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‘Pac-man’ delivered us the goods last weekend with a comprehensive return to life as a welterweight world champion. At 40 years on and in his 71st professional fight, Manny Pacquiao continues to defy Father Time in the most impressive form, form that could see him lure Floyd Mayweather back for a rematch of their 2015 disappointment.

Dillian Whyte secured his mandatory shot at Deontay Wilder’s WBC belt having waited “600 days” for the privilege, with Dereck Chisora still proving he is a handful in the division.

So we move onto this coming weekend, with shows in Texas and Baltimore providing the best of the entertainment in the boxing world. Gervonta Davis returns home for the first world title defense in Baltimore for years and years, where as Hooker and Ramirez lock horns to unify the super lightweight division putting their undefeated records on the table.

Maurice Hooker vs Jose Ramirez

A true pick’em in a belter of a unification bout. Hooker has proved over the past few years that he is more than capable of boxing at distance and to a game plan. A significant reach advantage is expected for the WBO champ, and if he can utilise his fundamental boxing skills early in the fight, he could lead Ramirez up a path of mistakes. Hooker may have more experience as a pro, but Ramirez shows tenacity at close range, willing to involve himself in a brawl. The work rate of Ramirez can’t be underestimated in a fight that could quite easily go to the scorecards. If Ramirez finds a rhythm he could bag vital rounds in the back end of the fight.

Ramirez to win @ 4/5 (BetVictor)

Tevin Farmer vs Guillaume Frenois

This weekend’s fight will see Farmer step inside the ropes for the fifth time in twelve months, all for the IBF super-featherweight strap. The southpaw ‘American Idol’ has been kept busy by Eddie Hearn since being picked up by Matchroom USA, but has been looked after in some fairly straight-forward defences. Guillaume Frenois is, on paper, as straight-forward as they come; the 35-year-old Frenchman will be making his debut on American soil having forged a path to becoming #3 with the IBF. Farmer’s on a 22 fight winning streak since falling to 7-4-1 early in his career and will canter towards the finish line in an uncompetitive 12-rounder in Texas. It would appear that Frenois doesn’t hold the power to alter Farmer’s skilled, fast attacks.

Look for Farmer to win on the cards when the market becomes available

Gervonta Davis vs Ricardo Nunez

There is very little that could convince me that Gevonta will struggle to blitz a third successive opponent out in the first half of the fight. Nunez is another fairly unknown super-feather who has engineered a place at #2 in the WBA rankings, and despite a solid KO percentage to fall back on, the Panamanian will struggle against the hand-speed and ferocious aggression that David brings to the ring. ‘Tank’ will want to impress as the talk will inevitably return towards his Twitter-spat with Farmer with both taking to the ring this weekend. This fight is all about the homecoming of ‘Tank’ to Baltimore.

Look for Davis to win by early TKO when the market becomes available

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Since joining MLS in 2015, New York City FC have consistently earned a top three spot in the Eastern Conference and going into this weekend’s clash with Sporting Kansas, they are once again fancied by bookmakers to finish among the leading contenders.

Having reached the Conference Semi-Finals in each of the last three seasons, NYCFC were among the favourites again in 2019. They didn’t make the best start, drawing five of their opening six, but as the season has drawn on, they have been finding their form. They’ve suffered defeats in just two of their last thirteen games, and although both of those games came in the last three fixtures, they recovered with a good win in Colorado last time.

That victory took them to fifth in the Eastern Conference table, seven points behind leaders Philadelphia Union, but they have four games in hand over the pace setters and three games in hand over their other leading rivals, which is why bookmakers rate them so highly.

And according to the betting odds, they aren’t expected to have too much difficulty this weekend when they entertain strugglers Sporting Kansas. NYCFC are the -149 favourites according to BetCris, while Kansas are considered +345 outsiders and the draw is priced at +306.

Based on the head to head form, and the history of the two franchises, that might seem to flattering to the East Coast side. Sporting Kansas have won the MLS Cup twice and have four times lifted the US Open Cup. They have also won two of the four games they’ve played against NYCFC in their history. They won the first, in 2015, and the second, by a comfortable 3-1 margin. But NYCFC have won their last two, beating Kansas 1-0 in 2017 and 2-0 last spring.

And this year, Kansas have struggled to meet their usual high standards. They finished top in the Western Conference last year, but their long-standing manager Peter Vermes hasn’t been able to work his magic this time round. Six wins in twenty-one games explains why they go into this match third from bottom in the Western Conference, and while there is still time for them to get into play-off contention, their lack of consistency makes it hard to envisage.

Their recent record illustrates their problems perfectly. Back to back victories over fellow strugglers Chicago and Vancouver could have been the springboard for a good run but they slipped up immediately, losing 2-0 at home to sixth-placed side Dallas

The size of the task facing Kansas this weekend has also been increased by the return of Alex Ring and Maxime Chamot to the New York ranks. Although their absence didn’t result in a defeat in Colorado, they are crucial components in the NYCFC machine and will be welcome back. The home side are expected to dominate possession, so chances for Kansas will be at a premium, and if they are to get anything out of this game, they will have to be ruthless up front and resolute at the back.

On July 14, 2019, England’s 45 year wait to finally get their hands on the World Cup Trophy was over, as they edged out New Zealand in an enthralling final that could well go down in history as the best one-day international final ever.

That thrilling set piece occasion was watched by over four million people in the UK, a resurgence in popularity for the sport that administrators, players and journalists will hope spills over into English cricket’s other big summer showpiece: the Ashes.

England are certain to start as favourites with bookmakers for the series, which gets underway with coverage on SKY on August 1. The home team are rated as Evens favourites by many bookmakers, with Australia at 17/10 and the drawn series available at 9/2.

The reason for that favouritism is partly home advantage. Since Michael Vaughan’s Ashes heroes of 2005 ended the long period of Australian dominance, the Aussies have failed to win a series in England, losing out in 2009, 2013 and 2015. Their last Ashes win on English soil came in 2001, under the captaincy of Steve Waugh. That streak isn’t simply down to the decline of the Australian Test team, but has also reflected an overall global trend of touring teams finding it harder to win in unfamiliar conditions, perhaps as a result of changes to the ICC regulations over pitch preparation, which have been tweaked in the last decade following a run of high-scoring stalemates.

In fact, seven of the last eight Ashes series have been won by the home team, the exception being the 2010-11 series, when an England team approaching the peak of their powers out-thought the Australians, who at that time were deep into a period of transition.

And going into this year’s contest, the Australian team once again has an unsettled look to it. The banishing and then the return of David Warner, Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft, has disruptive to Cricket Australia’s plans, and ahead of this series, Australian selectors have turned to the expedient of pitting two teams of Australians against one another in England in an attempt to solve some of their numerous selection dilemmas, most notably, the composition of their top order.

England have a few potential issues of their own. Their opening pairing is not settled, they have yet to identity a regular number three and they don’t have a front-line spinner to match Australia’s Nathan Lyon, although the much-underestimated Moeen Ali is capable of doing a solid job.

But momentum can be a powerful force in top level sport and the joy and confidence of their World Cup win will undoubtedly help the England players to approach this Ashes series with optimism. And many England fans, with the cheers of Lord’s still ringing in their ears, will be sharing in that optimism as they look for the best odds on an England Ashes win with Bigbetbookmakers.com.

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Riga Masters Snooker
July 26th – 29th
Eurosport

The Riga Masters is the start of the new snooker season. The Latvian tournament sees a big draw squashed into just three days of action. That of course means that the matches themselves are short ones. Players are not going to be dragged through long-drawn-out matches.

The opening round through to the quarter-finals inclusive, are just best of seven frame fixtures. The semi-finals and the Final itself are just the best of nine frames. So this makes for an exciting start to the new 2019/20 snooker season.

But the question is going to be, who is going to come out of the starting blocks the quickest to land the title? The Riga Masters is only in its fourth season as a Ranking Tournament on the snooker calendar. Players lining up in the draw haven’t played top-level competitive action since the World Championships back in May.

Thunder from Down Under to cause a storm?

Australia’s Neil Roberston is the one that the bookmakers and most tipsters have pegged as the outright favourite to win the Riga Masters 2019. Part of the reason for that is because he has won two of the three incarnations of the tournament since it became a ranking event. He is the current reigning champion too. The Thunder from Down Under has proven time and time again that he is capable of starting a season strongly.

His two Riga Masters titles in 2016 and in 2018 is proof positive that the between-season break doesn’t knock him off his stride. Back in 2013 and in 2014 he won the Wuxi Classic which was then the opening tournament of those seasons. You put those pieces together on the back of a strong 2018/19 campaign, then he does jump off the page as the main contender at 4/1 odds with leading bookmakers. He made five different finals last season, winning three titles. Can he get his new season off to a flying start as well?

The chasing pack

The chasing pack at the Riga Masters 2019 is pretty interesting. The leading bookmakers have Mark Selby, Kyren Wilson and Mark Williams all around the 7/1 odds mark. That’s because on paper they do look pretty hard to separate. Mark Selby, who did win a non-ranking version of the Riga Masters in 2014, is expected to be in the mix. He has only put in the one appearance in the last three editions of the tournament though. That one show yielded a first-round exit.

His English compatriot Kyren Wilson heads into the tournament well supported and looking like a threat. Last year he picked up the title at the Paul Hunter Classic, the first ranking title since his win in China back in 2015. That will have been a massive relief for Wilson. He also took the Six-red World Championship and the German Masters last year. That was some step forward from him.

The other of the main contenders that the bookmakers have pegged in the chasing pack is Mark Williams. The Welshman reached the semi-finals in the first two seasons of the Riga Masters being a ranking event. Twelve months ago he made a quarter-final exit. The only ranking title that Williams got his hands on last season was the World Open. He never made it past the quarter-finals in any other tournament which he entered.

Who ticks the boxes as a long shot?

Falling down the pecking order at the bookmakers, there is a couple of names which punters may feel have some value in the outright market. Jack Lisowski is in double figures at 12/1 odds with top bookies. The young Englishman took a big step forward last term, reaching three finals across the course of the season. One of those was the Riga Masters. So while he still awaits the first ranking title of his pro career, he certainly knocked on the door a few times last season with early form.

Luca Brecel has never been past the second round in three attempts at the Riga Masters, but is capable of putting in big performances as impressive semi-final finishes at the China Open and the Six-Red World Championship last year is a testament to. An even bigger shot is Ricky Walden out at around the 50/1 mark. He made his debut appearance in the Riga Masters twelve months ago and put on a good show. He reached the quarter-finals where he was stopped by the Melbourne Machine, Neil Robertson. You have to wonder if he hadn’t bumped into him could he have gone deeper?

Summary

Last year the Thunder posted just over a 75% success rate in best of seven matches. That’s a superbly high return and another big positive in his column. If you stack up all the positives for Neil Robertson heading into this even then on paper he is the clear front runner. Big names like John Higgins, Judd Trump and Ronnie O’Sullivan are all absent from this year’s field.

Remember that this is a short-format tournament. That shorter matches will suit players more than others. Robertson enjoys them and it will be a fascinating three days to see if he can push on to a title defence, or if not, who it is that comes through the wide-open field behind him to take the crown.

Read Bobby’s Big Weekend Bets for a look ahead to some of the highlights to come on Saturday and Sunday.

We’re into the second round at the Winter Gardens, with some intriguing match-ups landing at the World Matchplay Darts. Gerwyn Price and Adrian Lewis were the only two big-ish shocks as the first round came to a close on Monday night, with the favourites still in the draw looking to towards Sunday’s final.

There are some huge pairings in the second round, with the format extending to a race to eleven legs. Let’s take a closer look at the action:

Michael van Gerwen vs Glen Durrant

MVG was far from his best in his opening round missing a plethora of doubles. “Duzza” on the other hand looked in fine form on his debut at the Winter Gardens. This could be a very tense night for the world number 1, and it’s expected that Durrant will push him all the way. Can MVG play that poorly again? No. Back “The Green Machine” to come good, winning this 11-6.

Michael van Gerwen to win -4.5 @ 2.78 (MarathonBet)

Gary Anderson vs Mervyn King

King looked very assured in his first round victory and he will be confident of progressing against the brilliant Scot. Anderson will need to show better form but has the scoring power to hurt King. Back “The Flying Scotsman” to nick this 11-8.

Gary Anderson to win @ 1.33 (MarathonBet)

James Wade vs Mensur Suljovic

Wade will not be upset by the style of Suljovic and his consistency may prove the difference. Suljovic strolled into the second round but didn’t hit huge scores. Back “The Machine” to progress in a tight contest 11-8.

Wade most 180s, highest checkout and win @ 4.00 (MarathonBet)

Michael Smith vs Max Hopp

This could be a close encounter with both players winning well in the previous round. Both kept their composure and looked sharp and this is a pick’em match on current form. If “Bully Boy” can score like we know he can he may just have too much for the German. Back Smith to edge this 11-8.

Over 10.5 180s @ 1.952 (MarathonBet)

Peter Wright vs Simon Whitlock

Wright is on a long winning run at the moment and has expressed his desire to go deep at the Matchplay. Whitlock can beat anyone on his day, but the longer format will suit “Snakebite’s” rhythm, allowing for his dips in form. Both are capable of huge checkouts; back a 170 out in this one.

Over 0.5 170 checkouts @ 8.50 (MarathonBet)

Rob Cross vs Krzysztof Ratajski

Rob Cross wouldn’t have seen too much to worry about from the debutant in his 1st round victory and will fancy a quick nights work. Ratajski has the ability to give the former World Champ problems but will need significant improvement on Sunday Afternoon’s average. Back “Voltage” to progress with relative ease, 11-5.

Rob Cross to win @ 1.33 (MarathonBet)

Stephen Bunting vs Ian White

“The Bullet” came through an epic first round encounter and showed a lot of heart and nerves of steel to set up a clash with Ian White. White on the other hand coasted to an emphatic 10-0 win. This one should be closer than that but White could be a real dark horse for this tournament and if he starts fast he could blow Bunting away. Back “Diamond” to win 11-4.

Ian White to win -2.5 @ 1.92 (MarathonBet)

Daryl Gurney vs Keegan Brown

Gurney’s looking in the mood at the Matchplay and will capitalise on any crumbs Brown leaves on the board. A quick start from “Superchin” is expected, with the Northern Irishman winning by 4 or 5 clear legs.

Daryl Gurney to win @ 1.40 (MarathonBet)

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We are still three months away from the MLS play-offs, but the race to secure a play-off spot is intensifying as fringe teams try to get themselves into the top seven.

Two teams who seem a strong bet for a playoff spot are defending champions Atlanta United and early season pacesetters LAFC, who meet at the Banc of California Stadium this weekend, in what could be an interesting rehearsal for the knock-out rounds.

LAFC go into this game in top spot in the Western Conference, nine points clear of their nearest challengers LA Galaxy. They are also seven points clear of the best team in the Eastern Conference, Philadelphia Union, with two games in hand. If MLS were a straightforward league contest like the Premier League or La Liga, we might already be calling this season over.

But there is a long way to go for Bob Bradley’s side to be crowned the best in MLS in what is only their second season in the competition. And as the weekend’s events showed, there are likely to be setbacks along the way. LAFC made the short trip across Los Angeles to take on LA Galaxy, against whom they have a good record. But this time, Galaxy finished on top, running out as 3-2 winners thanks to a Zlatan Ibrahimović hat-trick, and speaking after the game, Bradley admitted that the home side had surprised his players with their intensity.

As the home side this weekend, they may have more room to impose their high-pressing, possession-based game, but they won’t get an easy ride against a fast-improving Atlanta side. Under new coach Frank de Boer, they have taken time to find their best form but there has been a steady improvement by the reigning champions, who have won their last two games, against Houston Dynamo and Eastern Conference rivals DC United by an aggregate of 7-0.

They play a similar possession-based game to LAFC, so this clash could be one for the purists, although it is the home side who will start as short-priced favourites. According to BetCris, LAFC are the -200 favourites, with Atlanta United rated as +400 outsiders and the draw at +364.

Home field advantage helps to explain why LAFC have such an edge with the bookmakers, as well as the distance involved in travelling from Georgia to southern California. Having played at home against DC United on Sunday, there is just a five-day turnaround to make the trip to the west coast and complete their preparations. And this is the stage of the season when the intense travel demands associated with US sport can start to take their toll on weary squads.

But LAFC will not take this game for granted and MLS fans will enjoy the treat of seeing the reigning champions take on the main challengers, in an encounter that could yield clues for future play-off clashes later this season.