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Groves Says Inter To Wing It

Fri, 21 May 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Fans favourite Perry Groves was George Graham’s first signing at Arsenal. He won two league titles as part of the late Eighties and early Nineties Gunners side and also played for Colchester United, Southampton and Dagenham & Redbridge.

Since retirement, Perry’s become a well-known face and voice on TV and radio and is helping promote Football Replay (www.footballreplay.net), an initiative to get over-35s back playing the game. Sportsvibe caught up with him to get his thoughts on the Champions League final:

“I think Inter Milan will come out on top because of the way Jose Mourinho sets up his teams tactically. Plus Samuel Eto’o and Diego Milito are deadly up front and Bayern Munich will be missing Franck Ribery. Inter also have the attacking talent of Wesley Sneijder who I think will be vitally important. I can see it being 1-1 going into extra time with Inter snatching it late on.”

Perry Groves’ charity choice is Asthma UK
Asthma UK is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of the 5.4 million people in the UK whose lives are affected by asthma.
www.asthma.org.uk

Mr Betdaq
This weekend’s inaugural Saturday Champions League final sees Bayern Munich and Inter Milan battling to become the first Italian or German side to claim the Treble. Clearly, both have already had fantastic seasons – each lifted their domestic league and cup this month, but this is the one that really counts.

The game looks difficult to call and, like Perry, the bookies think there’s little to choose between the pair, pricing Inter (8/13) as slight favourites with Bayern on offer at 6/4 on Betdaq. However, the Bavarian outfit are ahead in the all-time European Cup count.

Bayern’s fourth triumph came in their last final appearance in 2001 and they have been runners-up three times too. Inter last reached this stage in 1972 and trail with two titles from four finals. The Milanese side achieved back-to-back wins in 1964 and 1965.

They are in similar form with just two league defeats apiece in 2010, but Inter ended the campaign in slightly better shape winning six of their last seven in Serie A while Bayern won four and drew two of their last half-dozen games en route to being crowned Bundesliga kings.

This one, as finals often are, could be a war of attrition – both Jose Mourinho and van Gaal are capable of ‘parking the bus’ – in the Champions League era, five of 17 finals have been level after 90 minutes.

With the teams very evenly matched the draw at full-time looks a good bet at 9/4 on Betdaq. Perry’s forecasting this and it’s hard to disagree with him. I also like the look of his 1-1 correct score at 11/2 on Betdaq.

While he’s going for a late decider in the Nerazzurri’s favour, I certainly wouldn’t rule out penalties. Extra-time has proved a non-contest in Champions League finals – on each of the five occasions we’ve seen it, spot-kicks have then been needed to settle the showpiece.

Latest odds on Betdaq:
To lift the trophy:
Inter 8/13
Bayern 6/4

Match odds (90 minutes)
Inter 5/4
Draw 9/4
Bayern 5/2

Perry’s Punt
Inter 1-1 Bayern correct score 11/2

Will Smith Backs The Men In Blue

Fri, 07 May 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Will Smith established himself in the Durham championship side during the 2008 season, primarily batting at No 3. He has a first class double-hundred (201 not out) against Surrey to his name and was appointed as Durham captain on 14 November 2008, succeeding Dale Benkenstein who since tipped him as a potential future England skipper.

Outside of cricket, Smith is a keen journalist and writes for All-Out Cricket as well as doing the odd bit of commentary for Sky and the BBC. Football is another favourite and he supports non-league side Rusden and Diamonds.

“I think India will win the tournament as they have the big game experience and plenty of the players have been in the IPL which is why they should be considered favourites. They have plenty of strong, big hitting batsmen, clever seamers and terrific spin options. All this combined means they are the stand out team.”

Will Smith’s charity choice is International China Concern (ICC).
The ICC’s mission is to provide love, hope and opportunity for every disabled child. International China Concern is a Christian development organisation that changes lives by bringing love, hope and opportunity to China’s abandoned and disabled
http://english.chinaconcern.org/

Mr Betdaq
England’s Super-Eights got off to a flying start against Pakistan, a refreshing change after labouring through the rain-effected group stages. India and Australia, the two favourites, are going head-to-head at the time of writing, so just how good Will’s tip is shall become a little clearer later on.

This stage of the tournament is notoriously tricky to predict from a betting angle, especially with the calibre of teams that have already made it through.

The experienced Aussies will stand an excellent chance if they can use their pace effectively in Barbados. Having the likes of Shaun Tait, Dirk Nannes and Mitchell Johnson should create fear amongst any batting line-up they come across. Australia sailed through to the second phase of the tournament with comfortable victories in the group stage and even with Philip Hughes’ injury – they stand a fantastic chance.

India's top order has plenty to offer as Suresh Raina demonstrated with his brilliant century against the South Africans. Yuvraj Singh has also scored well during the start of the tournament and he’ll need to offer batting support to Raina.

Sri Lanka will hope to have Muttiah Muralitharan back before too long, but in Ajantha Mendis they have an exceptional replacement that can spice things up with his varying spin. One cannot forget the lightening quick Lasith Malinga, who can put any batsmen under pressure with his unorthodox deliveries. Their bowling attack is supported by bags of run-scoring potential. Mahela Jayawardene can quickly take the game away from any opponent, as shown with his century versus Zimbabwe.

The winners of the Australia-India match will have a much clearer path to the semis, and the side that claims this one could well end up as champions. The Aussies look to be the team to beat, but India do stand a very good chance of a second T20 World Cup victory.

Latest odds on Betdaq:

Outright Twenty20 World Cup
Australia 14/5
India 4/1
South Africa 4/1
England 6/1
Sri Lanka 9/1
West Indies 9/1
New Zealand 16/1
Pakistan 18/1

Will Smith is exclusively represented by Total Sport Promotions.

Jeffries Thinks Cobra Will Bite In 12th Round

Fri, 23 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Super-middleweight Tony ‘Jaffa’ Jeffries claimed Olympic bronze in Beijing and has remained undefeated since turning pro. He has five wins from as many bouts – all coming by way of knock-out.

The 25-year-old from Sunderland fights on the undercard of the Rendall Munroe-Victor Terrazas fight in Coventry on Friday 23rd April, but took time out to give Sportsvibe his thoughts on Carl Froch’s fight against Mikkel Kessler which is being shown on Primetime (www.primetimelive.co.uk), Sky 480 and Virgin On Demand, on Saturday night:

“It’s going to be a really good fight and I think it will definitely go into the later rounds, but I think Froch will come out on top and claim a stoppage late in the 12th.”

Tony Jeffries’ charity choice is Grace House Hospice Appeal
The Grace House North East Children’s Hospice Appeal is raising funds to build, equip and run an eight bed children’s hospice for children across the North East of England.

Over 1,000 families in the region require hospice care and Grace House will provide a home from home, loving environment where children and their families may turn to for support.
(www.gracehouse.co.uk)

Mr Betdaq
Mikkel Kessler and Carl Froch go toe-to-toe in a match-up that has the potential to be an absolute classic with the Cobra’s WBC middleweight belt on the line. Both men like to like to come forward and the clash could be as explosive as the Icelandic volcano eruption which at one time threatened the fight.

With a private jet chartered to ensure no Liverpool or Fulham-style travel itineraries were necessary in reaching Denmark, the Nottingham fighter has been able to look forward to taking on the great Dane in his own back yard and building on the significant Super Six opening stage victory over Andre Dirrell.

Kessler was defeated by Andre Ward – his only other loss in 44 fights was to Joe Calzaghe in 2007 – and, with zero points to his name in the competition, is the man under pressure to perform.

Froch is undefeated in 26 career fights, but was pushed to the edge against Jermain Taylor and Dirrell. The Englishman won’t have home support in his favour which helped him overcome Dirrell. While this will be a big boost for Kessler, it should be remembered that Froch took his title to America and defended it against Taylor.

Kessler has bags of explosive power and is an impressive counter-puncher, so Froch will need to have his guard up throughout the fight and, as Tony suggests, he could be in for a long evening. Two of his last three fights have gone the distance and the other was seconds from requiring a decision.

A partisan backing means Kessler’s the bookmakers’ pre-fight jolly, but Froch looks good – especially at odds-against – to take another giant stride forward.

Latest odds on Betdaq:
Mikkel Kessler v Carl Froch
Kessler:       4/6
Froch:        5/4
Tied:       28/1

Goodison Thinks Blades Have The Edge

Fri, 16 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Another Briton taking time out from ruling the waves to have a charity wager is 32-year-old Paul Goodison, the reigning Olympic, World and European Laser sailing champion.

‘Goodie’ names previous Punter Ben Ainslie as the most influential person in his career, and like his fellow yachtsman can’t help but slap his twenty quid on his favourite footie side. Born in South Yorkshire, the avid Sheffield United fan has gone for a Blades derby victory against Sheffield Wednesday on Sunday:

“I’m a lifelong Sheffield United fan and there’s no game we want to win more than the Steel City Derby. Wednesday will be desperate for victory – not just as it’s against us, but they are in the relegation zone and a win could get them out.

“To stand any chance of reaching the play-offs we need to win the rest of our games, so this derby is also even more important for us than usual.

“Hillsborough is a bit of a fortress, however form and history goes out of the window in this fixture. It will be fierce and competitive and I wouldn’t be surprised if there are a few red cards. My bet is that we’ll win 2-1. Come on the Blades!”

Paul Goodison’s charity choice is Mercy Ships
Imagine a ship crewed by doctors, nurses, water engineers and agriculturalists visiting some of the world’s poorest countries. Now imagine their life-changing services offered free of charge…

Right now dedicated volunteers from around the world are bringing hope and healing to thousands of people who could never have believed it possible. Welcome to Mercy Ships, a compassionate response to a world where many have lost hope.
www.mercyships.org.uk

Mr Betdaq:
Beijing gold medal winners haven’t proved too bad at the tipping game. Ben Ainslie was almost there with his, predicting a Chelsea win against Arsenal earlier in the season, but couldn’t quite get the score right, while Tim Brabants was bang on the money going for Cambridge to upset Oxford in the Boat Race.

Backing their own team to win hasn’t always proved the best policy for our Punters, although Paul expects Sheffield United to beat neighbours Wednesday. Despite their relative Championship positions – United are 10th and Wednesday 22nd, the Owls are favourites for the clash as the home side but are suffering a dismal season.

The Blades’ campaign could too end disappointingly with their play-off hopes now hanging by the loosest of threads. Three wins are the minimum requirement and even then finishing in the top-six is out of their hands such is the gap to the teams above.

Even if, as looks increasingly likely, Kevin Blackwell’s side remain in the Championship next term, this could be the last league game against Alan Irvine’s outfit for a while as they hover perilously close to the trap door.

Swerving defeat here is absolutely vital for the hosts if they are to avoid relegation. Neither team are in any sort of form, but as Paul says, that counts for little in the heated derby atmosphere. United have lost at Hillsborough on three of their previous four visits, including the past two and the Owls have performed better in front of their own fans. They also have far more to lose, so all things considered are right to be favourites and could just nick.

Expect a real ding-dong battle!

Latest odds on Betdaq:

Paul’s Celebrity Punt:
Sheff Wed 1-2 Sheff Utd    11/1

Sheff Wed v Sheff Utd match odds:
Wednesday             7/5
United                 9/4
Draw                9/4

Brabants Bets On Light Blues

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Olympic canoeist Tim Brabants is the latest to take the Sportsvibe Celebrity Punt challenge.

The Beijing gold medalist is sticking to familiar territory by looking ahead to the Boat Race. No prizes for guessing who’s taking part, but let’s see who he thinks will triumph on the Thames:

“I think it will be Cambridge's turn to win this year having lost by a considerable margin to Oxford the last two years. They're a slightly heavier crew and I'm sure will be hungry for a win.”

Tim Brabants’ charity choice is
My chosen charity is Right To Play, a humanitarian charity that uses sport and play to educate children in countries affected by poverty and war.

They have many Olympic athletes across the World as ambassadors and have a positive effect on hundreds of thousands of children every year.

www.righttoplay.com/uk

Mr Betdaq:
The 156th Boat Race between the old enemies gets underway on Saturday afternoon, with the scores standing at 79-75 in Cambridge’s favour. It’s always a great day out for the spectators, with around 250,000 expected throughout the afternoon. After the first race in 1829, Cambridge sent a challenge to Oxford asking for a re-match – which is where the great tradition was born.

In recent years Oxford have had the upperhand, winning the last four races, which is why they are priced at 1/3 and Cambridge at 11/4 – rowing fans hoping for a dead heat might want to think twice seeing as the last time that happened was 1877.

The Dark Blues were the favourites last year and duly lived up to expectations with a convincing victory. Their preparations this year have gone smoothly, unlike the Light Blues who’ve had to make a late crew change. It’s the third year on the bounce Cambridge have had to make a substitution after the line-up declaration.

Cambridge have the heavier crew this year at 760.4kg and I have a feeling they can sneak a surprise in this year’s showdown. Oxford, weighing 756.6kg are too short to back at 1/3 and the value is certainly with Cambridge at around 11/4.

Latest odds on Betdaq:
Oxford: 1/3
Cambridge: 11/4

Tim Brabants is a brand ambassador for Gatorade, fronting the Gatorade Gives Back campaign. For more information please visit: www.gatorade.co.uk.

Frankie Picks A Star

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Probably the most famous jockey in the world, Frankie Dettori will always be remembered for his ‘Magnificent Seven’ at Ascot in 1996. He is the retained jockey to the powerful Godolphin stable and has ridden 13 British Classics in his career.

Currently riding in Dubai, he will be returning to Britain shortly in preparation for the start of the UK flat racing season.

Here, Frankie gives his opinion on the big debate in horseracing at the moment; Kauto Star or Denman in the Cheltenham Gold Cup:

“I think Kauto Star will win because he has a good cruising speed and a very good turn of foot. I really like the horse as he is such a flashy looker.”

Frankie Dettori’s charity choice is Racing Welfare.
Racing Welfare is the only organization to provide help and support for all people who work or who have worked in the racing industry.

They deliver nationwide support through a network of welfare officers and a 24 hour helpline, as well as providing financial aid to those who suffer injury, illness or other disadvantage. Quality, affordable housing is also provided for racing’s retired or for young people who have just entered the industry.

Racing Welfare are there to help and support the often unsung heroes of the racing industry in times of need. Through their work the charity seeks to enable and enhance the lives of racing’s entire workforce and to benefit the British racing industry.

www.racingwelfare.co.uk

Mr Betdaq
This year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup is one of the most eagerly awaited races in living memory and let’s just hope that both horses get there in top form. Frankie has gone for Kauto Star, the “flashy looker”, and it is difficult to argue with him. This is one of the greatest horses of all-time who has already re-written the history books by becoming the first horse to regain the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

It was a shame that Denman unseated Tony McCoy in his prep race at Newbury, as it has slightly taken the gloss off this massive contest. However, Paul Nicholls always said he’d left a lot to work on with Denman and ‘The Tank’ should be at the top of his game next Friday, just as he was when winning the Hennessy for the second time in November.

The big worry for Denman fans, though, is the likelihood of good ground which will play into the hands of Kauto Star. Kauto’s at Kempton on Boxing Day was one of the most incredible performances ever seen on a racecourse and Nicholls has found that keeping him fresh is absolutely vital.

It isn’t just a two-horse race with decent horses like Imperial Commander, Cooldine and Tricky Trickster lining up, but it would still be a big surprise if one of them finished in the first two.

Latest odds on Betdaq:
Frankie’s Celebrity Punt:
Kauto Star to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup   8/11

Cheltenham Gold Cup odds:
Kauto Star       4/5
Denman       4/1
Imperial Commander   10/1
Cooldine       11/1
Tricky Trickster       20/1
33/1 bar

Log-on to www.betdaqextra.com for a comprehensive in-running guide to all the key Cheltenham Festival races.

McInally Backs The Villains

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Known as Rambo for his never-say-die attitude on the pitch, Alan McInally’s career took in spells at Celtic, Aston Villa and Bayern Munich. The striker was also part of Scotland’s World Cup Italia ’90 squad.

Now one of the familiar faces (and voices) on Sky Sports, the pundit looks ahead to Villa’s Carling Cup final against Manchester United at the end of the month:

“Villa are flying this season and it would be a fitting reward for the great work that Martin O’Neill has done there if they can beat United at Wembley at the end of the month.

“Fergie’s boys can never be underestimated, but there’s a great opportunity for my old side here. I think it’ll be close, but that they’ll sneak it by the odd goal. It might take extra time, or even penalties, so I’d prefer to back them to win the cup than to win the game.”

Alan McInally’s charity choice is Sparks
Sparks’ mission is to help all babies be born healthy and stay healthy. They raise money to give all babies the best start in life – a healthy one.

Their research, carried out by leading doctors and researchers nationwide, is saving and improving the lives of children throughout the world.

The charity’s vision is for a world where all babies are given the best possible start in life and where a medical condition or disability at birth is not a barrier to opportunity and fulfillment. Sparks aim to achieve this by funding high quality medical research that is intended to have a practical and positive effect on the lives of children.
www.sparks.co.uk

Mr Betdaq
It isn’t really a shock to see Alan wager on his old side – most of our Celebrity Punters have shown loyalty when placing their bets. However, the big man has been shrewd enough to take slightly shorter odds on Villa winning the trophy, 2/1 on Betdaq, rather than going for them to win the game at 7/2 with that market settled after 90 minutes.

Neither side are strangers to the League Cup final, having both reached the last stage on seven previous occasions. Villa last contested the final in 1996 when they beat Leeds United 3-0 to claim their fifth title, while United ended Spurs’ dreams of back-to-back triumphs last year for their third victory.

That game was settled on penalties after a scoreless stalemate failed to live up to the occasion and was the second consecutive time – and third in five – that the teams couldn’t be separated at the end of normal time, backing-up big Al’s feeling that at least extra time might be required here.

Martin O’Neill might have been pleased his side snatched a late equaliser in the FA Cup at Crystal Palace at the time, but the timing of the replay could hardly have been worse, coming on the Wednesday before his club’s first domestic showpiece in a decade.

The good news for them, though, is that the Red Devils will also have one eye on a big game during the build-up against West Ham and might have another on their Champions League second leg tie against AC Milan.

Villa also broke their United hoodoo this season – their victory at Old Trafford was their first against them since 1999 in any competition – and seem decent value for the victory here.

Latest odds on Betdaq:
Alan’s Celebrity Punt:
Aston Villa to win the Carling Cup:     2/1

Carling Cup final game odds (90 minutes):
Manchester United:            4/5
Draw:                                    12/5
Aston Villa:               7/2

Ben Ainslie Goes Blue

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0000

As one of Britain’s most successful Olympians ever, Ben Ainslie has ruled the waves for nearly two decades. A sailing World Champion in his early twenties, all the way back in 1993, he then became a household name with a silver medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, before a hat-trick of golds at Sydney, Athens and Beijing.

Ben’s also a big football fan and has turned his attention to this weekend’s top-of-the-table Premier League clash between Chelsea and Arsenal at Stamford Bridge. He’s been very precise with his prediction too; let’s see how he gets on:

“Chelsea’s the team I support and this weekend’s game against Arsenal is a massive match. Earlier this year at the Emirates it was very much men against boys and Chelsea totally took Arsenal apart. The game will be closer on Sunday, though, as Arsenal have something to prove after they were ripped apart by Man United last week, however I think Chelsea will win 2-1 with both their goals scored by Drogba.”

Ben's Charity Choice is The Princess Trust
Around one in five young people in the UK are not in work, education or training. Youth unemployment costs the UK economy £10 million a day in lost productivity, while youth crime costs £1 billion every year.

The Princes Trust address this by giving practical and financial support to the young people who need it most. They help develop key skills, confidence and motivation, enabling young people to move into work, education or training.
www.princes-trust.org.uk

Mr Betdaq
Ben’s not the first Celebrity Punter to turn his attention to his favourite football team. Paul Sackey backed Liverpool and Liam Tancock got with Exeter City, but neither man managed to make a profit from their biased bets.

This time, though, I expect Ben to have called the outcome of the game correctly with a Chelsea win. For all their beautiful football, Arsenal just seem a little short at the moment.

Furthermore, the Blues’ record at Stamford Bridge has been nothing short of extraordinary over the last few years where since the start of the 2004/5 season, they’ve lost just twice at home in the Premier League. Both defeats came last year and Arsenal were one of the two teams to win there, but after the recent performance against Manchester United, the bookies are giving the visitors little hope – it’s 4/1 for the away victory.

The 5/6 on Betdaq for the home win is decent value in itself, but Ben’s lumped his stake on the correct score market. With odds of 15/2, the payout would be a handsome one if the 2-1 win is recorded.

Ben also reckons that Didier Drogba’s going to bang the goals in for Carlo Ancelotti’s men on Sunday, and there’s little to put me off agreeing with him on that either. He got two against the Gunners in a 3-0 win in the reverse fixture at the Emirates and scored midweek in his first game back from the African Nations against Hull. He’s also netted ten from 11 games against Arsène Wenger’s boys so seems a prime candidate to net the first goal at around 4/1.

Latest odds on Betdaq:
Ben’s Celebrity Punt:
Chelsea 2-1 Arsenal correct score:     15/2

Chelsea v Arsenal game odds:
Chelsea:                5/6
Draw:                     13/5
Arsenal:                4/1

Mad Dog Sniffs Scottish Victory

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0000

The stars are lining up to take on the Celebrity Punt and this week we have another member of England’s 2003 Rugby World Cup-winning squad – Lewis 'Mad Dog' Moody.

With Lewis likely to be in the side for England’s opener against Wales, he obviously can’t look at that one, so instead gives us a prediction on Scotland versus France at Murrayfield on Sunday 7th February. He’s tipping an unlikely victory for the home side:

“Although France are always contenders for the Six Nations title, they come up against a rejuvenated Scotland who are always formidable at Murrayfield, but will be even more of a handful on the back of their historic win against Australia in the autumn.”

Charity

This month’s charity is HOPE HIV a great charity supported by Lewis that helps support children and young people in sub-Saharan Africa affected by HIV/AIDS. The charity beieves these children with the right support have the potential to make Africa’s future one of hope, rather than despair. For more information go to

www.hopehiv.org

Mr Betdaq
Like Liam Tancock last time out, whose beloved Exeter couldn’t beat Norwich – the Canaries won 3-1, returning a win for those that followed our advice to back over 2.5 goals – Lewis has gone for an outsider in his Celebrity Punt.

He is convinced that Scotland’s first victory over Australia in nearly 30 years can be a springboard for another prized scalp and is well-placed to judge, having first-hand experience of life under Scots head coach Andy Robinson during his England regime.

Mad Dog would have been impressed with their rearguard action against the Aussies – something he certainly knows all about – and this looks like being the key again as they aren’t exactly prolific scorers.

They will have their hands more than full with a number of potential Les Blues match winners, notably No 8 Imanol Harinordoquy, and the score threat coming from the likes Julien Malzieu, Cedric Heymans and Vincent Clerc.

The rugger boys have had mixed fortunes on the Punt so far with Paul Sackey and Phil Vickery drawing a blank, although Martin Offiah came up trumps right at the start.

Scotland are one of the weaker sides and will be doing well to finish above anyone other than the Italians. They can, though, raise their game and are capable of causing a surprise, but let’s not kid anyone; this would be a big one.

There is some value in backing the Scots in front of their home fans on this occasion, but remember France aren’t the Six Nations favourites for nothing and the visitors are likely to make the return journey across the Channel with two points in the bag.

Latest odds on Betdaq:
Scotland v France
France:        1/3
Scotland:     9/4
Draw:        22/1

Six Nations Outright
France:        13/8
Ireland:     11/4
Wales:        9/2
England:     5/1
Scotland:     20/1
Italy:        200/1

Tancock Looks West

Fri, 08 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0000

We’ve got another swimmer taking the Celebrity Punt this week in the form of 50m backstroke World Champion and world record holder Liam Tancock. LIam is an ambassador for Speedo www.speedo.co.uk

As a West Country boy Liam is a passionate supporter of home town club Exeter City so has decided to stake his Betdaq cash on the Grecians’ game against Norwich this weekend. Here’s what he had to say:

“Exeter might not be the most glamourous team in the football league, but I’m proud to support my local side. Although we’ve not been in the best of form lately, I fancy that we could cause an upset against Norwich.”

Charity
This month’s charity is … Dream-A-Way www.dream-a-way.co.uk that provides holidays and outlings for people of all ages throughout the South-West of England

Mr Betdaq
Mark Foster correctly tipped Chris and Ola to win the Strictly Come Dancing final last time out – a 5/4 shot on Betdaq. Former pool pal Liam Tancock has the opportunity to make it back-to-back wins as he goes for his team Exeter to beat high-flying Norwich at Carrow Road.

Under Paul Lambert, Norwich have been playing some fantastic football and are doing well to keep on Leeds United’s coattails at the top of League One. They are currently locked on 48 points alongside Charlton and are in need of another win to keep ahead of the promotion-chasing pack.

There isn’t much in the way of previous form between these two – they have only met on three occasions since 1977. In that time Exeter have yet to beat the Canaries, but they have managed two draws. The corresponding fixture earlier this season ended in a respectable draw after the Grecians recovered from going behind. The concern will be that the Grecians have not won on the road since the end of November and they’ll have to be on top form to keep out an impressive Norwich front-line.

The East Anglians are the league’s second highest scorers at home, with 31, while they have let in 13 from 12 matches there. Meanwhile, Paul Tisdale’s outfit have only managed one victory in their last six away matches and have been outscored twelve goals to six in that period – conceding at the same leaky two-goals-per-game average that they have done in away games all campaign.

I can understand why Liam is praying for, and tipping, an unlikely win for his local side, but all the evidence points towards a comfortable home win for the Canaries. No team’s games have averaged more goals than Lambert’s side so I’d rather back there to be over 2.5 goals at evens on Betdaq for better value than the short price about the home team in the win market.

Latest odds on Betdaq:
Norwich:    2/5
Draw:         7/2
Exeter:        17/2

Strictly Mark Foster

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Mark Foster is one of Britain’s most successful swimmers of all time and carried the flag for his country in the 2008 Olympics. Towards the end of last year he made housewives’ hearts flutter after swapping the pool for the ballroom and competing in the sixth series of BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing.

He’s looking forward to the final of this year’s series and has decided to put his £20 Betdaq bet behind sports presenter Chris Hollins and partner Ola Jordan. Mark says:

“Although Chris is not the best dancer I think he will win on popular vote. Personally, I think Ali was by far the most talented celebrity dancer, but now she’s gone, the title has to be Chris’s.”

Charity
Mark’s chosen charity is Have a Heart Children's Cancer Society.
Have a Heart was formed for the sole purpose of improving the quality of life for children diagnosed with cancer and their families. The organisation works with hospitals, medical centers and other groups to locate families who have financially fallen prey to this debilitating disease. Once identified, they are able to assist them with medical costs, treatments, equipment, transportation and household expenses.
www.haveaheartcharity.org

Mr Betdaq
Unfortunately Paul Sackey misplaced his charity bet by backing his favourite team Liverpool to beat Blackburn a fortnight ago, but Mark Foster could well have called it right this time.

Previous series of Strictly have shown that the best dancers don’t always triumph and that winning over the viewing public has as much, if not a greater bearing on the final result. Since day one, Chris has shown a willingness to learn from his partner and teacher Ola and has approached each dance with an endearing enthusiasm, even if he’s found it difficult to grasp the finer points of a particular style.

Chris’s rival for the glitterball trophy, Hollyoaks star Ricky Whittle, is undoubtedly the best dancer of the two and at first glance seems to have what it takes to appeal to the TV viewers at home. He’s fairly humble and, much like Mark did last year, loves to show off his muscular torso for the female vote. Plus, his partner Natalie Lowe is a fantastic choreographer and has previous form in winning the Australian version of the show. However, Ricky’s missed out on votes thanks to a fair amount of negative press coverage.

I personally think it could go either way but as Chris was a 25/1 shot at one point during the series and he’ll be second-favourite on Saturday, I’ll be cheering him on. Either way, it’s sure to be very close. Best of luck Mark!

Latest odds on Betdaq:
Ricky & Natalie 4/7
Chris & Ola 5/4

Paul Sackey Bets On Reds

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Wasps and England winger Paul Sackey, is next to have a go – the Liverpool supporter has put his score on the Reds to beat Blackburn in Saturday’s Premier League game with any winnings going to The Dallaglio Foundation. Here’s what he had to say:

"Liverpool will be looking to capitalise on their derby win over Everton win last weekend, plus Blackburn will be tired from their mid week win against Chelsea which went to penalties – Liverpool to win!”

Charity
England and London Wasps legend Lawrence Dallaglio has created his own charity, The Dallaglio Foundation. The Foundation aims to support a variety of causes, most notably Cancer Research UK, Help the Heroes, the PRA Benevolent Fund, Sport Relief and Leukemia Research. Upcoming events include the 'Dallaglio Cycle Slam 2010' which sees the man mountain cycle all the stages for the Six Nations rugby tournament in aid of Sport Relief

Mr Betdaq
Like Paul Sackey, many Liverpool fans will join Rafa Benitez in thinking that the derby victory will mark a turning point in their fortunes. That was, though, supposed to be the case after they defeated Manchester United, but it didn’t quite happen then, so for the sake of their season it must happen now.

On paper, they should be too strong for Blackburn – they are eight places above them in the table, have a far superior side and their record at Ewood Park has been decent in recent years, where they have lost just once in eleven visits. However, more significant than all of that is the expected return to the side of Fernando Torres. ‘El Nino’ has scored at an incredible rate in the Premier League – he has ten from ten games this season and has netted 48 goals in 59 starts – an incredible ratio.

With him in the side, the Reds are undoubtedly a far stronger proposition and he has been badly missed in recent weeks. Anticipating the Spaniard coming back into the side to partner Steven Gerrard in the skipper’s 500th game, bookies make the Reds odds-on to win – not amazing value when you consider they are the away side and how well Blackburn are playing at home where they’ve lost just two of their last 18 fixtures.

Sam Allardyce will hope to be back in the dugout for the game after heart surgery and he will be optimistic his side can continue from where they left off after knocking Chelsea out of the Carling Cup. But, as Paul points out, they will be tired from the exertions of extra time and penalties. Also, Liverpool’s confidence is returning, they should prove too strong and look good for another three points in the race for the top four.

Latest odds on Betdaq:
Liverpool: 4/5
Draw: 14/5
Blackburn: 21/5

Phil Vickery's Patriotic Punt

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Sportsvibe has teamed up with online betting exchange Betdaq (www.betdaq.com ) to give the nation’s celebrities and sports stars the chance to put their money where their mouth is with a £20 charity bet each fortnight. Second up for our Celebrity Punt series is England rugby union prop forward, 'Raging Bull' and World Cup winner Phil Vickery, to see if he can fare as well as League's Martin Offiah - who rightly predicted a Haye victory over Valuev

Phil's Charity Choice

Orchid Men’s Cancer Charity (http://www.orchid-cancer.org.uk/Home) - Raging Bull,England rugby Phil Vickery’s exclusive performance clothing company, has joined forces with the male cancer charity Orchid to promote ‘Tackle It’, a campaign dedicated to raising awareness of testicular cancer. Testicular cancer is the most common cancer for men aged 15-44, and every year over 2,000 young men are diagnosed with this male-specific cancer. Raging Bull has launched a new leisurewear range that will help to raise awareness as well as funds for Orchid. Formed in 1996 Orchid is the only UK registered cancer charity to focus entirely on the three male-specific cancers; prostate, penile and testicular by funding medical research and promoting awareness about them.

Phil's Prediction

England v New Zealand Autumn international:

“England win 28 – 26, with a drop goal by Johnny Wilkinson in last five minutes!”

Mr Betdaq Says:

This weekend the awesome New Zealand are England’s final Autumn international opponents. The knives are out for the national side and it’s time for the Red Rose to show what they’re made of. However, Ritchie McCaw’s side have won their previous seven Tests against England and the last time they lost to them, Martin Johnson was still playing. The fact that England have only once got within 15 points of the All Blacks since 2005 means there will plenty of anxiety around Twickenham.

The Kiwis aren’t considered to be the most exciting side for nothing; they have scored at least two tries in every game against England since 2003 and, frighteningly, have averaged 4.2 tries in each of those matches. Jonno has recalled Simon Shaw and Joe Worsley in what looks like a damage limitation move. If England can slow the ball at the breakdown they can perhaps starve the imperious Dan Carter. It’s good to see Jonny Wilkinson back but he’ll have a tough afternoon against his opposite number.

The Kiwi fly-half loves playing England and is chasing down the New Zealand total points record set by Andrew Mehrtens. Incredibly, in the last seven Test wins against England he has racked up a total of 137 points – an average of nearly 20 per game. Perhaps worse is that he averages almost 19 points at Twickenham, five points more than his average in all games away from his homeland. He is not only useful as a kicker but he has also scored a try in four of the last seven against England.

I’m not surprised to see Phil backing the England win on Betdaq, but just can’t see it happening. I’m sure that the All Blacks will be too strong on Saturday, so much so that I think they will do it even with the 13 point handicap which is the bet I’d recommend to other punters at 10/11 on Betdaq.

Latest odds on Betdaq:

England:       6/1
New Zealand:       1/8
Draw:         40/1

Martin's Charity Choice

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Sportsvibe has teamed up with online betting exchange Betdaq www.betdaq.com to give the nation’s celebrities and sports stars the chance to put their money where their mouth is with a £20 charity bet each fortnight. First up for our Celebrity Punt series is Rugby League Legend Martin Offiah - who predicts a Haye victory over Valuev.

Betdaq
Sportsvibe has teamed up with online betting exchange Betdaq (www.betdaq.com) to give the nation’s celebrities and sports stars the chance to put their money where their mouth is with a £20 charity bet each fortnight.

Martin's Charity
Martin’s chosen charity that he will donate his £20 Bet Daq winnings to will be ‘The Prostate Cancer Foundation’ www.prostatecancerfoundation.org The charity aims to provide finance for Prostate Cancer research and provide support to those directly and indirectly affected by the illness.

This November the charity has teamed up with www.movember.com. Movember have been active since 2003 and have raised more than £30 million for Prostate Cancer as well as being formidable in raising awareness for Prostate Cancer around the world.

Martin Offiah
First to stick their neck on the line is rugby league legend Martin Offiah. As a man who needs no introduction, Martin played alongside and against the great and the good of the game. His record-breaking career tally of 501 tries means he’s also well judged to select some of the best ever – as he has done in his new book Martin Offiah’s Fifty of the Greatest Rugby League Tires of All Time.

We caught up with ‘Chariots’ and asked the big man for his views on this weekend’s heavyweight boxing showdown between Britain’s David Haye and the Russian Nikolay Valuev. Here’s what he had to say:

“I’m hoping that after all the build-up, the action in the ring is going to live-up to the hype. I’m a fan of David’s and really want to see him do well.

“I reckon he’s the real deal and has the ability to counter the huge Russian’s size. His extra speed around the ring will be key and too much for Valuev – Haye to win late on.”

Mr Betdaq
So, finally, we’ve got a heavyweight contest that’s given fight fans something to get excited about. Since Lennox Lewis went out at the top, we’ve been waiting for a real star to come along in this division and, after a few poor auditions from a number of contenders, David Haye looks like he could finally be the man.

He’s an entertainer both inside and outside of the ring and has certainly been talking the talk over the last few weeks. It’s now time to walk the walk – something he did during and after his hugely impressive demolition of Enzo Macaranelli at the O2 last year when he decked the Welshman inside the second round and then strolled the 5-mile journey home to Bermondsey.

Since then the Hayemaker has stepped up from the cruiserweight division he unified to the ranks of the most powerful pugilists and did well against American Monte Barrett before his meeting with Wladimir Klitschko was aborted. Going toe-to-toe with the seven-foot Nikolay Valuev will be nothing like he’s experienced before and if he does half as well as he’s been promising then we’re in for a treat.

Much has been made of the fact – mostly by Haye’s camp – that Valuev is bigger, heavier, taller, hairier and even smellier but, he’s certainly an awful lot slower. Haye won’t out-muscle the ‘Beast from the East’, but if he can use his speed wisely, then he stands a good chance of claiming the WBA belt. Martin’s lumped his £20 on the south Londoner to win at 3/4 and if Haye can keep landing punches and avoiding Valuev’s he should become only the second man ever to beat him – even if it is on points.

Let’s get ready to rumble!

Latest odds on Betdaq:
Haye:    3/4
Valuev:    15/11
Draw:     42/1