It is America’s biggest sporting event on Sunday as Superbowl XLVI will be broadcast to the world from the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
After two hard fought and close Championship deciders, the New York Giants play the New England Patriots for the biggest prize in American sport.

Patriots in the Superbowl for the 5th time in 11 years

The Patriots have arguably been American football’s dominant force over the last decade. Three Superbowl wins in four years between 2002 and 2005 were followed by a surprise defeat in 2008. On that occasion, star quarterback Tom Brady was sacked five times in a 17-14 defeat to this year’s opponents, the New York Giants.

However, the Patriots have reached the end of season match for the first time since that 2008 defeat and Brady is still key to the Patriots hopes. He remains the conductor of a well-tuned, potent passing game and the Patriots finished second in the NFL with an average 317.8 yards per game through the regular season.

This season saw Brady throw for the second-most yards in NFL history (5,235) while Wes Welker, the Patriots’ wide receiver, caught 122 passes during the regular season, the fourth-highest total in NFL history.

Only the Steelers and the Cowboys have appeared in more Superbowls than the Patriots and so it’s no surprise that the AFC champions are the 8/11 favourites.

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Giants capable of repeating 2008 upset

While the New York Giants may be lucky to be in Indianapolis – only a late season collapse by the Dallas Cowboys paved their way into the playoffs and only an injury to San Francisco’s regular kick returner paved the way for them to sneak into the Championship game – they are certainly peaking at the right time.

The Giants come into the game having won five straight games by a very impressive combined score of 141-67 and their rushing yards per game and yards per rush have improved greatly since Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs have both been fit at the same time, which they almost never were during the regular season.

Looking simply at the Giant’s defensive stats from the regular season may also give you a false impression of which way this game will go. The unit is now finally healthy and Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora are ready to take on Tom Brady who had his worst game of the season (239 yards, zero touchdowns and two interceptions) in the AFC Championship versus the Ravens.

Verdict

It’s worth remembering that when these two teams last met – in week 9 of the regular season in November – it was the Giants that came away with the win.

The Patriots went ahead, 20-17, with 1:36 remaining on Tom Brady’s touchdown pass to Rob Gronkowski. However, the Giants snatched the lead with 15 seconds remaining as Eli Manning tossed the winning touchdown pass to Jake Ballard in the end zone. Ballard had beaten linebacker Tracy White to the ball and the Giants won the match, 24-20.

This Sunday’s showpiece is a very tough match to call. The Patriots are the rightful favourites but the Giants are the team in form. I’d be tempted to back the NFC champions (the Giants) with a 2.5 point start at evens.

NY Giants @ New England Patriots Betting

Superbowl Betting

After Sebastian Vettel extended his lead at the top of the Formula One driver’s championship to 77 points with his win in Valencia, both of the German’s main rivals seemed to throw in the towel as far as the title was concerned.

The F1 juggernaut heads next to Silverstone for the British Grand Prix with the Northamptonshire course set to unveil its new, state of the art pit and paddock complex between the Club and Abbey corners.

So, will the reigning world champion continue his dominance or can his rivals end his stunning streak?

Vettel breaks records on way to convincing lead in F1 race

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The 23 year old German’s win in Valencia meant that he had finished in either first or second place in the first eight races of a Formula One season – the first time this has ever been achieved. With ten consecutive podium finishes and just 14 points dropped so far in 2011, it’s no surprise to see Vettel as the 8/11 favourite to record his seventh win of the season.

Team-mate Mark Webber won the British Grand Prix in 2010 and has been in consistent form this season, failing to finish outside the top five in any race. At 11/2 I think the Australian offers excellent value to repeat his triumph last year on the ‘new’ Silverstone track.

McLarens set to fall further behind the Red Bull team

Lewis Hamilton wrote off his chances of regaining his drivers’ title after his fourth place finish at the European Grand Prix and the British driver believes that changes to the regulations this weekend which ban the use of off-throttle blowing of diffusers will further impact his team.

Hamilton said: “[In Valencia] it feels like we’ve taken a step back in terms of performance or the others have taken a step forward and with the regulations changing. I personally think we’re going to take another step backwards.

“We’ll have to see how the ban affects us but I’m a little bit nervous about it. I think we might be affected more than the two teams ahead of us [Red Bull and Ferrari]. It will be even worse for us.
“I don’t really have any expectations. I hope that we can finish ahead of one of the Ferraris there [Silverstone]. That would be a positive.”

Jensen Button has also been downbeat about McLaren’s chances and so the prospect of a British driver winning their home GP looks slim. I certainly wouldn’t be tempted by Hamilton at 9/2, although Button may offer some reasonable each way value in front of his home fans at 9/1.

Fernando Alonso guided his improving Ferrari to second place in Valencia and looks to be the most credible challenger to the dominant Red Bulls at Silverstone. Alonso is 9/2 to win his first race of the 2011 season whilst teammate Filipe Massa is a 33/1 chance.

It’s also worth keeping an eye on the improving Mercedes team at Silverstone. Nico Rosberg has impressed over the last couple of seasons and the German secured a podium finish in this race in 2010 when he finished third behind Webber and Hamilton. Team mate Michael Schumacher is a three time winner at Silverstone and the Germans can be backed at 66/1 and 100/1 respectively.

Motor Racing Betting

]]> http://www.paddypower.com/betting/other/formula-1/2011-british-grand-prix-betting.html/feed/ http://www.paddypower.com/betting/previews/weekly-sports-betting-tips-june-21.html http://www.paddypower.com/betting/previews/weekly-sports-betting-tips-june-21.html#comments Sat, 18 Jun 2011 08:23:17 +0000 Nick http://www.paddypower.com/betting/?p=18748

Football

As one international tournament ends this weekend, another begins. England’s disappointing defeat to the Czech Republic cost them the chance of emulating their performance of two years ago in the UEFA under 21 tournament, and Spain look worthy 4/11 favourites to lift the title.

UEFA U21 European Championships

The FIFA Women’s World Cup begins on Sunday with the hosts and one of the favourites, Germany, in action against Canada. Nigeria face France in Sunday’s other Group A match.

Football Betting

Tennis

The 125th All England Championships continue this weekend. The men’s title looks to be a four horse race between arguably the finest leading quartet of players in recent memory with Rafael Nadal the favourite to win his third Wimbledon title.

Mens Wimbledon Betting

The women’s competition is wide open and it’s hard to make a case for any one individual. If Serena Williams’ confidence and form returns after a long injury lay-off then she will be the one to beat, although you can make a case for about two dozen players this year. I’m still sticking with Caroline Wozniacki and Maria Sharapova to go well.

Ladies Wimbledon Betting

Tennis Betting

Golf

There’s a strong field in Germany this week for the BMW International Open with home favourite Martin Kaymer the 9/1 favourite to regain the title he won in 2008.

David Horsey is 40/1 to retain the title he won in 2010 whilst previous winners Henrik Stenson, Miguel Angel Jimenez, David Howell, Thomas Bjorn and Niclas Fasth are also in the field.

Sergio Garcia looked to be in great form at the US Open and the Spaniard is 16/1 to win his first title since his return from injury.

The PGA Tour heads to Connecticut this week for the Travelers Championship. The par-70 TPC River Highlands is the third-shortest course on the Tour and a strong American field is challenging this week. Hunter Mahan has a good record in this competition and is the 14/1 favourite whilst Nick Watney, Bubba Johnson and Brandt Snedeker also feature prominently in the betting.

Golf Betting

Cricket

After England won the rain affected Test series against Sri Lanka last weekend, the focus now turns to the limited overs form of the game. England face the tourists in a Twenty20 match in Bristol on Saturday and can expect to face a much tougher examination than in the recent three match Test series. Sri Lanka are one of the best limited overs sides in world cricket and I expect the visitors to go well here.

Nottinghamshire and Sussex lead the way in the domestic Twenty20 championship and both are in action this weekend. The Outlaws play Lancashire at Trent Bridge on Sunday whilst the Sharks travel to Taunton on Friday to face Somerset.

Cricket Betting

Rugby League

The top four in the Superleague meet this weekend in an intriguing set of fixtures. Friday night sees current league leaders Warrington host St Helens who will want to bounce back after their heavy defeat to title rivals Wigan last Friday.

The match of the weekend is at the DW Stadium on Saturday where reigning champions Wigan take on second place Huddersfield.
Elsewhere, Leeds kept up their challenge with a narrow win at bottom club Crusaders last weekend and have a local derby this Friday as they take on Bradford. The Catalans Dragons’ good run was halted by Huddersfield last Saturday but they should bounce back with a win over Castleford while Crusaders play Salford and Wakefield face Hull.

Rugby League Betting

Motor Racing

The Formula One juggernaut returns to Spain this weekend for the European Grand Prix. The Valencia street circuit is a notoriously difficult place to overtake with just four recorded overtakes since the event began in 2008.

Sebastian Vettel has nine consecutive podium finishes in F1 and is the 11/10 favourite. The McLarens went well at Valencia in 2010 and I expect both Lewis Hamilton and Jensen Button to challenge on Sunday.

Motor Racing Betting

Horse Racing

The highlight of Saturday’s racing comes from the Curragh with the Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes. It looks like a two horse race with Midday and Snow Fairy looking to emulate the likes of Dar Re Mi and Peeping Fawn.

The big race in England on Saturday is the two mile Northumberland Plate at Newcastle. With no clear favourite this promises to be a competitive race, with Mount Athos and Activate narrowly preferred in the ante-post betting.

Elsewhere there is racing from Doncaster, Chester, Windsor, Newmarket and Lingfield Park.

Racing Betting

]]> http://www.paddypower.com/betting/previews/weekly-sports-betting-tips-june-21.html/feed/ http://www.paddypower.com/betting/other/nfl/nfl-betting-super-bowl-xlv.html http://www.paddypower.com/betting/other/nfl/nfl-betting-super-bowl-xlv.html#comments Fri, 04 Feb 2011 13:31:14 +0000 Intuition http://www.paddypower.com/betting/?p=14491 Super Bowl Betting Tips

The NFL postseason reaches its climax next weekend when the Green Bay Packers (5/7) and Pittsburgh Steelers (59/50) go head-to-head at the Cowboys Stadium for the Vince Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl XLV.

The Packers make their 5th appearance in American Football’s championship game while the Steelers look to achieve their 7th Super Bowl success. The two sides didn’t meet this season but if the last game between two sides is anything to go by (37-36 in favour of Pittsburgh) then Super Bowl XLV will be one of the greatest NFL games in history!

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The Steelers finished their regular season with a 12-4 record while the Packers (10-6) needed a small miracle to make the play-offs. Since their victory over the New York Giants in Week 16, the Packers are unbeaten and quarterback Aaron Rogers has been the catalyst of their success. The Steelers have been equally impressive. Last weekend they made light work of the New York Jets, a side that gained play-off road victories over the Indianapolis Colts and long-time Super Bowl XLV favourites New England Patriots.

The question on everybody’s lips is “who is going to win?” You can make an excellent case for both teams. The Pittsburgh Steelers have won two Super Bowls in the last five seasons. Their quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is the youngest Super Bowl-winning quarterback in the NFL’s history. Steelers defensive co-ordinator Dick LeBeau has been there, done that and wore the t-shirt while head coach Mike Tomlin led them to victory in Super Bowl XLIII (the youngest coach in the NFL history to do so). In contrast, the Packers sideline is going head first into the deep end but the Packers do have an excellent defence, due to Dom Capers hard-work, but then again so do the Steelers - in fact Pittsburgh are the second best defensive side in the NFL this season. Offensively the Packers dominate the Steelers but Aaron Rodgers had problems last week in the NFC Championship game against the Chicago Bears and this Steelers defence will be the toughest he has faced all season. If Green Bay is to win Super Bowl XLV, much will depend on Rodgers’s performance. I’m sticking with the safe option and punting the Pittsburgh Steelers to another Super Bowl victory.

Best Bet:

Winning Margin - Pittsburgh Steelers 7-12pts @ 11/2

NFL season performance +17pts

NFL Super Bowl Betting

The elimination of the Atlanta Falcons & New England Patriots in the divisional play-offs last weekend has forced a major shake-up in the Super Bowl XLV betting. The Green Bay Packers (6/4) look to justify outright favouritism this weekend when they take on the Chicago Bears (5/1) in the NFC Championship game while the New York Jets (10/3) will be out to prove their victory over The Patriots was no fluke when they tackle the Pittsburgh Steelers (11/5) in their AFC Conference showdown.

NFC Championship Game

Green Bay Packers (1/2) came into Week 16 of the NFL regular season facing two must-win encounters in order to reach the play-offs. Fortunately for them, both games were at home. Victory over the Giants and this week’s opponents the Chicago Bears (5/3) ensued and the Packers found themselves with the back-door wide open. Since Week 16 they have looked unstoppable, seeing off the Eagles in the wild-card play-offs and routing top-seed Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome last weekend - their most impressive performance to date.

The Bears booked their place in the NFC Championship game after a dominant victory over Seattle last weekend. Despite having a decent home record this season at Soldier Field, most of Chicago’s wins have come by the slightest of margins and this match-up against their NFC North rivals will be their biggest test of the season. Both the Bears and Packers defense rank amongst the best in the NFL so a place in Super Bowl XLV will ultimately be determined by either quarterback. Packers quarterback Aaron Rogers has been in sensational form of late and I’ll be surprised if their momentum ends in the Windy City.

Green Bay Packers @ Chicago Bears

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AFC Championship Game

New York Jets (5/3) fell at this hurdle last season but after their hard-fought victory over the New England Patriots last weekend, they have every reason to feel confident of clinching their first AFC Championship title when they take on the Pittsburgh Steelers (1/2) at Heinz Field this weekend. To many onlookers, the Steelers comeback, when trailing 21-7 to Baltimore last weekend, may have seemed like a terrific performance but in reality they were handed victory on a plate following a Ravens meltdown. In contrast, the Jets, led in offense by quarterback Mark Sanchez, outplayed and out-muscled the Patriots in every department. Their failure to win an AFC title is off-putting but if they muster up a repeat performance of last weekend, they will win!

New York Jets @ Pittsburgh Steelers

Best Bet:
4pt double @ 3/1

New York Jets (5/3) & Green Bay Packers (1/2)

NFL season performance +21pts

NFL Betting

After seventeen weeks of speculation the NFL postseason kicks off this weekend when the NFC & AFC Wildcard games determine who will feature in the divisional playoffs. With the top-seeded Atlanta Falcons and second-seed Chicago Bears waiting in the wings, the Green Bay Packers (59/50) travel to Lincoln Financial Field to take on their NFC opponents, Philadelphia Eagles (5/7). The Packers were a popular preseason pick to reach the Super Bowl and they got their campaign off to a perfect start in Week 1 when they ran out 27-20 winners over the Eagles! They’ve only recorded two wins on the road since then and needed a win over the Chicago Bears last weekend to get into the postseason. Despite suffering some key injuries, The Packers delivered and have proved in recent weeks they have the mental strength to cope on the big stage although I expect the Philadelphia Eagles, under the guidance of quarter-back Michael Vick, to prove too strong with home field advantage.

Green Bay Packers @ Philadelphia Eagles

The other NFC Wildcard match-up this week sees the defending Super Bowl champions New Orleans Saints (1/6) facing a seemingly straight-forward assignment against the Seattle Seahawks (43/10). A win for The Saints coupled with victory for The Eagles would result in New Orleans facing top-seed Atlanta Falcons in the divisional playoff. The Saints won’t worry too much though, they are coming off a recent 17-14 victory over The Falcons at the Georgia Dome!

New Orleans Saints @ Seattle Seahawks

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One of the biggest games of the weekend comes at the Lucas Oil Stadium on Saturday night where the Indianapolis Colts (5/7) play host to the New York Jets (59/50). Colts quarter-back Peyton Manning is arguably the greatest of all time and he will need to be at his ultimate best if he is to guide his side to their second AFC Championship game in as many years. The Jets will have their say though as The Colts haven’t been at their best of late and this match-up could really go either way. The remaining AFC Wildcard playoff game pitches the Baltimore Ravens (5/7) up against the Kansas City Chiefs (59/50). The Chiefs finished their NFL regular season with an impressive 7-1 home record although that won’t faze a Ravens side that recorded fantastic road victories this season over the Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Jets and Houston Texans. It should also be noted that they only narrowly lost out @ the New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons. You’d be a mug to bet against Baltimore and don’t hold off taking the 7/1 odds on offer for Super Bowl success, they look the best alternative to The Patriots.

New York Jets @ Indianapolis Colts

Baltimore Ravens @ Kansas City Chiefs

NFL Match Betting

With only a couple of weeks left in the NFL regular season, play-off standings are becoming ever clearer but there is still hope for a number of American Football teams who want to keep their season alive by securing that all important play-off berth. Despite having such a poor record of 5-9 the San Francisco 49ers (11/10) still have a chance of actually winning the NFC West. A win over the St Louis Rams (10/13) and a loss for the Seattle Seahawks (43/20) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5/13) would propel the 49ers into a tie for first-place!

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With a 10-2 record you’d expect the New Orleans Saints (59/50) to sweep into the play-offs but that isn’t the case. Defeat to the Atlanta Falcons (5/7) at the Georgia Dome in Week 16 would unsettle the Saints’ and they would go into Week 17 facing a must-win encounter against Tampa Bay, that’s if the Bucs doesn’t lose in Week 16.

Another NFL side facing the prospect of failure is the Indianapolis Colts (2/3). A loss to the Oakland Raiders (5/4) coupled with a win for Jacksonville Jaguars (3/10) at home to Washington Redskins (13/5), would leave Peyton Manning and the Colts outside the play-offs and a nail-biting Week 17 for the Colts franchise.

San Diego Chargers (4/15), who close their regular season with a two-game road trip, face a seemingly easy task in Week 16 against the Cincinnati Bengals (57/20). This is a must-win encounter for the Chargers who are looking to secure their fifth straight AFC West title. Looking to wrestle that title from them is the Kansas City Chiefs (10/21) who play host to the Tennessee Titans (7/4). A win for the Chiefs coupled with a loss for the Chargers would clinch the AFC West and a spot in the NFL post-season.

Best bets:

Match Betting
2pt treble @ 3/1

Colts, Ravens & Dolphins

Total Points (Over/Under)
2pt treble @ 6/1

Patriots @ Bills (Over 44pts),
Ravens @ Browns (Over 39pts) &
Colts @ Raiders (Over 47pts)

NFL regular season performance +25pts

NFL Betting

The shortlist of nine finalists has been drawn for the RTÉ Sports Personality of the Year and it comes as no surprise to me to see Paddy Power install Graeme McDowell as 1/2 favourite. Horse-racing’s most admired personality Tony McCoy is priced up at 5/2 to claim yet another victory. McCoy won the United Kingdom equivalent last weekend after receiving the vast majority of the public vote so his current odds on offer can be regarded as quite generous.

World Champion boxer Katie Taylor (8/1) and swimming sensation Grainne Murphy (11/1) are also on the shortlist along with golfer Rory McIlroy (16/1), Irish international rugby star Tommy Bowe (80/1), European silver medallist athlete Derval O’Rourke (25/1), amateur boxer Paddy Barnes (33/1) and last but by no means least Hurler of the Year Lar Corbett (40/1).

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Every candidate has excelled in their respective sports in 2010 and each one of them are remembered fondly by the Irish public for their contribution to Irish sport but realistically one person stands out above the rest – Graeme McDowell. The Northern Ireland golfer, who is ranked 6th in the official World Golf Rankings, had a memorable 2010 season, capturing his first major title at the U.S. Open, sinking the winning putt for Europe to win back the Ryder Cup and capping off the year in sensational fashion at the recent Chevron World Challenge, where he trailed Tiger Woods by four shots entering the final round only to produce a master class of accuracy to stun the golfing world and claim victory over the greatest golfer to have ever played the game. Add a further 2 European Tour wins to his CV for 2010 and you have an individual who truly deserves the RTÉ Sports Person of the Year accolade.

RTE Sports Personality Betting

Week 15 of the NFL regular season is upon us and it’s crunch time for a host of teams who are struggling to make the postseason play-offs. One team that doesn’t have that anxiety is the highly-impressive New England Patriots. The Pats have a formidable home record in the NFL in recent seasons and the Green Bay Packers challenge should hold no fear for Patriots quarter-back Tom Brady in Week 15.

The opposite can be said for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5/12), who take on the Detroit Lions (2/1) at the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. The Bucs are currently one game behind the New York Giants in the play-off standings and given that they face a Lions side which has lost 26 straight road games in the NFL, Tampa have every chance of making up ground on their NFC rivals.

Detroit Lions @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

After a decent start to the NFL regular season, the Seattle Seahawks (11/5) find themselves in free-fall having lost six of their last eight games. A Week 15 match-up against the red-hot Atlanta Falcons (10/27), who have the make-up to be Super Bowl champions, isn’t exactly the game the Seahawks had in mind to reignite their season and I expect Falcon’s quarter-back Matt Ryan to continue his sensational form and dominate the football game at the Qwest Field in Seattle.

Atlanta Falcons @ Seattle Seahawks

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Elsewhere in the NFL this weekend, the Cleveland Browns (evens) face the Cincinnati Bengals (5/6), expect fireworks when the New Orleans Saints (evens) clash with the Baltimore Ravens (5/6), Miami Dolphins (5/12) should easily account for the Buffalo Bills (2/1) and don’t take your eyes off the AFC south game between the Jacksonville Jaguars (23/13) and the Indianapolis Colts (20/43).

NFL Betting

Best Bets:
3pt treble @ 4/1
Ravens, Bucs, Cowboys & Dolphins

Over/Under
2pt treble
Browns @ Bengals (Under 40), Saints @ Ravens (Under 43.5) & Falcons @ Seahawks (Under 45)

NFL regular season performance +30pts

Week 14 of any NFL regular season is usually wake-up time! With just four rounds of matches left before the postseason begins, football teams are looking to perform beyond their ability to clinch their division, or at worst, manoeuvre themselves into contention for a play-off spot.

The Indianapolis Colts (4/7) are a prime example. Sitting currently 9th in the American Football Conference, the Colts road trip to the struggling Tennessee Titans (7/5) is pretty much a must-win encounter. Peyton Manning, arguably one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history, has looked out of sorts in the last couple of weeks and if the Colts are to stand any chance of winning the AFC South then Manning will need to brush off the cobwebs and start playing some football.

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In contrast, the New England Patriots (5/9) have been the dominant force in the NFL this season. Under the guidance of quarterback Tom Brady, the Patriots have only lost one of their last ten games in the NFL and last weekend routed their AFC East rivals the New York Jets 45-3. Brady and the Patriots face their biggest test yet as that take a road trip to the Chicago Bears (3/2) - a team who are on a five-game unbeaten run and lie second in the National Football Conference standings.

Elsewhere in the NFL this weekend, the Miami Dolphins (2/1) take on a low-on-confidence New York Jets (5/12), the Green Bay Packers (1/3) face a straight-forward assignment against the Detroit Lions (12/5) and I’d also expect New Orleans Saints to easily account for their NFC opponents the St. Louis Rams (19/5).

NFL Week 14 Betting Tips

2pt treble @ 9/2 (Match Betting)

Atlanta Falcons
Miami Dolphins
Jacksonville Jaguars

2pt treble @ 6/1 (Total Points)

Browns @ Bills (Over 40pts)
Chiefs @ Chargers (Over 46.5pts)
Falcons @ Panthers (Over 42.5pts)

NFL Betting