Soccer – French Ligue 1 – St.Etienne vs Nice
With many leagues coming to a conclusion, European football betting opportunities are lessening, but there is still plenty to be decided in Ligue 1. The first of my big betting events this weekend comes from Stade Geoffroy-Guichard as St.Etienne aim to book their place in Europe next season as they take on Nice.
With two games left to play, Les Verts simply must win this fixture if they wish to hold onto fourth position. With Lyon’s victory on Sunday, third spot is looking an unlikely proposition for Sainte, but they need three points here to prevent recent conquerers Montpellier from leapfrogging them.
With an away trip to Angers next weekend, they will be feeling fairly confident of securing fourth position, but they can’t afford to take anything for granted.
This tie is very interesting because St.Etienne are going to go off at odds-on favourites, and they are extremely short in the betting. However, Nice are not an easy side to play against, and they sit just nine points behind their opponents. This is no gimme.
Les Aiglons have lost just one of their last eight Ligue 1 matches, and Patrick Vieira’s side will be typically well-organised and competitive throughout. The previous two fixtures at this ground have ended 1-0 and 0-1, so this is unlikely to be a walk-in-the-park for the hosts.
Nice are huge underdogs here, and although there is slightly less at stake here, they are not going to go down easily, and their superb defensive record will make it tough for Sainte.
The men from the Cote D’Azur have recently picked up a point at the Parc des Princes, and although they aren’t frequent winners on their travels, they have only lost six times away from home.
There were some tired looking performances from St.Etienne last weekend against Montpellier, and Remy Cabella will be suspended for this game after getting sent off in the second half of that clash.
It’s been a long old season for both clubs, and I think this match could be closer than the odds suggest. It should be a suitably competitive clash, and I think it’s a really interesting and intriguing betting event.
St.Etienne can still pip Lyon to the Champions League qualifier spot, but it’s going to take an almight effort from Les Verts, and although there is plenty of incentive to pick up three points here, they are likely to be in for a tough evening against Vieira’s men.
French football fans in the UK can enjoy all of the action from Ligue 1 on BT Sport, and there will be highlights of every single crucial game in the top flight this weekend.
Boxing – WBC Heavyweight Title Fight – Deontay Wilder vs Dominic Breazeale
There’s some top-class boxing taking place this weekend with Deontay Wilder making his ninth defence of his WBC Heavyweight title when he takes on Dominic Breazeale. The 33-year old will be determined to get back to winning ways here, and it’s going to be fascinating to see how he approaches this New York-based bout. It’s the second of my big betting events this weekend.
Boxing fans worldwide have been desperately hoping that Wilder and Joshua would cross paths in 2019, but that won’t be happening. However, this match-up is a decent one with Breazeale in good form coming into this clash.
The American, who competed in the 2012 Olympics has a very impressive record, and is unbeaten in twenty of his 21 professional fights, with Anthony Joshua his only conquerer thus far. He’s also overseen 18 KOs in that time, and he shouldn’t be taken lightly.
Deontay Wilder needs no introduction, and his record is close to imperious, but he could be potentially vulnerable here. He needs to bounce back, and needs to make a statement in this contest. He’s been working hard since his defeat to Fury, and this looks like the perfect opportunity.
Breazeale has come out fighting this week, suggesting that Wilder may have to retire following their meeting this weekend’s fight in Brooklyn. It would certainly be another huge blow to Wilder’s chances of getting back on top, and at 33-years old, he may consider taking a step back from the sport.
However, most pundits believe that Wilder will triumph, and retain his heavyweight title here. He’s had much easier match-ups, and Breazeale will be a tough proposition, but Wilder has more experience, and could be too explosive. He’s the overwhelming favourite in the betting, and many fans will be backing him to get the job done early, but it is unlikely to be that straightforward.
There has been plenty of talk about this fight, and the American duo have had plenty to say about one anothers antics in the past. There is plenty riding on this one, and it should be a cracking watch. It’s a late one for UK viewers, but it will definitely be worth staying up for!
UK Viewers can enjoy all of the action from Brooklyn on Sky Sports on Saturday Night/Sunday Morning
Soccer – Bundesliga – Borussia Monchengladbach vs Borussia Dortmund
This is my last opportunity to talk about the Bundesliga title race this season, as the German top flight comes to a suitably exciting conclusion. Amazingly, despite struggling for form recently, Dortmund are still in with a chance of finishing as champions, and their game against Monchengladbach is the third of my big betting events.
Both sides have already booked their place in Europe next season, but there is silverware at stake, and it’s going right down to the wire!
First of all, both sides must be commended for their efforts this campaign, with just eight defeats between them, and just two points between them going into the final day.
Bayern are in the driving seat, and the reigning champs will be feeling confident ahead of their home tie against Eintracht Frankfurt. However, the visitors are a decent side, and Dortmund will be hoping that Adi Hutter’s men can do them a huge favour. If Bayern win, they cannot be caught, but there will be some nervous spectators inside the Allianz this weekend.
Dortmund have the tougher task, and the majority of neutrals will be keeping their fingers crossed for Lucien Favre’s men. The Black and Yellows have been a real pleasure to watch this season, and they have a number of hugely talented players. Their attacking approach to games has been extremely refreshing, and it bodes well ahead of next season.
Their late goal against Dusseldorf was celebrated with plenty of gusto, and it kept their dream alive. They’ve conceded plenty of sloppy goals away from home this season, but they’ve lost just three times, and the odds suggest that they will win this tie.
Gladbach are still fighting for European football, and although they are largely assured of a top six position, a series of results could see them drop out. They aren’t just here to make up the numbers, and that should make the tie very entertaining.
BT Sport will have full coverage of the final day of the Bundesliga season this weekend for UK viewers
Aussie Rules – AFL – Brisbane Lions vs Adelaide Crows
There is very little between this pair at the top of the AFL Ladder, and this match-up will be very interesting. The Lions vs The Crows is the fourth of my big betting events for this weekend.
The Crows came through a tough test at the weekend, withstanding some late pressure from Port Adelaide Power to secure their fourth consecutive win. They are heading in the right direction, and they will be full of confidence going into this next assignment. The Crows have a 5-3 record, and remain undefeated since week 4. Strangely, it was the underperforming Kangaroos, who were the last side to beat them.
This will be far from straightforward as the Lions are in decent form, and have an identical 5-3 record. The main difference is that the Brisbane side picked up the majority of their victories at the beginning of the season, and were one of the season’s early pacesetters.
The Lions are a high-scoring side, and they’ve been involved in some very entertaining games lately. They scored 111 points against the Suns, and although they come off the back of a defeat, they will be feeling confident about bouncing back here.
The Crows do have a significant psychological advantage coming into this tie, as they have won the last eight meetings between these two sides, and they’ll be aiming to make it nine-in-a-row.
UK AFL Fans can see highlights and coverage of the key games on BT Sport this weekend.
