Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi could be set for a shock move to Leeds United ahead of their return to the Premier League.
One of the hottest Leeds transfer rumours this summer, the Belgium forward looks set to leave Chelsea after a disappointing campaign at Stamford Bridge.
According to Get French Football News, Batshuayi’s agent has reached out to Leeds to open negotiations with his client ahead of the 2020/21 Premier League season.
A wave of Leeds transfers are expected this summer ahead of their return to England’s top flight and Batshuayi, valued at around £25 million, could do a sterling job at Elland Road.
With 13 goals in 59 Premier League matches, Batshuayi has struggled at the highest level thus far but could be well suited to Marcelo Bielsa’s style of football.
With loan spells at Borussia Dortmund, Valencia and Crystal Palace under his belt, Batshuayi has gained invaluable experience across Europe and could be a real asset for Leeds in their bid to avoid relegation.
Potential Leeds Transfers: Edinson Cavani
It would be some scalp if Leeds could pull off a shock move for Uruguay international Edinson Cavani.
Released by Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the 2019/20 season, Cavani is one of Europe’s most prolific goal scorers and he could shine at Elland Road.
Cavani would undoubtedly be one of the biggest Leeds transfers of all-time and the Elland Road faithful will be hoping that the club can get a deal over the line.
The 33-year-old has been linked with Atletico Madrid and Benfica in recent months but the Uruguay international is yet to sign a contract ahead of the 2020/21 campaign.
A switch to the Premier League would do Cavani’s legacy no harm whatsoever, having thrived in Serie A and Ligue 1 in recent years.
The Edinson Cavani transfer link to Leeds United should be enough to remind us that their return to the Premier League is a big deal. pic.twitter.com/tmIknX3ycs
— Kayishema Tity Thierry (@TityThiery_velo) July 31, 2020
Leeds owner Andrea Radrizzani has spoken publicly about potentially signing Cavani ahead of the upcoming season – fuelling the Leeds transfers hype band wagon.
Radrizzani said: “In addition to his quality, Cavani could contribute with his physicality and adapt here, but I’ve never talked about him with the coach.
“Having said that, we’ve certainly thought about him and we’ll see, given he’s still available on a free transfer.”
Cavani has scored 353 goals in 586 club appearances throughout his career, while notching an impressive 50 goals in 116 matches for Uruguay.
With 16 major trophies to his name, Cavani knows what it takes to win at the highest level and he could be key to Leeds’ hopes of staying in the Premier League next season.
*Credit for the main photo belongs to Thibault Camus / AP Photo*
Alex is a sports betting tipster, specialising in Premier League football, the Champions League and horse racing.
He loves placing a weekly accumulator on the football at the weekend and dreams of landing the big winner that will take him back to Las Vegas.
As well as writing sports betting tips for 888sport since 2015, Alex has produced content for several international media companies, such as Goal.com and The SPORTBible.
Depending on when their deals began, some of the highest paid players in the NBA are on identical salaries for the 2019-20 season.
The 10 highest paid players are listed below - they have had varying degrees of impact on 888 betting in 2019-20…
Steph Curry
A hand injury meant Steph Curry spent much of the regular season on the sidelines.
After five straight NBA Finals appearances, the Golden State Warriors fell to the worst record in the NBA. With a high draft pick to come, they will be back among the top NBA betting teams again in 2020-21.
Curry’s salary is the greatest in the league, but it’s one of four big contracts on the Warriors’ roster.
Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson will all be taking home significant money for the foreseeable future, too.
Chris Paul
Seen as a near-untradeable contract until he was actually traded last offseason, Chris Paul has been a man on a mission in 2019-20.
Paul delivered in crunch time throughout the season, taking the Oklahoma City Thunder comfortably into a playoff spot.
Depending on the direction the Thunder go in, Paul could be on the move again this offseason. His performances alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and co. have shown he’s far from finished.
The two remaining years on this deal could yet put potential trade partners off, however.
Russell Westbrook
The Houston Rockets swapped Paul’s contract for Russell Westbrook’s.
Westbrook has an extra season left on his deal, and though they are both point guards, the two future Hall of Famers play the position in very different ways. Houston have had to change their game as a result.
Westbrook came into his own in the weeks before the hiatus. The Rockets’ ultra-small lineups space the floor more than he’s ever had before.
Westbrook’s limitations are well known, but even in his thirties, his sheer athleticism is thrilling.
James Harden
A perennial MVP candidate, James Harden continues to post historic scoring numbers.
Changing backcourt partner has meant some adaptation for Harden, though his usage rate remains above 36% and he once again leads the league in scoring by a distance.
Houston have been in win-now mode for several years. With Harden and Westbrook’s contracts, there will be difficult years to come, and they are nearing the now-or-never point.
Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant’s fitness will be crucial for anyone looking to bet on basketball next season.
The Brooklyn Nets, with Durant and Kyrie Irving, are a fascinating team. The front office has some big decisions to make this offseason. Prior to his injury, Durant was in the reckoning to be considered the best player in the NBA.
Whether he deserved that title or not, there’s no question that the former Seattle Supersonic has been a top five player for the best part of a decade.
John Wall
John Wall hasn’t played in an NBA game since Boxing Day 2018. The Washington Wizards, carrying Wall’s contract, have been stuck as a result.
It has helped Bradley Beal’s development, but Washington have been in mid-lottery nothingness for a couple seasons.
The level Wall reaches when he returns to the court will determine where the Wizards are heading.
A Beal trade, a lengthy rebuild, is possible, though it would be a lot of fun to see the All-NBA version of Wall alongside peak Beal.
LeBron James
One of the all-time leaders in NBA All-Star appearances, LeBron James’ contract is not befitting of his status in the game.
James’ career moves have not been focused on maximum salary – he could be earning much more than this.
LeBron has an array of business interests. He makes plenty more money aside from his NBA wage.
James joined the Lakers to pursue a championship. With Anthony Davis alongside him, he’s in position to do that in the Orlando bubble.
Kyle Lowry
Finally getting the praise he deserves, Kyle Lowry is a reigning NBA champion and one of the best paid players in the league.
The Toronto Raptors point guard was in the final year of a three-year, $100 million contract, but it was extended for another season back in October.
The Raps have been an uplifting tale this season. Lowry is the heart of this team, a team that has been every bit as impressive despite the departures of Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green.
He’s not the highest profile name on this list, but the Raptors have got good value for that contract.
Blake Griffin
The most likely contract on this list to be traded this offseason, Blake Griffin’s future is uncertain once again as the Detroit Pistons begin a rebuild.
Griffin was a stud in 2018-19, but injuries resurfaced this year. He played just 18 games as the Pistons fell to a dismal 20-46 before the season was suspended.
Traded by the Clippers to become the Pistons’ star man, Griffin’s has evolved from a dunking machine in his early years in the NBA to a point forward.
He’s developed range, a serviceable three-point shot, and carried Detroit to the playoffs last season. Who will he be playing for when the 2020-21 campaign begins?
Paul George
Many basketball betting tips favoured the Los Angeles Clippers to win the title on the back of Paul George and Kawhi Leonard’s arrivals last summer.
George’s first year in LA has been interrupted by load management and niggling injury, but the wing duo have shown flashes of what they can do together.
George is a six-time All-Star and one of the very best defenders in the league at his position.
He might not be good enough to be the number one guy on a title contender, but he’s a special second option.
*Credit for the main photo belongs to Jeff Chiu / AP Photo*
Sam is a sports tipster, specialising in the Premier League and Champions League.
He covers most sports, including cricket and Formula One. Sam particularly enjoys those on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean – notably MLB and NBA.
Watching, writing and talking about sports betting takes up most of his time, whether that is for a day out at T20 Finals Day or a long night of basketball.
Having been writing for several years, Sam has been working with 888Sport since 2016, contributing multiple articles per week to the blog.
Saturday should have seen the Shergar Cup take place at Ascot but because of the current restrictions on international travel, the event was called off some time ago.
But all is not lost as there is still a quite competitive card taking place at the Berkshire venue on Saturday afternoon.
Terrestrial TV coverage in the UK features top races from Ascot, Newmarket and Haydock, so let’s take a whistle-stop tour through all of those races in order to identify a winner or two.
1.50 Ascot – Class 2 Handicap (6f)
Richard Hannon’s Theotherside is certainly the form horse in this field of ten having not finished out of the top three places in all of her races this season, and having won at Newmarket just a fortnight ago.
The three-year-old filly is clearly in great heart and she is going to take some stopping in this horse racing betting contest.
Chil Chil for the King Power ownership is sure to have her supporters and she has been running well all season herself.
Andrew Balding and Oisin Murphy are a formidable winning team when they pair up and it will be hard to see her finishing out of the frame.
2.05 Haydock – Dick Hern Stakes (1m)
The Sir Michael Stoute-trained Veracious has yet to be seen on a racetrack this season but her reputation precedes her and she is an odds-on shot with the majority of bookmakers.
The 2019 Falmouth winner was a model of consistency last season and contested all the top races. With all due respect to the others in the race, she towers head and shoulders above them in terms of her form figures.
Farzeen was blown away by Lady Bowthorpe at Ascot last time out, but that was a very hotly contested race and she can only improve from the experience.
2.25 Ascot – Celebration Handicap (1m)
At first glance, Shelir’s form figures this season look like nothing to write home about but amongst them are a series of good handicap efforts and interestingly David O’Meara has swerved an engagement at Haydock in favour of this race instead.
O’Meara teams up with his ace jockey Danny Tudhope here and off an attractive weight, Shelir looks like what they call “a handicap snip”.
Roger Varian is sure to have Game Player fit and raring to go on his seasonal debut and most of his Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum-owned runners have generally performed well first time up.
Jalaad presents the all-powerful Godolphin Stud and the Kodiac gelding could quite easily follow up on his gutsy York victory last time.
2.40 Haydock – Rose Of Lancaster Stakes (1m 2f)
The John Gosden-trained Global Giant can claim top honours and take the prestigious Rose Of Lancaster Stakes at the Merseyside track.
The five-year-old son of Shamardal landed the Listed Steventon Stakes at Newbury last time out to make it two wins from three starts since making the transfer from Ed Dunlop’s yard to that of John Gosden.
One of our expert horse racing tips this weekend, Global Giant is clearly a horse on an upward curve and Gosden’s main objective is to run him in the Bahrain International Trophy later in the year.
In the meantime Gosden and Dettori will try and pick up some of the swag on offer at Haydock Park along the way.
The Roger Charlton-trained Extra Elusive warrants plenty of respect under a “hungry for winners” Hollie Doyle, while Sir Michael Stoute’s Zaaki is no back number either.
3.00 Ascot - Millionaire Handicap (2m)
The starting point for picking out winners in these distance handicaps on the Flat tends to be siding with the horses that have actually run over such a journey, and secondly checking out whether they are a course and distance winner.
Three horses have run over the two mile test, namely Eddystone Rock, Charlie D and Mondain, but only the first named horse has actually completed such a race at this track.
John Best’s eight-year-old was last seen finishing well down the pack at Royal Ascot but he shouldn’t be written off on the back of that run and could quite easily bounce back to something like his superb showing at York last August.
8 victories from 62 career starts is no mean feat and Eddystone Rock is certainly worth an each-way poke in this.
Charlie D won two distance races like this last August, while Mondain is very attractively weighted near the bottom of the handicap under top jockey Andrea Atzeni.
3.20 Newmarket – Sweet Solera Stakes (7f)
Some of the top fillies around descend on Newmarket to contest the Sweet Solera and Charlie Appleby’s Danilova arrives here on the crest of a wave.
The daughter of Dubawi won at Newmarket last Saturday at a shade of odds-on. She scored quite comfortably in the end coming home 1½ lengths clear of Senita.
✅ Daughter of Dubawi ✅ Half-sister to Listed winner Skiffle ✅ Off the mark for @godolphin
Danilova puts her experience to good use to shed the maiden tag second time out for Charlie Appleby & William Buick at @NewmarketRace
As per the majority of the Godolphin newcomers, she is definitely an exciting prospect and following up again this weekend is a distinct possibility.
Setarhe for the Roger Varian-stable has run three times this season already and will certainly know her job, while it is significant that Richard Hannon left Fly Miss Helen in the race after being mob handed with entries for this earlier in the week.
3.35 Ascot - Thames Hospice Handicap (1m 4f)
This is a rather open handicap on paper with all twelve runners in with some sort of a chance on the face of it - making it a nightmare for horse racing betting tips.
The Charlie Fellowes-trained Jeremiah has returned from a spell on the sidelines well, bouncing back to form with a dogged win over course and distance here a fortnight ago after two initial poor outings.
The five-year-old is partnered by Jim Crowley again and providing the dreaded bounce factor doesn’t kick in, they should put up another bold show.
Out of Jeremiah’s last race we can also take Koeman. Koeman was last seen running his best race for some time when chasing home Jeremiah at Ascot and he looks like he’ll be worth another interest.
The six-year-old appears to thrive at the Berkshire track and is also a course and winner too, which offers plenty of encouragement to anyone pondering whether to chance him as an each-way flutter in this.
*Credit for the main photo belongs to Matt Slocum / AP Photo*
Steven is a sports and horse racing enthusiast and is a member of the Horseracing Writers and Photographers Association (HWPA) in the United Kingdom.
He is a regular visitor to Paris Longchamp for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and a lifelong fan of the Aintree Grand National, a subject he writes about 52 weeks of the year. Last year he reached the impressive milestone of attending the last 30 renewals of the Grand National.
Steven graduated from the University Of Lancaster in 1996 with a B.A (Hons) in Urban Policy & Race Relations (major) with Contemporary Religions & Belief Systems (minor) and still wonders if any of these help him find the winners?
He writes for a number of websites and online publications and you can sometimes hear him at the weekend discussing racing on a number of local radio stations.
With the increasingly lucrative nature of European football, it takes some serious incompetence or impropriety to take a side from a title to relegation. Though, even the best football betting expert picks cannot predict a major blowout.
Even Manchester United's period of relative ineptitude since the departure of Alex Ferguson has yielded a worst-placed finish of seventh, which is not disastrous in the grand scheme of things.
There are sides that have genuine complaints about missing the glory days, sides who have plummeted through divisions after experiencing heady days of success.
These sides are proof that a proud history only goes so far in the present.
The current assortment of sides in the Championship features some famous names. Leeds United, Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa boast glittering histories, but there hasn't been much sparkling on the pitch for these sides as of late.
There is no denying that the support Leeds have maintained since their relegation from the Premier League in 2004 is impressive, both in quantity and quality. Yet it hasn't helped them get back there.
Those fans have borne witness to League One, spending one week at the 40,000-capacity Elland Road and the next at Hartlepool's 8,000-capacity Victoria Park.
The commendable degree of support at Leeds only serves to emphasise the gross mismanagement of the club. 888 sport prediction picks haven't gone well when it comes to Leeds United in recent years.
A stadium raking in such revenue should have provided the basis for an immediate promotion from the third tier, yet the club remained stuck in League One for three seasons.
Administration in 2007 was the culmination of reckless leadership, while Massimo Cellino's reign of madness between 2014 and 2017 involved the hiring of Dave Hockaday, a manager who had just failed at fifth-tier Forest Green.
Clearly, Leeds have been dealt a bad hand in terms of owners. Karmic retribution may have come in the form of Marcelo Bielsa as manager.
Hiring the man who inspired Pep Guardiola is no small achievement for a second-tier club, and is an indictment of the romantic allure that Leeds still hold. Bielsa's idiosyncratic style has brought the good times back.
Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest currently have less upward mobility. Villa fans were growing weary of Steve Bruce's tactics, which were the antithesis of Bielsa's, before his recent sacking.
Lettuce not be too happy, Steve Bruce did a salad job leeking points out of Villa.
Forest have adopted the Wolves policy of signing Portuguese players, but none of those players are Ruben Neves. Out of the English clubs to have won any European competition, only four ply their trade outside of the top tier.
Villa and Forest have both won the European Cup, while Bobby Robson's legendary Ipswich Town side stormed to a UEFA Cup title. Leeds have won the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, which sounds like something out of a Pro Evolution Soccer game.
Fans who have lived long enough to remember those triumphs will find life in the second tier all a bit unsettling, while younger fans will only know mediocrity.
These sleeping giants may well be among England's biggest clubs in certain respects, but don't let anyone tell you that they deserve to be in the Premier League just because they have a bigger ground than Bournemouth.
Leeds look set to finally end the argument about whether the Premier League is better off featuring the traditional big clubs; whether you agree with that sentiment or not, Bielsa's side currently look unstoppable on their promotion charge.
Serie A's Renaissance Men
Serie A in 2018 feels like a revival tour arranged for fans who grew up watching Football Italia.
This year, they're playing all of the hits; Inter and AC Milan actually appear to be making a concerted effort to be good again, while the return of Parma will make the footballing romantics go all misty-eyed.
Leeds fans will sympathise with the plight of Parma, with the Italian club plunged into administration between 2004 and 2007.
The toll of financial worries eventually saw Parma relegated in 2008, but Francesco Guidolin (Swansea City fans may remember him) brought them straight back up.
The worst appeared to be behind Parma, but the real nightmare was waiting around the corner. Bankruptcy in 2015 saw Parma reborn in the fourth tier.
Yet, like a phoenix rising from the flames, consecutive promotions have brought Parma soaring back into Serie A. The club no longer bears the famous names that convinced so many casual fans to fall in love with them, but the name Parma still evokes romantic feelings.
On this day in 1995, Italy and Juventus legend Gianluigi Buffon made his professional debut for Parma at just 17 years old.
22 years, 10 Serie A titles, 1 World Cup and 855 appearances later, he is still playing at an elite level.
The 1999 side that won the UEFA Cup features some incredible names: Gigi Buffon, Fabio Cannavaro, Lilian Thuram and Hernan Crespo all used their time at Parma as a springboard to become world-class talents.
Parma fans and Football Italia fans won't mind. After a hellish few years, for this much-loved club to be playing top-flight football is a remarkable achievement.
Deportivo's Decline
Deportivo de La Coruna may not qualify as global footballing giants, but their transformation over the past two decades from disruptor of the traditional elite to the Spanish equivalent of West Bromwich Albion has been as disheartening as it sounds.
That season saw Sevilla, Real Betis and Atletico Madrid relegated to the second tier, while it marked the first of five seasons without a league title for Barcelona. If anything, all of this serves as a reminder of just how long ago 2000 is.
With Roy Makaay and Diego Tristan finding their peak form en route to the title, the stage was set for Deportivo to dominate. Winning the 100th Copa del Rey final in 2002 denied Real Madrid's Galacticos the chance to claim a prestigious honour.
Two years later, they were still making a mark on the biggest of stages, as they stunned defending champions AC Milan by knocking them out of the Champions League.
That alone would be impressive, but the manner of victory was staggering. The legendary Milan side had won the first leg of the quarter-final 4-1 before Deportivo pulled a 4-0 second leg victory out of nowhere.
Albert Luque scored that day for the side who would lose to eventual winners Porto in the semi-final, the Portuguese side managed by a little-known Jose Mourinho.
For Deportivo and Luque, fortunes took a downturn in subsequent seasons. Deportivo transitioned to mid-table regulars before relegation in 2011, while Luque joined Newcastle.
Deportivo bounced back immediately from relegation, before undoing all their good work by instantly relegated again. Deportivo once again bounced back straight away. Three poor La Liga seasons were followed by relegation last year.
The NBA is a league built on dynasties. The star-driven nature of basketball leads to teams being dominant for prolonged periods around one or two (or occasionally three) superstars.
Dynasties aren’t always popular, but they are largely good for the popularity of the NBA and 888 sport predictions for basketball - whether it is fans jumping on the bandwagon or people wanting to see the most successful team in the sport get toppled.
Hall of Famers are littered across the following five dynasties, which have defined their eras through a mix of admiration and frustration.
Not every all-time great was lucky to be on a dynastic team, some had to settle for watching from afar or pitting themselves against a collection of elite talents.
Boston Celtics (1957-1969)
Recency bias can harm the long-term legacy of teams from several decades ago.
The Boston Celtics’ run of 11 titles in 13 years was far too special to suffer from that, however, such was their complete dominance of the league for over 10 years. From 1957 through to 1966, they represented the Eastern Conference in every NBA Finals.
Red Auerbach celebrated big and often. Bill Russell – the team’s superstar center – has a case to be considered the greatest player in NBA history.
The Celtics’ success through the late 1950s and 1960s built the foundations for one of the most reputable organisations in American sports, a reputation that stands to this day.
Los Angeles Lakers (1980-88)
It was five titles in nine seasons for the Showtime Lakers, and a couple of other Finals losses.
Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar will crack many people’s dream starting five, and the Lakers managed to make that duo a reality in southern California, forming one of the most unstoppable duos the NBA has ever seen.
The Lakers are still one title behind the Boston Celtics’ all-time tally with 16, although they have made 10 more trips to the NBA Finals.
The latest 888 tips for NBA betting makes the Lakers one of the favourites to add to that total with LeBron James and Anthony Davis leading the way.
Chicago Bulls (1991-98)
The Chicago Bulls threepeated twice between 1991 and 1998 to accumulate six titles and six rings for Phil Jackson, Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen.
Jordan’s hiatus to play minor league baseball in the Chicago White Sox organisation might be all that stopped them winning eight on the bounce – his first retirement and return to the hardwood are a vital part of his legacy.
The Bulls’ run came at a time when the NBA needed a boost. Jordan, with his sidekick Pippen, gave it just that.
The dynasty of the 1990s not only owned the league, they made the Bulls a worldwide recognised brand, despite the franchise having made only one Eastern Conference Finals appearance since Jordan left.
Los Angeles Lakers (2000-02)
The summer of 1996 was a big one for the Lakers. Shaquille O’Neal signed in free agency, leaving the Orlando Magic with four All-Star appearances under his belt.
Kobe Bryant was drafted, and within a couple of years, the two were destroying the league on the way to a threepeat after the turn of the century.
The tone for the dynasty was set in 1999/2000 with 67 regular season wins, but it’s the 2000/01 playoff run that perhaps is the best showing of their supremacy over this period.
The Lakers swept the first three rounds of the postseason, knocking out the Blazers, Kings and Spurs – it was only an inspired Allen Iverson in the Finals that took a game off them.
Golden State Warriors (2015-19)
Five Finals appearances in five seasons is dynasty worthy regardless of the Kevin Durant-based criticisms. The Warriors were far and away the best team in the NBA until Durant and Klay Thompson suffered serious injuries in the 2019 playoffs.
It was only three rings for the Warriors with Steve Kerr adding to his collection and Thompson, Steph Curry and Draymond Green starting theirs.
The loss to the Cavaliers in 2016 made people seriously ask ‘is LeBron is the real GOAT?’ after the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history. The 2019 disappointment to Toronto made history in its own way, too.
Golden State changed the way basketball is played. Curry is a top-15 player ever. Their basketball was wonderful to watch, and our 888 prediction is that all the key protagonists will be rewarded with a place in the Hall of Fame before long.
*Credit for the main photo belongs to David Zalubowski / AP Photo*
Sam is a sports tipster, specialising in the Premier League and Champions League.
He covers most sports, including cricket and Formula One. Sam particularly enjoys those on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean – notably MLB and NBA.
Watching, writing and talking about sports betting takes up most of his time, whether that is for a day out at T20 Finals Day or a long night of basketball.
Having been writing for several years, Sam has been working with 888Sport since 2016, contributing multiple articles per week to the blog.
From the likes of the 2020 Australian Open to the Ryder Cup later in the year, our sports calendar 2020 can keep punters updated on all of the biggest events month by month.
Scroll down to check out the biggest sporting events 2020 has to offer – our expert team of writers will be providing sports betting tips on many of these throughout the year.
If you are looking for every major event of the sporting calendar 2020, 888sport is the place to be.
January
2nd - 7th: Cricket - Australia vs New Zealand 3rd Test
3rd - 7th: Cricket - South Africa vs England 2nd Test
4th - 12th: Darts - BDO World Championship
4th: Football – FA Cup third round weekend
6th: Football – League Cup semi-finals first leg
9th - 26th: Handball - European Men's Handball Championship
10th - 12th: Speed Skating - European Speed Skating Championships
12th - 19th: Snooker - Masters Snooker
14th - 19th: Cricket - India vs Australia ODI Series
16th - 20th: Cricket - South Africa vs England 3rd Test
18th: Horse Racing - Clarence House Chase
20th – 22nd February: Tennis – Australian Open
24th - 28th: Cricket - South Africa vs England 4th Test
24th - 2nd February: Cricket - New Zealand vs India T20 Series
25th: Football – FA Cup fourth round weekend
25th - 26th: Ice Hockey - NHL All-Star Game
26th: American Football - NFL 2020 Pro Bowl
27th: Football – League Cup semi-finals second leg
29th - 2nd February: Snooker - German Masters
31st - 2nd February: Darts - Masters Darts
February
1st: Rugby Union - Wales vs Italy; Ireland vs Scotland
2nd: Rugby Union - France vs England
2nd: NFL – Super Bowl
3rd - 9th: Snooker - World Grand Prix
4th - 9th: Cricket - South Africa vs England ODI Series
5th - 11th: Cricket - New Zealand vs India ODI Series
Comparing the best seasons in Premier League history is a popular task whether on a talk show or sat in the pub.
Pitting the best of one era against another is obviously impossible, and forces football betting fans and pundits alike into hypothetical upon hypothetical.
Probably as controversial as naming a Premier League Team of the Decade, splitting the best teams in Premier League history isn’t a simple task.
The year of Kevin Keegan’s infamous rant, the year Newcastle blew a 12-point lead in mid-January to allow Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United to cruise to the title.
The 1995/96 campaign produced historic moments, and it saw Ferguson place faith in the Class of ’92, who went on to become the faces of Manchester United through the final years of the 1990s and the beginning of the noughties.
After winning just two out of nine matches between 27th November and 13th January, the title looked out of reach. Newcastle’s lead was supposedly insurmountable.
While the season might be remembered for the Magpies’ collapse, it was a string of six straight wins through to 4th March that saw United put the pressure on Keegan’s side.
Although they were not the greatest side to win the Premier League title, and didn’t collect records in the way of some others on this list, Manchester United’s title win in 1995/96 was one of the most significant in European football in recent memory.
After selling veterans, the Class of ’92 showed they were ready to lead the team as United became the first English club to win the league and FA Cup double twice.
Arsenal (2003/04)
The invincible campaign of 2003/04 was the peak of Arsene Wenger’s north London tenure.
It was the season the steely pre-Wenger defence met the flowing attacking football masterminded by Wenger, led by Thierry Henry, a player he developed from winger to unstoppable centre forward. Henry scored 30 Premier League goals in 2003/04, eight more than anyone else.
Arsenal didn’t produce any of the highest scoring Premier League games like some of the other great sides, but they frequently won matches comfortably, including a 5-0 demolition of Leeds when the title was within touching distance.
The Gunners made it look easy, never relinquishing top spot from matchday 21 onwards. Chelsea, their nearest challengers, finished 11 points behind.
In another season, Arsenal’s cup journeys play out differently and they end up with a double or treble (they made the semi-finals of the League Cup and FA Cup and fell at the quarter-final stage of the Champions League).
Chelsea (2004/05)
Until Manchester City became the league’s first members of the 100 points club, Chelsea had the highest ever points tally with the 95 clocked in Jose Mourinho’s first season in English football.
It didn’t take long the Special One to live up to his own hype, though they had to wait until matchday 12 to sit atop the table.
A shock loss to Manchester City was their only defeat of the season, but Chelsea bounced back with near-perfection, winning 19 of their next 22 league matches - they were certainly a popular pick in football prediction tips.
The Blues finished the campaign with an historic list of achievements: most clean sheets, most away wins, fewest away goals conceded, most wins and fewest goals conceded. As far as 888 sport predictions go, nobody expected Chelsea to be as dominant as they were.
The defence was miserly. The attack was efficient. Frank Lampard’s goals from midfield saw him win PFA Player of the Year, and it was the beginning of the modern Chelsea, the first year of the Cech-Terry-Lampard-Drogba spine that led the west London club to unprecedented levels of success.
Leicester City (2015/16)
To call Leicester’s 2015/16 title the most improbable of the Premier League era is a goliath-sized understatement. Claudio Ranieri’s appointment was met with scorn after Nigel Pearson had guided Leicester to a great escape.
What Pearson had done was impressive, and with Ranieri under pressure to match that, the Italian set about surpassing expectations to a ludicrous extent.
Jamie Vardy was unleashed by Ranieri, allowed to race behind defences. N’Golo Kante arrived from France with a reputation and stature that did not suggest midfield dominance, but the ever-smiling Frenchman delivered control of the middle third unlike few Premier League players have before.
Riyad Mahrez’s step overs and magical left foot won matches. Wes Morgan and Robert Huth provided a rock solid defence.
There were many crucial moments along the way. None more so than the 3-1 win at the Etihad in February, which must go down as one of the biggest wins in Premier League history.
There are plenty of forgettable title wins – no one alive for the 2015/16 season will let Leicester’s glorious campaign slip from their memory.
Manchester City (2017/18)
The first centurions in Premier League history. Manchester City were miles ahead of the chasing pack in 2017/18 as Pep Guardiola strolled to his first league title in English football and seventh of his extraordinary managerial career.
Kevin De Bruyne established himself as not just a wonderful talent, but as the best midfielder in the world.
The foolish questions about if Guardiola’s football would work in the English game were made to look just that. City made the game look intimidatingly easy, smashing Chelsea’s points and goals records. They averaged 66.4% possession.
The 2017/18 version of Manchester City was the most dominant team the Premier League has ever seen. It was the realisation of years of work at the club to not just bring Guardiola in, but craft a squad for him.
Perhaps most crucially for English football in general, the 2017/18 title win opened eyes to Guardiola’s brilliance.
Manchester City might have been 888 prediction football betting favourites to make it three in a row, but that possibility looks to have disappeared with Liverpool's incredible start to the 2019/20 campaign.
Sam is a sports tipster, specialising in the Premier League and Champions League.
He covers most sports, including cricket and Formula One. Sam particularly enjoys those on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean – notably MLB and NBA.
Watching, writing and talking about sports betting takes up most of his time, whether that is for a day out at T20 Finals Day or a long night of basketball.
Having been writing for several years, Sam has been working with 888Sport since 2016, contributing multiple articles per week to the blog.
The history of England and Pakistan’s Test match bouts features classic matches, controversy and more than its fair share of heroic performances.
Their upcoming series in the summer of 2020 is unique, being played in a biosecure bubble with no crowds.
Often hard to choose between the two teams when it comes to cricket betting, Test series between England and Pakistan are, more often than not, fiercely competitive.
Pakistan always have talented players, and this tour is no different. They bring an exciting crop of fast bowlers and a batting line-up far superior to the West Indies, who suffered a 2-1 defeat in the first Test series of this shortened summer.
888sport brings the best cricket betting tips. On this occasion, though, it’s a look back at what has gone before and the greatest matches ever played between England and Pakistan…
Pakistan Win At The Oval (1996)
England’s first innings score of 326 at The Oval in 1996 looked semi-competitive. When Pakistan followed up with 521 declared, thanks to centuries from Saeed Anwar and Saleem Malik, the hosts were under serious pressure to stay in the match.
Facing Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, it was time for a rearguard action from England. They entered the final day needing to bat time.
The top three of Mike Atherton, Alec Stewart and Nasser Hussain started in the right manner, all occupying the crease and taking time out the game.
This match is best remembered for a marathon spell from Mushtaq Ahmed, who bowled uninterrupted from one end after coming on in the 10th over of the day.
Mushtaq challenged the batsmen throughout, keeping the rate low and eventually causing an England collapse. He finished with six wickets, and Pakistan knocked off the runs required to win the match.
New Covers Cause Problems (1974)
In the days of uncovered pitches, the 1974 Test series, and specifically the second Test at Lord’s, became a point of sporting controversy.
Pakistan were comfortable at 51-0 in the first dig. Rain came, as it so often does in the English summer. Regulations in the mid-1970s were rather different to now – the pitch was required to be uncovered during the dodgy weather.
Pakistan came back out to bat at the pitch has become almost unplayable as they slumped to 130 for nine declared.
The rain returned just before Pakistan batted for a second time. Deadly Derek Underwood was too much for the Pakistani batsmen, taking 8 for 51 at an economy of 1.46.
Luckily for Pakistan, further rain took away any chance of an England victory. The tourists were furious at the new covers being used at Lord’s, which ended up letting plenty of water onto the track.
Botham Carries England (1978)
An obvious pick on our list of the best England cricketers, Pakistan were on the end of one of Ian Botham’s greatest performances in the 1978 series.
England were leading the series 1-0, but at 134 for five, they were on the brink of a match-losing collapse. Botham strode to the crease in a moment when England needed something special.
He, of course, delivered. Scoring 108 off barely more balls, Botham smashed England into a strong position. They were eventually all out for 364.
Typically, Botham followed up his century with a majestic bowling performance. Pakistan were all over the place as the all-rounder claimed his career-best figures of 8 for 34.
England Snatch Win In Karachi (2000)
A match that swung from one team to the other and back, England’s win in Karachi in 2000, as the night drew in, is one of their most iconic wins.
The imagery from the closing moments of the match, the lights of the celebrating dressing room illuminating the pitch, are locked into the memory of any England cricket fan.
Led by centuries from Inzamam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Yousuf, Pakistan compiled 405 in the first innings.
They shouldn’t lose from that position, and England’s slow 388, featuring a typically gritty knock from Atherton, left little time in the match to force a result either way.
On a wearing pitch, England wrestled it back in their favour. Pakistan crumbled to 158 all out, setting England a gettable target on the final day.
Scoring at pace was important in the final innings. Atherton and Marcus Trescothick got off to a strong start before a brilliant partnership from Graham Thorpe and Graeme Hick.
Hick fell before England won the match, but Thorpe saw his team home accompanied by skipper Nasser Hussain.
Opener Of An Epic Series (2016)
Misbah-ul-Haq was one of cricket’s most likeable figures. He led a strong Pakistan team to England in 2016, and quickly made his mark, becoming the oldest Test captain to score a century in the first match of the series.
The series was enthralling throughout. Pakistan’s 75-run victory in the opening match set the tone, and Misbah’s press up celebration soon became a feature of his Pakistan team.
It began with him enjoying his century and was repeated by the entire team after victory.
There’s an array of betting online options for the 2020 England vs Pakistan Test series – will it be as entertaining as the last time the two teams met in England?
*Credit for the main photo belongs to Jon Super / AP Photo*
Sam is a sports tipster, specialising in the Premier League and Champions League.
He covers most sports, including cricket and Formula One. Sam particularly enjoys those on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean – notably MLB and NBA.
Watching, writing and talking about sports betting takes up most of his time, whether that is for a day out at T20 Finals Day or a long night of basketball.
Having been writing for several years, Sam has been working with 888Sport since 2016, contributing multiple articles per week to the blog.
The Premier League allowed teams to make five substitutions per match upon the return from the hiatus. It is a notable change, one that will impact Premier League Odds for as long as the rule stands.
Unexpected circumstances provoke unexpected changes. The Premier League isn’t an organisation for radical alterations, and in the season that VAR has been such a point of controversy, no one was ready for more.
Of all the possible modifications to the game in the near-future, an increase in permitted substitutions was not one being leaked or pondered on podcasts. It was a needs must decision, a move made to make it feasible to finish the 2019-20 season.
For what seems an insignificant tweak to the game, the decision to give Premier League teams two more substitutions has potentially substantial consequences.
Added Managerial Influence
The opportunity for managers to impact the game has drastically increased with additional substitutions and the Premier League drinks breaks.
A 66% increase in the number of players they can change, and a trebling in the number of in-match intervals to talk to their players, gives managers influence on the match that they previously did not have.
Over a longer period, the use of substitutes and the performance after timeouts could become a notable football betting trend. Brentford’s Thomas Frank was told off for bringing out a tactics board for the drinks breaks.
Whether tactics board in hand or not, managers are using this period to get messages across. Matches have frequently swung, being unrecognisable from the game that was being played before the drinks were taken.
Pairing this with the option to make more changes to personnel enhances the role a manager can have on matchday. They were largely a passenger before; perhaps this is a transition from matchday spectator to a more hands-on involvement like an NBA or NFL coach.
The longer these rules remain, the more they will be considered for our Premier League predictions. How managers have used their substitutes, how they have used their new powers at drinks breaks, will become an important part of their evaluation.
Whether or not this is a good thing is subjective, like most things in football. Adding a fresh layer to the game, though, is largely a positive.
Exaggerates League Imbalance
Manchester City can bring on Phil Foden or Gabriel Jesus. The rest of the league cannot. The Premier League is already suffering a vast divide between the haves and have nots – five substitutions risks furthering that chasm.
Although the top four betting shifted throughout the season, all of the Premier League’s ‘big six’ still qualified for Europe.
The depth of wealth in the Premier League is incomparable to other leagues, but there is a startling lack of parity. Players who barely make the bench at the six richest teams would walk into the starting line-up of the majority of the rest of the league.
Pep Guardiola has greater resources at his disposal already. More substitutions allow him to delve deeper into his wardrobe of elite talents.
Whether for tactical reasons or to inject some fresh legs, Guardiola can bring players on that would start for pretty much every other team on the planet.
Effectively, the players involved on a matchday swells from 14 to 16. That sounds a minor difference, and in many ways it is, but it shines an intense light on squad depth.
Even between the top teams, this will make a difference. It is a stark reminder of the league’s inequality.
The opposite may also be true. Online betting decisions are never straight forward, and that is the case here, too. It will not always favour the stronger squad.
How managers use their substitutes will still matter. Having better players does not equal victory, and it is reductive to view football as such.
It might aid the richer club on more occasions than not, but the team under pressure, who has been chasing the ball for most of the match, will often be thankful for the chance to bring on less fatigued players.
Equally, an underdog set up in a low block who has gone behind might want to make drastic changes. Extra substitutes give more flexibility for managers to switch shape, to revamp their gameplan as they pursue an equaliser or victory.
The immediate reaction is that this only helps the richest clubs.
For the most part, it will. It isn’t exclusively the top six that it benefits, however, and it ultimately depends on how well managers take advantage of their substitutions – as many fans will attest, plenty do not make good use of their bench.
Long Term Squad Building
Squad depth is important at the moment, but it could become a bigger element of Premier League football if five substitutions are allowed permanently.
The teams eyeing up the top of the outright winner odds are obviously building a deep group of players to challenge of multiple fronts – could more teams prioritise spending on squad players if they know they can use five non-starters per match?
Ideally, squads are finely balanced. Clubs strive for a mix of players fitting how a manager wants to play without excess wages on players who will seldom be used.
Perhaps that balance is different with five substitutes to be used in every Premier League match. Perhaps the wage budget for a backup striker, or for an impact winger, increases.
Squad building will not be impacted by this new rule for some clubs. It matters for those who are very precise when they construct their playing staff for a season, and even then, this might be no more than a minor consideration.
If the top six clubs want this rule to remain, it has a very good chance of doing so. The concerns about furthering the gap between the richest and the rest are legitimate.
It changes the game in more ways than one would think on the surface of it – some are positive, others are much less so.
If other measures are taken to level the Premier League playing field (which admittedly seems very unlikely), allowing five substitutions could add to the game. For now, though, it risks exaggerating the worst of the Premier League.
*Credit for the main photo belongs to Kirsty Wigglesworth / AP Photo*
Sam is a sports tipster, specialising in the Premier League and Champions League.
He covers most sports, including cricket and Formula One. Sam particularly enjoys those on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean – notably MLB and NBA.
Watching, writing and talking about sports betting takes up most of his time, whether that is for a day out at T20 Finals Day or a long night of basketball.
Having been writing for several years, Sam has been working with 888Sport since 2016, contributing multiple articles per week to the blog.
The first Snooker World Championship was played in 1927. A tournament of deep history, there have been some epic encounters in finals over the near-century since it first took place.
The Crucible, which has hosted the world championship since 1977, is among the most famous venues in British sport.
Snooker betting online is a popular option for bettors, and the world championship is obviously one of the main events on the calendar.
It presents an opportunity to find value in outsiders and build handsome accumulators during the early rounds. This article takes a trip through the past few decades, recounting some of the world championship’s best finals…
1982 – Alex Higgins vs Ray Reardon
A decade since his first world title and with two final losses since, the 1982 showpiece saw Alex Higgins win his second world championship. Ray Reardon challenged Higgins deep into the match, forcing it to 15-15.
Higgins found another gear for the home stretch. He won three on the bounce to wrap up the match, including a magnificent 135 break to seal it.
Reardon, of course, is a six-time world champion. The 1982 event was the only final he lost.
While Reardon’s legacy is more about snooker, Higgins was an entertainer, a figure who grew the game and popularised it to new audiences.
1985 – Steve Davis vs Dennis Taylor
This was the easiest pick of the lot. Steve Davis and Dennis Taylor’s 1985 world championship final is a piece of British sporting history, an event remembered far beyond the snooker-following community.
A whopping 18.5 million tuned in on the BBC for a match that finished at almost half past midnight. Davis had won the last two world championships, defeating Cliff Thorburn and Jimmy White in the previous finals.
He was the favourite, and had made light work of his route to the final, comprehensively beating Reardon in the last four. The final started in a similar manner – Davis was 7-0 up after the first session.
The then two-time defending champion won two of their first three in the next session. Taylor followed up by winning seven in a row.
Davis held a 13-11 lead entering the final session. He took two of three to start. Taylor took three in a row and Davis won two more, putting him a frame from victory. Taylor wasn’t done yet – he won two more to set up a tense decider.
That final frame, which Davis led 62-44 with only four colours left, was spectacular. Taylor won it on the black – it was his only world title. What a way to win it.
1994 – Stephen Hendry vs Jimmy White
Jimmy White was surely sick of Stephen Hendry by the 1994 world championship final.
It was White’s fifth straight trip to the final, losing three of the previous four to Hendry and being defeated by John Parrott in the other.
White had won the British Open and UK Championship by this stage of his career. He still couldn’t get over the final hurdle in the world championship, however, and 1994 was no different.
While Hendry had outclassed him 12 months previous, it was much more competitive this time around. The match went to a decider and White was at the table.
All looking good, he missed a straight forward black. Hendry cleared the table, winning the fourth of his eventual seven world titles.
2001 – Ronnie O’Sullivan vs John Higgins
Ronnie O’Sullivan had enjoyed success throughout the 1990s, but his appearance in the 2001 World Championship final was his first at the event.
Facing John Higgins, who had been world number one until May the previous year, O’Sullivan had an opponent who could go toe-to-toe with him.
It was the final piece of the Triple Crown for O’Sullivan, having already won the UK Championship and the Masters.
An epic final with Higgins ended in a 18-14 victory for O’Sullivan, and the first of his five world titles.
2013 – Ronnie O’Sullivan vs Barry Hawkins
Always near the top of the World Snooker Championship betting, Ronnie O’Sullivan entered the 2013 tournament as an even harder player to predict than usual.
The Rocket had only played one competitive match all season before the tournament began.
What followed was a record-breaking few days. O’Sullivan didn’t lose a single session throughout the tournament – his 18-12 victory over Hawkins in the final was majestic. Hawkins put up a fight, but he was no match for O’Sullivan on the top of his game.
En route to his fifth title, O’Sullivan became the first player to hit six century breaks in a final and his 103 in the 15th frame of the final was his 128th at the Crucible, breaking Hendry’s record.
888sport is the place to be for all things snooker - so go and #TakeEmOn!
*Credit for the main photo belongs to Elizabeth Dalziel / AP Photo*
Sam is a sports tipster, specialising in the Premier League and Champions League.
He covers most sports, including cricket and Formula One. Sam particularly enjoys those on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean – notably MLB and NBA.
Watching, writing and talking about sports betting takes up most of his time, whether that is for a day out at T20 Finals Day or a long night of basketball.
Having been writing for several years, Sam has been working with 888Sport since 2016, contributing multiple articles per week to the blog.
