Friday 30 January
Hi Everyone, Ed Chamberlin here on Friday 30th January looking ahead to yet another cracking weekend of sport and let's hope it's a profitable one for all those punting on the Daq.
Well, let's start with the weekend's s big Premiership clash and Liverpool host Chelsea at Anfield on Saturday and are hot favourites with Betdaq to emerge with all three points.
Interestingly, Rafa Benitez lost almost 60% of his first 25 games against the Big Four as Liverpool boss, but they are now unbeaten in eightagainst them across all competitions. Phil Scolari on the other hand has only picked up one point from a possible 12 in his four Big Four games.
Chelsea had an excellent record against the top sides in their two title winning seasons (W9-D2-L1 in the league), butthings have rapidly deteriorated since the Mourinho glory days. They have failed to win any of their last nine at the Big Four across all competitions, drawing four and losing five, including all of their last three in the league. The only glimmer of hope for Chelsea fans is that since Abramovich took over, they have never gone four league games without a win on the road(currently winless in three away games).
The key feature from games between these two over the years has been the strength of the defences. This is the 21st competitive game (not including the Charity Shield) between the sides since Benitez became manager and just two have seen more than two goals, with 11 out of 20 producing one or none. Therefore, I'm keen to snap up some of the 1.65 available on the Daq about there being under 2.5 goals in Sunday's fixture.
Elsewhere in the Premiership, I fancy under 2.5 goals at Old Trafford on Saturday night when Everton visit and the 1.8 should not be missed. For all you layers out there, Spurs look pretty dodgy favourites at Bolton and their dreadful away form and record at the Reebok cannot be ignored.
It's the SuperBowl on Sunday night and I'm half tempted to side with the Cardinals with a 7 point handicap start on the Daq as only one of the last nine teams to start the Super Bowl as 7 or more point favourites has gone on to cover the handicap. Yet I think I’ll wait for an in-play trade as I’ve been worried for a few weeks now that the wheels are about to come off the Arizona bandwagon. That all important first score will dictate the flow of the game and amazingly, 71% of teams scoring the first touchdown have gone on to lift the Super Bowl. Larry Fitzgerald has been the sensation of the post season with an incredible haul of five touchdowns and 23 receptions. At 6ft 3in and 220lbs, the Cardinals wide receiver is more than a handful and Kurt Warner quite literally only had eyes for him against Philadelphia a fortnight ago. I can see no reason why the combination won’t look to hook up again on virtually every scoring play on Sunday night and reckon the 7.0 available about Fitzgerald scoring the first touchdown of the game just has to be taken. Warner elected to throw to his number 11 rather than let Edgerrin James run the football even when deep in goal against Philly and Pittsburgh’s awesome rush defence may force him to do the same again.
Finally, I'll be hoping that my old pal AP McCoy can boot home his 3000th winner at Sandown tomorrow. He's got some cracking looking rides and deserves every success he gets. He really is one of the true greats. Good luck everyone and have a cracking weekend.
Ed
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