A maximum field of 24 are set to line up in Britain's richest handicap hurdle, the £155,000 Betfair Hurdle (3.35pm), at Newbury on Saturday, and the race will be shown live on ITV Racing.

This long established and valuable hurdle first took place at in 1963 and has been known over the years as the Schweppes Gold Trophy, the Tote Gold Trophy and now in its current guise as the Betfair Hurdle.

This Grade Three hurdle is run over a distance of 2m 1/2f and was once used as a Champion Hurdle trial. Horses such as Persian War and Make A Stand have won this race before going onto Champion Hurdle glory at Prestbury Park a month later.

Here is a runner-by-runner guide to Saturday’s competitive renewal:

High Bridge

High Bridge won the Gerry Feilden Hurdle over the course and distance on his latest appearance at the start of December. Amateur rider Alex Ferguson takes a handy 7lb off his back.

Jenkins

The hat-trick-seeking Jenkins earned a penalty for his latest success which means he has to carry 11st 12lb and the joint top-weight in Saturday’s handicap. James Bowen who rode him to victory is set to stay aboard and claims 3lb.

Blue Et Rouge

Bleu Et Rouge carries 11st 10lb. Willie Mullins' charge is the only Irish challenger in the field and is the mount of Barry Geraghty for owner, J.P McManus. They are a team not to be ignored in races such as this.

Verdana Blue

Verdana Blue was third in a valuable Group Three handicap hurdle at Ascot last month behind Hunters Call. Verdana Blue enjoys a good strong pace and she is entered in the Champion Hurdle.

Charli Parcs

Last season's Triumph Hurdle sixth Charli Parcs ran a cracker first time up this season but flopped badly in the Hunters Call race. It’s probably too early to write him off just yet.

Divin Bere

Second in last year’s Fred Winter and has since moved stables to Paul Nicholls. Ran disappointingly in the Hunters Call race first time up but there is every chance the five-year-old will bounce back.

Remiluc 

Sprung a 20/1 surprise when winning the closing race on Festival Trials Day at Cheltenham. Despite having a good record at Newbury this would come as another shock should he romp home.

Moon Racer

The 2015 Champion Bumper winner was last seen finishing down the field in a Grade One at Aintree last April and suffered a bout of colic over the summer. This would be some comeback if he could win.

Misterton

He finished second in the Greatwood Hurdle and boasts pretty consistent form figures. Has to be respected.

Kalashnikov

Rifled home in his first two runs, especially in his seasonal opener at Wetherby where he demolished his rivals. Ran superbly in the Tolworth and the ground should pose no problems.

Project Bluebook

Ran sixth in the Galway Hurdle and could be one of the more likely outsiders in this race. He has the look of a plot horse if ever there was one.

Kayf Grace

Apparently she has had issues with muscle enzymes but her trainer says she now has a clean bill of health.

The form of her last win has been franked several times this week.

Spiritofthegames

Second to William Henry in the Lanzarote Hurdle last time but will probably find this race a little on the short side. Clearly in good heart at present.

Lough Derg Spirit

He ran a very good race in the Elite Hurdle and Nicky Henderson says this race has always been the target for the six-year-old. One suspects the 14/1 on offer will not last so long.

Poppy Kay

Poppy Kay landed a Listed contest at Sandown Park on January 6^th and has won five times from just nine career starts. The mare will have plenty of supporters under Champion Jockey Richard Johnson.

Lalor

The six-year-old has been the ante-post favourite for some time on the back of showing smart form in good novice contests on his first three starts over jumps following a successful bumper campaign.  The gelding would be a popular winner for obvious reasons.

Knocknanuss

The eight-year-old has not finished out of the first two in four runs over hurdles for Gary Moore and went up 11lb for winning at Fontwell last time out. Moore is attempting to win this race for a fourth time.

Waterlord

Waterlord’s form has clicked this term and is another novice who would have to come into calculations on the predicted ground. He also hails from an in-form yard.

William H Bonney

William H Bonney has plenty of improvement to make this season but it looks like Alan King has plotted a route to this rich payday. The stable have had winners this week and his price looks rather generous.

Irish Roe

Peter Atkinson's prolific mare has won seven of her 11 starts to date and she went down all guns blazing behind Maria’s Benefit in Doncaster's Grade Two Mares Hurdle last time out. She is 11lbs well in and must have a live chance.

Silver Streak

Silver Streak, trained by Evan Williams, was runner-up in the Hunters Call race at Ascot on December 23^rd and comes into this as one of the chief protagonists. He had a fair few of Saturday's opponents in behind him that day and Mitchell Bastayan's 5lb claim boosts his prospects even more.

Nietzsche

Nietzsche finished a close third in the Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham last March and his trainer Brian Ellison hopes that the reapplication of headgear will spark his chestnut gelding back into life.

Coeur Blimey

A seven-year-old gelding from the Sue Gardner stable who tends to make one too many mistakes in races of this calibre. He is the type to be running on late given a clear round of jumping.

Zalvados

Was just touched off by the useful Limited Reserve at Haydock at Christmas and then went on to win a maiden hurdle at Ludlow the race after. He could be an overlooked each-way longshot given his super low weight.

Conclusion

This is not the kind of race to blow your Cheltenham bank on just yet but there are plenty of tempting runners in this race who could easily set you up with a nice little pot for The Festival.

Silver Streak, Project Bluebook and William H Bonney are the each-way plays in an ultra competitive Betfair Hurdle.

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*

Ante-post favourite Blaklion (10/1) remains firmly at the head of the betting for the 171st renewal of the £1-million Randox Health Grand National after a total of 105 entries were declared for the race at noon on Wednesday 31^st January.

Looked after and trained by dual Grand National-winning trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies, Blaklion is one of six entries from the Naunton based handler.

His 2018 entries also include the multiple Grade One winner Bristol De Mai (25/1), who is the most likely candidate for top-weight, BetVictor Gold Cup hero and popular Merseyside favourite Splash Of Ginge (50/1) and the Aintree Grade One scorer Flying Angel (66/1).

Britain's current champion Jump trainer Nicky Henderson, who has yet to add this race to his illustrious CV, will saddle three contenders in Gold Present (25/1),Vyta Du Roc (33/1) and O O Seven (66/1).

Irish-trained runners account for 40 of the initial entries with 11 of those runners coming from the Gigginstown House Stud. Total Recall (25/1), Cause Of Causes (25/1) and Ucello Conti (33/1) are the most prominent runners in the betting from Ireland.

Definitly Red (20/1) was pulled up last April after his saddle slipped. Brian Ellison's runner should be a major contender again after his impressive win in the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham last time out. Before returning to Aintree he will take in the small matter of running in the Gold Cup next month.

Kim Bailey's 2016 Grand National runner-up The Last Samuri ( 20/1) is prominent in the betting once again.

Colin Tizzard has three entries in Sizing Codelco (50/1), The Dutchman (33/1), who won the Peter Marsh Chase at Haydock in January, and Third Intention (100/1).

Joe Tizzard, assistant trainer said: "The Dutchman would have to be our leading hope after his last run at Haydock. He will head back up there in three weeks for the Grand National Trial and go from there.

"He has gone up 13lb to 148, so he should get a run in the National. It looks like he will stay that sort of trip and he jumps nicely.

"It was a strong run first time out at Haydock (second behind Sam Spinner in the Stayers' Handicap) and we possibly went back to the well too quickly at Cheltenham with him. He was hugely impressive at Haydock last time."

Other Grand National-winning trainers with 2018 entries include Paul Nicholls, whose sextet of possible runners is headed by dual Scottish Grand National victor Vicente (25/1), and Mouse Morris, who has Irish Grand National scorers Rogue Angel (50/1) and Thunder And Roses (40/1) among his three entries.

Vicente’s owner Trevor Hemmings has won the Grand National three times since 2005 and is the joint most successful trainer in the history of the world’s greatest chase. His other entry is Welsh Grand National fourth Vintage Clouds (Sue Smith, 40/1).

Welsh Grand National hero Raz De Maree (Gavin Cromwell IRE, 40/1) is engaged, as is impressive Classic Handicap Chase victor Milansbar (Neil King, 50/1).

Abolitionist (40/1) was third in last season's Irish Grand National when trained by Ellmarie Holden, and has since been bought by Dr Richard Newland, who claimed National glory with Pineau De Re in 2014.

Newland said: "Abolitionist is coming back from an injury. We got him in the autumn and then he had an issue with a stress fracture.

"He is on the way back now and doing really nicely. He is a nice horse who shows a good attitude and we are pleased to have him.

"We are stepping up his work and hope to have him on the track towards the end of February. Then all being well, he will go on to Aintree for the Grand National.

"He could have a spin over hurdles at Ascot on February 17 or there is a veterans' chase at Doncaster on February 21.

"The rules have changed, so he has to run in a chase this season to be qualified. If he starts off over hurdles, then he would run again over fences in March."

The entry figure has broken the 100-mark for the fourth time in the last five years – entry details since 2010 are as follows:- 2018-105; 2017-110, 2016-126, 2015-98; 2014-115; 2013-84; 2012-82; 2011-102 and 2010-112.

The weights for the 2018 Randox Health Grand National are decided by the British Horseracing Authority’s Head of Handicapping, Phil Smith, in what will be his final National. The allocated weights will be unveiled on the evening of Tuesday, February 13th, at BAFTA in London’s West End.

The Randox Health Grand National is the only handicap of the year where Phil Smith has absolute discretion to deviate from the normal handicap ratings when determining the weights.

A maximum of 40 runners can go to post at 5.15pm on Saturday, April 14^th.

You can find all our latest Grand National odds via this link... 

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*

The qualifying road to a FIFA World Cup is long and winding and paved with obstacles. There is no such thing as an easy campaign and often the big boys are tripped up, with the unthinkable happening of not doing enough to get to the finals.

The process for reaching the 2018 competition in Russia has seen a few casualties already, with the likes of Italy, Holland and the United States missing out.

There is nothing guaranteed or owed to any team wanting to take part in the grandest showpiece of them all. Qualifying for the World Cup with one of the smallest populations globally is an achievement that takes a Herculean effort.

We looked at 10 of the smallest nations that have defied the odds to book their spots at the World Cup finals.

Iceland

Iceland’s heroic effort at Euro 2016, when they advanced all the way to the quarterfinals, was backed up with qualification to the 2018 World Cup.

Iceland's population of 335,025 is the smallest out of any team to have successfully qualified for a World Cup. To say this Nordic Island nation has overachieved would be a gross understatement...

Iceland will bring their passionate Viking Clapping supporters along to Russia and if Euro 2016 is anything to go by there will be a lot.

Over 8% percent of their population bought tickets to see their heroes play in France. Simply magnificent and astonishing, Iceland will have the backing of all the neutrals and have already won in a sense by qualifying.

Tip: Iceland to reach the quarter finals @ 12/1

Trinidad and Tobago

The dual-island Caribbean nation stunned the World when they qualified for Germany 2006. Their population of 1,369,125 makes them the second smallest nation to ever qualify for a World Cup.

The 2006 edition in Germany was the solitary appearance at any World Cup for the Islanders and unfortunately, they battled to stamp their dominance and flamboyant football on the world.

After earning a brilliant point in a 0-0 encounter against Sweden, their final two games were 2-0 losses to Paraguay and England. When they next qualify for a World Cup, the Soca Warriors will be looking to register their first goal and win.

Northern Ireland

When Northern Ireland qualified for the World Cup finals in Sweden during 1958 they went further than they have ever ventured into the tournament.

Beating Czechoslovakia and earning a point against the World Cup champions during the time West Germany, was enough to seem them progress to the quarterfinals where they were soundly beaten by France 4-0.

It was a phenomenal time for the Northern Irish, whose population is the third smallest at 1,876,600 as they punched well above their weight and left with an enormous amount of respect.

The Green and White army went on to qualify for Spain 1982 and Mexico 1986 but didn't enjoy the same amount of success with a second round and group exit, respectively.

Slovenia

Slovenia defied the odds when they qualified for their first World Cup in 2002. The Slovenians arrived in South Korea and Japan for the 17th staging of the World Cup finals, with no one quite knowing what to expect.

The nation with a population of 2,079,976 struggled and ended up losing all three of their group games and suffered a first-round exit. Better times were ahead for Slovenia, as they managed to get in on the party again when they qualified for South Africa 2010.

There, they were to register their first ever World Cup win against Algeria but ultimately exited during the first round after a draw with America and a 1-0 loss to England in Port Elizabeth.

How different it could have been but for a Landon Donovan goal against Algeria in the 90th minute, which sealed Slovenia’s fate as America progressed at the expense of the Slovenians.

Jamaica

The Reggae Boyz announced themselves on the world footballing stage when they qualified for France 1998.

Despite only having a population of 2,890,299, the Jamaicans qualified for the finals in France and even managed a win in their final group game against Japan. Losses against Argentina and Croatia meant they were on the plane home after the first round.

They eventually finished in 22nd position out of the 32 teams and that is a placing that would have brought immense pride to the Caribbean nation.

Wales

Like Northern Ireland, Wales also managed qualification to the 1958 World Cup in Sweden with a minute population.

With 3,113,200 people in Wales, they marched on in Sweden and went on a journey that resulted in reaching the quarterfinals, only to lose to the mighty Brazil 1-0.

It was a brave showing by Wales, which had them playing Hungary in a group playoff to reach the quarterfinals after they finished on the same amount of group points. The Welsh haven’t qualified since 1958 and will be hoping to end the 59-year wait with an appearance at the finals in Qatar in 2020.

Uruguay

The awe-inspiring Uruguayans have a history at the World Cup finals that defies belief as they only have a population of 3,456,750 people but have won the tournament on two different occasions!

They were the first-ever winners of the event in 1930 when they won on home soil and then went into the lion's den and beat Brazil during the 1950 playing of the World Cup final, when they won 2-1 at Brazil’s home fortress of the Maracanã Stadium to register their second title.

In total, La Celeste have appeared at 12 World Cup finals, and with their two wins, they also have three semifinals appearances.

Uruguay may be small in number but they are giants when they arrive at World Cups and their spectacular record on the big stage speaks for itself.

Tip: Uruguay to win the World Cup @ 32/1

Panama

Panama, like Iceland, are another success story in qualification for Russia 2018. Their road to glory had the country in disbelief and mass hysteria upon qualification when they qualified for the finals.

President Juan Carlos Varela declared a public holiday as the celebrations carried on long into the night in the country with a population of 4,098,587.

Los Canaleros are arguably set to compete in the group of death as they were drawn in Group G with England, Belgium and Tunisia.

Getting out of that group and into the round of 16 will take a monumental effort but even if they do exit during the first round, they have done the nation of Panama proud by reaching their firsts ever World Cup finals.

Tip: Panama to finish in the top two of Group G @ 11/1

Kuwait

When Kuwait had eventually booked their spot at the Spanish World Cup in 1982, it sent shockwaves around the globe. It was tough going for the Kuwaitis, who have a population of 4,136,528 people.

They managed their only ever World Cup point against Czechoslovakia in a 1-1 draw but then went on to lose to France and then England, which resulted in an early group exit.

At is stands, Kuwait are currently suspended by FIFA and nobody knows when they will next appear at a World Cup. It shouldn't detract from the pride that Kuwait brought to their nation in 1982 when they secured a place at the World Cup, however.

Croatia

Croatia is another small country that has a superb record at the World Cup finals. With a tiny population of 4,189,353 people, the Croatians have built a rich and prestigious history after appearing at four of the events.

The most successful of the four came in 1998 when they reached the semifinals and eventually ended up finishing third. The accolades for Croatia didn't stop there, as striker Davor Šuker claimed the Golden Boot with six goals in seven matches.

It was a stunning show by the Eastern Europeans as they won the hearts and minds of every football fan around the globe.

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*

When playing Football Manager, or any football management simulation game, one of your primary desires right from the beginning is to find your next star player. You don’t mind if you have to wait a few years for them to develop as they’ll be yours; the incredible young player that you found and you developed, becoming one of the best in the world – saving you a fortune in transfer fees along the way.

Building a dynasty is key to long-term success on Football Manager, so here we’ll be looking at the great wonderkids of past editions that allowed us to start up the youth movement, bolster the reserve and youth team, and then bring unrivalled success to the first team.

Here, we’ll be looking at some of the many wonderkids that Football Manager and the game that it split from in 2005, Championship Manager, have produced over the years, why they were so loved in the games, what games they were discovered on, and how they got on outside of the simulation games.

While many great wonderkids fulfilled their Manager destiny, such as Sergio Aguero, Arda Turan, Marek Hamsik, Manuel Neuer, Fernando Torres – to an extent – Wayne Rooney, Neymar, Romelu Lukaku, and many others, the focus here will be on those who didn’t quite make it.

Bojan

As of December 18th, Barcelona were priced at 59/50 to beat Chelsea in the first leg of their upcoming Champions League tie, but back in 2006, they had a team that could walk over this Chelsea setup.

At a time when the Barcelona team was littered with the likes of Carles Puyol, Deco, Henrik Larsson, Ronaldinho, Mark van Bommel, Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Andres Iniesta, Xavi, the immaculate Samuel Eto’o, and a budding Lionel Messi, everyone’s favourite transfer target sat in the youth team.

Bojan was all set to be Barcelona’s greatest striker of all time, with so many editions of Football and Championship Manager rating him incredibly highly, right from his 2006 days in the youth team.

In 2011, Barcelona sold Bojan in a very bizarre deal to AS Roma, in which the Spanish giants received €12 million for the transfer, but were obliged to buy him back at the conclusion of the 2012/13 season for €13 million unless Roma blocked it by forking out €40 million.

With seven goals in 37 games for Roma and three goals in 27 games while on loan to AC Milan, the Spanish striker was inevitably sent back to Barcelona. Since joining Stoke in 2014, he’s scored 15 goals in 67 games amidst injuries, but is now spending his second consecutive spell out on loan and is valued at €5 million.

Rodney Sneijder

In the 2008/09 season, or Football Manager 2009, Dutch midfielder Wesley Sneijder was on top of the world. Though plagued by injuries, he was a superstar in football, so much so that Manchester United – who are 29/20 to win their first Champions League tie with Sevilla – were hotly linked to him.

But on Football Manager, even if you were running Manchester United, you didn’t care about Wesley, it was all about Rodney. The younger of the Sneijder brothers, of which there are three, would become a megastar on ’09. Far superior to Cesc Fabregas and even touted to become better than Cristiano Ronaldo for the low, low price of £3 million.

Coming through the Ajax youth system, Rodney Sneijder was keenly watched by admirers of his older brother, but he simply couldn’t become what Football Manager had foreseen for him.

Floating around Dutch clubs and even signing for Dundee United in July 2015 – only to be released one month later – the now 26-year-old Rodney Sneijder was recently picked up by DHSC Utrecht as a free agent, now playing alongside Celtic player Evander Sno.

Sherman Cardenas

2007 was most certainly the year of Sherman Cardenas on Football Manager. Simply put, Cardenas was a world beater. The humble Colombian would begin with fairly meek ability and potential ability, but his rapid growth had the attacking midfielder become an incredible player.

For those who discovered him via their scouting networks in South America, he quickly became their hero and the superstar of the Colombia national team – who are doing quite well without him, priced at 4/5 to beat Japan in their first World Cup 2018 game.

Starting off with Atletico Bucaramanga, the fabled Cardenas really made a name for himself at Millonarios in his one season there in the Colombian second division before moving on to La Equidad.

From his 2010 move to the first half of the 2017/18 season, Sherman Cardenas has played for eight different clubs – two in Brazil, the other six in Colombia – being loaned out regularly by his current parent club Atletico Nacional, of the first division in Colombia. He’s now valued at £405,000 aged 28.

Renato Augusto

Another wonderkid of the 2007 age was Renato Augusto. One of many young players at the time who were tipped to be the next Ronaldinho – as if that was even possible – the Brazilian central midfielder was a great buy in the game, and has actually done quite well for himself outside of the confines of Football Manager.

He has enjoyed long stints at Corinthians and Bayer Leverkusen, before settling for a big money move to the Chinese Super League in 2016 for £7.2 million. Now valued at £8.1 million, he hasn’t quite reached his Football Manager heights, but he’s done rather well for himself considering the way that some of these prospects go.

Michalis Pavlis

Michalis Pavlis, sometimes Mixalis Pavlis, was incredible. From the 2006 edition of both Manager games, the Greek sniper could be purchased for a couple of million at the most and become your top scorer within a season or two – scoring 50 plus goals regularly.

While Football Manager jumped off of the Pavlis train quite quickly, Championship Manager stuck with the AEK Athens sniper until the bitter end of their superb 2010 edition.

Outside of the Manager dreamland, Pavlis barely played for any club that he signed for, being forced into retirement in 2014 due to being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

John Bostock

At age 15, Crystal Palace gave one John Bostock his debut in 2007, making him hot property on Manager games - not that he also wasn't before being given a shot in the first team.

He was up there with the likes of Victor Moses and Aaron Ramsey as great young players to buy from the English leagues year after year. It’d take a few seasons, but Bostock would become your top central midfielder with superb stats across the board.

Signed by Tottenham Hotspur after four games for Palace, many loan spells led him being sold to Royal Antwerp in 2013 on a free, and has since played for OH Leuven and is currently playing regularly for RC Lens, still only 25-years-old and valued at £1.8 million.

The Mighty Freddy Adu

Whether you stayed loyal to Championship Manager or peeled off to Football Manager, in 2005, Freddy Adu was a must-buy. The American attacking midfielder was set to rule the world, potentially even becoming the Pele of the United States of America.

Making his professional debut at 13 got the ratings on Football Manager to start buzzing, and some major clubs to the east of the Atlantic. The 2005/06 season was the most significant for Adu as clubs in Europe could finally play the hyped-up American as he turned 16, and he barely cost a million.

In real life, however, it hasn’t been such a fairytale for the once highly touted prospect. Securing a big €1.5 million move from Real Salt Lake City to Benfica in 2007 looked to give him the elite-level experience that Adu needed to become a superstar.

But after several loan moves and four goals in 17 games with the Portuguese giants, Freddy Adu transferred for free to Philadelphia Union in 2011 but also failed to make an impact.

Short-lived stints in Serbia and Finland saw Adu return to home in 2015 to play for the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the second tier of American football. Now in his prime at 28-years-old, Adu has been a free agent since January 2017, valued at a generous £100,000.

Freddy Adu was a major player in the game for years, but, in the end, he will forever be known the ultimate Ozymandian example of Football Manager wonderkids.

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*

The New England Patriots, chasing a sixth Super Bowl championship, will take on the high-flying Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday night and it is difficult to pick a winner.

Most pundits ruled the Eagles out of contention after quarterback Carson Wentz suffered a season-ending injury in the closing stages of the regular campaign but backup Nick Foles has been excellent in his absence.

Meanwhile, Bill Belichick’s side had to dig deep against the Jacksonville Jaguars in their most recent encounter. The AFC South champions had beaten the Pittsburgh Steelers and went into Gillette Stadium with no fear.

Unfortunately for the Jaguars, Tom Brady was clutch on the game-winning drive and New England, valued at 1/2 to win this weekend, will be quietly confident of coming out on top.

New England Patriots

At the time of writing, 888sport are offering a SPECIAL on New England to win by less than seven points at 4/1 – punters can access this offer here. Rob Gronkowski should be good to go and the Patriots tight-end could be the difference maker on Sunday evening.

You can get 7/5 for Gronkowski to score in a New England win but perhaps the best bet of all is for over 4.5 receptions at 8/11. He is Brady’s go-to guy and he should be very influential.

via GIPHY

Brady was named regular season MVP for the third time on Saturday night, making him the oldest Most Valuable Player winner in NFL history.

A Super Bowl win would be the icing on the cake after a superb 2017 season and it would take a brave man to back against New England with Brady in fine form. The Patriots quarterback is priced at 6/5 to throw three or more touchdown passes in Sunday’s showpiece event.

On defence, former Steeler James Harrison could be set to make a BIG impact. It would be ironic if Harrison helps New England to win the Super Bowl just months after he was cut by Pittsburgh.

11/4 is a decent price for Harrison to record a sack and plenty of punters will be keeping a close eye on his status ahead of the weekend. This will be his fourth Super Bowl appearance and he could be set for a third victory on the big stage. 

Philadelphia Eagles

Can Foles do it? New England’s defence has struggled to contain opposing quarterbacks this season and the Eagles could shock the world if they perform well.

Philadelphia were simply sublime against the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Championship game and a similar effort would see Doug Pederson’s men go close. The Eagles represent solid value at 11/10 in the +3.5 handicap market; it could be a tight encounter.

If Philly win, Foles may be primed to win the Super Bowl MVP award. Currently available at 14/5 in 888sport’s American Football odds, the Eagles quarterback is worth considering.

He masterminded Philadelphia’s success against that stubborn Vikings defence and the 17/20 for over 1.5 touchdown passes is a good price.

via GIPHY

But the best bet involving Foles may be the over 244.5 passing yards. If Philly are chasing the game, the Eagles quarterback should pass that figure and 10/11 is exceptional value.

On the defensive side of the ball, Philadelphia have a ball-hawking secondary. You can back Brady to throw over 0.5 interceptions at 6/5 - another solid option considering he turned the ball over six times in a five-game period earlier this season.

Prediction

For me, New England deserve to go into this one as red hot favourites. Foles has exceeded all expectations so far but the Super Bowl is on another level. Brady has been in this position before and he knows how to lead his team to victory on the biggest stage of all.

The greatest quarterback in National Football League history will not crumble on Sunday evening; this is Tom Brady’s world and we are all just living in it. New England to win by 7-12 points at 17/4 is my top tip ahead of Super Bowl LII.

TIP: New England Patriots to win by 7-12 points @ 17/4

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*

Much of the focus will be on Liverpool’s contest with Tottenham Hotspur in Sunday’s late afternoon fixture but the battle between Crystal Palace and Newcastle United is intriguing for different reasons.

As of February 4^th, three points separates 11^th placed Watford and 19^th placed Huddersfield Town – a win for either side will see them climb above the Hornets.

Either way, neutrals will be treated to two huge games of football this weekend – and there are plenty of tasty betting markets to get stuck into.

Check out our top tips on the action, including a 47/20 shot ahead of what might be one of the matches of the season at Anfield.

CRYSTAL PALACE vs Newcastle United

Look no further than Crystal Palace here. The Eagles have lost just once on home soil since the start of October and plenty of punters will be expecting Roy Hodgson’s men to extend that run this weekend.

Newcastle can capitulate away from home and the 21/20 for Palace to score two or more goals is a reasonable price. By the same token, 15/2 for any Newcastle player to be sent off is also worth a second look.

Magpies fans were left seething at Mike Ashley’s lack of financial support for Rafa Benitez in the January transfer window and with good reason.

Newcastle did manage to sign Leicester City striker Islam Slimani but he alone may not be enough to lift the club out of trouble. The visitors MUST get through the first 15 minutes unscathed – an early breakthrough could see the floodgates open.

Unfortunately for Newcastle, I can see Palace grabbing the opening goal and that could spell curtains for Benitez’s side. The Eagles have lost just twice in their last 14 top flight games, with both defeats coming against Arsenal.

Hodgson has had a positive impact since arriving at Selhurst Park and I’m expecting Palace’s resurgence to continue this weekend. 31/20 for the Eagles to take a lead into half-time is a decent price…

TIP: Crystal Palace to win the first half @ 31/20

LIVERPOOL vs Tottenham Hotspur

Liverpool’s “blip” is over. After losing to bottom-of-the-table Swansea City and crashing out of the FA Cup at the hands of West Bromwich Albion, Jurgen Klopp’s side needed a response and a 3-0 win away at Huddersfield Town silenced a few critics.

With Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino in attack, anything is possible and punters may be tempted by the 4/6 on offer for Liverpool to score over 1.5 goals.

Meanwhile, Tottenham were outstanding against Manchester United on Wednesday night – their 2-0 victory flattered the Red Devils if anything. Christian Eriksen grabbed the opening goal of that game after just 11 seconds and the Denmark star is priced at 4/1 to add another strike to his tally for the campaign. 

Harry Kane will receive plenty of attention in the betting markets but Eriksen could be the one to watch. Having said that, the England striker has a decent record against Liverpool and may also be worth considering.

Both teams to score looks likely here and that brings the 47/20 for a home win with goals at both ends into play. Klopp’s men are usually reliable at Anfield, especially in the big games and it would take a brave man to back against Liverpool here – even after Spurs’ impressive result in midweek.

This could be a very entertaining game of football if both managers go all out for the win and neutrals won’t want to miss this one.

TIP: Liverpool to win and both teams to score @ 47/20

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*

Manchester City are beginning to have the sort of injury problems that would usually be a worry for Premier League leaders. David Silva joined Leroy Sane and Gabriel Jesus in the medical room in midweek, but Pep Guardiola’s side extended their lead to 15 points. The title is within touching distance.

Burnley are winless in their last eight Premier League matches. Four draws, four losses, see the Clarets, somehow, retain their seventh spot, such is the strange breakup of the Premier League this term.

Sean Dyche’s side can put their decline down to a combination of injuries, suspension, and a return to normality. Their first half of the season – as impressive as it was – was always largely unsustainable. Burnley may yet find themselves in the bottom-half of the Premier League.

Their slightly fortuitous win away at Newcastle in midweek was symbolic of Burnley’s season. The performance was trademark Dyche; effective, industrious, and taking full advantage of fortune.

Burnley are still the league’s least creative attack with comfortably the lowest expected goals. It’s fair to say their work is cut out against a Manchester City side that average a frankly ludicrous 66% possession (we can expect that to be much higher at Turf Moor on Saturday lunchtime). Burnley to fail to score is at 4/5.

Even with their star absentees, Manchester City’s team is a bit good. If it’s Brahim Diaz filling in or Kevin de Bruyne taking charge as he did against West Bromwich Albion in midweek, City still boast a terrifying attacking line-up. It is led by a certain Sergio Aguero, who is making a case for being the lead challenger to Harry Kane for the golden boot. Aguero to score first at 5/2 to well worth a punt.

They are the best team we have seen in the Premier League era, and we are yet to see the full depth of their squad. Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva have hardly been required by Guardiola thus far.

Bernardo may well get the start this weekend and is 21/10 to score anytime - I like the look of that price. The former AS Monaco man could benefit from the attention that Burnley will pay to some of City’s other forwards.

It goes without saying how this match will go. We all know the drill by now. City will have all the ball, and at some point the breakthrough will come. They are not a team you can frustrate with a low block, there’s an intrinsic belief under Guardiola that if you just keep playing, your chances will come. And it works.

The title ‘race’ was never a thing this season, and it has not even looked like being a thing. That’s because City are so damn good at everything. It’s hard not to be in awe of Guardiola’s team at the moment. I fear for each team they face, but the upside is that there are zero expectations upon sides like Burnley.

Unfortunately, I don’t think that will be enough to spur a shock at Turf Moor. The 7/1 on offer for a 3-0 away win carries most appeal...

TIP: Manchester City to win 3-0 @ 7/1

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*