Soccer – Bundesliga – Borussia Dortmund vs Schalke
The first of my big betting events comes from the Bundesliga this weekend. Unlike Serie A and Ligue 1, the Bundesliga title race is still undecided, and both Dortmund and Bayern Munich are still hoping to secure top honours this season.
The Yellow and Blacks start the day just a single point behind Niko Kovac’s side, and they will fancy their chances of collecting three points here. They looked back to their free-flowing best with a convincing 4-0 victory againstg Freiburg. Bayern could only draw 1-1 there, but Lucien Favre’s side were dominant throughout, and never let up.
They’ve now netted six goals in their last two matches, and they’ll desperately be hoping that Bayern slip up somewhere along the way.
One of the more interesting factors about this game is whether Marco Reus will be fit enough to play. He played through the pain barrier after taking a knock in the first half, and it’ll be interesting to whether he starts on Saturday. If he doesn’t feature, Dortmund may find it tougher, and their odds are likely to drift.
Schalke are a complete mess this season, and they lost 5-2 to Hoffenheim on Saturday night. Their goal difference took another hammering in the process, and their fragile defence isn’t likely to enjoy coming up against the likes of Jadon Sancho and the aforementioned Marco Reus.
With Dortmund getting back to their best in recent weeks, they will be looking to improve their goal difference here. Dortmund have four fixtures left, but this is by far and away their easiest assignment. They will be expected to take advantage of a fragile Schalke outfit.
It ended 2-1 to Dortmund earlier in the campaign, and the pair played out an entertaining 4-4 draw last season. These games are rarely dull, and I’m expecting another cracker!
The better makes Dortmund overwhelming favourites, and that’s to be expected. They should ease to victory here, and I can’t wait to see them running at the shaky Schalke back-line.
BT Sport viewers in the UK can enjoy all of the highlights from the Bundesliga throughout the course of the season.
Soccer – Premier League – Brighton vs Newcastle
The second of my big betting events comes from the Premier League with a crucial game for Brighton. The Seagulls have been slipping down the table, and although they picked up a point on Saturday against Wolves, some fans were unhappy with the way to set up.
Chris Hughton’s men played for the point, and they took a small step closer to safety as a result. However, disgruntled supporters wanted to see their side play with a little more ambition, and they will be expected to show more adventure in this game.
Newcastle are going well at the moment, and they picked up another terrific victory against Southampton. Ayoze Perez single handedly helped his side to the victory, and they’ll be aiming to kick on here.
Rafa Benitez’s side are generally better on the road this campaign. They may only have won three times away from St.James’ Park, but they’ve only lost seven matches on their travels, and won’t make it easy for their opponents.
There is rarely much between these sides, with the sides being separated by just a single goal in three of their last four meetings, with the other ending all-square.
I don’t think this will be one for the neutral, but it’s certainly an interesting betting heat. Brighton are clear favourites in this one, but their recent form doesn’t fill anyone with confidence.
They’ve failed to score in each of their last three home games, and have netted just three in their last five at the AMEX. I’ve always had the idea that they are tough to beat at home, but they’ve shown a real vulnerability of late, and Hugton still doesn’t appear to have found the right balance to his starting XI.
This looks like the perfect fixture for Newcastle, who will relish the chance to face an out-of-form side.
Fans are losing patience with Chris Hughton, and if Brighton fall behind, it could get a little hostile on the south coast, and that is likely to translate to the players.
Premier League fans in the UK can watch this match live on Sky Sports on Saturday night.
Aussie Rules – AFL – St.Kilda vs Adelaide Crows
The AFL season is shaping up nicely, and this game between the Saints and the Crows is the third of my big betting events this weekend.
We’re five rounds into the new campaign, and St.Kilda’s form has surprised many fans so far. Until Geelong’s victory, the Saints found themselves top of the ladder, with a 4-1 record, and they could continue their good form here.
Alan Richardson’s side were at their destructive best last weekend, with a 40-point success at the MCG. The Demons were no match for them, and the Crows could also be in for a long afternoon here.
They’ve also seen off the Hawks, the Bombers and the Suns this season, and they will fancy their chances against the inconsistent Crows.
The Adelaide side have and 2-3 record this season, but they do come off the back of a thumping win against the Gold Coast Suns.
Many pundits predicted the Saints would finish in the bottom half, and the betting odds still reflect that on a match-to-match basis. They are consistently underestimated by the bookmakers, with many companies expecting them to slip down the ladder as the season progresses.
They are missing a number of key players, which makes their early-season success even more remarkable! Dylan Robertson won’t feature in 2019, whilst Dan Hannebery is still working his way back to full fitness.
They have plenty of momentum, and will be expected to prevail here. The bookies continue to underestimate them, and punters like myself are keeping a keen eye on their progress this season. I can’t wait to see if they can keep their run going on Saturday morning.
BT Sport have highlights of all AFL games throughout 2019, and fans can also catch up on this game on the App.
Soccer – Premier League – Fulham vs Cardiff
My final big betting event will take us back to the Premier League, and it involves a side who are also battling relegation. The final spot in the bottom three is still to be decided, and Cardiff are looking to avoid an instant return to the second tier.
They face a side who are already preparing for life in the Championship, but a team who have remarkably worked out how to keep clean sheets!
Fulham have now won back-to-back games, and haven’t conceded a goal in over 180 minutes of football. They’ve kept just four shutouts throughout the campaign, and they will fancy their chances of repeating the trick here. Scott Parker has obviosuly found the right balance at the back, and they could hammer a nail in Cardiff’s coffin at Craven Cottage.
The Bluebirds battled hard against Liverpool, but inevitably came unstuck. Neil Warnock has ranted and raved his way through the season, but his side look like they will fall short. Their home form has been significantly better than their record on the road, and this looks like a tough ask.
Fulham are rightfully the favourites here, but the bookies seem to be largely ignoring their recent momentum, and that makes it an interesting betting heat.
This is another PL clash which will have major implications on the battle to avoid relegation, but the pressure is off the home side, and they will hoping to take advantage of that fact.
UK viewers can catch highlights of this game alongside all of the Premier League encounters on Sky Sports Match Choice.
