Premier League Picks – West Ham and Sunderland in action

Another jam-packed Premier League betting weekend looms ahead in the BetOnline soccer betting market and soccer bettors have lots of matches to choose from with great angles for profit. Here is a quick rundown of a few set for Saturday’s roster.

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Soccer Betting Line:

Blackburn Rovers -½ +115 +115 2 O -125 U +105 Draw +230

West Ham United +½ -135 +240 2 O -125 U +105 Draw +230

Match Time: 10:00 A.M. Eastern Time Saturday August 29 2009

Venue: Ewood Park

Soccer Betting Verdict: Blackburn Rovers boast an impressive zero points from three matches. They are at the bottom of the food chain and desperate for any crumble of points and they have to do something about it soon before the season gets ahead of them. Meanwhile, West Ham United are in better shape with three points in two matches. West Ham lost the local derby to Tottenham last week but they recovered in Carling Cup action. I give West Ham the edge in this match because of better form.

Soccer Free Picks: West Ham +240 | Under 2 +105

Soccer Betting Line:

Stoke City pk -145 +130 2 O -130 U +110 Draw +220

Sunderland pk +125 +210 2 O -130 U +110 Draw +220

Match Time: 10:00 A.M. Eastern Time Saturday August 29 2009

Venue: Britannia Stadium

Soccer Betting Verdict: Sunderland are currently enjoying a stint in the top ten after picking up six points from three matches. They are keen to maintain their form when they travel to Stoke City on Saturday. However, Sunderland failed to impress against Blackburn last week and they were frankly lucky to pick up the win. They need to do better if they hope to beat Stoke at Britannia.

Stoke City picked up four points in three matches and are also hanging out in the top ten right now. They won their only home match – beating Burnley 2:0 – and they will aim to extend their winning record at home at Sunderland’s expense. The edge goes to the home side Stoke.

Soccer Free Picks: Stoke City +130| Over 2 -130

Premier League – Tottenham enjoying dream start to season, Birmingham next

Tottenham Hotspur have had a dream start to the season and they are currently sitting at the top of the Premier League food chain with a nine points, level on points with second place Chelsea FC but ahead on goal differential.

At the start of the season few would have expected the Spurs to be leading the season after three cycles of Premier League matches but that is what they are doing and they are in a good position to stretch their winning streak to four when they host Birmingham at White Hart Lane on Saturday.

Soccer Line:

Tottenham Hotspur -1½ +110 -275 2½ O -130 U +110 Draw +350

Birmingham +1½ -130 +650 2½ O -130 U +110 Draw +350

Match Time: 10:00 A.M. Eastern Time Saturday August 29 2009

Venue: White Hart Lane

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Soccer Betting Analysis:

Tottenham keen to keep pace

Tottenham are basking in the limelight of being at the top of the table ahead of bigger names like Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool. It is not often they lead the table so they have every right to enjoy looking down their noses at all a sundry. They didn’t get there by luck either. They beat quality sides Liverpool (2:1) and West Ham United (2:1) along the way as well as drumming Hull City 5:1.

Birmingham aim to stretch undefeated run to three matches

Birmingham who were promoted this season are not in bad shape in their Premier League debut this season. They have picked up four points with a 1-1-1 mark. Heck, they are ahead of Liverpool, West Ham United and Aston Villa who all boast an underwhelming three points right now. The reason for Birmingham’s success (if you would call it so thus far) is the team is made up of players who have Premier League experience. In their last two matches, they managed to keep a clean sheet against Portsmouth and Stoke City.

Soccer Betting Verdict: Birmingham take a two-match undefeated run (one win and one draw) and a clean sheet into their fixture against Tottenham Hotspur but they are not expected to continue this run of form. Hotspurs have scored nine goals so far so keeping a clean sheet against them will be unlikely. Tottenham like to attack and they will do so eagerly. In so doing, they expose themselves on the counter attack countless of times so Birmingham might find the net too. Therefore, the totals free pick at 2.5 goals -130 is a good play. The Spurs are aiming to extend their three-match winning streak you see and with home patch edge, they have every chance of doing so. Therefore, Tottenham at -275 on the money line is a good play.

Premier League’s Best Collide – Manchester United vs. Arsenal

Reigning Premier League champions Manchester United have been slow to start this season and even found themselves shocked by promoted side Burnley on their travels. Yet, Manchester United picked up pace immediately afterwards, drumming an unassuming Wigan Athletic 5:0 on the away.

As they return to their stomping ground at the Old Trafford, they must gear up for their biggest test this season yet against Arsenal.

Arsene Wenger’s men have been impressive so far and are enjoying a two-match winning streak, which includes scoring ten goals and conceding two. They beat Portsmouth 4:1 at home and took down Everton 6:1 on the away.

Soccer Betting Line:

Manchester United -½ +120 +120 2½ O +105 U -125 Draw +225

Arsenal +½ -140 +225 2½ O +105 U -125 Draw +225

Match Time: 10:00 A.M. Eastern Time Saturday August 29 2009

Venue: Old Trafford

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Arsenal have serious intentions this season

Arsene Wenger’s men are looking frighteningly intimidating this season pouring goals from all angles. They opened their season with a sensational performance against Portsmouth and topped it by following up with an even more spectacular showing against Everton. Confidence is high on the Gunner’s bench and they will aim to continue their impressive run of form at the expense of Manchester Untied.

Manchester United must prove themselves

This match is an important one for Manchester United and many believe it will be telling. This is a different Man U – a post Cristiano Ronaldo side. His departure has left a huge gap for Alex Fergusson to fill, and so far what he has, has not cut it. They opened their season with a lacklustre 1:0 victory over Birmingham before falling 1:0 at Burnley. They recovered against a struggling Wigan beating them 5:0 which is encouraging. But is it enough to inspire confidence for their upcoming derby?

Soccer Betting Verdict: Manchester United are the bookies favourites coming into this match but we all know who has been playing better football. The Gunners were sublime in their first two matches and they are looking really good to extending that winning streak at the expense of the Red Devils at the Old Trafford. At +225, they simply scream value.

Soccer Free Picks: Arsenal +225 | 2.5 Over +105

US Open draw released – Federer and Nadal on opposite ends of the draw

Flushing Meadows, New York – In the lead up to the 2009 US Open draw ceremony, tennis bettors and experts alike, excitedly entertained the possibility Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal would fall into the same half of the draw, while at the same time, Federer-Nadal-rivalry addicts decried the prospect, upset they might be denied another chapter of the duo’s scintillating opposition in the finals of Grand Slams.

Well, the men’s singles draw released on Thursday afternoon revealed Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal were to be on opposite ends after all, putting to bed all speculation that came because of change in the established rankings order when Murray moved into the world No.2 spot causing Nadal to slip to an ignominious No.3.

For the first time since the Australian Open in 2006, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are not the top two seeds at a Grand Slam. For a long time it was that, Federer was the No.1 seed and Nadal the No.2 seed. It was so for such a long time that all began to expect it as they would expect coffee with their breakfast in the morning.

Last summer, just in time for the 2008 US Open, they reversed roles when Nadal overhauled Federer from his perch atop the ATP ranks. The Spaniard entered the US Open then as the No.1 seed and Federer the No.2 seed. This order continued through the 2009 season into the Australian Open and up to the French Open when Nadal lost in the last 16 to you-know-who.

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Nadal’s knee tendinitis and a decision to withdraw from Wimbledon, together with Roger Federer winning both the French Open and Wimbledon caused the established order to slip back to the old ways when Federer was world No.1 and Nadal the world No.2.

Their synergy did not last long however because when Nadal decided to take time off to rest his knees, he involuntarily created an opportunity fit for an opportunistic player to take advantage. And so a player did. Andy Murray, not one to stare a gift horse in the mouth, capitalized on the opportunity at the Montreal Masters capping a successful week by winning the title. Granted Rafael Nadal by then was back in action but he was visibly rusty and off form and by then also, Murray was a man on a mission. Even a tough competitor like Nadal could not have prevented his fated slip.

Immediately afterwards, at the Cincinnati Masters, Nadal received an opportunity to readdress the order in his favour after Murray was dumped out of the tournament early. However, we cannot really fault Nadal far falling in the semis to Novak Djokovic. To reach the quarters at Montreal and the semis in Cincinnati – his first two tournaments back from injury – is a sign that he is heading in the right direction and he just might be in fine fettle in New York. Maybe even surprise everyone by winning the whole thing.

So Nadal is the No.3 seed now, behind Federer and Murray. Who cares? Sure there was a 50% chance that Nadal would fall into Federer’s half of the draw but he didn’t, falling instead into Murray’s half. I don’t see that it would have mattered either way really, because Nadal has a winning record against both players. You can also add Novak Djokovic to his list of players he owns. Heck, throw in Andy Roddick and Juan Martin Del Potro as well. In the end, it doesn’t matter where a player of Federer, or Nadal’s calibre falls because the two are proven Grand Slam champions many times over and we expect them to handle all manner of obstacles. May the better player win!

ATP New Haven – Verdasco and Andreev battle for a spot in the final

New Haven, CT – Fernando Verdasco and Igor Andreev will battle for a spot in the Pilot Pen final on Friday afternoon when they meet for the fifth time in their careers. Second seed Verdasco, who entered the tournament on a wild card, owns the 3-1 lifetime edge over Andreev but the Russian captured the last victory when the pair met beating Verdasco in the R32 at the US Open 6-2, 6-4, 6-4.

Since losing so easily to Andreev at the 2008 US Open, Verdasco has undergone a complete transformation as a player. His makeover so utterly complete, Verdasco broke into the top ten for the first time in his career on the heels of some noteworthy performances – a semi-final appearance at the 2009 Aussie Open and five quarterfinal appearances at the Masters – Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, Rome and Madrid.

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Still, as great as his results are – indeed many would kill for such turnouts – he has no titles on the season and the only final he reached was at the start of the season in Brisbane, which he lost 6-3, 3-6, 4-6 to Radek Stepanek. The nagging question somewhere at mind’s back is whether Verdasco has peaked, reached his potential. He does well enough up to a certain point and against certain players but he has not found a way to break through to a title this season. I admire all he has achieved and there is too much talent in the Spaniard’s game to begin suggesting that his rise to prominence in 2009 is now done a u-turn, on its return trip back to obscurity. But something has to give sooner or later. Maybe at the Pilot Pen tournament?

Tennis Betting Line:

Igor Andreev +3½ -120 +235 22½ O -120 U -120

Fernando Verdasco -3½ -120 -375 22½ O -120 U -120

Match Time: 01:30 P.M. Eastern Time Friday August 28 2009

Tennis Betting Verdict: The battle between Verdasco and Andreev will be a forehand extravaganza – don’t hold your breath for backhands, sometimes, with Andreev in particular, you might never see a backhand for the amount of times he runs around it. They each have one of the best forehands in the business and they are not shy to showcase it. These two will pummel each other from the baseline, relentlessly. Should be an awesome match to watch.

Who will win the contest of the best forehands in the business? Methinks, Verdasco will and he will reach his second final of the year as a reward. Of the two, he is in better form. Andreev is a dangerous floater and he should not be underestimated but he has had his struggles this season and his confidence has been shaky.

Tennis Free Picks: Verdasco in straight sets -375 | Over 22 ½ -120

The UFC is coming to Western Canada – According to the UFC

The UFC is coming to Western Canada. It has been reported that they plan on holding a show in Vancouver next year, with GM Place reserved for a card in June.

Dana White is confident that despite current MMA restrictions the UFC will be holding a major fight within the year. UFC officials have been in Vancouver over the past few weeks to press their cause and have held meetings with B.C. Attourney General Mike de Jong this week and also met with Vancouver city Mayor, Gregor Robertson a few months ago. “We’ve had positive meetings,” Marc Ratner, the UFC’s vice-president of regulatory affairs, said in an interview Thursday.

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The UFC president is pretty much calling it a done deal and plans to hold fights in Vancouver and Toronto in 2010. “We’re going to Vancouver. We’ll be there soon … Let’s just say we got it done,” he told the UFC 102 pre-fight news conference Thursday.

The UFC has always been high on Canada, often calling it the Mecca of MMA with a massive following and strong ticket sales and rabid crowd at the two events held in Montreal. June has been cited as the target date for the event but there is obviously no card details to speak of. One could bet that Georges St. Pierre would most likely want to be on that fight as he is a very patriotic Canadian and the Vancouver crowd would be behind the French-Canadian 100%. It would actually be quite unifyinig for Canada as the French have notoriously had poor relations with the rest of the country.

Before the UFC can call it a done deal they will still have to go before city council to get approval but they are clearly confident that they will be able to present a strong enough case for the event to get the green light “we should be able to get approved.” Shows had been permitted in Vancouver until the council opted to call a halt while it studied the issue.

Helping their case is the fact that MMA events are happening all over the province and the demand for the sport is through the roof.

UFC 102 – Full Undercard Preview with Free Picks

It’s a shame the undercard of UFC 102 won’t be shown on free TV like UFC 103 will next month on Spike TV, because it features some solid matchups for true MMA fans.

The most popular undercard matchup is the bout between Brock Lesnar’s training partner Chris Tuscherer and Gabriel Gonzaga, and the more well-known and seasoned Gonzaga is a -350 to +250 favorite in this one. Gonzaga looks like a safe bet in this one because of his more well-rounded game and cardio advantage, not to mention the level of opponent he’s faced. He better be up for this fight if he wants a shot to act some revenge on Shane Carwin after he was caught and KO’d.

Ed Herman vs. Aaron Simpson is a sleeper candidate for Fight of the Night at UFC 102, and Herman’s experience should give him an edge in this one. Herman is a slight -135 to +105 favorite in the Sportsbook going into the fight and for good reason as he will outwrestle Simpson and bring home the win.

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Justin McCully has been an afterthought in the UFC’s heavyweight division for a while, but he’s got the talent to make a bit of a run and sneak back into the fans’ minds if he can put it all together. He’ll get a crack at Mike Russo in a UFC 102 heavyweight bout and is listed as a -200 to +260 favorite.

Don’t sleep on Russo though as he has a more varied ground game and a little more overall skill than McCully, who hasn’t really changed much since entering the UFC three fights ago.

Russow has a chance to pull off a submission win in this one or at least take home a decision to a score a big victory for his career as the underdog. The price is right to take the puppy here and cash in nicely.
Tim Hague scored a surprising victory over Pat Berry in his last fight, but his UFC 102 opponent Todd Duffee has a big natural talent edge going into their fight. BetOnline has Duffee as a -180 to +150 favorite in this one and that’s how it should play out as Duffee will use his speed and athleticism to out-maneuver Hague while delivering punishment en route to a TKO win.

In other UFC 102 undercard action, Mark Munoz is back from his devastating head kick loss to Matt Hamill for his middleweight debut against Nick Catone.

Munoz is a -200 to +160 favorite and he looks to be in good shape going in, seems middleweight is the perfect class for him. Munoz should use his wrestling and ground and pound for a TKO win in this fight.

Finally, Marcus Aurelio and Evan Dunham will square off in a fight that should be a brilliant display of Aurelio’s wrestling and jiu-jitsu prowess and an easy win for the Brazilian.

Don’t forget to check out the main card odds from UFC 102 this Saturday as we get closer and closer to what should be a memorable night of fights.

UFC 102 Profiles – Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

Age: 33

Record: 31-5-1

Before UFC 102

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira is facing a lot of skepticism at this point in his career. A couple of years from now, he could look back and see this as a rough patch or he could look back as see this as the point where he retired.

Big Nog is coming off a bad loss to Frank Mir in which Antonio made Mir look like Mike Tyson in his prime. But Big Nog wasn’t in the best shape because he had a staph infection just 20 days before the fight.

He’s 33-years-old, 13 years younger than Randy Couture, but Nogueira has so much ‘experience’ on his resume that he looks older. This is a critical fight for the MMA legend.

Fight With Randy Couture At UFC 102

There are differing reports heading into this fight as to what shape Nogueira is in. If he’s in tip-top shape, he should be able to be The Natural. If his gas tank is truly on empty as some pundits predict, this fight won’t last long.

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Couture will look to keep this fight standing, which wouldn’t really deter a healthy Nogueira too much. Clearly, he probably wouldn’t win the fight if it was solely fought standing up but he could hold his own.

The big difference is in the ground games where Nogueira has the type of game to submit pretty much anyone in the sport. Look for him to take the fight there at every opportunity.

After UFC 102

Big Nog is in line for a shot at Brock Lesnar – or whoever the champ will be – if he can beat Couture. Considering that Couture is a legend, a win for Nogueira will vault him up the ranks and he’ll be again considered one of the biggest threats in the division.

Although Nogueira likely wouldn’t likely get a shot at Lesnar immediately after this fight, if he were to win, a battle with Cain Velasquez would be very intriguing.

If Nogueira was to lose, though, and look bad in the process, there is a pretty good chance that it could be his last – or near to last – fight in the Octagon.

Sam Querrey bids for spot in the Pilot Pen final

New Haven, CT – That Sam Querrey clinched the US Open series and will now be competing for additional bonus money at the US Open (up to a $1 million) makes him an interesting underdog for the fast approaching Grand Slam. That he is competing at the Pilot Pen Tennis tournament this week gives tennis bettors an opportunity to spot this fast-rising American. That he might move into the final today and perhaps even win the title on Saturday would make his star shoot off to a new stratosphere.

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Sam Querrey hasn’t been messing around during the US Open series. He reached the final in Indy and seized the title in Los Angeles. In Cincinnati, he took down Andy Roddick – his biggest win this season. And during this last warm up event for the US Open, he has taken advantage of a relatively watered down draw to improve his value in the eyes of many tennis bettors. He moved into the Pilot Pen semis with a victory over world No.8 Nikolay Davydenko on Thursday. Standing in his way of the tournament’s final movement is veteran Jose Acasuso, who ranks at an impressively threatening (not) world no.52. Granted Acasuso is enjoying an extraordinary run at New Haven, more so because he is predominantly a clay courter. Yet for all his perceived surface disadvantage, it has not held him back to negotiating a spot in the final four.

Tennis Betting Line:

Sam Querrey -3½ -130 -450 22½ O -110 U -130

Jose Acasuso +3½ -110 +275 22½ O -110 U -130

Match time: Not Before 3 PM Eastern Time Friday August 28 2009

Tennis Betting Verdict: Sam Querrey enters this match as the solid favourite, tipped at -450 on the money line. The American is 35-21 on the season with a title in Los Angeles, and three runner-up-finishes this season – Auckland, Newport and Indianapolis. His form has been the most impressive over the summer months and while he is the third top ranked American in the men’s game, (Roddick and Blake ranking above him) he is arguably second after Roddick. Blake is on his way out, with his game failing to hold up against his peers, confidence in tatters and ranking on a downward spiral.

Querrey has home edge and takes a 1-0 head-to-head lead over Acasuso. Their only meeting came in 2007 at the Australian Open when Querrey beat Acasuso in the first round 6-7(2), 6-4, 6-1, 6-3. Two years is a significant time as a lot can change for a player. In this case, it is irrelevant. Acasuso is not a player that has enjoyed a significant breakthrough in his career and most likely, he will not. He is just there. Whereas Querrey has only gotten better over the last two years.

This is not to say that Acasuso will not try to be competitive. He is after all enjoying a dream week and he will aim to continue the momentum. But the match is on Querrey’s racquet. He should win handily and move to the title match where he will most likely be the favourite to win the title.

Tennis Free Picks: Querrey in straight sets -450 | Over 22 ½ -110

UFC 102 Preview – Randy “Captain America” Couture

Randy Couture
Age: 46
Record: 16-9-0

Before UFC 102

Randy Couture is a Hall of Famer and is a legend in the sport of MMA but he’s clearly at a crossroads at this point in his career. At the age of 46, a lot of people want to know whether he still has what it takes to be a credible fighter in the UFC or if his tank is on empty.

Couture will be looking to bounce back from his one-sided loss to Brock Lesnar in his latest bout. It’s unclear whether Lesnar is simply that dominant, whether Couture has faded or whether that loss was a combination of both. At UFC 102 against Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, we’ll get our answer.

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Fight With Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira At UFC 102

Captain America will step into the ring against another popular, past his prime fighter who is similarly at the same point in his career. Couture will have the home cage advantage fight in the Pacific Northwest where he’s from but that won’t help him a whole lot once the bell rings.

Couture’s main goal will be to keep this fight standing. If the fight hits the ground, Nogueira has the real edge and it will be difficult for Couture to gain the upper hand horizontally.

Standing, some people wonder if Couture has the power to knockout Nogueira, who normally has a tough chin but was knocked out by Frank Mir. One thing is for sure: if Couture wants another title shot, he’ll have to not only win this fight but he’ll have to be very impressive in doing so.

After UFC 102

The Natural is on the short list of people who can get a shot at Brock Lesnar, but to do so, he has to beat Nogueira.

Nogueira is currently perceived to be a fighter who is falling down the ladder in the UFC and for Couture to struggle with him or to win by a close decision may not get the job done.

Lesnar handled Couture the first time and the only way Couture will get another shot is if he looks dominant.

Overall, there are options for Couture beyond UFC 102. IF he wins, he could also fight Cain Velasquez or Shane Carwin potentially. If he loses, though, those retirement talks will start to surface again.

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