Daily tips for January 10

What’s on today

The first of my PGA Tour previews for the year is posted here after 12 months of modeling and testing – let’s hope it’s a good year on the greens! Two very tricky games are on the NBA schedule for today but there’s plenty of value across the nine games slated for the NHL; I’ll also have racing and A-League tips throughout the day; GL punters!


Cricket (Big Bash League) for January 10

Sydney Sixers (3-1-0, 6 points) v Perth Scorchers (3-2-0, 6 points), SCG, Sydney, Friday, January 10, 7.40pm

After last night’s fizzer, I’m hopeful of a better contest here as likely BBL03 finalists the Sydney Sixers and Perth Scorchers clash at the SCG. The Scorchers and Sixers have a history of contests that go the distance. In BBL01, the Sixers defeated the Scorchers twice, once by one run, and then to claim tournament victory in the final with seven balls remaining. Last season, the Scorchers took the points with four balls to spare. The Sixers had claimed second spot by the end of last week, with wins over the Heat and Strikers, and have struck a nice vein of form currently. They started the season as the wooden spoon favourites! Even better news for the hosts here is the return of Test batsman Steve Smith and spinner Nathan Lyon for the run-in to the Big Bash finals. Ironically, England paceman Chris Tremlett has also joined the Sixers for the rest of BBL03. Throw in the steady hands of Michael Lumb (pictured) and Marcus North with the bat and the under-stated performances of Moises Henriques as an all-rounder and the Sixers have a legitimate title contending side.

Perth surged into second place on the back of a superb late-innings bowling effort against Hobart on Tuesday night, where the Hurricanes turned what could’ve been a comfortable run-chase into a demoralising loss for the visitors.  Man of the match Nathan Coulter-Nile took 2/2 in the penultimate over, and finished with 3/15 from his four overs, but Perth will be without him from here on after he was selected in the Australian ODI side, along with teammate Shaun Marsh. However could regain the services of their import fast bowler Alfonso Thomas from injury, with pace young gun, Pat Cummins, also a chance to start here. Yasir Arafat has proven to be a quality addition to the Perth line-up. Scorchers mainstays Simon Katich and Brad Hogg hold the record for most BBL games played (currently 24 matches) and continue to impress. Hogg is currently the BBL’s all-time highest wicket-taker (29 wickets from 24 matches), while Katich recently notched up his highest T20 score (75, against the Thunder last Friday).

Confirmed bet

Sydney Sixers WIN v Perth Scorchers (one unit @ $1.60) LOSE (Tie)

Leans

Total sixes -8.5 $2.00 WIN (4)

Sydney Sixers most runs – Nic Maddinson $3.75 LOSE

A-League (round 14) for January 10

Newcastle Jets (5-3-5, 18 points) v Melbourne Victory (5-4-4, 19 points), Hunter Stadium, Newcastle, Friday, January 10, 7.40pm

This looks a good spot for Newcastle, who were rated underdogs until this afternoon for the visit of an out-of-sorts Melbourne Victory to kick-off round 14 of the A-League. The Victory head to their least favourite A-League venue with a threadbare squad and the knowledge they have not won at Hunter Stadium since 2009. With Jason Geria, Nick Ansell, Connor Pain and Scott Galloway at the Asian Under-22 Championships in Oman, Victory head coach Kevin Muscat will also be missing Adrian Leijer (suspension), while Pablo Contreras (groin), Archie Thompson (hamstring) and captain Mark Milligan (knee) are all under injury clouds ahead of the trip to Newcastle. The blue and white army watched their side smashed 3-0 by league leaders Brisbane Roar last week to leave them 11 points adrift of the Queenslanders with just over half the season left before finals. Muscat's men will start this game just a point ahead of Newcastle, who have lost their past two matches, including a 1-0 defeat to Perth Glory last week.

But Jets head coach Gary Van Egmond (pictured) should be confident after watching his team knock off Victory 2-1 in Melbourne in round 9. The Jets have generally stepped up against the top four sides this season, having won three times and lost just once in five fixtures. After a strong November (three wins, one draw, one loss), December was a tough month for Newcastle (two wins, three losses) dropping them back to mid-table. The goals have dried up for Van Egmond's men with just two, including one own goal, in the past four games. The Jets will also be below 100 per cent strength with Kew Jaliens (suspended) while Andrew Hoole, Adam Taggart and Josh Brillante are all on Young Socceroos duty. The last time these two teams met, Nathan Burns scored twice in what was arguably his best performance of his loan spell at Newcastle. The 25-year-old forward is set to return to K-League club Incheon United after the clash with Victory and another match-winning performance would be the ideal going-away present for Newcastle.

Confirmed bets

Newcastle Jets DNB v Melbourne Victory (one unit @ $1.83) PUSH (1-1)

Perth Glory v Melbourne Heart (one team scores) $2.35 WIN (3-0)

Leans

Newcastle Jets WIN $2.55 v Melbourne Victory LOSE (1-1) 
Perth Glory v Melbourne Heart -2.5 (one unit @ $1.70) LOSE (3-0)

Racing for January 10

Today’s highlights

Gosford R4 Listed $100,000 De Bortoli Wines Takeover Target Stakes (1200m, quality, 3yo+)

Gosford R5 G3 $125,000 Gosford RSL Belle of the Turf Stakes (1600m, quality, 3yo+ fillies & mares)

Gosford R6 Listed $125,000 Gosford Quarries Gosford Gold Cup (2100m, quality)

Horse racing: Mornington (Vic), Cranbourne (Vic), Gosford (NSW), Ipswich (Qld), Port Lincoln (SA), Canberra (ACT). Harness racing: Albion Park (Qld), Bathurst (NSW), Scottsdale (Tas), Melton (Vic), Temora (NSW), Port Pirie (SA), Gloucester Park (WA). Greyhound racing: Grafton (NSW), Gawler (SA), Bendigo (Vic), The Gardens (NSW), Ipswich (Qld), Wagga (NSW), Geelong (Vic), Wentworth Park (NSW), Mandurah (WA).

A perfect day of sunshine and 27°C is forecast for the running of the Listed $125,000 Gosford Quarries Gosford Gold Cup. There’s a field of eight for the feature race over 2100 metres. Most of the field are deep into their current preparations so I’m expecting a progressive showing from #5 Midsummer Sun. Trained by Sam Kavanagh (pictured) at Rosehill, this 6yo gelding was fifth in the G3 Summer Cup at Randwick on Boxing Day and has won two of his five starts second-up. His last second-up run came over the spring, when finishing runner-up to the late Salon Soldier in the Listed Melbourne Cup Day Plate (1800m) at Flemington on November 5. He meets five of the Summer Cup runners backing up here better at the weights and as long as Glyn Schofield can find running room to roll into the race, he should be prominent here.

Confirmed bets

Gosford R4 #6 Emblems (win) 1st ($1.80)

Gosford R6 #5 Midsummer Sun (E/W 1x2) 1st ($6.60/$1.90)

Mornington R5 #3 Sparton (E/W) LOSE (U/P)

Canberra R5 #11 Wind Shift (win) 1st ($1.70) 
Cranbourne R5 #7 Manna Gum (E/W) LOSE (U/P)

Leans

Gosford R3 #6 Smooth Talker (E/W 1x3) 2nd ($1.70)

Gosford R4 #7 Charing Cross (place) LOSE (U/P)

Gosford R5 #3 Madam Nash (E/W) LOSE (U/P)

Mornington R2 #10 Cheyenne Sue (E/W 1x4) 3rd ($1.40)

Mornington R7 #3 Enjoy The Silence (E/W) 2nd ($2.80)

Canberra R1 #2 Cloak Of Night (win) SCRATCHED

Canberra R2 #7 Hauskaa (win) 1st ($3.30)

Ipswich R4 #1 Cavu (E/W) 1st ($4.30/$1.80)

Port Lincoln R6 #3 Miss Aberdeen (E/W) LOSE (4th)
Cranbourne R4 #4 Flying Easy (win) LOSE (3rd)

Harness racing tip: Melton R8 #6 Vic's Cheval (win) 1st ($1.70)
Greyhound racing tip: Wentworth Park R3 #1 Cawbourne Cobra (E/W 1x3) 3rd ($1.70)

NHL for January 10

Toronto Maple Leafs (21-18-5, 47 points) @ Carolina Hurricanes (18-16-9, 45 points), PNC Arena, Raleigh, NC, Friday, January 10, 11.10am

The surging Carolina Hurricanes haven’t lost since falling to the Toronto Maple Leafs last week. After its last game was postponed by a blizzard, Carolina hopes to pick up where it left off against the visiting Maple Leafs. The Hurricanes (18-16-9) have followed an 0-3-2 skid with a season-best four consecutive wins, most recently beating Nashville 2-1 on Sunday behind two points apiece from Alexander Semin and Jeff Skinner. The Hurricanes haven’t won five in a row since a seven-game run during the 2009-10 season. Carolina will try to regain its momentum following three days off after Tuesday night's game in Buffalo was postponed due to a wintry blast of strong winds and snow. Despite the layoff, it's unclear if captain Eric Staal (pictured) will be able to return from a lower-body injury that caused him to miss a game for the first time this season. The Hurricanes are also without No. 1 goalie Cam Ward, who was placed on injured reserve with a lower-body injury.

Carolina lost 5-2 at Toronto on December 29. Leafs forward Phil Kessel scored twice while Tyler Bozak notched a career-high three assists. Another win could be hard to come by for Toronto (21-18-5), which has dropped three straight and eight of 11 in Carolina. The Leafs have also been awful defensively in losing their last two games, 7-1 to the Rangers on Saturday and 5-3 to the Islanders on Tuesday. Jonathan Bernier was pulled in the second period Saturday after allowing five goals, then stopped just 20 of 24 shots against the Islanders for his ninth loss in 12 games. Bernier is 2-2-0 with a 2.53 GAA against the Hurricanes. Teammate James Reimer is 4-1-1 with a 2.14 GAA and one shutout in the series. The Hurricanes could turn back to Anton Khudobin, who improved to 5-0-0 after making 31 saves Saturday. He has started three consecutive games after missing 32 with an ankle injury. This is the first meeting between these teams since Toronto sent John-Michael Liles to Carolina for fellow defenseman Tim Gleason last Wednesday.

Confirmed bets

St Louis Blues WIN NT @ Calgary Flames (one unit @ $1.85) WIN (5-0)

Toronto Maple Leafs @ Carolina Hurricanes WIN (one unit @ $1.83) WIN (1-6)

Boston Bruins @ Los Angeles Kings -5 (one unit @ $1.83) LOSE (2-4)

Florida Panthers @ Buffalo Sabres TT -2.5 (one unit @ $1.75) WIN (2-1)

Leans

Dallas Stars @ New Jersey Devils -5 $2.05 WIN (0-1)

Washington Capitals @ Tampa Bay Lightning +5.5 $1.91 WIN (4-3)

Anaheim Ducks WIN $1.70 @ Nashville Predators WIN (4-3)

Minnesota Wild @ Phoenix Coyotes -5 $2.00 PUSH (4-1)

Boston Bruins WIN $2.10 @ Los Angeles Kings LOSE (2-4)

Detroit Red Wings @ San Jose Sharks -1.5 $2.65 WIN +5.5 $2.00 LOSE (1-4)

NBA for January 10

It’s a Thursday night double-header in the NBA so let’s have a look at the two games on the slate.

Miami Heat (27-8, 11-5 away) @ New York Knicks (12-22, 5-12 home), Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, Friday, January 10, noon

Having shown signs of turning things around of late, the New York Knicks will get a chance to see just how far they’ve come against the two-time defending NBA champions. Carmelo Anthony has saved some of his best performances for the Miami Heat, a trend he hopes to continue as the teams meet for the first time this season at Madison Square Garden. Even with the distraction of guard J.R. Smith’s (pictured) latest discretion (untying Greg Monroe’s shoe during New York’s 89-85 win over Detroit and earning a $50,000 fine in the process), New York has shown signs of improvement as their squad slowly returns to full strength. However, the Heat are rolling along in what looks more than ever like a showdown with the Indiana Pacers in the conference finals. The two-time defending NBA champions steamrolled the New Orleans Pelicans 107-88 on Tuesday night to improve to 3-1 in 2014. Not even home-court advantage is on the side of the Knicks, who are 5-12 at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks have won four of the previous six meetings, while the road team has prevailed in three straight. The sharps are all over the Knicks like a cheap suit and eight points looks within their reach.

Confirmed bet

Miami Heat @ New York Knicks +8 (one unit @ $1.91) WIN (92-102)

Lean

Miami Heat @ New York Knicks -198.5 $1.91 WIN (92-102)

Oklahoma City Thunder (27-8, 12-5 away) @ Denver Nuggets (17-17, 9-8 home), Pepsi Center, Denver, CO, Friday, January 10, 2.40pm

After starting their Rocky Mountain road trip by failing to stop one of the league’s lowest-scoring teams, the Oklahoma City Thunder head to a higher altitude to face a recent offensive juggernaut. Kevin Durant also has been outstanding on that end, posting an NBA season-high point total twice in the past week, though another such effort might not benefit the Thunder unless their defence improves against the Denver Nuggets. The Thunder won their first two after Russell Westbrook was sidelined due to injury but dropped three of the next five, including the 112-101 loss at Utah on Tuesday. Oklahoma City will need to tighten things up against a Nuggets squad averaging 125.7 points during a three-game winning streak. The Nuggets destroyed the Boston Celtics 129-98 on Tuesday after putting up 137 points on the Los Angeles Lakers in the previous contest. The Thunder won in Denver 105-93 on December 17 and have taken each of the first two meetings this season. But with Wilson Chandler and Nate Robinson game-time decisions after picking up injuries during the win over the Celtics, I’m going to steer clear of the line and stick with the ‘over’.

Confirmed bet

Oklahoma City Thunder @ Denver Nuggets +210.5 (one unit @ $1.91) LOSE (88-101)

Golf (PGA Tour) for January 10-13

Sony Open in Hawaii, Waialae Country Club, Hawaii, HI

After 12 months watching from the gallery, I’ll be adding discussion and tips on the PGA Tour to the line-up of sports on the Last At Cannington blog. I’ll be committing a 200-unit bank to my golf account with an estimated five units expected to be in play for most events.  

While this is the second tournament of 2014, it’s actually the eighth tournament of the season with a new wraparound schedule being applied. The tour remains on O’ahu for the second leg of the Hawaii swing with the Sony Open. Waialae Country Club in Honolulu is a 7044-yard, par 70 track that was opened in 1927 as a way to lure tourists to Hawaii. It has hosted the Hawaii Open since its inception in 1965. While the course is short in length, it features very narrow fairways and winds that can be troublesome. The wind was not an issue last year though as rookie Russell Henley won going away as his 256 (-24) broke the tournament record by four shots. Several players make the short island hop following the Hyundai Tournament of Champions, and match-practice there will be to their advantage. There won’t be too many big names in action but plenty of rookies (24 in all), who will be hoping to emulate Henley. Of the 30 champions from last season who played last week, only 18 are making the trip from Kapalua, all for various reasons.

• Reigning Masters champion Adam Scott took a break over Christmas but maintained his exceptional form with a final round charge on Monday to snare another top-10 finish. Scott is an infrequent visitor to Waialae but is a past runner-up at the top of his game, and as such his chance is obvious.

• Zach Johnson bids for a hat-trick of titles following superb victories either side of Christmas, which means he’s won three of his last six starts and five of his last 50. Johnson is also a former champion here and his exceptional wedge game makes him a prime contender.

• Matt Kuchar is one of the favourites – he finished T6 at Kapalua as a third round 75 did him in but it was a good tune-up for this week. He won twice last season, had eight top 10s and didn’t miss a cut in 23 starts. He had a T5 here in 2011 and 2013.

Confirmed bets

Adam Scott WIN (0.5 units @ $8.50) LOSE (T8)

Zach Johnson WIN (0.5 units @ $11.00) LOSE (T8)

Matt Kuchar E/W (0.5 units @ $15.00) LOSE (T8)

Harris English – top 10 (one unit @ $2.75) WIN (4th)

Charles Howell – top 25 (one unit @ $1.65) WIN (T8)

Brian Gay – top 25 (one unit @ $2.00) LOSE (T32)

Note: E/W represents a win/top five finish


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