F1 Betting: Belgian Grand Prix Picks

Formula One makes a welcome return after several weeks away, and we’re back at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium. Where will the teams stand after their time off? Let’s preview the weekend’s action here.

This weekend the Formula One teams visit Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium and the track is one of the most fearsome circuits that the drivers have to drive upon all season long. The track rewards skill, bravery, a good aerodynamic package and a powerful engine and for these reasons I see the race being another straight fight between Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari.

Last season’s race saw a victory for Ferrari as the KERS device on Kimi Raikkonen’s car allowed him to stay ahead of the clearly faster car of Giancarlo Fisichella in the Force India. In fact Ferrari have won the last three Belgian Grand Prix and only McLaren and Ferrari have won at Spa since Damon Hill triumphed for Jordan in the 1998 race that saw Jordan claim their maiden victory.

Red Bull have the aerodynamic efficiency to be able to get the car around the track well but fall down on the engine power area, meaning they could struggle at the ends of the long straights and getting the car up Eau Rouge, which is one of the greatest corner complexes in motor racing. Ferrari have the power but their aerodynamics are lacking slightly in comparison to both Red Bull and McLaren. However, McLaren have the perfect balance for this race and with their F-duct, powerful engine and smooth aerodynamics I see the race win going to either Lewis Hamilton or Jenson Button. With Button’s lack of speed on Saturday ensuring that he has only out-qualified Hamilton four times in this year’s twelve races so far, I see Hamilton getting the advantage against his team-mate from the start and going on to win the race. At odds of 6.00 Hamilton is excellent value to win this weekend too.

Prior to the race, we have qualifying but can Red Bull continue their dominance of this session in 2010 and record their twelfth pole position from thirteen races? As I explained above, I feel that this race weekend will belong to McLaren, with Lewis Hamilton taking all the spoils, including pole position. He is the only man not in a Red Bull car to start from the front of the grid and I’m sure that he will repeat Canadian Grand Prix pole position start. At odds of 10.00 for Hamilton to be on pole, Bet365 clearly do not agree with me, but this is where my money is going this weekend.

To finish off, we’ll be looking at the best value prices on people to finish on the podium and in the top six places. I could very easily back Hamilton again for a top three finish as he is available at 2.25 to stand on a step of the podium with some online sportsbook, but I like the look of his team-mate, Jenson Button, to find himself on the podium at the end of the race as McLaren are going to dominate this race. He is available at odds of 3.75 to finish in the top three and this is where my money is going.

The top seven drivers – both Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari drivers along with Adrian Sutil – are all available at worse than evens odds, so sportsbooks are covering the bases that all three of the big teams this season are going to get their drivers to the chequered flag and claim the top six spots. They’re also are covering Adrian Sutil after last year’s excellent performance by Force India, but Force India have not performed as well this season as they had done up to the same point last season. As a result I’m going with the team that are using the same engine as McLaren to grab a top six place – Mercedes GP. Michael Schumacher may have won this race on six occasions, but he is being out performed by his team-mate Nico Rosberg this season and I see Rosberg claiming a place in the top six in this race. I will be backing him to do so at odds of 2.50.

For further bets over the course of the race weekend, where resident expert Anto will be providing a selection of bets for Saturday’s qualifying session and Sunday’s race. We look forward to seeing you providing your own bets and joining in the chat with Anto.

Recommendations:

·         Lewis Hamilton to start the Belgian Grand Prix on pole position @ 10.00

·         Lewis Hamilton to win the Belgian Grand Prix @ 6.00

·         Jenson Button to finish the Belgian Grand Prix on the podium @ 3.75

·         Nico Rosberg to finish the Belgian Grand Prix in the top six @ 2.50

US Open Betting Preview

The 2010 US Open tournament begins this week and we should see plenty of action and thrills, but who should we be backing to win at Flushing Meadows?

Men’s Tournament:

The reigning champion – Juan Martin Del Potro – is out of this year’s competition with injury, but will this mean that Roger Federer, last year’s beaten finalist, can reclaim the title he held for five years previous to that loss? Or will Andy Murray win his first Grand Slam? Or could Rafael Nadal finally win at Flushing Meadows and complete the set of winning all four Grand Slam events?

US Open Odds for the Top 10 Players:

Roger Federer – 3.50

Andy Murray – 3.75

Rafael Nadal – 3.75

Novak Djokovic – 11.00

Andy Roddick – 17.00

Robin Soderling – 17.00

Tomas Berdych – 17.00

David Nalbandian – 21.00

Nikolay Davydenko – 34.00

Mardy Fish – 34.00

With Juan Martin Del Potro out of the picture and unable to defend his title at this year’s competition, the online sportsbook have, predictably, Federer, Nadal and Murray at the top. The question is, like last year, can one of the dark horses manage to cause an upset at the final Grand Slam of the year?

Federer is the favourite to claim the title and he has looked good on the hard courts so far this season and he has reached the final of his last two tournaments on this surface. As well as this Federer has reached the US Open final in each of the last six years (winning all five titles between 2004 and 2008, dropping just two sets in those five finals). Despite this, Federer has not had his best season in 2010 and has looked off the pace at several stages. However, he seems to be getting things back in order and the Swiss legend has an excellent chance of reclaiming his US Open title.

Top seed for this year’s tournament, Rafael Nadal, has not had a good time of things at the US Open (it is the only Grand Slam that he has not won). His best results came in 2008 and 2009 when he was beaten by runner-up Andy Murray and winner Juan Martin Del Potro at the Semi Final stage. Nadal has played the same warm up tournaments as Federer, but he only reached the Quarter Finals in Cincinnati and lost at the Semi Final stages to eventual winner Andy Murray at the Rogers Cup. However, Rafael Nadal loves playing the big events and he will have saved his best efforts for the final Grand Slam of the year, so expect him to come out swinging, so to speak.

Andy Murray comes into the tournament as joint second favourite with Nadal after playing three warm up tournaments. He reached at least the final eight in each of three tournaments, notably winning the Rogers Cup by beating Roger Federer in straight sets. Murray is yet to win a Grand Slam event, but he reached the final of the Australian Open this season and he reached the final at Flushing Meadows in 2008, losing to Federer on both occasions. He has performed well in the run up to the US Open this season and seems to enjoy playing on the hard courts. I think that this tournament gives the Scotsman his best chance of winning a Grand Slam to this point in his career.

I can’t see anyone but one of the previous three winning the title, but I’m going to look at one dark horse pick for laying off later in the tournament. My pick for this is home favourite Andy Roddick. The current world number nine and 2003 US Open champion will again be looking to put on a good show for the home support. Roddick always puts in good performances on home soil and he won tournaments in San Jose and Miami as well as reaching the final at Indian Wells earlier in the year following the Australian Open. In his warm up preparations for the US Open Roddick reached two Semi Finals, at Cincinnati and Atlanta. Roddick will want to improve on last year’s third round elimination and this will make him tough to beat. He will at least want to reach the Quarter Finals like the two years previously and I can see Roddick doing at least that, but I cannot see him getting any further than the Semi Finals at best.

Our Betting Recommendations:

With Nadal never having won at the US Open and Federer having an off season, I feel that Andy Murray will claim his first Grand Slam title at the US Open.

Back an Andy Murray victory at odds of 3.75.

NFL Betting: AFC West Preview

Team On The Rise: Oakland Raiders

NFL betting handicappers are used to betting against the Oakland Raiders and taking it to the bank each year as they lose 10+ games. This year, things are different. They had a decent finish to 2009 (by their standards) and then picked up quarterback Jason Campbell to solidify a position that has been their Achilles heel. Campbell will move the ball and more importantly, he won’t cripple the team like JaMarcus Russell did.

The defense is tough and the offense will be more effective; that’s enough for an 8-8 season. For the Raiders, that would be a huge success.

Team On The Decline: Denver Broncos

Sportsbook were shocked when this team started 6-0 in 2009 but boy does that look like a distant memory now. The Broncos finished the year with just two wins in their last 10 contests and then put in an ugly offseason. They traded away stud wideout Brandon Marshall, then traded for quarterback Brady Quinn, drafted Tim Tebow and signed Kyle Orton to an extension. Their running backs are already injured and after signing their best defensive player, Elvis Dumervil, to a long term contract, he tore his pectoral muscle and will miss about half the season.

Head Coach Josh McDaniels continues to act like he knows more than anyone else but usually this type of arrogance leads to plenty of losses and a pink slip. The Broncos are squarely on that track.

Predicted Winner: San Diego Chargers

The San Diego Chargers are the biggest division favorite out there (by a long shot) and the reason is simple: they are the only team in the division that is not rebuilding. Beyond that, they are a definite Super Bowl contender. They have some question marks with Pro Bowl holdouts Vincent Jackson and Marcus McNeill, but outside of that, this team has been the epitome of consistency in the division.

There’s no reason to bet against them here. The Chiefs are a wreck, nobody knows what the Broncos are doing and while the Raiders are getting better, quantify that with the fact that they lose double-digit games every year. The Chargers no-brainer pick in the West.

Good luck this season.

Liverpool vs. Man City Preview

This Monday evening sees the final game of the Premier League and the action comes from Eastlands as Manchester City take on Liverpool Let’s have a look at this one and give out a couple of picks.

20:00 – Manchester City v Liverpool:

The first week of the Premier League held a lot of things in common for these two sides as they both drew their first matches and then won 1-0 in their Europa League playoff games in midweek, but who will take the honours in this match? Online sportsbook make Man City the favourites to collect all three points at odds of 2.38, with Liverpool available at 3.10 and the draw can be backed at odds of 3.20.

Last weekend Man City were on the back foot against Spurs at White Hart Lane and only came away with a draw thanks to the Man of the Match performance from goalkeeper Joe Hart. They looked disjointed and they were unable to fashion many chances to score, however they were away from home and Roberto Mancini will be hoping for a better performance in their first match at Eastlands this season. Roy Hodgson, on the other hand, will have been happy with the vast majority of the performance against Arsenal, with only the red card of Joe Cole on his debut and the own goal from Pepe Reina putting a damper on proceedings.

Both sides put the Premier League disappointments behind them in midweek as they both recorded 1-0 wins in the Europa League as Man City won 1-0 in Romania against FC Timisoara and Liverpool entertained and defeated Trabzonspor of Turkey by the same scoreline. However, will Man City’s travels in mid week have worn them down? Will playing away against one of the pre-season title favourites away from Anfield level the playing field?

I happen to think that it will and my play on the outright market for this game will see my putting my money on the draw. I also feel that this game will be a low scoring match, and not just because there have been just four goals in the four games that these two sides have played so far this season. With the form that Joe Hart is in and with the way that Liverpool defended so well against Arsenal, I feel that both sides will find it difficult to find the net and, as a result of this, I will also be backing under 2.5 goals to be scored in the game. I’ll be backing the draw @ 3.25 and under 2.5 goals at 1.73.

Recommendations:

·         Manchester City v Liverpool to end as a draw @ 3.25

·        Under 2.5 goals in the Man City v Liverpool game @ 1.73

NFL Betting: Pre-Season Previews

The second week of pre-season ball serves up a full schedule of games for bettors. Let’s look at a few of the games that have caught the sports betting public’s attention from this weekend’s NFL lineup.

Saturday, August 21

Steelers at Giants

Both teams are fresh off preseason Week 1 wins. Coach Tomlin has acknowledged that Big Ben will see some playing time during this game, but was non-committal with respect to how he will be used, or for how long. On the other side of the ball, Eli Manning has already been ruled out by Coach Coughlin following the head wound he suffered versus the Jets last week.

That news likely has something to do with the fact the betting action has been pretty one-sided so far. 83% of the money is currently on Pittsburgh -3.5.

You can check the latest NFL Odds

Sunday, August 22

Vikings at 49ers

He’s baaaaaaack – but it is unconfirmed to date if he will see any reps versus the 49ers in this game. It is safe to assume that speedster Percy Harvin will be sitting it out after his migraine scare Thursday.

For the ‘Niners, it’s out with Coffee and in with Westbrook, who joins Gore for a pretty potent one-two punch at RB. Both teams put their 1-0 preseason records on the line in this sole Sunday game.

61% of the action is on San Francisco -3.

Monday, August 23

Cardinals at Titans                       

Life after Kurt begins this season. The Cards won their preseason home opener 19-16 over the Texans. Leading the way statistically were Derek Anderson and Beanie Wells.

Conversely, the Titans lost their game 20-18 on the road in Seattle. The betting public feels that these teams will both be 1-1 after this Monday nighter as 86% of the money is currently on the Titans -3.5.

Enjoy all the NFL Betting action

Champions League Betting

Champions League Betting

This Wednesday sees the second five Champions League playoff first leg matches being played. Who will take an advantage into the second leg ties?

Let’s look at the Champions League preview brought to you by Sportsbetting.com

Sporting Braga v Sevilla:

Portugal faces Spain in this match and sportsbook make Sevilla the favourites to claim the win, just like the national side did at the World Cup. Sevilla can be backed at odds of 2.40 for the victory, with Braga available at 2.90 with the odds for the draw being the outsider of the three outcomes at 3.30.

Sevilla have played just one competitive game so far this season and that was a cup game against reigning La Liga champions Barcelona. Sevilla ran out 3-1 winners in that fixture in front of their own fans, now can they travel to Portugal and bring an advantage home? Braga will be in confident form as they are impressive in front of their own fans this season, having scored six times in two matches. They first defeated Celtic 3-0 in the final qualifying round for the Champions League before winning their opening game of the season 3-1 to top the Portuguese league. Will their confidence be well placed and can the home team upset the odds to claim the win?

Sevilla had a poor away record in La Liga last season and they lost ten of their nineteen away games. They will need to improve on that this season, but I feel that they have the better squad of these two sides and will overcome their poor away form. However, Braga will not just roll over and let the Spanish side take the win and this should be an excellent match. In the end, I see the game ending level with both sides finding the net at least once each. As a result of this, my money is on the draw at odds of 3.30 and both sides to score at 2.05.

Werder Bremen v Sampdoria:

This match sees two sides from the great footballing nations of Germany and Italy battle for the opportunity to represent their countries in the group stages of the Champions League. Sportsbooks make Bremen the favourites to claim the points at odds of 1.73, with Sampdoria available at odds of 4.80 and the draw can be backed at 3.50. Will the game go according to the odds though?

Werder Bremen had a great season in 2009/2010 as they finished in third place in the Bundesliga and they have played just one match so far this season, winning 4-0 away from home in the German Cup. Prior to that game, they played a pre-season friendly against Fulham and were beaten 5-1 by Mark Hughes’ men. They also had a poor home record last season, with their home form only being sixth best in Germany’s top league and their away form assisting them to their third place finish. However, their prize striker, and World Cup star, Mesut Ozil will be moving to Real Madrid and will play no part in this match to ensure he is not cup-tied. He will be a big loss to the German team.

Sampdoria placed fourth in Serie A last season, behind Inter Milan, Roma and AC Milan, to book their first Champions League spot. They will be keen to make a good impression in their first competitive match of the season and they will want to go on in this competition for as long as possible. Unfortunately for the Italian side, they were poor on the road last season and won just six of their nineteen away games, drawing four and losing nine of the other thirteen fixtures away from home. Can they turn things around with a win in Germany?

With it being early in Bremen’s season and the start of Sampdoria’s season I don’t expect much from this game. As a result of this I am going back a second draw from the previewed games and a low scoring encounter as well. My money will be on the draw at odds of 3.50 and there to be less than 2.5 goals in the match at 1.91.

Sportsbetting.com Recommends:

Sporting Braga v Sevilla to end as a draw @ 3.30

Both Sporting Braga and Sevilla to score @ 2.05

Werder Bremen v Sampdoria to end as a draw @ 3.50

Less than 2.5 goals to be scored in the Bremen v Sampdoria match @ 1.91

NFL Betting: New England Patriots Preview

When last we left the New England Patriots, they were getting their butts handed to them on home turf by the Baltimore Ravens. Tom Brady and company were deemed to be too thin at the grind positions and suspect on defense. They also saw their division rival New York Jets reach the conference final and nearly advance to the Super Bowl. It was not a banner year for the region that had become so self-entitled.

Fast forward to this training camp and the buzz has been electric. Both Tom Brady and Randy Moss have been exemplary veterans. Both superstars are out to improve upon pretty good seasons in 2009. Moss and Brady reported in great shape and football betting hopes are high once again in New England.

On Thursday night, the Pats took their act back to the same field they last stunk it up – at home. The Super Bowl champion Saints were in and expectations were high on both sides, even if it was only an NFL betting preseason game. With only the first quarter really of interest to anyone, the Patriots offense performed admirably, marching up and down the field. With precise routes and pinpoint throws, Brady and Moss seemed unbeatable.

We know it’s only preseason, but the early showing by New England’s offensive starters signified the beginning of what looks like an NFL odds renaissance for the Patriots. It’s odd to refer to 2010 as a comeback season for them when they actually won their division last year. But let’s face it, this team doesn’t play 16 games in the regular season to collect pay checks, they do it to reach the Super Bowl.

Sports Betting has the football odds for the Pats at 12-1 to win the Super Bowl. Those are pretty good odds if the team is ready to be one of the top AFC contenders once again.

NFL Pre-Season Pick

The Oakland Raiders could be a good bet all season long on the point spread and moneyline for the NFL betting crew, and we might be able to start nice and early.

On Thursday night, the Oakland Raiders travel to Dallas to take on the Cowboys for a preseason game that they should win outright. Looking at the current preseason odds, online sportsbooks have the Raiders as a 3.5-point dog.

The Cowboys already played in the Hall of Fame Game and came away with a comfortable 16-7 win. Betting fans also saw them come away with a season-ending injury to third-string tight end, John Phillips, and while he's not a big-time contributor, you have to wonder if the Cowboys will play it even closer to the vest in Week 2.

Meanwhile, sportsbook odds makers might be undervaluing the Raiders right now. In the preseason, they will have a quarterback rotation of Jason Campbell, Charlie Frye, Kyle Boller and Bruce Gradkowski. All four quarterbacks have made numerous starts in the NFL and while none of them stuck, picking apart a second- or third-string defense should be easy for them. Especially since they'll be fighting for a roster spot.

The Raiders are getting 3.5 points on the game and they have fared very well in their first preseason game of late. The Raiders are 4-0 in the last four years as far the first exhibition game is concerned, so they might even win this game outright. The Raiders have a lot more to accomplish than Dallas, who knows their identity, knows their team goals and knows who they are heading into this season. That should reflect in the motivation for both teams.

NFL Football Pick: Raiders +3.5

What About Brett?

For the last two offseasons, almost all NFL betting handicappers speculated that Brett Favre was retiring. Now that we finally assumed that the he’d be coming back, he has reportedly decided to retire…or has he…wait a minute.

All sorts of rumors are flying from him deciding to hang it up, to still being undecided, to looking for more money and an extension from the Vikings, to possibly seeing Dr. James Andrews about his ankle that hasn’t fully recovered two months after surgery…and don’t even get started about sending text images of him in his crocs.

So the sportsbook have their hands full but so do the handicappers. The Green Bay Packers were previously the NFC North favorites, so the odds makers were already prepared. Expect money to pour in on the Packers even more so now that it looks like Favre is hanging it up.

Here are the two scenarios:

If Favre Retires…

The Vikings will turn to Tarvaris Jackson to take over and this again becomes Adrian Peterson’s team. Considering the amount he fumbled last season and how little he worked on it in the offseason, the sails will be deflated.

Furthermore, as the season approaches and the team realizes Favre isn’t coming back, they will feel fairly deflated to start the season. Football betting fans know that this is still a playoff team if he’s not there, but this is not a Super Bowl contender with Jackson at quarterback.

Handicappers who truly think he’s retired can wait. Right now, money is pouring in against the Vikings but that will balance out as we get closer to the season and the speculation mounts that he’ll return. If you’re betting against the Vikings, you should see better odds as the season approaches.

If Favre Returns…

Then nothing has really changed for the Vikings. They were expected to be a contender – and maybe the team to beat – in the NFC, and they’ll be back on track. Favre makes this team legit and they need him. Furthermore, the remaining Vikings who are going through the rigors of camp might think that they have to move on without Favre and if he comes back, he’ll give the team an inspirational boost.

If you believe he’s coming back, buy low now as the odds won’t get any lower on the Vikings. There are good price tags on them to win the division and win the NFC right now.

Check the NFL odds