Competition: Premier League
Market: Liverpool to finish outside of the top-four
Odds:
With Liverpool set to lose their influential striker Luis Suarez potentially to Barcelona this summer, while the Merseyside club will be in a very demanding Champions League campaign that can often play havoc with league form in 2014/15, it could be a very disappointing Premier League season for the Reds.
They finished runners-up last season to Manchester City, which has earned them their first Champions League campaign for a number of years. The extra fixtures in midweek can cause fatigue ahead of the typical weekend league games, which in turn will affect results if Liverpool don’t have strength in depth.
Their top scorer last season Luis Suarez scored 31 league…
Spain are Euro 2024 champions.
La Roja got the job done on Sunday in Berlin, with Mikel Oyarzabal s late effort seeing off England in a 2-1 victory.
But with the tournament now done and dusted, which teams and players really stood out and, conversely, which ones disappointed?
Here, with the help of Opta data, we take a look.
THE TOPS
Spain
An obvious one, but where else to start but with the champions? La Roja crashed out of the 2022 World Cup, losing to Morocco on penalties, but what Luis de la Fuente has done since replacing Luis Enrique is outstanding.
While Luis Enrique had a possession obsession. De la Fuente has added a direct aspect to that possession-based build-up. Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal (more on him to come) were …
American billionaire Shahid Khan withdrew his offer to buy Wembley Stadium from the Football Association on this day in 2018.
The proposed deal was worth £900million and the FA was planning to spend the money on transforming grassroots facilities across the country over the next 20 years but the idea of selling the stadium, which cost £757million to build, proved to be controversial with many in the game.
The owner of Fulham and NFL side the Jacksonville Jaguars felt his offer to buy Wembley proved more divisive than initially anticipated and decided to pull out.
In a statement, FA chief executive Martin Glenn said: “Shahid Khan has informed us today that he will be withdrawing his offer to buy the stadium – and we fully respect his decision.
“At …
At this point, I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. Another week, another shitty NFL survivor pool selection. At least when it comes to my “savvy” picks.
My “safe” NFL survivor pool selections are still going strong, which makes me think the best survivor pool strategy maybe be a classic coaching cliché: Keep it simple, stupid – better known as the KISS method – and let everyone else out-think their way out of the contest.
We kissed our Circa Sports Survivor Pool entry and a shot at a cool $6 million goodbye weeks ago, but since no one has asked me to stop (for the love of God, please stop!) writing this weekly piece, I serve up my Week 5 survivor pool picks.
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The NFL preseason doesn’t start until the Hall of Fame Game on August 4. What’s a football bettor to do until then?
Our latest NFL betting notebook puts a Hollywood spin on handicapping the upcoming season. Get your popcorn ready…
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Much has been made of the Kansas City Chiefs’ banged-up and battered wide receiver room heading into Super Bowl 57. But after two weeks off, things may be looking up for the Chiefs in that department.
Kadarius Toney will suit up tonight despite suffering an ankle injury in the AFC Championship Game. He has not lived up to his potential at this early stage in his NFL career, but Toney is a lightning rod on the field with next-level speed. He could be an under-the-radar game-changer for the Chiefs, who are currently underdogs on the Super Bowl odds board.
His inconsistent play to this point could provide us some value with one of his Super Bowl player props this evening. Check out my Super Bowl predictions for Toney below.
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Week 7’s contest between the Las Vegas Raiders and Chicago Bears was going to be hard to swallow for even the most dedicated football fan.
When you subtract both starting quarterbacks — which is likely the case on Sunday — this non-conference clash is about as appetizing as that plate of leftover spaghetti that got lost at the back of the fridge.
Luckily, we can coat that unpalatable pasta with the zesty spice of NFL betting.
The NFL odds for this game have visiting Vegas as a field-goal favorite, with QB Jimmy Garoppolo sidelined and the drop-off between the starter and his backups not as steep as Chicago’s situation.
Bears QB Justin Fields is doubtful, taking away their biggest weapon and leaving the offense under the co…
Who had plans to watch an NFL playoff game in Houston this year?
Anyone…?
I’m sure the Houston Texans are as surprised as the rest of us that they’re hosting the Cleveland Browns in the AFC Wild Card Round later today.
After a topsy-turvy Week 18, the Texans earned the AFC South title and the home postseason game that goes along with it. Their Super Bowl odds sit at +3,500, and oddsmakers are giving the nod to the visitor in this game, setting Cleveland as a 2.5-point favorite in the Wild Card odds.
I break down the NFL odds for this afternoon’s 4:30 p.m. ET kickoff and give my best NFL picks and predictions for Browns at Texans on Saturday, January 13.
Be sure to check out our Browns vs. Texans props an…
The New York Giants bring an 0-2 record to Huntington Bank Field when they take on the Cleveland Browns this Sunday.
Meanwhile, the Browns will look to make it two wins in a row, and my Giants vs. Browns predictions are calling for Cleveland’s lead tailback to stuff the stat sheet.
Find out more in my NFL picks for September 22.
Giants vs Browns prediction
My best betJerome Ford Over 49.5 rushing yards (-111 at BetMGM)
My analysis
The New York Giants have surrendered a healthy 5.81 yards per carry to opposing running backs through two games, and the Cleveland Browns backfield is down to Jerome Ford and D’Onta Foreman, with Pierre Strong already ruled out of Sunday’s game with a hamstring injury…
Jack Charlton was to the Republic of Ireland what Pelé was to Brazil. He defined the national team to the world, establishing a style against which all of the country’s sides since have been measured, for better or worse. Charlton, Ireland’s first foreign manager, even helped to alter society.
The beauty of a game depends on the beholder. For nearly 10 years Charlton’s Ireland were hard to watch and harrowing to play against, yet they gave unprecedented joy to millions. He was fortunate that during his reign Ireland had some of the greatest players in their history but it took an exceptional leader to rally them. The manager, a surprising appointment, brought a charisma and a clarity of vision that had been missing.
Jack Charlton, …