Soccer – International Champions Cup – Manchester United vs Inter Milan
The first of this weeks big betting events comes from the International Champions Cup which is being staged in Asia. This Saturday afternoon KO will see Manchester United take on Inter Milan in a fascinating pre-season fixture.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side began their pre-season campaign in a fairly straightforward manner, beating Perth Glory 2-0. The Norwegian boss is seemingly looking to the future, and he’ll be pleased with what he saw. The likes of Mason Greenwood and James Garner both featured, whilst Marcus Rashford also found his way onto the score-sheet. He is likely to name a more experienced XI here, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him throw in a few younger players in the second half.
It’s a big season for Ole and Manchester United as they aim to get back on trend after a poor campaign. The initial honeymoon period soon came to a crashing end, and the former Molde boss must prove his credentials this season.
They are reportedly on the verge of securing the signing of Harry Maguire, and they will also be looking to add some more creativity into their midfield. The enigma that is Alexis Sanchez is unlikely to feature after reaching the latter stages of the Copa America, whilst questions still remain about the future of Paul Pogba.
United fans are understandably excited about seeing Daniel James in action once again. The Welshman showed a few flashes of his electrifying pace last weekend, and he should be able to terrorise the Inter defence here.
The Serie A side have been linked with a move for Romelu Lukaku during the course of the summer, and although a deal still looks several weeks away, the big Belgian is unlikely to feature against his potential future employers. Inter could also beat their opponents to the signing of Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, who is looking to leave Lazio.
They have already added plenty of experience to their back-line with Diego Godin arriving from Atletico, whilst Matteo Politano has also joined, although he isn’t fit enough to participate in this contest.
There are still issues surrounding firebrand Mauro Icardi, and he looks unlikely to feature having been thrown out of the clubs training camp in recent weeks.
Although this is still technically a pre-season fixture, it should be plated a decent pace, and there are several talented players taking part. With plenty of young players having already featured for United this summer, it’ll be fascinating to see how Ole approaches this competitive contest.
UK Viewers can enjoy full coverage of this match on MUTV on Saturday afternoon
Boxing – Dillian Whyte vs Oscar Rivas
Dillian Whyte is feeling confident ahead of his upcoming bout in London, and his clash with Oscar Rivas is the second of our big betting tips for this weekend.
A victory this weekend will guarantee him a shot at Deontay Wilder, and he will fancy his chances against the Colombian. He told reporters that is confident of a KO every time he steps into the ring, and after beating Dereck Chisora and Lucas Browne, he understandably fancies his chances here.
Having said that, he mustn’t underestimate his opponent, who will provide a decent level of competition throughout.
I’m fascinated by this fight, as I think a lot of focus has been placed on Whyte’s thunderous left-hook. He admits that he does have other weapons in his arsenal, and will be able to capitalise on this if Rivas concentrates solely on preventing another KO through this method.
Rivas shouldn’t be underestimated, and he has already beaten Bryant Jennings. He was a top amateur, and has plenty of KOs to his name. Although he’s going to find it tricky to stop Whyte, he should be able to frustrate him for long periods of this fight.
Although he has lavished praise upon his opponent, Whyte admits that he isn’t going to change his mindset or his usual preparations for this fight. Despite being desperate for a crack at Deontay Wilder, he knows he must take one step at a time. He must focus on his bout, and cannot afford to get ahead of himself.
He will put his No1 ranking on the line here, but most people are expecting him to retain his status.
However, it could be must closer than many punters are expecting, and the short prices on Dillian Whyte may be worth opposing. I’m not expecting Rivas to win this, but he should be able to push Whyte all the way, and cause him plenty of problems. He had to wait until the 11th round to KO Dereck Chisora, and a similarly patient approach may be required here.
UK viewers can enjoy this fight on Sky Sports Box Office this weekend.
Soccer – Swedish Allsvenskan – Norrkoping vs Ostersunds
I’ve been following the Swedish Allsvenskan this summer, and there are a number of sides competing at the top of the table. Norrkoping are one of those teams, and they will be desperate to bounce back from last weekend’s defeat. Their re-match with Ostersund is the third of our big betting tips.
The two teams faced one another seven days ago and Ostersunds unexpectedly ran out 2-1 winners. They have been struggling to keep clean sheets in recent weeks, but they are now unbeaten in four, and that victory has helped them put some distance between themselves and the relegation zone.
Norrkoping have won three of the last five, and they are still within touch of the top four. Depending on other results, a victory could see them leap back into the European spots, and it’s all very close as we enter the final couple of months of the Allsvenskan season.
They do also possess the league’s top goalscorer – Jordan Larsson, who has ten goals in 15 games this campaign. He is averaging a goal every 122mins, and he is highly likely to notch again here.
Another decent contest looks likely, and neither side has been defending well enough of late. It’s now three matches without a clean sheet for Norrkoping, and they must tighten up if they have any hope of breaking into the top four.
The hosts won the last encounter at this ground back in August 2018, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them pick up three points once again.
Ostersunds have become the draw specialists in the Allsvenskan, and they are incredibly difficult to beat, but they could be suceptible here. Norrkoping need to get back to winning ways, and they should be able to use home advantage on Sunday afternoon.
Several online bookmakers will be showing all of this weekend’s Allsvenskan games for UK viewers.
Aussie Rules – AFL – Richmond vs Port Adelaide
Port Adelaide are still on the fringes of the top eight, and their lack of consistency has been a problem. They face high-flying Richmond this weekend, and it’s the fourth of our big betting events.
Port Adelaide were heavily beaten last weekend by the Lions, who scored seven goals within 22 minutes leaving their opponents stunned.
It was Brisbane’s fourth win in a row, and they are an in-form side, but Richmond could be equally as effective, and Port Adelaide must avoid making the same mistakes once again.
The Tigers are also on a decent run, and have recorded three consecutive victories coming into this fixture. Although two of their last three fixtures have been against sides in the bottom half of the ladder, their success against GSW showed that they can compete with teams in the top eight.
The Tigers have also won three of the last five meetings between these sides, and the bookies expect them to come out on top once more.
The Power’s season has been described as ‘yo-yo’, and they have been unable to put together a decent run of form. They haven’t managed to record successive wins since week six, and they will be looking to add a little consistency to their campaign.
They’ve beaten two of the sides above them (including the Geelong Cats), but have been defeated to sides below them. It makes them incredibly difficult to predict, and I can’t wait to see which Port Adelaide Power side will turn up this weekend!
BT Sport will be showing highlights from all of this weekend’s AFL games in the UK.
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