Ed's Betting Blog

USA - Haiti

2009-07-10T12:30:00.002+02:00

By Joe, www.Bettingexpert.com

The United States will host Haiti for the final game in Group B. Both teams will travel to Boston for the Saturday encounter. USA have already guaranteed themselves a place in the quarterfinal while Haiti is also in contention to qualify to the knockout stages after beating Grenada 2-0 in their last match.

USA have cemented the top spot in Group B as they prepare to face Haiti on Saturday in Boston. Their last outing ended with a 2-0 victory over Honduras, thanks to a 75th minute goal from Santino Quaranta and Brian Ching header goal 4 minutes later. It took some time to penetrate the Honduran defense but the Americans managed to break the dead lock in the 2nd half. USA is currently with 6 points in Group B, they could see a few players getting a rest day as they face Haiti in their third match in Group B. Coach Bradley will have to play without Freddy Adu and Benny Befihaber. Both players are bound for Europe to rejoin their club’s preseason training.

Haiti are currently 3rd in Group B with 3 points and leveled with Honduras. They revived their hopes in reaching the quarterfinals by beating Grenada 2-0 at RFK Stadium last Wednesday. Haiti will certainly have beat USA in order to keep their Gold Cup campaign alive. They will also need a bit of help from Grenada to beat Honduras, if they fail to beat USA. Haiti coach Jairo Rios hopes that his team will do their best to beat USA on Saturday.

Bradley is likely to shuffle his team against Haiti but USA are still favorites to beat Haiti. A safe bet here on USA would be advisable but Haiti really needs the points. The Americans are on form and they look hard to beat, mybet is offering 1.20 for another USA win.

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KuPS - Helsinki

2009-07-10T12:01:00.003+02:00

This should be a no contest in my opinion since the bottom-placed KuPS will host the strongest team in Finland, HJK Helsinki. KuPS did improve their survival chances by beating direct relegation rivals RoPS but this is definitely not the game where they should be searching for points needed for survival. Helsinki are in great form, having won the last four games in all competitions and they should have an easy job in Kuopio.

Kuopion Palloseura or simply KuPS had had a lot of success in their history and they even won five league titles, but the club have been struggling lately and things are not looking really good this year. They narrowly escaped relegation to the second division last season, but it seems that they will not be so lucky this term. The team are much weaker than last season after seeing several key players leave the club and no wonder that they are largely disappointing in Finnish Veikkausliiga. KuPS took just 7 points from 13 league games and they are currently at rock bottom. Last weekend’s win over RoPS did boost their spirits but RoPS are one of three teams (KuPS and JJK are the other two) that do not deserve to play at this level and this will be a completely different game. They couldn’t avoid defeat at home against much weaker teams than Helsinki and I don’t see how they can get something against the best team in the league. On top of everything, the hosts will be missing Hartkainen, Hoivala and Kuparinen through injury, which only add to the worries.

Helsinki are definitely most famous club in Finland and they are the richest team as well. Every year they see several important players leave but the club bring even better players and HJK are always considered favourites for the title. Nevertheless, despite having the best team for quite a while now, they’ve been unable to mount a serious title challenge, but things are looking much better this season. HJK are playing really well and they are very convincing in most of the games, thus they finally seem ready to lift Veikkausliiga title. They are currently tied on points with leaders Haka but if they continue with great performances, not even Haka will be able to stop them. Helsinki have been in great form lately, winning 6 of last 7 games in all competitions and they should have no problems against pathetic KuPS. Boss Anti Muurinen managed to rest most of the first team regulars in the Cup match against Espoo and now all his players will be fit to face KuPS.

This is a real no-brainer and I am really surprised with high odds on Helsinki. They are by far the best team in the league and KuPS don’t have the quality to stop them from winning this match. Betting odds on Helsinki are a real value for money and I would be a fool not to take them.

Bet 8 on away win at 1.60 at Expekt

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Weekly Betting Preview – Baseball, golf takes spotlight this week

2009-07-08T13:09:00.003+02:00

Before this weekend’s hot UFC 100 betting takes place on Saturday night, sportsbook betting players will have a whole slew of baseball action to take care of. Golf betting players also have a tournament to warm up with before next week’s British Open betting tees off.

Baseball Betting

Cardinals Brewers odds – the Brewers trail the Cardinals by a single game in the National League Central, and we’re betting management is hoping for a big performance by their starters after they were called out by Ryan Braun following a rough weekend in Chicago against the Cubs.

Blue Jays Rays odds – the Rays took two of three in Toronto last week, but they’ve lost four in a row since then.

Rangers Angels odds – The top spot in the American League West is up for grabs as the Angels look for revenge after losing two of three in Texas last week. The Rangers’ pitching rotation has suffered some knocks, and they’ll be as happy to get to the All-Star break as anyone.
Dodgers Mets odds – MLB’s best team heads to the Big Apple with their slugger, Manny Ramirez, back in the lineup. They’ll be taking on a Mets team that has dropped eight of their last 10, and it seems like there’s a new outfield player going on the disabled list every day, which could scare off those making their baseball picks.

Yankees Twins odds – the red-hot Yankees visit Minnesota, who is trying to keep pace with the Detroit Tigers in the American League West. This is a perfect example of payroll disparity in the majors: the Twins’ whole payroll is $65.3 million. The Yankees’ offseason pickups, CC Sabathia, Mark Teixiera and AJ Burnett cost $52.4 million by themselves.

Golf Betting

There are still a few big names that are teeing it up at the John Deere Classic on Thursday, including defending champion Kenny Perry, who is also the online betting favorite. He’ll have to fend off the likes of Steve Stricker, David Toms, Zach Johnson and US Open champion Lucas Glover as these players try to get their games together before they head to Turnberry for the third major championship of the year, and the winner of this tournament will surely boost their golf betting odds.

USA - Honduras

2009-07-08T13:03:00.002+02:00

By Joe, www.Bettingexpert.com

USA, the host nation of the CONCACAF Gold Cup, will travel to Washington D.C in preparation to meet Honduras at the RFK Stadium on Wednesday July 8th. This is their second match in Group B where both teams are currently topping the group tables. Team USA have a better goal score between the two teams and both teams are favorite to qualify through to the quarterfinal stages.

USA started out well in their Gold Cup first match beating Grenada 4-0 at Qwest Field in Seattle. Team USA continues with their 10th straight victory in the Gold Cup and kept their sixth consecutive clean sheet in this tournament. Team USA had disappointed a few fans who were hoping to watch the team that reached the Confederation Cup finalist in South Africa. Most of the starting squad members in South Africa were not represented in the Gold Cup. Never the less, Coach Bob Bradley still has some good players to choose from. Bradley will most likely to start with the same eleven that faced Grenada against Honduras.

Honduras’s Carlo Costly headed a free kick in the 76th minute that gave them a 1-0 victory over Haiti in the Group B opener. Honduras dominated the game from start to the finish but they only managed to score a goal. They had large amount of possession of the ball and it was a needless free kick conceded by Haiti which led to the game winning goal. Coach Reynaldo Rueda knows that they will have to be more cynical against USA or otherwise they might not be able to finish top of the group.

USA are favorites to win against Honduras. Their last meeting was at the Soldier Field Stadium where the World Cup qualifier was on stake, USA beat Honduras 2-1. Their head to head statistic marks 8 wins for USA, 3 draws and 2 wins for Honduras. Team USA looks a bit too strong for Honduras to handle and mybet is offering 1.35 for USA win.

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Keflavik - Valletta

2009-07-07T12:44:00.003+02:00

The first match was played in very hot weather and the conditions prevented Icelanders from showing all they’d got. Home side Valletta FC easily won the game 3:0 and thus created a big advantage before the return leg, but this time weather conditions will favour Keflavik, who is in my opinion better team here and I expect a completely different match from the one played a week ago.

Keflavik are one of the strongest teams in Iceland and they missed out on the league title last season by just one point. Second place was enough for the place in Europa League, where they met Valletta in the first qualifying round. The visitors were considered favourites in the first leg since their domestic season was well under way, but that proved to be a disadvantage after all. The game in Valletta was the third in the course of one week for Keflavik and the players were evidently tired, especially since they had a long trip to Malta. The weather was very hot, which is something the Icelanders were not used to and all these problems resulted in heavy defeat. Nevertheless, I am positive Keflavik are better team than Valletta and they are now hot favourites in the return leg, since the return leg will be played in completely different conditions, in which the visitors will have problems. Keflavik are also extremely convincing in home games, having dropped just two points in 6 home games this season and they are obviously hot favourites to win this game.

Maltese club Valletta are one of the most successive teams in their country, having won 19 league titles. The team finished second in Maltese League last season, two points behind champions Hibernians, but that is not such a big success considering that Maltese League is one of the weakest in Europe. The team were reinforced this season with Dutch veterans Cruyff and Den Ouden and these were the players who helped the team record a convincing win in the first leg. However, the team are likely to have big problems in the return leg as they are still far away from the desired form, considering that their domestic season is yet to start. The team mostly consist of veteran players and they will have big problems acclimatizing to adverse weather conditions at Iceland, especially after such a long trip. Apart from Cruyff and Den Ouden, boss Ton Caanen has a very poor team and they will struggle to match Keflavik.

Keflavik are great at home and they are much better team than the first match showed. They easily won most of the home games against much stronger teams than Valletta and I expect them to record another win. The visitors profited from Keflavik’s problems in the first leg but the situation will be completely different now and they will struggle to hold on to the three-goal lead. Betting odds on home win are pretty decent considering the circumstances and that is my advice for this match, although those of you willing to risk can take Keflavik with -1 handicap.
Bet 5 on Keflavik with -1 handicap at 2.30 at Paddy Power

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Weekend Betting Preview – Daytona, Tiger heat up Fourth of July

2009-07-03T23:37:00.002+02:00

While Wimbledon finals betting is big on the other side of the pond, there are a number of sportsbook events this weekend to keep your attention. The Daytona summer race under the lights is one of the most anticipated races of the year, while Tiger Woods’ golf tournament features the golfer most are picking to challenge the world’s No.1 player. Finally, there is your usual slate of weekend action on the baseball diamond.

Daytona Betting

Kyle Busch is the co-favorite in the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday night, and the No.18 driver will be looking to be the first driver since Tony Stewart in 2005 and 2006 to win the Daytona summer race in back-to-back seasons. Ironically, Stewart, who is also the points leader, is the Daytona betting co-favorite with his ex-JGR teammate. They’ll have their hands full trying to fend off the Hendrick crew of Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Mark Martin. Look for the drafting pair of Stewart and Earnhardt Jr. to make some noise at some point during the day.

Golf Betting

Those checking out this weekend’s AT&T odds should expect fireworks, as all signs are pointing towards a showdown between 23-year-old Anthony Kim, who won the AT&T National in 2008, and Tiger Woods, who is hosting this tournament and was the leader after he finished his second round. The golf course is very soft due to rains, and there could be a birdie parade this weekend.

Baseball Betting

Blue Jays Yankees odds – An AL East battle where there could be a ton of runs scored. Handicapping software should advise you to go for the over in at least two games in this three game series.

Brewers Cubs odds – Game 1 of this four-game set ended in a 9-5 win for the Cubs, who are trying to keep pace with the National League Central-leading Brewers.
Mets Phillies odds – a pair of National League East teams in one of the most bitter rivals in all of the majors. The Phillies aren’t that great at home, so a win by the Mets wouldn’t be a huge upset.

Cardinals Reds odds – The Cards visit the Reds in another NL Central showdown, and the fact that the Reds are still in the division race halfway through the season is mind-boggling.
Tigers Twins odds – Detroit and Minnesota wrap up a weekend full of divisional matchups, and the Twins can tie the Tigers atop the AL Central with a three-game sweep, which they already did earlier in the year. These games are always fiercely contested, so good luck when making your baseball picks.

Runavik - Rosenborg

2009-07-03T15:23:00.008+02:00

Highlihght

Sandefjord - Odd Grenland

2009-07-03T12:24:00.003+02:00

This is very important game for Sandefjord since they are still very close to the dangerous zone, despite picking up a point from the last away game against Stromsgodset. Odd Grenland failed to beat Viking at home and considering their awful away record, I expect them to struggle in this match.

Sandefjord managed to achieve promotion to the top division after finishing second in Adeccoligaen last season and their first objective is to avoid the drop. The team had a good start to the season, but they have been struggling lately and are still very much in the relegation battle. The team fail to win any of the last 9 games, which is definitely very disappointing, but I need to point out that they played mostly teams from the top part of the table during this period. Sandefjord are one of the rare teams that avoided defeat against mighty Rosenborg and I expect them to come good in no time. The hosts will be very motivated to win this match and thus allay their relegation fears, and they have to be considered favourites, because Odd Grenland are terrible on the travels. Sandefjord will have Erik Mjelde and Martin Jensen back from suspension and that will be a big boost for the team.

Odd Grenland had been predicted difficult relegation fight before the start of the season but they are defying all odds and manage to stay very close to the top. The team took 26 points from 16 games and are currently occupying third place in the standings but I don’t expect them to keep such a good league position. The only reason behind team’s great results is excellent form at their Skagerak Arena, where they took 20 points from 8 games. On the other hand, they brought just six points from the travels, which is why they don’t have much to hope for in the match against Sandefjord. Team’s form is on the downtrend and they couldn’t beat Viking at home last weekend, and to be honest, they don’t deserve to stay in the top part of the table.

Sandefjord have been playing well lately even though the latest results are far from impressive but I believe they have what it takes to win this match. Odd Grenland are utterly disappointing on the travels and they are unlikely to bring any points from this away game. Betting odds on home win are really good and my advice is to take them.
Bet 4 on home win at 2.85 at Expekt

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NSI Runavik - Rosenborg

2009-06-30T13:53:00.003+02:00

NSI Runavik got an extremely difficult opponent in the Europa league first qualifying round and they will be looking just to keep the result respectable in the first leg. Rosenborg have been in tremendous form this season and they are currently leading the title race in Norway, which means they should have absolutely no problems recording a big win against weak Faroese team.

NSI Runavik are definitely one of the weakest teams in this competition and it is more than clear that they will end their participation in the first qualifying round. They are an average Faroese team, having won just one league title so far and you can imagine the difference in quality between them and Rosenborg. NSI have only played in Europe on three occasions, but they lost all six games, conceding 22 goals in the process. I should also point out that they played much weaker teams than Rosenborg in these games and still conceded more than three goals per game on average. Their current form is far from impressive, since the team took just one point from the last three games and they are currently occupying the fourth place in the Faroese League. The hosts will adopt defensive approach and thus try to avoid a heavy defeat but I am pretty sure that RBK will have no problems unlocking their defence.

Rosenborg are in tremendous form this season and they are yet to lose a single game. The team are determined to reclaim their domestic dominance and they are doing great in all the competitions entered. Eric Hamren’s team are in impressive form in Norwegian Tippeligaen and they are currently seven points clear at the top. They are scoring goals with ease against much stronger teams than NSI and Faroese team can therefore expect a real beating even in the first match. Rade Prica is often deployed as a lone striker but Iverssen, Sapara and Skejlbred are providing a big help from midfield and I really can’t see how the hosts can avoid a big defeat. Rosenborg were awarded a Fair Play Europa League place by the national association but they will now make the most of it and are eager to make it to the group stages. They will leave nothing to chance and want to finish the job in the first match.

The hosts have absolutely no means to match excellent Rosenborg side and they will lose this game. I am confident the visitors will score a hatful of goals, even if Hamren opts to rest some of the first team regulars. Betting odds on over 2.5 goals are surprisingly high and this is definitely one of the best soccer picks in midweek.

Bet 6 on Over 2,5 at 1.50 at Expekt

Sports Betting – MLB Betting, Wimbledon And AT&T National On The Menu

2009-06-30T11:09:00.000+02:00

MLB odds: Back To Normal As Interleague Action Ends

The second wave of interleague action is over, which means it’s time to get back to the regular, non-mixed action. The Colorado Rockies head to Los Angeles Dodgers for an enticing three-game series. The last time these two teams met the Dodgers swept the Rockies and outscored them 31-13. Since then, the Rockies are 20-3 and the Dodgers have lost four of their last five, which sets up for an interesting series starting tonight.

In the American League West, the Los Angeles Angels are back on top as the Texas Rangers are slipping. The two teams will meet up for a three-game series as well.

Wimbledon odds: Big Names Advance As Minor Seeds Stumble

There aren’t many big surprises on the men’s side of things at Wimbledon unless Roger Federer loses but that rarely happens. As a matter of fact, in the last six years, it has only happened once. It didn’t happen a second time on Monday as he easily advanced past Robin Soderling.

Other top 10 seeds Novak Djokovic and Andy Roddick had no problems advancing as well.

No. 7 seed Fernando Verdasco and No. 8 seed Gilles Simon weren’t as lucky as both of them were ousted prematurely.

AT&T National Sports Predictions: Field Weak At Tiger’s Tourney

Tiger Woods is the host of the AT&T National and the field is going to be pretty weak this week as he aims to raise money for his charity.

Lucas Glover and Mike Weir will be there, as will last year’s winner Anthony Kim, but would should have an easy time tearing up this weak group as long as he’s somewhat focused.

He had a rough time at the US Open but should have a more successful time at his tourney this week. Obviously, everyone will be pulling for him.

Hoops Betting News: Draft Passes, Speculation And Rumors Don’t

While the NBA Draft has passed, free agency is looming and there are plenty of rumors blowing in the wind. The Phoenix Suns appear to be on the verge of dealing away Amare Stoudemire while there is plenty of speculation as to what will happen with Ben Gordon and Carlos Boozer once free agency opens up on July 1st.

The other big rumor is what will the Minnesota Timberwolves do with point guard Ricky Rubio, who is now threatening to stay in Spain. The New York Knicks and the Houston Rockets have already made trade offers for Rubio but the Timberwolves are standing pat at this point.

Weekend Sports Betting Preview – NASCAR, Wimbledon, Baseball On The Schedule

2009-06-29T12:12:00.001+02:00

NASCAR odds: Lenox Industrial Tools 301 Picks

We go from the 2.5 mile long track at Pocono to the quick 2-mile oval at Michigan, to the road course in Sonoma, and now the flat 1-mile long track in New Hampshire.

A safe pick here is Jimmie Johnson, who swept the Loudon tracks in 2003 and has four straight Top 10s in New Hampshire.

Tony Stewart is also a good pick here with a solid track record. He’s won twice here before and both times in the July race.

Tennis Betting: First Weekend At Wimbledon

We move to the first weekend at Wimbledon and so far, so good for Roger Federer. He even got a good bounce yesterday when No. 5 seed, Juan Martin Del Potro was upset by former Wimbledon winner, Lleyton Hewitt.

Federer’s side of the draw now becomes even easier as we move to the first weekend of Wimbledon action. Without Nadal and Del Potro now, there is a good chance that it will be a Federer-Murray final.

Baseball Wagering Preview: Final Weekend Of Interleague Play

Saddle up for the final weekend of interleague baseball play as the MLB goes back to normal.

There will be some classic series to watch, though, such as the Battle of the Beltway between the two last place teams in the East divisions, Washington and Baltimore.

In all seriousness, though, all eyes will be on the Subway series as the New York Yankees make their first visit to the Mets new stadium, Citi Field.

The Mets are extremely shorthanded right now as they are without Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran and Jose Reyes, all of whom are on the disabled list.

Look for a high-scoring affair on Sunday night baseball as Chien-Ming Wang takes to the hill against Livan Hernandez.

NFL Wagering: Futures Posted; Favre Moving To Minnesota?

The NFL futures for Super Bowl odds, regular season win totals and divisional odds are posted so make sure you go do some early shopping.

Brasil - USA

2009-06-26T22:36:00.001+02:00

By Joe, www.Bettingexpert.com

The final of the Fifa Confederations cup will be played between Brazil and USA at Ellis Park Stadium in the capital of South Africa, Johannesburg. These two teams were represented in Group B during the group stage phase. They met in the second round of the group stages at Tshwane/Pretoria and Brazil was victorious with 3-0. The Brazilians scored two goals in the first half and one more in the second half. To add more misery to the Americans, they had one player sent off.

The current holder of the Confederations cup, Brazil, looks likely to win their second consecutive Confederations cup. They narrowly beat South Africa 1-0 in the semifinals. It was Daniel Alves, whose sensational last minute free kick sent Brazil into their fourth Confederations cup final. Coach Dunga will be happy to know that there are no one in his squad that will miss the final through suspension. The question still lies on whether defender Juan will be ready for the final. In their last encounter, Brazil rattled up with 23 shots at goal and 59% possession of the ball. Dunga will be hoping that Brazil can come up with the same statistics and the same score line in the final against USA.

The rejuvenated USA team has really surprised everybody in the world in getting into their first Confederations cup final. Their best result came in 1999 Confederations cup when they beat Saudi Arabia to win the third place. This final will eclipse their best result no matter what happens, they will at least manage to get the second place. After the defeat to Brazil in the group stages, USA has won their last 2 games. They beat Egypt with 3-0 and stop Spain’s 35-game unbeaten streak with the impressive 2-0 result in the semifinals. Coach Bradley is looking for another repeat of these astonishing runs and avoid getting another red card in the final.
Brazil are once again favorites to beat USA. They have beaten USA before and looks likely to repeat their success. Team USA has improved vastly in their last two games. They were able to keep Spain from scoring and they could avoid conceding goals to Brazil, if they defend valiantly once again. Brazil has the upper hand and mybet as they are offering 1.40 to win the Cup.

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South Africa vs. Spain

2009-06-26T22:32:00.001+02:00

By Joe, www.Bettingexpert.com

The host nation will face, once again, Spain in their last game of Fifa Confederation Cup for the third place playoff. These two teams met early last week in the group stages on the last playing day, South Africa needed a win or draw to go through to the semifinals but Spain denied them the victory by winning 2-0 on the night. Despite the defeat to the host nation, they still qualified into the semifinals because Iraq did not manage to beat New Zealand in the other group match. They meet once again but this time in the city of Rustenburg and if anything was to go by their last encounter, then this game is set up to be very entertaining.

This is South Africa’s first debut in the Fifa Confederation Cup and they have impressed many people by reaching the third place play off. They were certainly not one of the strongest teams in the tournament but proved to match one of the strong football nations in their last match. They held Brazil all the way in the semifinal game until Daniel Alves took a free kick which made the difference between the two sides. The return of MacBeth Sibaya from suspension would strengthen the South African’s midfield as this was duly missed against Brazil. Coach Joel Santana will hope that South Africa can finish third place and revenge for their earlier defeat 2-0 defeat to Spain.
It was not expected that Spain would be finishing this tournament playing for the third place. They were ineffective in front of goal against USA, they rattled up with 29 shots attempt but none of them registered for a goal. The game against USA could be best described as one of those matches 9 out of 10, Spain would win, but that particular semifinal was the odd 1 out of 10 game which Spain would lose. USA also ended the 35 unbeaten winning streaks that Spain was enjoying, so morale could be at a low for the first time in the Spanish camp. Del Bosque will have to rally his troops and win the third place for pride sake. Although, you never know with Del Bosque, as he could start with some fringe players as a reaction to his player’s performance against USA.
Spain are favorites to beat South Africa again. South Africa will certainly put their strongest first eleven to play against Spain. The Bafana Bafana boys will certainly put a show for the fans as an appreciation of their support throughout the tournament. A win here would suit the host nation, but Spain has also got good value at mybet as they are offering 1.55 for Spain to win.

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Valerenga - Rosenborg

2009-06-26T11:52:00.003+02:00

This is pick of the round in Norwegian Tippeligaen. Rosenborg are again the dominant force in Norway, whereas Valerenga are also close to the top. Both teams have had a couple of poor seasons but they entered this season with high hopes.

Rosenborg were a dominant force in Norway during the last decade and at the beginning of this one, but it were Valerenga who ended their run of 13 consecutive league titles in 2005. During the golden years, they had a lot of success in the Champions League as well, having made it to the knockout rounds on several occasions and they have made quite a few shocks like the one when they triumphed in Milano. On the other hand, they created a couple of unpleasant surprises as well, just like when they lost in Paris 7:2. After almost 15 years, during which they did not make too many changes to the team, it was time for the new generation of players to step up the plate, but that did not went well. They were far away from the title race during the last two years but it seems they have finally built a team capable of playing at the big stage. They are yet to lose a game this season, while they will play in Europa League thanks to fair play. The visitors will try to continue the good run of results, but Valerenga are doing really well and they are looking to stay close to the European places.

At the same time when Rosenborg started their domestic domination, Valerenga started to sink. At the start of the ‘90s they were relegated to the second division after more than 15 years of playing top flight football, and have been in and out of the Premier Divison ever since. Valerenga started their progress five or six years ago when a lot of money was invested in the club. It was them who ended Rosenborg’s domestic domination having won the title in 2005, after missing out on the trophy by just one point the previous year. Nevertheless, they have been far from impressive in the last two years but maybe this is the year when they turn it around. Valerenga boast a very poor home record this season but they are excellent on the travels, and their away record is second best only to Rosenborg.

Valerenga have improved on their home form lately, having conceded just one goal in the last four games. However, they will face mighty Rosenborg, who kept five successive clean sheets and whose attack is scoring goals with ease. The hosts are unlikely to adopt defensive approach, which means that RBK will have plenty of space to exploit. I was pondering about betting on under 2.5 but Rosenborg will not defend, whereas the hosts cannot afford to be only concentrated on defence. Still, I cannot pick over 2.5 since the teams conceded the total of 1 goal in the last four games. I believe that visitors are worth backing here. Betting odds are really good, as high as 2.00 and those are great odds for team like Rosenborg.

Bet 4 on away win at 2.10 at Paddy Power

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Fredrikstad - Lyn Highlight

2009-06-25T12:53:00.003+02:00

Highlight

Wimbledon betting tips

2009-06-23T14:45:00.001+02:00

Strawberries and cream anyone? With the action at SW19 in full swing I thought I’d offer my thoughts on the men’s singles competition, which of course this year doesn’t feature World Number One Rafael Nadal.

The clear Wimbledon betting favourite is World Number Two and five-time champion Roger Federer. The odds on Federer emerging victorious are a fairly modest 1.7 (4/5) which aren’t the best odds but perhaps worth a wager anyway as he is the overwhelming favourite and certainly the best in the competition. Having said that number two seed (and World Number Three) Andy Murray goes into the tournament in great form having won the title at Queens without dropping a set. Murray is still yet to win a Grand Slam but he undoubtedly has the ability to do so and at 4.3 (10/3) it may be worth a small wager on the Scotsman picking up his first major title.

A final between Federer and Murray seems to be a fairly likely event. Both players are guaranteed not to meet until the final and if they keep up their impressive form going into the competition I would imagine the final will be contested between these two. This is a more attractive Wimbledon bet and at odds of 2.36 (11/8) it seems well worth a nibble to me.

Another market that stands out to me is ‘most tournament aces’. Again Federer is the favourite and at 4.4 (7/2) and this seems good value to me. There are bigger servers out there such as Andy Roddick, Ivo Karlovic and perhaps Jo Wilfried Tsonga but if they are to hit more aces than Federer they’ll need to progress quite far in the competition. There is no guarantee that will happen, which is why I would back the Federer Express to hit the most aces.

Fredrikstad - Lyn

2009-06-23T11:17:00.004+02:00

The two teams are playing below all expectations this season. Fredrikstad are in very poor form this season, thus they are not expected to finish the season close to the top, but nobody could expect that they would be just three points clear of the bottom-placed Lyn, the team they will host on Wednesday. The team from Oslo are in big problems and they have every reason to fear for the outcome of the season.

Fredrikstad are not much weaker than last season, but the injuries to some important players hindered their progress this term. The players are also in very poor form, while the coach is still trying to find the right formation. They suffered a heavy defeat at Molde last weekend and to add insult to injury, two players were sent off and will therefore miss this very important match. This means that on top of the injured players, Martinsen and Gashi will also miss out. This is a match they cannot afford to lose, but the only comfort is that they are much better in home games. They are very inconsistent lately, but considering that Lyn are also struggling, this is a good chance to take all three points and thus further escape the dangerous zone.

Bottom-placed Lyn will try to stop them from doing this. They are largely struggling this season and have won just one game so far. They did record 8 draws in 14 rounds but if they want to avoid the drop, they will have to start winning some games, at least at home. To make matters worse, the club are in big financial problems and they could be thrown out from the competition. That would be a sad moment for the club that have won the Norwegian Tippeligaen on two occasions. Their last title was won 40 years ago and they haven’t had a lot of success ever since.
The players are definitely affected by everything that has been happening at the club and no wonder that their performances are far from impressive. They were unlucky in the last match against Odd Grenland, when they were in front going into the final stages of the match, but then conceded another late goal and thus stayed without two points.

Just two goals were scored in the last four meetings between the teams and both were seen at this stadium last season, when Lyn won the game. The hosts will miss several first team regulars but Lyn are in very poor situation and backing them would be very risky. Therefore, I think that under is a very good option. Betting odds on under 2.5 goals are pretty decent and considering the form the teams are in, I wouldn’t be surprised if they play a fourth goalless draw in the last five games.
Bet 5 on Under 2.5 Goals at 1.85 at Bet365

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Spain vs. USA

2009-06-23T11:00:00.002+02:00

By Joe, www.Bettingexpert.com

This is the first semifinals in the Fifa Confederation Cup in South Africa. Spain, the Group A winner, will take on the surprising Group B second placed team, USA, at The Free State Stadium in Manguaung/Bloemfontein. Spain are heavily favorites to go through as the team has already won 3 games out of 3 enroute to the semifinals. USA won their last game and got through to the semifinals only on a better goal difference s.

Spain powered their way into the semifinals without conceding a single goal and scored a total of 8 goals in 3 matches. They are by far the best team in group A and also simply one of the best teams in the tournament. They didn’t played to their full strengthens against New Zealand, Iraq and South Africa. Del Bosque had the chances to experiment with his team’s formation and tested out a few of the fringe players on the squad too. Spain were also rarely tested in the defense from their opponents. As Del Bosque prepares for the semifinal clash with the Americans, he will be happy to know that his squad is at full strength. Torres and Villa will most likely start upfront while Xabi Alonso and Fabregas will marshal the midfield. Xabi Alonso and Carlos Marchene are one yellow card away from suspension. Spain set a world record of 15 consecutive internationals wins after beating South Africa, they seem to be on course for their 16th.

USA surprised the world in getting into the semifinals. Before their last game against Egypt, they were at the foot of the table with no point and goal difference of negative five goals. At the end of the night, they beat Egypt with 3-0 and eliminated them from the tournament. They also needed a helping hand from Brazil in order for them to qualify. Brazil beat Italy 3-0 which helped Team USA to go on top of Italy through goal difference. This is the first time that USA have reached semifinals of an international tournament. Coach Bradley will certainly recall all the players who started against Egypt and hope they can produce another sensation.

Spain looks invincible at the moment. With 6 goals between the pair, Torres and Villa are one of the most feared partnerships in this tournament. USA usually does not come up with the goodies against the strong football nations and their defense does look a bit shaky at certain times. Team USA will find it tough to handle the Spanish front men for the 90 minutes. Spain looks likely to advance to the finals and mybet is offering Spain at 1.30 to win.

For all Football Betting and online betting advice, please visit the Bettingexpert.com

Brazil vs. South Africa

2009-06-23T10:51:00.003+02:00

By Joe, www.Bettingexpert.com

The second semifinals in the Fifa Confederation Cup will see mighty Brazil take on the host nation, South Africa, at Johannesburg. Brazil have performed outstanding throughout the tournament and looks set to advance to the Finals. It is clear that they are favorites against South Africa as they are simply one of the best teams left in the tournament. South Africa barely qualified for the semifinals and they will have a mammoth task ahead of them facing Brazil.

Winners of Group B, Brazil, have been one of the best teams in the tournament so far. They are also one of the public’s favorite teams to watch and support in South Africa. However, this time around they will not get the same support from the home crowd as they face the home nation. Brazil’s route to the semifinals have been impressive strings of results. They beat Egypt 4-3, crushed USA 3-0 and eliminated World cup winners Italy with 3-0 in their last game. They average 3 goals per game and conceded 3 goals in the group stages. It looks like it will be a game that they will attack the South African from the start. Dunga will certainly want a fast conclusion of the semifinals in order to prepare for the Finals next weekend.
The Bafana Bafana had to rely on other teams to lose in order to progress to the semifinals. South Africa played 3 games, drew with Iraq, beat New Zealand 2-0 and lost to Group A winners Spain with 2-0. As South Africa is about to face Brazil, this is be testing times for South African’s Coach Joel Santana. Coach Joel Santana will hope that his team can produce a sensational result over Brazil. He will need to pull everything out from his tactics book in order to get his players motivated for the game. Thembinkosi Fanteni, MacBeth Sibaya and Steven Pienaar are one yellow card away from suspension
Despite whatever result the game will be, this is one of the best moments in the South African history of football in the international scene. They will be playing the Brazilians in a semifinal in front of their own fans. This could happen next year in the World however Brazil are clear favorites here. So no matter what the result would be for South Africa, they should be proud of their achievements staging the Confederation Cup and reaching the semifinals. Look at mybet is offering 1.30 for Brazil win.

For all Football Betting and online betting advice, please visit the Bettingexpert.com.

Weekly Betting Preview – Drafts take spotlight off the diamond

2009-06-23T10:37:00.002+02:00

Online betting players will have action of another sort in their offshore sportsbook this week, as the NBA and NHL are both holding their drafts, while there is also a full slate of interleague action on the baseball diamond. Finally, NASCAR heads to New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

NBA Draft Odds

Oklahoma’s Blake Griffin is the overwhelming favorite to be selected with the No.1 pick in the draft on Thursday, June 25 at 7:00 PM ET, and the Los Angeles Clippers are looking to turn around their terrible misfortune in the draft. Other players that figure to go in the top 10 are UConn’s Hasheem Thabeet, Spain’s Ricky Rubio, and Memphis’ Tyreke Evans, but after Griffin, the draft is a crapshoot, which will be tough to handicap for betting software.

NHL Draft Odds

It’s all about John Tavares, Victor Hedman and Matt Duchene in the NHL’s entry draft, which takes place on Friday, June 26, and Saturday, June 27. The New York Islanders are holding onto the No.1 pick and most feel they’ll take Tavares, a flashy forward who is been touted as the next big thing. But Hedman is a solid defenseman that a team could build around, and Duchene has been compared to such greats as Joe Sakic and Steve Yzerman.

Baseball Betting

Midweek Series To Watch: Phillies Rays odds (Tuesday-Thursday) should favor Tampa Bay at home in this World Series rematch, but only slightly, as the Phillies are the best road team in the majors. However, Philly may be without slugger Ryan Howard, who has acute sinusitis, which could hurt their baseball lines.

Weekend Series To Watch: Yankees Mets odds (Friday-Sunday) should back the Mets at home, and they’ll be looking to avenge a losing series at Yankee Stadium earlier this month, especially a 15-0 loss in the series finale.

NASCAR Odds

The Lenox Industrial Tools 301 will take place at New Hampshire Motor Speedway at Sunday at 2:00 PM ET, and Kurt Busch won last year’s race which was cut 17 laps short due to thunderstorms. Jeff Burton leads the series with four career wins at the track, which is just over a mile in length, but his last win in New Hampshire came in 2000, which could affect the way you make your sports picks.

Betting tips for the Confederations Cup

2009-06-23T10:28:00.001+02:00

We’re through to the semi-final stage in the Confederations Cup now and it has been a pretty decent tournament so far. New Zealand and Iraq offered very little in all honesty but apart from that it has been fairly competitive and has produced some decent games – perhaps most notably the USA’s 3-0 victory over Egypt.

On Wednesday June 24 Spain take on the USA in the first semi-final. The Americans needed a win over Egypt in the last group game to progress ahead of the Italians (who lost 3-0 to Brazil) and Egypt themselves after losing their opening games against Italy and Brazil. The USA did indeed complete a remarkable victory to progress but in all honesty I see no chance of them beating the European Champions in the semi-final. Spain have just beaten Brazil’s record of 14 successive victories (a 2-0 win over South Africa was their fifteenth on the spin) and if they don’t lose to the USA they will smash another long-standing record by making it 36 games unbeaten. Spain haven’t been in top form as of yet but they’ve still looked very comfortable and haven’t conceded. The international soccer betting odds on Spain getting the win aren’t great at 1.27 (1/4) but it seems a fairly safe bet. For better value a Spanish clean sheet is priced at 1.7 (5/7) and after watching them and seeing how tight and organised they are this seems good value to me.

The other semi-final takes place on Thursday June 25 and sees host nation South Africa take on the mighty Brazil. Unsurprisingly Brazil are heavy favourites with the bookmakers and are priced at 1.29 (2/7) to progress to the final. As with the Spanish victory the odds aren’t great but it still seems a very safe international soccer bet if you’re willing to put a high stake in. Brazil have been quite impressive in their last two fixtures especially with their 3-0 win over Italy and I expect them to put a few past South Africa. The bet that represents the best value to me is over 2.5 goals, which is priced at 1.92 (10/11). I doubt the South Africans will score to be honest but Brazil are more than capable of finding the net more than twice and this seems to be the best value bet to place for me.

South Africa - Spain Highlight

2009-06-22T13:04:00.002+02:00

Highlight

American Weekend Preview

2009-06-20T08:38:00.000+02:00

MLB odds: I-70 Series Shifts To Kansas City

The battle of Missouri shifts to Kansas City as the Royals play host to the St. Louis Cardinals. This is one of baseball’s more underrated rivalries but both teams are struggling heading into this series.

The Royals did win four straight to start the second wave of interleague play but now, just like the Cardinals, are just 5-5 in their last 10 games.

The Cards will have the pitching matchups in their favor as they won’t have to face Zack Greinke but they’ll throw Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright on Saturday and Sunday.

US Open Betting: Tiger In The Green At Bethpage Black

The weather has messed around with a number of US Open golfers and for one, important golfer, Tiger Woods, he’s had some trouble finding his rhythm.

Woods is in the clubhouse after Round One with a horrendous +4, which puts him several strokes off the leaders. More importantly, he might not even make the cut at this point if he doesn’t pick up the slack for Round 2.

It should make for an interesting Round 2 on Saturday just to see if Woods can make it back and more importantly, if he can even get a chance to win the event.

Infineon Odds: Sprint Cup Series Hits The Road

The odds makers will have to be sharp this weekend as the NASCAR Spring Cup Series hits the road course of Sonoma. For the first time in a while, drivers will be making left turns as well as right ones.

If you’re not familiar with the road course ringers, keep an eye out for drivers like Boris Said and Marcose Ambrose who typically show up to dominate these tracks.

Ambrose in particular is a good sports pick for this weekend.

Wimbledon Betting: Nadal Withdraws From Wimbledon

After losing two straight warm-up matchers on Thursday and Friday, Rafael Nadal has decided to pull out of Wimbledon. Nadal has been dealing with knee tendinitis since his loss at the French Open and he just does have the burst or the bend to really give it a strong go.

Nadal is one of the toughest players on the Tour so obviously if he’s in pain, he really can’t play.

This opens the door for Andy Murray at the top of the draw, who now has a much easier path to the final, and obviously for Federer, who is now the undisputed favorite. The price per head for both Murray and Federer has increased in the odds with Nadal out.

Brazil vs. Italy

2009-06-19T21:00:00.002+02:00

By Joe, www.Bettingexpert.com

Brazil will face the world champions Italy in the final games of Group B. Brazil have already booked their place in the semifinals of the Confederations cup with a 3-0 win over USA in their last match. Italy lost 1-0 in their last game to Egypt, which makes them needing a win against Brazil to secure their advancement through to the semifinals.

The current holder of the Confederations cup, Brazil, looks likely to top Group B if they can avoid defeat here. Even if Brazil loses, both Italy and Egypt needs to win by a minimum of 3 goals in order to knock Brazil of the Confederations cup. Against USA, Brazil easily brushed away 10 men team USA after some quick goals in the first half. Coach Del Bosque might rest a few of his starting lineup players as it is most likely they might meet South Africa in the semifinals. Defender Juan is injured and will not feature against Italy. There is a good chance that Alexandre Pato and Elano might be in the starting lineup against Italy.
The current World Cup winner suffered an embarrassing 1-0 defeat to Egypt in their last game. It really dented the Italian’s chances to go through to the semifinals. In order for Italy to go through, Coach Lippi knows they must get a result against the Brazilians. Italy played well against Egypt but could not find the net. Lippi went for adventurous striking partnerships between Rossi and Iaquinta in his formation. However, Lippi might be reverting back to forwards Luca Toni and Gilardino as he prepares for the make it or break it match against the Brazilians.

Whoever comes out second in Group B will have to face the winners of Group A, Spain. Brazil would want to avoid this situation as much as possible while Italy have no choice. Italy are known for their slow starts in tournaments and they have not disappointed us so far. It could be here where they will start playing up to their potential. Brazil could field a second string of players too. Have a look at mybet as they are offering 2.95 for Italy to win.

For all Football Betting and online betting advice, please visit the Bettingexpert.com.

South Africa - Spain

2009-06-19T11:23:00.004+02:00

Finally one team gave Spain a hard time. After several easy and convincing wins, they struggled for almost an hour against Iraq, but still managed to win the match and ensure a place in the semis. Iraq defended for their lives once again, and they never really threatened the opposing keeper. South Africa, on the other hand, cannot afford to lose this match. If they lose the game and Iraq beat New Zealand, they could easily finish the competition in the group stage of Confederation Cup.

Spain are undoubtedly the best team in the World at the moment. They are playing attractive attacking football and still manage to win the games. They were very dominant in the last few games but La Furia Roja had some problems against Iraq. They came across a team which defended very well and had no intention of going forward. It is hard to play against that kinds of teams but Villa managed to score the only goal of the game and thus ensured Spain a place in the semi-final. All areas of the team are working very well indeed. Defence doesn’t have a lot of problems since majority of their opponents is only thinking about defence, whereas midfielders are really confident on the ball and strikers usually have an easy job. Even though they have already ensured progress to the next stage, the Spaniards want to win this group and thus get an easier opponent in the next stage, thus don’t expect them to get careless.

South Africa are hosting the tournament and they disappointed the fans in the opening game, but then showed against New Zealand that they deserved to make it to the next round. Even though the team are far from impressive, they had no problems against New Zealand, whereas they were unlucky against Iraq. Parker, who was very disappointing in the first match, scored both goals for his team but we should say that Steven Pienaar, team’s best player, has to take the credit for the goals. The hosts would be happy with one point from the match but they are not really a team that know how to defend, especially against Spain. This match will be much more difficult for Bafana Bafana and even if they make it to the semis, I don’t think they have the quality to beat one of the tournament favourites.

I don’t think that South Africa will defend in numbers like Iraq did and they will rather try to hit the opponents on the break. This is something they have to do as their fans don’t want the team to adopt defensive approach. Spain had plenty of problems against defence-minded Iraq but they will now continue with convincing performances. Regardless of the team Del Bosque sends on the pitch, Spain are hot favourites here and I don’t see how South Africa will stop them from winning the match. Pienaar will have much more difficult job since he will be pitted against World’s best and without him, South Africa are nowhere near dangerous enough.
Bet 6 on away win at 1.70 at Expekt

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