Home And Away: Brondby won't cope with Danish leaders

Daily Tipping / Jonno Turner / 05 April 2012 / Leave a Comment

Denmark international Lars Jacobsen forms part of Copenhagen's defence

Jonno Turner is combining marriage jokes with Danish and Europa League insight in his latest column...

I just read that last year 4,153,237 people got married. Now, I don't want to start any trouble, but shouldn't that be an even number?

Marriage isn't all it's cracked up to be. I married a stunning 18-year-old busty lingerie model once to stop her from being deported. Thank goodness Essex girls are so thick.

I've been engaged a few times, but married just the once. There's been quite a few near Mrs.

Anyway, I digress. We're off to Denmark for our first tip of the day as FC Copenhagen welcome Brondby to the Parken Stadium.

The hosts have lost just once in their last ten Superliga outings and that run has seen them cement their position at the top of the table, with 23 games gone.

And they look in pole position to repeat last season's title success as long as they can keep grinding out the results.

Boss Carsten Jensen has seen his side lose just once in 34 home league matches and the Løverne will be highly confident that they can continue that run as they prepare to face Aurelijus Skarbalius' Brondby side.

The visitors have won just once in their last nine league games on the road and have scored only four goals in their last six on their travels.

That poor form has left the biggest club in Denmark in crisis, seventh in the table and a whopping 17 points behind their opponents this evening.

The last time these two sides met at the Parken, Copenhagen ran out 3-1 winners in comfortable style, and I think that this will be another home win for Jensen's side.

Bet 1: FC Copenhagen (HOME) to win @ [1.76]

I've been asked out by a number of sexy women this week. Sadly, that number is zero.

Switching our attention to the Europa League quarter-finals now, Atletico Madrid travel to Hannover looking to protect their slim 2-1 lead from the first leg.

The Spaniards were impressive at the Vicente Calderon last week, but boss Diego Simeone will be desperate for his side to stay focussed going into this game in Germany.

A goal for the visitors would all but kill this tie, and I think that the Argentine will look to attack the home side and draw a mistake from the Hannover defence, which has conceded 16 goals in their last nine outings.

Mirko Slomka's side sit fifth in the Bundesliga table, but have been in mixed form of late domestically, winning just two of their last six. The pressure is on Die Roten not to concede, but they have only kept one clean sheet in their last nine games.

Atletico have won their last three away games in this competition comfortably, scoring seven and conceding just one, and I think that the Spaniards have too much quality not to secure their place in the semi-finals.

Bet 2: Atletico Madrid (AWAY) to win @ [2.46]

Hansa Rostock take on Fortuna Dusseldorf in a clash in Germany's Bundesliga Two this evening. Fortuna are expected to win comfortably but Paul Robinson believes the value is in the goal markets....

Jonno Turner is mixing the Champions League with the Polish Ekstraklasa for today's picks......

Jonno Turner has found two teams worth backing in the Football League tonight, with Brentford and Birmingham the pair earning his seal of approval......

Amazon Sports Center

The Lord's Lays: Blue Bee won't buzz at Swindon

General / The Lord / 08 March 2012 / Leave a Comment

Will you go against the Lord's Lays?

The Lord identifies a pair of dogs to be against at Swindon on Thursday night...

Blue Bee (21:10)

Brilliant out-of-season winner of the Golden Jacket, the Dartnall bitch will have loads of support with the prospect of further improvement after the break to come. However, she really got thumped at Wimbledon last time and, while that has never been her favourite track, she has a huge amount of ground to make up with Lottes Girl.

Longwood Fantasy (21:25)

One of the best competition dogs around with a host of finals reached last year, he nevertheless remains a frustrating dog in terms of the amount of races he wins, given his class. Worringly, his semi-final Arc defeat was one of his poorest runs for a while, and he could be ripe for taking on until his mojo returns.

Recommended Bets
Lay Blue Bee in the 21:10 at Swindon
Lay Longwood Fantasy in the 21:25 at Swindon

There's fantastic fare at Henlow and Hove as Racing Post Greyhound TV hits the screens again - and The Lord is across it all!...

Another week of Racing Post Greyhound TV kicks into action at Henlow and Hove on Thursday night, with the former taking care of the Open race action, while the Sussex track concentrates on the graders, ahead of Romford's regular Friday...

The Lord selects two to oppose from this evening's Romford card......

Amazon Sports Center

Gareth's Good Thing: Why Aston Villa won't lose at Wigan

Premier League / Gareth Purnell / 24 February 2012 / Leave a Comment

Roberto Martinez could have been Aston Villa manager in the summer

"Roberto Martinez is a man with a great managerial future ahead of him but his team looks in real trouble again and perhaps he should have moved to Villa in the summer."

Gareth Purnell is normally against Aston Villa, but on Saturday he is fully behind them and expects them to get at least a point against Wigan. Here, he tells us why...

Wigan v Aston Villa, Kick-off: Saturday, 15:00, Match Odds: Wigan [2.86], Aston Villa [2.72], The Draw [3.4]

Aston Villa have been one of my 'go to' teams to lay this season. They have been particularly poor at home and apart from a surprise 3-1 win at (a let's face it) pretty shambolic Chelsea, they have struggled to beat anyone above them in the league either home or away.

So it's perhaps a little surprising that I want to get the right side of them this weekend. Bear with me, because there is some method to my apparent madness.

For a start, the Midlanders' home record contrasts with their away form, which is actually pretty good. Villa have only actually lost three games away from Villa Park all season, at Spurs, Manchester City and Newcastle. Alex Mcleish's charges have admittedly drawn a lot of away games, but that's fine - a draw is a winner for us.

And closer inspection reveals that when Villa have taken on teams flirting with relegation, they have generally come away with something. In fact four of their six wins have come against Bolton, Blackburn, Wolves and Saturday's opponents Wigan Athletic... in other words the bottom four.

Villa have also showed some improved cutting edge since the turn of the year. Some of that has undoubtedly been down to Robbie Keane, who has now gone back to the States, adding a touch of quality to the forward play. But it also coincided with the return to fitness and form of key striker Darren Bent, and of Marc Albrighton, who has great delivery from out wide.

Bent and Albrighton should be partnered on Saturday by Gabi Agbonlahor. He's hardly a man to put your mortgage on, but what he has got is great pace, which perfectly suits Villa's counter attacking style away for home, and he has a good record against Wigan.

And what of the Latics? I've said before what an admirer of manager Roberto Martinez I am. I love the way he sets his teams up to play what I call proper football. Martinez is a man with a great managerial future ahead of him but his team looks in real trouble again and perhaps he should have moved to Villa in the summer - I think that would have been good for both parties.

The problem is that he doesn't really have the squad to play the type of football he likes, and they always look like conceding to me. In fact they have only kept one clean sheet in their last 22 matches at this level. And he has to be mighty worried about his team's home form. Wigan have not won any of their last ten matches at the DW Stadium and that is relegation form.

Villa have lost only one of their last seven Premier League games against Wigan and only one of their last six away this season. Clearly their style is more suited to soaking up pressure and breaking with speed, than having to force the pace themselves.

At the price and given all of the above, I make Wigan a solid lay at under 2-1 in the Match Odds market.

Recommended Bet: Lay Wigan at [2.9]

Wolves have met their deadline to hire a new manager before Saturday's trip to Newcastle, but the appointment has done little to calm relegation fears......

A case could be made for all three outcomes in this match so the draw is the call at an attractive price. One thing is for sure: there will be no shortage of goals, says Lee Dixon....

High-flying Manchester City play hosts to a struggling Blackburn side and it's extremely unlikely that we're going to have an upset on the cards here. Expect a City win and plenty of goals, says Lee Dixon....

Amazon Sports Center

Home And Away: AZ won't navigate a route past Anderlecht

Daily Tipping / Jonno Turner / 23 February 2012 / Leave a Comment

Will Anderlecht and Udinese still be fighting for this trophy after tonight?

The Europa League is dominating Jonno Turner's thoughts on Thursday, as he backs first-leg blank-firers Anderlecht and Udinese to deliver at the second attempt...

Sometimes I look at my bets on obscure European teams and wonder if I have a problem. Trouble is, I have an addictive personality. I used to be addicted to mud wrestling, but I've been clean four years now.

We're off to Belgium for our first tip of the day, as Jupiler League leaders Anderlecht welcome Dutch side AZ Alkmaar to the Constant Vanden Stock Stadium.

The hosts go into this tie with a 1-0 deficit from the first leg, but Ariel Jacobs' side are formidable on their own patch and I think we could see plenty more from the home side tonight.

Anderlecht haven't lost in ten games in front of their fans, and have won nine of those. That form has pushed the home side seven points clear domestically, and Jacobs' side is playing with confidence, smashing nine goals in their last four games.

The visitors approach this tie occupying second place in the Eredivisie, and are enjoying an impressive season themselves, but their away form does leave a lot to be desired.

Two wins in nine on the road shows that Gertjan Verbeek's side are susceptible to travel sickness, and they have conceded 14 in their last seven outings away from the DSB Stadion.

And here's a stat for you: they have not won on the road in this competition for 12 games - six losses and six draws making up the misery.

The first leg was a tight affair - and I feel that, considering the two sides' relative form, the home win is excellent value here.

Bet 1: Anderlecht (HOME) to win @ [2.02]

You can't say that kids are oblivious to the news. I was testing my little brother on his geography homework yesterday, and when I asked him "What's the capital of Greece?" he replied "about €30".

And that's where we're off next, as Europa League surprise package PAOK host Udinese in the second leg of their duel. The first tie between these two sides ended in a 0-0 stalemate, and PAOK will now fancy their chances of causing yet another upset this season.

But Lazslo Boloni's side have not won in three games on their own patch, and that is sure to knock the confidence of a team who has relied on their home stadium being something of a fortress for most of this season.

And it's worth noting that PAOK have only won one of their last three games at the Toumba Stadium in this competition.

Udinese are enjoying a great season domestically, and are currently third in Serie A. Francesco Guidolin has seen his side lose just twice in 18 at home, and the Bianconeri now need to turn that home form into a solid away performance.

Seven goals in their last four away games shows that the Italians are able to nick a goal or two, and if they can notch first in Greece, this tie will look very different. Udinese are still firmly in this, and will be desperate to leave Greece with their place in the next round of the competition secured.

Bet 2: Udinese (AWAY) to win @ [3.05]

Ligue 1 and Serie A are the two leagues featured in today's column. But who is the good thing to win at home and who should we back to win away?...

Barnsley host Birmingham in the English Championship tonight in what, on paper, appears to be a goalfest in the making. Under 2.5 goals is odds-on though and Paul Robinson believes that is definitely worth opposing....

A home win and an away win have been identified by Jonno Turner but who are the two teams we want to be on?...

Amazon Sports Center

Dominic Beirne: Black Caviar won't fail at 1400

Australia / Editor / 10 February 2012 / Leave a Comment

The flags will be out for Black Caviar on Saturday

“begin with the presumption that the champion mare will win and focus on the race for second and third.”

Australia's most revered form student Dominic Beirne has renewed his popular association with Betfair in time for Saturday's C.F. Orr Stakes at Caulfield, and is unsurprisingly predicting Black Caviar to cruise to a comfortable victory at her first attempt at 1400 metres.

In his weekend form assessment compiled exclusively for Betfair punters, Dominic suggests the best way to profit from the Orr Stakes is to "begin with the presumption that the champion mare will win and focus on the race for second and third."

"The race for second placing looks very likely to go to Southern Speed, who is assessed at $1.40 to run second," Beirne reveals.

"She's a group one winner, has won her past two at the track and won last start at the track and distance."

Dominic believes the fight for third is far more open with Danzylum a leading contender by virtue of the fact that his "last seven wins have all been at 1400 metres."

Sydney race goers will be consumed by their form guides today in preparation for an 11 race card at Rosehill, highlighted by the group two Expressway Stakes.

Brilliant sprinter Rain Affair is the hot favourite at $1.77 on Betfair, and Beirne believes the odds-on quote is justified at the four-year-old's first tilt at group two level.

"Rain Affair meets a very strong field, however nearly all runners are either first up from a spell or forced to concede a large start.

"The forecast rating for Rain Affair is actually slightly above the group two WFA standard and given those circumstances I think this potential rating will be good enough to win," Beirne concludes.

Beirne's exclusive Betfair analysis will stretch far and wide this autumn in the search for value and tomorrow Dominic's 'best exotic' bet is at Ascot in Western Australia.

Dominic's complete form analysis for Saturday's feature races is available HERE.

The connections of Kiwi stayer Roi D'Jeu have enlisted expert local knowledge by engaging Tasmanian Racing Hall of Fame jockey and seven-times premiership winner Stephen Maskiell to ride the six-year-old in Sunday's $225,000 Hobart Cup......

With Black Caviar's 17-race unbeaten stretch expected to be extended when the mare steps up to 1400m for the first time on Saturday, Betfair have opened up two new special markets on the race......

Unbeaten champion Black Caviar will face eight rivals in Saturday's $400,000 C.F. Orr Stakes at Caulfield (due off 04:50 GMT) when she goes for her 18th straight victory and her eighth at Group 1 level......

Amazon Sports Center

The Betfair Contrarian: Why Alberto Contador won't win the Tour de France

Tour De France / The Betfair Contrarian / 27 June 2011 / 1 Comments

Contador's off field problems give him a mountain to climb if he is to win a fourth Tour

"Andy Schleck has closed the gap consistently by improving at a relentless pace, and there is little ground left to make up this year in order to triumph, with Contador’s 2010 winning margin the fifth slimmest in the 108-year history of the event."

The latest super Spaniard in the saddle is odds-on to beat the near 200-strong field home but that's a price you should be laying, says the Betfair Contrarian

Back when Lance Armstrong was in his pomp the Contrarian was instead busy predicting that DJ Pied Piper would be the best thing to happen to music since Spandau Ballet, and so never had the slightly intimidating pleasure of writing "Juan Pelota" off. This latest assignment feels just as daunting, however, as Alberto Contador has triumphed on the last three occasions that he has contested the Tour de France, yet the Contrarian reckons you should lay him for a fourth title at [1.71]. Here's why...

Contador has a monumental distraction...
For years, the Tour de France's appeal has been tarnished by doping suspicions and the problem won't be eradicated any time soon given that the Tour's holder is competing in the shadow of a failed drugs test in last year's edition. He was later banned because his sample was found to contain traces of clenbuterol, only to be controversially cleared by the Spanish authorities, who accepted his claim that the low concentration levels made food contamination the likely source. The Union Cycliste International were understandably furious and turned to the Court of Arbitration, though in a twist that does the sport's credibility no favours, the case was put back from June, allowing him to compete. Yet while Contador gets the opportunity to fight for a fourth win, the whispering campaign that will accompany his involvement and worries about the upcoming court showdown are sure to compromise his performance.

...and has shown signs of suffering
Contador's performance in the Volta ao Algarve and Vuelta a Castilla y Leon, two events that he won in 2010, provide further evidence that off-road troubles are affecting his cycling. This time round he finished a distant fourth in Portugal and all the way back in 24th in his homeland, where he was hampered by several punctures.

Schleck is a worthy adversary
Now that they no longer enter the Eurovision Song Contest, in which they impressively remain the joint-second most successful nation, Luxembourg need to look elsewhere for opportunities to shine on a global stage. The Tour de France is an obvious substitute, given that they have provided four winners in the highlight of the cycling calendar. The last of those was Charly Gaul in 1958 but it looks to be a matter of time before 26-year-old Andy Schleck becomes the fifth, and there is no reason why this won't prove to be his year at [3.5]. He fared better in his first appearance in the race than his main rival, ranking 12th to the Spaniard's 31st, and has built on that with two second-placed finishes, claiming the white jersey that is awarded to the best young rider on all three occasions.

The gap is narrower than ever
On Schleck's Tour de France debut in 2008, he finished over 11 minutes behind champion Carlos Sastre (Contador didn't participate in the race) despite topping the Young Riders' Classification, yet 12 months later he was within five minutes of Contador as the latter claimed his second title, before trailing by only 39 seconds as El Pistolero completed his hat-trick last July. Those figures illustrate that Schleck has closed the gap consistently by improving at a relentless pace, and there is little ground left to make up this year in order to triumph, with Contador's 2010 winning margin the fifth slimmest in the 108-year history of the event. It is no surprise therefore that Schleck's Leopard Trek manager Brian Nygaard is confident of his star turn delivering.

Mark Cavendish is chasing a fifth stage win of the 2010 Tour around Paris, just like Tobias Gourlay....

Spartacus won't be defying any odds if he records another victory today, says Tobias Gourlay....

The sprinters think it's their turn at the front now, but there might still be a baroudeur or two with other ideas, warns Tobias Gourlay....

Betfair website

The Betfair Contrarian: Why France won't win Eurovision

Eurovision Song Contest / The Betfair Contrarian / 11 May 2011 / Leave a Comment

You heard it here first - Amaury Vassili will not be smiling on Saturday night

"France haven’t won since 1977 and haven’t even hit the podium positions since 1991, while their results have grown progressively worse, with just one top-ten finish in eight years and three of their last six attempts landing in the bottom four."

They're the [2.96] favourites but the stats say Europe will deliver a stern 'non' to the French on Saturday night, says the Betfair Contrarian

The Eurovision Song Contest in the 21st century has largely been a tale of first-time winners and Big Four (United Kingdom, Germany, France and Spain) failure, but Germany's 2010 victory appears to have changed the landscape. Indeed, the top of this year's winner market looks most unfamiliar, with France, Ireland (Jedward) and the UK (Blue) leading the way. The Contrarian wisely steered punters away from last year's favourites Azerbaijan though, and this year recommends giving operatic French entry "Sognu" the elbow this time at [2.98]...

"Sognu" is certain to divide opinion
Twenty-one-year-old tenor Amaury Vassili's "Sognu" has received huge support from Betfair punters, currently trading at [2.96] to triumph having at one point been backed at [250.0]. It's expected to be a big hit with the judges that have a 50 per cent weighting in the vote for each nation, however the other half is determined by the viewing public, and how they will respond to a highbrow submission which varies drastically from the standard Eurovision fare is unclear, with the majority of modern winners either being simple ballads, high-tempo pop and occasionally rock that doesn't take itself too seriously.

It's a good song, but it's still France!
Several recent French Eurovision Song Contest entries have quite rightly been derided, however there is no disputing that this year's offering is their most promising in ages, with the decision to go down the opera route ensuring that it will stand out from the crowd. Even so, a good track is no guarantee of success, especially when your record in the competition is as dire as France's. They haven't won since 1977 and haven't even hit the podium positions since 1991, while their results have grown progressively worse, with just one top-ten finish in eight years and three of their last six attempts landing in the bottom four.

And the draw has been very unkind
France's call to pick a song that differs from almost everything else on the show is perhaps influenced by the belief that something unique is more likely to be remembered, so their strategy has been clearly compromised by the draw forcing them to be the 11th of the 25 challengers on stage, and perform right before equally left-field Italian choice "Follia d'amore". The last six finals have all been won by one of the eight closing acts, while the middle of the pack is the worst place to be, with only one of the 90 acts drawn in positions nine to 17 over the last decade finishing first.

They've got the language decision all wrong
Sebastien Tellier's 2008 effort "Divine" was a solid Eurovision song produced by Daft Punk's Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, yet it divided opinion in France due to the inclusion of some English lyrics. Much to French vexation, English is undeniably now the language of Eurovision, having been the tongue adopted by 11 of the last 12 winners. In 2010, all of the seven highest scorers sung in English, while the finalists that opted for another dialect wound up in an average place of 13th. So though the decision to abandon French seems shrewd, singing in Corsican on "Sognu" might not be the wisest of choices.

There are safer options available at bigger prices
Female solo stars have claimed top spot in six of the last eight years so the absence of any in the top four of the market is begging to be exploited. Last year's champion Lena - tipped by the Contrarian at [5.8] on that occasion - is back to defend her crown on home soil for Germany [21.0] and while "Taken by a Stranger" isn't as catchy as "Satellite", she has a huge fanbase and was clearly liked by the judges. Another intriguing contender is Getter Jaidi of Estonia [14.0], whose song "Rockefeller Street" should breeze through the second semi-final.

For an alternative take on this year's Eurovision Song Contest please follow @betfairpoker twitter feed.

We will be running Eurovision themed free roll this Saturday at 7pm UK time (Password: Big Carlos)

http://Bit.ly/BetfairPoker

Europe is such an unwieldy beast that we have to split the Eurovision hopefuls into two - but that shouldn't endanger the fancied countries, says Eliot Pollak...

Dan Fitch takes a look at the most weird and wonderful performances at Eurovision....

Dan Fitch takes a look at the problems that face the UK as they attempt to win Eurovision....

Betfair website

5 reasons why the UK won't win Eurovision

Eurovision Song Contest / Dan Fitch / 20 April 2011 / Leave a Comment

A man who has done much damage to the UK's Eurovision hopes.

Dan Fitch takes a look at the problems that face the UK as they attempt to win Eurovision.

To win Eurovision all you have to do is to come up with the best/catchiest song, right? Wrong. It's a lot more complicated than that. Especially if you're British.

The Brits haven't won the contest since 1997 and are poor value at a price of [11.0] to win this year. Here are the five reasons why the UK won't win Eurovision.

How many boy bands were asked to represent the UK before Blue were dug up from obscurity? The group do at least have some past form in the competition, but unfortunately it's the type that you would best describe as 'poor'.

Lee Ryan wrote the song 'Guardian Angel', that Andy Scott-Lee performed on a 2005 reality show to find our Eurovision entry, only for the British public to decide that Scott-Lee should remain most famous for being married to Michelle Heaton. The following year saw Anthony Costa finish second in the same contest, with his incorrectly named song 'It's a Beautiful Thing' (it wasn't).

Blue's Eurovision entry is called 'I Can', which we'll all be referring to as 'We Can't' if they fail to win. It's a forgettable number that was probably rejected by Take That, Westlife and The Wanted before being reluctantly handed over to Blue. At best this song could end up being used as background music in the next series of Masterchef, but it won't win Eurovision.

The trouble with the British is that when we're not getting involved in illegal wars, we tend to be quite fair about things. This is a mistake when it comes to Eurovision, where being fair is a shortcut to finishing in a lowly position.

In 2003 we scored a deserved 'nul points', when Jemini sang so off-key that is sounded as if the duo were warbling different songs, but we might have been saved this embarrassment if we made better friends with our neighbours.

Take Greece and Cyprus for instance. In every contest since 1998 they have given each other 12 points, regardless of the quality of the songs involved. Then there was the case of the 2007 contest where the first fifteen places were suspiciously filled by nations east of the Adriatic sea.

A wise old sage (possibly Thoreau) once said, 'Neighbours, everybody needs good neighbours'. Unfortunately we don't have any neighbours who particularly like us, which brings us to our third point, after this video showing the history of the Greece/Cyprus bromance.

Our Eurovision chances are not helped by the fact that at one time or another we have been at war with just about every country in Europe, apart from Switzerland... and that was only because we had no use for all those cuckoo clocks.

The days of us getting into scuffles against Europe's great and good may be over, but our current involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan have made us about as popular on the continent as driving on left. We have no close friends, only former enemies.

There's not a lot we can do about this, apart from trying to stop annoying everyone. Or alternatively we could play hard-ball and insist that every skint European nation that we help to bail out, gives us 12 points.

While Eurovision isn't treated with the sincerity on the continent that we British often imply, it's fair to say that it's not thought of as quite so much of a joke in Europe.

The sniggering British attitude towards Eurovision is partly down to the fact that for many years it was commentated on by Terry Wogan, who would spend the entire show taking the p*ss out of everyone.

Wogan has now gone, but by choosing Graham Norton as his replacement, the BBC did nothing to dispel the notions that Eurovision is something to be laughed at and only enjoyed by the gay community. We're not saying that Eurovision should be treated with the same sort of sincerity that BBC extend to their coverage of Remembrance Sunday, but just pointing out that our attitude towards Eurovision isn't going to endear us to the people handing out points.

We are the nation that gave the world the likes of The Beatles, Dusty Springfield, The Kinks, Scott Walker, Led Zeppelin, David Bowie, Roxy Music, Elvis Costello, The Jam, Blur, Radiohead and Michelle McManus. What have the whole of Europe produced in return? The Scorpions, Roxette, Vanessa Paradis... and Abba - OK, they were good, we'll give them that.

Our point is that in any contest involving European nations and popular music, there should only be one winner. Other than the United States (who aren't in Europe, fact fans) no other country has produced better pop and rock acts than the UK and some of them have even been interested in getting involved in Eurovision. Oasis wanted to enter 'All Around The World' in 1998, while Morrissey was keen to represent the UK in 2007. Who did we send instead? Someone called 'Imaani' and Scootch.

So why don't we use such talents in the Eurovision song contest? If we were to enter the cream of our musical crop then we'd either win every year, or could sit smug in the knowledge that the rest of Europe were just being deliberately contentious. We're never going to win the World Cup, but popular music is the one thing that we're demonstrably better at than the French, Dutch and Germans.

Germany will be wheeling out last year's winner Lena Meyer-Landrut while Britain has employed the 'talents' of ageing 'boy' band Blue, even Ireland are putting their faith in the star names with Jedward preparing to perform. But can the proven...

Dan Fitch takes a look at the Eurovision Song Contest entries that embarrassed the UK....

After being dead in the water for the last few years punters believe that former chart darlings Blue could put the UK back on the Eurovision map...

Betfair website

The Betfair Contrarian: Why Sebastian Vettel won't win the Drivers' Championship

Formula One / The Betfair Contrarian / 07 April 2011 / Leave a Comment

Will hostilities between Vettel and Webber scupper the German's chances?

"The Drivers' Championship is tougher to retain than ever... "

Sebastian Vettel who took the chequered flag in Australia, prompting many to predict a successful title defence. The Contrarian isn't buying it though, and thinks the Red Bull driver represents an irresistible lay at [1.92]. Here's why...

There are 18 races to go

Nine of the last 14 winners of the seaon curtain-raiser have gone on to be crowned champion but that statistic alone isn't enough to justify Vettel's price being sliced from [3.4] to [1.92]. There are countless examples of drivers starting a campaign strongly before fading - for example, David Coulthard twice triumphed in the opener and on five occasions made the podium without ever seriously challenging. Last season, Alonso delivered in Bahrain before enduring nine straight races without success, whereas Vettel ended March 25 points off the pace yet still recovered.

Nobody ever stays on top

As the Contrarian highlighted recently, the Drivers' Championship is tougher to retain than ever due to the climate of constant rule change and dependence on manufacturers and strategy. The past five seasons have produced five different world champions (Fernando Alonso, Kimi Raikkonen, Hamilton, Jensen Button and Vettel). It's even harder to stay on top in your early years, as shown by the fact that of the eight youngest winners in history, only two managed to do it again the following year. Vettel has now surpassed those eight as the youngest ever driver to establish himself as the sport's finest. He faces an equally daunting task to stay there.

McLaren are stronger than anticipated

McLaren were accused of sandbagging in pre-season testing after exceeding all expectations at the Australian Grand Prix, where Hamilton finished second and Button wound up sixth. The Woking-based team weren't fancied to be anywhere near as high in the standings this early in the campaign after their poor performances over the winter and the fact that they are - regardless of whether it is due to exaggerating the extent of their malaise or making swift progress - is bad news for Vettel and Red Bull, who looked set to have a chance to build a big lead before McLaren achieve top form.

The return of team orders is a blow

One of the most significant of the latest batch of regulation alterations is the return of team orders, allowing constructors to instruct their drivers to let title-chasing team-mates pass them and the like. It's one that might not please the Red Bull bosses too much given that their employees Vettel and Mark Webber had the most trouble of all the leading pairings when it came to working in tandem last year. The veteran Australian became increasingly frustrated with what he perceived to be the favourable treatment towards his younger colleague and may feel that it is his turn to be supported. This year is one of his final opportunities to reach the top.

Petrov is this year's dark horse

Incredibly, each of the last four seasons have provided first-time champions, so don't discount the prospect of an emerging talent threatening the traditional frontrunners. This year's potential surprise package is Renault's Russian driver Vitaly Petrov, who after an unremarkable first season, hit the headlines in the finale at Abu Dhabi after holding off title contender Alonso for sixth place, much to the Spaniard's frustration. He got the better of the two-time champion again in Australia for his first podium and, while Alonso claimed that he wasn't bothered as he doesn't view Petrov as a rival, not all punters agreed with his dismissal, as the 26-year-old's price has shot in from [730.00] to [230.00].

While other stars whinge and curse, Lewis Hamilton is showing remarkable signs of maturity, says Ralph Ellis. But can he follow up his impressive performance in Australia with a win at Sepang this weekend?...

James Frankland on what we know so far about the different cars ahead of the first race of the season....

You'll be able to read articles about every Grand Prix of 2011 on Betting.Betfair as well as a comprehensive, up-to-the-minute race preview when qualifying has finished. For now, here's a quick update on the latest Championship odds....

Betfair website

Super League Betting Preview: Wakey won't shock electric Wire

Super League / Stuart Jones / 10 March 2011 / Leave a Comment

Can Warrington pick up a big win this weekend?

"Warrington are still perennial underachievers but there are signs that they are much closer to the finished article this season."

Warrington are on a roll, so does Stuart Jones believe they can cover the handicap against struggling Wakefield? Meanwhile, who will win the battle between the Cats and the Tigers?

Harlequins look like finally justifying their franchise in Super League, putting up another spirited performance against Huddersfield last Friday, but the same can't really be said of Wakefield.

John Kear's men were brushed aside by a fairly average Bradford side last week and for the most part it was like watching men against boys, literally in a couple of instances. The Wildcats side that took to the field at Odsal was a National League One side masquerading as a Super League team. Even acknowledging the fact that they were missing Ben Jefferies and Paul King, the signs for Wakefield are not at all good on the playing side, whilst their off-field position must mean their place in Super League is seriously under threat.

Winning the Challenge Cup last season hasn't detracted from the fact that Warrington are still perennial underachievers, certainly in my eyes anyway, but there are signs that they are much closer to the finished article this season.

Tony Smith's men absolutely battered Leeds last week and that was in spite of the fact that talisman Adrian Morley limped off early in the first half. Granted, Leeds were not anywhere near their best, but these are the types of games that Wire were conspiring to lose in previous seasons, and they never looked in any danger once they had scored three tries inside eight first-half minutes.

One man's misfortune is another man's gain, and young centre Rhys Evans, who was called up as a late replacement for Ryan Atkins, made the most of an unexpected opportunity with an accomplished performance on his full Warrington debut. There's been plenty of hype surrounding the young "Welshman", and it wasn't difficult to see why, some strong tackling and intelligent running earning him a deserved Man of the Match award.

I can't see how Wakefield can compete with Warrington, and I don't expect even a 20.5 point start to be enough, with Wires' tendency to start strongly and the way they conceded some late scores to Leeds suggests that the half-time handicap of -10.5 is another way to keep Wire on side.

Saturday's live game is an interesting mix of styles as Castleford host French side the Catalan Dragons. Castleford have the only 100% record in Super League, winning three from three and holding top spot, while the Catalans have recovered somewhat from an appalling start to the season but still find themselves near the bottom.

The Tigers will be worried about the Cats' forward power and with Scott Dureau settling in as playmaker they are a massive danger through the middle of the park. Castleford will be looking to spread the play and wear down the big French pack, utilising their quicker backline and the creative talents of maestro Rangi Chase.

Catalans are a side I would much rather back as underdogs, as they have the ability to compete with anyone at their best, so whilst an eight point start on the handicap makes appeal, their tendency to throw in the odd howler makes their outright price of [4.5] more appealing.

Recommended bets:
Back Warrington conceding -10.5 on the ht handicap and -20.5 on the ft handicap, both @ [1.91].

Warrington are on a roll, so does Stuart Jones believe they can cover the handicap against struggling Wakefield? Meanwhile, who will win the battle between the Cats and the Tigers?...

Stuart Jones believes that Huddersfield will not make the same mistake as Leeds. Meanwhile, can Leeds front up against the Wolves pack?...

Stuart Jones believes the markets have got it wrong for the World Club Challenge and expects Wigan to become the first English side to win the match for three years. Meanwhile, Saints aim to maintain their impressive start......

Betfair website

NBA Betting Preview: Lakers won't underestimate the Thunder

Basketball / Nick Shiambouros / 25 February 2011 / Leave a Comment

Like his team, Kobe is starting to hit the heights

"LA are peaking at the right time and will come out firing against this young Oklahoma rotation."

Kobe and co. are on the up but Oklahoma are having a good season and could cause the champs a few problems. Nick Shiambouros selects the best weekend NBA bets.

The Chicago Bulls beat the Miami Heat 93-89 in a pulsating encounter at the United Center on Thursday evening. The Bulls trailed by nine points at the half but staged a big rally in the third quarter ,scoring 27 points. Chicago sealed the victory after Luol Deng made a huge three point shot in the last minute of the game.

This was a very impressive performance by Chicago who are firing on all cylinders at the moment.
The new look Denver Nuggets beat the Boston Celtics 89-75 with a stellar defensive effort late on Thursday. The Nuggets held the Celtics scoreless over the final six minutes to record their second straight victory after trading Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups to New York.

The injury hit Boston Celtics only dressed nine players in this game and this defeat is best forgotten.
There are a couple of very interesting games with playoff implications taking place this weekend.

The Oklahoma City Thunder play host to the Los Angeles Lakers in a nationally televised game on Sunday. Kobe Bryant scored 37 points and won his fourth MVP award last weekend after he led the Western Conference to victory in the All-Star Game. Bryant has elevated his game over the past few weeks and is determined to lead his team to a third consecutive NBA title.

The Lakers have won two games in a row since the All-Star break and appear to be playing with a lot more urgency than they were earlier in the season.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are having an excellent year and are in fourth place in the Western Conference just 2.5 games behind the Lakers who occupy the third spot.

The Thunder added some size to the rotation this week when they acquired Kendrick Perkins from Boston in a last minute trade before the deadline on Thursday. I think this was a very shrewd move by Oklahoma who really needed a big man inside the painted area.

This promises to be a close run affair but I just favour the Lakers in this one. They are peaking at the right time and will come out firing against this young Oklahoma rotation. They should be priced around [1.9] in the match odds market.

Later on Sunday, the Miami Heat take on the New York Knicks at the American Airlines Arena. Earlier this week the Knicks moved heaven and earth to sign superstar forward Carmelo Anthony from Denver in a multiple player deal. The Knicks traded Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari and Timofey Mozgov in exchange for Anthony and veteran point guard Chauncey Billups.

The Knicks have paid a very high price for Carmelo Anthony but I believe he is worth it. He is one of the most prolific scorers in the NBA and his high energy playing style will suit New York down to the ground.
The Miami Heat have only lost five games at home all season but I think the Knicks could cause an upset. Carmelo Anthony and company should give Miami plenty to think about in this much anticipated game. New York is currently priced at [2.68] in the match odds market which is more than fair in my opinion.

Recommended bets:
Sunday back Los Angeles at [1.9] in the match odds market v Oklahoma
Sunday back New York at [2.68] in the match odds market v Miami

Kobe and co. are on the up but Oklahoma are having a good season and could cause the champs a few problems. Nick Shiambouros selects the best weekend NBA bets....

The 60th All-Star Game takes place this Sunday at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. This celebration of basketball is one of the most popular fixtures in the sporting calendar and is also a chance for some off the wall...

With over half the season completed it's time to look ahead and assess the chances of the teams who could be in contention to win this year's championship. Nick Shiambouros provides the rundown....

Betfair website

Paul Nicholls: You won't be disappointed by new edition of my book

Betfair website