4 TO WATCH – FA CUP ROUND 3

Back in the good old days, anything could happen in the FA Cup. Sutton dispatched the holders Coventry. Wrexham knocked out the Champions Arsenal. Yet these days, such upsets are rarer than a raw steak. Tamworth can be backed as high as 38.0 on Betfair to overturn Everton, but we think even the out-of-sorts Toffees will romp to a comfortable victory. Everton at -2.5 on the Asian Handicap (9/10 with Bet365) looks decent value. The Fylde Coast derby this weekend sees Fleetwood fans dreaming of overcoming their local rivals Blackpool. Nobody has netted more than Fleetwood in the Blue Square Premier, so we expect both sides to score (1.72 with Betfair) and we’re happy to back over 2.5 goals at... Continue reading...

This entry was posted on Friday, January 6th, 2012
(Posted in: Articles, Football, Oggsblog)

4 to watch (2 January 2012)

Arsenal start the new year against Fulham in the late kick off on Monday and we’d be surprised if their magical Dutchman doesn’t strike again. Van Persie has 17 goals for the season whilst Fulham have 20 so the 2.18 price with Betfair on another goal today appears to be a good price, it’s as low as 8/13 elsewhere. The Gunners have four wins and one defeat (at Man City) in their last five league away trips and we expect them to extend that good form today. Their most recent three wins have all been by a single goal and the 3/1 with Ladbrokes about them repeating that seems a generous price. That it can be considered a slight loss... Continue reading...

This entry was posted on Monday, January 2nd, 2012
(Posted in: Articles, Betting, Football, Oggsblog)

4 for the Weekend (31 December 2011)

Liverpool look very skinny to beat a Newcastle side who have managed more away wins this season than Liverpool have done at Anfeild. With Luis Suarez serving part 1 of his bans, this all makes Alan Pardew’s men a tasty looking 7.0 on Betfair to record a victory. Benayoun, Sessegnon and MG Pederson – not a trio especially known for their aerial prowess, but they have all scored headed goals against Aston Villa this season. The Midlands outfit have conceded an astonishing 57% of their goals this season from set pieces. John Terry already has four Premier League goals to his name this season and is an attractive 25/1 with Ladbrokes to further exploit Villa’s weakness in the air and... Continue reading...

This entry was posted on Friday, December 30th, 2011
(Posted in: Articles, Football, Oggsblog)

Boxing Day 4 to Watch

It may well be the season to be jolly, but not if you support Blackburn Rovers. Next up for Rovers is a trip to BNP FC Liverpool at Anfield, and whilst the Reds haven’t overly impressed at home so far, (drawing five of their eight games,) they should have enough to edge Kean Out’s men. Blackburn have lost 11 in the league so far – seven of those have been by a single goal so we think the 1-0 Liverpool win at 7/1 with bet365 is good value. Equally, under 2.5 goals looks a fair investment at 11/8. Manchester United don’t win titles by dropping points to Wigan – in fact they barely concede a goal to them, winning seven of the... Continue reading...

This entry was posted on Monday, December 26th, 2011
(Posted in: Articles, Football, Oggsblog)

King George VI

As if it wasn’t enough to be responsible for one of the finest British films of our time, George VI also gave his name to one of the finest races in the jump calendar. Boxing Day quite simply would not be Boxing Day without the King George VI Chase, and this year’s line-up is as tasty as ever. Second only in prestige to the Cheltenham Gold Cup, the King George is normally a pretty good gauge of how horses are jumping in the run-up to the big one. The hot favourite is last year’s winner, the Waley-Cohen owned and jockeyed Long Run, 5/4 with Ladbrokes. Many believe he could string a chain of victories together to rival the legendary Kauto... Continue reading...

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 22nd, 2011
(Posted in: Articles, Horse Racing, Oggsblog)

Sports Personality of Year 2011

Five Things To Watch For.  1.      Count out anyone who plays a high-profile sport: In the past five years, only Ryan Giggs has won playing a sport that would regularly feature on the back-page of a tabloid newspaper. For the record, the roll-call since 06 (omitting Giggsy) reads Zara Phillips (Eventing), Joe Calzaghe (Boxing), Chris Hoy (Cycling), and last year’s winner Tony McCoy (horse racing). Little surprise then that cycling’s Mark Cavendish is the 1.36 favourite on Betfair. 2.      Nobody English will win: The other noteworthy trend amongst recent winners has been the absence of an English winner. Calzaghe and Giggs are Welsh, Hoy is a Scot and AP McCoy from Northern Ireland. Could that work in the favour of... Continue reading...

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 21st, 2011
(Posted in: Articles, Oggsblog, TV Shows)

Premiership Preview – 20th December 2011

The two bottom clubs face off at Ewood Park tonight, in a match that should signal a sack to rival Santa’s, for whichever manager gets beat. Such is the enormous pressure on both these clubs, playing at home may in fact be a disadvantage and the only value is in backing Bolton at 5/2 with Ladbrokes. Wednesday sees Arsenal travel to Aston Villa on the back of their defeat at Manchester City – their first in eight Premier League games. Even with Darren Bent’s possible inclusion after taking time off to go shopping, Arsenal should be confident given the frontman can’t buy a goal right now. The Gunners to win is an attractive enough price at 8/11 with Bet365, but... Continue reading...

This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 20th, 2011
(Posted in: Articles, Betting, Football, Oggsblog)

4 For the Weekend (17 December 2011)

Premier League Preview. Stoke travel to Wolves on Saturday afternoon, as the only English club to have advanced from the Europa League Group Stages, and we think their fans will have more to cheer this weekend. Having won three on the bounce in the League, Pulis’s men will be hopeful of beating a Wolves side who haven’t kept a Premier League clean sheet since August. Whilst Wolves have won their two previous home matches (v Wigan / Sunderland), we still like 1-0 Stoke at 17/2 with Bet365. Fulham were fifteen seconds away from joining Stoke in the latter stages of Europe, but like David Cameron, left at the last minute. We reckon Bolton may prolong a frustrating week for Fulham... Continue reading...

This entry was posted on Friday, December 16th, 2011
(Posted in: Articles, Football, Oggsblog)

PDC World Darts Championship 2011

5 Things to Expect.  1.      Phil Taylor will reach the final Taylor’s dominance of his sport makes Adam’s early years on earth look collegiate by comparison. Not since the PDC World Championship launched, have there been two consecutive finals without Phil Taylor, so having missed out last year, don’t expect lightning to strike the power twice. Back Taylor at e/w and watch him power through to the 2nd January final. 2.      It won’t be the same without Sid Currently fighting bowel cancer, the darts without Sid Waddell is pretty much the equivalent of darts without, well without a board. Millions tune in for his ingenius wordplay and antics, and although there are rumours that he may pop up a few... Continue reading...

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 15th, 2011
(Posted in: Articles, Betting, Oggsblog)

Christmas Number 1 2011 – Two to watch

Like most bad things these days, it is all Simon Cowell’s fault. Back in the day, the race for Christmas number one saw every big artist or band in the country spend months penning a potential classic, designed to nab the vaunted Number 1 Xmas slot. Who could forget the Pogues ‘Fairytale in New York’, Slade’s ‘Merry Christmas Everybody’, or erm, that great eponymous mid-90s hit ‘Mr Blobby.’ Yet with the dominance of the X Factor (whose winner has topped five of the last six Xmas charts,) serious bands are reluctant to issue a Christmas hit, given the inevitable humiliation which lies in wait. Hell – even joke bands like the Saturdays, don’t think it is worth their time. This... Continue reading...

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 14th, 2011
(Posted in: Articles, Oggsblog, TV Shows)