wasps on Saturday. The two sides are actually level on points so this should be a really good tight battle. The top bookmakers agree with that as they have a short handicap at -1 on the Quins at 10/11.

That’s a solid general price across the board. Wasps haven’t managed an away win since a victory at Newcastle at the back end of September. They have managed to pick up just the one win in their last twelve games in all competitions so haven’t quite been at the races. But Wasps did get an away win over the Quins last season in the Premiership.

Michael van Gerwen v Ryan Joyce
World Darts Championship – 9.15 pm
Sky Sports

World number one Michael van Gerwen will be stepping up to the oche in the quarterfinals on Saturday. The 2019 World Championships are now at the business end of things. MVG is the red-hot favourite to win the tournament outright and he showed his very best in beating 16th-seed Adrian Lewis in the last sixteen. But he could face a tricky challenge in the final eight as he faces surprise quarter-finalist Ryan Joyce. It’s one of those matches where MVG is expected to win so easily, complacency could play a part in any potential downfall.

Joyce is a 12/1 underdog in this two-horse race for a semi-final place. But it has been some tournament from him. After beating Anastasia Dobromyslova in the first round, he then took out 8th-seed Simon Whitlock, followed by 25th seed Alan Norris. Then he stepped it up against in the last sixteen to take out 9th seed James Wade in a deciding set. Taking out MVG would be the result of the tournament though. Is the underdog up to that challenge?

Looking for more of the top weekend action? Then take a look at Bobby’s big bets for the weekend

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Best Bets of the Day – Friday December 28th 2018

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Ryan Joyce v James Wade
World Darts Championship – 3.30 pm
Sky Sports

A place in the quarter-finals awaits the winner of this clash at the PDC Darts World Championship 2018. Unfortunately, that quarter-final clash will be against world number one Michael van Gerwen. But that is something to worry about in the future. Wade is the 9th seed at the Worlds and he opened with a win over Japan’s Seigo Asada. Wade was pretty fired up in that one, getting all aggressive with his opponent. He then took out Keegan Brown in the second round. Both of those wins were only by a one set margin though for Wade. So I feel the three-time World semi-finalist could be vulnerable.

He takes on Ryan Joyce whose best performance in the tournament was a round of 32 berth in the 2017 edition. He took out Anastasia Dobromyslova in the first round. Then he caused an upset in the second round as he took out 8th seed Simon Whitlock in straight sets. He knocked off another ranked player in the third round by beating 25th seed Alan Norris. Joyce is the 12/5 underdog with the top bookmakers. But he’s shown pretty steady composure so far in what is first ever shot at the PDC World Championships after moving from the PDC this year.

Northampton Saints v Exeter Chiefs
Premiership Rugby – 7.45 pm
BT Sport

The Exeter Chiefs make a trip to Franklin’s Gardens on Friday night. While this isn’t the most difficult-looking fixture they have had, or will face this season, it’s a big one. That’s because of what happened last weekend. The Chiefs beat Saracens in a huge clash at Sandy Park. It was a battle for top spot in the Gallagher Premiership and Exeter came out on top. So now they are sat on top of the tree and it’s one of those situations where they have to knuckle down and just get a win. They don’t want to undo all of the great work they did a week ago.

Exeter are on a three-match winning streak against the Saints. But Northampton have only been beaten once in their last four games at Franklin’s Gardens. That’s in all tournaments. However, looking at the bigger picture, current Premiership bottom side Newcastle are the only ones in the division with a worse home record than the Saints have this season. The leading bookmakers have the home side as 7/4 underdogs. But can the Saints march their way to an upset? Complacency can be a humbling thing and the Chiefs will be hoping to avoid a case of that.

Jamie Lewis v Dave Chisnall
World Darts Championship – 8:45 pm
Sky Sports

I am staying with the darts because frankly, Friday is a bit devoid of sporting action. So we have to shop around a bit for my Bets of the Day for Friday. Not to take anything away from the darts of course which just keep me glued to the box and cheering along with the rowdy masses at the Ally Pally. One of the big games of the evening sees 28th seed Jamie Lewis go into battle with 12th seed Dave Chisnall. This is a match which caught my eye because it could be pretty evenly matched.

After beating Cody Harris in the second round, Lewis powered his way past 5th seed Daryl Gurney in the last round for a big upset. So that was a warning shot to Chisnall head of this clash. Chisnall took a one-set win in his opener over Josh Payne before powering to a 4-0 win over Kim Huybrechts. That was a very convincing display from him and he is odds-on at leading bookmarks to win this duel.

The winner of it will meet up with former World Champion Gary Anderson in the quarterfinals. His opponent Lewis will be remembered for his epic run in last year’s edition. He made the semifinals where he lost to Phil Taylor, but he took out then world number two Peter Wright along the way. Lewis created history last year in becoming the first player to start in a preliminary round to make it to the semi-finals. He’s not too far from making a return to the final four and goes as the 11/8 underdog in this clash with Chisnall.

There will be a big weekend of top sporting action including more darts, more rugby and some big Premier League clashes. So keep up to speed with all the latest live bets!

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Big Betting Sporting Events: AFL Grand Final

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There are a number of significant sporting days on the calendar in Australia but it doesn’t get much bigger than AFL Grand Final day. This one-off event helps bring the curtain down on a long-hard season for the two sides involved and it rarely fails to deliver.

It is traditionally held at the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground) at the end of September/start of October and the venue is jam-packed with two sets of rival fans roaring on their side throughout the contest.

It is a contest which helps decide the AFL Champion with the two sides having come through a number of potentially tricky play-off games in order to book their place in this game. The Premiership Cup and Premiership Flag will be awarded to the winner and unlike many other sporting competitions, the title has been shared amongst a number of clubs in recent seasons with very few sides being able to dominate the AFL for any length of time.

This event has the largest television audience and the largest attendance of any sporting event in Australia and it provides a major talking point amongst Aussie Rules fans.

New rules were implemented at the end of 2006 with all play-off games going to extra-time if the match is tied. These will consist of two periods which are five minutes each-way and if the teams cannot be separated, the game will continue until either team scores.

 

When and Where?

This event takes place at the end of September, occasionally creeping into early-October (depending on the calendar) and signifies the end of the AFL season.

It is always held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground which is a terrific sporting venue. It holds over 100,000 spectators and very few sporting events held at this stadium eclipse the attendance for Grand Final day.

 

Why is it so popular?

Aussie Rules is extremely popular with sports fans in Australia and the AFL is closely followed throughout the season. There is plenty of local pride at stake and fair-weather fans will often sit down to enjoy all of the action if their local side is lucky enough to make it all the way.

Even neutral fans enjoy the AFL Grand Final and rivalries with other teams also play a part in fan preference.

It is a sport which generates more revenue than any other and it is considered to be Australia’s premier sporting competition. It is extremely fast-paced and is hugely enjoyable to watch.

 

What betting opportunities are available?

Plenty. Aussie Rules is extremely popular in Australia but it has also started to gather momentum in the UK and throughout Europe. Online bookmakers price up every single match during the course of the regular season but the AFL Grand Final provides countless betting opportunities for punters.

The main market is the outright winner. This is a 50/50 market but the odds will reflect each side’s chances of success. These are usually based on current form/momentum and previous Grand Final appearances.

 

Popular Betting Markets

AFL Grand Final Winner – The simplest market and this simply requires punters to predict which side will be victorious and take home the Premiership trophy. Always check the terms and conditions carefully as some bookmakers will dictate that the tie MUST be won within regulation time.

 

Handicaps – These markets are extremely popular as they can often provide a little more value than a standard outright bet. These will be set according to the outright odds with the favourite being given a head-start on the points. For example – 6.5. During the regular season, it is not uncommon to see mis-matches with handicap markets such as -20.5 or -38.5 but the AFL Grand Final usually pitches together two in-form sides and therefore the difference in quality is minimal. This reduces the handicap.

The underdogs will also be given a handicap and this will be displayed as +5.5 and it will give bettors the opportunity to side with the outsider and suggest that they will keep it tight and stay within six points of their opponents.

 

Points / Totals – This is a great way of having a wager on the AFL Grand Final without having to pick a winner. It allows fans to predict either a high-scoring game or a low-scoring, cagey encounter. With plenty at stake, the line is often set slightly lower than during the regulation season.

 

Winning Margin – This is similar to the Handicap margin and is essentially predicting the winner with some degree of flexibility. For example – Geelong to Win between 1-7 points.

This is suggesting that it will be a small-margin win and they will have a narrow advantage when the final whistle blows.

 

Prop Bets – This an overarching term for several different bets which offer the chance to bet on very specific markets. These often focus on individual player performances or team totals.

Some examples include – Player X to have the most disposals or Player A to score the most goals. Team to Win the 1st and 3rd Quarter is another example of a specific prop bet which will usually pay out at generous odds, particularly in the AFL Grand Final.

Many online operators will also allow punters to request specific prop bets using social media and these are often added to the already-extensive list.

 

Bobby’s Big Betting Tips for the AFL Grand Final

  • Weather can play a huge part! Even though the end of September often means that it can be seasonably mild, the climate can be interchangeable. If the final is played in treacherous conditions, it can result in a low-scoring game and create a relatively disjointed and fragmented game so always factor this into your bets.

 

  • Head-to-Head. True, it is a one-off game and anything can happen but rivalries remain between sides and players will always be seeking revenge. If the fames between this pair during the regular season have been feisty and tumultuous, this may also creep into this game. It’s always wise to check how they fared during the regular season and whether there is any bad blood between the pair.

 

  • Injury news is key. This game arrives at the end of a long-hard season and fitness issues can often play a part in dictating the outcome of this game. Always check injury news prior to having a bet as one missing forward could potentially swing this tie in the oppositions favour.

 

  • Don’t be afraid to bet in-play. With two in-form sides meeting at the MCG, it can often be difficult to decide which side will come out on top. It is possible to wait until the match has got underway and the momentum and early passages of play may help point you in the right direction.

Where can I watch the AFL Grand Final in the UK?

BT Sport has exclusive rights to show all AFL matches in the UK. The AFL Grand Final is usually shown on BT Sport 1 in the early hours of the morning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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BOBBY’S BEST WEEKEND BETTING EVENTS – 29TH-30TH DECEMBER

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Ice Hockey – KHL – Slovan Bratislava vs Jokerit

The first of my big betting events comes from the KHL and it’s a division that I’ve dipped into numerous times and it always provides plenty of entertainment and crucially, plenty of betting opportunities.

Slovan Bratislava are a side that I try and oppose as often as possible this season and they’ve been on a woeful run of form recently. They currently sit bottom of the Western Conference and haven’t won a match since November 15th. However, they are much better going forward at home and I expect a better performance here today.

They’ve lost 14 of their 20 home matches this season and that will be music to the ears of Jokerit who are today’s visitors. The Finnish side have a long journey on their hands and have won just one of their last four visits to this stadium. It will be interesting to see whether they can overcome their patchy away form which has seen them lose ground to the top two sides in the Western Conference.

Slovan Bratislava may be unable to win a game at the moment but they should run Jokerit close here and they will certainly get on the scoresheet. It makes it a very interesting betting prospect and this is definitely a game which will offer plenty of in-play betting opportunities.

Only three sides have conceded more goals on the road in the Western Conference this season than Jokerit and they could be in a tough afternoon in Bratislava. It could go either way and I can’t wait to watch this KHL match-up.

You can follow all of the KHL action on FreeSports throughout the weekend 

Soccer – Premier League – Liverpool vs Arsenal

How could I not include this superb Premier League clash in my best betting events this weekend. Liverpool went into Christmas top of the table and Jurgen Klopp’s side have been superb to watch and Mo Salah has once again begun to impress.

The Egyptian is a real threat and he’s suddenly found his shooting boots and he could be another good propsect for first goalscorer in this one. I’ve enjoyed betting on him in recent weeks and he could pay dividends in this one.

Unai Emery’s Arsenal looked tired against Burnley as they struggled to a 3-1 success. They don’t have a great recent record at this stadium and haven’t beaten Liverpool at Anfield since September 2012. The jury is still out on the Gunners and I believe that the Spaniard still needs another transfer window to overhaul his squad.

I can’t wait to sit down post-Christmas and enjoy this game. It’s always a fascinating encounter and I’m expecting plenty of goals. Again, it is another match which could be good for betting in-play and all of the best bookmakers will provide up-to-date odds throughout the game.

Arsenal always score late goals so don’t assume that this game will be settled by the 80 minute mark. However, I love Liverpool’s swashbuckling style and they are an excellent team to watch. These matches are always fascinating betting markets and it should be another cracker on Saturday night.

This game will be broadcast live at 5:30pm on BT Sport 1 for UK viewers

Tennis – Hopman Cup – Ashleigh Barty vs Alize Cornet

The tennis season is starting to return and I’m extremely excited for it to get started. The Hopman Cup sees Australia take on France in the Southern Hemisphere sunshine and I’ve included this match between Ashleigh Barty and Alize Cornet as one of my best betting events of the weekend.

Barty is a home favourite and has enjoyed a superb year. She will be hoping to continue her upward momentum at the 2019 Australian Open. She acheived her career best in 2018 and climbed to number 15 in the rankings. She admits she loves this time of year with the sport taking in various tournaments in Australia and New Zealand and she’ll be aiming for a quick start.

I find this Perth tournament a great betting event because the bookmakers don’t always know how fit and determined players are following their two-month break. It can often throw up some interesting prices and I always look to take advantage.

Cornet had a terrible end to 2018 but she traditionally starts the season quickly and I would expect her to be very competitive here, especially representing her country. She lost 2-0 to Barty in August 2018 but I don’t think she’ll be a pushover here.

There can often be some rustiness about players when they return at the end of December and I expect both players to make unforced errors. This should lead to some swings in the betting in-play and I would encourage tennis punters to take full advantage.

The Hopman Cup will be live streamed through a number of bookmaker’s websites this week. 

Football – Scottish Premiership – Rangers vs Celtic

The second Old Firm derby of the season is my fourth big betting event of the weekend and it should be another fiercely contested battle between the Glasgow pair.

Celtic ran out 1-0 winners in Steven Gerrard’s first Old Firm clash of the season back in September but the tables have turned since that match and it’s the Ibrox men who massively improved since that defeat. There is now just a point between this pair and neither side can afford to drop points in this one.

There is so much at stake in this match and it could be a tense 90 minutes, particularly for those fans watching this one. It’s a lunchtime kick-off and there should be a tremendous atmosphere around the ground.

At the time of writing, the bookies have made the leaders Celtic the favourites but it’s unlikley to be that simple. Rangers have conceded just five times at home and it could be another game which is settled by a single goal.

I can’t wait to explore the various markets available for this Old Firm clash and there should be plenty of cards and corners. It’s never a dull watch when these two sides face one another and I’m looking to having a lunchtime bet and sitting back to enjoy the game.

Scottish Premiership fans can enjoy this game on Sky Sports Football on Saturday lunchtime 

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 December 23rd 2018

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Aston Villa v Leeds
Championship – 1.30 pm
Sky Sports

This has the makings of being a superb clash from the Championship. It’s a thin Premier League day on Sunday and so I have to make this a big feature for Best Bets of the Day. Aston Villa have been thriving under new boss Dean Smith and they are unbeaten in their last seven league outings (W4 D3). They have only drawn their last two at home though. Despite their far more consistent form, there have been problems with their defence. They have conceded a total of nine goals in their last three fixtures at Villa Park in the Championship. Still, the top bookmakers see the threat of them as they are 11/8 favourites to get the win.

But they are also scoring very well as the Villains have netted at least two goals in each of their last seven fixtures. Will they be able to handle Leeds? The Whites start the weekend in the top spot and therefore have the chance to finish top at Christmas. They have hit a great patch of form with a five-match winning streak going. In contrast to Villa’s leaky defence, Leeds have conceded just one goal in their last five games in total. They have won three of their last four away games (L1) by a one-goal margin. There is little chance that they are going to be rolled over. But can they do enough to land three points?

Everton v Tottenham
Premier League – 4.00 pm
Sky Sports

Sunday’s only Premier League game comes from Goodison Park. Everton will be looking to build on a pretty good season there in the EPL. They have only lost the one home game this season, but this game marks a bit of new territory for them. They have yet to play a home game against anyone currently inside the top seven this season. So this is where their home form is really going to be tested. Can they take forward the positives of their current form at Goodison Park and take down one of the top sides in the country?

Tottenham boasts the best away record in the Premier League this season of W8 L2. Spurs incidentally haven’t been involved in a single drawn Premier League this season. They are keeping up their pace well inside the top four in the division and have won six of their last seven on the road. Five of their eight road victories this season may have been by a one-goal margin only, but time and time again they have found ways of getting those points on the board. They are 13/10 favourites at top bookmakers to collect all three in this one.

Wasps v Bath
Premiership Rugby 3.00 pm
BT Sport

Wasps will be looking to strengthen their position inside the top four in the Premiership on Sunday as they entertain Bath at the Ricoh Arena. They haven’t been carrying great form at all though as they have won just one of their last eleven fixtures. That was back in round eight of this season’s Premiership against Bristol. That is just one of two wins that Wasps have managed on home soil this season in all competitions. Their other win was against Leicester in the Premiership. Top bookmakers have them as the -7 handicap favourites at 10/11.

This will be the second meeting between Wasps and Bath at the Ricoh Arena this season. That’s because they were paired up in the European Champions Cup. That produced a thrilling 35-35 draw. Bath have managed just the one win in their last six league games against Wasps, but having so nearly pulled out a win at the Ricoh already this season, they can carry some confidence into this game. Much like Wasps, the form of Bath isn’t great with two wins in their last twelve in all competitions. Trailing Wasps by five points in the table, they can close ground with a solid win.

When looking for a bookmaker, don’t forget to eye up the bonuses that are around  – grab the ones to suit you best!

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Best Bets of the Day – Saturday December 22nd 2018

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Cardiff v Manchester United
Premier league – 5.30 pm
BT Sport

Cardiff have been doing a pretty good survival job on home soil recently. The Bluebirds have gone W4 D1 in their last five Premier League home games. That turn of form in South Wales has been keeping them away from the drop zone. Three of their four home wins have been against sides in the bottom half of the table currently though. The exception being a success over Wolves who are up in seventh. Can they pull off their biggest home win yet of the season in toppling Manchester United? The Red Devils have been in a bit of disarray lately.

The Red Devils sacked Jose Mourinho in midweek. They put former striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in charge until the end of the season. Will that be the breath of fresh air that United need? Or will the interim boss try and change style so much that it is going to need time to bear fruit? Solksjaer has been managing Norwegian side Molde, who have developed a tremendous attacking flair under him. It’s a far cry from the conservative approach of Mourinho at United. The Red Devils are the 4/7 favourites at top bookmakers to land the success. That Premier League action kicks off our Best Bets of the Day and let’s move on to some rugby.

Exeter v Saracens
Premiership Rugby
3.00 pm

It could be a white-knuckle ride at Sandy Park on Saturday. The top two in the Premiership go head to head. Exeter have home advantage for this epic tussle in which they have the chance to take over at the top. The Chiefs start two points behind leaders Saracens. Exeter need to pick themselves up after a shock last time out. Their unbeaten form for the season went down the pan in a 28-26 loss at Harlequins in the last round of matches. They were also beaten at Sandy Park in their last home game, which was against Gloucester in the European Champions Cup.

The last time Exeter lost back to back home games was over two years ago. So can they gather themselves to take control at the top once again? Saracens have remained perfect for the season with nine wins from nine. They will, however, know the size of the task ahead of them. Saracens are actually undefeated in 22 games in all competitions. Their last defeat? At Sandy Park back in March. The two met up again in May in the Premiership Rugby Final too, which Saracens won. That  snapped a five-match losing streak against the Chiefs they were on. This should be some game and the leading bookmakers are offering a 10/11 swing on a 1 point handicap either way (-1 Chiefs).

Dillian Whyte v Dereck Chisora
Boxing – 10.00 pm
Sky Sports

Whyte and Chisora will go at it again in a rematch at The O2 on Saturday night. Back in 2016, Whyte came out on top in their battle, sealing the victory from a split decision. Dillian Whyte has been predicting that he will produce a more convincing win this time around. He takes a 24-1 career record into this fight. He is defending the WBC Silver and WBO International heavyweight titles and will be fighting for the WBA International heavyweight title on the weekend. Since beating Chisora two years ago, Whyte has won four fights since then. That includes a title defence against Joseph Parker back in the summer. His British rival Dereck Chisora is the current WBA International Champion and ‘Del Boy’ is the 5/2 underdog at top bookmakers for the bout. He has a 29-8 career record and will be hoping for different fortunes under new manager David Haye.

Josh Warrington v Carl Frampton
Boxing – 10.00 pm
BT Sport

The second of two good fights on Saturday night. Josh Warrington is putting his IBF featherweight title on the line in this one. There will be pressure on him too as it will be his first title defence of the belt. ‘The Jackal’ got the belt back in May and this is going to be something of a step up in class for Warrington. He could have taken some easier options. Warrington has a 27-0 career record with just the six knockouts. But this is what he wanted, to take on the best. He is doing that is going up against Frampton. In a strange turn these days in boxing, there has been no trash talk between them. Northern Ireland scrapper Frampton has a 27-1 career record with fifteen knockout outs. Since losing his WBA belt to Leo Santa Cruz last year, Frampton has won his three fights on the comeback trail. That includes him picking up the WBA interim featherweight title. The bookmakers are still very wary about Frampton and have him as the odds-on favourite.

Hull v Swansea
Championship – 5.30 pm
Sky Sports

Even though they are sitting down in the bottom half of the table currently, Hull deserve a lot of credit for the way that they have turned their season around. They lost nine of their first fourteen games. The Tigers have gone W3 D3 L1 in their last eight so there has been a clear improvement all the way. They are W2 D1 L1 in their last four on home soil. All season they have been a bit short of goals with just nine scored at home. Just 18% of their home games have made it over 2.5 goals this season so the over/under goals markets could appeal to punters here.

Swansea are up in the top ten in the league and have won their last two league outings. They needed that too after having lost three on the bounce. It has been mixed form from them on the road, winning just two of their last eight road fixtures. But backers of Swansea, who are the 7/4 underdogs, will look at the fact that they have won three of their four away games against sides currently 17th or lower this season.

There’s a huge day of sport on Saturday and it’s going to get busy over the Festive period. Follow the live bets to keep up to date.

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Best Bets of the Day – Friday December 21st 2018

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Borussia Dortmund v Borussia Moenchengladbach
Bundesliga – 7.30 pm
BT Sports

This is a huge clash at the top of the Bundesliga on Friday night. Die Borussen are top of the pile holding a six-point lead over Moenchengladbach. So this is going to be a huge scrap. Will Dortmund be able to extend their lead, or will the visitors reel them in further? Dortmund lost for the first time this season last weekend, suffering a reverse out on the road at Dusseldorf. But still, that can’t take the shine off a tremendous season from them. BVB are W15 D2 L1 in the top flight. Such as their scoring power has been, they have netted an average of 3.38 goals per home game this season.

Dortmund are 4/7 favourites at top bookmakers to win this clash at the Westfalenstadion. It will be interesting to see how they respond to that defeat. Moenchengladbach can gain some nice ground on them if they can pull off a win. This game just couldn’t be left off the Best Bets of the Day. Moenchengladbach’s season has been split really because they have a perfect 100% record on home soil but are only W2 D3 L3 on their travels. But they are a confident side and haven’t conceded in any of their last three games. If ever BVB need a warning sign of the threat they are facing on the weekend, they can look to Monchengladbach’s 3-0 win at Bayern Munich in October.

Wolves v Liverpool
Premier League – 8.00 pm
Sky Sports

Liverpool get the chance to make the first move this weekend in the Premier League title race. They get a Friday kick off in a trip to Molineux to face Wolves. The Reds came up big once again last weekend in a home victory over Manchester United. That extended their superb unbeaten form for the season. Sometimes over the Festive period, it just comes down to grinding out results in those tricky away games like this. But Liverpool have shown that they can win ugly this season already.

But the Reds will be facing a plucky underdog who are 11/2 at leading bookmakers in the match outright. Wolves moved up to seventh spot last weekend as they secured what was their third straight league victory. That’s really nothing to sneeze at all. Liverpool are the only side in the top flight with a longer current winning streak than Wolves have. Just back in early December Nuno Espirito Santo guided his team to a massive three points against Chelsea. At Molineux. Can they defy the odds again?

Worcester v Northampton
Premiership Rugby – 7.45 pm
BT Sport

It will be all eyes on Sixfields on Friday night for the Premiership rugby action to start the weekend. There will be pressure on both in what is a bit of a basement scrap. The Warriors are sitting ninth in the league ahead of Friday’s game, one place above Northampton. The two of them are level on points though so this should be a tight battle. Their current standing leaves them just two points ahead of bottom side Newcastle. So there are precious points up for grabs. Worcester are only narrow favourites for this home game. The top bookmakers have 10/11 odds on them covering a small -2 handicap.

The Warriors are on a good bit of home form, having won their last five fixtures in all competitions at Sixfields. But then Northampton have been a bit of a bogey side for them. The Warriors have claimed just the two victories over the Saints in the last seven seasons of Premiership rugby. But as a positive for Worcester, both of those wins were actually at Sixways against the Saints. That includes a triumph in last season’s corresponding meeting. The Saints turn up with just the one victory in their last four league fixtures (against Wasps on in November). While the Saints have won three of their last four home games, can they turn that into a positive on the road this weekend?

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