Daily tips for December 26

What’s on today

It’s one of the most anticipated days on the Australian sporting calendar with the Boxing Day Test and Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race taking centre stage; it’s also a big day in the US with five back-to-back NBA games to help celebrate Christmas Day; other highlights of the day include a huge A-League clash between Sydney FC and the Brisbane Roar while I’ll have a rundown of a huge day in racing with a look at tonight’s full EPL program to follow later today; Happy Christmas to those in the US &, as always, GL punters!


Cricket (Big Bash League) for December 26

Brisbane Heat  (0-1-0, 0 points) v Perth Scorchers (0-1-0, 0 points), WACA, Perth, Thursday, December 26, 7.40pm

The international cricket spotlight may be on Melbourne for the Fourth Ashes Test where more than 91,000 people watched the Aussies again dominate England today. But there’ll be an equally enthusiastic crown on hand at the WACA tonight as the Perth Scorchers host the Melbourne Renegades. It’s already high stakes for both squads as they were round one losers – Perth was pipped at the post in Brisbane while the Renegades were smashed by crosstown rivals the Stars at the MCG. In their last meeting, the Scorchers smashed 187 and the game over as a contest well before the halfway point of the second innings as the Renegades struggled to 136 all out. There is a nucleus of a very good T20 team here although they haven’t quite put it all together in recent times. Marsh brothers Shaun and Mitchell are fabulous weapons although they didn't receive enough help from the likes of Adam Voges (injured for this) and Simon Katich (pictured) in round one. Perth have two of the top four wicket-takers in BBL03, with Brad Hogg and Nathan Coulter-Nile both taking three Brisbane wickets last Sunday.

Things couldn’t have gone much worse for the Renegades in the season opener although former Test great Muttiah Muralidaran showed he still has plenty of magic with a superb four-over spell. Aside from him though the bowlers were costly and a small cameo from Aaron Finch was the only thing to write home about from their batting big names. The likes of Alex Doolan and Ben Rohrer will be heading to Perth desperate for some big runs. Renegades pair of ‘keeper-bats Peter Nevill and England international Jos Buttler hit the ground swinging on opening night against the Melbourne Stars, with both netting strike rates of or above 175.0 runs per 100 balls faced. Of all batsmen to have faced more than 14 balls, they sit fourth and fifth on the list, respectively. I won’t back many favourites in this competition but it’s hard to go past the Scorchers here, regardless of which skipper wins the toss. Doolan is worth consideration in Renegades’ high-bat markets, he should be opening again and is a classy player who won’t go too long without a big score.

Confirmed bets

Perth Scorchers WIN v Melbourne Renegades (one unit @ $1.81) WIN (6 runs)

Leans

Melbourne Renegades most runs – Alex Doolan $5.00 WIN (21)

Record: 1-3, -2.15 units

A-League (round 12) for December 26

Sydney FC (6-0-5) v Brisbane Roar (8-0-3), Allianz Stadium, Sydney, Thursday, December 26, 7.30pm

Sydney missed the chance to close the gap on league-leaders Brisbane after they fell to a lacklustre 1-0 defeat to lowly Wellington. They’re also unlikely to pick up much ground here as the Sky Blues host the all-conquering Roar to Allianz Stadium. It was just the Sky Blues’ second loss in their last seven games but more concerning for coach Frank Farina, they again struggled for cohesion and their execution in the front third was poor. The one positive from the trip was the first appearance of Corey Gamiero after a lengthy lay-off through injury. Sydney will be hoping marquee men Alessandro Del Piero and Brett Emerton can overcome their injury concerns and line-up for this one. It’s nothing new that the Sky Blues have battled whenever they’ve been without Del Piero but it’s becoming a mental barrier for the side. They’ve yet to collect any points from a game this season in which the Italian hasn’t played. It came just a week after they luckily held on for a win against Melbourne Heart after the 39-year-old was forced off at half-time with the scoreline at 2-0.

The Roar are coming off a shock home loss to Newcastle, with an own goal from James Donachie and Joey Gibbs’ late strike handing the Jets a 2-0 win on a terrible surface at Suncorp Stadium last Friday night. It snapped a four-game winning streak for Mike Mulvey’s side and they will be keen to atone against a side they have a healthy head-to-head record against. The Roar have lost just seven times in 27 meetings with the Sky Blues and crushed them 4-0 earlier this season. Young attacker Kwame Yeboah (pictured) is expected to return off the bench after missing the Jets clash, in what will be his final outing for the club before linking with German club Borussia Monchengladbach. While Yeboah is set to be on deck for this clash, his impending departure could leave the Roar with a lack of options in the striking department. Besart Berisha will be the only out-and-out striker once Yeboah heads to Germany and they can ill-afford anything to happen to the Albanian. Even without Berisha here, they shouldn’t have too many concerns and are priced to take all three points.

Confirmed bets

Sydney FC v Brisbane Roar +2.5 (one unit @ $1.80) WIN (2-5)

Leans

Sydney FC v Brisbane Roar WIN $2.20 WIN (2-5)

Sydney FC v Brisbane Roar (correct score 1-2) $8.00 LOSE (2-5)

Racing for December 26

Horse racing: Caulfield (Vic), Randwick (NSW), Sunshine Coast (Qld), Morphettville (SA), Pinjarra (WA), Newcastle (NSW), Geelong (Vic), Devonport (Tas), Warwick (Qld), Esperance (WA), Albany (WA). Harness racing: Ballarat (Vic), Bathurst (NSW), Charlton (Vic), Devonport (Tas), Dubbo (NSW), Redcliffe (Qld). Greyhound racing: Albion Park (Qld), Angle Park (SA), Dapto (NSW), Dubbo (NSW), Hobart (Tas), Maitland (NSW), Mandurah (WA), Sale (Vic), Sandown Park (Vic), Warrnambool (Vic).

Boxing Day is always a big day on the racing calendar and 2013 is no exception with black-type action at Royal Randwick. Race 6 is the Group 3 $200,000 Summer Cup over 2000 metres, which features a solid line-up of second-tier middle-distance stayers. One that has excelled at this level and looks primed for this is #1 Travolta for Gai Waterhouse with Adam Hyeronimus in the saddle today. She was ultra-consistent through the Sydney spring without victory but returned on November 30 to win the ATC Cup at Rosehill over this distance. The Darley runner #12 Solemn and #3 Destiny’s Kiss for Joe Pride are likely to challenge, but I like the 5yo gelding to be winning here.

Confirmed bets

Caulfield R3 #8 La Cicciolina (E/W) 3rd ($3.90)

Caulfield R7 #3 Richie’s Vibe (E/W 1x2) 2nd ($2.10)

Randwick R1 #4 Nightingales (E/W 1x2) 2nd ($1.80)

Randwick R6 #1 Travolta (E/W 1x2) 2nd ($2.00)

Sunshine Coast R3 #6 Iona Fast One (win) 1st ($1.50)

Morphettville R2 #3 Night Breeze (win) LOSE (U/P)

Leans

Caulfield R2 #3 Danestroem (win) 1st ($3.10)

Caulfield R4 #4 It's One (E/W 1x4) 2nd ($1.30)

Caulfield R5 #9 Praesentia (E/W) 2nd ($2.10)

Caulfield R6 #13 Junoesque (E/W) LOSE (U/P)

Randwick R2 #3 Cosmic Cameo (E/W 1x2) 2nd ($2.90)

Randwick R4 #3 Chiaroscuro (E/W) LOSE (U/P)

Randwick R5 #2 La Pieta (win) 3rd (NTD)

Randwick R7 #9 Centre Pivot (E/W 1x4) 3rd ($1.60)

Sunshine Coast R7 #2 Call Me Rusty (E/W) LOSE (U/P)

Morphettville R3 #1 Mossego (win) 1st ($2.00)

Morphettville R7 #4 Dayita (E/W) LOSE (U/P)

Cricket (Ashes Series) for December 26-30

Fourth Test: Australia v England, MCG, Melbourne, Thursday, December 26, 11am

It’s another case of egos at 20 paces as Australia looks to drive home its advantage having already secured the Ashes and the series 3-0. Warner, Harris, Watson, Clarke, Pietersen (pictured), Broad … have there ever been two more detestable line-ups in recent history? Looking back at the eight Test matches played as part of these back-to-back series and a few factors emerge. In England, the home side won the toss three times and won on each occasions. Australia won the toss twice with both Tests ending in a draw. So far here, Michael Clarke has won the toss in all three games and Australia has duly saluted. Alastair Cook is surely due to win one. Throw in a stable first XI for the first time in several years and some decks that clearly favour the Aussies (everyone else does it) and it’s not hard to see why the home side is dominating. Indeed, Australia is tipped to field an unchanged starting XI for the third consecutive time with Harris expected to overcome knee soreness in time to take his place in the side.

Things aren’t quite so stable for the tourists who are in disarray after Graeme Swann’s shock retirement announcement on Sunday. He is the second England player to fly home in what has been a disastrous campaign after batsman Jonathan Trott departed following the 381-run loss in the First Test in Brisbane due to a battle with depression. Monty Panesar is expected to get first crack as Swann’s replacement, however Durham leg spinner Scott Borthwick and Kent off spinner James Tredwell have been called up to the England squad for the final two Tests. Pace spearhead Stuart Broad is in doubt for the match with a foot injury while out-of-sorts wicketkeeper Matt Prior’s position is also under serious threat. Boyd Rankin and Steven Finn are the contenders to replace Broad if he is ruled out, while Jonny Bairstow is England’s back-up gloveman. Cook’s men will be hoping to draw on the memories of their most recent visit to the MCG in 2011 when they bowled Australia out for 98 on the first day en route to a resounding innings-and-157-run victory. But there is little to suggest a similar outcome this time around.

Confirmed bets

Australia WIN v England (1.5 units @ $1.72)

South Africa WIN v India (one unit @ $1.90)

Leans

Australia v England (series win 5-0) $2.75

Top match wicket taker – Peter Siddle $6.00

England most series runs – Ben Stokes $8.00

NBA for December 26

Houston Rockets (18-11, 7-7 away) @ San Antonio Spurs (22-6, 10-3 home), AT&T Center, San Antonio, TX, Thursday, December 26, 12.10pm

Basketball fans will again be served up a huge Christmas gift from the NBA with five back-to-back games scheduled today. The line-up isn’t exactly a stocking stuffer for punters but there’s a bit of value to be found. My best of the day is the visit of the Rockets to San Antonio, where they’ll hope to have star guard James Harden available. Harden has missed back-to-back games with a sprained ankle and is waiting on the swelling to further subside. Even if the prolific guard plays, he’ll be well below 100 per cent. That means center Dwight Howard will again be asked to do yeoman work inside. He is averaging 32 points and on 23-of-34 shooting in the two contests and scored 20 or more points in six of the past nine games. Howard is averaging 18.7 points and 13.3 rebounds but has often acquiesced to the Harden on the offensive end and focused more on his rebounding and defensive prowess. Rockets guard Patrick Beverley will be out for up to six weeks after undergoing surgery on his right hand, but Jeremy Lin should return here.

San Antonio has the fourth-best record in the NBA but one of its six defeats was against the Rockets – a 112-106 home loss on November 30. The Spurs dug themselves a 23-point hole but were unable to recover despite 27 points from Tony Parker. The standout point guard has put together consecutive strong outings since returning from a shin injury and is averaging 24.5 points and eight assists during the stretch after tallying 26 points in Monday’s victory over the Toronto Raptors. Struggling Danny Green didn’t start against Toronto but rediscovered his shooting stroke while playing 24 minutes off the bench. Green hit 4-of-6 three-pointers and scored 14 points against the Raptors to match his top scoring output since November 23. The guard had failed to reach double digits in 11 of 14 games before his solid contributions against Toronto.  The ‘under’ is 16-7 in the past 23 meetings in San Antonio between these teams but the ‘over’ is 21-5 in the Spurs’ last 26 home games. I like Spurs at the line against an undermanned Houston with a lean to the ‘over’.

Confirmed bets

Chicago Bulls @ Brooklyn Nets -189.5 (one unit @ $1.91) WIN (95-78)

Oklahoma City Thunder @ New York Knicks +201 (one unit @ $1.91) WIN (123-94)

Houston Rockets @ San Antonio Spurs WIN -7 (one unit @ $1.91) LOSE (111-98)

Leans

Oklahoma City Thunder -10.5 $1.91 @ New York Knicks WIN (123-94)

Miami Heat -8.5 $1.91 @ Los Angeles Lakers LOSE (101-95)

Houston Rockets @ San Antonio Spurs +210 $1.91 LOSE (111-98)

Los Angeles Clippers +2.5 $1.91 @ Golden State Warriors WIN (103-105)

Yachting for December 26

Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, starts Thursday, December 26, 1pm

This won’t be a standard run down the eastern seaboard in Australia’s premier blue water classic with the race for both line honours and the handicap title is wide open. This is the 67th running of the Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, which occupies a place on the Boxing Day sports calendar every bit as prominent as the Test match at the MCG. This year’s race, which is also the sixth leg of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, features an unusual mix of Australian TV talent, superstars of sailing and the plain super-rich. Among the most recognisable are TV morning hosts Larry Emdur and Karl Stefanovic – normally network rivals but crewmates here aboard line honours contender Perpetual Loyal. They’ll share the 100-foot Sydney supermaxi with Jessica Watson, the youngest person to sail around the world non-stop and unassisted, and Australian Olympic hero Tom Slingsby, who is making his Sydney-Hobart debut. Slingsby is the reigning world Laser champion and London Olympic gold medallist, who turned his hand to the America's Cup this year as the strategist aboard Team Oracle USA, which staged a sensational comeback to win the Auld Mug over Team New Zealand.

Loyal, skippered by Sydney’s accountant to the stars Anthony Bell, has lured world-leading navigator Stan Honey, who is credited with the master move at the mouth of the Derwent in 2011 when Investec Loyal beat Wild Oats in a tacking duel to the finish. Loyal’s line honours rival Wild Oats XI (pictured) is strictly business with no celebrities aboard. But it has some stars of world sailing, including Australian America's Cup skipper Iain Murray, who has sailed in all six of the yacht’s line honours victories, and six-time around-the-world racer Stuart Bannatyne, of NZ. NSW supermaxi Wild Thing has a powerful grinder in former UK Rugby Sevens captain and IRB Player of the Year Ollie Phillips. There’s no star power aboard Giacomo, of Auckland, but there’s a load of experience. Jim Delegat, New Zealand’s biggest wine producer, has signed Kiwi America's Cup legend Chris Dickson, an Olympian, world champion and skipper of Sayonara when it won the Sydney-Hobart in 1998. Fluctuating weather patterns have created uncertainty over what conditions lie ahead, although most agree the fleet will strike some wet and wild weather sometime between the start and finish.

Confirmed bet

Wild Oats XI to win (one unit @ $1.70)

Leans

Perpetual Loyal (first through heads) $2.20
Giacomo (top 3) $8.00

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