Betting Picks

Archive for the ‘Special Previews’ Category

Wednesday August 11, 19:30 EST

Sports betting gets exciting as September nears and several professional leagues get underway. NFL betting has begun as teams are in training camp and preseason games begin.  The season is now less than a month away, while MLB betting is available daily as baseball draws nearer to the playoffs. Meanwhile, Major League Soccer is in the second half of the season and races are heating up.

An exciting Eastern conference matchup takes place midweek in New York City between two teams battling for top spots in the table.  Only one point separates second place Red Bulls and third place Toronto as they two clubs play the first of two games against each other in the next 10 days.  New York travels to Toronto on Saturday August 21 and both games can go a long way in deciding the top positions.

Both teams seem comfortably situated in the second and third spots, as Chicago sits in fourth with 20 points, six back of Toronto.  Meanwhile Columbus is in full control of the conference in first with 37 points.

As close at the two clubs are in the table, this game could very well be a huge mismatch.  Toronto has only one win and one draw in eight road games this year, scoring seven goals while conceding 15.  TFC simply cannot play well on the road, and among the worst away teams in the league. Meanwhile, New York has been impressive at home winning five of eight and only losing two.  While they have only tallied nine scores at home, they have allowed only seven, earning three blanks in New York. New York is back at home after three straight away game in which they drew two and won the other.

Dwayne DeRosario and Chad Barrett continue to lead TFC in scoring with eight and six goals respectively, accounting for two-thirds of the team’s offense.  New York, on the other hand, has relied offensively on the legs of one man, Juan Pablo Angel, who has netted 11 of the Red Bulls’ 20 goals.

Though Toronto has struggled away from home in the MLS, they found recent success in Honduras, drawing CD Motagua, coming from behind twice in the second half to tie at 2, earning an aggregate 3-2 win in CONCACAF Champions League play. Both De Rosario and Barrett scored.

While Toronto is coming off a 2-1 win over Chivas USA, they have dropped their last two road games. The only away points earned this season, strangely enough, were on the west coast in a draw against Los Angeles and a win over San Jose.

Betting lines:  Toronto FC have a short week and are on the road where they continue to struggle.  Despite the motivation to catch a team ahead of them in the table, TFC may be looking ahead to the rematch in 10 days.  TFC will falter and drop the match as New York wins, 2-0.

Team Preview: Tottenham Hotspurs

There are plenty of options this time of year to bet on sports, with some seasons soon to start, while other leagues near a final stretch. NFL betting is in full force as every team has started training camp and preseason matches are only a week away.  Meanwhile, the NCAA is preparing as well and college football betting is also available. And of course, MLB betting takes place daily as pennant races heat up as baseball heads towards the fall and the postseason.

The World was captivated earlier this summer by the World Cup 2010 from South Africa, as 32 nations came together for sports biggest tournament.  Spain went on to lift the trophy, but the sport certainly gained in popularity and showed just how exciting soccer can be.  However, while is it entertaining, the best soccer arguably takes place in Europe, and in the English Premiere League.  The Tottenham Hotspurs are among the many teams looking to make a strong run and compete with powerhouses Chelsea and Manchester United.

A strong year last season in which they exceeded expectations by some saw the Spurs end up in fourth place with 70 points: 21 wins and seven draws to only 10 losses. It was their highest finish this decade, and now has raised the bar for the 2010 season. Because of their fourth place finish, the Spurs will be making a run at the Champions League this season.

In a friendly last week, the Spurs edged Benefica 1-0 on a goal from Gareth Bale as the team prepares for the season.

Off the field, manager Harry Redknapp has been looking to make key moves to add experience and talent on the squad for the upcoming season. He has recently bid to acquire 29-year-old midfielder Scott Parker, however West Ham has suggested they are not interested. The Spurs have also been in the market for Gai Assulin, a 16-year old released by Barcelona last week.

One moved that has been confirmed is the release of midfielder Adel Taarabt, who failed to meet expectations and made only nine appearances for the club. David Button and Sam Cox have also been let go.

The core of the team is still intact, and Jermain Defoe, Peter Crouch, and Robbie Keane are expected to lead the team offensively once again.

The season kicks off with home game against Manchester City, a rival for much of the season last year with the Spurs.  Manchester City finished just three points behind Tottenham in fifth place, just missing the Champions League birth. The Spurs have a favourable start to the season with games against Wigan Athletic, Wolverhampton, and West Ham United.  Look for them to get out of the gate with a great start, and use that momentum to carry them into the fall.  It will be hard to match the success of last year, particularly with the added pressure.  They will have a great campaign, but fall one or two spots in the table this season as they play between the EPL and the Champions League.

Thursday, August 5^th, 20:00 EST

The world on online sports betting enters an exciting month, as August begins and the fall sports season looms. Football has returned, as all NFL training camps begin this week; with that, NFL betting is in full force. Meanwhile, those who enjoyed the World Cup and jumped on the soccer bandwagon can enjoy soccer betting as Europa Cup qualifiers take place and European leagues near their begins, while in North America MLS enters the second half of the season.

Major League Soccer continues in August and every match becomes more and more important after the All Star break. The Eastern Conference’s top team, the Columbus Crew, travel to Philadelphia as they try to increase their first place lead while the Union try to climb back up in the standings.

After two impressive victories over New York and Houston in which they did not concede a goal, the Crew suffered a letdown against lowly Chivas USA, losing 3-1 to a team with only two previous home victories. Columbus has distanced themselves from the New York Red Bulls with a seven point lead in the table, and an 11 point lead on third place Toronto FC.

Columbus has been mediocre away from home, and will look to avoid dropping two in a row as they their road trip to Philadelphia before heading to Salt Lake City. With two victories and four draws in eight road games, the Crew have scored and conceded 10 goals in their away matches.

Philadelphia, meanwhile, has played well of late after a tough start to the season and a rough schedule in their inaugural campaign as part of the MLS.  The Union have two wins and two draws in their last four games, and look to cap off a four game home stand with a victory.

Sebastien Le Toux and Danny Mwanga lead the Union with eight and five goals respectively however, it is the defense and goalkeeping that consistently hurt the club.  They have conceded 27 goals in 15 games, and have not held a team scoreless in any match. However, at home the team has fared better, with a plus three goal differential, scoring 11 goals and allowing eight in only six matches.

The Union strikers will have a tough time against a very strong defensive team in Columbus. The Crew are particularly strong in the back end; they have blanked their opponent in eight games on the season. Their loss to Chivas USA, however, was the first game in which they conceded more than two goals, and only the fifth time they have allowed more than one goal in a game.

Betting lines: Columbus and their first place Eastern Conference record are favoured as well they should be.  Despite being on the road, Philadelphia does not have the offensive prowess, the pedigree, or the goalkeeping to keep pace with Columbus.  Even though they are at home, they will fall to the Crew as Columbus  looks to bounce back from a rare loss.  The Crew win on the road 3-1 as Philadelphia falls again.

Even in the slower sports month of August, sports betting is still open and full of plenty of options for all kinds of fans. You can start betting on NFL, just as some teams start training camp and others underway in the next week. Though the World Cup has come to a close, soccer betting is still available, mostly in the form of Major League Soccer, where the All-Star break approaches, and teams get ready for the second half of play.

Colorado takes on Dallas in a tough Western Conference bout as both teams look to move up in a tightly packed table. The Rapids currently are in fifth in the conference with 23 points, only three points back of third place Dallas, and one point up on Seattle in sixth position.  An away win for FC Dallas would move them well ahead of the group while stunting one of their closest opposition.  Colorado meanwhile must earn at least one point at home to keep pace.

Though they have only scored nine goals at home in their seven matches, the Rapids have conceded only six goals and have won three matches and drawn three. Colorado has not won at home, however, in three matches, a 1-0 triumph over Columbus back on June 5^th.  They will host San Jose after Dallas, and play four of their next six in Commerce City.

Dallas meanwhile, has found moderate success on the road, earning 11 points in eight games, with two victories and five draws and amazingly only one loss. They have allowed the second fewest away goals in the Western Conference with eight.  It took Dallas six matches to get their first win of the season this year, but they have gone on an impressive run of late. They are undefeated in seven games, their last loss coming in May to the Los Angeles Galaxy. Moreover, Dallas has only allowed three goals in the last six games, all of which were while they were on the road.

While the Dallas defense and goalkeeping have been solid, they have been getting offensive contributions from several sources.  David Arturo Ferreira, Brek Shea, and Jeff Cunningham all have four goals, while Atiba Harris has added three. Colorado has been more of a two man show, with Conor Casey leading the way with seven goals, while Omar Cummings has scored five.

The two teams will meet again in October in Dallas, but if Colorado doesn’t start earning points quickly, the rematch may not matter.

Betting Lines:  Colorado should get the slight edge due to being at home, but these are evenly matched. Both play strong defense and both can get goals from different sources. The Rapids are in more need of a win however, and may press more, getting Dallas a chance to strike back.  Neither team will do enough to win, though, as Dallas and Colorado fight to a 1-1 draw.