NBA Pick 31/01/17 @cavs to get the job done v @dallasmavs

Cleveland Cavaliers will be on the road at Dallas tonight.With kevin Love out, Dallas coming off a strong surprise win over San Antonio and the Cavaliers not their usual reliable selves of late,some are tipping the Dallas win.

Personally I see Le Bron James stepping up with support from Kyrie Irving to see the Cavaliers through to victory. We can even expect Cleveland to cover the 4.5 spread in an impressive showing. The 16 point win over OKC signals a turning point for Cleveland and if korver continues to fit in well,their fortunes should improve.

Conservative Play-Cavs Moneyline (1.57)

Value Play-Cavs -4.5 (2.0)

@ladbrokes New Customer Offer. Bookmakers Review

Ladbrokes have a £50 matched bet offer.

The offer is administered professionally and without fuss.

Ladbrokes have decent customer service with attentive staff on live chat and responses to emails are prompt.

The ladbrokes website is easy to use and they offer plenty of markets.

Ladbrokes are definitely worth a try.

@betway New Customer Offer Bookmakers Review

Betway have a bet £10 get £30 free bet offer.

The offer is administered professionally and without fuss.

Betway seem to have superb customer service with attentive live chat staff and prompt responses to email.

Betway offer a range of odds boosts,they offer cash out facilities and the website works well.

I would advise any punters out there to give them a try.

@totesport @betfred New Customer Offer Bookmakers Review.Avoid Like the Plague

Totesport offer a £25 risk free first bet. It sounds good initially but please note that you are ineligible for this offer if you have an existing Betfred account. The offer could be worth a go if you have no existing Betfred account but you do so at your own risk.Good Luck!

Totesport do not tell you this up front,they wait for you to stake the £25 then they go through a phoney verification process asking you for identification,following this they close your account for seemingly no reason (if an existing Betfred account is detected by their system).

 If they close your account like this when you lose the first bet imagine how quickly they will close the account should you win!

When you ring them up they fob you off and terminate the call. When you ring back, eventually they admit Betfred and Totesport operate under the same umbrella like it is a dirty secret,they also admit they get punters ringing up complaining all the time but still they do nothing about it So effectively you are out of pocket  whether or not you win the initial bet and have been cheated out of the new customer offer you were promised.

I am astounded they have managed to pull this scam for years,IBAS (the Bookmaker's Ombudsman) have done nothing about it.

The best I can do is advise people to steer clear of Totesport and that reflects badly on Betfred too as they are the same organisation.

Milwaukee Bucks to Pile Further Misery on the New York Knicks 07/01/17

In the last matchup between the Bucks and the Knicks,Giannis Antetokounmpou stole the game in the final second with a fall away two pointer that his airness himself would have been prod of (that's Michael Jordan for the uninitiated)!

With Kristaps Porzingis not likely to be 100percent following an achilles injury and Giannis playing so well, the Bucks are worthy favourites.

Carmelo Anthony played well but was unable to close the deal and a similar outcome is expected today.The Bucks are on a streak of three wins while the Knicks are on a dismal run of six losses.

Staunch defences on Show for Chelsea v Tottenham Hotspur 04/01/17

Huge game tonight,Chelsea on a stunning winning streak,Spurs feeling good after dismantling Watford last time out.

This match could go either way so I'll sit on the fence and look towards the draw.

The  two defences may hold the key to this one with both Lloris and Courtois starving forwards off goals so far this season.

Spurs are very strong at home and Chelsea are on a rich vein of form.The bookies can't separate them and neither can I.The draw holds the value at 3.15 with either winner available at 2.8.

T20 Cricket : Melbourne Stars to Dump out Sydney Thunder 04/01/17

The defending Big Bash champions face Melbourne Stars today and the current form points at only one outcome.

Shane Watson's men looked lacklustre last time out and have lost 4 in a row.Maxwell and Pieterson will be looking to prolong the pain for Sydney with impressive showings with the bat.

The only hope for Sydney is that their experienced names show up.Much rests on the shoulders of Shane Watson and Andre Russell if the Thunders are to show signs of their potential.

Sydney have the talent to tear up the formbook but there isn't enough evidence here to look past the obvious win for the Stars.

NHL and NBA Ice Hockey and Basketball Picks 04/01/17

Columbus Blue Jackets look to extend their streak to 16 after sweeping aside the 12 streak of Minnesota last time out. The Edmonton Oilers are a class franchise but how can you bet against a team on such a outrageous streak?! Home advantage and momentum side with Columbus.

Third placed New York Rangers should get the job done hosting rock bottom Buffalo Sabres.

San Jose have won 4 of their last five at home including impressive wins over Philadelphia Flyers and the Edmonton Oilers. I fancy San Jose Sharks to get the better of Los Angeles Kings.

In the NBA expect San Antonio Spurs to bounce back from a disappointing overtime defeat to Atlanta Hawks.The Toronoto Raptors are a talented outfit in good form but they don't have enough to overcome the experience of Tony Parker,Ginobili and Pau Gasol and co.Seven straight home wins points at a Spurs victory.

Providing Marc Gasol passes a late fitness test Memphis Grizzlies will fancy their chances on the road at LA Lakers. Providing Mike Conley has his usual reliable game I can't see the young Lakers side turning over Memphis even with the experience of Luol Deng on court.

NBA .Boston Celtics to continue Impressing against the Utah Jazz 04/01/17

With Isaiah Thomas playing beautifully and with four time all-star Al Horford in support Boston are worthy favourites.

There is potential for a tight affair if Gordon Hayward and Rudi Gobert are firing but the preference is for Boston with Thomas's  three throw power telling in the 4th quarter.

Opportunity for Big Sam to Assert his Authority at Selhurst Park 03/01/17

Big Sam clearly had one eye on this 6pointer after seemingly easing off in his intent at the Emirates.Swansea are in turmoil following the Bob Bradley debacle and even at this fairly early stage in the season look to be in the last chance saloon category.

Conor Wickham is out for a period but Palace have proven scoring pedigree and should be able to get the job done at home.Palace have had only one win from their last 5 at home but against stern opposition,only losing by 1 to Manchester United,Chelsea and Manchester City whilst outplaying Southampton in a 3 nil win.
Whatever the result goals are on the menu,the last match up resulted in a 9goal thriller and with 2 far from watertight defences on show that trend is likely to continue.

History sides with Arsenal against Bournemouth 03/01/17

The obvious choice could be the best one here when Bournemouth entertain Arsenal tonight.Arsenal have won the recent meetings between the two and the pressure is on Arsene Wenger to keep their title ambitions alive.

Bournemouth have a decent record at home and Eddie Howe has them playing some stylish football at times.On balance though with Giroud in form and with the talented Mesut Ozil likely to play,Arsenal have the edge here.

The Open 2014-The Contenders

The Open starts at Hoylake on Thursday.Let's take a look at who is in with a shout and could potentially be lifting the Claret Jug on Sunday.

No Major Championship contenders list goes without mentioning the great Tiger Woods.Yes it has been a while since he won a major,yes he has had his problems,yes he has not played in a tournament recently but there is a good reason he heads this list.Tiger won The Open the last time it was held at Hoylake in 2006 and he won it in some style,finishing 18 strokes under par over the 4 rounds. Tiger's power and precision make him dangerous on a course like Hoylake.The 2-iron stinger will come into play off many of the par 4 tees and the power he has will enable him to find fairways with a long iron while others will be looking to control a driver or a 3-wood,that gives him a great advantage.I have always insisted that Tiger will add to his major haul and I will stick to that claim,he is a winner and has an unrivalled mental toughness which when coupled with his experience on this course and the impressive pace he set 8 years ago makes for a compelling argument for the legendary American.

Of course there are other big hitters in the game besides Tiger Woods.Bubba Watson is not an obvious choice for an Open contender despite his 2 major wins but with his big hitting and short game creativity,could well go close if he optimises his power with conservative plays off the tee.Dustin Johnson is a name that is often thrown around in the Majors and I think he too could well be in with a shout come Sunday if he manages to retain a degree of control in his rhythm and tempo and plays within himself,there is no need for him to go flat out on this course with the power he has at his disposal. Rory Mcilroy is always a contender in the majors and he will fancy his chances,the course will suit his game and he will look at the past winning score and think this could be his week.The -18 total last time out suggests that this will be less of a Carnoustie style scrap for survival and more of a test of conversion of solid tee to green play and short game mastery.

I've looked at the big hitters but that's not to rule out the tidier,less powerful players such as Brandt Snedeker and Luke Donald who could contend if their short games fire and the putter works some magic.
The form players of the moment are Justin Rose and Martin Kaymer,Rose looked in control of his game at the Scottish Open and Kaymer's performance at the US Open was as impressive as it was clinical in it's execution. Phil Mickelson will not give up his title without a fight,he won over the crowds last time out and will enjoy great support this week too.Phil's masterful wedge play,classy putting and free flowing rhythm give him assets that make him a danger at Hoylake.

Outsiders to consider could be Lee Westwood who has proven pedigree in The Open,Jim Furyk a tidy proven major winner and Henrik Stenson who is a big power player.

The winner will reveal himself on Sunday and whoever it is, this will be a cracking Open.Roll on Thursday.

Mikkel Kessler v Carl Froch. Who has the edge?

The time has come for the Froch versus Kessler super-middleweight rematch. Kessler was given the victory the last time these 2 warriors stepped in the ring but who ill have the edge this time?I personally thought that the last fight was very close to call and there was very little between the 2 fighters.On this occasion Froch is the bookies' favourite having recently dispatched Lucien Bute and Yusuf Mack. Both fighters have an aggressive style and both will come to fight,Kessler recently took a discreet swipe at Andre Ward by suggesting his style is less than forthcoming,he will find no such problem with Froch who is not afraid to take a shot and is not one to shy away from a toe to toe scrap. I am going to go against the bookies and go for Kessler in this one,both fighters have a great work rate and have solid chins so it could well be a classic. Froch has home advantage and has reason to be the aggressor seeing as he is trying to avenge a defeat.Both fighters want another shot at Andre ward,the likelihood is only the winner of Saturday's contest will be considered as a future opponent of the 2004 Olympic gold medallist so a lot is at stake. I don't think it will be a short fight,a decision on points looks likely or at the very least a late stoppage as there is nothing to choose between these 2 and neither is likely to give up without a fight.

Is Tiger Woods Finally Back to his Best?

After Tiger woods' impressive win at Jack Nicklaus' Memorial tournament last week many people are wondering if the Tiger is back to his best. Well the obvious answer is that he still has a long way to go to prove he is the unstoppable force he once was but he has certainly proved that there is life in the 'old' dog yet! The victory meant that the 36 year-old has now matched Nicklaus' record of 73 PGA titles,a good ten years earlier than Jack achieved the feat.

I would say that Tiger has proved that he may well have put his personal problems behind him and now has returned to a mindset where he can focus solely on golf and winning tournaments.I have said before that people who have written Woods off are misguided and I stand by the claim that when in good shape mentally,he is arguably the most driven,ruthless and clinical sportsmen of all time.How can you write of a man 4 years shy of 40 who has racked up Major titles at will over the last 15 or so years?

It is good to see Tiger back to something like his best and it will be interesting how he performs in the next few majors,if he finds the groove I dare anyone to count him out.

Vitali Klitschko vs Adamek-Fight Analysis

Vitali won this fight by dictating the fight with his jab,end of story.Adamek fought bravely but was simply too small to pose any serious threat to the 40 year old legend, who is looking unbeatable at this stage of his career.Adamek showed encouraging signs in the fifth round but Vitali was able to weather this brief storm and come back with some telling jabs which left Adamek with nowhere to run.Unlike David Haye vs Wladimir Klitschko,this was a proper fight.Both fighters brought their best punches to the table and eventually the tall ukranian came out on top in the tenth round.

By the end of the fight,Adamek was a bloody mess after three resounding shpts hit home leaving the challenger dazed,bewildered and ultimately besaten.A good fight,very entertaining,now we look forward to Ortiz vs Mayweather on the 17th!

BOXING Tyson Fury vs Dereck Chisora : Channel 5 Does the Business

Yesterday the British public were treated to a boxing highlight, when the eagerly anticipated Fury vs Chisora fight was aired on channel 5 and I am happy to say it did not disappoint. Both fighters showed great spirit and contributed to a spectacular night at Wembley Arena. Eventually the reach advantage and superior stamina of Fury proved too much for Chisora who fought his corner but failed to offer enough punches to justify a win on points.

On several occasions Chisora landed telling left hands and few will forget his spirited barrage of blows in the tenth round, where he 'went for broke' and looked to land a killer knock-out blow with a barbaric flurry of hooks and overhand punches. Tyson Fury fought a good, if not technically sound fight,using the jab effectively and switching to southpaw stance where necessary to unsettle his shorter opponent. The reach advantage of 8 inches enjoyed by Fury allowed him to pick his shots and wait for his foe to try and attack him from inside. Fury is now talking about the Klitschko brothers but I think he has to have a few more high profile fights before facing the kings of this division, Chisora is far from finished and has much to offer still,he may look to come into his next fight in better condition than he did last night. We will see more of the new British Champion, he has  a positive outlook,an ideal  stature for a heavyweight and a charm which will keep fans interested if not in awe of his anecdotes and self promotion. I hate to admit it but I am a Fury fan after the events of last night and I hope people in the UK will get behind him. With a few more fights,more work in the gym and some good advice from experienced trainers and management Fury could do very well to say the least,he was the raw ingredients required to go far in a relatively weak division. The 'showboating' and posturing will have to stop but the solid chin he showed ought to stand up against a host of the leading lights at this weight class. I have to also mention the robust chin of Chisora who took some lusty blows but never really looked like hitting the canvas.

The Channel 5 coverage was 'amateurish' to say the least,the build up was lame and spent more time selling the Khan v Judah fight on pay per view than giving viewers a background to the featured fight but overall how could I complain? British boxing back on the box and a great night of entertainment for any sporting fan.Well done Tyson,well done channel 5.

Brett Favre Quote

'Just, you never know what the next day is going to bring. That goes for football,that goes for off the field and I gave up a long time ago trying to predict the future and trying to deal with things I couldn't deal with.'







'

Should Football Teams Hang on to 'Wantaway' Players

A number of Premiership Clubs have had to deal with 'wantaway' stars over the years. Recently we have heard stories about Tevez, Modric,Nasri and Fabregas apparently wishing to leave their respective clubs. Clubs have to consider three things when deciding whether they should let a player go:

1) How long does the player have to run on their contract?
2) Is the player pivotal to future success?
3) Can the player be replaced for a reasonable price?

The first question is relevant as it could affect the financial situation at the club. If a player has less than a year to run on their contract, a Chairman would be stupid not to accept a good offer for the player. Waiting twelve months would allow the player to leave for free on the Bosman ruling,an event that would leave the club with no funds for a player they could have offloaded for a handsome fee twelve months earlier. The second question is clearly valid and the third question is probably the most important factor.

In the case of Samir Nasri Arsenal would be mad not to sell. £25million has been touted as an achievable price, a huge fee for a player who can be replaced and only has 12months to run on his contract. The Carlos Tevez saga is obvious too. Manchester City should offload him for offers over or equal to £35million. The reasoning is clear, Tevez is a great player but they have infinite funds to replace him. Why keep such a troublesome player, he is hugely talented and was their best player last season, but break the bank to buy Kaka, Sneijder or even Benzema and he would barely be missed. Tevez has moaned about Manchester weather, the food, everything, he is hardly likely to give his all to the Manchester City cause with this attitude.

Luka Modric must be made to stay at White Hart Lane. Modric was Tottenham's best player last year, Sir Alex Ferguson said he was possibly the best player in the League last year. The Croatian would be near impossible to replace with the budget at Harry Redknapp's disposal. Levy is justified in saying he would allow Modric to,'rot in the stands' if he chooses not to give his best for Spurs in light of his desire to move.

Cesc Fabregas must be sold. It is not good to have a player as club captain who has voiced his desire to leave for over a year! Barcelona are offering top dollar and with Real Madrid showing interest,Arsenal should realise upwards of £35million for the talented Spaniard.

Overall Football teams should realise that they are in control when a player is under contract to them. No player is bigger than any club to quote a cliché, a cliché that should ring loud around Stadiums across England and the world.

Floyd Mayweather Quote

'To be honest with you, I normally beat guys with my C game and I don't normally have to bring my A or B game out.'

Golf: The Open Championship Contenders 2011

The Open at Royal St.George's kicks off next week and the stage is set for someone to seize the claret jug and cement their name in golfing history. I believe Lee Westwood is well placed to break his Major winning duck. The level headed Englishman is a majestic iron player and has the experience to finally land one of golf's big 4 titles. A sizzling 65 in the first round at The Scottish Open shows he is in the mood to go well in golf's oldest major.The winner is likely to be someone with a reputation for straight driving and impressive greens in regulation statistics. The importance of long, straight driving is emphasised more than usual by the quirky layout of the course.

Luke Donald is an obvious contender,with his long game precision, as is USPGA champion, Martin Kaymer. Rory Mcilroy is the favourite and is priced as short as 5/1 chance with the bookmakers. The 2011 US Open victory along with 3 strong rounds at Augusta illustrate that he is a threat, I just wonder whether the newly formed pressure of last month's performance will hinder his concentration and mental approach.

2010 US Open Champion Graeme Mcdowell has the ability to beat strong winds with low trajectory shot-making where necessary and a stunning 2nd round at The Scottish Open show that he is finding the groove at just the right time.

Charl Schwartzel will still be enjoying the confidence boost of his Masters win and has the length,shot shaping ability and accuracy off the tee to be a contender.

When considering outside shots for the Championship, Bubba Watson springs to mind. If the big American can avoid hitting too many errant tee shots, he can overpower this course if he gets things going on the greens.  Matteo Mannasero and Anthony Kim will win majors one day. These two young stars have the power and accuracy to make them a threat at any tournament.

Padraig Harrington must be considered with his 3 major wins and who would write off Ernie Els? The experience, swing consistency and wind control shot-making of the South African could surprise many by going close next week.

Royal St. Georges has a habit of producing surprise winners. Could Phil Mickelson finally capture a British Open crown? I would be surprised if the big hitting left hander lifts the Claret Jug next Sunday but with his Major winning pedigree and amazing short game, who knows?