Monthly Archives: November 2017

A Look Back at Great Britain’s 33/1 Davis Cup Win

In November 2015 Great Britain won the Davis Cup for the first time in the modern era and since 1936.

They started the tournament as outsiders – those who bet on tennis could have got 33/1 with the bookmakers ahead of their first round tie against 7th seeds, the USA.

Andy Murray had recently moved up to world number 3 after reaching his fourth Australian Open final in six years. But Great Britain had no other household names or players ranked in the top 100 at the time.

Great Britain opened with Andy Murray beating Donald Young in the first rubber and then ending day one with a surprise 2-0 lead and James Ward upset world number 20 John Isner in five sets, winning 15-13 in the decider.

The reliable Bob and Mike Bryan pulled a game back for USA on day two but even they needed five sets, beating Dominic Inglot and Jamie Murray 9-7 in the fifth.
On the final day Andy Murray scored a 7-6 6-3 7-6 win over John Isner to seal Great Britain’s place in the quarter-finals before Donald Young won the dead rubber to make the official score 3-2.

Shortly after Wimbledon that year, Great Britain hosted number one seeds and favourites France at the Queen's Club, London.

The tie started off as expected with Gilles Simon beating James Ward in straight sets and Andy Murray tying the scores up for Great Britain at the end of day one with a 7-5 7-6 6-2 win over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

Team GB then went one up over the French with the Murray brothers defeating Nicolas Mahut and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in four sets.

Murray lost the opening set before beating Gilles Simon in four to win the fourth rubber and book a place in the semi-finals for Great Britain for the first time since 1981.

Australia had been 3-2 winners in each of their first two ties, including their victory over number 3 seeds Czech Republic in the first round.

Andy Murray got things off to a simple start with a 6-0 6-3 6-0 victory over Thanasi Kokkinakis before Bernard Tomic beat Dan Evans in four sets to end day one all square.

The doubles again proved key and the Murray brothers came out on top once more, this time defeating Sam Groth and Lleyton Hewitt in five sets.

Murray came back the following day to beat Bernard Tomic in straight sets to book Great Britain into their first final since 1978, before Thanasi Kokkinakis won the dead rubber for Australia.

Belgium were the other finalists and the event took place at the Flanders Expo in Ghent, Belgium between 27–29 November 2015.

Belgium themselves were 50/1 long shots at the start of the tournament and went into the final as 3/1 underdogs.

Kyle Edmund would surrender a 2-0 lead to lose 2-3 in the opening rubber before Andy Murray levelled the score with a 6-2 6-3 7-5 win over Ruben Bemelmans.

The Murray brothers continued their fine partnership with a four sets victory over Steve Darcis and David Goffin in the doubles match before Andy Murray brought home the Davis Cup trophy for Great Britain for the first time since 1936, with a 6-3 7-5 6-3 win over David Goffin.

The below infographic from Betfair details Great Britain’s history in the Davis Cup:

Green Bay Packers Could Have 2018 Draft Opportunity

Source: Packers_Fanly via Twitter

The Green Bay Packers' 2017 season turned on the fortune of one play. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers looked to throw on the run against the Minnesota Vikings but was taken to the ground by linebacker Anthony Barr.

The two-time MVP was on course for another outstanding campaign to lead the Packers on a surge into the playoffs. However, he suffered a fractured collarbone and will likely miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery to repair the ailment.

Backup Brett Hundley has been pressed into action over the last three matches. The 24-year-old has been unable to hit the ground running, resulting in three-straight defeats for Green Bay.

Mike McCarthy's men have fallen from 4-1 to 5-4 in their campaign, and are staring down the possibility of missing the post-season for the first time since 2008. This is highlighted in the club's NFL odds to win the NFC North at +800, making a surge for the playoffs unlikely unless Hundley improves significantly.

Green Bay's flaws have been exposed without the presence of Rodgers. The 33-year-old carried the team to the NFC Championship game last season on the back of a number of sensational performances, including a brilliant effort in the Divisional Round against the Dallas Cowboys.

Without his presence, the Packers don't even look half the team. They were defeated by the New Orleans Saints at Lambeau Field, while the Detroit Lions also eased to a comfortable victory on the road. Lambeau has been a fortress for McCarthy's men and defeats will not sit well with the Packers' faithful.

On the other hand, their defeats will push them towards the top end for selection in the 2018 Draft. The Packers usually select in the late 20s, limiting the talent available to them in the drafting process. However, this time could be different if the Packers continue to struggle.

Clay Matthews has been a standout since being drafted in 2009 but age is becoming a factor for the linebacker, who will be 32 at the start of next season. Therefore, the Packers could use a potential top-10 pick on an edge-rusher.

Source: SECCountryLSU via Twitter

There's no player of Myles Garrett's quality available in the selection process in 2018. Arden Key could be the best pass-rusher available for his form at the LSU Tigers this season. He has notched four sacks and 5.5 tackles for a loss in 2017, boosting his fine form from the last campaign.

The 21-year-old fits into the Packers' defensive scheme as a 3-4 outside linebacker and would not be expected to play immediately due to the presence of Matthews and Nick Perry.

It all depends on where Green Bay end up in the draft order as his talent is very intriguing. Dorance Armstrong Jr has not been dominant getting to the quarterback this term, with just one sack for Kansas this term, but he does have eight tackles for a loss.

He fits the scheme of Dom Capers and, before he drew the attention of opposing offenses, the linebacker did put up huge statistics with 10 sacks in his sophomore year.

North Carolina State's Bradley Chubb is a defensive end rather than a linebacker, which would not be a fit for the scheme. However, his talent is arguably stronger than that of Keys and Armstrong Jr, notching 17.5 tackles for a loss and seven sacks this term.

He has put forward a lot of good tape for NFL teams to consider and his performances might be enough to sway the Packers to take a player that is not a natural fit.

Although the 2017 campaign could be a disappointing one for McCarthy's men, it could be the start of a new dawn for the club on defense.

How the Playoff Contenders Shape Up after NFL Trade Deadline Ends

While NFL trades traditionally lack the excitement of the big splashes frequently made in the NBA, this year has been somewhat different, with a number of major trades occurring just before the October 31 deadline. Here are some of the biggest moves made on, or close to, the deadline, and how this year's playoff contenders were affected by the moves.

Seahawks (and Russell Wilson) gets boost on offensive line

Super Bowl contenders Seattle Seahawks received an upgrade along the offensive line in the form of Duane Brown, giving Russell Wilson his best blindside protection in his six years of playing in the NFL. Throughout the first eight games of the season, Wilson has been forced to confront the second-highest pressure rate in the entire league, at 42.6%. The Seahawks were rumored to be interested in Bills' left tackle Cordy Glenn, with WR Jimmy Graham going the other way. While that deal failed to materialize, they managed to agree trade terms with the Houston Texans. In exchange, the Texans received experienced cornerback Jeremy Lane, along with the Seahawks' 2018 fifth-round draft pick and a second-round selection in 2019.

Pats need No. 12 now more than ever

Speaking of the Super Bowl champions, the 49ers improved their QB situation after trading for Jimmy Garoppolo, who Patriots fans were hoping would be heir to Tom Brady’s throne when the five-time Super Bowl winning QB eventually retires. The 49ers may not be going anywhere after the regular season, but their trade partner is looking to win its second consecutive championship – a feat New England has yet to achieve. The Pats received a second-round draft pick in exchange for Garoppolo.

Jimmy Garopollo by ShoneBK (CC-BY-SA-4.0)

The Patriots remain the favorite to win Super Bowl LII, with the Westgate Las Vegas Super Book offering odds of +350. NFL fans may find better value, however, by taking advantage of free bet offers such as those featured at Champion Bets. If you don't feel the Patriots are going to make it back to the dance this year, there are other contenders in the running – not least, the third favorite, Philadelphia Eagles.

Best team in NFL gets stronger

The Philadelphia Eagles, arguably the best team in the league, took another step towards the playoffs when they upgraded their backfield after acquiring Jay Ajayi from the Miami Dolphins. It may not be the best move for the young man from London, however, as he has gone from a situation where he was the feature back to playing on a running back by committee, already featuring Wendell Smallwood, Corey Clement, and LeGarrette Blount. Winning may prove to be a near cure-all for Ajayi, however, after the Dolphins' recent 40-0 shutout at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens. The Dolphins received a fourth-round pick for the RB. A team that was undoubtedly happy to hear about the trade was Miami's AFC East divisional rivals the Buffalo Bills, who conceded 420 yards to Ajayi in two games against the Dolphins last year.

Bills send star DT to Jacksonville

“Marcell Dareus” (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Keith Allison

Perhaps the biggest trade of all was the move of Marcel Dareus to Jacksonville. The two-time Pro-Bowler was a noose around the Bills’ neck, as he did’t fit in with the culture that new head coach/general manager tandem Sean McDermott and Brandon Beans are tying to install at One Bills Drive.The Bills are surprising people with a 4-0 home record and are right up there with the Patriots in the AFC East. Dareus has been injured and rotated along the Bills defensive line and their defence seems to have gotten along fine in the process. Dareus' contract is huge, which is why the Bills only received a sixth-round pick in return. While Buffalo will be eating up a lot of dead money, it's perhaps the best move for all concerned. ‘Mr. Big Stuff' will be suiting up for former Bills head coach, Doug Marrone.

2017 Breeders’ Cup

The Breeders' Cup 2017 takes place at Del Mar race course over the 3rd and 4th of November as the top Dirt and Turf horses do battle from around the World. With prize money now having risen to a whopping $28 million it is clear that many of the top horses from around the globe will be heading over.

One of the top hopes for the home side is expected to come from the 5 year old Stellar wind as he tackles the Breeders’ Cup Distaff for the second year in succession. He went into the race last year as the well fancied 5/2 second favourite but broke slowly away and couldn’t get involved finishing a remote fourth behind both Beholder and favourite Songbird. This year Stellar wind is the clear 2/1 favourite with Paddy Power having remained unbeaten throughout 2017 winning his three races.

The clear danger is expected to come from last year’s 25/1 3rd place finisher in Forever Unbridled. The horse is going into this year’s race as the 3/1 second favourite with Paddy Power having also remained unbeaten throughout 2017 setting up a key clash after the 2016 running of the Distaff. Forever Unbridled has won on both race course visits in 2017 including beating the Distaff 2016 second in Songbird.

However we will not get to see the anticipated clash with the superstar Songbird as she has now been retired following an incredible career in which she won 13 of her 15 career starts and finished in 2nd on the other two occasions. Check out the infographic below that covers all you need to know about the Breeders' Cup and the key contenders from the US and Europe.