Weekly Betting Tips
Football
There are a couple of belting matches to look forward to this weekend as four of this season’s ‘big five’ meet on Sunday.
First up, Manchester City provide the biggest test of Spurs’ Premier League title credentials so far as the two sides meet at Eastlands. It’s arguably the perfect time to be playing City considering they are missing several key players through injury, suspension and international call-ups. Spurs can take a giant stride towards their first league title in decades with a win at 3/1, but I fancy the home side to prevail at 10/11.
The second big match on Sunday sees Arsenal welcome Manchester United. There’s less rivalry between these two sides than there was in the infamous Battle of the Buffet days and United have held the upper hand in recent meetings. Sir Alex Ferguson’s side are 13/8 to win at the Emirates.
Norwich are excellent value at 9/2 to beat struggling Chelsea at Carrow Road on Saturday while Stoke should be backed at 10/11 to see off West Brom. Wolves are 7/5 to record a vital win over Aston Villa.
The African Cup of Nations begins this weekend with the Ivory Coast the clear 6/4 favourites for the title. I fancy Senegal at 11/2 and the Lions are 4/7 to beat Zambia on Saturday.
Golf
There’s a strong local contingent at Fancourt this weekend for the Volvo Golf Champions tournament.
Recent Africa Open winner Louis Oosthuizen is the 5/1 favourite from compatriots Charl Schwartzl, Retief Goosen and Ernie Els. Padraig Harrington had a poor 2011 and can be backed at 20/1 while the young Italian Matteo Manassero could be worth backing at 33/1.
The renamed Humana Challenge is the PGA tour event this week with the tournament having been reduced from 90 holes to a traditional 72 hole competition this year. Phil Mickelson and Matt Kuchar are the joint 16/1 favourites with Bill Haas available at 20/1. Haas has a good record in this event having won in 2010 and narrowly failing to retain his title in a playoff in 2011.
Cricket
It was an inauspicious opening day for England as they began their 2012 Test campaign against Pakistan in Dubai. Assuming that the Test runs its course it will run to this weekend with the ‘home’ team looking to take a 1-0 win in the series.
South Africa play Sri Lanka in two further one day internationals; in Kimberley on Friday and in Johannesburg on Sunday.
Tennis
Reaching the second week of the Australian Open is the aim of the major seeds in the baking heat of Melbourne this weekend.
Novak Djokovic remains the 6/5 favourite to retain his title, although I like the 5/1 available on Andy Murray who has been beaten in the final in each of the last two years.
The women’s tournament is wide open with a dozen potential winners. My tip before the tournament was Maria Sharapova who is currently available at 14/1 while reigning champion Kim Clijsters can be backed at 8/1.
Rugby Union
The last eight for this season’s Heineken Cup will be decided this weekend as the final round of pool matches take place across Europe.
There’s a titanic battle for qualification from pool 2 with both Edinburgh and Cardiff Blues on 17 points. The Blues should beat Racing Metro while Edinburgh face the trickier of the games at home to unpredictable London Irish.
Leinster and Munster have already qualified and so can take things easy against Montpellier and Northampton respectively, although the Saints could still qualify as the best second place team with a good win.
Ulster thumped Leicester last weekend to stay on top of pool 4 although they face a tough trip to my tip for the Cup, Clermont Auvergne, on Saturday. With 19 points already, the Irish side may still qualify even if they lose this tie.
Saracens can book their place in the quarter finals by beating Treviso while Harlequins can join them if they win in Connacht on Friday night. Premiership rivals Gloucester would do the Quins a huge favour by beating their pool 6 challengers Toulouse.
Horse Racing
The big race on Saturday is the Victor Chandler Chase over 2 miles at Ascot, won by Master Minded in two of the last three years.
Finian’s Rainbow is the 7/4 favourite this year although is prone to errors which could prove costly in this company. Somersby at 6/1 may be the better bet having finished second to Master Minded in this race last year. Al Ferof is the second favourite at 11/4.
Weather permitting, the other racing this Saturday comes from Haydock Park, Lingfield Park and Wincanton.
