SOCCER – National League Play-Off Final – AFC Fylde vs Salford City
The first of my big betting events this weekend comes from Wembley as AFC Fylde and Salford go head to head in their bid to reach the Football League.
This is far from a popular draw with both sides having spent big in their bid to reach the EFL, but this should be an entertaining 90 minutes, and a decent betting heat as well.
These two sides met at the end of April, with Fylde running out 1-0 winners, but Salford have a number of players who are used to the big occasion. Adam Rooney for example is very experienced, and has enjoyed a standout debut season in the North West of England.
AFC Fylde have the National League Player of the Season in their ranks with the excellent Danny Rowe aiming to end the season on a high. He will be popular in the anytime goalscorer market.
Graham Alexander’s side were defensively excellent towards the end of the season, and kept eight clean sheets in nine matches between the beginning of March and mid-April, and former Fleetwood man Nathan Pond has been part of that rearguard action. He has already acheived promotion from this division, and he knows what it takes to be successful at Wembley.
There were 32 shots in the game when these two sides met at the end of the April, and although there was only one goal in the 90 minutes (both sides made changes), another entertaining game is in prospect.
Salford will start as favourites for this contest, and they have beaten Fylde in two of their last three head-to-heads, but this game could go either way, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see extra-time or penalties decide this one.
There’s copious Football League experience in both of these squads, and those players could make all the difference here.
There isn’t much between the pair, and this looks set to be a superbly entertaining 90 minutes. One of these two teams will be following Leyton Orient into the EFL, with both teams aiming to reach the fourth tier for the very first time in their short history.
UK Soccer fans can enjoy the National League Play-Off final on BT Sport this weekend
HOCKEY – World Championships – Denmark vs France
The IIHF World Championships get underway on May 10th in Slovakia, and one of the opening Group A contests sees Denmark take on France. It is one of my big betting events for this weekend.
Sweden are the holders, but luckily for both of these sides, the champions have been drawn in Group B. They will be aiming to win a third consecutive title, but there are a number of teams in the competition, who will make it tough for them.
With Canada and the US likely to start as heavy favourites in Group A, these two sides have a free-hit to try and gatecrash the party. The top four from each section will progress to the latter stages of the competition, and both teams will fancy their chances of making the cut. Denmark and France will see their opening game as extremely winnable, and it should be a fascinating contest.
Denmark ran out winners when they met earlier this year in Austria, and they will be aiming to make it 2/2 in 2019. France’s only two recent victories against this opponent came in a couple of International Friendlies, and they might find it tough here.
It’s a tough section, but with Great Britain likely to fill bottom spot, neither side look set to pick up the wooden spoon. Denmark have a decent roster, and with games against Finland and Slovakia to come, they should be able to win the mid-table battle, and follow Team Canada and Team USA through to the knock-out rounds.
There are set to be many fascinating games taking place over the two weeks, but this should be played at a decent pace, and should be a very entertaining watch.
The IIHF World Championships will be broadcast live on Free Sports in the UK. Games throughout the tournament will be shown on this free-to-air channel.
Soccer – Championship Play-Offs – Aston Villa vs West Brom
The Championship play-offs throw up a very tasty looking Midlands derby, and it’s the third of our big betting events for this weekend.
Villa’s unbeaten run came to an end at the hands of champions Norwich last weekend, but Dean Smith’s side are unlikely to be knocked off course by that defeat. They’ve been excellent in recent weeks, and have a number of big-game players, who are likely to shine on this big stage.
Jack Grealish’s return was instrumental in their play-off run, whilst the likes of Connor Hourihane and John McGinn have also played key roles in recent weeks.
It’s been a long time since the Villains beat their near-neighbours, but they need to take advantage of this home tie, as it won’t be easy going to the Hawthornes later in the week.
WBA have been better, and more consistent under James Shan, but they’ve struggled on the road, and they mustn’t make a slow start to this tie. The Baggies have won just one of their last six away matches, and haven’t won in any of their last four games on the road. Shan’s men have plenty of goals in the side with the Gayle/Rodriguez partnership firing consistently throughout the campaign.
Villa are the favourites in the betting market, and that is perfectly understandable. They have plenty of momentum coming into this fixture, and the second leg could be tough for Smith’s men. The return of Tammy Abraham is certainly a fillip for the hosts, and he will give them a different dimension in the final third. Jonathon Kodjia has filled the void well in his absence, but Abraham’s natural goalscoring instinct could prove to be the difference between the two sides.
The Championship has thrown up some fascinating games this season, and both Play-Off Semi-Finals look fascinatingly poised. This match in particular could be a fantastic watch, and Villa will be looking to justify home advantage in this first meeting.
Sky Sports Football will have full coverage of the EFL Play-Offs across the next fortnight.
Aussie Rules – AFL – Port Adelaide Power vs Adelaide Crows
This Adelaide derby is the fourth big betting events this weekend, and it looks set to be a fascinating clash between two sides who have made relatively inconsistent starts to the campaign.
The Crows come off the back of a relatively low-scoring victory against the Dockers, and made it three in a row, which helped alleviate the pressure on the side. They’d made a poor start, but can now boast a 4-3 record.
It’s a record matched by the Power, who have a decent young side, but that has led to a few inconsistencies as well. They were slow starters on Friday, conceding seven goals in the opening quarter during their comprehensive defeat to Collingwood.
They have to convert their opportunities here, but they know that the Crows have the momentum coming into this fixture. They failed to make a fast start, but their recent form has displayed plenty of togetherness and quality.
Reilly O’Brien will be full of confidence following his display last week, and he could prove to be the difference in this fixture. The Crows came out on top when they last met in the JLT Community Series earlier in the year, and they will be looking to make it a hat-trick of victories against their near-ish neighbours.
The last two AFL meetings between the sides have ended 96-93 and 95-90, and there is seldom much between these two teams. Another close contest looks likely. The Crows look likely to go off as the odds-on favourites, and that looks about right, but there could be value in backing this game to be extremely tight once again!
BT Sport will have highlights of all AFL matches this season in the UK.
