Birmingham have slipped into the bottom half of the Championship table after a run of five games without a win but three points for the Blues on Tuesday night might be enough for Garry Monk’s side to climb back into the top 12.
Swansea City have been in decent form as of late though, with the Welsh side winning four of their last five matches in all competitions. Winning at the Liberty Stadium will not be easy by any means but the Blues are well priced at 27/10 to claim three points.
The fixture list has not been kind to Monk’s men in recent weeks. Birmingham have gone up against two of the Championship’s top five since January 11th and punters will be quietly confident of a positive result for the visitors.
Both teams to score is very appealing at 4/5 in Championship betting odds. This has landed in Birmingham’s last three league games whilst also winning in four of Swansea’s previous five Championship encounters. Expect goals on Tuesday night…
As per usual, 888sport have a special wincast available for BCFC supporters. Lukas Jutkiewicz to score in a Birmingham win is now available at 7/1 on Tuesday night – the Blues striker has 10 goals to his name already this season and he could make the difference in this one.
Birmingham fans should take the 7/10 for the Blues to avoid defeat in this clash. Confidence has been knocked in recent weeks but Monk’s side have the quality to bounce back in south Wales. Watch this space, the Blues will be tough to stop if they make an early breakthrough.
Prediction: Swansea 1-2 Birmingham (11/1)
Bet of the day: Both teams to score (4/5)
Outside punt: Birmingham to score in both halves (9/2)
Enhanced wincast: Lukas Jutkiewicz to score and Birmingham to win (7/1)
*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*
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.
The Joseph O’Brien trained Fakir D’Oudairies moved to the top of the JCB Triumph Hurdle betting at the Cheltenham Festival after putting his rivals to the sword in the opening race on Cheltenham Trials Day.
Fakir D’Oudairies powered up the hill to win by an impressive 13 lengths from his stable companion Fine Brunello, with the well fancied favourite Adjali a further three and a half back in third.
J.J Slevin, who rode the winner said: “Fakir D’Oudairies had a good win at Cork the last day and has obviously come on for it. He has loads of experience from his time in France and that was a good performance.
"It’s a Grade 2 and we didn’t hang around – we went a nice, even gallop – and my horse travelled very comfortably and jumped very well. He stuck at it very well – I didn’t realise I had won by so far, but he did it very well.”
“I would say that he would be better with a bit of juice in the ground, but it is a long way from being winter ground out there. He handled it fine and I am sure he will be fine on the ground in the spring.
Daryl Jacob, on board Adjali, said of his mount: “Adjali has run well. The Irish horses seem to be the best juveniles, but I think we might see a better Adjali at The Festival in March.”
Fakir D’Oudairies is now a 4/1 chance with us for a repeat victory in March, making him the clear favourite ahead of his stablemate Sir Erec at 6/1.
Kildisart, the winner of the Timeform Novices’ Handicap Chase, is now at the mercy of the handicapper when it comes down to which Festival engagement he will take up, according to his trainer Ben Pauling.
A rise of anything more than 4lbs would rule the seven-year-old out of his preferred option, the Close Brothers Novices’ Handicap Chase, so a switch to the JLT would be the backup plan.
Pauling said: "He is becoming quite a decent little horse. His jumping can still be improved as he gets in a little close to a couple of them, but he doesn't seem to lose an enormous amount of momentum. He won it very nicely and is a progressive horse.
"Hopefully he will still be within the parameters of the Close Brothers Chase, but we might have to look at the JLT if he is put up more than 4lb."
Siruh Du Lac battled back doggedly against Janika in pulsating finish to the Spectra Cyber Security Solutions Trophy Handicap Chase.
Having won five of his last six races, the Nick Williams-trained six-year-old was always in vanguard under a positive ride from Lizzie Kelly, just getting the better of Janika by the smallest of margins in a protracted battle to the line.
The winner is now a 10/1 shot for the Close Brothers Chase at the Festival, while we make Janika a 20/1 contender for the Ryanair Chase.
Frodon claimed a fourth win at Cheltenham when taking the Cotswold Chase under Bryony Frost and will probably now contest the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Frost said: "I say it all the time - he is a complete pleasure (to ride). I've never ridden a horse that has a heart like him and over the last two it is visible for everyone to see.
"You can see how brave and awesome he is. He is the most amazing person and when I call upon on him, he answers every time.”
Frodon’s trainer, Paul Nicholls, was quick to confirm the Gold Cup route for his star seven-year-old: "I don't think he has the pace to win a Ryanair.
"I think the Gold Cup is more suitable for him as he stays and I just said to the owner beforehand that he has had six or seven weeks off and he looked a gallop short and will improve for today.
"I always hate coming back after a break, but that was astonishing. He just idles a bit in front then stays on again.
"He was giving them weight as well and I still feel there is a bit of improvement in him.
"He loves the track and is improving rapidly. He is rated 169 and that would have put him second in last year's Gold Cup. In a year that is quite open, I'm definitely dead keen to go.
"The Gold Cup is a more realistic trip as he gets them off the bridle with his jumping."
The runner-up Elegant Escape is priced up at 20/1, while Terrefort, who finished a promising third is a 25/1 chance in horses betting odds with 888sport.
Nicky Henderson's Birchdale extended his unbeaten run by taking the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle Trial.
We now make the J.P McManus runner a 10/1 poke for the Ballymore final at the Festival, while the unfortunate last flight faller Brewin'upastorm is marginally behind him at 12/1 for the same race.
The Emma Lavelle-trained Paisley Park made it four from four this season when landing the Cleeve Hurdle and has now been installed as the 11/4 favourite for the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Festival.
Speaking after the race, Lavelle said: Lavelle said: "That was quite impressive. He just has such a great way of going in that he doesn't use any more energy than he needs to and then when Aidan winds him up, he just picks up.
"Aidan said he got there two furlongs two soon. The last hurdle today is the first hurdle he has jumped in front in his life as he gets a lead at home as well.
"He looked pretty special out there. I hope we have the same preparation for Cheltenham in March as we had for this race."
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.
The top two seeds in the men’s Australian Open draw will meet in the tennis betting final on Sunday morning.
Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal have combined for seven Australian Open titles in their decorated careers so far, with Djokovic winning six and Nadal winning once back in 2009. The Spaniard has also been runner-up on three occasions.
These two all-time greats have built a rivalry of sorts since their first meeting nearly 13 years ago. Surprisingly, they have only met once at the Australian Open, though, with Djokovic winning a classic, five-set final back in 2012.
Overall, Djokovic has the edge too having won 27 of the 52 meetings. He has dominated Nadal away from the clay in recent years. Nadal has not beaten the Serbian on hard court since the US Open final in 2013 – Djokovic has won 12 of their 15 meetings since then.
This will be their eighth Grand Slam final meeting. Nadal has won four of the previous seven. That doesn’t tell us a great deal, it’s hardly like they are going to be spooked by the big occasion.
Nadal has been close to perfect so far. He has not dropped a single set, and only been taken to a tie-break on one occasion. The next closest anyone came to taking a set was a 7-5 to clinch his first round match against Australian James Duckworth.
There’s a case to be made that Nadal is serving as well as he has in his entire career. There have been no signs of rustiness after an absence post-US-Open. The price on at least one tie-break is worth considering at 2/5.
Nadal made light work of Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semi-finals. The Greek youngster knocked out Roger Federer earlier in the tournament but was unable to get anywhere near Nadal. Tsitsipas won six games in the entire match and was blown away as he lost the final set 6-0.
There have been suggestions that Nadal is playing his best ever tennis. That’s a bit of a reach, considering a favourable run to the final. His serve has been excellent though, and we will see if Nadal is reaching new heights when he faces Djokovic.
Djokovic dropped sets in the third and fourth rounds. The quarter final was effectively a rest day for the six-time Australian Open champion, as Kei Nishikori retired after winning just two of the first 12 games.
His semi-final, like Nadal’s, was an astonishing display of dominance.
Lucas Pouille won four games in Djokovic’s straight sets victory, as the Serbian hit 24 winners and just five unforced errors. Pouille had the best Grand Slam performance of his career and was completely outclassed.
The pair have combined for 31 Grand Slam titles. They are the only two players in the open era to play 52 matches against one another.
Djokovic is looking to become the first player ever to win seven Australian Open titles. Nadal has won 17 Grand Slams despite not even competing in nine.
History will be made on Sunday, though a repeat of the 2012, record-breaking epic is unfortunately not possible because of the introduction of the super tie-break.
While it’s unlikely, and almost impossible, for the match to last nearly six hours, a five-setter is probable given the standard of tennis we saw from the two finalists in the semi-finals. Over 4.5 sets is a good price 11/5.
Nadal and Djokovic have both overcome long injury absences. Their return to the summit of the men’s game is a reminder of their greatness.
They are on a different level to the rest of the sport right now – this is the perfect final matchup between two of the best players ever seen.
If these two can replicate their semi-final form, we could be in for one of the best Grand Slam finals ever.
A five-set classic is almost an expectation. Despite Nadal’s superb form over the past two weeks, Djokovic’s superiority on hard courts is impossible to ignore. The Serbian is 3/4 to win a seventh Australian Open crown.
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.
Run at Doncaster the Sky Bet Chase (formerly known as the Great Yorkshire Chase) is a Listed Handicap run over 3m.
The 2018 Sky Bet Chase produced a superb finish with no less than five horses contesting the final few strides, with the Sue Smith-trained Wakanda coming out on top.
The Alan King and Paul Nicholls stables have dominated the race with two winners each since 2003, and King has won two of the last three runnings of the race with Ziga Boy.
This year Alan King is represented by Dingo Dollars, while Paul Nicholls saddles Warriors Tale and Art Mauresque.
Horse Racing Betting Trends & Statistics
Age - 9 of the last 10 winners were aged between 7 & 9.
Weight - 9 of the last 10 winners carried 11-02 or less.
Official Rating - 9 of the last 10 winners were rated 145 or less.
Recent Runs - 8 of the last 10 winners finished in the first 3 in 1 of their last 2 starts.
Last Time Out - All of the last 10 winners came here with a break of at least 25 days.
Season Runs (Since November 1st) - All of the last 10 winners had between 1 & 3 runs.
Distance - 9 of the last 10 winners had previously won over 3 miles or further.
Price - The average winning SP in the last 10 renewals is 9/1.
Favourites - Only two favourites have won in the last 10 renewals.
Irish Bred – 6 of the last 10 winners were bred in Ireland.
Eleven runners go to post on Saturday and here is our runner-by-runner guide:
Warriors Tale (P. Nicholls)
Trained by Paul Nicholls, the 10-year-old was beaten just a head by Wakanda in an exciting bunched finish last year. Warriors Tale returns to Doncaster at the top of his game following a hard fought win at Aintree in the Grand Sefton Handicap Chase.
There is no reason why the Trevor Hemmings-owned gelding won’t be in the thick of things again.
Art Mauresque (P. Nicholls)
Art Mauresque came on for his first run of the season when running a half-length second to Traffic Fluide in the Sodexo Gold Cup at Ascot. He was then tailed off next time in the Peterborough Chase but this race represents a marked drop down in class.
However, he has failed to trouble the judge since October 2016 and he appears to prefer a shorter trip.
O O Seven (N. Henderson)
Won a five-runner event here last time by ½ length from Go Conquer, staying on the better of the pair. He has however struggled off this mark in the past and there are doubts as to whether he will be licensed to thrill in a field such as this.
Go Conquer (N. Twiston-Davies)
Obviously Go Conquer is closely matched with O O Seven on their last encounter here on Town Moor but there are no obvious signs as to why the Paul and Clare Rooney-owned ten-year-old should reverse that form.
He is highly likely to lead for much of the race and then get run down in the closing stages.
Dingo Dollar (A. King)
Although he is well fancied in the horse racing odds for this race, Dingo Dollaralso holds an entry at Cheltenham this weekend so you may want to hold your horses until plans become a little clearer.
Dingo Dollar went for home early in the Ladbrokes Trophy Chase at Newbury last time which was probably his undoing, but he did stay on stoically for a none too shabby third place.
Already a winner a Doncaster, there are lots of positives going for him but you will need to keep an eye out for the weather.
Willie Boy (C. Longsdon)
Formerly trained by Venetia Williams, the eight-year-old ran a cracking race at Wetherby on Boxing Day and won with consummate ease.
Obviously this race is a step up in class and distance, but he is clearly in good heart and his trainer Charlie Longsdon upset the odds last Saturday with Castafiore at Haydock so will not come here undeterred.
Calipto (V. Williams)
Calipto came back to form at Wincanton last time after running a trio of poor races and is the mount of Charlie Deutsch, who is getting no end of winners when he pairs up with Ms Williams.
The nine-year-old does have a tendency to throw in the odd mistake however which can put a horse on the back foot in this race, which is usually run at a pretty decent clip.
Brian Boranha (P. Niven)
A somewhat fortunate winner of the Durham National last time out after the leader ran out but he did what he did given the circumstances.
He is definitely a strong stayer and he will be hoping that the race can fall into his lap again as the leaders cry enough up front.
On Tour (E. Williams)
The eleven-year-old has been plying his trade in the Veterans’ Handicap Chase series in recent times and ran a fairly solid third behind Houblon Des Obeaux at Sandown last time.
The suspicion is that this race will all happen a little bit too quick for him and a deluge of rain would be his only saving grace.
Monbeg River (M. Todhunter)
The ten-year-old is a very consistent sort and is also a course and distance winner. He is probably likely to get overlooked in the betting too as punters focus on the big name stables.
His third to Virgilio at Aintree in May reads well and he is definitely a lively outsider.
Federici (D. McCain)
Federici ran a barnstormer in this race last year when he was involved in that five-way go behind Wakanda. He also ran well again in the latest renewal of the Becher Chase after doing the same thing the year before.
His form figures do not appear too sexy to the casual reader, but the ten-year-old really is in great shape. A lovely low weight and a decent jockey on board make him another decent each-way prospect.
Conclusion
The top-rated Warriors Tale is sure to be in the mix again after last year’s agonising defeat, but the speculative each-way selection goes to FEDERICI for all the reasons outlined above.
888sport suggests: Federici (e/w).
*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*
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.
Fourth seed Naomi Osaka will face eighth seed Petra Kvitova in the Women’s Australian Open final on Saturday, starting at 8:30am GMT.
It has been a fascinating two weeks of tennis in Melbourne. The top two seeds, Angelique Kerber and Simona Halep, were both knocked out in the fourth round.
Former Grand Slam winners Sloane Stephens and Gabrine Muguruza failed to make the second week of the tournament.
Serena Williams’ quest to win an eighth Australian open was ended in the quarter finals. Williams was the pre-tournament favourite in 888sport’s Australian Open tennis odds.
More than a second Slam for Osaka and third Kvitova is on the line here. The pair are playing for the number one spot in the rankings too. This was the case last year, when Caroline Wozniacki claimed top spot by winning in Melbourne.
It might seem a minor thing to some, but it’s good to see a Grand Slam winner go to number one considering the number of players who retain a high ranking without a ever really performing on the biggest stage.
Osaka was number 72 in the world a year ago. Her ascent has been remarkable and reaching back-to-back Grand Slam finals is an extraordinary achievement in the Women’s game.
Osaka is just 21 years old. She is the future of women’s tennis. If she wins on Saturday, only three active players will have won more Grand Slam titles than her. Osaka is 23/20 to win the final.
Kvitova is experienced in the latter stages of Grand Slams too. The Czech left-hander is heading into her third Grand Slam final, having won her previous two, which were both at Wimbledon.
You have to go back to 2014 to find her last foray to a Slam final, but Kvitova’s journey to this final has been challenging.
Since suffering injuries when her apartment was broken into in late 2016, Kvitova has not made it past the third round of a Slam. She is back to playing her best tennis, though, as Danielle Collins found out on Thursday.
Collins stayed with Kvitova in the first set but was unable to get anywhere near her opponent in the second.
Kvitova won the match 7-6, 6-0, to maintain her record of not dropping a set in the tournament. 888sport tennis odds have 7/4 on Kvitova to win in straight sets once again.
Osaka had a more challenging semi-final match, needing three sets to beat Czech star Karolina Pliskova.
The Japanese right-hander has been taken to three sets in three of her previous four matches – that extra time on the court could make a difference against the comparatively rested Kvitova.
The pair are two of the best servers in the game. They have won over 80% of their service games so far this calendar year. At least one tie-break in the women's Australian Open final at 21/10 looks a really good price.
Osaka will look to stick at the baseline and grind Kvitova down. Kvitova has been blowing opponents away over the last two weeks, and Osaka’s best chance of victory is to force longer rallies and test Kvitova’s patience.
First serves will be crucial for both players, as they will both be very aggressive on each other’s second serves. This is an intriguing final, the 5/2 on over 27.5 games looks a good bet.
Kvitova is the favourite in 888sport's tennis betting at 7/10 to win her third Slam. Fatigue is a concern for Osaka, who I really liked at 9/1 to go all the way pre-tournament.
It should be an epic at Rod Laver Arena. Osaka to win 2-1 at 19/5 is the best value in the match, and the start will be especially key, considering she has won her last 59 matches when she has taken the first set.
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.
Two men are appearing in their first ever Grand Slam semi-finals this week. Their two opponents, it’s safe to say, are slightly more experienced at the end of Grand Slam fortnights.
The number one and two seeds have made it to where they are meant to, though only one other top 13 player appeared in the last eight. It’s a case of two all-time greats against two of the sport’s up and coming younger players in Melbourne this week.
888Ssport's tennis betting odds makes for interesting viewing ahead of the Australian Open 2019 semi-finals. It’s no surprise to see the two greats as favourites, but there’s still value to be found.
Stefanos Tsitipas vs Rafael Nadal (Thursday, 8:30am)
Making the fourth round at Wimbledon last year was his best Grand Slam performance until he beat his idol Roger Federer at the same stage in Melbourne.
The Greek youngster followed that historic victory with a four-set win against Roberto Bautista Agut in the quarters. He has all the tools to become the world’s best, including a rare one-handed backhand, which is a treat for the purists.
Rafael Nadal has barely been challenged up to this point. The Spaniard has not dropped a set and beat surprise package Frances Tiafoe in the last eight.
Tiafoe had seen off Grigor Dimitrov and Kevin Anderson, but was unable to compete with Nadal, who lost just nine games in the match.
It’s 10 years since Nadal won this tournament. He has lost three finals since then, though, including the 2017 epic against Federer.
Nadal is 2/13 favourite in Australian Open odds to make another final. He has won all four of his meetings with Tsitsipas and many will be backing him to make that record 5-0.
There was some uncertainty around Nadal’s game coming into the tournament, having not played since the US Open because of a foot injury. He has been improving with every match, however, and has not been broken since the first round.
Tsitsipas is still young and his time will come. He is already looking like one of the world’s best, but this might just be a step too far.
TIP: Tsitspias 1-3 Nadal (Priced at 5/2 with 888sport)
Lucas Pouille has, as you might expect for the 28 seed, not had the easiest run. The Frenchman won just one of his matches in straight sets and was taken to five by home favourite wildcard Alexei Popyrin in the third round.
Pouille saw off the big-serving Milos Raonic in the quarter-finals to book a clash with the world number one. He bounced back from 5-2 in the first set to win it in a tie-break.
A poor start to the year makes this run a surprise despite his talent, which has seen him reach quarter-finals at Wimbledon and the US Open in the past.
Novak Djokovic will be well-rested coming into this match, thanks to Kei Nishikori’s retirement in the quarters on Wednesday.
The Serbian is on course to make his third consecutive Grand Slam final, having won Wimbledon and the US Open last year. He has not been quite at his best so far in Melbourne, but he’s still the 1/14 favourite in 888sport tennis odds to win this one.
The pair have never played each other before. That’s perhaps a positive for Pouille, as it means he, unlike so many others, does not have the scars of defeat against Djokovic. It’s a question of energy for Pouille after such a gruelling run thus far.
Pouille’s only option is to be ultra-aggressive, though even that is unlikely to be enough against Djokovic.
His chances are further diminished by Djokovic’s quarter-final match being cut short, particularly considering the gruelling run he has had to get this far.
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.
Only three of the top 16 seeds have made the Women’s Australian Open semi-finals. There have been upsets throughout the first week and a bit of 2019’s first Grand Slam.
Julia Gorges fell in the first round, Kiki Bertens was knocked out in the second round, and tenth seed Daria Kasatkina won just three games against Timea Bacsinszky in the first round.
Despite the disappointments, some of the sport’s biggest names remain in the last four, though only one of them has appeared at this stage of the Australian Open previously.
The semi-finals are beautifully poised. We delve into 888sport’s tennis betting tips ahead of the Australian Open 2019 final four.
Petra Kvitova vs Danielle Collins (Thursday, 3am)
Petra Kvitova is one of the four women that can take over as world number one on Monday. Kvitova was at her very best to see off home favourite Ashleigh Barty in the last eight, winning 6-1, 6-4.
The left-hander has only made the semi-finals at the Australian Open on one previous occasion, but she has been the most dominant player in the draw this year.
Kvitova is yet to drop a set in Melbourne. Her serve has been inconsistent this year, as she leads the WTA in double faults.
As ever, though, she has been dominant when her first serve goes in, winning over 74% of points. She has served well so far this tournament – her 6/25 to win the match is hard to look past if that continues in this match.
Collins has been another shock Grand Slam success story. The American had not won a Grand Slam match before this tournament, but she crushed Angelique Kerber in the fourth round after seeing off Caroline Garcia and Julia Gorges previously.
Collins is a fierce competitor. The world number 35 battles through rallies and will make Kvitova work for every single point. Despite Kvitova’s dominance so far, the 19/10 price on over 2.5 sets is an interesting bet.
The pair faced-off in Brisbane earlier this year, with Kvitova winning in three sets after two tie-breakers. At least one tie-breaker at 13/4 is good value.
Collins, like she has been all tournament, is the underdog going into this match. That will inspire her, if anything, but Kvitova should have too much for her.
TIP: Kvitova 2-1 Collins (Priced at 3/1 with 888sport)
Karolina Pliskova vs Naomi Osaka (Thursday, 4:30am)
Naomi Osaka and Karolina Pliskova, like Kvitova, could both become world number one on Monday, depending on their results in the coming days.
Osaka had two difficult third and fourth round matches, beating Anastasija Sevastova and Hsieh Su-wei in two three-setters.
The US Open champion then cruised past Elina Svitolina in straight sets to make it into the semi-finals. Svitolina suffered with neck and shoulder problems, but Osaka took full advantage.
She has not been at her best so far, though the second set performance against Svitolina might be a sign she is peaking at the right time.
A rematch with Serena was on the cards for Osaka. Pliskova had other ideas, winning an epic against the 23-time Grand Slam singles winner.
This is only the third time Pliskova has made it to the last four of a Grand Slam. The last occasion was at Roland Garros back in 2017, though she made the quarter-finals of the US Open in 2017 and 2018.
Pliskova is one of the most aggressive players in the women’s game, boasting a powerful serve and booming groundstrokes.
Osaka can go toe-to-toe with Pliskova power-wise, but the 21-year-old will be looking to force longer rallies and push her opponent into a mistake. This is a great matchup – the 13/10 on a three-set match is a good price.
It’s a very tricky match to call. Osaka is still young but she has the more rounded game and that should just give her the edge to reach back-to-back Grand Slam finals.
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 summer of 2019 will mark the tenth anniversary of the UEFA Cup’s rebranding as the Europa League.
With six group matches and no ‘rest round’ for any team, it is as close to a Champions League experience as most ‘non-elite’ teams can hope for.
The additional knockout round after the group stage also makes it a test of stamina like no other, leading some teams to be caught unawares.
As such, the last nine editions of the Europa League’s knockout stages have not disappointed in the shocks department, so we’re going to take a trip through time and remember some of the results of consequence that stunned us all.
Early Years: English Clubs Involved In Giant-Killing (2009-12)
It was not until the fourth year of the Europa League era that an English team would lift the trophy, with a number of shocks preceding Chelsea’s triumph of 2013.
Few, for instance, few can forget Braga’s elimination of current Premier League title favourites Liverpool in 2010/11, or Manchester United's decisive 3-2 home defeat to Athletic Bilbao a year later.
However, perhaps the greatest Europa League shock involving an English team was one that favoured it.
Three years before Chelsea’s maiden Europa League win, it was very nearly the white quadrant of West London that blazed a trail for English clubs in the newly rebranded competition.
As of 2019, Fulham remain the only English club to reach the final after entering the competition prior to the group stage. Under Roy Hodgson, the Cottagers reached the final after mounting one of the greatest comebacks ever.
After losing 3-1 at Juventus in the round of 16 first leg, all hope seemed lost, and that feeling continued when David Trezeguet gave Juventus an early lead in the second leg clash at Craven Cottage.
However, the tide soon turned, with Bobby Zamora equalising before Fabio Cannavaro saw red to make Fulham’s still-mountainous task slightly easier.
Zoltan Gera then netted twice either side of half-time to level the tie before American star Clint Dempsey beat Juve keeper Antonio Chimenti with a Hollywood-style chip eight minutes from time.
They lost the final against Atletico Madrid, but the memories will endure.
Shocks Go International (2013-15)
There are also some standout examples of Europa League shocks that had nothing to do with English teams, and the middle years of the competition’s first decade kept the trend for shocks going:
Round of 32: Atletico Madrid 1-2 Rubin Kazan (2012/13)
Atletico have made the Europa League competition their own, winning it three times, but the 2012/13 season brought European shame and misery crashing down upon them.
Rubin Kazan took the early initiative in the Spanish capital with a sixth-minute strike from Gokdeniz Karadeniz. Kazan captain Roman Sharonov then saw red, and that was the cue for Kazan to drop deep and defend like lions.
As expected, Atletico were pouring forward in the dying minutes, but were hit on the counter by Pablo Orbaiz for 2-0. There was no response, and though Atletico won the return leg 1-0, this was only ever Kazan’s tie.
Round Of 32: Lazio 3-4 Ludogorets Razgrad (2013/14)
There can be no doubt that Ludogorets have put Bulgarian clubs back on the proverbial map of Europe, and this shock win over Lazio was a major development in that regard.
Roman Bezjak was the match-winning hero of the first leg, striking the only goal of the evening at the Stadio Olimpico by hitting a peach of a 25-yard strike past a helpless Etrit Berisha.
Oddly, Lazio gave Ludogorets much more of a game in the return leg, and the Bulgarians repelled wave after wave of pressure to proceed.
They came back from 2-0 and 3-2 down to get a 3-3 draw, with Juninho Quixada’s equaliser two minutes from time preventing his side from going out on away goals.
Round Of 16: Dnipro (a) 2-2 Ajax (2014/15)
In 2015, Ukrainian outfit Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk beat Dutch giants Ajax 1-0 in the first leg of their Europa League round of 16 tie.
Roman Zozulya scored on the half-hour mark, and the Ukrainians held out to win the tie. They would lose the second leg 1-0 in normal time, but exchanged goals in extra time to proceed on the away goals rule.
Narrow aggregate victories over Club Brugge and Napoli saw Dnipro go all the way to the final, where they lost 3-2 to Sevilla.
Tottenham Hotspur Stunned (2016/17)
Under Mauricio Pochettino, it’s been all about the Champions League for Tottenham. The north London side currently stand at just 25/1 to lift the trophy in 2019.
As such, few could blame the North Londoners for focusing more readily on a top-four finish than a Europa League triumph, even though the club desperately needs a trophy to cement its status as a true English giant.
Regardless, Tottenham have twice felt the vicious burn of a shock defeat in their last two Europa League campaigns.
First came a 3-0 humbling at Westfalenstadion in 2015/16, as a Borussia Dortmund side still adapting to life after Jurgen Klopp proved unplayable in the Round of 16.
Marco Reus pulled the strings, netting a double after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s opener to make the second leg a formality. With Tottenham still gunning for the Premier League title at that point, the defeat was more disappointment than disaster.
The following year, Chelsea were runaway title winners, so there was a greater expectation of an increased effort from Tottenham as they once more approached the Europa League knockouts.
Instead, though, the Lilywhites were beaten 1-0 at the unfancied Gent in the first leg. On paper, Tottenham would stroll the home leg, but after Christian Eriksen's tenth-minute opener, Harry Kane put through his own net.
Tottenham never got the requisite comeback brace, with Dele Alli seeing red and Victor Wanyama’s lead-restoring strike on the hour cancelled out ten minutes from time – another year, another failure for Pochettino to grasp silverware.
Salzburg's Star Turn (2018/19)
Before 2018, Austrian teams were not known for progressing very far in UEFA competitions, but after a 2-1 aggregate win over Borussia Dortmund in the 2017/18 round of 16, Salzburg (currently 20/1 to win the Europa League final in 2018/19) faced Lazio in the quarter-finals.
After falling to a 4-2 defeat at Stadio Olimpico, many believed the Austrian club’s journey to be at a long-overdue end. Those beliefs were reinforced when Lazio’s Ciro Immobile broke the deadlock on 55 minutes in the second leg to put the Italians 5-2 up on aggregate.
What followed was the greatest display of guts and determination ever seen from Salzburg, with Moanes Dabour equalising just one minute later to send the stadium into raptures.
After that, it was one-way traffic. Massadio Haidara smashied home from thirty yards in the 72nd minute before Hwang Hee-chan latched onto a long ball and fired home to put Salzburg ahead two minutes later.
Another two minutes on, and Stefan Lainer scored the goal that finally slew Lazio and set up a semi-final with Marseille.
Salzburg’s charmed life in the competition ended, but not before a 2-1 win in the home leg, which ensured that the Austrian club bowed out with an unbeaten home record in that season’s competition.
Cricket has cultivated a certain reputation in its centuries of popularity, widely regarded as a noble game in which sportsmanship trumps all else.
While much of that still rings true in the respect shown to officials and the camaraderie evident between rival fans in the stands, cricket is not immune to the controversy that courts elite sport.
From contentious tactics to unusual equipment, here is a look at some of the most notable moments when the cricketing world has been hit for six by controversy.
The Bodyline Series
The Bodyline strategy was devised by the England cricket team during their 1932-33 tour of Australia, a tactic so divisive that it defined the Test series.
It was created with the primary intention of negating the powers of the legendary Don Bradman. This strategy consisted of balls bowled directly at the body of the batsman rather than the more traditional method of actually trying to hit the stumps.
At best, a batsman could hope to agriculturally carve the leg-stump delivery to the boundary in a pull shot. More often than not, they were reduced to defensive measures, with leg-side fielders in proximity hoping to snaffle any loose balls.
Such intimidatory bowling unsurprisingly angered the Australians and had them fearing for the safety of their batsmen.
Diplomats were forced to get involved to quash accusations of unsportsmanlike behaviour on part of the Brits in order to safeguard relations between the two nations.
Rule-makers also jumped in, restricting bowlers to one bouncer per over. That rule change was too late for the Bodyline series that England won 4-1, although their failure to win the six subsequent Ashes series gave Australia comprehensive retribution.
The balance is much closer now, with England 17/20 favourites to triumph at home in the 2019 Ashes series.
Down Under-arm
While many pace bowlers are able to operate in the constraints of cricketing laws to deliver reasonable but intimidating attacks, others have sought more sedate methods to gain an advantage.
In 1981, New Zealand required a six off the last ball to tie an ODI match in Melbourne. Australian captain Greg Chappell came up with a cunning plan: he instructed his younger brother Trevor to deliver the last ball of the match underarm.
This denied batsman Brian McKechnie the chance to secure enough power and elevation to hit anything even closely resembling a six, much to the chagrin of pretty much everyone in the cricketing world.
New Zealand and Australian politicians alike voiced their disgust at the tactic, while underarm bowling was subsequently banned in limited-overs cricket.
Amusingly, bowling giant Glenn McGrath threatened to recreate the moment in the first ever Twenty20 International, miming an underarm delivery to New Zealand’s Kyle Mills.
The Kiwis needed 44 runs off the last ball so McGrath’s act was received with more humour than Chappell's. The sheer cheek of the Chappells to instigate such a strategy at a crucial moment remains unparalleled in cricket.
Imagine if T20 Big Bash League favourites Hobart Hurricanes sealed victory with an underarm delivery; thank goodness they didn’t have Twitter in 1981, as the consternation would be monumental.
That's Not Cricket
Few things in sport are more scandalous than the notion of an insider dishing the dirt on a dressing room.
The Secret Footballer received a great deal of attention for offering a new and unfiltered perspective on life behind the scenes, while inevitably attracting speculation over his identity.
It was almost like an Agatha Christie come to life and played in a Reading shirt, if the eventual deduction that Dave Kitson was behind the revelations is an accurate one.
Cricket had its own experience of a supposed mysterious insider lifting the lid on drama in a dressing room full of stars.
At the start of the 2009 IPL season, a blog titled Fake IPL Player was launched by an anonymous individual who was commonly considered to be a member of IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders.
At a time when KKR were in relative turmoil, it didn’t take a huge leap to believe that a disillusioned player would be taking to the blogosphere to voice their unhappiness.
The blog’s content spoke of KKR players and coaches with cutting familiarity, leading audiences to believe that the author was a player frozen out of the starting eleven.
Audiences should have taken the blog’s title at face value; Fake IPL Player was created by marketing specialist Anupam Mukherji, someone who was very much not a cricketer.
His fictional stories were thoroughly devoid of insider information, compounding the disappointment of KKR fans as they finished bottom of the IPL.
The Monster Bat
While it may sound like something that plagued Gotham City rather than a Surrey cricket ground, the Monster Bat incident marks one of the most barefaced attempts to manipulate the rules of cricket.
Remarkably, this incident occurred in 1771; cricket may have existed for several centuries, but so has sporting controversy.
In a match between Hambledon and Chertsey, the latter’s Thomas White attempted to alleviate fears of his stumps being hit by using a bat as wide as the wicket.
Hambledon players were less than enamoured by White’s approach, writing a formal complaint after the match that led to an obvious, but apparently necessary, inclusion in cricketing laws stipulating that the bat cannot, in fact, be as wide as the wicket.
This ruling formalised the dimensions of cricket bats that remain in place today. If not, perhaps 66/1 outsiders Bangladesh would have been tempted to deploy the Monster Bat at the ICC World Cup 2019 to attempt to level the playing field.
The Monster Bat may have been really big but it wasn’t particularly effective; Chertsey still lost the match by one run.
While today's cricket bats are more substantial than the equivalents in baseball, it's probably better for the sport as a spectacle if a batsman cannot simply just plonk their bat down in an attempt to cover the entire wicket.
Heavy Metal Batting
That 18th-century escapade is far from the only controversy regarding types of bat. In 1979, Australia’s Dennis Lillee confounded English opposition by bringing out an aluminium bat.
Lillee is renowned as one of the all-time great fast bowlers rather than a talented batsman, but observers may have believed that this tool known as the ComBat would have aided Lillee in upsetting the cricket odds and outscoring the specialist batsmen.
England captain Mike Brearley voiced his concerns over the ball’s integrity if it were to be pummelled by metal, so an angry Lillee was forced to change bats.
As it turns out, Lillee’s bat choice was ostensibly an advert for the ComBat, with sales of the aluminium bat soaring in subsequent months. Cricketing laws were soon changed to stipulate that the blade of a bat must be made of wood.
The recent ball-tampering controversy has been well-documented, while any instances of sledging are usually plastered all over the back pages of newspapers.
The controversies listed above are perhaps among the more unique cricketing controversies, influential in shaping the laws of the game. While it would be intriguing to watch Joe Root stride out with a Monster Bat, it wouldn't be in the spirit of cricket.
There are no certainties in sport. A strong horse winning by several lengths can suddenly take a tumble, or a red card can undermine a heavy favourite’s chances.
Yet, if a horse or a team is perceived as a near certainty, then outright betting markets become devoid of value.
There is little reward in backing a heavy favourite at a short price because of that small possibility of a bizarre event happening, while there is little to gain in backing an outsider because of that strong probability that the favourite will indeed win.
While the overall winner may not be in doubt, the margin and manner of victory can remain unclear. When there are heavy favourites, it is more prudent to look for angles that assume their victory is a formality but seek to capitalise on the margin and manner of triumph.
Alternatively, prop bets that focus on events that don't affect the match's final outcome can also help to bring value back.
Football
The gap in quality between the top and the bottom of the Premier League has become a chasm.
The likes of Manchester City and Liverpool are expected to have a near monopoly on possession and brush aside most teams with ease, with the two sides often at short odds of 2/13 or 2/11 for home fixtures.
While City’s defeat to Crystal Palace demonstrated that even the best sides are fallible, betting on rank outsiders is not a sustainable approach. The likes of City, Liverpool and Spurs largely beat the sides they are expected to beat, often by comfortable margins.
This opens up options in the handicap market. While most wouldn't have expected the -8 handicap to come in for City's 9-0 victory over Burton, those who went for more conservative handicaps would have been vindicated.
Another possible angle is to look at the yellow card market; when sides have their backs to the wall for 90 minutes, there are far more opportunities for a rash tackle or a cynical foul.
A defender set to come up against the mesmeric dribbling and pace of a Mohamed Salah or a Leroy Sane is going to find it hard to avoid mistiming a challenge.
Taking the time to research line-ups to identify a centre-back or midfielder who has been asked to deputise in the full-back position can highlight suitable candidates for the first yellow card of the match.
Conversely, an attacker up against a makeshift defender would make an appealing candidate in the First Goalscorer market.
Formula One
Lewis Hamilton is on the verge of breaking records and is unlikely to take his foot off the gas any time soon.
The Brit is one championship away from surpassing Juan Manuel Fangio’s collection of five titles and two championships away from equalling Michael Schumacher’s remarkable record of seven titles.
Hamilton has won four of the last five championships, with the exception in 2016 seeing the Mercedes star pipped by team-mate Nico Rosberg with a margin of just five points.
That dominance denies the outright market of much value, but by betting on drivers to breach the top three finishes, it negates the form of Hamilton as there are still two other places up for grabs.
Unsurprisingly, the pairs from Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari comprise the six shortest prices, but at 14/1 Daniel Ricciardo is an interesting proposition to finish in the top three.
The Australian has made the shift from Red Bull to Renault, the fourth best team of 2018, but his wins in China and Monaco reveal recent winning pedigree.
Kimi Raikkonen has returned to Sauber for 2019 and can be backed at 11/1 to win any race in the season. That type of bet caters for Hamilton domination and can run right until the end of the season.
Of course, whether Raikkonen can use his experience and nous to take a Sauber car to the front of the pack, even just for one race, remains to be seen.
Tennis
Between 2015 and 2018, the 16 ATP Grand Slams were shared between 5 individuals: Novak Djokovic (7), Roger Federer (3), Rafael Nadal (3), Stan Wawrinka (2) and Andy Murray (1).
Betting on an outsider can provide hedging opportunities later in the tournament, with those backing Kevin Anderson at Wimbledon in 2018 or Milos Raonic at the same tournament in 2016 rewarded by a surprise run to the final.
Yet, the stranglehold that the Fab Five have had on Grand Slam finals in recent years means outright markets are dominated by those same names.
However, as with football, handicaps can provide interesting options for those confident that the favourite will swat away the opposition with relative ease. This can be especially advantageous in the early round of a slam, although, of course, shocks can happen.
A player who has earned entry into the main draw of a Slam by virtue of their clay-court expertise may offer little resistance at a hard-court Slam.
This was evidenced at the 2018 Australian Open where Nadal powered past Victor Estrella Burgos 6-1 6-1 6-1 in the first round to easily cover the game handicap.
Betting on Nadal to drop a set is particularly unwise at Roland Garros, as the Spaniard lost just one set on his way to the 2018 French Open title.
Yet, Nadal is not a prodigious server, so there are opportunities to be had in the aces market. The Spaniard didn’t hit a single ace in the 2018 French Open semi-final or final, against Juan Martin del Potro and Dominic Thiem respectively.
While those are two players who are among the tour’s best, a less-fancied player with a strong serve has a fair chance of hitting more aces than Nadal even in defeat.
Horse Racing
As with other sports, betting on the margin of victory is one way of finding value in a market skewed towards one individual.
Estimating the number of lengths in victory brings an element of interest back to the heavy favourite, especially when the rest of the field appears to be over-valued in their ability to stay close to the strongest runner.
There is also the option to pretend that the heavy favourite doesn't exist by selecting markets that remove the strongest horse from the betting.
Second then becomes the new first, in which you hope that the backed horse outperforms the rest of the chasing pack while the favourite does their own thing.
This type of bet is equivalent to backing a top-two finish; the favourite may fail altogether and the backed horse may win the race outright, but this type of bet provides a degree of security in case the favourite does blow away the field.
While heavy favourites can often remove much of the drama from a sporting event, the existence of handicaps and prop bets can shift the goalposts in one-sided match-ups.
Whether backing a favourite to win with great ease or backing an opponent to keep things respectable, there is value to be found in markets dominated by a big name or team.
*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*
