Soccer – Premier League – Manchester United vs Liverpool
We’re getting to the stage of the season where the Premier League throws up regular meetings between the top six, and this week is no exception. Manchester United, who have been a revelation since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took over host Liverpool on Sunday, and it’s the understandably the first of my big betting events this weekend.
The Red Devils were at their rampant best against Chelsea in the FA Cup on Monday night, and barring their poor display against PSG in the Champions League, they’ve seldom looked like losing a game since the Norwegian took over from Jose Mourinho.
Paul Pogba looks like he’s enjoying his football again, and he’s slowly returning to his influential best. They are a very dangerous side and it’s surprising to see them chalked up as the second favourites for this tie.
Liverpool will come off the back of an energy-sapping Champions League encounter with Bayern Munich, and they may struggle with Manchester United’s energy. The Reds are the favourites for this match, and I can understand why, but I find it very surprising.
Games between these two teams are always high-scoring, and this one should follow suit. There’s a freedom to the way that Manchester United play, and Liverpool aren’t keeping many clean sheets, particularly on the road. Even with Virgil Van Dijk back in the side, they are liable to concede at Old Trafford.
This is a fascinating betting heat due to the fact that the odds appear to be the wrong way around, in my opinion. Therefore, I’ll be following this one with interest.
One additional narrative is the fact that Manchester United will not want to hand their city rivals any initiative in the PL title race, and if they take three points here, it could hand a distinct advantage to Pep’s men.
UK Premier League fans can enjoy this potentially-thrilling 90 minutes of football on Sky Sports.
Rugby Union – Six Nations – Wales vs England
The Principality Stadium will host another hugely intriguing Six Nations clash this weekend as Wales take on England in Cardiff. It’s good to have the competition back, after a weeks break, and there’s plenty riding on this tie. It is the second of my big betting events for this weekend.
This is the top-of-the-table clash between two unbeaten sides and something is likely to give here. It will be typically hostile and electric atmosphere inside the stadium, and that should favour the hosts here.
England are top of the embryonic Six Nations standings due to their bonus points, and Wales will be determined to overthrow them. Warran Gatland says he want to leave Welsh rugby on a high, and a victory over England would certainly help him achieve that goal.
He’s been quick to highlight the quality of their opponents and he knows it won’t be easy for his side to see off Eddie Jones’ men. Leigh Halfpenny’s return is a huge boost for Wales, and they’ll be hoping to continue their perfect winning sequence.
Gatland regularly analyses opponents carefully, and his meticulous nature should help his side exploit England’s weak spots. They come off the back of two tough away matches, but have prevailed in both of them, and that makes them a solid prospect.
They have been priced up as underdogs for this clash, and that could help punters find some value in this meeting of the two neighbours.
England are playing some superb rugby at the moment, and they came through a tough assignment against Ireland, and that’s the reason for their shorter odds here.
I’m looking forward to spending my Saturday afternoon watching the Six Nations and following the betting markets in this nicely-poised tie.
This match will be broadcast on BBC One on Saturday afternoon. There will also be additional coverage across the network.
Soccer – Championship – West Brom vs Sheffield United
There’s a promotion showdown at the Hawthornes on Saturday night as West Brom take on Sheffield United and this should be a superb second tier spectacle. There’s plenty at stake here and that’s why its the third of my big betting events this weekend.
The Baggies have improved massively in recent weeks, picking up some notable wins, including a 2-0 success at Villa Park last weekend. Darren Moore’s could barely register a clean sheet earlier in the season, but all of a sudden, they’re looking defensively secure.
Sheffield United were worthy winners against Reading last weekend and were ahead after just 38 seconds. Chris Wilder mixed things up and gave games to Kieran Freeman, Gary Madine and Scott Hogan, and they all did enough to merit an inclusion here. The Blades boss is likely to bring back the prolific Billy Sharp and David McGoldrick for this tie, but the competition for places in the side is mightily impressive.
WBA have the likes of Dwight Gayle and Jay Rodriguez in superb form coming into this game, with the latter scoring yet another thumper last weekend against their Midlands rivals.
This is such a fascinating match-up between two sides who harbour real play-off ambitions and it’s difficult to pick them apart. The market is slightly favouring the hosts in this one, and I can understand why. However, the Baggies actually seem to be slightly better on the road this season AND, I’ve learnt never to write off Sheffield United. Every time I’ve doubted the Blades, they’ve shown me up, and I certainly won’t be backing against them here.
There should be plenty of quality on show, but theres bundles of midfield experience as well, which should help control the game.
This could prove to be a decisive game in the race for Premier League football, and I can’t wait to see how it pans out.
UK viewers can enjoy all of the action on Sky Sports this weekend. This game takes place on Saturday evening at 5:30pm.
Boxing – Super Middleweight Championship – Chris Eubank Jr vs James DeGale
This is a fantastic match-up between two of the best British fighters, and I’m looking to staying up late and taking in all of the action from this bout. It is the fourth of my big betting events this weekend. Taking place at the 02 in London, there will be a huge crowd in place to create a wonderful atmopshere for the two fighters.
This fight has been at least four years in the making, and there is a huge amount of anticipation surrounding this match-up. Chris Eubank Jr says that it will be a “painful lesson” for his opponents and he admits that he’s been training for years in order to see off James DeGale. The 29-year is full of confidence, as always and told the media that his opponent is going to “get the schooling of his life”.
He’s also anticipating a hugely explosive fight which will entertain the crowd in the English capital. Those who have tickets or have paid to watch the fight at home (like me!) are hoping he’s spot on in his assessment.
Eubank Jr starts as the narrow favourite for this bout, and he’s got 21 KOs from his 27 fights so far. He will be tough opposition for DeGale, who has a very similar record to his rival. The two-time World Super-Middleweight champion has hinted that he may retire, depending on the result of this clash.
This is one of the biggest fights of the year, and I cannot wait to watch the action unfold. There’s a decent undercard to enjoy as well, and it should be a cracking night in the ring.
This fight is live on ITV Box Office on Saturday night and should be a brilliant spectacle.
