What’s on today
The line-up for today kicks-off with seven EPL games
and I’m going with Cardiff City to inflict more misery on West Ham; it’s week 2
of the NFL playoffs with the Saints heading to Seattle while New England hosts
Indianapolis in the first two games of the weekend; it’s a quality card of NBA
games with the Nets trip to Toronto attracting the most interest; NHL punters
have a slate of nine games to consider – among the toughest in the visit of
Boston to San Jose; look out for more Big Bash, A-League and racing tips
throughout the day; GL punters!
NFL playoffs (late game) for January 12
AFC Divisional Playoff: Indianapolis Colts (11-5, 5-3
away) @ New England Patriots (12-4, 8-0 home), Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, MA,
Sunday, January 12, 12.15pm
Andrew Luck’s first visit to New England resulted in
the worst defeat of his two-year career – a 59-24 beating at the hands of the
Patriots in his rookie season. Luck appeared on the way to absorbing a defeat
of similar magnitude a week ago, but he rallied the Indianapolis Colts from a
28-point second-half deficit to a stunning 45-44 victory over Kansas City in
the opening round of the playoffs. The improbable win earned Luck a second
crack at Tom Brady and host New England what promises to be a wet and windy AFC
Divisional Playoff. Luck has amassed 11 wins in the fourth quarter and overtime
in his first two seasons (the most in the NFL during that span) but the Colts
have to find a way to take down the most successful QB in post-season history.
Brady (pictured) is 17-7 in the playoffs, which includes five trips to the Super Bowl and
three championships, and guided New England to an 8-0 home record this season.
Brady is working with a patchwork receiving corps and is missing favourite
target TE Rob Gronkowski, who caught two touchdown passes against the Colts
last season.
While Luck stole the headlines by leading five
second-half touchdown drives and throwing for four TDs and a career-best 443
yards, second-year receiver T.Y. Hilton also had a coming-out party by hauling
in 13 catches for 224 yards and a pair of scores in the second-biggest playoff
comeback in league history. The onus will again be on the Luck-to-Hilton
combination due to the absence of a consistent running game by Indianapolis.
Another concern for the Colts is a defence that was shredded by a KC
offence that was without Jamaal Charles. Multiple injuries to Gronkowski and
the departure of Wes Welker to free agency has left New England scrambling to
cobble together an effective passing attack – Brady’s 25 TD passes and 87.3
passer rating are his lowest since the 2006 season. Converted college QB Julian
Edelman helped fill the void with 105 receptions and 1056 yards, but the
Patriots have shown an increasing reliance on RB LeGarrette
Blount, who rambled for 265 yards and four TDs in the last two games.
The defence also suffered another blow with third-leading tackler Brandon
Spikes was placed on injured reserve.
Confirmed bet
Indianapolis Colts +7.5 @ New England Patriots (one
unit @ $1.77) LOSE (22-43)
Lean
Indianapolis Colts @ New England Patriots -51.5 $1.91 LOSE (22-43)
NHL for January 12
Columbus Blue Jackets (20-20-4, 44 points) @ Winnipeg
Jets (19-22,5, 43 points), MTS Centre, Winnipeg, MB, Canada, Sunday, January 12,
11.10am
Sergei Bobrovsky (pictured) is the reigning Vezina Trophy
winner, and his recent return is giving the Columbus Blue Jackets a lift. It
would seem a wise decision to start Bobrovsky again here as the Blue Jackets head
to Winnipeg seeking a seventh win in eight meetings against the Jets. Bobrovsky
was superb last season, going 21-11-6 with a 2.00 goals-against average and
four shutouts while Columbus missed the playoffs on a tiebreaker. He’s looked
every bit like one of the best goaltenders in the league after missing 12 games
with a groin injury. He made 40 saves before turning aside two shootout
attempts in Monday’s 4-3 road win over the New York Rangers. Bobrovsky followed
it up Friday with one of his best performances of the season, stopping 36 shots
in a 3-0 home win over Carolina. With the Blue Jackets (20-20-4) winning three
of four, they may decide to continue starting their hot goalie. Bobrovsky has a
1.31 GAA while winning four straight starts, dating back to before his injury.
Columbus fell 3-2 at home to Winnipeg on December 16,
ending its six-game winning streak in the series. The Jets have matched a
season high with four straight losses, and were outshot 33-14 in a 4-2 home
loss to Tampa Bay on Tuesday. It was their fewest shots since registering 12 in
a loss at Washington as the Atlanta Thrashers on March 14, 2008. In the hopes
of providing a spark, Claude Noel is expected to move Dustin Byfuglien from
defence to forward. Tied with Bryan Little with a team-high 34 points,
Byfuglien has made that change at other times in his career, including last
season. The veteran has been a bright spot over the last four games, scoring
three goals and assisting on two others. He’s also been very effective at MTS
Centre, with two goals and four assists in five games. Of his 10 goals on the
season, seven have been scored there. Pavelec has lost all four of his career
meetings with the Blue Jackets despite a 2.29 GAA.
Confirmed bets
Tampa Bay Lightning @ Philadelphia Flyers +5.5 (one
unit @ $2.05) WIN (6-3)
Columbus Blue Jackets WIN @ Winnipeg Jets (one unit @
$2.05) WIN (6-3)
Ottawa Senators @ Nashville Predators +5.5 (one unit
@ $2.00) LOSE (2-1)
Pittsburgh Penguins WIN NT @ Calgary Flames (one unit
@ $1.85) WIN (2-1)
Florida Panthers @ New Jersey Devils -5 (one unit @
$1.83) WIN (1-2)
Leans
Chicago Blackhawks @ Montreal Canadiens -5.5 $1.80 WIN (1-2)
Ottawa Senators WIN $1.95 @ Nashville Predators WIN (2-1)
Colorado Avalanche @ Minnesota Wild WIN $1.83 LOSE (4-2)
Anaheim Ducks WIN $1.83 @ Phoenix Coyotes WIN (5-3)
Detroit Red Wings @ Los Angeles Kings -1.5 $2.60 LOSE (3-1)
Boston Bruins WIN $2.22 @ San Jose Sharks WIN (1-0)
NBA for January 12
Brooklyn Nets (15-21, 5-12 away) @ Toronto Raptors (17-17,
7-8 home), Air Canada Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada, Sunday, January 12, 11.10am
All five teams in the Atlantic Division started the
season poorly, and still, with roughly 40 per cent of the season completed,
none have winning records. But there’s life in the previously bereft division,
led by the division-leading Toronto Raptors who host one of the other
hard-charging teams in the Atlantic, the Brooklyn Nets. The Raptors (17-17)
have won six of their past eight games overall, and four of five at home. Their
improved play has coincided with the trade of small forward Rudy Gay and the
elevation of Terrence Ross into the starting five. Since Gay was dealt and Ross
moved into the line-up on December 10, Toronto is 10-5, with the second-year
small forward averaging 13.1 points and shooting 46.1 per cent (41 of 89) from three-point
range. Ross had 17 points in the team’s last game, a 112-91 victory over
Detroit on Wednesday. Lowry led the way with 21 points, DeMar DeRozan had 19
and Jonas Valanciunas had 16 points and 11 rebounds. The Nets (15-21)
also enter this match-up with renewed confidence, having won a season-best five
straight.
The most recent of the victories may be the team's
most impressive this season, knocking off Miami 104-95 in double overtime on
Friday. An improved defence has been the biggest key for Brooklyn, which is
holding opponents to 90.8 points during the five-game run. The Nets allowed
102.4 points per game in the season’s first 31 contests. On Friday, the Nets
held the Heat to 42.5 per cent from the field, Miami’s second-worst performance
of the season. Besides outlasting the defending champions, Jason Kidd’s (pictured) team
also ended Golden State’s 10-game win streak and beat Oklahoma City during its
hot stretch. Needing 58 minutes to win on Friday may not bode well for the
Nets, however. They are 1-5 in the second game of back-to-backs this season,
and 0-3 in games following overtime contests. The Nets beat the Raptors for the
fourth time in five meetings, 102-100 in Toronto on November 26 behind 24
points from Andray Blatche. Following the game against the Raptors, the Nets
travel to London, where they will play Atlanta on Thursday, before returning to
New York to play the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on January 20.
Confirmed bets
Brooklyn Nets @ Toronto Raptors -193 (one unit @
$1.91) WIN (80-96)
New York Knicks -5 @ Philadelphia 76ers (one unit @
$1.91) WIN (102-92)
Milwaukee Bucks @ Oklahoma City Thunder -13.5 (one
unit @ $1.91) WIN (85-101)
Orlando Magic @ Denver Nuggets +201 (one unit @
$1.91) WIN (94-120)
Leans
Brooklyn Nets +9.5 $1.91 @ Toronto Raptors LOSE (80-96)
Houston Rockets @ Washington Wizards NO LEAN
Charlotte Bobcats +5 $1.91 @ Chicago Bulls LOSE (97-103)
Phoenix Suns @ Detroit Pistons +207 $1.91 WIN (108-110)
New Orleans Pelicans @ Dallas Mavericks -197.5 $1.91 LOSE (107-110)
Boston Celtics @ Portland Trail Blazers -12 $1.91 LOSE (104-112)
NFL playoffs (early game) for January 12
NFC Divisional Playoff: New Orleans Saints (11-5, 3-5
away) @ Seattle Seahawks (13-3, 7-2 home), CenturyLink Field, Seattle, WA, Sunday,
January 12, 8.40am
New Orleans is coming off its first post-season road
win in franchise history, but the degree of difficulty will rise dramatically
when they visit the top-seeded Seattle Seahawks. It will be a rematch of a December
2 game in Seattle, where the Seahawks manhandled New Orleans 34-7 and held the
Saints to their lowest total since October 2008. New Orleans' high-powered
offence struggles away from home, managing only 36 points in three December
road losses before pulling out a last-second 26-24 win at Philadelphia last
week. Drew Brees, the only QB with three 5000-yard seasons, threw for 250 yards
with one touchdown and two interceptions against the Eagles but now must
contend with a defence that limited him to 147 yards and held the Saints to 188
total yards – the lowest total since Brees and head coach Sean Payton arrived
in New Orleans in 2006. New Orleans overcame an injury to running back Pierre
Thomas to churn out 185 rushing yards against Philadelphia (including 97 by
former first-round pick Mark Ingram) while its defence held the NFL’s leading
rusher, LeSean McCoy, to 77 yards on 21 carries.
Indeed, the Seahawks have embarrassed a number of
opponents on their home field where they are 15-1 over the past two seasons. Its
rabid fan base, known as the 12th Man, set a Guinness world record for crowd
noise with a reading of 137.6 decibels in that thrashing of the Saints last
month. The Seahawks are hoping to see the return of explosive wide receiver
Percy Harvin, who has played in only one game since returning from off-season
hip surgery. Seattle leveled off after steamrolling the Saints, losing at San
Francisco and falling to Arizona for its first home defeat in two seasons
before closing the campaign with a dominant defensive performance against St
Louis. Wilson was being mentioned for league MVP honours at one point in the
season but he stumbled down the stretch, averaging 171.3 yards passing and
throwing for four touchdowns and three interceptions Marshawn Lynch rushed for
1257 yards and 12 touchdowns but he cracked 100 yards only once in the last
eight games. The Seahawks led the league in fewest points (14.4) and yards
(273.3) allowed per game.
Confirmed bet
New Orleans Saints @ Seattle Seahawks -44.5 (one unit
@ $1.91) WIN (15-23)
Lean
New Orleans Saints +8 $1.95 @ Seattle Seahawks PUSH (15-23)
EPL for January 12
Cardiff City (4-6-10, 18 points) v West Ham United (3-6-11,
15 points), Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff, Wales, Sunday, January 12, 2am
Too often in this game, we try to think our way
around the obvious. Indeed, I’ve read previews from several pundits and punters
outlining why West Ham represent great value in the wake of their 5-0 and 6-0
losses to Nottingham Forest and Manchester City respectively. But rather than
dwell on the negative, I favour the positive presence of a new manager in the Cardiff
dugout to be the prevailing presence here. Former Manchester United favourite
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (pictured) will be presiding over his first Premier League game
having started his Cardiff stint in memorable fashion with a stunning FA Cup
win at Newcastle. The ovation likely to be afforded Solskjaer will only serve
to highlight the uneasiness that will greet his opposite number Sam Allardyce. However,
the Bluebirds are far from safety with one win in seven while the Hammers are
without a league win since November. A West Ham win would lift them above
Cardiff on goal difference. West Ham were 2-0 winners in the reverse fixture on
the opening day of the season and have won the last four league encounters
without conceding a goal.
On the back of their phenomenal victory at St James’
Park, the momentum is sure to be with Cardiff and, bearing in mind West Ham’s
continuing lengthy list of absentees, it could be another distinctly
uncomfortable afternoon for Allardyce. Cardiff City could hand a debut to new
signing Magnus Wolff Eikre after the Norway international signed from Dutch
side Heerenveen. Craig Bellamy may also figure after two months out with knee
and ankle trouble. Allardyce said he would make a “calculated” decision on
whether to recall Andy Carroll after an eight-month absence with a foot injury.
The stats don’t make great reading for the hosts – Cardiff have lost three of
the past four matches (D1) in the league and their tally of 15 goals is the
joint-second lowest in the division. They have also failed to score in 10, the
joint most in the league. But thing aren’t much better for West Ham – they have
only earned two points from their last seven league matches and have dropped
more points from winning positions than any other Premier League team (14).
Let’s stick with the obvious.
Confirmed bets
Cardiff City WIN v West Ham United (one unit @ $2.10) LOSE (0-2)
Everton -1 v Norwich City (one unit @ $1.91) WIN (2-0)
Tottenham Hotspur v Crystal Palace +2.5 (one unit @
$1.70) LOSE (2-0)
Leans
Hull City v Chelsea (to nil) $2.40 WIN (0-2)
Fulham v Sunderland -2.5 $1.91 LOSE (1-4)
Southampton v West Bromwich Albion BTS $1.75 LOSE (1-0)
Manchester United v Swansea City (double chance)
$2.35 LOSE (2-0)
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price listed); and 3) Leans (tips, but not recommended bets); all times quoted
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