Daily tips for January 4

What’s on today

Back to the grind after a tough session yesterday; two cracking College Football bowl games are scheduled in Texas and Florida with my tips available here; just four NHL games are on the board where I’m expecting the Anaheim Ducks to score a big win; there are also seven NBA games slated along with a typically big day of racing around the country; I’ll also have a range of selections for tonight’s FA Cup third round games later in the day; GL punters!


A-League (round 13) for January 4

Melbourne Victory (5-4-3, 19 points) v Brisbane Roar (9-0-3, 27 points), AAMI Park, Melbourne, Saturday, January 4, 7.45pm

First, a quick word on the crowd behaviour at last week’s Melbourne Victory v Western Sydney Wanderers match. Memo FFA – want to stop the flares at A-League games? As soon as a flare is lit, stop the game. Then identify the culprit (easy enough given the amount of CCTV in use) and award the points to the opposition side. Done. The moron minority will likely be back at AAMI Park tonight as the Victory battle league leaders Brisbane. The hosts are now three games unbeaten after Gui Finkler curled home a stunning last-gasp free-kick to salvage a draw against the Wanderers last Saturday. Despite having chances to hit the front in the first half, that result was enough to consolidate third position, ahead of defending champions Central Coast. Injured striker Archie Thompson will be miss another week of football.  The future of star midfielder Mitch Nichols remains uncertain as J-League club Cerezo Osaka have publicly expressed their desire to sign Nichols. The club's decision to reject Osaka’s advances has upset Nichols, with Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou in favour of his move to Asia.

League-leading Brisbane Roar suffered a minor blip at home to the Newcastle Jets before Christmas but returned to winning ways in emphatic style, trouncing free-falling Sydney FC 5-2 at Allianz Stadium. The Roar were without talisman Besart Berisha but it mattered little as Dimitri Petratos claimed a hat-trick against his former club. Mike Mulvey's men are four points clear of nearest rival Western Sydney at the summit. The Roar's trip to Melbourne comes too soon for the injured Berisha, who is set to return next week. Brisbane's form in Melbourne is a major concern for Mulvey's team. The dual A-League champions are winless in their last eight games away to Victory – losing four and drawing on four occasions. Roar's most recent win against Victory in Melbourne came under the guidance of former coach Frank Farina in 2008, with a 2-0 victory at Etihad Stadium. Brisbane's depth has been under the microscope since Berisha succumbed to a hamstring injury but Thomas Broich, Ivan Franjic, Henrique and Petratos will have plenty of opportunities against a less-than-convincing Melbourne back-four.

Confirmed bet

Melbourne Victory v Brisbane Roar DNB (one unit @ $1.90)

Leans

Melbourne Victory v Brisbane Roar (by 1) $4.50 

Dimitri Petratos to score anytime $3.20


Racing for January 4

Today’s highlights

Caulfield R5 $150,000 Harris Walker VOBIS Gold Carat (1200m, SWP, 3yo, VOBIS Gold qualified horses only)

Gold Coast R7 Listed $100,000 Carlton Draught Goldmarket (1300m, quality)

Horse racing: Caulfield (Vic – dead 4), Rosehill (NSW – good 3), Gold Coast (Qld – good 3), Morphettville (SA – dead 4), Bunbury (WA – good 3), Bairnsdale (Vic – good 3), Kembla Grange (NSW – good 3), Ipswich (Qld – good 3), Toowoomba (Qld – dead 4). Harness racing: Albion Park (Qld), Albany (WA), Cranbourne (Vic), Globe Derby (SA), Maitland (NSW). Greyhound racing: Bendigo (Vic), Wentworth Park (NSW), Ipswich (Qld), Richmond (NSW), The Meadows (Vic), Cannington (WA), The Gardens (NSW).

Early January means the focus shifts to the Gold Coast ahead of the next weekend’s Magic Millions meeting. However, it’s going to be tough going for horses and racegoers today with the mercury tipped to nudge 40ºC in SE Queensland. In contrast, it’s a cool and overcast day in Melbourne where an eight-race card will be run at Caulfield. My best of the day comes up in race 3, the Equiano Speed Yearlings Heat 6 over 1600 metres, where #6 Quick Snitzel will jump a deserved favourite. The 4yo gelding has won three of 13 with two starts this prep for a fourth and narrow second at Flemington on December 21 to Sistine Demon. Vlad Duric stays aboard for Peter Moody (pictured). He looks very well placed at the handicap conditions and should be winning here.

Confirmed bets

Caulfield R2 #6 Capalbio (E/W) LOSE (U/P)

Caulfield R3 #6 Quick Snitzel (win) LOSE (3rd)

Rosehill R2 #9 Fighting Sun (win) 1st ($2.50)

Rosehill R7 #2 Imperil (E/W) LOSE (U/P)

Rosehill R8 #12 Turbulent Jet (E/W) 1st ($8.50/$2.80)

Gold Coast R2 #3 Some Call Her Wild (E/W) LOSE (U/P)

Morphettville R6 #3 Éclair Samba (win) 1st ($2.10)

Leans

Caulfield R1 #6 I Got A Turbo (E/W) 3rd ($2.40)

Caulfield R4 #13 Lonhtime (E/W) LOSE (4th)

Caulfield R5 #4 Written Up (E/W) LOSE (U/P)

Rosehill R4 #4 The Alfonso (win) LOSE (U/P)
Rosehill R6 #9 Jacquinot Bay (E/W) LOSE (U/P)
Gold Coast R1 #10 Star Drop (E/W) 2nd ($2.30)
Gold Coast R4 #2 Rocky King (win) LOSE (U/P)

Gold Coast R5 #11 Siegfried (E/W) 3rd ($2.30)

Morphettville R7 #10 Dontmentionthewar (E/W 1x2) 2nd ($2.10)

Bunbury R2 #14 Nardini (E/W 1x3) LOSE (4th)

NBA for January 4

Toronto Raptors (15-15, 9-7 away) @ Washington Wizards (14-15, 7-6 home), Verizon Center, Washington DC, Saturday, January 4, 11.10am

Though done primarily to create salary cap flexibility rather than upgrade the roster, the Toronto Raptors have enjoyed a dramatic turnaround since trading Rudy Gay. The surging Raptors can move above .500 after 30 games for the first time in four years when they visit the Washington Wizards here. Toronto (15-15) has won eight of 10 since Greivis Vasquez, John Salmons, Chuck Hayes and Patrick Patterson made their debuts following the deal that sent Gay and his USD $17.8 million contract this season, and $19.3 million player option for the 2014-15 season, to Sacramento. The Raptors have earned road victories over the Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas, Oklahoma City and Chicago (twice) in this stretch before a 95-82 home win over Eastern Conference-leading Indiana on Wednesday. The franchise hasn’t had a winning record after 30 games since moving to 19-18 on January 8, 2010. Terrence Ross (pictured) has taken advantage of his opportunity by scoring 14.0 points per game since replacing Gay in the starting line-up, and Kyle Lowry is averaging 19.7 points and 10.0 assists in his last six contests.

The Raptors overcame a season-high 37-point effort from Washington’s John Wall on Nov. 22 with balanced scoring, placing six players in double figures in a 96-88 home victory. Averaging 43.1 per cent from the field this season, Wall has made 50.0 per cent of his shots over his last eight contests. However, he tied a season high with seven turnovers in an 87-78 loss to visiting Dallas on Wednesday. The Wizards missed a chance to get above .500 after 29 games for the first time since finishing the 2007-08 season 43-39. Guard Bradley Beal has scored 12.2 per game (more than six below his average) in his last five while battling a leg injury. While the Wizards have averaged 105.0 points and hit 46.5 per cent from three-point range during a 4-1 road stretch, they’ve scored 92.0 per contest and made 27.8 from beyond the arc while dropping four of five at home. They could have a tough time ending their struggles at the Verizon Center as they’ll face a Toronto team that’s held three of its past four opponents to 83 or fewer points.

Confirmed bets

Toronto Raptors @ Washington Wizards -193 (one unit @ $1.91) WIN (101-88)

Los Angeles Clippers -2.5 @ Dallas Mavericks (one unit @ $1.91) WIN (119-112)

New Orleans Pelicans @ Boston Celtics -200 (one unit @ $1.91) WIN (95-92)

Leans

Memphis Grizzlies @ Denver Nuggets -4.5 $1.91 LOSE (108-111)
Golden State Warriors @ Atlanta Hawks -207.5 $1.91 WIN (101-100)

New York Knicks @ Houston Rockets +205.5 $1.91 LOSE (100-102)

New Orleans Pelicans @ Boston Celtics +3.5 $1.91 WIN (95-92)

Utah Jazz +3.5 $1.91 @ Los Angeles Lakers LOSE (99-110)

NHL for January 4

Edmonton Oilers (13-25-5, 31 points) @ Anaheim Ducks (29-8-5, 63 points), Honda Center, Anaheim, CA, Saturday, January 4, 2.10pm

If Anaheim comes to play, this could get very ugly. The Ducks have won 11 of 12 games, and remain the only team in the NHL without a regulation home loss. The Ducks look to continue their staggering run and maintain their dominance of the West-worst Edmonton Oilers. Anaheim (29-8-5) is one point behind NHL-leading Chicago, thanks in large part to an 11-1-0 stretch that includes a franchise-record 10-game winning streak. That run came to an end with Sunday’s 3-1 loss at San Jose, but the Ducks rebounded by earning a split of the home-and-home set with a 6-3 victory. Anaheim was outshot 17-8 in the opening period, before holding a 30-19 advantage over the next two. The Ducks own the best home record in the league at 15-0-2. A meeting with the Oilers (13-25-5) should keep the Ducks dominant at home. They’ve won five straight and 15 of the past 17 meetings. Anaheim has also won six of eight at home, including a 3-2 victory on December 15.

Dustin Penner scored the tiebreaking goal with 3:17 to play. Jonas Hiller had 23 saves in last month’s meeting. He’ll likely be back in net since he’s 12-2-0 with a 1.67 goals-against average and two shutouts over his last 16 games versus Edmonton. Hiller is also on a franchise-record nine-game winning streak, during which he’s compiled a 1.97 GAA after making 33 saves on Tuesday. Edmonton, which has lost nine of 11 (2-7-2), allowed the first four goals in a 5-1 loss at San Jose on Thursday. Taylor Hall, the team leader with 38 points, is looking to show some improvement after being kept off the score sheet while posting a minus-3 rating Thursday. He had eight points over his previous four games. The left wing, though, has managed just two goals and one assist and is a minus-8 in 10 career meetings with the Ducks. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has four points in five match-ups with Anaheim, including a goal on December 15. I like the Ducks at the puck-line here.

Confirmed bets

Edmonton Oilers @ Anaheim Ducks -1.5 (one unit @ $2.10) WIN (2-5)

New York Rangers @ Pittsburgh Penguins -5.5 (one unit @ $1.72) LOSE (2-5)

Leans

Chicago Blackhawks @ New Jersey Devils WIN $2.22 LOSE (5-3)

New York Rangers @ Pittsburgh Penguins WIN NT $1.97 WIN (2-5)

Tampa Bay Lightning WIN $1.77 @ Calgary Flames WIN (2-0)

College Football for January 4

AT&T Cotton Bowl: 13 Oklahoma State Cowboys (10-2, 7-2 Big 12) v 8 Missouri Tigers (11-2, 7-1 SEC), AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX, Saturday, January 4, noon

Arguably the best non-BCS match-up of the bowl season comes in the AT&T Cotton Bowl, where former conference rivals No. 13 Oklahoma State and No. 9 Missouri square off. Both teams were one win away from BCS berths or, in the Tigers' case, perhaps a spot in the national championship game. The Cowboys won the past three meetings when the teams were Big 12 foes after Missouri had won four of the previous five. The Cowboys rotated quarterbacks early in the season but have settled on senior Clint Chelf as their man. Expect a shootout from two of the best, most balanced offences in the nation as Oklahoma State averages 39.8 points and Missouri 39. The turnover battle is always critical, but particularly so when each team’s success is as reliant on winning it as these two. Oklahoma State has 30 takeaways while Missouri has forced 29 turnovers and is plus-16. The Tigers were quietly one of the best running teams in the SEC thanks to three running backs (Henry Josey, Russell Hansbrough and Marcus Murphy) who each have more than 500 yards on the ground and QB James Franklin (474 yards, four touchdowns).

Confirmed bet

Oklahoma State Cowboys v Missouri Tigers +61 (one unit @ $1.91) WIN (31-41)

Discover Orange Bowl: 12 Clemson Tigers (10-2, 7-1 ACC) v 7 Ohio State Buckeyes (12-1, 8-0 Big Ten), Sun Life Stadium, Miami, FL, Saturday, January 4, noon

Ohio State was 60 minutes from the national championship game, but will have to settle for another ACC opponent when it faces Clemson in the Discover Orange Bowl. The BCS title hopes of the seventh-ranked Buckeyes evaporated with a loss to Michigan State in the Big Ten Championship game. The scoreboard operator will be working overtime as two of the nation's most explosive attacks square off here. Both squads average more than 40 points and are led by elite quarterbacks in Ohio State’s Braxton Miller and Clemson’s Tajh Boyd. Miller is more of a dual threat as evidenced by his 1033 yards and 10 touchdowns rushing, while Boyd possesses the ability to run but prefers to utilise a vaunted passing game headed by the dynamic Sammy Watkins. Carlos Hyde joins Miller in the backfield, giving Ohio State the nation’s third-best rushing offence (317.5 yards) to try and counter an aerial assault that is No. 12 nationally with an average of 329.3 yards. There is a potential letdown for Ohio State. However, the Buckeyes were not permitted to play in a bowl game last season due to NCAA violations and have been mocked for not being championship-worthy because of the perceived weakness of the Big Ten overall.

Confirmed bet

Clemson Tigers v Ohio State Buckeyes -3 (one unit @ $1.91) LOSE (40-35)

Lean

Clemson Tigers v Ohio State Buckeyes +70.5 $1.91 WIN (40-35)

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