Monthly Archives: September 2017

Can Anybody Stop The Los Angeles Dodgers This Season?

Source: Los Angeles Dodgers via Facebook

At the time of writing, the Los Angeles Dodgers are the only Major League Baseball franchise to have won more than 100 matches this season – an incredible record to say the least. Last year, the Chicago Cubs were the one franchise to really stand out in the regular season and they went on to beat the Cleveland Indians to the World Series. Could the Dodgers emulate that feat this time around? They are certainly on track to push their rivals close.

The latest MLB odds on bet365 show the Dodgers at 13/4 and it is easy to see why. In recent weeks, Los Angeles have blown some of their closest competitors out of the water and they remain the strongest and most complete franchise in baseball. The likes of Cody Bellinger, Justin Turner, and Corey Seager can fire the Dodgers to victory in the coming months – all three men are reliable with the bat.

Incredibly, Bellinger has 39 home runs this campaign; the joint-fifth highest figure in Major League Baseball. In addition, Turner and Seager are renowned for their batting average and consistency to hit the ball, particularly at Dodger Stadium. Home form could prove crucial in the playoffs, especially if the Dodgers genuinely believe that they can challenge for the World Series.

Los Angeles have won 57 of their 81 home games this campaign and Dodger Stadium has blossomed into a real MLB fortress. The Dodgers have had to deal with plenty of hype in recent times but the general mood in Los Angeles is somewhat different this season. Having claimed five West Division titles in a row, manager Dave Roberts has built a team that is capable of competing at the top of Major League Baseball – it is their time to go all out for the showpiece prize.

When it comes to pitching, look no further than Clayton Kershaw. The 29-year-old has been outstanding this season and he has certainly earned his $215,000,000 contract. He is the ninth highest paid sportsman on the planet but Los Angeles won’t care too much if Kershaw is able to lead the Dodgers to the World Series. With 200 strikeouts, 18 wins and a 2.21 ERA, an injury to the Los Angeles star could prove detrimental to their title aspirations.

The Cleveland Indians and Houston Astros are both in top form right now and Los Angeles will need plenty of luck if they are to win the big prize. Both franchises have won eight of their last 10 MLB games – a slightly better record in recent times than the Dodgers. In the grand scheme of things, the odd result doesn’t matter but building momentum is absolutely essential ahead of the grueling playoffs schedule.

MLB fans, the World Series is fast approaching and the Los Angeles Dodgers, the best team in the business for the most part of the regular season, could be involved. With a number of high-profile players in the form of their careers, Los Angeles will be expecting to compete in the latter stages of the playoffs at least. Watch this space, the Dodgers could be right in the mix in the coming months.

Top Seven Teams to Win the NFL Super Bowl 52

The first week of the 2017/2018 NFL season has just passed, and everything looks already upside down for the long-term Super Bowl champions New England Patriots who were shamefully defeated by Kansas City Chiefs in the opening match. What does this tell us about the most watched game in the world? How can we be sure of anything anymore? This said the 52nd edition of the Super Bowl is no different from its predecessor, as surprising first defeats at the start of the championship are no exception in the Super Bowl. After all, last year the Patriots stole the trophy, registering their sixth Super Bowl victory. Looking at these controversial historical matches, fans and punters could only wonder how best to predict the grand final in Minnesota next February. It seems everything is up in the air for the NFL, which is what makes the game so exciting to watch and wager on. For those of you who are attracted by the big betting prizes, get to know the 2017/2018 best and worst moments and where the odds are in your favour. This is certainly a daunting task with all the confusion around the different bets, but nowadays you are one click away from taking a detailed online betting guide suitable for newbies which make playing at a sportsbook easy to understand. For starters, let’s look at the NFL basics and what the bookies have predicted so far.

How does the Super Bowl Work?

As everybody knows, the NFL is the US premier football championship which poises 32 teams from the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC) to compete against each other in a season of division home and visiting matches and 10 other match-ups. In recent years, the NFL's popularity grew overseas, with international NFL matches being played at Wembley and Twickenham most commonly. During the season the 12 best teams, winners of their divisions and selected from the wild card rounds get to play at the conference championship round for the best team in the NFL and AFC to get to the final Super Bowl game. The NFL is deemed to be the greatest sporting event on the calendars of many Americans, with high-profile celebrities such as Lady Gaga providing for a night of half-time’s entertainment. As the season gets to speed and the Patriots’ odds have quickly been readjusted across all sportsbooks, we’ve decided to shed some light on the most viable Super Bowl predictions so far.

What do the Bookies and Punters Say?

Earlier this summer, bookmakers wanted us to believe the obvious that the Patriots would be the number 1 bet for winning the Super Bowl, but after several injuries suffered during its most recent defeat when playing a host to the opening game, the odds are not so favourable anymore. However, we shouldn’t underestimate Bill Belichick’s arduous work to prepare the team on both new defence and attack strategies. This defeat of the Patriots gave a heads up to other unlikely teams like the Kansas City Chiefs who everybody omitted from their predictions, but now according to Nate Silver’s NFL Predictions model , the Chiefs have an increase of 14% against just 10% for the Patriots and Atlanta Falcons who have come second in the charts. In fact, the Chiefs are a bit of a clusterfuck for the bookies and the punters, as nobody has really thought they could head the AFC Championship game. However, most bookmakers are anonymous that they’ll make the playoffs this year. This said, the sportsbooks odds vary significantly from game to game, and it’s always best to check trustworthy reference sites like the top rank lists of betting providers on TopRatedBettingSites.co.uk. Having discussed the Patriots and the Chiefs, let’s move on to the other 5 teams who stand a good chance to get to the final game.

Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks might have started off on the wrong foot last season when the team lost Wilson and Earl Thomas to injuries, but if they could only grab their luck in their hands, they surely can turn the tables for the Patriots and be their most dangerous contestant for the NFC Championship cup.

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers have long boasted about their ingenious plan to slow down Patriot's Brady, while still relying on their impeccable offence. However, their history of injuries will be their worst enemy in the battle for the Super Bowl trophy.

Green Bay Packers

As with every other counterpart to the Patriots, the Packers will have to worry about their defence. However, the team’s most glorious moments continue to be defined by its strongest asset – Aaron Rodgers. So, watch out for this one!

Dallas Cowboys

As with the other three most viable contestants, the Cowboy’s offence will continue to be their strongest weapon, especially when we now see that Dak Prescott has recovered from its latest injury.

Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons are the least possible candidate among the above four, as the team is young and has never made it to the Super Bowl. However, they’ve already met the Patriots in February this year, which is a good enough reason for the Falcons to be the team to progress the farthest in the NFL.

Who Will Win the UEFA Champions League in 2017/2018? Our Top Expert Predictions

The Champions League returned last week to Wembley, and the games look tighter than ever, with Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane securing the unbelievable 3:1 against Borussia Dortmund who beat the Spurs 5-1 in the 2015-16 Europa League quarter-finals. Who of the 32 clubs will get to the semi-finals and who will be the ultimate winner of the finals is what’s on everybody’s lips. The Internet is buzzing with predictions from fans, amateurs and professional commentators and punters, but how do we judge what really will happen? If you’re a keen soccer fan, you’d probably stick with your club until the end of days, but knowing where to look for the right type of odds is crucial if you’d like to make some money while enjoying the games. Every player needs information about the rankings of the great online bookmakers and their apps in order to gamble on the internet. Having found the best betting deals online, consider spending some time studying the history of the teams competing against your club. We know that many of you simply don’t have the time to dig deeper, so to make the most of your bets today we’re going to look at the best predictions for the 2017/2018 Champions League finals.

What do the Fans Think?

Recently the Guardian has asked its readers and Champion League fans to cast their predictions on which of all the 32 clubs playing this year would win the finals. The results of the experiment were surprising, with only one respondent being certain of their favourite team to win. However, hopes are higher amidst supporters of Atletico Madrid who stand a real chance to finally get their hands on the duck for the first time. The other obvious contestants to be so close to the finals are Celtic who’ll be hosting two matches and have a track record of beating Barcelona, Juventus and Manchester United in previous editions of the Champions League. On the other hand, Basel looks as if they might pull a hidden card out of their sleeve, as the whole club was recently changed and reshuffled. However, the proven winners Manchester City and United are sure not to give up without a fight. This season is also exciting for Real Madrid’s fans, as the team has the opportunity to scrape its third consecutive victory in the Champions League, but the recent replacements of the more mature Morata and Danilo with younger footballers might prove detrimental in these last decisive games.

Everything You Need to Know about the Champions League in 2017/2018

If Tottenham pulled up a surprising twist at the very beginning of the Champions League, Manchester United quickly stole the spotlights when the team beat Basel 3-0 and swiftly returned to the League after its last season defeat to reach the European top table. However, this first win came with its costs for the team, as Paul Pogba got injured in the 19th minute of the first half. Speaking of Man United, players of the rank of Marouane Fellaini and Romelu Lukaku is to be closely watched. There a lot of hopes put into Tottenham's Kane to finally be able to join the top Euro club, but there will be always a Messi to raise up the bar for novices like Kane. The Champions League has lost some of its unpredictability in recent years, as the backstage life of sponsorship has taken over the traditional competition. This said we can safely assume that the teams of Manchester United, Liverpool, Juventus, Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich, Manchester City and Atletico Madrid will continue to raise up in the ranks to come first in their respective groups. Those who come second or drop down to Europa League like Barcelona, Real Madrid, Basel and possibly Tottenham will face tight games that will certainly make for the awaited heightened excitement in the commentators’ box, as well as on the punters’ records. The matches that will most likely determine the finalists are those between Barcelona and Juventus and Celtic and Paris Saint-Germain.

Who Else but Real Madrid?

Most soccer analysers online have their bets on Real Madrid after their sensational comeback in the last season when they became the first team to win the trophy two consecutive times after beating Juventus in Cardiff in June. Moreover, they’ve already exposed Manchester United’s weaknesses during the Super Cup. Real’s arsenal of superstars of the like of Zinedine Zidane and Marco Asensio will certainly make Manchester United and PSG’s life more difficult, but PSG is not to be underestimated. If Real Madrid is to face any great dangers this season, it will start with PSG’s young team of already rising soccer stars like Edinson Cavani. However, PSG was beaten by Manchester City earlier this year, which really leaves a place for only one true contestant to Real in the face of Manchester City's rebuilt offence. However, City also faces the problem of their weak defence, so as long as the ball is on the opponent's field, they can relax. This is not to say that both Manchester teams won't get through their groups. On the contrary, you should keep your eyes peeled when the Red Devils are playing next, as Mourinho will certainly come up with a different idea how to swing the game. According to different online polls, fans believe that Real will win the trophy for the third time, but frankly, the Super League hasn’t seen such a lucky game. Other potential competitors to contest the trophy are Paris St Germain who invested enormous sums in their squad which has now repaid in a formidable attack and great midfield.

What about Chelsea?

Nobody has openly spoken about Chelsea, but we believe that while they might not be able to overcome Real Madrid, they will certainly be the team to progress the farthest in the Champions League. The secret of their success is the fact that when compared to the teams of Manchester United or Manchester City, Chelsea is possibly the most balanced team in terms of attack and defence on the field this season.

Did We Mention Liverpool?

Few are speaking with so much enthusiasm about Liverpool, but a recent study from Gracenote found that their draw with Bayern Munich, PSG and Anderlecht made them the club most likely to proceed from group stage to the knockout stage. Currently, Liverpool is positioned just after Manchester United and before Manchester City in a poll on which British team will manage to go farthest in the League. Therefore, Liverpool is not to be left overlooked, as Gracenote was the company that accurately predicted 15 of the 16 teams that continued to the League’s knockout stage last season. Enough of predictions, you surely had enough of contradicting theories already, but if you’re looking for the most certain way to know who to bet on, check BestBettingApplications.co.uk for fresh tips on the best apps for busy punters on the go.