Gooners Guide to Gambling

NFL : Super Bowl XLVI : Tom Brady Props Popular

2012-01-31T23:00:00.000+01:00

The New England Patriots set out to exact revenge on the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLVI to be played at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.

There is recent history between the two sides as the New England Patriots were huge favourites when the Pats faced the Giants in 2008 in SuperBowl XLII, going in with an 18-0 season record and seeking to emulate the perfect season of the 1972 Miami Dolphins.

But the previously unbeaten Patriots fell to a surprise 14-17 defeat at the hands of the pumped up NY Giants - a result that Sports Illustrated called "one of the greatest upsets in sports history."

That was a bit much - after all in 2008 the New York Giants were 13-6 coming into the SuperBowl and despite being WildCard qualifiers were clearly a form team themselves - but the public and the bookmakers all bought into the hype of the unbeatable Pats and had the Giants as 12 point underdogs.

It simply goes to show that the NFL is a very competitive league, and that when it comes to a SuperBowl anything is possible on game day.

Super Bowl XLVI: Claim Your $100 Free Bet! Join Bovada Now.

This time New England is being touted as the early -3 point favorite on the NFL betting line at Bovada, a victory in the season finale is far from guaranteed - all despite their AFC East-leading 13-3 mark. In fact, one of New England’s three losses came at the hands of these very Giants.

Player "prop" betting is proving popular again this year with New Englands star QB Tom Brady getting a lot of early focus from punters.

Brady throws well, and Brady earns a lot of yardage, even in that loss to the Giants Brady threw for over 340 yards, but a pair of interceptions proved fatal. Bovada Sportsbook have set the over/under on Brady’s passing yardage for Super Bowl XLVI at 320.5. Does the 34-year-old have enough in the tank to show up big when it matters most yet again?

The NFL prop for Brady’s passing interceptions is set at 0.5, with the majority of bettors expecting the Giants to get at least one "pick" and taking the over.

Bovada’s prop line also features the MVP award, with both Rob Gronkowski and Wes Welker poised to factor in to the match. Currently Brady leads the MVP props list as well with +140 odds of winning the award. Gronkowski and Welker sit further down at +1000 and +15000.

With all eyes on the Pats as they set out to accomplish this Sunday what they failed to do in 2008, Super Bowl XLVI is shaping up to be one of the best.

Super Bowl XLVI : It’s All On The Line at Bovada

Football : Midweek spreadsheet for England and Italy online now

2012-01-31T00:55:00.000+01:00

The Gooners Numb3rs betting spreadsheet has been updated with the midweek round of games for the English Premier League and Italian Serie A being played on Tuesday, Wedneday and Thursday.

There are some interesting games in store with Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal all having tricky away games to manage in England, while in Italy we see Lazio hosting AC Milan and Parma playing Juventus.

In England the spreadsheet sees wins for : TOTTENHAM v Wigan, MANCHESTER CITY @ Everton, MANCHESTER UNITED v Stoke and ARSENAL @ Bolton.

In Italy the home sides hold the advantage with ATALANTA v Genoa, INTER MILAN v Palermo, NAPOLI v Cesena and UDINESE v Lecce all games that the home side should win.

Check out the midweek betting spreadsheet now.

mFortune Poker for mobile phones - FREE £5 to try it - keep what you win

2012-01-30T23:33:00.002+01:00

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(Note for US readers :
Sorry but you cannot take part in this promotion - don't blame me - blame the US Government)

Tennis : Novak Djokovic beats Rafael Nadal in longest Australian Open final

2012-01-30T01:36:00.000+01:00

Novak Djokovic beat Rafael Nadal in five sets to retain his Australian Open title in the longest grand slam final of all time - almost six hours of play.

The Serbian won an epic match 5-7 6-4 6-2 6-7(5/7) 7-5 in five hours and 53 minutes, beating the previous record of four hours and 54 minutes set by Ivan Lendl and Mats Wilander at the 1988 US Open.

The win means that Djokovic has now won the last three grand slam titles following his victories at Wimbledon and the US Open last year.

You can read all the news at the official Australian Open website.

AC Milan end chase for Carlos Tevez - loan Maxi Lopez instead

2012-01-27T23:49:00.000+01:00

AC Milan have have dropped out of the running to sign Argentina striker Carlos Tevez from Manchester City.

The Italian club, who set a 1800 GMT Friday deadline to secure a deal, have instead signed Maxi Lopez from Catania on loan.

Tevez has not played for City since they beat Birmingham on 21 September. Man City boss Roberto Mancini alleged he refused to come off the substitutes' bench in September's Champions League defeat at Bayern Munich, while the player maintained there had been a misunderstanding.

Tevez remains sulking in Argentina and his dispute with Manchester City has so far cost the Argentine player £9.3m in wages, fines and lost bonuses. His advisor Kia Joorabchian does not expect any change until the next transfer window in June.

EPL : Manchester City beat Spurs 3-2, Man United beat Arsenal 2-1

2012-01-23T01:19:00.001+01:00

Mario Balotelli's stoppage-time penalty lifted Premier League leaders Manchester City to a dramatic 3-2 win over Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United remained snapping at their heels with a 2-1 victory at Arsenal.

MANCHESTER CITY 3-2 TOTTENHAM
Manchester City's 100 percent home record seemed about to end after third-placed Tottenham recovered from a two-goal deficit in a mad nine-minute spell midway through the second half in which goals from Spurs' Jermain Defoe and Gareth Bale cancelled out early efforts by City's Samir Nasri and Joleon Lescott.

However, after Defoe missed a chance to claim a remarkable Tottenham victory in stoppage time Balotelli struck from the penalty spot after being brought down by Ledley King.

ARSENAL 1-2 MANCHESTER UNITED
Meanwhile Manchester United also claimed a late win after they went ahead a minute into first-half stoppage time when the evergreen Ryan Giggs delivered a perfect cross for Valencia to head powerfully into the net.

Arsenal were livelier after the restart and Van Persie equalised when teenager Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's clever angled pass found the Dutchman who fired a low shot in off the far post.

But United claimed an important victory when Valencia dribbled into the area before cutting a pass back for Welbeck to seal the points for the visitors.

MANCHESTER CITY AND MANCHESTER UNITED ON TOP
The results leave the two Manchester clubs in pole position to fight for the title with London sides Spurs, Chelsea and Arsenal trailing in 3th to 5th place.

Premier League Table - Top Five

22 Jan 2012

Position	Team	P	GD	Pts
1	Man City	22	42	54
2	Man Utd	22	33	51
3	Tottenham	22	17	46
4	Chelsea	22	15	41
5	Arsenal	22	6	36

NFL : New England Patriots reach Superbowl - beat Ravens 23-20

2012-01-23T00:43:00.000+01:00

The New England Patriots beat the stunned Baltimore Ravens 23-20 in the AFC championship game Sunday after Baltimore's Billy Cundiff missed a 32-yard field goal attempt with 11 seconds remaining that would have tied the score.

New England QB Tom Brady scored the winning touchdown midway through the 4th quarter when he made a 1-yard dive over the top of the scrimmage on a 4th and goal play.

This is the Patriots fifth AFC championship in 11 seasons.

VIDEO LINK :
You can see all the video highlights of the Patriots 23-20 win over the Ravens at NFL.com now.

Africa Cup of Nations : Paddy Power Money Back Special

2012-01-20T23:00:00.001+01:00

African Cup of Nations
Group Stages: Jan 21 - Feb 1st
(shown live on Eurosport)

With the Ivory Coast and Ghana having outstanding players there is a quite of bit of interest in this tournament now but the group stage games are always cagey affairs and it's good to have a bit of betting insurance on your side when taking a bet.

If any group stage match ends 0-0, then Paddy Power will refund all losing 1st /last goalscorer, correct score & scorecast singles on that match.

Sign up with PADDY POWER today and and you can get your hands on £/€50 worth of FREE bets

Betting Spreadsheet : Weekend Games for January 20-23rd online now

2012-01-20T00:16:00.003+01:00

The "Gooners Numb3rs" Football Betting Spreadsheet has been updated for club football games in England, Italy, Spain and Germany for January 20th to 23rd.

The spreadsheet is broadly based on a modification of an ELO ranking system - similar to those used to ranked players in both chess and backgammon - and has been storing data on the top divisions in Europe for 12 seasons.

These ratings are then compared against the databases for similar games in the same competition and the results are displayed as potential percentage chances for a Home Win (HW), a draw (D), or an Away Win (AW).

Clicking on the "MORE" link for each match will then give a snapshot of each teams recent form, and previous head-to-head results, as well as a brief textual explanation of any betting angle.

The sheet is forecasting wins for LIVERPOOL at Bolton, MAN CITY v Tottenham, AC MILAN at Novara, PALERMO v Genoa, UDINESE v Catania, DORTMUND at Hamburg, BARCELONA at Malaga, LEVANTE v Zaragoza and REAL MADRID v Bilbao.

It also calculates that Manchester United are the better value on their trip to Arsenal (unfortunately for me as a Gooner) and there are a couple of potential value draw bets in Real Sociedad v Atletico Madrid, and Villarreal v Gijon

Take a look at my "Gooners Numb3rs" Football Betting Spreadsheet and let me know what you think!
:-)

Spanish Cup Result : Real Madrid 1-2 Barcelona

2012-01-19T03:41:00.004+01:00

Barcelona fought back from conceding an early goal to beat Real Madrid 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu in the first leg of a Copa del Rey fixture.

Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring in the 11th minute for Real Madrid, when he dinked his way past Gerard Pique with his trademark step-over, before hitting a left-footed strike through the legs of Barca goalkeeper Jose Pinto.
(link to video of Cristiano Ronaldo's opening goal against Barcelona)

But despite going into the half-time 1-0 down, Barcelona had the best of the first half, and Andres Iniesta squandered a decent chance inside the box that could have tied the game up.

Barcelona did equalise shortly after halftime when a Xavi corner kick was dropped deep into the box and Carlos Puyol came storming in to power home a diving header to make it 1-1.
(link to video coverage of Carlos Puyol's goal)

Both sides were unlucky not to take the lead in the next 10 minutes, with Andres Iniesta and Karim Benzema both striking the woodwork.

Barcelona's patient passing paid off in the 76th minute when Lionel Messi clipped a pass over the Madrid defence for Abidal to control the ball down on his chest before stabbing past Casillas for the match winner.
(link to video coverage of Adibal's winning goal)

The second leg of this Cup tie takes place at Barcelona's Nou Camp stadium next Wednesday (January 25th 2012).

NFL Playoffs : New England Patriots now favourites to win Superbowl

2012-01-16T22:00:00.003+01:00

The New England Patriots are the new favourites for the Super Bowl after long-standing favourites Green Bay were beaten 37-20 by the New York Giants on Sunday.

Green Bay had been favourites since early in the season but now the Pats have taken over at the head of the market - they thrashed Denver 45-10 on Saturday.

SUPERBOWL TITLE WINNING LINES :

+125 New England Patriots
+300 New York Giants
+300 San Francisco 49ers
+600 Baltimore Ravens.
(all betting lines taken from BOVADA SPORTSBOOK)

The AFC Championship game will see the New England Patriots host Baltimore Ravens in the AFC conference championship game next Sunday and New England are 7½ point favourites.

LATEST LINES at BOOKMAKER.EU :::
NEW ENGLAND (-7½) -110 vs BALTIMORE (+7½) -110

The NFC Championship will see the New York Giants travel to the San Francisco 49ers, who edged to a 36-32 win over New Orleans in their weekend play-off. The 49ers are -2½ point faves.

LATEST LINES at BOOKMAKER.EU :::
SAN FRANCISCO (-2½) -110 vs NEW YORK GIANTS (+2½) -110

NFL Playoff : Can San Francisco beat New Orleans on Saturday? Yes.

2012-01-13T01:42:00.006+01:00

OK - I'll say it here - I like the odds on the San Francisco 49ers to beat New Orleans Saints in the first NFL Divisional Palyyof game on Saturday.

I run an NFL rating spreadsheet and I have SF as favourites with home advantage - the Saints are not so good on the road ... 9-0 at home / 5-3 on the road - and so the price of +170 (decimal 2.70 for European punters) is too good to turn down.

Don't get me wrong - overall the spreadsheet rates New Orleans and has the Saints rated as #4 NFL team overall and a better side than San Francisco (ranked #7) both home and away - if you ignore the home advantage.

But this is a one-off playoff game where San Francisco DO have the home advantage - and the transition from playing in an indoor dome / turf surface to playing outdoors and on grass is a significant change.

SAN FRANCISCO AT HOME ARE WINNERS
San Francisco went 7-1 at home during the regular season (an early 3 point loss to Dallas Cowboys ruined their home record) and had winning margins of 16, 45, 10, 7, 16, 26 and 17. The 49ers score 221 points at 27 per game, points conceded 87 at just 11 per game.

NEW ORLEANS ARE BEATABLE AWAY FROM THE DOME
The Saints have been unbeatable at home this season, 9-0 and scoring 41 points per game, conceding 19. But that's over now and on the road, New Orleans lost 3 games at Green Bay, at Tampa Bay and St Louis (WTF?) ... and scored only 27 points per game (14 less).

HEAD TO HEAD - SAINTS RULE OK?
Looking at recent clashes between these two sides it's easy to see why New Orleans are public favourites, they've played four times in the last five years - twice in San Fran, and twice in New Orleans, and the Saints have won all four games.

But the last game was just a 25-22 win for New Orleans in 2010, a result that was predicted by the spreadsheet that had the Saints as 3-point favourites.

SOME SELECTED RESULTS FROM THIS SEASON
I mentioned that New Orleans lost to Tampa Bay (20-26) and St Louis (21-31) earlier, well by a coincidence San Francisco faced both of those two sides at Candlestick Park and had big wins - beating both Tampa Bay 48-3 and St Louis 26-0 - just underlining how well the 49ers are playing.

THE BETTING VERDICT :
I see the Saints struggling to connect with their passing game here, and the ML odds of -190 for New Orleans and +170 for San Francisco mean there is only ONE value play ... and it's not betting on the public favourite.

I reckon that SF are at least a 50-50 chance in this matchup so my bet is :
Take SAN FRANCISCO on the MONEYLINE

Best Betting Odds in Europe/UK ::: 2.71 at PinnacleSports :: 2.70 at Bet365
Best US Betting Lines ::: +170 at BetOnline, +170 at JustBet, +165 at Bookmaker.eu

NBA Odds : Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls Battle on Friday night

2012-01-12T01:33:00.000+01:00

The Chicago Bulls will line up against the Boston Celtics this Friday at the TD Garden in Boston in the first game of a season series between the two Eastern Conference contenders.

Though usually linked by a mutual hatred of Miami, each are well aware that early season wins like this one could lead to home-court advantage down the stretch.

The January meeting between the Bulls (9-2) and Celtics (4-4) will be the first of four on the season, giving basketball fans plenty of opportunities to see the classic Eastern Conference franchises at work before season’s end.

It didn’t take long for Derrick Rose and the Bulls to hit their stride this season as they’ve burst out in front of the Central Division, taking advantage of a schedule that's had Chicago playing more games.

But the Celtics aren’t about to just sit back and watch youth take over the NBA. Currently caught up in a messy Atlantic Division, the C’s will need to turn to Rajon Rondo if they hope to keep up.

It’s no secret that Boston’s title winning window is closing, but a more pressing question to NBA odds makers is ‘How fast?”

Was Chicago’s rise to the conference championship series last spring a fluke? Are Boston’s days of contending for the title over? Answer these question on Bovada’s NBA betting line and cash in.

MY PICK :
Personally, I think that the Bulls are good enough to win in Boston - and a margin of 4-6 points feels about right. Chicago Bulls to win 98-92

It’s a short NBA season. Play Harder. Play at Bovada

EPL : Spurs go joint second with 2-0 win over Everton

2012-01-11T23:23:00.000+01:00

Tottenham moved level on points with second-placed Manchester United, just three behind leaders Manchester City, after comfortably beating Everton 2-0 at White Hart Lane.

Tottenham opened the scoring when Aaron Lennon cut in from the left to slot in after 35 minutes and doubled the lead in the second half when Assou-Ekotto received the ball and smashed a shot into the corner from 30 yards.

Spurs started the season badly with a 1-5 home loss to Manchester City, and a 0-3 drubbing by Manchester United at old Trafford in the first two games, but since then have bounced back to win 14 of the next 18 English Premier League games and give themselves a shout of a first league title in 50 years.

English Premier League - Top Six Standings

Wednesday, 11 January 2012

Position	Team	P	GD	PTS

1	Man City	20	40	48
2	Man Utd	20	29	45
3	Tottenham	20	18	45
4	Chelsea	20	14	37
5	Arsenal	20	8	36
6	Liverpool	20	6	34

FA Cup : Thierry Henry scores winner as Arsenal beat Leeds 1-0

2012-01-10T00:36:00.002+01:00

Thierry Henry made the perfect return to Arsenal when he emerged as a substitute to score the only goal of the game in a 1-0 victory over Leeds United in the FA Cup third-round.

Henry scored his 227th goal for the club with 12 minutes remaining amid emotional scenes at the Emirates.

The 34-year-old - back at the London club on a two-month loan from New York Red Bulls - had only been on 10 minutes when the magical moment arrived.

Henry took a pass from Alex Song in his stride in the area before steering a composed, angled, right-footed finished tantalisingly out of the reach of Leeds United keeper Andy Lonergan.

It finally broke the stubborn resistance of Leeds and was the signal for an outpouring of emotion as Henry pumped his chest in celebration after racing to hug his mentor Arsene Wenger on the touchline.

UPDATE :
Match highlights video clips and player interviews from this game should be online now on our Arsenal football videos page.

NFL : Denver Broncos beat Pittsburgh 29-23 with OT 80 yard strike

2012-01-09T03:38:00.001+01:00

The Denver Broncos scored on an 80 yard TD pass in the first play in overtime to eliminate the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday night.

Denver QB tim Tebow came alive in the 2nd quarter with 17 points in just 6 minutes to give the Broncos a 20-6 HT lead, but Pittsburgh fought their way back to tie the game 23-23 late in the 4th.

Tebow connected with Demaryius Thomas with a short pass on his own 20 yard line with the first play of overtime and Thomas then scampered 80 yards to the endzone to win.

The play took 11 seconds and was the quickest ending to an overtime in NFL history.

The Broncos (9-8) are heading to New England for a second-round game against the top-seeded Patriots on Saturday night.

NFL : New York Giants flatten Atlanta Falcons 24-2 to win wildcard playoff

2012-01-09T03:14:00.001+01:00

The New York Giants recovered from a slow start to flatten the Atlanta Falcons 24-2 and earn their first play-off win at home since 2000.

After a scoreless first quarter, the Falcons actually took a 2-0 lead in the wild-card encounter when Manning, under pressure from James Sanders, was penalised for intentional grounding, resulting in a safety.

However, that proved to be the only points Atlanta would put up, meaning for the second season in a row they fail to win a play-off game.

Eli Manning threw three touchdown passes as the Giants set up a showdown with the Green Bay Packers, a team that beat them 38-35 during the regular season, in the next round of the post season.

FA CUP : 4th Round Draw - Liverpool to host Manchester United

2012-01-08T21:46:00.001+01:00

Manchester United beat Manchester City 3-2 in Sunday afternoon's feature 3rd round game and have earned a fourth-round trip to Anfield to face bitter rivals Liverpool.

Manchester United have won the FA Cup 11 times, while Liverpool have triumphed on seven occasions.

There are two other definite all-Premier League ties with West Brom hosting Norwich and Everton welcoming Fulham to Goodison Park.

There are two other potential top flight ties as Arsenal will be at home to Aston Villa if they can overcome Leeds at the Emirates Stadium on Monday night, while Bolton will take on Swansea at the Reebok Stadium if they see off Macclesfield in a replay having drawn 2-2 at Moss Rose on Saturday.

QPR will host west London neighbours Chelsea if they can overcome the MK Dons in a replay at Loftus Road.

Full 4th Round draw

Brighton or Wrexham v Newcastle
Sunderland v Middlesbrough
Dagenham or Millwall v Southampton
Hull v Crawley
MK Dons or QPR v Chelsea
West Brom v Norwich
Blackpool v Sheffield Wednesday
Arsenal or Leeds v Aston Villa
Stevenage v Notts County
Watford v Tottenham
Liverpool v Manchester United
Derby v Stoke
Everton v Fulham
Macclesfield or Bolton v Swansea
Sheffield United v Birmingham or Wolves
Nottingham Forest or Leicester v Swindon

NFL : Houston Texans and New Orleans Saints win Saturday Wildcard games

2012-01-08T10:56:00.000+01:00

The Houston Texans won on their first ever NFL play-off game, beating the Cincinnati Bengals 31-10 in Saturday's AFC wild-card game.

Rookie JJ Watt was a stand-out performer in defence, with Houston 17-10 ahead at halftime before second-half TDs from Arian Foster and Andre Johnson sending the Texans clear in the .

The victory - in front of a sell-out crowd of 71,725 at Reliant Stadium was the first post-season game in the franchise's 10-year history - and earned Houston a second-round game in Baltimore against the Ravens next Sunday.

Meanwhile, the New Orleans Saints stormed to a 45-28 NFC wild-card victory over the Detroit Lions at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

Quarterback Drew Brees threw for 466 yards and three touchdowns on 33-of-43 passing as the Saints overturned a 14-10 half-time deficit.

New Orleans will next head to San Francisco on Saturday for their divisional-round clash with the 49ers.

FA Cup – Manchester City v Manchester United Preview

2012-01-06T00:50:00.002+01:00

Back-to-back league defeats wouldn’t constitute a crisis at most ordinary clubs. But Manchester United are no ordinary club and the alarm bells are definitely ringing at Old Trafford after conceding six goals in recent games against Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United writes Paddy Power.

Wednesday’s 0-3 defeat to Newcastle United at the Sports Direct Arena (that's St James's Park to you and me) will have been of particular concern to manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who was able to recall Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand on Tyneside yet saw his side again look vulnerable at the back and hesitant in attack.

Manchester United had won their three previous games in the Premier League without conceding a goal so the transformation is puzzling, though can be partly explained by a run of injuries.

A couple of the ManYoo wounded could be fit for the coming weekend but it certainly doesn’t get any easier for the Red Devils as they renew acquaintances with arch-rivals Manchester City, who have again opened up a gap at the top of the Premier League following the busy holiday period.

Roberto Mancini’s Manchester City side didn’t have the best Christmas themselves, having been held by West Brom and then sucker-punched at Sunderland on New Year’s Day. However, they got back to winning ways against Liverpool at the Etihad on Tuesday and still have a one hundred per cent home record, averaging three goals a game in front of their own fans.

Those supporters are still celebrating Man City’s 6-1 win at Old Trafford in October and they’ll be expecting their team to confirm their superiority over their arch-rivals this weekend, though the Blues may have to cope without Yaya and Kolo Toure who are both due to fly out to the African Cup Of Nations shortly.

Manchester City, however, are hardly short of options though will have to make changes for the Manchester derby with Gareth Barry suspended. Former United midfielder Owen Hargreaves would have been a natural replacement but isn’t yet fit enough for first-team duty while Italian forward Mario Balotelli is also likely to be an absentee. Jolean Lescott could return after starting on the bench against Liverpool, however, and Adam Johnson may get a rare start.

PADDY POWER's BEST BET
Man City’s magnificent home record and United’s recent woes suggest the 11/10 for a home win is the bet in this one.

Man City to win by exactly two goals is 5/1, while United to score no first half goals is 8/15.

Remember, that if there is a red card at the Etihad, Paddy Power will refund all losing first/last goalscorer, correct score and scorecast singles on the match.

GoonersGuide now on Facebook

2012-01-05T21:31:00.000+01:00

NFL : Pittsburgh Steelers @ Denver Broncos in AFC Wild Card Battle

2012-01-03T22:29:00.003+01:00

It’s almost not fair that the Pittsburgh Steelers have to hit the road for their Wild Card weekend game with the Denver Broncos.

After all, Pittsburgh ended the season at 12-4, compared to Denver’s 8-8, but Denver won the weak AFC East division so that’s the situation the two sides find themselves in this weekend in NFL playoff action.

So how will the game at Mile High Stadium pan out?

Well - Pittsburgh defend against the pass well. No team in the NFL allowed fewer total yards or passing yards than the Steelers, which, combined with Tim Tebow’s below-average passing arm, virtually eliminates Denver’s aerial game.

But that doesn’t mean Tebow won’t rush for 100-plus yards. Tebow led his team with six rushing touchdowns – the same team that’s No. 1 in the NFL on the ground.

On the other side of the ball, Ben Roethlisberger is angling for a return to the Super Bowl, which he and the Steelers won in 2005 and 2008. Big Ben passed for 4,077 yards and 21 touchdowns this season, although his 70 rushing yards pale in comparison to Tebow’s 660.

BOVADA BETTING LINES

Pittsburgh Steelers -9 (-105)
Denver Broncos +9 (-115)

SEASON FORM

TEAM	SU	ATS	OU	OFF	DEF
Pittsburgh Steelers	12-4	7-9	6-10	20.31	14.19
Denver Broncos	8-8	7-8-1	9-7	19.31	24.38

Denver were just 3-5 at home straight-up, while Pittsburgh were 5-3 on the road. Overall, this one looks like being a low scoring game - with Pittsburgh having the edge - perhaps 17-13 to the Steelers?

Is it crunch time for Denver? or is it Tebow Time?

Bet on the NFL with Bovada. Be there for every victory.

NFL Playoff Schedule - AFC & NFC Wildcard Dates and Times

2012-01-02T23:32:00.003+01:00

The regular season is complete and twelve teams have the playoffs to look forward too - starting with the Wild Card round on January 7th and 8th.

The TV channels have done their negotiations - so here are the dates, times, and TV coverage for the four wild card games.

AFC WILD-CARD ROUND
SATURDAY, JAN. 7th, 2012
	No. 6 Cincinnati (9-7) at No. 3 Houston (10-6), 4:30 ET (NBC) Reliant Stadium
SUNDAY, JAN. 8th, 2012
	No. 5 Pittsburgh (12-4) at No. 4 Denver (8-8), 4:30 ET (CBS) Sports Authority Field at Mile High
NFC WILD-CARD ROUND
SATURDAY, JAN. 7th, 2012
	No. 6 Detroit (10-6) at No. 3 New Orleans (13-3), 8 ET (NBC) Mercedes-Benz Superdome
SUNDAY, JAN. 8th, 2012
	No. 5 Atlanta (10-6) at No. 4 N.Y. Giants (9-7), 1 ET (FOX) MetLife Stadium

2012 NFL Playoff Scenarios - AFC and NFC picture clears

2012-01-02T01:28:00.008+01:00

It's all over as the dust settles on the round 17 games - ending at the MetLife Stadium as the New York Giants pummelled the Dallas Cowboys 31=14 to take the final playoff spot tonight.

AFC Results and Playoff Seedings

In the AFC, the New England Patriots beat Buffalo 49-21 to claim the #1 seed, while the Denver Broncos lost 3-7 at home to the Kansas City Chiefs but have snuck into the playoffs as the San Diego Chargers beat the Oakland Raiders 38-26 to end the Raiders playoff hopes.

Denver now host the Pittsburgh Steelers in the wild-card round next week, and will have to be hoping for a lot more divine inspiration from QB Tim Tebow - as he completed just 6 of 22 passes for 60 yards and an INT against Kansas City for a QB rating of 20.6 (ugh!)

Cincinnati will go to Houston in the other game, while the New England Pats and Baltimore Ravens get a well earned weeks rest as the top two seeds.

AFC Playoff Seedings

1. New England Patriots (13-3)
2. Baltimore Ravens (12-4)
3. Houston Texans (10-6)
4. Denver Broncos (8-8)
5. Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4)
6. Cincinnati Bengals (9-7)

NFC Results and Playoff Seedings

In the NFC, the Green Bay Packers beat Detroit Lions 45-41, with backup QB Matt Flynn setting Packer franchise records with 6 TD passes and 480 yards!

Elsewhere San Francisco 49ers beat St Louis 34-27 to claim the #2 seed, while New Orleans dumped on Carolina winning 45-17, and the Atlanta Falcons beat Tampa Bay 45-24.

And in the final regular season game, the Dallas Cowboys flopped in the first half going into HT 0-21 down, as the New York Giants won 31-14 to claim the NFC East divisional title.

As a result, the Detroit Lions will have to travel to face the New Orleans Saints (who are perfect 8-0 this season at home), while the Atlanta Falcons will go to meet the New York Giants.

NFC Playoff Seedings

1. Green Bay Packers (15-1)
2. San Francisco 49ers (13-3)
3. New Orleans Saints (13-3)
4. New York Giants (9-7)
5. Atlanta Falcons (10-6)
6. Detroit Lions (10-6)

That's all folks - until next week.

EPL Roundup : Blackburn win at Man United, Aston Villa win at Chelsea

2011-12-31T23:58:00.000+01:00

Manchester United and Chelsea suffered home defeats in the Barclays Premier League on the final day of 2011.

Blackburn Rovers lifted themselves from the foot of the table after scoring three times, to earn a famous 3-2 victory at Old Trafford at odds of 28-1 at Victor Chander.

Didier Drogba scored his 150th goal for Chelsea from the penalty spot but it was not enough as Chelsea lost 1-3 to Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge. Stephen Ireland hit back for Villa five minutes later before Stiliyan Petrov gave Villa the lead in the 83rd minute and Darren Bent scored Villa's third three minutes later.

Tottenham drew 1-1 against Swansea at the Liberty Stadium to reduce the gap to second-placed United to six points.

Robin Van Persie's second-half strike gave Arsenal a 1-0 win over QPR at the Emirates after the Gunners missed several chances in an entertaining match.

Results from Dec 31st 2011
Arsenal 1-0 QPR
Bolton 1-1 Wolves
Chelsea 1-3 Aston Villa
Man Utd 2-3 Blackburn
Norwich 1-1 Fulham
Stoke 2-2 Wigan
Swansea 1-1 Tottenham

English Premier League - Top 6 Standings

Saturday, 31 December 2011

Position	Team	PL	GD	Pts
1	Man City	18	38	45
2	Man Utd	19	32	45
3	Tottenham	18	15	39
4	Arsenal	19	9	36
5	Chelsea	19	13	34
6	Liverpool	19	9	34

Ladbrokes close doors to Greece and Cyprus bettors

2011-12-31T11:12:00.000+01:00

Ladbrokes betting group have announced that they will not longer be accepting wagers or bets from any customers based in Greece and Cyprus from 1st January 2012 - due to legislative changes.

Greek players looking for a solid bookmaker should take a look at Bet365 (€200 as 100% matched joining bonus) and Stan James (£150 in free bets over 5 stages) both of which are still accepting players from both countries and offering good odds and bonuses.

Read our Bookmaker Review Directory and Guide for more details on a dozen quality bookmakers.

David Beckham to move to French club Paris Saint Germain in 2012?

2011-12-30T10:14:00.000+01:00

David Beckham might be 36, but it's possible that Beckham will be playing football in France soon with a £160,000 weekly pay packet.

Beckham's five year deal with the Los Angeles Galaxy ends on 31st December 2011, and it appears that newly installed manager Carlo Ancelotti is looking to bring some big names in to boost the star power of the Parisian club.

As well as Becks, its rumoured that Chelsea forward Florent Malouda and Real Madrid's Kaka are other potential targets.

PSG are sitting on top of the French Ligue 1 standings with 40 points from 19 games, but could certainly use more strike power in attack.

NBA Friday : LA Clippers host Chicago Bulls

2011-12-30T00:52:00.001+01:00

Two of the NBA’s hottest young teams will tip off this Friday as the Los Angeles Clippers play host to the visiting Chicago Bulls in a quality early season match-up.

Can Blake Griffin captain his squad to a victory over reigning MVP Derrick Rose? We will find out on Friday with the game being covered live on NBA TV - and around the world via ESPN.

Though the Bulls may have the advantage of having played in the conference finals last spring, there’s no denying the emergence of the "other team" in Los Angeles as a legitimate contender on the NBA betting scene.

Bovada Sportsbook has the LA Clippers at +1200 odds of winning the NBA championship, a mark not to differenet to the competitive Bulls, and slightly better than reigning title winner Dallas Mavericks.

Current Lines to win 2012 NBA Championship at Bovada Sportsbook.
+190 Miami Heat
+600 Chicago Bulls
+650 Oklahoma City Thunder
+750 Los Angeles Lakers
+1200 Los Angeles Clippers
+1400 Dallas Mavericks

In the Friday bout, fans will see not only two of the brightest young franchises in the NBA, but a handful of MVP candidates on full display. After a standout rookie season, power forward Griffin has proven his transition from college superstar to NBA wunderkind a success.

Will it be enough to trump Rose and the Chicago Bulls? And where does Chris Paul fit in to all of this?

It may be easy to overlook the two clubs at this point in the season, but given the sheer depth of talent on each roster, don’t be surprised to see these two squads playing deep into the postseason.

Get all your NBA odds for individual games and long-term futures at Bovada Sportsbook

RESULT UPDATE : (after the Game)
Derrick Rose had 29 points and 16 assists, and the Chicago Bulls pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat the Los Angeles Clippers 114-101 Friday night.

Betfair allows £21m LAY bet in Leopardstown Horse race.

2011-12-28T21:43:00.002+01:00

Voler la Vedette (red jockey) in lead

Betfair have been hit by a system failure (or a hack?) during a Christmas Hurdle race at Leopardstown this week.

The winner, Voler La Vadette, was the 13-8 second favourite on-course and ran the race well always in contention and looked the obvious winner even before the final flight which it cleared to win easily.

Betfair allowed a punter to place a LAY at odds of 28-1, for a staggering £21,000,000+, of which £1,642,094 was matched.

The total lay bet had a liability of £600 million, and is clearly a hack, or a major system malfunction.

Betfair suspended the market in order to investigate, and then confirmed that in-running bets would be void, probably because the punter didn't have £50 million to pay the matched bets.

A statement posted on the Betfair forum read "An investigation has revealed that this was due to an obvious technical failure which allowed a customer to exceed their exposure limit. "

BetOnline Sportsbook - Taking big limits on NFL and College Bowl games

2011-12-27T00:45:00.001+01:00

This week is the final week of the NFL regular season - and the NFL Playoffs loom large for 2012 so hopefully you are prepared for the action. Also, the College Bowls really kick into gear this week with games every day.

If you fancy a sizable football bet then check out BetOnline Sportsbook.

BetOnline covers all sports and their online betting limits are some of the biggest around – up to $25,000 for NFL and up to $15,000 for the College Bowls.

Read our full page BetOnline Sportsbook Review on the GoonersGuide.com website or visit BetOnline Sportsbook now.

EPL Boxing Day : Man United close gap as Man City, Chelsea and Liverpool all draw

2011-12-26T22:28:00.002+01:00

Dimitar Berbatov smashed a hat-trick as Manchester United grabbed a 5-0 win over 10-man Wigan to move level with Manchester City at the top of the Barclays Premier League. (Man Utd video clips)

Manchester City were left frustrated with a 0-0 draw at The Hawthorns, where Mario Balotelli had an effort chalked off for offside after 33 minutes as West Brom battled to a well-deserved point. (recent Man City video clips)

Chelsea's third successive 1-1 draw this time at home to Fulham meant that title hopes suffered another heavy blow. (Chelsea video)

Bottom club Blackburn Rovers earned a 1-1 draw at Liverpool, where stand-in Rovers goalkeeper Mark Bunn produced an outstanding display. (see video of Liverpool game)

Sunderland drew 1-1 against Everton, who equalised with a controversial second-half penalty at the Stadium of Light.

Two goals in as many minutes from Hatem Ben Arfa and Demba Ba earned Newcastle a 2-0 win against struggling Bolton at the Reebok Stadium.

NBA : Miami Heat demolish Dallas Mavs in Xmas matchup 105-94

2011-12-25T22:42:00.002+01:00

The NBA finally got underday for the 2011-12 season on Christmas Day, and the first game was well worth tuning into as the NY Knicks held on to beat the Bostic Celtics 106-104 (although Boston fans got the statisfaction of a betting cover with a +3.5 point start).

You can read the ESPN recap of Boston Celtics at New York Knicks here

The second game on Xmas day is looking like a snore-fest as the Miami Heat are pulverising the Dallas Mavericks by 30 points heading into the end of the 3rd quarter - the Heat are leading 91-60 - get your Xmas nap in now!

UPDATE : Miami Heat win 105-94 - easily covering the -4 point spread.
Read the ESPN Report of Miami Heat @ Dallas Mavericks

Could Thierry Henry be back playing for Arsenal in the New Year?

2011-12-24T10:11:00.000+01:00

As incredible as it sounds - it's possible that Thierry Henry might be back at Arsenal on loan for a couple of months via the January transfer window.

Henry, left Arsenal in 2007 for Barcelona before moving to the United States where he currently plays for the New York Bulls.

But Henry will not be required back in the United States until March and Arsenal will lose two strikers, Gervinho and Marouane Chamakh, for up to a month at the end of January due to the African Nations Cup.

This leaves Arsenal very short of experienced strikers, and with the 34-year-old Henry training with the Londoners since the close of the MLS season in November - an opportunity arises.

For that reason, Wenger is considering the possibility of a potential two-month loan deal for the star. "January 1 is the vital date for us. We have seven days to make decisions and I will make a decision in the next seven days on players."

US DOJ says -1961 Wire Act does not apply to poker

2011-12-24T01:07:00.000+01:00

The United States federal government appears to have changed its long-held position on Internet gambling, asserting that the federal Wire Act of 1961 applies only to sports betting.

U.S. Deputy Attorney General James Cole wrote in a letter Friday that "the Department’s Office of Legal Counsel has analyzed the scope of the Wire Act, 18 U.S.c § 1084, and concluded that it is limited only to sports betting."

A 13-page legal opinion written by Assistant Attorney General Virginia Seitz in September was released today - and appears to be a tip-toe attempt to provide support for New York and Illinois online lottery plans.

Business webiste Forbes called the shift a big win for state lotteries that hope to use the Internet to sell lottery tickets to adults.

But it's also a major boon for online poker as the US government's previous position played a big role in the recent crackdown on online poker sites. But now, Internet poker isn't barred by any federal statute.

Forbes.com notes "the Justice Department ... has long relied on the law (Wire Act) when asserting that all forms of Internet gambling, especially online poker, are illegal."

The NBA finally returns on Christmas Day

2011-12-22T23:20:00.001+01:00

After a two month delay with the players and owners arguing about who gets to make the most cash, the NBA betting season finally gets underway on Christmas day with a five star quintuple header.

MIAMI HEAT (-4) @ DALLAS MAVERICKS

The game that is getting the most basketball betting action is the rematch of last year’s NBA Finals as the Dallas Mavericks host the Miami Heat. Despite winning their first championship in franchise history, Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavs are four-point home underdogs to LeBron James and the much hyped Miami Heat.

BOSTON CELTICS (+3½) @ NEW YORK KNICKS

The first game of the day pits the Boston Celtics against the new-look New York Knicks. This game opened close to a ‘pick em’, but the boys from the Big Apple are now 3.5-point chalk. The Knicks added veterans Tyson Chandlers and Mike Bibby over the offseason. Meanwhile, the Celtics are getting older by the minute.

GOLDEN STATE (+5) @ LOS ANGELEES CLIPPERS

Thanks to the blockbuster deal that brought Chris Paul to Tinsel Town, the Los Angeles Clippers vs. Golden State Warriors is the game that had the biggest line move. Before Paul was traded to the Clippers, Golden State was a slight favorite in the NBA Christmas nightcap. Now with visions of endless Paul to Blake Griffin alley-oops, the Clippers are five-point chalk.

OTHER GAMES
In addition to the three games mentioned above, the Chicago Bulls visit the Los Angeles Lakers while and the Orlando Magic travel to Oklahoma City to play the Thunder.

WHERE TO PLAY ON THE NBA?

BetOnline will allow you to bet up to $10,000 on the NBA and players get up to $900.00 in bonuses on EVERY qualifying deposit.

Head over to BetOnline to check all of the latest NBA Christmas Day betting lines.

EPL Thursday : Tottenham 1 - 1 Chelsea

2011-12-22T22:23:00.011+01:00

Title hopefuls Tottenham and Chelsea had to settle for a point apiece in a fiercely contested London derby - a result which did little to help either teams title chances.

Spurs started brightly and took the lead when Emmanuel Adebayor knocked in Gareth Bale's driven cross after Petr Cech appeared to miss it.

Chelsea improved though and deservedly pulled level when Daniel Sturridge turned in Ashley Cole's low cross from close range. Cole looked to have inadvertantly handled the ball during the move.

In the second hald Didier Drogba hit the post and Ramires headed wide for the Blues, while Spurs almost snatched victory when John Terry hacked Adebayor's goalbound shot clear.

The result means Spurs stay in third place in the Premier League, two points ahead of fourth-placed Chelsea, but nine points behind leaders Manchester City.

English Premier League

Thursday, 22 December 2011 - Top 6 Standings

Position	Team	P	GD	Pts
1	Man City	17	38	44
2	Man Utd	17	28	42
3	Tottenham	16	13	35
4	Chelsea	17	15	33
5	Arsenal	17	8	32
6	Liverpool	17	7	30

EPL Wednesday Results : Wins for Man City, Man United and Arsenal

2011-12-22T02:29:00.001+01:00

Sergio Aguero scored two goals in a Manchester City 3-0 victory against Stoke to send Man City top of the table on Christmas Day for the first time since 1929.

Manchester United kept the gap to two points after flattening Fulham 5-0 at Craven Cottage.

A late header from Arsenal substitute Yossi Benayoun earned the visitors a 2-1 victory at Villa Park after Robin van Persie score from the penalty spot and Marc Albrighton equalised in the second half.

Charlie Adam missed a penalty as Liverpool's disappointing run against Wigan continued with a goalless draw at the DW Stadium.

Wes Brown's last-minute header earned Sunderland a 3-2 victory over QPR at Loftus Road while Leon Osman scored the only goal to earn Everton a 1-0 home win over Swansea.

Match Results :
Man City 3-0 Stoke
Fulham 0-5 Man Utd
Aston Villa 1-2 Arsenal
Wigan 0-0 Liverpool
Newcastle 2-3 West Brom
Everton 1-0 Swansea
QPR 2-3 Sunderland

English Premier League Table

Top 10 Standings as 21 Dec 2011

Position	Team	P	GD	Pts
1	Man City	17	38	44
2	Man Utd	17	28	42
3	Tottenham	15	13	34
4	Chelsea	16	15	32
5	Arsenal	17	8	32
6	Liverpool	17	7	30
7	Newcastle	17	1	27
8	Stoke	17	-10	24
9	Norwich	17	-4	21
10	West Brom	17	-7	21

College Football Odds Favor Boise State win at Maaco Bowl

2011-12-22T01:29:00.001+01:00

After an impressive season toward the top of the BCS Standings, mid-major favorite Boise State will look to add some hardware for their efforts this year when they kick off at the 2011 Maaco Bowl in Las Vegas against Arizona State.

Get all your college football betting lines at Bovada’s online sportsbook.

The Boise State Broncos were 11-1 during the regualr season and are ranked #7 nationwide in the year-end standings, and are 14 point favorites on the NCAA football lines. Will senior quarterback Kellen Moore be able to pick up where he left off when the teams take the field this Thursday?

Boise State were always a possible contender on the national scale, but a November loss 35-36 to TCU - after a missed 39-yard field goal - set them back a step.

Now, Bosie State come to the Maaco Bowl as MWC champions, and the most formidable mid-major entry in the country.

Lining up against the Broncos will be the Arizona State Sun Devils (6-6) whose early season successes against ranked Missouri and USC came crashing to a halt with a four-game losing streak that stained the end of their season.

With a 6-6 record and four stright losses the punters think that it’s not likely that the Pac-12 entry will have what it takes to keep up.

Can Boise State, who started the season as high as #5 in the AP polls, win their second consecutive Maaco Bowl?

The Stage is Set. Bet the Bowls with Bovada Sportsbook.

EPL Tuesday Results - Bolton beat Blackburn to get off the bottom

2011-12-20T23:47:00.001+01:00

Bolton Wanderers moved off the bottom and left Blackburn propping up the table with a 2-1 win at Ewood Park.

Mark Davies and Nigel Reo-Coker gave Bolton a two-goal lead at the interval and despite Yakubu throwing Blackburn a lifeline after the break, Bolton held on for a vital win in this relegation "6-pointer".

Elsewhere, Wolves twice came from behind to salvage a draw against Norwich and edge two points clear of the relegation zone on 15 points while Norwich are well positioned in 9th place with 21 points.

FINAL RESULTS :
Blackburn Rovers 1-2 Bolton Wanderers
Wolverhampton 2-2 Norwich City

English Premier League - Bottom Five

Tuesday, 20 December 2011

Position	Team	P	GD	Pts
16	Wolves	17	-13	15
17	Sunderland	16	-1	14
18	Wigan	16	-15	13
19	Bolton	17	-17	12
20	Blackburn	17	-14	10

EPL Sunday : Favourites win - Man City, Man Utd, Liverpool and Spurs

2011-12-19T00:21:00.001+01:00

It was an easy accumulator bet for favourites punters in the English Premier League on Sunday as all four favoured sides landed victories without conceding a goal.

Manchester City returned to the Premier League lead as they beat Arsenal 1-0 in a thrilling game. David Silva pounced after Mario Balotelli's shot was saved to score the only goal of the match.

Earlier Manchester United had scored an easy 2-0 win over QPR, boosted by a first minute goal from Wayne Rooney. And after United missed a succession of chances and were denied by QPR keeper Radek Cerny, Michael Carrick settled an entertaining encounter and gave them the winning margin their vast superiority deserved.

Tottenham edged to a 1-0 home win over Sunderland, while Liverpool won 2-0 away at Aston Villa to complete the quad for backers of the big sides.

English Premier League Top 7

Sunday, 18 December 2011

Position	Team	P	GD	PTS

1	Man City	16	35	41
2	Man Utd	16	23	39
3	Tottenham	15	13	34
4	Chelsea	16	15	32
5	Arsenal	16	7	29
6	Liverpool	16	7	29
7	Newcastle	16	2	27

NFL : Perfect no more - Green Bay Packers lose at Kansas City

2011-12-19T00:13:00.000+01:00

The Green Bay Packers' perfect season came to a crashing halt on Sunday, losing 14-19 to the struggling Kansas City Chiefs, who had just fired their coach and were starting a new quarterback.

If anything - this game was proof that NOTHING can be taken for granted in NFL betting - as the +650 moneyline underdogs took a big bite out of punters profits.

Kansas City QB Kyle Orton threw for 299 yards to outduel Aaron Rodgers, and the Chiefs rallied behind interim coach Romeo Crennel for a shocking 19-14 victory on Sunday that ended the Packers' 19-game winning streak.

Read the full match report on ESPN now.

EPL Saturday : Wigan 1-1 Chelsea

2011-12-18T02:52:00.001+01:00

Jordi Gomez's late equaliser halted Chelsea's charge up the Premier League table and gave Wigan a vital point in 1-1 draw.

Chelsea took the lead after halftime when Daniel Sturridge fired home from Ashley Cole's pass. But Wigan refused to give up and denied the Blues victory when Petr Cech's fumble gifted Gomez a simple tap-in with 3 minutes remaining.

Elsewhere, there was frustration for Newcastle United after failing to convert their dominance into a goal in a 0-0 home draw with Swansea City while Fulham (2-0 winners over Bolton) and West Brom (2-1 winners at Blackburn) grabbed important wins to move into mid-table.

English Premier League results

Saturday 17 Dec 2011

UEFA Champions League - Round of 16 Draw - AC Milan v Arsenal

2011-12-16T12:32:00.000+01:00

The draw has been made for the Round of 16 in the 2011/12 UEFA Champions League, and it's thrown up a bundle of interesting fixtures.

Lyon v APOEL
Napoli v Chelsea
Milan v Arsenal
Basel v Bayern Munich
Leverkusen v Barcelona
CSKA Moskva v Real Madrid
Zenit St Petersburg v Benfica
Marseille v Inter Milan

This round will be played over February and March of 2012 ... allowing plenty of time for all the hype and hoopla to build up.

Europa League - 32 teams move to knockout draw - seedings announced.

2011-12-15T23:09:00.004+01:00

FC Rubin Kazan, Club Brugge KV, AZ Alkmaar and Udinese Calcio qualified for UEFA Europa League round of 32 after the group stage concluded on Thursday night.

There will be two pots for the draw ceremony, staged in Nyon on Friday : the 12 group winners and the four best third-ranked teams in the UEFA Champions League group stage will be drawn against the 12 group runners-up and the remaining third-placed UEFA Champions League sides.

No team can play a club from their group or a side from the same association.

Pot 1 ) Group winners :
PAOK FC, R. Standard de Liège, PSV Eindhoven, Sporting Clube de Portugal, Beşiktaş JK, Athletic Club, FC Metalist Kharkiv, Club Brugge KV, Club Atlético de Madrid, FC Schalke 04, FC Twente, RSC Anderlecht

Plus best four UEFA Champions League ranked sides : Manchester City FC, Manchester United FC, Valencia CF, Olympiacos FC

Pot 2) Group runners-up :
FC Rubin Kazan, Hannover 96, Legia Warszawa, S.S. Lazio, Stoke City FC, FC Salzburg, AZ Alkmaar, SC Braga, Udinese Calcio, FC Steaua Bucureşti, Wisła Kraków, FC Lokomotiv Moskva

Plus bottom four UEFA Champions League ranked sides : Trabzonspor AŞ, AFC Ajax, FC Porto, FC Viktoria Plzeň

Europa League - Group K - Wisla Krakow progress as Fulham held by Odense

2011-12-15T06:16:00.003+01:00

Odense substitute Djiby Fall scored with the final move of the match draw 2-2 with Fulham a result which sees the London club crash out out of the Europa League.

Wisla Krakow beat Twente 2-1 to move to 9 points behind the Dutch club who were already assured of qualification as group winners.

That meant that Fulham also needed to win to progress, and with the late goal Fulham, who were 2010 finalists, found that their Europa League campaign that started 14 matches ago at the end of June, had come to a sudden end.

Europa Group K Final Table

14 Dec 2011

Position	Team	P	GD	Pts
1	FC Twente	6	7	13
2	Wisla Krakow	6	-5	9
3	Fulham	6	3	8
4	Odense BK	6	-5	4

Lakers Remain NBA Favorites With or Without Chris Paul

2011-12-13T04:20:00.000+01:00

The Los Angeles Lakers had a deal to land the No. 1 point guard in the NBA last week before it was shockingly ripped off the table by league commissioner David Stern.

The lockout’s over, get your NBA odds at Bodog.

Despite the growing controversy, and the fact that Los Angeles may not have Chris Paul on their roster when they tip off for their Dec. 25 debut against the Chicago Bulls, the Lakers remain one of the favorites on the NBA odds board, a testament to the LA Lakers legitimacy as a league force.

With Kobe Bryant back in action, desperate to avenge a 2011 postseason loss to the eventual champion Dallas Mavericks, anything can happen. In fact, it’s that Mavs’ victory last spring that has renewed hope for Los Angeles on the NBA betting board in the first place.

Now that the weakness of the Miami Heat’s Big Three has been exposed, a veteran squad like the Lakers is more than capable of contending for a championship. The NBA odds board reflects such a revelation.

If the Dirk Nowitzki-powered contingent of veterans could do it, then certainly five-time champion Bryant and the well-rounded Lakers can.

Think you know how the NBA playoff picture will unfold this spring?
Get your NBA betting lines and preseason props at Bodog.

Chelsea end Manchester City's unbeaten run in EPL

2011-12-12T22:21:00.000+01:00

Frank Lampard's late penalty earned Chelsea a 2-1 victory over Manchester City in a pulsating English Premier League clash at Stamford Bridge.

Mario Balotelli gave City a lead within two minutes but Chelsea forced their way back into contention through Raul Meireles's equaliser before half-time.

Manchester City were reduced to 10 men early in the second half when Gael Clichy was sent off for a second booking, leaving Chelsea to make the most of their numerical advantage thanks to Lampard's late strike.

Premier League Top Six Standings

12 Dec 2011

Position	Team	P	GD	Pts
1	Man City	15	34	38
2	Man Utd	15	21	36
3	Chelsea	15	15	31
4	Tottenham	14	12	31
5	Arsenal	15	8	29
6	Liverpool	15	5	26

Barcelona beal Real Madrid 3-1 at the Bernabeu

2011-12-11T06:25:00.000+01:00

Barcelona bounced back from conceding a goal in 23 seconds - the fastest goal in El Clasico history - to score three goals and stun Real Madrid and replace their rivals at the top of La Liga.

Real Madrid were three points ahead of Barca with a game in hand and Karim Benzema gave the Madridsta's the lead inside 23 seconds.

Barcelona slowly fought back into the game and equalised after Alexis Sanchez ran onto a Lionel Messi through-ball to slot home after 30 minutes.

In the second half, Xavi's deflected strike put Barca 2-1 ahead and then Cristiano Ronaldo missed a glorious opportunity to level the match when he nodded wide from an unmarked position.

Cesc Fabregas completed the triumph with a diving header from a Dani Alves cross.

The result sees Pep Guardiola's Barcelona side go level on points with Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid, but the Catalans have a superior goal difference and the head-to-head advantage.

BetOnline.com odds say Robert Griffin III will win the Heisman trophy

2011-12-09T21:07:00.001+01:00

OK - so maybe it’s not official yet, but all you need to do is look at BetOnline.com's Heisman Trophy odds to work out that punters think it that it is a foregone conclusion that Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III will win college football’s most prestigious individual award Saturday.

Once the five Heisman finalists were announced last weekend, BetOnline.com had Alabama running back Trent Richardson the -170 favorite. That quickly changed as money started pouring in on RG3 at +300. Within a couple hours after opening the odds, RG3 was the new favorite at BetOnline.com.

Despite the constant odds changes, bettors have kept pounding on bets on RG3. Less than a week later and RG3 is the massive -2000 favorite.

“It’s rare to see such an explosive move in odds like that,” stated BetOnline.com spokeman Dave Mason. “It’s pretty obvious to me anyways that word has leaked – RG3 will definitely collect the hardware Saturday.”

Others disagree with Mason’s sentiments as money is still coming in on the other finalists. Who is your money on? Do you think RG3 is a lock, or is there value in the earlier favorites – Richardson and Andrew Luck?

BetOnline.com 2011 Heisman betting odds :
Robert Griffin III ----- -2000
Trent Richardson -------- +375
Andrew Luck ------------- +500
Montee Ball ------------- +2500
Tyrann Mathieu ---------- +4500

Odds are subject to change, head over to BetOnline.com for the latest lines. And remember to get up to $900.00 in bonuses when you sign-up and deposit.

Manchester United confirm Nemanja Vidic out for rest of season

2011-12-09T11:47:00.000+01:00

Manchester United have confirmed that captain Nemanja Vidic will miss the rest of the 2011-12 season after suffering knee ligament damage in their 2-1 defeat at Basel in the Champions League.

Vidic twisted his right knee tussling with Basel's Marco Streller during the first half in Switzerland, and immediately looked in distress after the incident and was carried off on a stretcher before leaving the ground on crutches.

BBC Sports website quotes manager Alex Ferguson as saying "Nemanja is out for the season - It is bad news. He will be a loss."

LSU Tigers and Alabama Crimson Tide to play 2012 BCS National Championship game

2011-12-05T04:11:00.000+01:00

The #2 Crimson Tide edged out Oklahoma State in the final round of voting and will play the top-ranked Tigers in the BCS National Championship Game on Jan 9 2012 in New Orleans.

The Oklahoma State Cowboys made a late surge by beating Oklahoma 44-10 on Saturday night, and closed the gap between themselves and Alabama in the polls. But it was not enough to avoid the first title game rematch in the 14-year history of the BCS.

Alabama (11-1) finished second in both the Harris and coaches' polls by a wide enough margin to make up for the fact that Oklahoma State was ahead in the computer ratings.

IN THE OTHER BOWLS ...

The Oklahoma State Cowboys (11-1), champions of the Big 12, will play in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl against #4 Stanford from the Pac-12.

The Allstate Sugar Bowl will feature two teams that earned at-large bids: #11 Virginia Tech and #13 Michigan.

The #10 ranked Wisconsin Badgers, the Big Ten champion, will play the Pac-12 champion #5 Oregon in the Rose Bowl Game.

The Discover Orange Bowl will feature #15 Clemson, the ACC champion, and Big East co-champion West Virginia.

FA CUP - 3rd ROUND DRAW - Manchester City to host Man United

2011-12-05T03:56:00.000+01:00

Arch rivals Manchester City and Manchester United will face each other in the tie of the FA Cup third round.

In other matches, Arsenal host Leeds United, Chelsea host Portsmouth, while in-form Tottenham face Cheltenham Town.

FA CUP 3RD ROUND DRAW - Ties to be played 7-8 January 2012

Middlesbrough v Shrewsbury
Nottingham Forest v Leicester City
Manchester City v Manchester United
Dagenham & Redbridge/Walsall v Millwall
Crawley v Bristol City
Doncaster v Sutton Utd/Notts County
Bristol Rovers v Aston Villa
Tottenham v Cheltenham Town
Sheffield Wednesday v West Ham
Milton Keynes Dons v QPR
Hull City v Ipswich Town
Coventry v Southampton
Brighton v Wrexham
Fulham v Charlton Athletic
Birmingham v Wolves
Norwich v Burnley
Arsenal v Leeds United
Derby v Crystal Palace
Fleetwood/Yeovil v Blackpool
Swindon v Wigan
Barnsley v Swansea
Chelmsford/Macclesfield v Bolton
Newcastle v Blackburn
Everton v Tamworth
Sheffield United v Salisbury City/Grimsby
Liverpool v Southend/Oldham
Gillingham v Stoke
Chelsea v Portsmouth
Watford v Bradford
Peterborough v Sunderland
West Brom v Cardiff
Reading v Stevenage

Euro 2012 Finals Draw : Netherlands v Germany - Italy v Spain

2011-12-02T20:41:00.000+01:00

England have been drawn against France, Sweden and co-hosts Ukraine in Group D for their return to the European Championship next summer.

Republic of Ireland face a far tougher task in Group C with matches against world and European champions Spain, Italy and Croatia.

In Group A, co-hosts Poland play Greece in the opening game, and also come up against Russia and the Czech Republic.

Meanwhile in Group B, Netherlands take on Denmark, Germany and Portugal.

The Euro 2012 tournament will begin on 8 June in Warsaw (Poland) with the final being played on 1 July in Kiev (Ukraine).

UEFA EURO 2012 CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS GROUPS
GROUP A	GROUP B
Tournament in Poland and Ukraine, 8 June-1 July
Poland	Netherlands
Greece	Denmark
Russia	Germany
Czech Republic	Portugal
GROUP C	GROUP D
Spain	Ukraine
Italy	Sweden
Republic of Ireland	France
Croatia	England

Stoke City draw with Dynamo Kiev to qualify for Europa League knockout stage

2011-12-02T00:11:00.000+01:00

Kenwyne Jones's towering late header ensured Stoke progressed to the knockout phase of the Europa League with a 1-1 home draw against Dynamo Kiev.

Dynamo Kiev dominated the first half and took a deserved lead when Matthew Upson steered Olexandr Aliyev's low shot into his own net. But the Potters raised their game and were rewarded when Jones powered in Jermaine Pennant's pinpoint cross.

P   Team           P GD PTS
1   Stoke          5  5 11
2   Besiktas       5  4 9
3   Dynamo Kiev    5  0 6
4   Macc Tel-Aviv  5 -9 1

College Football Championship weekend at BetOnline

2011-12-01T23:56:00.001+01:00

Conference Championships are on the line this weekend on the college gridiron and OffShore Sportsbook BetOnline has the most ways to get in on the action.

PAC-12 Championship Game : UCLA Bruins v (9) Oregon

Friday night sees UCLA and Oregon play for the Pac-10 crown. UCLA is playing in the championship game even after being hammered 50-0 by USC because the Trojans are banned from postseason play for a couple years for violations on the NCAA amateur code. Oregon is a massive 31.5-point favorite over a UCLA team that is just 6-6.

SEC Championship Game : (14) Georgia v (1) LSU Tigers

The game that BetOnline is expecting the most action on takes place Saturday afternoon as top-ranked LSU looks to go 13-0 as they play 10-2 Georgia for the SEC title.

LSU opened as 10-point chalk, but the line moved quickly to 13.5.

ACC Championship Game : (5) Virginia Tech v (20) Clemson

Then Saturday night both the ACC and Big 10 championship games will be on. First in the ACC, Virginia Tech takes on the only team that defeated them all season- Clemson.

Although Clemson won that game 23-3 in early October, Clemson is seven-point underdogs. Why? Because Clemson lost three out of their last four games, all by double-digits.

Big-10 Championship Game : (15) Michigan State v (13) Wisconsin

About 20 minutes after the ACC game starts, the Big 10 championship kicks-off between Michigan State and Wisconsin. Despite beating Wisconsin 37-31 earlier this season, Michigan State is 9.5-point underdogs.

Live Betting at BetOnline

Only one thing that can make these conference championship games more exciting - Live Betting. BetOnline will be offering Live In-game betting on each of these games in addition to 10 NFL games.

Head over to BetOnline to checkout the Live betting schedule and be sure to claim up to $900.00 in free plays when you make a deposit.

BetOnline, because you can.

Tottenham crash at home to PAOK Salonika in Europa League

2011-12-01T02:06:00.000+01:00

Tottenham slipped to a 1-2 home defeat to PAOK Salonika on Wednesday night, to leave the North London side 3rd in the group and needing some help to reach the knockout stages.

The Greek side raced into a 2-0 lead at White Hart Lane through a Dimitris Salpingidis header and a Stefanos Athanasiadis tap in before Luka Modric's first-half penalty gave Spurs hope after Kostas Stafylidis was sent off for handling on the line.

Walker and Bale were introduced to add to some urgency to Tottenham's wing play, but PAOK defended heroically at times, throwing themselves in the way of the ball as Spurs maintained an extraordinary spell of pressure.

Ex-Gooner William Gallas was playing just his second game of the season for Spurs, and he was at fault for the first goal (heh!) and looked tentative throughout.

So Tottenham's swaggering progress in the Europa League has hit a massive roadblock, and this second loss in Europa Group A now means qualification hopes have dimmed for Spurs.

Spurs will travel to Dublin on 15 December to play Shamrock Rovers, and will need a big win, and for Rubin Kazan to lose thier final group game at PAOK to qualify.

Crystal Palace beat Manchester United in Carling Cup Q/F

2011-12-01T01:55:00.000+01:00

Crystal Palace pulled off a stunning 2-1 extra-time victory at Old Trafford to reach the Carling Cup semi-finals and send Manchester United crashing out.

The south Londoners made a mockery of their dismal recent league form - they had not scored in their previous five games - by tearing into a much changed Manchester United from the first whistle.

Darren Ambrose thundered a 35-yard drive into the top corner to give Crystal Paalace a 65th minute lead, but a penalty by Federico Macheda leveled things for Manchester United.

Glenn Murray headed in from a free-kick to put Palace ahead and in extra time and they weathered a late storm to reach the last four.

Sunderland sack manager Steve Bruce

2011-11-30T20:23:00.001+01:00

Steve Bruce became the first English Premier League manager to be sacked this season when Sunderland fired the former Manchester United player.

"Sadly results this season have simply not been good enough and I feel the time is right to make a change," chairman Ellis Short said on the (club's website).

Bruce, 50, joined Sunderland from Wigan Athletic in 2009 and guided Sunderland to 13th in his first season in charge and improved on that with a 10th-placed finish in 2010-11.

But this season has not started well and Bruce leaves with the north-east club languishing two points above the drop zone.

Assistant manager Eric Black would take charge of the first team duties as the club searches for a new manager. Former Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill and ex-Fulham manager Mark Hughes are the early favourites with bookmakers.

Chelsea V Liverpool - Goalscorer Money Back Special

2011-11-18T22:15:00.001+01:00

All eyes will be on Fernando Torres this Sunday as Chelsea play hosts to his former team Liverpool, at Stamford Bridge.

Both managers are desperate for a win and with three defeats already, Chelsea are in danger of being left behind the two Manchester teams as City and United are setting the pace in the title race.

Top Irish Bookmaker Paddy Power are offering money back on this match if Torres scores at anytime, plus a host of other specials this weekend.

Money Back Special - Chelsea v Liverpool (Sun 4.00pm)
If Fernando Torres scores in this game, Paddy Power will refund all losing 1st /last goalscorer, correct score & scorecast singles on this match.

Check out all the latest betting offers and odds lines at Paddy Power

Seedings announced for Euro2012 final draw

2011-11-16T21:42:00.001+01:00

The seedings have been announced for the group draw for the Euro2012 Finals, with World Cup finalists Spain and Netherlands joining host nations Poland and Ukraine in the top pot.

This dichotomy has the potential to create some mis-matched groups of varying strength, and all nations will be hoping for the luck of the draw in avoiding a "group of death".

Seedings for Euro 2012 Final Draw
Pot 1: Spain, Netherlands, Poland*, Ukraine*.
Pot 2: Germany, Italy, England, Russia.
Pot 3: Croatia, Greece, Portugal, Sweden.
Pot 4: Denmark, France, Czech Republic, Republic of Ireland

Spain and Germany were the only two teams to qualify for the finals with 100% records in their qualifying group with eight and 10 straight victories respectively, The Netherlands also qualified with ease after winning nine out of their 10 qualifying matches, but Portugal, who made the last eight in 2004 and were beaten finalists in 2000, qualfied via the play-offs.

Forty per cent of the seeding for the finals is decided by the teams' respective qualifying record, with the same amount based on their performance in World Cup 2010 qualifying and finals and the remainder on their performance in Euro 2008.

The draw will be made on December 2nd in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev.

Are the Green Bay Packers SuperBowl bound?

2011-11-15T02:14:00.001+01:00

Heading into tonights game with the Minnesota Vikings the Green Bay Packers are 8-0 and making a good job of defending the Super Bowl Champions title that they won last season?

But how likely is that the Packers will repeat as Champions?

I heard an interesting statistic on ESPN's Monday Night countdown earlier .. that might shed some light on their chances.

There have been 17 teams that have started 8-0 or better since the NFL merged to form the NFC and AFC conferences and play for the Super Bowl. Of those 17 teams - 12 have made it to the Super Bowl, and 8 of them have won it.

Those numbers - 12 of 17 reach the Super Bowl and 8 eventually win the trophy - are probably the most accurate and quantifiable guide that we have.

Bet365 offers top Horse betting for Cheltenham Open Meeting

2011-11-02T23:19:00.000+01:00

The jump racing season is returning and Cheltenham’s Open Meeting is an event Horse Racing lovers won’t want to miss.

The Open Meeting is three days of high class jump racing on Friday 11th, Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th November with some of the biggest races around. And you can make the most of all the action with bet365’s fantastic Horse Racing offers.

bet365’s Price Promise means that all of their prices are constantly updated for races shown live on Channel 4 and the BBC. This ensures that bet365 offers the best price or joint best price on every horse running. This great offer applies to all bets placed after 10am.

Best prices or joint best prices are matched from the following Bookmakers: Ladbrokes, William Hill, Paddy Power, Coral, Totesport and Boylesports. With this excellent Price Promise, you can place your Horse Racing bets safe in the knowledge that the bet365 price is the best price.

With the Channel 4/1 offer, if you back a single winner at 4/1 or more on a UK or Irish race televised live on Channel 4 then you can have a free bet to the same stake on the next live Channel 4 race. If your free bet also wins at odds of 4/1 or more, then you will qualify for a further free bet. Keep backing those winners and bet365 will keep giving you free bets!

There’s also bet365’s Best Odds Guaranteed offer, which applies to every UK and Irish horse race, every day. So whenever you place your bet, if the Starting Price ends up being bigger then bet365 will pay you out at the bigger odds.

Check out Bet365's Horse racing platform now.

Newcastle move to 3rd in EPL with 3-1 win at Stoke

2011-10-31T23:51:00.001+01:00

Senegalese striker Demba Ba scored a hat-trick as Newcastle United continued their impressive start to the season with a deserved 3-1 win at Stoke City in the Premier League.

Newcastle climbed to third place in the table and remain unbeaten after 10 matches while Stoke remain 11th in the standings.

Ba headed home Gabriel Obertan's cross from close range after 12 minutes and he doubled Newcastle's lead with another neat finish five minutes before halftime.

Ba turned villian when he gave away a penalty with a clumsy foul on Peter Crouch which Jon Walters converted to give Stoke hope with 15 minutes remaining. But Ba quickly made amends when he coolly dispatched a penalty, his eighth goal of the season, after Robert Huth was adjudged to have shoved Leon Best in the area.

Arsenal score five goals at Stamford Bridge to beat Chelsea

2011-10-29T20:00:00.000+02:00

Arsenal captain Robin van Persie scored a hat-trick as the Gunners beat Chelsea 5-3 in a remarkable Premier League match at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea went ahead through Frank Lampard after 14 minutes before Van Persie equalised in the 36th minute and Chelsea skipper JohnTerry bundled in a corner to put his side 2-1 up in the last minute of the first half.

Andre Santos struck Arsenal's second equaliser after 49 minutes before Theo Walcott scored a brilliant solo goal, picking himself up and continuing his run after slipping over, to give Arsenal a 3-2 lead after 55 minutes.

Juan Mata then equalised for Chelsea with a stunning swerving shot, which Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny had no chance of saving, to make it 3-3 after 80 minutes.

Chelsea were then guilty of some poor defending five minutes later with Terry stumbled and falling theatrically to the ground to leave Van Persie to run in on Chelsea keeper Petr Cech before rounding him and blasting the ball in.

The Dutchman then made it 28 goals from his last 27 Premier League games in this calendar year to make it 5-3 in the second minute of stoppage time with a swerving shot to match Mata's.

New Zealand win Rugby World Cup Final

2011-10-24T02:52:00.000+02:00

New Zealand beat France 8-7 in a tension-filled final at Eden Park to lift the Rugby World Cup.

Tony Woodcock's early try and a penalty from fourth-choice first five-eight Stephen Donald were enough to see the All Blacks home in an extraordinary match.

France produced their best performance of the tournament and came close to pulling off an upset after captain Thierry Dusatoir scored a try with 30 minutes remaining set up a nerve-shredding finale.

But New Zealand's defence stood firm, and France missed a long range penalty goal, and were unable to retain possession as the All Blacks controlled the final four minutes to clinch a a famous win.

Arsenal 3-1 Stoke City

2011-10-24T02:00:00.001+02:00

Robin van Persie scored twice after coming on as a substitute as Arsenal saw off Stoke 3-1.

The Gunners took the lead through Gervinho but were pegged back by Peter Crouch’s set piece goal.

Van Persie, rested from the starting line-up by manager Arsene Wenger, came on after 65 minutes and helped out his team-mates out with his eighth and ninth goals of the season.

Video highlights of Arsenal beating Stoke City 3-1 online now.

Manchester City thrash Man United 6-1 at Old Trafford

2011-10-24T01:48:00.001+02:00

Mario Balotelli provided the spark as Manchester City stormed Old Trafford to humiliate rivals Manchester United 6-1.

Balotelli struck twice to set up a convincing win for Manchester City over Manchester United who also had Jonny Evans sent off.

City lead 1-0 at halftime through Balotelli's opening goal, and were coasting at 3-1 as the game entered injury time before Edin Dzeko struck twice and David Silva added to the tally.

Video of the Man United v Man City match highlights available

Arsenal beat Sunderland 2-1 to get back on track

2011-10-16T23:30:00.001+02:00

Robin van Persie scored twice as Arsenal began to show signs of recovery from their poor start to the Premier League season with a 2-1 victory at home to Sunderland.

Arsenal went ahead after just 27 seconds when Gervinho surged down the left and crossed forVan Persie to sidefoot a shot into the bottom corner of the Sunderland net.

The hosts then dominated with a confidence they have struggled to find this season before Sunderland got back into the game when Seb Larsson struck a curling freekick over the wall to equalise against his former club on 31 minutes.

Arsenal had goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny to thank when his point-blank save denied an unmarked Lee Cattermole shortly before halftime but the Gunners dominated the second half before Van Persie to snatched the victory with just 9 minutes left.

The Dutchman more than matched the quality of Larsson's free kick with one of his own that curled over the wall and into the goal to lift Arsenal up to 10th in the league with their third home victory in a row.

2011-10-16T12:36:00.000+02:00

New Zealand reached the final of the 2011 Rugby World Cup with a 20-6 win over Australia at Eden Park in Auckland.

The All Blacks dominated from the start against their Tasman rivals and scored the only try of the match through centre Ma'a Nonu in the sixth minute.after a brilliant run and pass by full-back Israel Dagg

New Zealand led 14-6 in front at the interval and two second half penalties from scrum-half Piri Weepu sealed victory for the home team.

The All Blacks will face France next Sunday while Australia will play Wales in the third place playoff next Friday.

Euro2012 Playoffs draw announced

2011-10-13T23:11:00.001+02:00

The Republic of Ireland will take on Estonia in the Euro 2012 play-offs after Thursday's draw in Krakow.

The other play-offs see :
- Turkey v Croatia,
- Czech Republic v Montenegro
- Portugal v Bosnia-Herzegovina.

The first legs will play on 11/12 November, and the return legs on 15 November.

Already through to the finals, alongside co-hosts Poland and Ukraine, are Spain, Germany, Russia, Italy, France, Holland, Greece, England, Denmark and Sweden.

The finals draw is on 2 December in Kiev and the tournament runs from 8 June until 1 July next year at eight venues.

All Blacks Dan Carter out of Rugby World Cup with groin injury

2011-10-02T01:49:00.002+02:00

All Blacks first five-eighth Carter has been ruled out of the rest of the tournament because of the groin injury he suffered at a training session.

Carter has torn the adductor longus tendon in his left groin. His place in the squad has been taken by Manawatu's Aaron Cruden who was yesterday contacted by manager Darren Shand.

Backup first five-eighth Colin Slade will now be expected to wear the No 10 jersey for the crucial play-off matches with Piri Weepu another option at first-five - as well as Cruden.

The local betting TAB reacted to the news, with the All Blacks still hot favourites to win the tournament, easing out to $1.60, while South Africa dropped to $6 and Australia $7.

No. 7 Wisconsin Against No. 8 Nebraska in Big Ten Clash

2011-09-28T11:22:00.000+02:00

It is finally Nebraska-Wisconsin week after 13 months of anticipation since the Big Ten released the first football schedule to include the Cornhuskers.

Where : Camp Randall Stadium, MADISON, WI
When : 8:00 PM ET, October 1, 2011
TV : ABC

The question is whether Saturday night's game between the two 4-0 teams in Madison, Wisconsin., can live up to the hype.

The Wisconsin Badgers have burst out of the gates on the college football betting board to four straight victories over non-conference opponents and a combined score of 194-34 - htat's an average winning margin of 40 points!. Powered by transfer quarterback Russell Wilson, Wisconsin will look to carry over the momentum into a Week 5 home matchup with the #8-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers.

The #8 Huskers have been less impressive. They have won by an average of three touchdowns, but the defense has looked vulnerable and quarterback Taylor Martinez has been up and down. Still 4-0 is 4-0, and every win has been comfortable in the end.

Bet on the Big Ten rivalry and premier NCAA tilt at Bodog now.

With Wilson taking the snaps for Wisconsin, the Badgers have climbed from #11 in the preseason AP polls up to #7 with victories over teams like Oregon State and South Dakota.Now Wisconsin are facing the formidable Nebraska Cornhuskers in their first week of conference play, and Wisconsin will need their new quarterback to put together another big game. Through Weeks 1-4, Wilson has thrown over 1,100 yards and 11 touchdowns.

The Nebraska matchup will allow fans and critics looking to gauge Wisconsin’s legitimacy on the NCAA football futures board, but it poses a significant threat to the Badgers’ bid for an undefeated campaign.

With both programs heading into the match 4-0, the Big Ten debut will inevitably leave one fanbase dejected.Will Wilson continue to come through for his new campus or will the Huskers knock Wisconsin back in the standings?

Bet on college football now at Bodog

Inter fire manager Gasperini after just five games

2011-09-22T00:23:00.000+02:00

Inter Milan have dismissed coach Gian Piero Gasperini after a poor start to the new season.

The Italian club suffered their fourth defeat in five official games with a shock 3-1 reverse at newly-promoted Novara last night and Gasperini, who replaced Leonardo in the summer, has been let go. A statement from Inter read: “Inter announces that today’s training session has been carried out by Daniele Bernazzani and Giuseppe Baresi.

“The club wishes to thank Gian Piero Gasperini for the effort shown during his tenure and manifests its true disappointment for the interruption of the relationship with the coach.” Inter president Massimo Moratti questioned Gasperini’s leadership after yesterday’s 3-1 Serie A defeat at Novara. He said: “When you lose in the manner that we did against Novara, there is nothing positive to take from that. Gasperini did not seem to be in control.”

Gasperini, meanwhile, denied he had lost the backing of his players. “Moratti has declared that I don’t have the support of the players?,” he questioned. “The rapport with the group is optimum. If the problem is the coach, then it has an easy solution. If, instead, as I believe, the problem is another one, then we must resolve it through work.”

Inter have yet to announce who will replace Gasperini. They travel to Bologna on Saturday before taking on CSKA Moscow in Russia in the Champions League four days later.

2011 All Blacks v France - Kevin the sheep picks the winner

2011-09-21T00:12:00.000+02:00

It's the big game in Pool A this Saturday as New Zealand face France at Eden Park to determine the top two positions in the group.

Who can you turn to for an unbiased pick for this game?
Who else but PaddyPower and Kevin the sheep ...

Bet365 offer free in-play bet for Manchester United v Chelsea

2011-09-16T21:07:00.001+02:00

Man United host Chelsea at Old Trafford on Sunday(kick off 4pm UK time) and UK bookmaker Bet365 are offering ALL customersa fantastic free bet offer.

This is how it works:

Place a pre-match beton the Man Utd v Chelsea game and Bet365 will spot you a free In-Play bet to thesame stake on the big match.

To qualify for yourfree In-Play bet, simply place a bet before kick-off, then once the game startsplace another bet on any In-Play market. If your FIRST In-Play bet loses Bet365will refund this stake, up to the same value as your largest pre-match bet (max£50).

As always, there'llbe plenty to choose from with over 60 In-Play markets available throughout thegame including Next Goal, Match Goals, Total Corners, Half-Time Result,Full-Time Result and much more.

That's a top offer - so make sure the your match bet for Manchester United v Chelsea is made at Bet365

Aussie Sam Stosur wins US Open beating S.Williams 6-2 6-3

2011-09-12T00:29:00.000+02:00

Australian #9 seed Samantha Stosur produced some stunning tennis to deservedly beat Serena Williams and claim her first US Open womens tennis title - and Australia's first since Margaret Court in 1973.

It was Stosur's first major win of her career - and it was a win built on reliability as Stosur committed only 12 unforced errors during the match - compared to 25 from Williams.

While Stosur was composed and clam, Serena Williams was pouting, posturing and arguing with officials as she once again showed a complete lack of class when not actually winning - in scenes reminiscent of the 2009 semifinal against Kim Clijsters when Williams threatened a linesperson after a foot fault call.

Euro2012 contenders qualify for finals

2011-09-09T13:41:00.000+02:00

Four of Europe's leading football nations can start to prepare for the Euro2012 finals having sealed their places in Poland and Ukraine.

Germany were the first "non-host" side to make the finals with their eighth win out of eight qualifying games - thrashing Austria 6-2 and putting on a fine attacking display.

Defending European and World champions Spain also celebrated qualification with a 6-0 win over little Liechtenstein, while the Dutch are definitely there too after beating Finland 2-0 - although Holland are not quite guaranteed to win the group yet - but will be the best runner-up at least.

Italy were less stylish, but a late Giampaolo Pazzini goal beat Slovenia 1-0, and this was enough to send Italy through.

Spurs playmaker Rafael van der Vaart out for six weeks

2011-09-03T23:08:00.001+02:00

Tottenham midfielder Rafael van der Vaart has been ruled out for six weeks after suffering a hamstring tear.

The Dutch international suffered the injury in his left leg in last weekend's 1-5 home thrashing at the hands of Manchester City - and after an MRI scan and is not expected to return until the middle of October.

That means Van der Vaart will at least be unavailable for Premier League games against Wolves, Liverpool, Wigan and the north London derby against Arsenal at White Hart Lane.

He will also miss the start of Spurs' Europa League campaign, including meetings with PAOK Salonika and Shamrock Rovers.

Eurobet to close at the end of September

2011-09-02T01:52:00.001+02:00

Gala Coral have decided to stop trading using the Eurobet.com name and to close www.eurobet.com and all associated non-Italian Eurobet websites on Sept 30th 2011.

In light of the recently enacted and future announced changes in European territorial legislation, Gala Coral have decided to go forward with a single Coral.co.uk brand.

With this in mind registration will be closed to new players within the next 7 days and all player accounts will be closed at 5pm on Sept 30th.

This is not a failed bookmaker situation - all player funds are safe and secure in your Eurobet accounts and available for withdrawal.

Please complete all funds withdrawals by close of business on Oct 31st 2011.

Arsenal sign Mikel Arteta & Yossi Banyoun on transfer deadline day

2011-09-01T01:33:00.000+02:00

Arsenal have signed Everton's Mikel Arteta for £10m after the Spanish midfielder submitted a transfer request to force through the move.

Arteta, 29, joined the Gunners on a four-year contract just before the transfer window closed, Arteta joined Everton from Real Socieded for £2m in 2005 and has scored 35 goals in 208 appearances.

Arsenal also signed Chelsea's Yossi Benayoun, 31, on a season-long loan.

That takes Arsenal's recent number of signings to five since Arsenal were thrashed 2-8 at Old Trafford, all of them experienced players as Arteta and Benayoun join Brazil defender Andre Santos (28), German centre-back Per Mertesacker (26) and South Korea captain and striker Park Chu-Young.

The total price of these five purchases is around £25 million which matches the reported fee that Arsenal received from Manchester City for Samir Nasri.

That IS good business - well done Arsene Wenger and the rest of the Arsenal FC financial team .... FINALLY.

Arsenal to face Shrewsbury in Carling Cup 3rd Round

2011-08-30T04:35:00.000+02:00

Arsenal have been drawn to face Shrewsbury Town in the Third Round of the Carling Cup.

The teams have met just three times in competitive matches, most recently in February 1991 when Arsenal won 1-0 in an FA Cup tie at Shrewsbury.

Full Carling Cup Third-Round draw :

Cardiff City v Leicester City
Wolves v Millwall
Chelsea v Fulham
Aldershot Town or Carlisle United v Rochdale
Arsenal v Shrewsbury Town
Burnley v MK Dons
Leeds United v Manchester United
Brighton v Liverpool
Nottingham Forest v Newcastle United
Manchester City v Birmingham City
Blackburn Rovers v Leyton Orient or Bristol Rovers
Swindon Town or Southampton v Charlton or Preston North End
Everton v West Brom
Crystal Palace or Wigan v Middlesbrough
Aston Villa v Bolton Wanderers
Stoke City v Tottenham Hotspur

Ties played week commencing 19 September.

Manchester first and second is there anyone else in the EPL race?

2011-08-29T23:31:00.001+02:00

Three games into the season and the blistering starts from Manchester rivals United and City have been the talking points so far.

Both sides have three straight wins, both sides are scoring goals for fun, with Manchester United ahead of Manchester City on goal difference of +10 to +9.Followers of Chelsea and Liverpool will also be satisfied with their starts, although both sides look to be some way off the pace when compared to the Manchester duo.

At the bottom of the table North London fans will be "gutted" with the start that their sides have made.

Arsenal's woeful start was well forecast after manager Arsene Wenger failed to make any allowance for the departures of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri - both of whom have already looked in majestic form for their new clubs of Barcelona and Manchester City.

Spurs have also been inactive in the close season, and have had a tough opening fixture list, but losing 0-3 to Man United and then 1-5 to Man City was certainly not in Harry Redknapp's script.

We're still in August - and last season we saw Chelsea stumble after a superb start to the season - but still you do have to think that on the evidence of the opening rounds the league title is going to Manchester at the end of the season - even if the exact destination is still unknown.

EPL STANDINGS - TOP AND BOTTOM

POS TEAM     Pl GD Pts

1  Man Utd   3  10   9 

2  Man City  3   9   9 

3  Liverpool 3   4   7 

4  Chelsea   3   3   7 

5  Wolves    3   3   7 

..

17 Arsenal   3  -8   1 

---------------------- 

18 West Brom 3  -3   0 

19 Blackburn 3  -4   0 

20 Tottenham 2  -7   0

Manchester United 8-2 Arsenal

2011-08-29T01:51:00.006+02:00

Not much you can say about that - as Arsenal were comprehensively outplayed all around the park - well done to Manchester United!

If you want to see that action on video - then you're probably a masochist or a Manchester Utd fan - so here is a link to our latest Manchester United Videos page.

I imagine that it was just the response that United fans wanted after seeing Manchester City beat Spurs 5-1 at White Hart Lane earlier in the day.

However from an Arsenal point of view there is an overwhelming feeling of WTF? is going on as we watch Mr Wenger consistantly say that we don't need to spend. The really SAD thing is that part of me is thinking "thank f&ck that we actually scored in the league this season!"

Mr Wenger that wasn't a wake-up call ... it was a huge bloody screaming alert !!

So my multi-lingual manager ... let me put it to you this way :

- SPEND SOME MONEY,
- Dépenser de l'argent
- Etwas Geld ausgeben
- Spendere dei soldi
- Gastar algo de dinero
- Besteed wat GELD
- Spendera pengar
- Тратить деньги
- Biraz para harcamak
- Käyttää rahaa
- Töltsön egy kis pénzt
- Eyða einhverjum peningum
- 花些钱
- Petrece ceva BANI

I understand and appreciate all that Mr Wenger has done for Arsenal over the last decade, but this current situation does have a solution and Arsenal do have the cash.

Wenger is leaning very heavily on the goodwill that he's built up by refusing to take the obvious approach to fix a threadbare squad.

OI! WENGER - GET IT SORTED ...

Edin Dzeko scores four goals - pays out at 24/1 at Betfred!

2011-08-28T23:53:00.000+02:00

Top English bookmaker BetFred have paid out at odds of 24/1 on Edin Dzeko as first goalscorer after he scored 4 goals against Tottenham on Sunday.

Why? Because BetFred regularly offer extended payouts on first goalscorers if they go one to score again during the match.

DOUBLE DELIGHT : If your player scores the first goal of the match (either of the games above) and then goes on to score another, BetFred will double your first goalscorer price on that specific match.

HAT-TRICK HEAVEN : If your player scores the first goal of the match (either of the games above) and then goes on to score a hat-trick, BetFred will treble your first goalscorer price on that specific match.

So - after Dzeko scored four goals - BetFred have decided to keep the theme going and paid out all first goalscorer bets on Dzeko at FOUR times the quoted 6/1 price - so that's 24/1 to canny punters.

You can check out a summary of all the bookmaker cash-back and special offers on our dedicated page on the main site that we update daily.

Italian Serie A Season delayed - professional players go on strike

2011-08-26T23:11:00.000+02:00

The Italian football season will not begin this weekend due to a player strike over the league's collective bargaining agreement.

The AIC, the organisation which represents professional footballers in Italy, has taken the action in protest against two changes the league want to make to the contract.

1) Serie A clubs want the power to force players in the final year of their contract to train away from the first team.

2) Clubs are attempting to make players pay a "solidarity tax" which applies to the game's top earners.

A statement from AIC president Damiano Tomassi said : "The Players' Union takes into account the Lega's decision to turn down our last proposal and hence, confirms the intention of not going out on the pitch for the first round of Serie A games".

Gooner Adds :

What this means to you and me is - NO SERIE A FOOTBALL BETTING THIS WEEKEND

2011/12 UEFA Champions League group stage draw online

2011-08-25T21:38:00.001+02:00

Holders FC Barcelona will face AC Milan in the group stage while Bayern Munich, who will host the final this season, were given a tough section after the draw was made in Monaco today.

Group A was definitely the toughest group with teams from Germany, Spain, England and Italy in the group - making it a section that ANY side could win.

Manchester United were given an easy draw, while Arsenal and Chelsea will have some work to do in order to progress.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE GROUP STAGE DRAW

Group A: Bayern Munich, Villarreal, MAN CITY, Napoli
Group B: Inter Milan, CSKA Moscow, Lille, Trabzonspor
Group C: MAN UTD, Benfica, Basel, Otelul Galati
Group D: Real Madrid, Lyon, Ajax, D.Zagreb
Group E: CHELSEA, Valencia, B.Leverkusen, Genk
Group F: ARSENAL, Marseille, Olympiacos, B.Dortmund
Group G: FC Porto, Shakhtar Donetsk, Zenit SP, Apoel
Group H: Barcelona, AC Milan, Bate Borisov, Plzen

The group stage fixtures will be played on 13/14 September, 27/28 September, 18/19 October, 1/2 November, 22/23 November and 6/7 December

Trabzonspor replace Fenerbahce as Turkish entrant in Champions League

2011-08-24T22:14:00.000+02:00

Turkey's Football Federation has withdrawn national champions Fenerbahce from the Champions League because of an ongoing match-fixing investigation.

Fenerbahce were crowned league champions last term, pipping Trabzonspor to the Super Lig title with a dramatic 4-3 win at Sivasspor on the final day.

On Thursday the Turkish side were due to join 32 elite European clubs in the draw for the Champions League group stage being held in Monaco at 1645 BST - but Uefa has announced league runners-up Trabzonspor will take their place.

Trabzonspor had already been eliminated from this season's Champions League in the qualifying rounds.

The decision means that Trabzonspor's scheduled Europa League qualifier against Athletic Bilbao on Friday has been cancelled, with the Spanish club progressing automatically.

Russian club Anzhi sign Samuel Etoo from Inter Milan

2011-08-23T22:27:00.000+02:00

Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala have agreed a deal to sign Samuel Eto'o from Inter Milan for 21m euros (£18.4m).

Cameroonian international Eto'o, 30, joins on a three-year deal and will earn 10m euros per season.The transfer will be finalised when the striker undergoes a medical in Rome on Wednesday morning.

Anzhi players live and train at a training camp outside Moscow for security reasons and travel to Makhachkala for home games, flying about 1,250 miles 15 times a season.

Samir Nasri finally leaving Arsenal to go to Man City

2011-08-23T22:23:00.001+02:00

Manchester City have agreed terms with Arsenal for midfielder Samir Nasri, with the 24-year-old set for a medical.

Nasri trained with Arsenal on Tuesday morning ahead of the club's Champions League qualifier against Udinese on Wednesday, but has been omitted from the squad for the match.

The France international will travel to Manchester to finalise a deal, worth a reported £25m to the Gunners.

Nasri is in the final year of the Arsenal contract he signed in 2008.

Udinese likely to beat Arsenal - but Gunners might squeeze through anyway

2011-08-23T05:49:00.003+02:00

After watching Arsenal's first leg match where they beat Udinese 1-0, I've broken out the spreadsheet to estimate the likely second leg result.

Gooners Numb3rs Spreadsheet - Udinese v Arsenal

Qualifying for the group stage is worth around £30 million in various forms of income for Arsenal, from TV money, to UEFA participation money and gate receipts.

It's a BIG game, and manager Arsene Wenger's consistent refusal to strengthen the squad means that it is a very inexperienced Arsenal side is traveling to Italy.

My betting analysis after reviewing the sheet ? ... Ugggh ...
Get on Udinese to beat Arsenal at prices of 2.20+

A quick look at the match data shows that Arsenal have lost five of their last SIX away games in Europe - the sole exception being a 3-1 win over Partizan Belgrade - but those losses at Braga and Shaktar Donetsk seem more relevant to me.

Arsenal travel poorly in Europe, and seem to play with a lack of confidence away from the Emirates. After watching the first three games of this season - I can't see how Arsenal will even match last seasons form.

Overall, my spreadsheet weighs up the strength of the two sides and considers their European results before coming up with a rating that has Udinese as 35/100ths of a goal stronger once home advantage is factored in.

Last week it had Arsenal 1 or 2 goals stronger - and we know that Arsenal won 1-0. This time has Udinese at 51% to win - Arsenal at 26% - and that is suggesting that a price of around evens for the home win would be fair - so the current bookmaker offers of 2.20 to 2.40 must be taken.

There is some good news for Arsenal fans ... in that a single goal defeat could be enough to progress as long as Arsenal score a goal. After winning the home leg 1-0, the away goals rule means that a 1-2, or 2-3 loss will be enough for the Gunners to progress on away goals, as would a 0-1 loss with a penalty shoot-out win.

So even with Udinese figured at 51% to win ... Arsenal probably have a 60/40 chance of progression.

Finger's crossed then eh?

Valencia agree to sell Juan Mata to Chelsea

2011-08-23T04:02:00.000+02:00

Chelsea have agreed a fee with Spanish club Valencia to sign Juan Mata for a reported £23.5m.

The Stamford Bridge club said the deal was subject to Mata agreeing personal terms and passing a medical. "An agreement has been reached with Valencia for the transfer of midfielder Juan Manuel Mata," said a statement on the Chelsea website.

Spanish Football On Strike This Weekend

2011-08-19T23:49:00.000+02:00

Players in Spain's top two football divisions will go on strike on the first day of the season after Friday's negotiations with clubs on wage guarantees collapsed.

The Association of Spanish Footballers (AFE) is demanding players be allowed to break their contracts if they are not paid for three consecutive months - which seems fair enough quite frankly.

The Spanish league was supposed to start this weekend but around 200 players in the top two divisions have not been fully paid by cash-strapped clubs, some of which are in bankruptcy protection.

Players are said to be owed up to £43m in unpaid salaries.

Clubs involved in European competitions will continue playing with Villarreal facing a Champions League qualifying game next week and Athletic Bilbao, Sevilla and Atletico Madrid all playing Europa League matches.

Lotus boss Tony Fernandes completes QPR takeover

2011-08-18T23:27:00.000+02:00

Malaysian businessman Tony Fernandes has completed his takeover of Premier League newcomers QPR.

The 47-year-old has secured a 66% stake in the club, buying out previous majority shareholders Flavio Briatore and Bernie Ecclestone. Fernandes will work alongside the Mittal Family, who have retained their 33% stake.

"QPR is a raw diamond and hopefully I can contribute into turning it into a diamond," said Fernandes. "Everyone knows I've followed West Ham all my life but I've always had a soft spot for QPR," said Fernandes, who is also team principal of Formula 1's Team Lotus

Fabregas moves from Arsenal back to Barcelona

2011-08-15T00:46:00.000+02:00

Arsenal and Barcelona have confirmed they have reached an "agreement in principle" over the sale of Cesc Fabregas to the Spanish club.

It means the 24-year-old Fabregas is set to return to the club he left as a 16-year-old in 2003. He will now discuss personal terms (as if that hasn't already happened) and undergo a medical on Monday.

"We understand Cesc's desire to move to his home-town club and have now accepted an offer from Barcelona," said Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger. "We thank Cesc for his contribution at Arsenal and wish him future success."

Gooner adds : Cesc Fabregas played 303 matches for Arsenal and scored 57 goals. - Thanks for the 8 years of hard work and top quality effort Cesc ... good luck!

Tiger Woods misses cut in USPGA Championship

2011-08-13T02:18:00.000+02:00

Tiger Woods was a shadow of his former self as he missed only his third cut in a major as a professional with a second-round 73 in the US PGA.

The former world number one ended 10 over par to miss the cut by a distance after a day of struggles in Atlanta.

Woods shot a seven-over 77 on Thursday, his worst opening round ever on the PGA Tour, and was left needing a score of -3 or -4 on Friday to have a chance of making the top 70 players and making the cut.

But the 35-year-old Woods was a shadow of his best, landing in many bunkers and struggling with his distance control. Woods dropped shots at the fifth and seventh before showing some control with back-to-back birdies at eight and nine.

But a two-hole sequence soon after the turn sealed his fate. He made a double bogey after splashing from a bunker through the green on the 11th and into the water, and then hooked into trees twice on the long 12th to notch another double bogey.

Wenger says Fabregas and Nasri close to Arsenal exit

2011-08-12T00:22:00.001+02:00

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has said midfielders Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri are both close to finalising moves away from the club.

Fabregas is on the verge of signing for European champions Barcelona for a fee believed to be about £35m while Nasri is set to move to Manchester City with the clubs close to agreeing a fee between £22m and £24m.

Wenger also said "Ideally you want it to be sorted out before the season starts."

Gooner says "No kidding Sherlock!! That's only what the fans have been saying all summer about the transfer market - both buying and selling - while NOTHING has happened."

But both players had better be careful once they get wish for - as I could easily see both of them sitting on the bench for extended periods at their new clubs who have plenty of experienced midfield options.

Liverpool sign Jose Enrique from Newcastle United

2011-08-11T20:47:00.000+02:00

Liverpool have agreed a fee with Newcastle for Spanish defender Jose Enrique and now just need to agree personal terms and complete a medical.

Enrique had one year left on his contract at St James' Park and was disciplined by the club last month for criticising Newcastle's transfer policy on his Twitter account.

Enrique will become Dalglish's fifth signing of the summer and join Charlie Adam, Stewart Downing, Jordan Henderson and Doni at Anfield.

Liverpool's summer signings :
Stewart Downing (Aston Villa) £20m
Jordan Henderson (Sunderland) £16m
Charlie Adam (Blackpool) £8.5m
Doni (Roma) Free

EPL : Tottenham v Everton Postponed - due to riots

2011-08-11T14:03:00.000+02:00

Tottenham Hotspur's English Premier League match with Everton on Saturday has been postponed because of the riots in London.

Civil unrest in and around Tottenham began last weekend and quickly spread to other areas of the capital and major cities across England.

Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore said he was "positive" the other nine games in the opening round of top-flight fixtures would go ahead.

"The police have done a fantastic job, but it's been a crime scene all week and the council have not had enough time to do what they need. The other nine fixtures are looking positive, subject to any more trouble. The Tottenham game is a real shame but we support the police in what they are doing.

Germany beat Brazil 3-2 in Stuttgart

2011-08-11T00:47:00.000+02:00

Germany beat Brazil on Wednesday night winning 3-2 in a friendly international in Stuttgart.

Bastian Schweinsteiger opened the scoring for Germany from the penalty spobefore Mario Gotze doubled the German lead, capping off a fine attacking move.

Robinho reduced the deficit on 72 minutes, slotting home a spot-kick, but Andre Schurrle restored Germany's two-goal advantage as he lashed into the top corner before Neymar scored a late consolation goal.

Scoring Summary

Germany
Bastian Schweinsteiger (pen 61')
Mario Gotze (67')
Andre Schurrle (80')

Brazil
Robinho (pen 72')
Neymar (90')

England match against the Netherlands off after more London riots

2011-08-09T12:12:00.000+02:00

England's friendly against the Netherlands at Wembley on Wednesday has been called off following three nights of rioting in London.

The FA's managing director of Club England Adrian Bevington said "Disappointing for game to be called off, but very good communication with Met [Metropolitan Police], Brent [Council] and Government today - sensible decision."

Bert van Oostveen, chief executive of the Dutch federation the KNVB, explained: "The police in London could not guarantee the safety of our players and our supporters."

The England team were still planning to train as normal at London Colney on Tuesday morning, before returning to their respective clubs.