SunPoker are really ramping up the heat on their promotions this month. To go along with their SunPoker $1 million tourney they are running a $10k rake race in September.
This “Double-Dip” rake race consists of two different $5k rake races. Both have only just begun so you still have plenty of opportunity to win substantial cash prizes. In each of the races first prize is a cool $2500.
If you didn’t know already; the competition is very weak at SunPoker. Not only that, you won’t be competing against a huge amount of players. That gives us plenty of opportunity to take these prizes down.
The rake races will be running until the beginning of next month so now if the perfect opportunity to check out their software and take the easy money.
Sign up for a SunPoker account now.
SunPoker has announced that they will be running their first ever $1 million tournament. It will be on the 13th of September (early morning 14th for Aussies) and will have a $535 buy-in.
Satellites have been running for a little while now and start from as little as 44 cents. Once you gain entry you can expect softer competition than what you normally would at PokerStars of Full Tilt.
For those of you that don’t know, SunPoker is now on the iPoker network. Last year they moved form the smaller Cryptologic network. Since moving to the iPoker network SunPoker have seen growth by more than 50%.
Aussies have been swarming to play at SunPoker of late as well. We also have word that they will soon be focusing some of their marketing efforts on the Australia so look out for that.
If you haven’t played at SunPoker before or you haven’t seen the new look software then now is definitely the time to start. If you miss this $1 million tourney don’t be too worried because there is another one coming up as well. They have also just started a rake race that will we post about soon as well.
Check out SunPoker now and create an account!
Final round of the NRL, the top 8 is basically set, with only the Panthers a chance of making it in at the expense of the Knights. The minor premiership and wooden spoon are still up for grabs. Here are the best bets around the grounds.
Dragons v Eels – WIN Jubillee 7:30pm
Team news: The Dragons have dropped Jarrod Saffy from their bench and kept Jason Nightingale. Parramatta have lost Nathan Hindmarsh to a toe injury and his replacement is Broderick Wright.
Game news: The Eels are now looking at setting a season record 8 straight wins. They are scoring freely every week and are conceding hardly anything. The Dragons on the other hand have been on the slide which culminated in last week’s embarrassing loss to the lowly Rabbitohs. They have now lost 3 in a row and have probably cost themselves the minor premiership. They need to get back on track and fast with the finals starting next week. The loss of Hindmarsh is a big blow, but not insurmountable. The Dragons should put in a better effort this week but I still think Eels in a close one.
Tip: Eels by 4
Odds: Dragons – $1.67, Eels – $2.15
Footy TAB: Eels +2.
Best bets: Safety – Eels +12.5 @ $1.28, Either team under 6.5 – @ $3.00
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Tigers v Bulldogs – SFS 7:30pm
Team news: Chris Lawrence is in doubt with Rhys Pritchard on standby.
The Bulldogs have no injury concerns, with Daniel Holdsworth coming in to replace Brett Kimmorley.
Game news: The Tigers cannot make the 8 and have some players carrying injuries. They are also missing at least 4 regular first graders through injury. The Bulldogs have a chance to make history by winning tonight and finishing as minor premiers. The loss of Kimmorley is a big blow but not a knock out punch. They have a capable replacement and should comfortably account for the Tigers.
Tip: Bulldogs by 10
Odds: Tigers – $2.65, Bulldogs – $1.45
Footy TAB: Tigers +6.5
Best bets: Safety – Bulldogs @ $1.45, Value bet – Goodwin more tries than Ayshford @ $2.50
Warriors v Storm – Mt Smart 5:30pm
Team news: No changes for either team.
Game news: The Warriors farewell Stacey Jones but have been cruelled by injuries. The Storm are looking at keeping their place in the top 4 and build some momentum. They have some depth issues in the forwards but with so much to play for, they should win.
Tip: Storm by 8
Odds: Warriors – $3.40, Storm – $1.30
Footy TAB: Warriors +9.5
Best bets: Safety – Storm @ $1.30, Storm 1-12 @ $3.10
Sea Eagles v Titans – Brookvale 7:30pm
Team news: No injury worries for Manly.
The Titans have Luke Bailey in doubt with a virus, Selasi Berdie is on standby as replacement.
Game news: The Sea Eagles were extremely lucky to beat a committed Sharks team last week, needing refereeing intervention on numerous occasions to get over the top of them. The Titans looked a little jaded too in their win over the Tigers, with the result flattering the home team. If Bailey is out, it is a huge loss for the Titans and Manly can’t play that bad 2 weeks in a row. Manly in a close one.
Tip: Manly by 7
Odds: Manly – $1.30, Titans – $3.40
Footy TAB: Titans +8.5
Best bets: Safety – Titans +12.5 @ $1.40, Value bet – Manly 1-12 @ $3.10
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Sharks v Rabbitohs – Shark Park 7:30pm
Team news: The Sharks are expected to be as named.
The Rabbitohs are also 1-17.
Game news: The Sharks will be trying to avoid the wooden spoon and the Rabbits will be trying to send prodigal son Craig Wing off as a winner. The Sharks also farewell Corey Hughes. Very hard to pick a winner here, the game could go either way.
Tip: Draw
Odds: Sharks – $1.80, Rabbitohs – $2.00
Footy TAB: Rabbitohs +2.5
Best bets: Safety – Rabbitohs +12.5 @ $1.21, Value bet – Either team under 6.5 @ $2.90
Roosters v Cowboys – SFS 2:00pm
Team news: Roosters have no injury concerns.
The Cowboys have no worries either.
Game news: The Cowboys have nothing to play for, while the Roosters are playing to avoid the wooden spoon and send off coach Bard Fittler and club stalwart Craig Fitzgibbon out on a high after a horror year. You would think the Cowboys should win but the Roosters look to have more motivation.
Tip: Roosters by 2
Odds: Roosters – $2.05, Cowboys – $1.75
Footy TAB: Cowboys +2.5
Best bets: Safety – Roosters +12.5 @ $1.21, Value bet – Roosters 13+ @ 4.40
Knights v Panthers – Energy Australia 3:00pm
Team news: Zeb Taia is out for the Knights and is replaced by Cory Paterson.
The Panthers have to cull a few off their extended bench but have no injury worries.
Game news: The only crunch game of the round with the winner to play in the finals and the loser to start planning the end of season trip. The Panthers were blown off the park by a rampant Eels side while the Knights froze to death in Canberra last Monday night. The Panthers have a shocking defensive record and the Knights should capitalize on this at home.
Tip: Knights by 10
Odds: Knights $1.45, Panthers – $2.65
Footy TAB: Penrith +6.5
Best bets: Safety – Knights @ $1.45, Value bet – Knights -6.5 @ $1.90
Broncos v Raiders– Suncorp 7:00pm
Team news: No injury worries for either team.
Game news: The Broncos should win this game as the Raiders have nothing to play for and are away from home. The Broncos will also want some revenge on the Raiders for the belting they gave the Broncos a few months ago.
Tip: Broncos by 16
Odds: Broncos – $1.20, Raiders $4.25
Footy TAB: Raiders +13.5
Best bets: Safety – Broncos @ $1.20, Value bet – Broncos 13+ @ $ 1.83
For all your bets this weekend we recommend betting at Sportsbet.
The 2009 World Championship Of Online Poker (WCOOP) gets underway at 4:30 AM AEST. This year PokerStars have upped the ante to an incredible 45 event series with $40 million USD in guranteed prizes.
The 2008 WCOOP only had 33 events with just under $40 million in prizes. We all thought that was huge – now we have this smacked into our faces. The first event will be the $215 6-max No Limit Holdem event. There is $1.25 million guaranteed for just a couple of hundred bucks. There is also a $215 Razz event on a little after that.
The highlights of this year’s WCOOP would definitely have to include the high roller events and the Main Event. There is a $10,300 NLHE event with $2 million gtd. If the WSOP is anything to go by, the HORSE event will be considered the pinnacle of this poker series. The $10,300 HORSE event is the 2nd last of the series and has $1 million gtd. It will sort the men out from the boys in what will be a highly sought after bracelet.
To accompany the HORSE event on the last day there will be a $215 NLHE event with $1 million gtd. The series will culminate with the 2-day Main Event. This has a buy-in of $5,200 and a massive $10 million guarantee.
When it comes to playing in online poker tournaments they don’t get much bigger than this. The PokerStars WCOOP is run annually so you only have one shot to win the bracelet of your choosing.
For Australian online poker players it means that there will be some very early mornings ahead. Most of the tournaments begin at either 4:30 AM or 6:30 AM. If you get up early it is more than worth it if you run deep. The other side of the world will be starting to tire when it is late but for us it will be early evening.
If you haven’t already created an account at PokerStars then there is no better time to do so. Sign up now and receive a $600 bonus to get you started!
Interesting results last week, with the Rabbitohs dropping out of finals contention after their loss to the Panthers. The Titans assured themselves of a top 4 berth, the Bulldogs and Dragons fighting it out for the minor premiership after the former won and the latter lost. There are now 8 teams vying for the final 5 spots in the top 8. At the other end of the ladder, the hapless Roosters and Sharks are fighting to avoid the wooden spoon.
Eels v Panthers – Parramatta Stadium 7:30pm
Team news: Parramatta are expected to be as named, with no injury clouds over the squad.
The Panthers have 2 to drop off their extended bench, with Cooper and Grant the most likely. No injury worries for the mountain men either.
Game news: Crunch game for both clubs with the loser most likely to miss the semi-finals. The Eels are gunning for their 7th straight win, matched only by the Dragons earlier this season. On form, you would have to go for the Eels, they have been irresistible during the last 2 months. The Panthers’ defence has more holes than Swiss cheese which Hayne and company will exploit ruthlessly. Expect plenty of points with the Eels prevailing.
Tip: Eels by 10
Odds: Eels – $1.36, Panthers – $3.00
Footy TAB: Panthers +8.5
Best bets: Safety – Eels @ $1.36, Value bet – Over 42.5 points @ $1.90
Cowboys v Broncos – Dairy Farmers Stadium 7:30pm
Team news: Matt Bowen is out for the season with Ty Williams to play fullback and Shannon Hegarty coming onto the wing. Ashley Graham is also in doubt, with Ben Harris on standby. Steve Rapira is most likely to drop off the extended bench.
For the Broncos, Israel Folau has been cleared to make his long awaited return from injury. Josh McGuire and Joel Clinton will drop off the bench.
Game news: The Cowboys gave up a huge lead last week against the Knights which has probably ruined their chances of making the top 8. If last week wasn’t dire straits, then this week sure is. A loss here and they can start planning Mad Monday celebrations. The Broncos have won 3 straight and will be looking at wrapping up a spot in the 8 this week. I fancy the Cowboys here given it’s their last stand.
Tip: Cowboys by 2
Odds: Cowboys – $2.65, Broncos – $1.45
Footy TAB: Cowboys +6.5
Best bets: Safety – Cowboys +12.5 pts @ $1.47, Value bet – Either team under 6.5 @ $3.20
Titans v Tigers – Skilled Stadium 5:30pm
Team news: Ashley Harrison is set to return from an injury layoff in time for finals footy. Esi Tonga is out for the season with a shoulder complaint and is replaced by Sam Tagataese. Josh Graham, Will Matthews and Chris Walker to drop off the bench.
The Tigers have been decimated by injuries. Beau Ryan and Taniela Tuiaki are both out. Blake Ayshford and Chris Heighington have not trained all week and are in big doubt. Bryce Gibbs has been suspended for 3 games for this incident. Dene Halatau comes into the squad, Rhys Pritchard is on standby for Blake Ayshford and Daine Laurie could come in for Gibbs.
Game news: The Titans are travelling smoothly but were lacklustre in their game against the Sharks the previous week. The Tigers must now win their remaining matches to stand a chance of making the 8. Their disrupted preparation will not help nor will their injuries, but I am expecting them to keep it close.
Tip: Titans by 8
Odds: Titans – $1.36, Tigers – $3.00
Footy TAB: Tigers +8.5
Best bets: Safety – Tigers +12.5 pts @ $1.58, Titans 1-12 @ $3.10
Storm v Roosters – Olympic Park 7:30pm
Team news: Greg Inglis will return to the line-up (Storm that is) in place of Dane Nielsen.
The Roosters have Seitamata Sa in doubt. Ben Jones will take his place if he is ruled with Nick Kouparitsas coming onto the bench.
Game news: The Storm hasn’t lost 3 in a row for a long time and I’m not expecting it to happen now. The Roosters will need a miracle to win here.
Tip: Storm by 16
Odds: Storm – $1.08, Roosters – $7.00
Footy TAB: Roosters +18.5
Best bets: Safety – Storm 13+ @ $1.40, Value bet – Tomane / Mel 13+ (FTS into Margin) @ $11.00
Rabbitohs v Dragons – ANZ Stadium 7:30pm
Team news: Beau Falloon is expected to be replaced on the bench by Toyota Cup captain Jason Clark.
Neville Costigan is still in doubt but is expected to play. Jon Green and Jason Nightingale are expected to drop off the bench.
Game news: The Dragons have lost their last 2 games to give the Bulldogs a sniff of the minor premiership that looked done and dusted a month ago. The Rabbits are now out of contention and have nothing to play for.
Tip: Dragons by 18
Odds: Dragons – $1.10, Rabbitohs – $6.00
Footy TAB: Rabbitohs +18.5
Best bets: Safety – Dragons 13+ @ $1.50, Value bet – Brett Morris first try scorer @ $5.50
Sea Eagles v Sharks – Brookvale Oval 2:00pm
Team news: Brett Stewart makes his long awaited return, with Robertson moving to the wing and Ben Farrar to the centres to fill the void left by Jamie Lyon. Tony Williams is set to drop off the bench.
The Sharks are expected to be as per program.
Game news: Everything points to a Manly win. Expect the usual competitiveness early from the Sharkies, but the floodgates should open in the second half.
Tip: Sea Eagles by 30
Odds: Sea Eagles – $1.05, Sharks $9.00
Footy TAB: Sharks +23.5
Best bets: Safety – Manly 13+ @ $1.30, Value bet – Stewart / Manly 13+ (FTS into Margin) @ 7.50
Bulldogs v Warriors – ANZ Stadium 3:00pm
Team news: Ben Roberts is in doubt with Daniel Holdsworth on standby.
The Warriors have been rocked by more injuries, with Kevin Locke definitely out and Wade McKinnon under a cloud joining Steve Price and Simon Mannering on the sidelines.
Game news: It is Hazem El Masri’s last home game and officials are expecting a bumper crowd of nearly 40,000. The Warriors have too many injuries and with Hannant back, the Dogs should be too strong.
Tip: Bulldogs by 36
Odds: Bulldogs $ 1.09, Warriors – $7.00
Footy TAB: Warriors +19.5
Best bets: Safety – Bulldogs 13 @ $1.40, Value bet – Bulldogs 30+ @ $2.50
Raiders v Knights– Canberra 7:00pm
Team news: Glenn Buttriss will drop off the interchange bench for the Raiders, who will be as named. There is talk that Tom Learoyd-Lahrs could possibley make a return.
The Knights have Cory Paterson and Ben Rogers in doubt with Karawana set to replace the former.
Game news: The Raiders have nothing to play for and the Knights have it all to play for. I’m going the Knight in a tight game.
Tip: Knights by 7
Odds: Raiders – $1.90, Knights $6.00
Footy TAB: Knights +2.5
Best bets: Safety – Knights +12.5 @ $1.20, Value bet – Either team under 6.5 @ $ 2.85
If you thought August was huge with $10,000 in cash freerolls for our Pokerstars players, then get strapped in for September.
Our exclusive freerolls at the world’s largest online poker room and Australia’s most popular poker site, PokerStars, have gone ballistic in September.
Not only can our players get cashed up in five $2,000 Cash Freerolls but there’s also a $20,000 2009 World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) Freeroll.
The $20,000 WCOOP Freeroll pays out down to an amazing 90 places with the minimum prize a $109 WCOOP ticket. The Pokerstars $20,000 WCOOP freeroll winner will collect a huge $2,100 WCOOP ticktet.
Also, the exciting cash freeroll series at PokerStars will feature incredible value as $2,000 cash is added to the prizepool in each of the five Pokerstars freerolls during Septmber. Each PokerStars Cash Freeroll in the series will feature a $2000 added prizepool and will be distributed as per PokerStars standard payout structure.
These are exclusive freerolls for online poker players who have signed up to PokerStars using our Pokerstars Marketing Code PAWT7.
Hurry To Qualify For $20,000 WCOOP Pokerstars Freeroll
The first of the Pokerstars freerolls will be the $20,000 WCOOP Freeroll on September 2nd at 10:45pm US time.
To play in this freeroll you need to you need to download and register a Pokerstars account using the Pokerstars Marketing Code PAWT7. Then you just need to earn 200 VPPs between now and midnight August 31st 2009 (US time).
Eligible players will be issued a ticket after August 31st which is used to manually register for the freeroll.
Existing Pokerstars players who signed up previously from our links or using the Pokerstars Marketing Code PAWT7 are also elgible to play and just need to earn 200 points between now and the end of the month.
The Pokerstars $20,000 WCOOP Freeroll pays out over 90 free WCOOP tickets as follows :
- 1st $2,100 ticket
- 2nd-3rd $1,050 ticket
- 4th-6th $530 ticket
- 7th-16th $320 ticket
- 17th-41st $215 ticket
- 42nd-90th $109 ticket
Also during September there will be five freerolls held at Pokerstars, and each and every month there will be an additional five exclusive $2000 Cash Freerolls at PokerStars plus special freerolls for seats to major live poker tournaments such as WSOP, APPT, EPT and Aussie Millions.
To join in on any these unique monthly freerolls at PokerStars sign up using the PokerStars Marketing Code PAWT7 and and deposit using the PokerStars bonus code STARS600 and you’ll have an extra $600 to play with.
The full schedule of $2,000 Pokerstars Freerolls in September is :
- September 5th 2009
- September 12th 2009
- September 13th 2009
- September 19th 2009
- September 26th 2009
Hurry To Qualify For $10,000 In Pokerstars Freerolls
To qualify for these $2000 Cash Freerolls you need to have downloaded and registered a Pokerstars account using the Pokerstars Marketing Code PAWT7. The you just need to play someonline poker to earn a ticket. To get your ticket just earn 150 VPPs between now and August 31st 2009.
Players can accummulate as many points as they want and will receive up to a maximum of five “150 Point Tickets” meaning you can register for more than one freeroll. But you must qualify during August to play in the September Pokerstars Cash Freeroll series.
Qualified players will be issued with a “150 Point Ticket” after July, which can be used to register to the $2,000 Cash Freeroll of their choice in the month of September 2009.
Can’t get 150VPP’s between now and August 31st? Don’t despair, download and register and account using the Pokerstars Marketing Code PAWT7 and start now on your PokerStars VPP points to qualify for the October Freerolls. Your September VPP point tally will be used to qualify you for “tickets” to the October series.
Once you have signed up to PokerStars using our exclusive Pokerstars Marketing Code you will be able to play in any and all future exclusive freerolls provided you make the effort to fulfill the qualifying requirements for each.
Courtesy of Recent Poker.
The Herald Sun newspaper in Australia reports that widespread Distributed Denial of Services attacks have crippled a number of leading Aussie sportsbetting websites, possibly costing operators millions in lost bets over a busy weekend that features the final Ashes Test, the World Athletics Championships, Tri Nations rugby and crucial AFL and NFL games.
DDoS attacks are mounted when criminals seek to extort ransoms from websites, using tens of thousands of zombie computers under their control to overwhelm the website with data, thus inducing shutdowns. The criminals behind the attacks obtain control of ordinary computers without the owners even being aware of it by planting malignant viruses.
Just last week an unidentified 21-year-old Australian was arrested by federal police for assembling and using a zombie computer army.
Sportingbet Australia is one of two interstate bookmakers sabotaged by the DDoS criminals; the other is the emerging operator Sports Alive, which was down for almost all of Friday.
Both Sportingbet Australia and Sports Alive were circumspect in their comments, fearing further attacks.
Sportingbet Australia chief executive Michael Sullivan said he was unsure what caused the biggest interruption to the company’s online operation.
“All I can say is that we’ve got technical difficulties and we’re working with our principal providers to restore the site,” Sullivan said.
A Sports Alive spokesman said the denial of service was caused by “an unknown person or persons flooding the website”.
Terry Lillis, owner of corporate bookmaker Multibet, was a victim of a similar online sabotage in 2004. Multibet was put offline for 24 hours before Lillis received an email demanding payment of $US25 000.
Scotland Yard investigators revealed at the time that 50 other betting agencies across 30 countries had also been made targets. The Russian mafia was linked to the attack.
Written by our newest addition to the team, John Frangulis
Well, what a way to start the weekend. The weather is hotting up (unless you’re living in Melbourne) and so is the footy action. Here is the late mail for the weekend’s games.
Tigers v Eels – SFS 7:30pm
Team news: Feleti “Dominic” Mateo will start off the bench for the Eels in his first game back from a bicep injury sustained while training at “Mitsos Gym” in Marrickville earlier this year. “Ron” Jeremy Latimore will drop off the extended bench and concentrate on shooting a few scenes for his upcoming flick “The Slippery Eel”.
The Tigers have a few injury concerns most notably Robbie “Ali Baba” Farah and Keith “Floyd” Galloway. Although Dene “Bulldog” Halatau and Daine “Truck” Laurie have trained with the squad, both are expected to play after receiving some “hypoxic” treatment.
Game news: Both teams are evenly matched and it should come down to the team that makes less mistakes. They’ve been scoring heavily in recent weeks but I expect a tighter one tonight. Obviously Hayne is on another planet at the moment and the Tigers will need to be on the ball. I wouldn’t at all be surprised to see the match level at the end of normal time.
Tip: Tigers by 1
Odds: Tigers – $2.50, Eels – $1.50
Footy TAB: Tigers +3.5
Best bets: Safety – Tigers +12.5 pts, Value bet – Either team under 6.5
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Dragons v Broncos – WIN 7:30pm
Team news: Neville “Bartos” Costigan has sustained a hip injury after running into Mark Brandon “Chopper” Read on Wednesday night and is out of tonight’s clash. Jeremy “Will” Smith, lucky to escape suspension after trying to imitate a torpedo in last week’s game will come into the side at lock. Jason “Florence” Nightingale and Jon “Danny” Green will drop off the bench while Chase Stanley “Knife” comes onto the interchange. The Dragons get back Beau “Duke” Scott from suspension and Matt “Wayne” Cooper with his commitments at the Rosemount Fashion Festival coming to an end today.
For the Broncos, Alex “Perry” Glenn is out with an ankle injury sustained on the catwalk. After listening to “careless whispers” going around the club and thinking that “I’m never gonna play again”, Steve “George” Michaels is in line for a recall to replace the injured Glenn. Part-time fashion designer Guy “Laroche” Williams has also been mentioned together with Bronco behemoth Dave “Bunny” Taylor. No final word as yet.
Game news: Plenty of talk this week on the Dragons after their shock loss to the Raiders in chilly Canberra last Saturday night. North of the border, Brisbane supporters have jumped back in the saddle after seeing their Broncos string 2 wins in a row together. For mine, it’s a false dawn for the Broncos with the Dragons set to end their top 8 hopes tonight.
Tip: Dragons by 22
Odds: Dragons – $1.25, Broncos – $3.75
Footy TAB: Broncos +10.5
Best bets: Safety – Dragons over 6.5 pts, Value bet – Dragons 13+
Knights v Cowboys – Energy Australia 5:30pm
Team news: The Knights have a host of players under a cloud. Keith “Urban” Lulia, Cooper “Sooner” Vuna, Danny “Candle” Wicks and Steve “Homer” Simpson are struggling with injuries. Wicks is rated the least likely to play with Cory “Haim” Paterson on standby.
For the Cowboys, Willie “Paira” Tonga is still suffering from the effects of trying to headbutt Jamal Idris last week but is expected to play. Ben Harris “Park” is the most likely to drop off the bench.
Game news: The Cowboys are in dire straits. A loss will most likely see their top 8 hopes evaporate. The Knights belted the Storm last week but the jury remains undecided on their status as contenders. Given the stakes and desperation, I’m expecting the Cowboys to come out firing and win in a close one.
Tip: Cowboys by 2
Odds: Knights – $1.55, Cowboys – $2.40
Footy TAB: Cowboys +4.5
Best bets: Safety – Cowboys +12.5 pts, Value bet – Cowboys 1-12
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Panthers v Rabbitohs – CUA 7:30pm
Team news: “Lucky” Luke Lewis is expected play after being injured in last week’s annihilation by the Broncos. Brad Tighe “Me Up” has a knee complaint but is also expected to play. If they both play, then Tim “Stan” Grant and the retiring Adam “Cotton yes” Woolnough will drop off the bench.
The Rabbits have a host of players out with injury but no late changes are foreseen.
Game news: The Panthers capitulated last week, giving up a 6 point half-time lead and conceding a point a minute in the second half to get flogged convincingly. The Rabbitohs have been decimated by injury but the result here is still a little murky. Mathematically, the Rabbitohs can still make but a loss will end their hopes completely. The Panthers should be more desperate but they are one of the worst teams to tip in games that they should win. Defence won’t be a priority, expect plenty of points.
Tip: Panthers by 8
Odds: Panthers – $1.30, Rabbitohs – $3.40
Footy TAB: Rabbitohs +9.5
Best bets: Safety – Over 44.5 pts, Value bet – Jennings more tries than his opposite
Warriors v Raiders – Mt Smart 12:00pm
Team news: Warriors still undecided on who will drop off the bench with either Russell “Kerry” Packer or Lewis “James” Brown to go.
The Raiders have lost Tom Learoyd-“Loggins”-Lahrs to a hamstring injury sustained while running roughshod over the Dragons pack last week. David “Penny” Shillington has been pencilled in to replace Lahrs. “Billy” Joel Monaghan is also under a cloud, no news on a replacement if he is ruled out.
Game news: Ivan “I can see” Cleary is under pressure if reports in the media are to be believed. The Warriors will want to finish strong but have nothing to play for. The Raiders will be looking at consolidating after their win over the Dragons last week. I expect a dour affair to start, with the Raiders pack to start offloading at the back end as the defence tires.
Tip: Raiders by 10
Odds: Warriors – $1.90, Raiders – $1.90
Footy TAB: Raiders +2.5
Best bets: Safety – Raiders, Value bet – Raiders 1-12
Titans v Sharks – Skilled 2:00pm
Team news: “Prince” William Zillman is out suspended for 4 weeks for giving Souths winger Jamie “Bart” Simpson a hickey on his arm last week. Potential replacement Preston Campbell “Soup” is also struggling with injuries and may miss. If the above eventuates, Brenton Bowen “Arrow” will start at fullback with Mat “Rat” Rogers to move to five-eighth and “Messy” Esi Tonga to play in the centres.
The Sharks are expected to be as named with no changes forecast.
Game news: Sharks looking to avoid the spoon but it won’t be enough to prevent the Titans from consolidating 3rd spot. This could get messy.
Tip: Titans by 20
Odds: Titans – $1.10, Sharks $6.50
Footy TAB: Sharks +17.5
Best bets: Safety – Titans over 6.5, Value bet – Titans 19+
Storm v Sea Eagles – Olympic Park 3:00pm
Team news: No late changes expected for the Storm with Greg “Palmer” Inglis sitting out his second match after assault charges.
For Manly, there has been talk the Brett “Ray Warren loves me” Stewart may play but according to 2KY this morning, he won’t play this weekend and will make his return at Brookvale next week. Shane “Warney” Rodney will drop off the bench.
Game news: Grand Final rematch with both teams playing inconsistent football. The Storm will be looking at wrapping up 4th spot and home final while the Eagles will be out to steal the Storm’s thunder and spot in the top 4. Expect a grinding match with points at a premium with the home ground advantage tipping the scales Melbourne’s way.
Tip: Storm by 2
Odds: Storm – $1.90, Sea Eagles – $1.90
Footy TAB: Sea Eagles +2.5
Best bets: Safety – Storm +12.5, Value bet – either team under 6.5
Bulldogs v Roosters – ANZ 7:00pm
Team news: Luke Patten “my groin” is expected to return from an ankle injury. Prop Jarrad “Love Bite” Hickey is also confident of starting after he was concussed in last week’s game when he clashed heads with Carl “Spider” Webb. Michael “Jordan” Hodgson has a calf injury and will have a fitness test today.
The Roosters have no injury worries coming into the game, with resident Scatologist, Dr Nate “Pooper” Myles, returning from suspension.
Game news: Roosters are desperate to avoid the wooden spoon and the Bulldogs would love nothing more than to condemn their arch-rivals to it after they ended up with it last year. The Dogs showed their class last week and I expect them to get the job done well on Monday night, despite their injury concerns up front.
Tip: Bulldogs by 24
Odds: Bulldogs – $1.11, Roosters $6.00
Footy TAB: Roosters +17.5
Best bets: Safety – Bulldogs over 6.5 pts, Value bet – Bulldogs 19+
>Sports Alive have all the latest odds for NRL round 24.
Thursday morning Australian time sees 4 of the games from round 2 of the EPL being played. There have been some postponed games due to European duties of some clubs.
Yesterday we picked Chelsea to get up over Sunderland. As predicted Sunderland came out firing and had a lead at half time despite the quality shown by Chelsea. They were completely dominated in the second half and goals to Drogba, Lampard along with a superb strike from Deco means they were victorious 3-1.
In my hot tip for betting on the EPL I didn’t fare so well. Wigan who were at home after a dazzling win over Aston Villa were playing Wolves. They were coming off a first game loss and had to play away. But, go figure. Wolverhampton won, in what I see as a real upset. Wigan really did look the goods in the 1st round.
Moving on, we have 4 games to look at in the early hours of Thursday. Most of the kick offs are at 4:45am with one at 5:00am. The first game that I want you to take a look at is the Birmingham City vs Portsmouth game. I am going to take Birmingham in this one because Portsmouth are in a world of trouble right now.
If you are betting on Sportsbet you can get odds of $2.05 for Birmingham. I’m jumping on this one hard, because I have a feeling the Portsmouth club is in total disarray right now. The draw is $3.25 and Portsmouth are @ $3.75.
Get on Birmingham City now. This is a hot tip!
The next game on the cards is Burnley at home to Manchester United. Burnley lost to Stoke in their opening game while Man Utd opened with a win against Birmingham. While I think United will struggle a little bit they should get home in the end. They are paying $1.30 with the draw @ $4.75 and Burnley way out at $10.00. This should be a bread a butter game for the Red Devils. Put this in your multi bets.
The 3rd game in the morning will be one that I will be watching with a keen interest. Hull are at home to Tottenham in a game that I think is not as straight forward as the pundits think. Hull City gave Chelsea tremendous trouble and it wasn’t until injury time they unluckily lost the game. They will be at home to a side that completely outplayed Liverpool at home in the first round. I am going to go out on a limb here and say that this one could end up in a draw.
Spurs are red hot at the moment but could come crashing back to Earth here. I won’t be betting on this game. For those that think Tottenham will be too strong for Hull you can get odds of $1.95 at TAB Sportsbet. The draw is paying $3.35 with Hull at $3.90. In my research today I noticed the media were all over Tottenham, so if you’re one to follow the norm then jump on them.
Lastly, we go to Anfield where Liverpool will be looking to rectify their dreadful start to the season. Granted, it was only one game; but they were dominated throughout and will need to lift substantially if they are going to go anywhere this season. In my EPL betting futures article I wrote them off completely. I still stand by that.
Stoke opened up with a 2-0 win over Burnley on their opening day. They are looking to solidify their spot in the Premier League this year so will be hoping to cause problems for some of the bigger teams. I do think Liverpool will hit back in this game even though they are under pressure. I won’t be betting on them though because I find this game too risky.
If you are having a punt then I suggest you get on at Sportsbet. Liverpool are paying $1.25 which is far too short in my opinion. You get much better value for the draw at $5.25. If you think the Reds are going to capitulate even further then you can jump on Stoke at juicy odds of $14.00.
Best EPL Betting Tip: For Thursday the 20th of August I will be getting on Birmingham City. Portsmouth have sold off their best players and I think they will have a real battle on their hands to not get relegated.
Value Bet: Even though Tottenham are paying $1.95 that is good value. As you read above they are in hot form but I have my doubts. If you think they are a good thing then jump on them. Pundits are saying that they are this year’s dark horses and will give the top 4 a real shake up.
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Sports Alive, for those that don’t know is one of Australia’s newest bookmakers. They have released their biggest bets from last weekend. Punters last weekend seem to have run out of luck on the sport. The previous week they dominated and took the Australian sportsbook for a lot of money. Last weekend Sports Alive got their own back, with bettors only coming out ahead by betting on horse racing. I will give a quick recap of how the Australian sports bettors went in each sport on the weekend.
NRL Betting – A lot of money was put on the Dragons against the Raiders which will see a few unhappy punters. It was always going to be a difficult game for the Dragons as previous journeys to Canberra had resulted in terrible performances. There were some nice wins though for the home team. There was a $2000 bet @ $2.90 for the win and a $3000 line bet.
The most heavily backed team in round 23 of the NRL were the Cowboys. They surrendered a 12 point lead to disappoint many punters. There were several $5000 bets that the sportsbook held on this game that they didn’t have to pay out. Quite a nice game for the Aussie bookmaker I’m sure.
In one of the biggest bets of the round; there was a $10,000 wager placed on the Rabbitohs to knock off the Titans. They bet didn’t come through either for yet another loss to punters. Sports Alive also held a $3000 bet on the Roosters with a 12.5 point head start. I don’t know what information that punter thought he had, but I don’t want anything to do with the Sydney Roosters at this point.
The market for the 2009 NRL Premiership has changed around a bit, especially with the hot form of Parramatta. They have shortened into $12.00 as everyone starts to believe they are in with a real chance. The Dragons are at $2.75, the Bulldogs $4.65 and Manly at $7.50. You would be comfortable having your money on the Dragons at this point, but it does seem awfully short.
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AFL Betting – Punters we jammed in the AFL on the weekend as well. With St Kilda losing their first game of the season there were a heap of multi bets that lost. The only highlight to come out of betting on the game was a $900 bet on Essendon @ $6.00.
Sports Alive had heavy wins this week on 3 key games. These were West Coast beating beating North Melbourne, the Demon’s major upset win over Fremantle and when Geelong weren’t able to cover the line over the Swans.
In the AFL 2009 Premiership betting St Kilda have loosened up to $2.45, Geelong are paying $3.10 and the in form Collingwood have shorted to $4.35.
A-League Betting – With the first two rounds of the A League now complete we can begin to see who the front runners are going to be. Like I said at the beginning of the season you should be jumping all over Gold Coast United. They have a far superior team and definitely look the goods. Just two weeks ago they were paying $8.00 which is when I said to jump on (shameless boast); they are now favourites @ $4.25. Sydney FC are paying $4.50 and Melbourne are @ $5.00. It is still early on, but they have emerged as clear front runners and the winner will come from one of these three.
PGA Golf Betting – Gold bettors got flogged during the last Golf major, but not as much as you might have expected. Tiger Woods was run down on the last day for the first time in history. There was a $5000 bet made @ $1.85 and a $2000 head-to-head bet with Y.E Yang that saw Sports Alive come out well ahead. News wasn’t all bad though, a $300 bet on Yang @ $21.00 gave a return of $6000. Another Aussie had a $150 bet on Brendan Jones to be the leading Australian @ $51. That gave him a draw for a win of $3675.
Horse Racing Betting – To the delight of Australian sports bettors there was plenty of money splashed around for everyone last weekend at the gallops. Acquired was the horse that cost Sports Alive a ton of money. Punter were all over it. One QLD guy had $3000 @ $7.00 to net a nice victory.
The next horse in the thick of things was Caulfield winner Starspangledbanner. The largest bet placed on him was $8000 @ $3.30. Pacino caused Sports Alive grief when they paid out $16,000 following an $8000 bet at $3.00. Caulfield seemed to keep paying out all day long; Cats Whisker paid out a punter a win of $14,000.
Centennial Park took some massive bets and bettors were laughing all the way to the bank. The two biggest bets were both $10,000. One of these was @ $2.50 and the other @ $2.60. Rangirangdoo capped a disaster day off for the Australian bookmaker when a $5000 bet won @ $3.20.
That wraps up the biggest bets placed last weekend at Sports Alive. If you haven’t already created an account there I highly recommend you do. They are a pleasure to deal with and have high standards in security and honesty.
Creat an account at Sports Alive now!