Sporting Tips for the upcoming months

The turn of the year always sees European sports enter the business end of things. For any sports fan, let alone punter, it is a hugely exciting time of the year. Right now there is an abundance of events drawing towards a conclusion, all of which offer fantastic betting opportunities.

Below, we will go through certain sports and pick out a few good tips that may interest you.

Soccer

For any bookmaker or punter, soccer betting is of huge interest. Right now the three biggest tournaments that are prime for betting on are the UK’s Premier League, FA Cup, and the European Champions League.

We will start with the Premier League, which is the most popular soccer division in the world. The English top flight has always been one of the most unpredictable in the world. Liverpool’s implosion last season pays testament to that. Right now, Chelsea occupy the top spot by five points from Manchester City and from what we have seen so far this season there is little reason to think it will be any different come the end of the campaign. Chelsea are the epitome of consistency whereas City are a volatile combination of pure talent and carelessness. For a quick buck, stick money on Chelsea to win the Premier League.

The FA Cup, which is the more prestigious of the UK’s cup competitions, is a bit more open in regards to betting. The three big teams left in the competition are Arsenal, Liverpool, and Manchester United. However, with Arsenal going to Old Trafford to play Manchester United in the quarter-finals it is Liverpool who are installed as favourites despite their lower league standing. Again, the favourite looks like the sound way to go. Liverpool, who play Blackburn, practically have one foot in the semi-final while Brendan Rodgers’ men are also starting to really hit their stride. Even Mario Balotelli is scoring!

by  NazionaleCalcio  - Will Balotelli be "Hulking up" in Liverpool's cup run?

Of the three competitions, the Champions League is the hardest to call simply because of the sheer amount of talent on show. Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, the past two winners, are the joint favourites with most bookmakers. But although both have extremely good chances of winning the competition, you should look towards Barcelona. Lionel Messi may no longer be the world’s best player, but that can be disputed for right now he is playing soccer from another galaxy. The way Manchester City succumbed to Barcelona in the recent Champions League game highlights the ruthless nature of Barcelona. With a glut of attacking talent that is not limited to Messi’ - the Catalan side also boast Neymar, Luis Suarez, Xavi, Anders Iniesta, and Ivan Rakitic to name but a few - you feel that Barcelona will be too much for any defence. Barca can be the makers of their own downfall but there is starting to be a consensus that this will be the year that they get back on top.

Horse racing

The jump season in horse racing is nearing its end, which is a fantastic thing as it brings with it the Cheltenham Festival and the Grand National back to our screens. They also offer us some sublime betting opportunities.

With four days of horse racing action at Cheltenham, which is a little more traditional than this video, there is plenty of money to be had. The big race at this historic meet is of course the Gold Cup, which takes place at 15.20 GMT on the final day of the meet, which is always a Friday. At the time of writing the Cheltenham betting with betfair and other bookmakers has Silviniaco Conti at 10/3 for the Gold Cup. But if you were looking for more value look to Many Clouds (7/1). The eight-year-old has won in each of its last three outings, one of which was actually at Cheltenham. With a 44.4% victory rate, the horse offers both value and consistency and should at least be looked at ahead of the competition.

As for the Grand National, if you can continuously pick winners in that race you will be knighted. With a field that already consists of a vast number of horses, it is notoriously temperamental. Some years the favourite will romp to victory while in others you have Neptune Collonges - the 33/1 outsider won in 2012. This is not to say that you cannot have a logical bet. That bet would be to stick some money on Ruby Walsh, who is the best jockey at the Aintree course. Not only has he won it twice but he has also had a few second and third-place finishes. An each-way bet on the horse that Walsh mounts is a calculated judgement that will hopefully pay off.

Darts

The popularity of darts right now is through the roof. The World Championship at the start of the year broke both live attendance and TV records, as thousands of us tuned in to see Gary Anderson beat Phil Taylor in the final.

At the moment you can follow the Premier League of darts. This league-style tournament goes all over the UK and is played in front of far larger crowds. As a result, mental strength and concentration levels are tested all the more. Raymond van Barneveld, the defending Premier League champion, has always been noted for his mental ability. It usually gets him out of the mire when his arrows are not going the way he wanted. As does Phil Taylor, the undisputed king of darts.

However, these two are in their advancing years and will not be winning the tournament. You should instead look to the young bloods like Michael van Gerwen and Adrian Lewis. Both of these players are absolutely explosive and, on their day, will better any one. Of the two, Van Gerwen probably represents the better option as he has the stronger mentality.
by  Jason Milich 

Cricket

The cricket World Cup is going on right now and it is brilliant.

Co-hosts New Zealand and Australia are expected by fans to do well, but New Zealand might be the better choice if you want to win some money. In a 50-over match you need a batter who is capable of scoring runs at a speed that a Formula One car would struggle to match. New Zealand have that man. His name is Brendon McCullum and he will take your head off.

Many news sources are already pinpointing McCullum as the man who can break New Zealand’s World Cup drought. With the form he is in, it looks like a good shout. In One Day Internationals (ODI) - the format of this current World Cup - McCullum has racked up a tally of 5,560 runs, hitting five centuries and 28 half centuries in the process. The man is a machine, a machine functioned to win the World Cup.

But McCullum cannot do it alone. Thankfully he has a decent supporting cast who will all be able to muck in with some much-needed relief. Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor and Daniel Vettori are all super players and are all more than capable of turning a game on its head should they wish.