BOBBY’S BEST WEEKEND BETTING EVENTS – 5TH-6TH JANUARY

America Football – NFL – Houston Texans vs Indianapolis Colts

It’s the Wild Card round of the NFL play-offs and the Texans taking on the Colts is the first of my big betting events this weekend.

These AFC South rivals kick off the NFL play-offs and I cannot wait to start betting on this fascinating showdown. There really wasn’t much between this pair when they met during the regular and I expect this match-up to be a similarly tight affair.

For bettors, it could be a great opportunity to bet in-play as momentum could help swing this tie in either side’s favour. The Colts won here at the NRG Stadium at the beginning of December with quarterback Andrew Luck rushing 399 yards. They’ve won their last four matches and will be confident of sneaking past their divisional foes once more. Luck has 39 touchdowns this season and will be keen to add to that tally here. The Colts average around 27 points per game and I’ll be using that as a benchmark when placing my bets here.

The Texans were a streaky team and not neccessarily a side that I bet on regularly throughout the season but they were hard to beat here. The Colts do seem to have a hold over this opposition and it remains to be seen whether they can continue that good form at this crucial stage.

There is so much at stake and it’s a difficult game to call but that makes it a fascinating betting proposition. I am looking forward to exploring the different markets which will be available with the biggest bookmakers and I expect another tight match-up.

UK NFL fans can follow every single play-off match on Sky Sports Action

Football – FA Cup – Sheffield United v Barnet

I love the magic of the FA Cup and I always look forward to the third round of the competition. I have selected this match at Bramall Lane as my second big betting event as it involves the only non-league side left in the competition.

It’s been a tournament to oppose the underdogs so far and I’m predicting that Sheffield United will be popular in the pre-match betting but it won’t be straightforward for Chris Wilder’s side and that’s why it should be such a fascinating 90 minutes.

Barnet are an unpredictable side who are likely to cause the Blades some problems here and the neutral would love to see them book their place in the fourth round of the competition. Sheffield United have hit form in the Championship and it’s probably an unwelcome distraction from their play-off ambitions.

Watch out for team news in this tie with both Billy Sharp and David McGoldrick in sensational form and both of these two players could be heavily involved if they start. They form part of Sheffield United’s unpredictable attack and I’m looking forward to seeing them link up.

I’ve noticed that Barnet have tightened up lately and they’ve conceded just two goals in their last four National League games. Watch out for a late goal in this game and the disparity in fitness levels starts to take its toll.

It’s going to be a cracking FA Cup match-up and a brilliant betting event.

You can follow all of this weekend’s FA Cup action with BBC Sport

Football – FA Cup – Newport vs Leicester

I’m dipping my toe back into the waters of the FA Cup for my third big betting event and this is the tie that caught my eye.

I remember Newport’s superb run in the competition last season under Mike Flynn and I’m expecting them to be similarly hard to beat at Rodney Parade this weekend. The pitch is not ideal for visitors and it’s part of the reason for their superb home record in League Two.

Last season they beat Championship outfit Leeds and held Spurs to a 1-1 draw here. Leicester will need to be sharp to avoid being dumped out of the competition by a side three tiers below them. The Foxes have been in excellent form recently and their 1-0 win at Everton will give them plenty of confidence coming into this fixture but this is a completely different proposition for Claude Puel.

These are the kind of fixtures that FA Cup thrives on and it will be interesting to see how the odds are formed. I’m expecting Leicester to be popular with punters this weekend but I’m not certain that it will be straightforward for the top flight outfit.

Spurs didn’t rest a huge amount of players last season with Harry Kane featuring in the tie and I expect Leicester to respect the competition however even with Jamie Vardy and Marc Albrighton in the side, they could struggle to contain a side who will be roared on by a passionate Welsh crowd.

I love the FA Cup and this fixture is the highlight of the weekend card. I can’t wait to bet on this showdown at Rodney Parade.

UK football fans can follow all of this weekend’s FA Cup action with BBC Sport

American Football – NFL – Philadelphia Eagles vs Chicago Bears

Another fantastic play-off fixture takes place on Sunday night in the UK with the Eagles taking on the Bears. This is the second of my big betting events and it’s set to be a tremendous contest. I can’t wait to bet in-play on this one.

There was some concern over Nick Foles but he looks set to overcome his injury and start this game as quarterback for the Eagles. He took a heavy hit to the chest which made me wince but he has been signed off by the medical staff and his presence will play such an important role in the outcome of this fixture. With Carson Wentz still on the sidelines, it is imperative that the experienced quarterback is fit enough to take part here. He has the big-game experience which could tip the scales in their favour and former Superbowl MVP will be vital during the play-offs.

The Bears are heavily fancied for this play-off match-up but it will far from straightforward for them. These two haven’t met since 2017 with the Eagles emerging victorious in each of the last two meetings. The Bears lost 31-3 and will be determined to get revenge on their decorated opponents.

The Bears will be calling upon their excellent home form and it makes them difficult to oppose in this wild card meeting. It’s set to be a fascinating match-up and I’m looking forward to placing my bets on the NFL this weekend.

All of the NFL Play-Off games will be shown on Sky Sports Action in the UK