Bet Central Podcast: Recent Episodes
Carl Lewis
The Bet Central Podcast is a sports betting podcast that covers a range of sports from football, rugby, cricket, UFC, to the NBA and so much more in between.
Mastos and David are back for another #Masterclass, powered by Bet.co.za - and they are coming from a winner in their last podcast. This week, they picked 10 games from Premier League, Bundesliga, LaLiga, Ligue 1, Serie A and the Eredivisie, with this week’s multi coming to 25.61 odds. As always, they also share and discuss their research behind the selections, and give some general betting advice and share one code for Betcoza. Good luck.
Mitch and Grant are back for the final time to preview the EPL's round 10 of action. All eyes are on Man Utd on Sunday as they host Chelsea without Erik Ten Hag. Can they show a response and continue their strong recent record versus the Blues at Old Trafford? On Saturday, the action begins with Arsenal's trip to Newcastle and Liverpool hosting a dangerous Brighton side. On Sunday, we also get enjoy a potential goal-fest as Tottenham play host to Aston Villa before Monday's final fixture sees Fulham welcome Brentford. You can get tactical talk and top tips on all ten fixtures right here!
Ferrari scored their second consecutive Grand Prix win in Mexico City with an inspired drive by Carlos Sainz. Lando Norris finished second and took 10 points out of Max Verstappen's lead in the driver's standings. This weekend sees the final race of the triple-header with the iconic Interlagos circuit hosting round 21 of the championship. McLaren head to Brazil as the favourites with Ferrari not far behind. Red Bull had a disastrous race in Mexico and are likely to face competition from Mercedes on the periphery of the rostrum. Bet Central's Sean Parker is joined by Mary-Anne Wakefield to preview the Sao Paulo GP.
Zach Lowy speaks to Ben Mattinson (@Ben_Mattinson_) and Juan Buxadé (@JuanitoBuxade) about Nuno Tavares, Leverkusen’s recent struggles, Barcelona’s Clásico dominance, Nice’s derby win, Kenan Yildiz and plenty more on the latest episode of Zach Lowy’s European Football Show.
Mitch and Grant are back to preview a big weekend in the EPL. Arsenal vs Liverpool on Sunday is the weekend highlight as the Gunners look to extend their unbeaten run vs the Reds despite the absence of William Saliba due to suspension. Chelsea host Newcastle in another big match whilst West Ham welcome a struggling Man Utd on Sunday. On Saturday, Man City host a leaky Southampton side with Erling Haaland backed to score two or more goals. We preview all ten fixtures of an exciting weekend, giving you the top betting tips, tactical insight and goalscorer predictions!
Ferrari scored a surprise one-two finish in the United States last week to set up another thrilling battle for this weekend's Mexico Grand Prix. The stage is set at Formula 1's highest track: Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. It sits over 2200m above sea level and is challenging for teams and drivers due to the thinner air which saps engine power and can cause altitude sickness for drivers. All eyes will be on Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull as they battle at the apex of the grid. With five races remaining, Ferrari are only 48 points behind first-placed McLaren in the constructors' standings. Bet Central's Sean Parker is joined by Mary-Anne Wakefield to preview the Mexico GP.
Mitch, Dave and Grant are back to preview the three rounds of matches in the UEFA Champions League. On Tuesday, we have a repeat of last season's final as Real Madrid face Dortmund. Will Kylian Mbappe find the back of th net again for Los Blancos against a BVB side with two wins in the competition so far? On Wednesday, Liverpool travel to RB Leipzig on a fine run under Arne Slot. The Reds are big favourites due to the Red Bulls' poor recent record in Europe. In the final big match previewed, Barcelona face Bayern Munich as Hansi Flick takes on his former club. Robert Lewandowski and Harry Kane are scoring freely and may be worth backing the goalscorer market! We also have one of Dave's multiple slips to enjoy - code: CMKPH.
Mitch and Grant are back after the FIFA break to preview round eight of the English Premier League. There is only place to start and that is at Anfield on Sunday as table-topping Liverpool host a resurgent Chelsea side. Will the clubs play out an eighth draw in their last ten clashes? The action begins on Saturday as Tottenham host West Ham before Man Utd welcome Brentford to Old Trafford. The Bees are struggling on their travels with 13 losses in their last 17 away matches. The action ends on Saturday with Arsenal's trip to an out-of-form Bournemouth. On Sunday, Man City travel to bottom-placed Wolves who have leaked 21 goals in their seven matches. Tune in for all the top tips and tactical insight!
Mastos and David are back for another #Masterclass, powered by Bet.co.za - looking at their top picks from Europe top leagues. Overall they picked out eight games from Premier League, Bundesliga and Ligue 1 and LaLiga this week, coming to 10.56 odds. As always, they also share and discuss their research behind the selections, and give some general betting advice and share one code for Betcoza. Good luck.
Mitch and Grant are back after the FIFA break to preview the second edition of the Carling Black Label Cup. The action begins on Friday as AmaZulu host holders Stellenbosch FC in Durban. On Saturday, Orlando Pirates are expected to cruise past Magesi FC whilst Mamelodi Sundowns play host to Golden Arrows without the injured Themba Zwane. The action rounds up with Gavin Hunt's SuperSport United hosting an improving Kaizer Chiefs in Polokwane. On Sunday, last year's runners up, TS Galaxy host Chippa United in one of two fixtures to enjoy. Tune in for all the tips and tactical talk!
Formula 1 returns after a month-long hiatus with a Sprint weekend at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) for the United States Grand Prix. The 5.5km long circuit has been resurfaced and track limits have been extended slightly after many lap times were deleted last year. Tyre degradation is always a talking point at COTA and teams can factor in either a two or three stop race. All eyes will be on Lando Norris who is chasing Max Verstappen to claim his maiden title, but the Red Bull driver remains the favourite to land a fourth world championship and holds a 52-point lead. Sean Parker and Mary-Anne Wakefield preview the US GP and give their predictions.
Mastos and David are back for another #Masterclass, powered by Bet.co.za - looking at their top picks from Europe top leagues. Overall they picked out eight games from Premier League, Bundesliga and Serie A this week, coming to 11.74 odds. As always, they also share and discuss their research behind the selections, and give some general betting advice and share one code for Betcoza. Good luck.
Mitch and Grant return to preview an exciting weekend in the English Premier League. Sunday sees the two most enticing fixtures: Aston Villa plays host to a struggling Man Utd, and Brighton vs. Tottenham promises to be a goal-fest! The round gets started with 18th-placed Crystal Palace hosting table-topping Liverpool in the early kickoff on Saturday. Arsenal and Man City will both fancy their chances of convincing wins at home to Southampton and Fulham respectively in the 4pm slot. Tune in to hear the top tips and tactical insight for all ten fixtures!
Zach Lowy speaks to Toni Afoké (@ToniAfoke) and Karan Tejwani (@karan_tejwani26) about Bradley Barcola's meteoric ascent, Antoine Griezmann's international retirement, Ipswich's impressive start, why the Erik ten Hag era may be coming to an end soon at Manchester United, the state of play at Ajax, and plenty more on the latest episode of Zach Lowy's European Football Show.
Mitch, Dave and Grant are back to preview the second batch of Champions League action. On Tuesday, Arsenal host PSG in the week's headline fixture. Will the Gunners get a home win against the Parisians, who are without a reliable number nine? On the same night, Dave's Bayer Leverkusen side hosts an improving AC Milan with goals tipped in Germany. On Wednesday, Mitch's beloved Real Madrid travel to face Lille with a victory expected. The preview is rounded up by Bayern Munich's trip to a leaky Aston Villa and RB Leipzig playing host to Juventus. As always, Dave Kappel has one of his famous multiple tickets which offer big returns! The code on betcoza is: 9JXBF.
Mastos and David are back for another #Masterclass, powered by Bet.co.za - looking at their top picks from Europe top leagues. Overall they picked out eight games from Premier League, Bundesliga, Serie A and Ligue 1, coming to 19.64 odds. As always, they also share and discuss their research behind the selections, and give some general betting advice and share one code for Betcoza. Good luck.
Mitch and Grant return to preview round six of the EPL season. It all begins with Man City's trip to Newcastle in the early kickoff. Will Erling Haaland add to the ten league goals he has scored this season already? In the 4pm kickoffs, Chelsea host Brighton and Arsenal welcome Leicester City to the Emirates Stadium. Liverpool travel to a leaky Wolves side in the late kickoff intending to score several goals at the Molineux. The weekend is headlined though by Man Utd versus Tottenham at 5.30pm on Sunday. Will we be treated to a goal-fest? Tune in for all your top tips and tactics talk!
Zach Lowy speaks to Tom Overend (@tovers98) and Kaustubh Pandey (@Kaus_Pandey17) about Torino's table-topping form, Sevilla's decline, Chelsea's ownership tension, Marseille's last-gasp win vs. Lyon, Daniele De Rossi's dismissal, and plenty more on the latest episode of Zach Lowy's European Football Show.
Mitch and Grant are back to preview the fourth round of action in the English Premier League. All eyes are on Sunday's clash at the Etihad Stadium as Man City play host to Arsenal. Can the Gunners keep a third straight clean sheet vs Pep Guardiola's team with Erling Haaland being marked out of the game once again? The action begins though on Saturday as West Ham host Chelsea in a London derby. Liverpool will want to bounce back at Anfield from their defeat last weekend and Man Utd travel to Crystal Palace in the late game. Tune in for all the team news, tactical analysis and predictions across the ten fixtures of an exciting weekend of betting!
The teams head to Singapore for the second consecutive race at a street circuit.The 5.063km long Marina Bay track will see the drivers battle under the lights in hot and humid conditions. The big news is the addition of a fourth DRS zone and the track has been resurfaced at several turns. McLaren and Ferrari are favourites for the race win, with Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc both in strong form. Sean Parker and Mary-Anne Wakefield preview the Singapore GP and give their predictions.
Zach Lowy speaks to Fuad Cadani (@FuadCadani) and James (@afcjxmes) about the North London Derby, Jesus Navas' impending retirement, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg's swift transition to life in Ligue 1, Jadon Sancho's Chelsea debut and plenty more in the 60th episode of Zach Lowy's European Football Show.
Mitch, Grant and Dave are back to preview the start of a new Champions League campaign. With a different format and games to enjoy from Tuesday to Thursday this week, the trio focus on the four most mouthwatering fixtures. On Tuesday, AC Milan host Liverpool as two new coaches hope for a fast start in Europe. On Wednesday, Man City host Inter Milan in a repeat of the 2022-23 final. On Thursday, Europa League holders Atalanta will host Arsenal in a tempting tussle before Atletico Madrid vs RB Leipzig. Tune in for all the tactical talk, top tips and team news as well as Dave Kappel's famous multiplier slip... you can find that using the code YWJCH on bet.co.za!
After nearly four months, the Premier Soccer League returns on Saturday! Mitch and Grant are back to preview the first round of action with a particular eye on the big moves during this transfer window. Kaizer Chiefs travel to Bloemfontein on Saturday to face Marumo Gallants with seven new faces in their squad. Can the Glamour Boys make a surprise title challenge? Also on Saturday, Cape Town City, with a newly signed midfield trio, will travel to Royal AM, who are still under a FIFA transfer ban. The action continues next midweek with Mamelodi Sundowns look to beat Tshwane rivals SuperSport United and end a run of four losses in the last five domestic fixtures. The big games conclude on Wednesday with Orlando Pirates hosting Chippa United. Tune in for the transfer talk and top tips ahead of this first round of PSL action!
Mitch and Grant return after the FIFA break to preview all ten of Round Four fixtures in the English Premier League. Things get underway with Man Utd travelling to Southampton as Erik Ten Hag's team looks to end a two-match losing streak. Later that day, we have Liverpool welcoming Nottingham Forest to Anfield and Man City playing host to Brentford with two home wins expected. Saturday is wrapped up by Chelsea's trip to face Bournemouth with plenty of goals expected. On Sunday, all eyes on are the North London derby as a makeshift Arsenal midfield will be needed with Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard ruled out. Will we see a goalfest or a cagey affair to finish off the action? Tune in for all the top tips and tactical talk!
Formula 1 is back with a double-header with the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku up first before traveling to Singapore for another street race. Charles Leclerc's brilliant home win for Ferrari has brought the team back into contention at the top and they'll go head-to-head with McLaren for the win. Lando Norris' main rival in the past few races hasn't been Max Verstappen but rather McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri. Will we finally see team orders in Baku? Sean Parker and Mary-Anne Wakefield preview the Azerbaijan GP and give their predictions.
Mastos and David are back for another #Masterclass, powered by Bet.co.za - and they are coming from picking 15/16 selections right over the last two weeks. Because it’s international break they picked some UEFA Nations League clashes. As always, they also share and discuss their research behind the selections, and give some general betting advice and share one code for Betcoza. Good luck.
Zach Lowy speaks to Alex Goldberg (@AlexGoldberg_) and Will Reyner (@willreyner) about Bournemouth’s historic comeback win, Andrey Santos’ impressive form at Strasbourg, how Leipzig ended Leverkusen’s unbeaten run, Nicolas Jackson’s potential , and plenty more on the latest episode of Zach Lowy’s European Football Show.
Mastos and David are back for another #Masterclass, powered by Bet.co.za - and this week they are coming fresh of a 26 odds winner from last week’s Masterclass. They again picked out eight games from Premier League, Bundesliga, LaLiga Ligue 1 and Serie A, coming to 14.33 odds. As always, they also share and discuss their research behind the selections, and give some general betting advice and share one code for Betcoza. Good luck.
Mitch and Grant return for gameweek three in the world's biggest and best league. All eyes will be on Liverpool's trip to Old Trafford to face Manchester United on Sunday. Which of the bald, Dutch coaches will come out on top in arguably the football calendar's most high-profile clash? Arsenal host Brighton to start the weekend after two wins apiece so far. On Sunday, Chelsea host Crystal Palace and we have a potential goal-fest as Newcastle welcome Spurs to St. James' Park. You can get tips, team news and tactical talk for all ten fixtures right here!
Max Verstappen was handed his biggest defeat in almost three years as McLaren's Lando Norris finished 23 seconds ahead of the Red Bull at last weekend's Dutch Grand Prix. McLaren head into the Italian GP in search of a second win since the summer break. However, Ferrari confirmed they will introduce upgrades at their home race and look to close the gap to the front-runners. Mercedes lacked pace in Zandvoort but will likely be stronger due to Monza's high-speed nature. It promises to be another exciting weekend of F1 action. Sean Parker and Mary-Anne Wakefield preview the race and give their predictions.
Zach Lowy speaks to KC Deportes creator Carlos Reynoso (@CarlosReynosoKC) and Sportsnet anchor Faizal Khamisa (@FaizalKhamisa) about Canada's player exodus to Ligue 1, Federico Valverde's midfield masterclass, Brighton's last-gasp win vs. Manchester United, Inter's Scudetto hopes, João Neves' sparkling start to his PSG career, Bayer Leverkusen's late magic and plenty more on the latest episode of Zach Lowy's European Football Show.
Mastos and David are back for another #Masterclass, powered by Bet.co.za - and this one is focussing heavily on the Bundesliga. Overall they picked out eight games from Bundesliga, LaLiga, and Ligue 1, coming to 26.36 odds. As always, they also share and discuss their research behind the selections, and give some general betting advice and share one code for Betcoza. Good luck.
After the excitement of matchday one, Mitch and Grant are back for round two of the EPL season. On Saturday, the two biggest matches see Brighton hosting Man Utd in the early kickoff and Aston Villa vs Arsenal in the late game. Will the Gunners avoid a third straight loss vs Unai Emery's team? We also have Spurs hosting an injury-hit Everton and Man City at home to Ipswich with a potential thrashing on the cards. On Sunday, Chelsea travel to Wolves as coach Enzo Maresca chases his first league points as Blues boss. Liverpool vs Brentford finishes off an exciting round of action. Have a listen to get your team news and top tips!
The Formula 1 season returns from its usual summer break and first up is the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort. Championship leader Max Verstappen is under pressure from Lando Norris as McLaren emerged with the fastest car in the past few races.
The Dutch GP returned to the F1 calendar in 2021 and Zandvoort is a brilliant challenge for the drivers. The 4.2km long circuit is like a rollercoaster and it has a signature heavily banked section. Sean Parker and Mary-Anne Wakefield preview the race and give their predictions.
Mastos and David are back for another #Masterclass, powered by Bet.co.za - and it’s the first pod covering the big leagues in 2024/25. This time they picked out eight games from Premier League, LaLiga, Serie A and Eredivisie, coming to 16.68 odds. As always, they also share and discuss their research behind the selections, and give some general betting advice and share one code for Betcoza. Good luck.
Mitch and Grant are back for the start of the new EPL season. We have matches from Friday until Monday and all 10 fixtures are given the rundown with transfers, team news, top tips and tactical talk. Man Utd welcome Fulham in the first match and we have Arsenal vs Wolves on Saturday and Grant's pick of the fixtures, West Ham vs Aston Villa to finish off the day. On Sunday, Chelsea's bloated squad and new coach Enzo Maresca welcome Man City to Stamford Bridge whilst Brentford face Crystal Palace in a potential London derby goal-fest. On Monday night, James Maddison returns to newly-promoted Leicester City with a point to prove after his Euros omission. Take a listen and get all your outright wins, goalscorer market and handicap bets placed ASAP!
Mastos and David are back for another #Masterclass, powered by Bet.co.za - and it’s a special edition ahead of 2024/25. This time they are looking at some odds for outright league winners of the Premier League, LALIGA, Bundesliga, Serie A, Ligue 1 and Eredivisie. As always, they also share and discuss their research behind the selections, and give some general betting advice. Enjoy.
As we near the start of the 2024-25 season, Mitch and Grant return to look at the transfer activity of the English Premier League's "big six" clubs so far. Man Utd have been very active, whilst Chelsea have acquired 10 more players for their oversized squad. Man City and Liverpool are keeping their powder dry but may have a big signing or two up their sleeves before the window closes. Ahead of a full betting preview of Round One later this week, we look at who has strengthened their starting XI, which clubs have simply added quantity over quality, and the duo make some predictions over who else could be set to join the top clubs.
Mastos and David are back for another #Masterclass, powered by Bet.co.za - and it’s the first of the 2024/25 season. This time they they are looking at games from the Scottish Premiership, Belgium Jupiler Pro League, Danish Superligaen as well as the Dutch and the Portuguese Super Cups. As always, they also share and discuss their research behind the selections, and give some general betting advice and share one code for Betcoza, which comes to 5.98 odds. Good luck.
Zach Lowy speaks to Deji Faremi (@deejayfaremi) and Shireen Ahmed (@_shireenahmed_) about Argentina's Copa America win, Enzo Fernandez's racist controversy, Gareth Southgate's departure as England manager, Spain's Euros victory, France's hijab ban, Canada's Copa America debut, and plenty more on the latest episode of Zach Lowy's European Football Show.
Formula 1 is back after the triple header that saw Mercedes claim two consecutive wins. The Brackley-based team has improved considerably in recent weeks and are among the favourites for the Hungarian Grand Prix.
However, title rivals Max Verstappen and Lando Norris will be hoping to get back onto the top step of the podium. The Red Bull driver leads McLaren's number one by 84 points in the standings. Sean Parker and Mary-Anne Wakefield preview the race and give their predictions.
Mastos and David are back for another #Masterclass, powered by Bet.co.za - and this time they’re looking at 2024 EURO and Copa America finals. This time they tried something different and created two bet-builders. As always, they also share and discuss their research behind the selections, and give some general betting advice and share one code for Betcoza. Good luck.
Zach Lowy speaks to Rich Cann (@RichRedVoices) and Ryan Quinn (@Quinntactics) about Manchester United's transfer business, Uruguay's progress under Marcelo Bielsa, England's road to the semifinals, and all things Euros and Copa América in the latest episode of Zach Lowy's European Football Show.
Mastos and David are back for another #Masterclass, powered by Bet.co.za - and it’s another 2024 EURO edition. This time they looked at the four quarter-finals, coming to 6.46 odds. As always, they also share and discuss their research behind the selections, and give some general betting advice and share one code for Betcoza. Good luck.
This weekend's British Grand Prix signals the final race of the triple header that has produced two different race winners so far.
Formula 1 is still abuzz with Max Verstappen and Lando Norris' clash in Spielberg on Sunday. The duo will resume their battle at Silverstone, known as the home of F1 as it featured in the inaugural 1950 season. Sean Parker and Mary-Anne Wakefield preview the race and give their predictions.
Mastos and David are back for another #Masterclass, powered by Bet.co.za - and it’s another 2024 EURO edition. This time they picked out six games from the Round of 16, coming to 7.81 odds. As always, they also share and discuss their research behind the selections, and give some general betting advice and share one code for Betcoza. Good luck.
Max Verstappen heads to Red Bull's home race for the Austrian Grand Prix after grinding out an impressive win in Spain.
The Dutch driver conceded McLaren's Lando Norris had the fastest at the Spanish GP with Mercedes and Ferrari not far behind. The Sprint race at the Red Bull Ring this weekend will hopefully provide a clearer picture of the pecking order. Sean Parker and Mary-Anne Wakefield preview the race and give their predictions.
Zach Lowy speaks to Adam Keys (@adamkeys_) and Rahul Lakhani (@LaLigaLondon) about Kai Havertz's role in Germany's attack, Portugal's impressive start to the Euros, Giorgi Mamardahsvilli's shot-stopping heroics for Georgia, Darwin Nunez's enigmatic performances and plenty more in the latest episode of Zach Lowy's European Football Show.
Mastos and David are back for another #Masterclass, powered by Bet.co.za - and it’s another 2024 EURO edition. They picked out six games, but this time the selections were more risky and came to 12 odds. As always, they also share and discuss their research behind the selections, and give some general betting advice and share one code for Betcoza. Good luck.
Zach Lowy speaks to Lindsay Casinelli (@LindsayDeportes) and Daniel Childs (@SonOfChelsea) about Chelsea's new manager, Italy's Euro title defense, Venezuela's ambitions in the Copa America, whether Colombia can make a deep run in the U.S., England's shaky start to the tournament, and plenty more in the latest episode of Zach Lowy's European Football Show.
Mastos and David are back for another #Masterclass, powered by Bet.co.za - and it’s another 2024 EURO edition. They picked out six games for the upcoming midweek games and created a 8 odds slip. As always, they also share and discuss their research behind the selections, and give some general betting advice and share one code for Betcoza. Good luck.
Mastos and David are back for another #Masterclass, powered by Bet.co.za. This time our two favourite punters have focussed on the upcoming 2024 EURO in Germany. They picked out six games for this weekend to create a 5.58 odds slip and also discussed their tournament favourites and Golden Boot options. As always, they also share and discuss their research behind the selections, and give some general betting advice and share two codes for Betcoza. Good luck.
Formula 1 heads to the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve for the Canadian Grand Prix. Sean Parker and Mary-Anne Wakefield kick off the episode by discussing the recent developments in the driver market on the back of news from Red Bull and Alpine. This weekend's race sees Ferrari, McLaren, and Red Bull resume battle at the apex of the grid. Charles Leclerc, buoyed by his victory in Monaco a fortnight ago, is one of the favourites in Montreal but faces competition from a hungry Max Verstappen and the rapid McLaren duo. Kevin Magnussen is two points away from having his Super Licence suspended and a one-race ban and needs to stay out of trouble this weekend.
Mitch is joined by Dave and Grant for the final podcast of the club season. We have two mouth-watering showpiece finals to enjoy. To start with, the Champions League final between Real Madrid and Dortmund at Wembley! Los Blancos are big favourites and are chasing a 15th crown. Will we see a big margin of victory or can BVB pull off a major shock to lift the 'Cup with the Big Ears'? The second final sees Mamelodi Sundowns vs Orlando Pirates in the Nedbank Cup. Sundowns may be favourites but Pirates beat them in the MTN8 final earlier this season. Masandawana can complete a treble whilst the Sea Robbers are chasing a domestic cup double for the second season in a row. Tune in for all the top tips and tactical discussion ahead of a bumper Saturday of football!
Zach Lowy speaks to Mark White (@markwhlte) and Steven Mcinerney (@StevenMcinerney) about the FA Cup Final, Girona's magical campaign, Claudio Ranieri's retirement, Porto's transitional summer, Gian Piero Gasperini's legacy at Atalanta, the Europa Conference League Final, Bayer Leverkusen's domestic double, Pep Guardiola's potential exit and plenty more on the latest episode of Zach Lowy's European Football Show.
Mastos and David are back for another #Masterclass, powered by Bet.co.za. After winning last week’s Masterclass, our two favourite punters again picked 8 games from Serie A and LaLiga this week - and their multi adds up to 9.68 odds. As always, they share and discuss their research behind the selections, also give some general betting advice and share two codes for Betcoza. Good luck.
Red Bull is feeling the pressure after Lando Norris came within one or two laps of crossing the line ahead of Max Verstappen at the Imola Grand Prix. This weekend the drivers take on the challenging Monte Carlo street circuit at the Monaco GP. Saturday's qualifying session is the most important of the year and we expect Verstappen, Norris and hometown hero Charles Leclerc to be in contention. The Monegasque driver is still winless at his home race. Sean Parker is joined by Mary-Anne Wakefield to preview this weekend's race. SM handles: @Sean_ParkerSA and @ Lalliesf1andMotorsport.
Zach Lowy speaks to Joe Crann (@YesWeCrann) and Luke Entwistle (@LukeEntwistle) about Sheffield Wednesday's great escape, Lyon's quick turnaround under Pierre Sage, Bayer Leverkusen's unbeaten campaign, OGC Nice's uncertain future, Max Allegri's dismissal at Juve, Brest's Cinderella story, Phil Foden's sensational form, Marseille's chaotic season and plenty more in the latest episode of Zach Lowy's European Football Show.
Mastos and David are back for another #Masterclass, powered by Bet.co.za. Our trwo favourite punters picked 8 games from Premier League, Bundesliga, Serie A and LaLiga this week - and their multi adds uyp to 10.90 odds. As always, they share and discuss their research behind the selections, also give some general betting advice and share two codes for Betcoza. Goodluck.
We enter the final day of the English Premier League season. There is life left in the title race, the battle for Europe and the finishing places in mid-table. Mitch and Grant delve into the fixtures to see the permutation for each team. Man City just need to beat West Ham to lift the trophy once again whilst Arsenal need to beat Everton at home and pray for Guardiola's side to slip up. Chelsea need a point against Bournemouth to finish sixth and there's Jurgen Klopp's emotional farewell too. Man Utd travel to a struggling Brighton knowing they need to better Newcastle's result to finish in the top seven places. Crystal Palace are one club that could jump up a few spots with a victory at home to an Aston Villa side with Champions League football secured. All ten clashes are previewed from a team news, top tips and tactical perspective!
Formula 1 returns to the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari for the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix for the first time since 2022. Last year's race was canceled due to torrential floods in the region. The big question is whether McLaren can match their race-winning performance from Miami. Red Bull and Ferrari will be hot on the wheels of the papaya car. Sean Parker is joined by Mary-Anne Wakefield to preview this weekend's race.
Zach Lowy speaks to Henry Bell (@HenryBellCalcio) and Ibukun Oluwadamilola (@vintage_imhotep) about Napoli's atrocious title defense, Lyon's turnaround under Pierre Sage, the top scorer race in Spain, Como's promotion to Serie A, Celtic's Old Firm victory, Josko Gvardiol's emergence at City and plenty more on the latest episode of Zach Lowy's European Football Show.
Mastos and David are back for another #Masterclass, powered by Bet.co.za. Our two favourite punters picked 8 games from Premier League, Bundesliga, Serie A and LaLiga this week - and their multi adds up to 15.78 odds. As always, they share and discuss their research behind the selections, also give some general betting advice and share two codes for Betcoza. Good luck.
We're into the last two rounds of the English Premier League season as Mitch and Grant preview the action. On Saturday, Man City travel to Fulham looking to win a 16th straight meeting with the Cottagers. Could Erling Haaland score two or more goals at 3.00 odds? Later in the day, there are key fixtures in the relegation and European battles as Tottenham host Burnley and Chelsea travel to Nottingham Forest. On Sunday, Arsenal are hosted by a struggling Man Utd side with injuries galore at the back. Will the Gunners win by a big margin at Old Trafford to keep the title race alive? On Monday, Aston Villa host Liverpool looking to rubber stamp a top-four finish as we witness Jurgen Klopp's second-last match as Reds manager. All ten clashes are previewed from a team news, top tips and tactical perspective!
Zach Lowy speaks to Steven K. Moore (@S_K_MOORE) and Neel Shelat (@ShelatNeel) about Ipswich's back-to-back promotions, Sporting's championship, Lazio's start to the Igor Tudor era, PSV Eindhoven's Eredivisie title, the relegation fight in Italy, Girona's Champions League qualification and plenty more.
Mitch is joined by Grant and Dave to preview the second legs of the UEFA Champions League semi-finals. On Tuesday, PSG will be hoping for a repeat of their 2-0 win in Paris in the Group Stages as they look to overturn a 1-0 deficit from the first leg. On Wednesday, Bayern Munich travel to Real Madrid looking to end an eight-match winless run in clashes vs Los Blancos. The first meeting finished 2-2 in Bavaria and goals are promised here with the likes of Harry Kane and Vinicius Jr. on the field. Both games are previewed for a betting and tactical perspective with Dave's famous multiplier available on bet.co.za using this code: DTFJR
Mastos and David are back for another #Masterclass, powered by Bet.co.za. Our picked their 8 best games from Premier League, Bundesliga and LaLiga this week, and their multi adds up to 17.23 odds. As always, they also share and discuss their research behind the selections, also give some general betting advice and share two codes for Betcoza. Good luck.
It's squeaky bum time in the English Premier League at both ends of the table. Mitch and Grant are back to preview round 36 as Arsenal and Man City face winnable home matches in the title race. Chelsea are at home to West Ham in a battle for European places whilst Luton Town start the weekend's action in a must-win home fixture vs already-safe Everton. On Sunday, we have the big clash of the weekend as limping Liverpool host a struggling Spurs team with three defeats in a row. Will Mo Salah start and get back on the scoresheet? The action ends off on Monday night with a potentially exciting match at Selhurst Park with Man Utd travelling to Crystal Palace. All ten clashes are previewed from a team news, top tips and tactical perspective!
Sean Parker and Mary-Anne Wakefield preview this weekend's Miami Grand Prix. The seaside race joined the calendar in 2022 and is known for over the top activations and a stream of celebrities in attendance. On the racing front look out for Red Bull and the chasing pack that includes McLaren and Ferrari. Mercedes will bring an upgraded car to Miami, and they'll look to improve on their poor early season form. It's another Sprint weekend, so teams will only have one practice session before it gets serious with qualifying and racing.
Zach Lowy speaks to Moby (@Mobyhaque1) and Rob Testas (@R_Testas) about whether Arne Slot is the right man to replace Jurgen Klopp, Pinto da Costa's 42-year reign coming to an end at Porto, Arda Guler's future at Real Madrid, Alexander Sorloth's stellar form at Villarreal, BVB's hot-and-cold season and more on the latest episode of Zach Lowy's European Football Show.
Mitch is joined by Grant and Dave to preview the last four of the UEFA Champions League. On Tuesday, Bayern Munich host Real Madrid looking to avoid a fourth-straight home loss in this competition to Los Blancos. Can Thomas Tuchel work his magic and beat Madrid yet again to make a third UCL final as a coach in five years? On Wednesday, Dortmund host a PSG side with Kylian Mbappe on fire and hoping to fire the Parisians to their first ever 'Cup with the Big Ears'. BVB are 10 home matches unbeaten in this competition and will attack in this first leg with the aim of taking a lead to France for the return fixture. Both games are previewed for a betting and tactical perspective with Dave's famous multiplier available on bet.co.za using this code: WK92P
Masterclass intro Mastos and David are back for another #Masterclass, powered by Bet.co.za. Our picked their 10 best games from Premier League, Bundesliga, LaLiga and Ligue 1 this week, and their multi adds up to 21.18 odds. As always, they also share and discuss their research behind the selections, also give some general betting advice and share two codes for Betcoza. Good luck.
The EPL is into the final few weeks with everything at stake. Mitch and Grant preview a weekend which sees the North London derby headline affairs. Arsenal need a win in the title race and Tottenham can't slip up in the battle for the top four. To start the fixtures, a limping Liverpool travel to a leaky West Ham before Aston Villa host a wildly inconsistent Chelsea side at Villa Park. In two key weekend matches in the relegation battle, Burnley travel to Old Trafford to face a vulnerable Man Utd whilst Nottingham Forest host Man City hoping to repeat last season's shock result at the City Ground against Pep Guardiola's team. All ten clashes are previewed from a team news, top tips and tactical perspective!
Mitch and Grant return to preview a catchup midweek round in the English Premier League. It all starts with Arsenal hosting Chelsea as the Gunners look to extend their lead at the summit. Mikel Arteta's side are chasing a seventh win in the last nine clashes vs the Blues and can go four points above Man City. On Wednesday, the pick of the action is the Merseyside Derby as relegation-embroiled Everton host title-chasing Liverpool. Manchester United host bottom-placed Sheffield United with a host of defensive injuries to navigate. The action concludes with Brighton hosting Man City at the Amex Stadium. The Seagulls have lost just once in 13 home EPL matches and will hope to shock a tired Pep Guardiola side. All six midweek clashes are previewed from a team news, top tips and tactical perspective!
Zach Lowy speaks to The Overlap guest Kendall Rowan (@kendallrowanx) and Theatre of Red editor-in-chief Shaun Connolly (@shaunconnolly85) about El Clásico, the scrapping of FA Cup replays, Atlético Madrid's dismal week, Manchester United's recent struggles under Erik ten Hag and plenty more in the latest episode of Zach Lowy's European Football Show.
Masterclass intro Mastos and David are back for another #Masterclass, powered by Bet.co.za. Our two favourite punters have focussed on five Sunday games from Premier League and Ligue 1 this week, and their banker multi adds up to 3.72 odds. As always, they also share and discuss their research behind the selections, also give some general betting advice and share two codes for Betcoza. Good luck.
Sean Parker and Mary-Anne Wakefield Williams preview the Chinese Grand Prix as it returns to the calendar after a five year hiatus. The weekend promises lots of action with the first Sprint Race of 2024 taking place at the Shanghai International Circuit.
Mitch and Grant return to preview round 33 of the English Premier League and the big FA Cup semi-final between Man City and Chelsea. Will those two teams draw for the third time this season at Wembley and go to extra time, or will City bounce back from their loss on penalties to Real Madrid with a victory in 90 minutes? Arsenal travel to Wolves on Sunday looking tired but with top spot to motivate them. There are also two key battles in the relegation dogfight in the coming days! On Sunday, Liverpool travel to unpredictable Fulham as they aim to keep their title hopes alive. On the same day, Aston Villa play host to Bournemouth with plenty of goals predicted. All seven EPL matches are previewed from a tactical and top tips standpoint!
Zach Lowy chats to @AnitaAbayomi and @Rory_Talks_Ball about Bayer Leverkusen's first-ever Bundesliga title, Arsenal's loss to Aston Villa, Cole Palmer's individual heroics, the Premier League title race and plenty more on the latest episode of Zach Lowy's European Football Show.
Mitch is joined by Grant and Dave to preview the second legs of the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals. On Tuesday, Barcelona hosts PSG with a 3-2 first-leg lead. Can they make a first semi-final since 2019 or will Kylian Mbappe and co. turn the tie around? In Tuesday's other match, Dortmund hosts Atletico Madrid looking to extend a nine-match unbeaten run at home in this competition. Can BVB turn around a 2-1 deficit in Germany?
In Wednesday's epic action, you'll have to choose between Man City vs Real Madrid and Bayern Munich vs Arsenal. Pep Guardiola's side played out a 3-3 thriller in the first leg vs Carlo Ancelotti's Los Blancos as they look to retain their trophy. Die Roten host the Gunners having given up their Bundesliga title. Can they save their season by knocking out Mikel Arteta's team? All four matches are previewed through a tactical and a betting lens! Dave Kappel's famous multiple slip code is: 8CTTM
Mastos and David are back for another #Masterclass, powered by Bet.co.za. Our two favourite punters have once again selected 10 games from across Premier League, Bundesliga and LALIGA. This week's multi has added up to 29.39 odds. As always, they also share and discuss their research behind the selections, also give some general betting advice and share two codes for Betcoza. Good luck.
Mitch and Grant are back to preview round 32 of the English Premier League. There are several key battles in the race for Europe and in the title race to enjoy! Arsenal host Aston Villa with both sides having this key fixture sandwiched between ties in Europe. Liverpool will hope to bounce back from a 3-0 defeat on Thursday by beating Crystal Palace whilst Man City play host to Luton Town. Man Utd travel to Bournemouth in a game sure to produce goals and drama. Can the Cherries do the double over the Red Devils? The week comes to a conclusion on Monday as Chelsea host an Everton side in the relegation mix. Will Pochettino's team drop more points against a team towards the bottom of the table? All ten matches are previewed from a tactical and top tips standpoint!
Zach Lowy speaks to Melina Dautovic (@melinadautovic) and Tom Little @TomL1ttle_) about Thomas Tuchel's disastrous Bayern spell, Rúben Amorim's potential fit as Liverpool manager, Chelsea's draw to Sheffield United, Athletic Club's Copa del Rey victory, Thiago Motta's success at Bologna, and plenty more on the latest episode of Zach Lowy's European Football Show.
The biggest and best club competition is back as the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals get underway. Mitch, Dave and Grant look at an Arsenal side in great form as they host a Bayern Munich team with all their eggs in this European basket. In the other match on Tuesday, Real Madrid host holders Man City in a repeat of last season's tie. The trio are predicting goals to enjoy in that one!
On Wednesday, Atletico Madrid host Dortmund as they look to repeat their fine performance against Inter Milan. BVB are outside the top four in Germany but they've excelled in continental action. The final fixture sees PSG play host to Barcelona as Kylian Mbapp's side looks to continue their excellent home record in this competition. All four matches are previewed from a tactical and betting perspective and there is one of Dave Kappel's famous multiple slips. Code: 9K66G
Mitch and Grant return as the Premier League fixtures come thick and fast. All eyes this weekend will be on arguably the biggest match in English football as Man Utd host Liverpool. The Red Devils may have won the FA Cup meeting between the sides recently but the Reds look likely winners on Sunday in this clash. Arsenal travel to face Roberto De Zerbi's Brighton and Man City go to Selhurst Park to face Man City in the other title race fixtures. We will see Chelsea travel to relegation fodder Sheffield United on Sunday, hoping to avoid a shock defeat at Bramall Lane. The weekend concludes with a leaky Spurs team hosting the speed merchants of Nottingham Forest. All ten matches are previewed with tactics, team news, trends and top tips!
Mastos and David are back for another #Masterclass, powered by Bet.co.za. Our two favourite punters have once again selected 10 games from across Premier League, Bundesliga, LALIGA and Ligue 1. This week's multi has added up to 15.56 odds. As always, they also share and discuss their research behind the selections, also give some general betting advice and share two codes for Betcoza. Good luck.
Sean Parker and Mary-Anne Wakefield Williams look ahead to the Japanese Grand Prix. They discuss whether Ferrari and McLaren are the two biggest threats to Red Bull in Suzuka
Zach Lowy speaks to Christopher Evans about his new book "Los Leones: The Unique Story of Athletic Club Bilbao" in the latest episode of Zach Lowy's European Football Show
Mitch and Grant are back to preview a full midweek of English Premier League action. The big game is between two struggling clubs in Chelsea and Man Utd on Thursday. Arsenal host Luton and Liverpool welcome Sheffield United to Anfield in what could be big victories.
Mastos and David are back for another #Masterclass, powered by Bet.co.za. Our two favourite punters have once again selected 10 games from across Premier League, Bundesliga, LALIGA and Ligue 1. This week's multi has added up to 18.28 odds. As always, they also share and discuss their research behind the selections, also give some general betting advice and share two codes for Betcoza. Good luck.
Mitch and Grant are back to preview a massive weekend in the EPL! All the talk is about Sunday's potential title decider between Man City and Arsenal. The Gunners won the reverse fixture as they snapped a long losing streak to Pep Guardiola's men. Do they have what it takes to go to the Etihad and take at least a point? Before that, we have Liverpool hosting Brighton on Sunday as they look to take the win and heap pressure on their title rivals.
On Saturday, Chelsea host a struggling Burnley side, Tottenham welcome Luton as they look to bounce back from a defeat, and Man Utd travel to Brentford. All ten fixtures are previewed from a tactical and betting perspective!
Formula 1 heads down under this weekend for the Australian Grand Prix. Sean Parker is joined by Mary-Anne Wakefield Williams to preview the race and figure out whether anyone can stop Max Verstappen from winning 10 consecutive races.
Zach Lowy speaks to Robin Bairner (@RBairner) and Varun Vasudevan (@TheDevilsDNA) about Angel Gomes' emergence in Lille's midfield, Roma's start to the Daniele De Rossi era, Amad Diallo's late heroics for Manchester United, Ruben Amorim's tactical set-up at Sporting and plenty more in the latest episode of Zach Lowy's European Football Show.
Mitch and Grant return to preview the FA Cup quarter-finals and four fixtures in the English Premier League. Tottenham's trip to Fulham is the pick of the bunch on Saturday whilst Sunday sees Aston Villa travel to West Ham on the back of big European wins for both clubs. We will have a clearest picture of the top four race after these round 29 fixtures! In the FA Cup, there are two all-EPL ties as Man City host Newcastle looking to win a 10th straight clash vs the Magpies at the Etihad. On Sunday, Liverpool travel to a Man Utd side with injuries at the back. Will the Reds win by a big margin at Old Trafford to march into the semi-finals? We look at the tactics and best bets from the eight matches!
Masterclass intro Mastos and David are back for another #Masterclass, powered by Bet.co.za. Our two favourite punters have once again selected 10 games from across Premier League, Bundesliga, LALIGA, Ligue 1 and Serie A. This week's multi has added up to 28.24 odds. As always, they also share and discuss their research behind the selections and also give some general betting advice. Good luck.
Zach Lowy speaks to ex Nigeria international Mutiu Adepoju (@iammutiu8) and Nigerian journalist Pooja (@PoojaMedia) about Nigeria's coaching search, Athletic Club's impressive form under Ernesto Valverde, Xabi Alonso's start to life in management, Lamine Yamal, the Premier League title race and more on the latest episode of Zach Lowy's European Football Show.
Mitch, Dave and Grant return to preview the second batch of last-16 ties in the UEFA Champions League. On Tuesday, Arsenal need to bring their EPL form to the table as they look to overturn a 1-0 deficit at home to an abrasive FC Porto team. The attention switches to Spain after that as FC Barcelona host Napoli after a 1-1 first-leg draw. Which of Robert Lewandowski and Victor Osimhen will fire their sides into the last eight? On Wednesday, there are some tempting odds on Dortmund to beat PSV at home after getting a credible 1-1 draw in the Netherlands three weeks ago. The round is wrapped up by Atletico Madrid playing host to a high-flying Inter Milan side with 13 wins in a row to their name. In a battle of the Argentines, Diego Simeone will hope to knock out countryman Lautaro Martinez. Dave has another of his famous multiplier slips which you can find using this code: 6Y7CY.
Mastos and David are back for another #Masterclass, powered by Bet.co.za. Our two favourite punters have tried to find value in their favourite European leagues, picking games from the Premier League, Bundesliga, LALIGA, Ligue 1 and Serie A. This week's multi has added up to 17.94 odds. As always, they also share and discuss their research behind the selections and also give some general betting advice. Good luck.
Mitch and Grant are back for a huge weekend in the EPL title race. Liverpool host Man City on Sunday in a possible title decider with goals galore predicted. Arsenal could be the big winners of the round if their two title rivals play out a draw and the Gunners can put Brentford to the sword on Saturday. We have Man Utd hosting Everton and a massive clash on Sunday as Aston Villa host Tottenham in the battle for Champions League qualification. All ten fixtures are previewed with our best bets and tips!
Mitch and Grant are back for a huge weekend in the EPL title race. Liverpool host Man City on Sunday in a possible title decider with goals galore predicted. Arsenal could be the big winners of the round if their two title rivals play out a draw and the Gunners can put Brentford to the sword on Saturday. We have Man Utd hosting Everton and a massive clash on Sunday as Aston Villa host Tottenham in the battle for Champions League qualification. All ten fixtures are previewed with our best bets and tips!
Zach Lowy speaks to @Trujista about the Manchester derby, Paul Pogba's legacy, Kylian Mbappe's imminent departure from PSG, Real Madrid's title charge, Chelsea's struggles under Pochettino and plenty more in the latest episode of Zach Lowy's European Football Show.
Zach Lowy speaks to @Trujista about the Manchester derby, Paul Pogba's legacy, Kylian Mbappe's imminent departure from PSG, Real Madrid's title charge, Chelsea's struggles under Pochettino and plenty more in the latest episode of Zach Lowy's European Football Show.
It's race week and time for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Bet Central's Sean Parker is joined by Mary-Anne Williams Wakefield to unpack the second race of the Formula 1 season.
Mitch is joined by Dave and Grant to preview this week's four UEFA Champions League fixtures. Bayern Munich are looking to turn around a 1-0 deficit at home to Lazio in order to save their season. PSG don't have the best away record in this competition and travel to face a struggling Real Sociedad side. On Wednesday. Man City are backed to thrash FC Copenhagen whilst Real Madrid play host to RB Leipzig with a 1-0 first leg advantage. We have a multiple ticket for you and plenty of single-bet tips to enjoy too!
Mitch and Grant return to preview all ten weekend fixtures in the world's biggest and best league. The game of the round is certainly the Manchester derby where City are in top form and Man Utd are being hit by some key defensive injuries. Will Erling Haaland cash in once again and score two or more goals? Chelsea travel to an injury-hit Brentford hoping to find some momentum whilst Liverpool make the journey to Nottingham Forest without almost a dozen players. David Moyes goes back to former club Everton and the round is completed with Arsenal's trip to leaky Sheffield United. We have all the key stats and tips ahead of a key few days at both ends of the table.
Mastos and David are back for another #Masterclass in 2024, powered by Bet.co.za. Our two favourite punters have tried to find value in their favourite European leagues, picking games from the Premier League, Bundesliga, LALIGA, Ligue 1 and Serie A. This week's multi has added up to 28.05 odds. As always, they also share and discuss their research behind the selections and also give some general betting advice. Good luck.
Mitch and Grant return on a big weekend in the English football calendar. Chelsea and Liverpool face off at Wembley in the Carabao Cup final as the sides chase the crown for different reasons. Before that, we have a busy Saturday of action as in-form Man Utd host Fulham and Arsenal welcome Newcastle to the Emirates Stadium. Man City travel to Bournemouth looking for a repeat of a 6-1 victory in the reverse fixture. The action concludes on Monday as West Ham host Brentford with both sides look to put difficult runs of form behind them. We preview all eight EPL matches and the cup final from a betting and tactical perspective
Zach Lowy speaks to Miguel L. Pereira (@Miguel_LPereira) about his new book "Bring Me That Horizon: A Journey to the Soul of Portuguese Football" in the latest episode of Zach Lowy's European Football Show.
After the drama of last week's first four Round-of -16 fixtures in the UEFA Champions League, we are back for another four clashes this midweek. Mitch, Dave and Grant team up to preview Inter Milan vs Atletico Madrid as the Nerazzurri aim to again go deep in this competition. Napoli and Barcelona may be faltering in their domestic title defences but one will reach the last eight as they face off on Wednesday. PSV host Dortmund and we see a rampaging Arsenal make the trip to Porto on Wednesday with Mikel Arteta's side in top form. Tune in for the tactical talk and the best value bets! Dave has another of his famous multiplier slips for you to enjoy.
Mitch Matyana and Grant James are back to offer betting and tactical previews of EPL Round 25! Liverpool travel to Brentford in the early kickoff whilst Arsenal aim to heap more misery on Vincent Kompany's Burnley. The big fixture of the weekend sees Man City host Chelsea as they aim to win a seventh match in the last eight against the Blues. Sunday sees Luton welcome improving Man Utd to Kenilworth Road whilst the action finishes at Goodison Park on Monday. Everton and Crystal Palace are both struggling with the hosts' only win since mid-December coming in the FA Cup... against Palace. All ten fixtures are broken down with top tips and bets.
The PSL is back after a six-week hiatus for the AFCON! Mitch Matyana and Grant James return to preview Round 17's action and to look more deeply into some of the top clubs. We analyse the first half of the season for Mamelodi Sundowns and ask what effect four new signings and having 11 players at AFCON will have. They host Orlando Pirates in a mouth-watering clash on Saturday night. The action begins as SuperSport United host a high-flying Stellenbosch FC on Friday and Kaizer Chiefs travel to Royal AM on Sunday. Mitch and Grant look at the relegation battle, ask whether Cape Town City can finish in the CAF Champions League spots and tip TS Galaxy to have a strong second round. Get all the PSL betting tips for the weekend ahead right here!
The world's biggest and best club competition returns this week. Mitch Matyana is joined by Dave Kappel and Grant James to discuss the four midweek fixtures. Man City travel to FC Copenhagen as they look to defend their crown whilst Real Madrid make the trip to RB Leipzig. On Wednesday, two former Chelsea coaches face off as Sarri's Lazio hosts Tuchel's Bayern Munich. The final clash sees PSG host a goal-shy Real Sociedad. Tune in for the tactical talk and the best value bets!
Mastos and David are back for another #Masterclass in 2024, powered by Bet.co.za. Our two favourite punters have tried to find value in their favourite European leagues, picking games from the Premier League, Bundesliga, LALIGA, Ligue 1 and Serie A. This week's multi has added up to 16.11 odds, as they tried a safer selection after winning last week’s Saturday games. As always, they also share and discuss their research behind the selections and also give some general betting advice. Good luck.
Host Mitch Matyana and Grant James are back to preview round 24 of the English Premier League. The action kicks off as Man City welcome Everton to the Etihad Stadium with a home win and an Erling Haaland goal predicted. Liverpool will be looking to bounce back from just a second defeat of the campaign when they host Burnley. An improving Luton Town side hosts Sheffield United whilst a goal-fest is tipped as Tottenham host Brighton with Son and Mitoma available again. On Sunday, we have two enticing fixtures as West Ham host Arsenal and Aston Villa are at home to Man Utd. The action is concluded by Chelsea's trip to Crystal Palace on Monday night. All ten matches are previewed from a betting and tactical viewpoint to help with your decision-making!
Zach Lowy speaks to Latifat Adebayo-Ohio (@Phatill) and Simon Peach (@SimonPeach) about Nigeria's run to the AFCON semis, Ross Barkley's importance in Luton's midfield, Inter's 1-0 win against Juventus, Stanley Nwabali and more in the latest episode of Zach Lowy's European Football Show.
Host Mitch Matyana and Grant James return to preview the big weekend of English Premier League football ahead. The huge clash on the horizon sees Liverpool travel to Arsenal in a key fixture in the title race. The Reds have lost just once in seven league matches vs the Gunners and will expect to take at least a point at the Emirates. In other matches, Tottenham travel to Everton and Chelsea look to bounce back by beating Wolves on Sunday. Man Utd host a West Ham side who have won their last two clashes against the Red Devils, with David Moyes keen to get another result vs his former club. The action concludes on Monday as Man City travel to Brentford with Erling Haaland fit and available again. All ten matches are previewed from a betting and tactical perspective to help inform your decisions!
Mastos and David are back for another #Masterclass in 2024, powered by Bet.co.za. Our two favourite punters have tried to find value in their favourite European leagues, picking games from the Premier League, Bundesliga, LALIGA, Ligue 1 and Serie A. This week's multi has added up to 57.45 odds, as they felt a bit riskier. As always, they also share and discuss their research behind the selections and also give some general betting advice. Good luck.
Zach Lowy speaks to Tom Overend (@tovers98) and Lewis Steele (@LewisSteele_) about Jurgen Klopp and Xavi's decisions to leave Liverpool and Barcelona this summer, Cole Palmer's importance in Chelsea's attack, and Brighton's defensive struggles in the latest episode of Zach Lowy's European Football Show.
Host Mitch Matyana and Grant James return after a short break to preview week 22 of the English Premier League. Arsenal travel to Nottingham Forest on Tuesday looking to close the gap to the top of the table. Meanwhile, Aston Villa host Newcastle looking for a fifth straight home win against the Magpies. On Wednesday, the showpiece clash is certainly Liverpool vs Chelsea at Anfield as Jurgen Klopp's farewell tour continues. The midweek round is completed on Thursday as Wolves host Man Utd at Molineux in what should be an intriguing clash. All ten fixtures are previewed and analysed from a betting and tactical perspective!
Zach Lowy speaks to Grizz Khan (@GrizzKhan) and Shaun Connolly (@shaunconnolly85) about Omar Berrada's appointment as Manchester United CEO, Jose Mourinho's sacking at Roma, Daley Blind: Girona's unsung hero, Brest's meteoric rise under Eric Roy, and plenty more on the latest episode of Zach Lowy's European Football Show.
Masterclass intro* Mastos and David are back for the first #Masterclass in 2024, powered by Bet.co.za. Our two favourite punters have tried to find value in their favourite European leagues, picking games from the Premier League, Bundesliga, LALIGA, Ligue 1 and Serie A. This week's multi has added up to 15.27 odds, as they tried to go a safer route than usual. They also share and discuss their research behind the selections and also give some general betting advice. Good luck.
Mastos and David are back for the first #Masterclass in 2024, powered by Bet.co.za. Our two favourite punters have tried to find value in their favourite European leagues, picking games from the Premier League, Bundesliga, LALIGA, Ligue 1 and Serie A with this week's multi adding up to 45.88 odds. As usual, they share and discuss their research behind the selections and also give some general betting advice. Good luck, and happy New Year.
Zach Lowy speaks to two of Nigeria's foremost journalists, JJ. Omojuwa (@Omojuwa) and Oluwashina Okeleji (@oluwashina) about Senegal's title defense, South Africa's hopes of escaping Group E, Nigeria's tactical struggles under Jose Peseiro, Morocco's chances of winning their first trophy in 48 years, and plenty more in our ultimate AFCON preview.
Host Mitch Matyana and Grant James return to preview week 20 of the English Premier League. The biggest game is certainly Liverpool hosting Newcastle on New Year's Day. The Reds are top of the table and face a Magpies side in dire away form. The action all kicks off though with Luton hosting Chelsea as the Blues look to put together a run of wins. Man Utd travel to a Nottingham Forest side with 'new manager bounce' under Nuno Espirito Santo and goals galore are tipped as leaky Tottenham host a red-hot Bournemouth side. Man City and Arsenal are also in action in must-win fixtures for their title hopes. All ten fixtures are analysed from a tactical, form and betting angle.
Mastos and David are back for a special #Masterclass Boxing-Day edition, powered by Bet.co.za. Our two favourite punters have tried to find value while many leagues are on a break, picking games from England and Belgium, with this week's multi adding up to 7.89 odds. As usual, they share and discuss their research behind the selections and also give some general betting advice. Good luck, and merry Xmas.
Host Mitch Matyana and Grant James return to preview week 19 of the English Premier League. The festive fixture period kicks into gear with a full round of fixtures between the 26th and 28th of December. There are several intriguing clashes, not least a limping Man Utd hosting high-flying Aston Villa and Tottenham travelling to Brighton in what could be a goal-fest. Everton host Man City fresh off Pep Guardiola's side lifting the Club World Cup whilst Arsenal face a potential banana skin in the final match of the round against West Ham. All 10 fixtures are previewed from every angle - which teams will be tired, who has injuries to contend with and the form guide is placed in full focus.
Zach Lowy speaks to Jessica Frota (@Je_Frota) and Abdullah Mamaniyat (@mxmnyt) about Endrick's emergence in attack for Palmeiras, the final day of the Brasileirão season, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's legacy, Federico Gatti's rise to stardom at Juve, Chelsea's struggles under Mauricio Pochettino, Girona's win against Barcelona, and plenty more in the latest episode of Zach Lowy's European Football Show.
Host Mitch Matyana and Grant James return to preview week 18 of the English Premier League. With matches from Thursday to Sunday, there are four days and nine fixtures to feast on over the festive period. We have a top-of-the-table clash on Saturday as Arsenal travel to Anfield to face Liverpool. Man Utd make the trip to West Ham in the early kickoff on that day whilst Tottenham host an improving Everton side. Meanwhile, Christmas Eve has a match to enjoy too as Chelsea travel to Wolves hoping for three points. All nine matches are previewed with tactical observations, predictions and betting tips
The Formula 1 season was dominated by Max Verstappen who blitzed to 19 wins from 22 races. However, there were notable performances by Fernando Alonso, Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc. Sean Parker and Mary-Anne Wakefield discuss their favourite races of the year and which driver (besides Verstappen) showed off their talent in the top tier of motorsport.
Host Mitch Matyana and Grant James return to preview week 17 of the English Premier League. Log leaders Liverpool face Man Utd in a huge clash on Sunday after winning 7-0 when they last hosted the Red Devils. Arsenal host Brighton looking to bounce back whilst Man City face a depleted Crystal Palace. All ten matches are previewed with tactical observations and predictions!
Mitch Matyana is joined by Dave Kappel and Grant James as they preview the return of the world's biggest and best club football competition. The trio looks at Man Utd's must-win home match against Bayern Munich. Only a United win and a draw between FC Copenhagen and Galatasaray will see the Red Devils progress to the round of 16. Dave gives his insight into Union Berlin's tough season as they face Real Madrid on matchday six. On Wednesday, the group of death reaches its climax as already-qualified Dortmund host PSG and AC Milan travel to an injury-ravaged Newcastle United. Dave gives us one of his epic 10-game multiple slips to bet on as usual too!
Mastos and David are back for another #Masterclass powered by Bet.co.za. Our two favourite punters are looking with excitement at their favourite leagues for goals, the Bundesliga and the Ligue 1, while also picking games from Premier League, LaLiga and Serie A. This week's multi adds up to 32.47 odds. As usual, they share and discuss their research behind the selections and also give some general betting advice. Good luck, and stay tuned for the next one.
Host Mitch Matyana and Grant James return to preview week 16 of the English Premier League. It all starts with Liverpool travelling to a struggling and injury-hit Crystal Palace before Man Utd host Bournemouth later in the day. Arsenal travel to an Aston Villa side with 14 successive home wins in the league in what could be a very close match at Villa Park. On Sunday, Chelsea travel to a hostile Goodison Park as the Blues look to avoid a third away defeat in a row. Meanwhile, Luton Town hosts a frustrated Man City side who haven't won in four league fixtures. Will Erling Haaland fire Pep Guardiola's to a big win with two or more goals? All ten fixtures are previewed from a tactical and betting perspective!
Zach Lowy speaks to David Cartlidge (@davidjaca) and Phil Baki (PhilTalksFooty) about Nico Williams' breakout year at Athletic Club, Strasbourg's woes under Patrick Vieira, Nicolo Barella's MOTM display against Napoli, Manchester City's draw against Tottenham, and plenty more in Episode 34 of Zach Lowy's European Football Show.
Host Mitch Matyana and Grant James return to preview week 15 of the English Premier League. Log leaders Arsenal travel to Luton as the action begins on Tuesday. The big clash of this midweek round sees Chelsea travel to face Man Utd at Old Trafford. Plenty of goals are tipped as Brighton hosts Brentford and Liverpool travel to whipping boys Sheffield United with Mohamed Salah hungry for goals. Aston Villa versus Man City is another mouth-watering game on Thursday with Pep Guardiola's side leaking goals for fun of late. All ten matches are previewed with tactical insight and predictions!
Host Mitch Matyana and Grant de Smidt return to preview week 14 of the English Premier League. It all kicks off with Arsenal hosting Wolves as the Gunners look to consolidate top spot in the table. Saturday evening sees a mouth-watering clash as an injury-ravaged Newcastle look for a third straight victory over a Man Utd side with six wins in their last eight league fixtures. On Sunday, Chelsea host Brighton in a potential goal-fest whilst Man City are at home to bogey side, Tottenham. Will Erling Haaland feast against a depleted Spurs high defensive line? All ten matches are previewed from a betting and tactical perspective by Mitch and Grant!
Zach Lowy speaks to ESPN journalist Luis Miguel Echegaray and data analyst Ben Griffis about Aston Villa's comeback win against Tottenham, Bayer Leverkusen's sensational form, the action in the U-17 World Cup, Rodrygo's heroics in Cadiz, and plenty more in the 33rd episode of Zach Lowy's European Football Show.
Mitch Matyana is joined by Dave Kappel and Grant James as they preview the return of the world's biggest and best club football tournament. The trio looks at Man Utd's trip to face Galatasaray in a must-win match as well as injury-hit Newcastle's trip to PSG. Real Madrid host Napoli with a new coach for the Italian Champions whilst Dortmund travel to AC Milan and Man City host RB Leipzig with goals expected on the night. Dave gives us an epic 10-game multiple slip to bet with excellent returns potentially in the offing.
Host Mitch Matyana and Grant de Smidt return to preview week 13 of the English Premier League. It all kicks off with a mouth-watering match as Man City host Liverpool in the early kickoff. With just one point separating the teams, goals are expected at the Etihad Stadium. Meanwhile, an injury-ravaged Newcastle host an improving Chelsea before a resilient Brentford side host an Arsenal team sweating over the fitness of some key players. On Sunday, Goodison Park will be rocking after Everton's point deduction as they host an underwhelming Man Utd side with half a dozen players out injured. The action concludes on Monday as Fulham host Wolves in a match tipped to end in a draw. All ten matches are previewed from a betting and tactical perspective!
The finale of 2023 Formula 1 season takes place at the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi. Despite the drivers' and constructors' titles being wrapped up, there's still a lot to play for between the likes of Ferrari, Mercedes, McLaren and Aston Martin. Sean Parker is joined by Mary-Anne Wakefield to preview the race and give their predictions.
Formula 1's newest race served up a hand worthy of a high-roller with safety cars, crashes and the second highest number of overtakes this season. Sean Parker is joined by Mary-Anne Wakefield to review the exciting weekend of racing from Sin City that saw Max Verstappen claim an 18th win.
Zach Lowy speaks to Ghanaian journalist Yaw Ampofo (@Yaw_Ampofo) and Bundesliga expert Augustus (@Der_Augustus) about the upcoming African Cup of Nations, João Neves' impressive form at Benfica, Florian Wirtz, the top scorer race in Germany, Liverpool's title charge and more.
Formula 1 has taken over Las Vegas as the penultimate race of the season takes place in Sin City this weekend. The 6.2km long, 17-turn street circuit passes iconic spots such as Caesars Palace and the Bellagio. Fans can expect to see Monza-rivalling speeds as the track features a nearly two-kilometre straight. Sean Parker is joined by Mary-Anne Wakefield to unpack what we can expect to see in Vegas baby!
Mastos and David are back for another #Masterclass powered by Bet.co.za. Our two favourite punters are looking with excitement at their favourite leagues for goals, the Bundesliga and the Ligue 1, while also picking games from Premier League, LaLiga and Serie A. This week's multi adds up to 31.09 odds. As usual, they share and discuss their research behind the selections and also give some general betting advice. Good luck, and stay tuned for the next one.
Host Mitch Matyana and Grant de Smidt return to preview week 12 of the English Premier League. The pick of the weekend action sees Chelsea host in-form Man City at Stamford Bridge. Will City win with a clean sheet again? Arsenal host a struggling Burnley side whilst Liverpool host Brentford and their big-game back five formation. Can limping Man Utd beat improving Luton at home and will Marcus Rashford end his drought? Mitch and Grant preview all ten fixtures ahead of the weekend's action.
Max Verstappen won his 17th Grand Prix of the season at Interlagos in a race that saw a red flag on the formation lap. Lando Norris and Fernando Alonso joined Verstappen on the podium as Mercedes had a race to forget. Sean Parker is joined by Mary-Anne Wakefield to review the incident-filled race.
Zach Lowy speaks to Sky Sports presenter Dougie Critchley (@DougieCritchley) and No Ratings Pod host Raj Chohan (@rajsinghchohan) about Viktor Gyokeres' impact at Sporting, Nice's stellar start to the season, Bayern's Der Klassiker victory, Jeremy Doku's mesmerizing performance against Bournemouth, the action in the EFL Championship, and plenty more.
Mitch Matyana is joined by Dave Kappel and Grant James to preview the return of the world's biggest and best club football tournament. The trio looks at Man Utd's trip to face FC Copenhagen and Newcastle's trip to take on Dortmund. A struggling AC Milan hosts PSG whilst the Gunners face Sevilla as they look to put one foot in the knockout rounds. Dave gives us an epic 10-game multiple slip to bet on too!
Mastos and David are back for another #Masterclass powered by Bet.co.za. Our two favourite punters are looking with excitement at their favourite leagues for goals, the Bundesliga and the Ligue 1, while also picking games from Premier League, LaLiga and Serie A. After coming close over the last two weeks, they have created a multi that adds up to 65.3 odds. As usual, they share and discuss their research behind the selections and also give some general betting advice. Good luck, and stay tuned for the next one.
Host Mitch Matyana and Grant de Smidt return to preview week 11 of the English Premier League. The weekend's one really big match sees Newcastle host Arsenal at St. James' Park in what could be a goal-fest. On Monday, Chelsea travel to rivals Tottenham as massive underdogs and the duo ask if the odds on Spurs are just too tempting to ignore. A limping Man Utd travel to Fulham in the early kickoff and Liverpool go to bottom dwellers Luton Town. With some winnable fixtures for the top sides, will either Erling Haaland or Mohamed Salah net a hattrick? Mitch and Grant preview all ten fixtures ahead of the weekend's action.
The Sao Paulo Grand Prix hosts a Sprint weekend as Formula 1 heads to Brazil. Mercedes has won the last two races at Interlagos and with Lewis Hamilton's strong form in the last two races, they will fancy their chances. Sean Parker is joined by Mary-Anne Wakefield to preview the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
Zach Lowy speaks to Nigerian journalist Oma Akatugba (@omaakatugba) and German football show host @50PlusDoner about Union Berlin's relegation battle, French football's hooliganism problem, Manchester United's humiliating defeat to Manchester City, Girona's stellar form and plenty more on the latest episode of Zach Lowy's European Football Show.
Max Verstappen notched up his 16th victory and 18th podium finish in 2023 at the Mexico City Grand Prix. His Red Bull teammate, Sergio Perez, floundered on the opening lap in front of his home fans. Sean Parker is joined by Mary-Anne to review the race that saw standout performances by Lewis Hamilton, Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris. SM handles: @Sean_ParkerSA and @LalliesF1andMotorsport
Host Mitch Matyana and Coach/Analyst Grant de Smidt return to preview week 10 of the English Premier League. The big match is Sunday's Manchester derby as a United side, with three successive wins, hosts a City side with Erling Haaland back to scoring ways. Chelsea host a Brentford side with two successive victories at Stamford Bridge whilst everything starts off with table toppers Tottenham travelling to out-of-form Crystal Palace. Liverpool and Arsenal have winnable home matches vs Nottingham Forest and Sheffield United respectively with Mo Salah backed to score two or more goals. All 10 matches are previewed from a form, betting and tactical viewpoint!
Masterclass intro* Mastos and David are back for another #Masterclass powered by Bet.co.za. Our two favourite punters are looking with excitement at their favourite leagues for goals, the Bundesliga and the Ligue 1, while also picking games from Premier League, LaLiga and Serie A. They have created a massive multi that adds up to 97.52 odds - one of their biggest so far. As usual, they share and discuss their research behind the selections and also give some general betting advice. Good luck, and stay tuned for the next one.
Formula 1 heads to the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez track for the Mexico City Grand Prix. All eyes will be on Sergio Perez as he looks to score a second win of the season at his home race. Or will the Mexican's teammate Max Verstappen spoil his party and win his 16th race of the season? Sean Parker is joined by Mary-Anne Wakefield to preview the race and discuss who they think will make their mark in the race.
Max Verstappen notched up his 15th race win and 50th career victory at the United States Grand Prix. However the final podium positions were only confirmed on Monday morning after Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were disqualified for a technical breach. Sean Parker and Mary-Anne Wakefield discuss the fallout to the decision and what transpired in Texas.
Zach Lowy speaks to Opta journalist and Tottenham fan Matt Hayes (@matthayesthfc) and West Ham Fan TV presenter Dan Lawless (@TheLawless) about Bournemouth's early struggles under Andoni Iraola, Antoine Griezmann's hat-trick heroics against Celta, Liverpool's Merseyside derby victory and plenty more in the latest episode of Zach Lowy's European Football Show.
Mitch Matyana is joined by David Kappel and Grant James to preview the return of the world's biggest and best club football tournament. The trio looks at Arsenal's trip to Sevilla, Real Madrid's clash at Braga, Newcastle enticing tie with Borussia Dortmund and PSG's match-up with AC Milan. Dave also gives us an epic 12-game UEFA Champions League multiple slip to bet on!
Mastos and David are back for another #Masterclass powered by Bet.co.za. Our two favourite punters are looking with excitement at their favourite leagues for goals, the Bundesliga and the Ligue 1, while also picking games from Premier League, LaLiga and Serie A. They have created a multi that adds up to 26.49 odds. As usual, they share and discuss their research behind the selections and also give some general betting advice. Good luck, and stay tuned for the next one.
Mitch Matyana and Grant James are back after a two-week FIFA break to preview a full round of action in the English Premier League. An improving Chelsea host London rivals, Arsenal in the pick of the fixtures. Liverpool play host to Everton in the Merseyside derby and we ask if the international exertions of Jurgen Klopp's South American players could be a factor. Man City host Brighton after the Seagulls' recent defensive woes... will Erling Haaland score two or more goals after a recent drought? We ask whether Manchester United or Sheffield United will take the points in the late kickoff on Saturday whilst Aston Villa are pushing for an 11th straight home league win on Sunday against West Ham. All ten games are previewed tactically and from a betting perspective!
Sean Parker is joined by Mary-Anne Wakefield to provide an indepth betting preview of the event at the Circuit of the Americas. Can the in-form McLaren drivers topple Max Verstappen in Austin?
Mastos and David are back for another #Masterclass powered by Bet.co.za. Our two favourite punters are looking with excitement at their favourite leagues for goals, the Bundesliga and the Ligue 1, while also picking games from Premier League, LaLiga and Serie A. They have created a multi that adds up to 26.49 odds. As usual, they share and discuss their research behind the selections and also give some general betting advice. Good luck, and stay tuned for the next one.
In episode 21 of the Numbers Game podcast, Lee and Alex discussed the midweek games, this weekend's MTN8 semi-finals and which players take the most shots.
Mitch Matyana and Grant de Smidt return to preview round six of the English Premier League. Saturfay sees five fixtures with another five to enjoy on Sunday. Can Man Utd go to Burnley and end a three-match losing streak in all competitions which has seen them leak 10 goals? Chelsea desperately need a win at home to Unai Emery's Aston Villa on Sunday and the weekend's big match sees Arsenal host Tottenham in the North London derby on Sunday. We ask whether Julian Alvarez is the man to back in the goalscorer markets and whether Liverpool may need another comeback to overcome West Ham at Anfield. The duo look at all ten matches, offering their best betting tips and tactical insight to inform your decision making!
Zach Lowy speaks to freelance writer Elijah Sofoluke (@AliquamScripto) and Expresso journalist Pedro Barata (@pbarata95) about Manchester United's dismal form under Erik ten Hag, Inter's historic 5-1 win against Milan, Terem Moffi's goal-scoring heroics against PSG and Boavista's table-topping form under Petit in the latest episode of Zach Lowy's European Football Show.
Championship leader Max Verstappen heads to Suzuka for the Japanese Grand Prix aiming to get back to winning ways. Sean Parker and Mary-Anne Wakefield preview the race in the Land of Rising Sun and offer their top picks ahead of this weekend’s race.
Carlos Sainz converted pole position into a victory at the Singapore Grand Prix and broke Red Bull’s unbeaten run of 15 wins. Sean Parker is joined by Mary-Anne Wakefield to recap arguably the best race of the season so far.
Mitch Matyana is joined by Dave Kappel and Grant James to preview the return of the world's biggest and best club football tournament. The trio looks at Man Utd's trip to face Bayern Munich and Harry Kane. Newcastle return after nearly two decades out of the Champions League with a trip to AC Milan. Barcelona and Real Madrid are also in action as Dave gives us an epic 10-game multiple slip to bet on!
Mastos and David are back for another #Masterclass powered by Bet.co.za. After the international break our two favourite punters have picked their favourite games as Europe's top leagues return. They have created a multi that adds up to 36.11 odds. As usual, they share and discuss their research behind the selections and also give some general betting advice. Good luck, and stay tuned for the next one.
After the FIFA break, Mitch Matyana and Grant James are back to preview a full round of fixtures in the English Premier League. The pick of the action sees struggling Man Utd host a high-flying Brighton side. Liverpool travel to Wolves without Virgil Van Dijk whilst Arsenal will hope to avoid a repeat of last season's defeat at Goodison Park. On Sunday, Chelsea look to get back on track with a trip to a Bournemouth side without a win in eight matches. The action finished off on Monday as Nottingham Forest play host to Lyle Foster's Burnley side, who are looking for their first points of the season. Get all your betting tips and tactical insight right here!
Formula 1 heads to the original night race at Singapore's Marina Bay street circuit. It's touted as one of the toughest races of the year due to the high humidity, a high number of turns and high downforce setup. Sean Parker previews the Singapore Grand Prix and offers betting tips with regular contributor Mary-Anne Wakefield.
Zach Lowy speaks to JoySports announcer Daniel Koranteng (@Dani77k) and Monaco fan Florent Marlon (@MuneGooner) about Arsenal's narrow win against Manchester United, Monaco's table-topping form, Ernest Nuamah's move to Lyon, Borussia Dortmund's shaky start and plenty more on the latest episode of Zach Lowy's European Football Show.
Mastos and David are back for another #Masterclass powered by Bet.co.za. Our two favourite punters have picked their favourite games from the international break. They have created a multi that adds up to 13.47 odds. As usual, they share and discuss their research behind the selections and also give some general betting advice. Good luck, and stay tuned for the next one.
In this episode of theNumbers Game, Lee and Alex discussed the teams different approaches in the MTN8 1st legs, how the MTN8 2nd legs may look and Bafana Bafana's upcoming friendlies.
Ferrari produced a heroic performance at the Italian Grand Prix, but ultimately fell short at Monza. Red Bull ended up beating Ferrari in one of the best races of the season. Sean Parker is joined by Mary-Anne Wakefield to unpack what happened.
Mastos and David are back for another #Masterclass powered by Bet.co.za. Our two favourite punters have picked their favourite games from Premier League, Bundesliga, Ligue 1 and LaLiga for the upcoming weekend. They have created a multi that adds up to 86 odds. As usual, they share and discuss their research behind the selections and also give some general betting advice. Good luck, and stay tuned for the next one.
In this episode of the Numbers Game, Lee and Alex discuss the PSL midweek games, Molefi Ntseki's improving Kaizer Chiefs and the upcoming MTN8 semi-finals.
Mitch Matyana and Grant James are back to preview round four of the English Premier League. The action kicks off with Luton vs West Ham on Friday night and culminates in the massive Arsenal vs Man Utd clash on Sunday evening. The duo ask whether Rashford and Saka could run riot in the match and whether Mikel Arteta may be tinkering too much. Can Chelsea get another win at home to Nottingham Forest and will Man City hand Fulham a thrashing? All ten matches are previewed from a betting, statistical and tactical point of view!
Formula 1 heads to Monza aka The Temple of Speed for the Italian Grand Prix. Can Max Verstappen spoil Ferrari’s race at their home GP and score a record 10th straight win? Sean Parker is joined by Mary-Anne Wakefield to discuss the race and their betting tips.
Zach Lowy speaks to football coach Harry Brooks (@hbrooks_coach) and transfer correspondent Fraser Fletcher (@FrazFletcher) about Tottenham's start to the Ange Postecoglou era, FC Barcelona's 16-year-old sensation Lamine Yamal, Nathan Tella's move to Bayer Leverkusen, Manuel Ugarte's start to life at PSG, and plenty more in the latest episode of Zach Lowy's European Football Show.
Max Verstappen scored his ninth Grand Prix victory in a row much to the joy of the 105 000 fans at the Dutch GP. Bet Central's Sean Parker reflects on the rain-affected race with Mary-Anne Wakefield.
Mitch and Grant are back to preview a full round of eight PSL fixtures. Orlando Pirates vs Cape Town City on Tuesday is the biggest match as the visitors look to avoid a fourth straight defeat. Can Kaizer Chiefs travel to the Winelands and make it two wins in a row or will their upcoming MTN8 semi-final prove a distraction? We ask whether AmaZulu can finally win a game or even score a goal at home to TS Galaxy. Newly-promoted Polokwane City host a fresh Mamelodi Sundowns as they look to deny Rhulani Mokwena's team a sixth straight PSL win to start this season. We cover all eight fixtures with betting tips and tactical insight!
This week in The Numbers Game Podcast, Moyoli and Alex review the games from last night with a focus on Sundowns (can they win 30 of 30 games. Verdict is No). They also review the coming weekend with a focus on Chiefs followed by some predictions for the upcoming 5 weekend games.
Mastos and David are back for another #Masterclass powered by Bet.co.za. Our two favourite punters are have picked their favourite games from Premier League, Bundesliga and Ligue 1 for the upcoming weekend. They have created a multi that adds up to 46.23 odds. As usual, they share and discuss their research behind the selections and also give some general betting advice. Good luck, and stay tuned for the next one.
Zach Lowy speaks to Serie A researcher and statistician Marco Vidoretti (@RobyBagg10) and La Liga journalist Jonas Giaver (@CheGiaevara) about the Women's World Cup Final, Victor Boniface's sensational rise for Leverkusen, the opening matchday in Serie A and plenty more on the latest episode of Zach Lowy's European Football Show.
The Formula 1 season resumes this weekend for the Dutch GP as the teams return from the European summer break. Can Max Verstappen score his third victory in as many years at his home race? Sean Parker is joined by Mary-Anne to preview the race on the Bet Central Formula 1 podcast.
Mitch Matyana and Grant James are back to preview round three of the English Premier League. On Friday night, Chelsea have a chance to get a first win of the season at home to Luton. Saturday sees Arsenal and Man Utd chasing wins and a goal-starved Erling Haaland is looking to cash in at Bramall Lane against Sheffield United. Sunday gives us the showpiece fixture as Liverpool's wide-open midfield travels to St. James' Park to take on Eddie Howe's Newcastle. Mitch and Grant discuss the tactics and the top betting tips for all ten fixtures.
The fourth round of the DSTV Premiership kicks off on Friday. There are five fixtures to feast upon as Mitch and Grant delve into one game on Friday, three on Saturday and one on Sunday. Stellenbosch vs SuperSport United is the headline fixture as a clash of styles is forecast. Kaizer Chiefs vs AmaZulu on Saturday is a huge fixture for both new coaches with Molefi Ntseki particularly desperate for a win. The duo discuss these big matches and the best bets to take.
Mastos and David are back for another #Masterclass powered by Bet.co.za. After winning the Saturday selections of last week's edition, our two favourite punters are looking with excitement at the return of the Bundesliga, in addition to Premier League, Ligue 1 and LaLiga. They have created a multi that adds up to 36.48 odds. As usual, they share and discuss their research behind the selections and also give some general betting advice. Good luck, and stay tuned for the next one.
On Episode 6 of the A2D Podcast, Lwanele and Keagan look back at the opening weekend of the Premier League season, which saw some exciting matches and interesting results. The pair also discuss the battle between Chelsea and Liverpool on and off the pitch, plus give their predictions on where the two sides will finish in the EPL this season.
The DSTV Premiership kicks into gear with the third round of action. We have six fixtures to enjoy with Orlando Pirates on CAF Champions League duty. Mitch and Grant dive into two fixtures on Friday, three on Saturday and the big TS Galaxy vs Kaizer Chiefs clash on Sunday. Can Amakhosi make it successive wins under Molefi Ntseki? Will Gavin Hunt's SuperSport extend their winning run over Cape Town City to four matches? Are we going to see AmaZulu drew 0-0 for the third time this season? We discuss this and so much more, including the best bets to take on the matches.
Mitch Matyana and Grant James are back to preview an incredible round of English Premier League action. With seven different kickoff slots from Friday until Monday, you will be able to feast on the world's biggest and best league. The two highest-profile matches see Man City hosting Newcastle and targeting a ninth straight home win against the Magpies. Tottenham host Man Utd with the visitors looking to make it six EPL victories on the bounce. On Sunday, Chelsea's new signing Moises Caicedo could make his debut at West Ham, whilst Monday sees Crystal Palace versus Arsenal in a London derby. Mitch and Grant discuss the tactics and the top betting tips for all ten fixtures.
INTRO 1. Stat of the week
- MTN8 - 10 goals in QF in 5 of the last 6 seasons
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Shalulile 103 goals level with Collins Mbesuma
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The DSTV Prem so far
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8% of games have been played
- 18 games still a thin read with the data
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What’s happening with Pirates?
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Good attack, weak defence last season
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Bad attack, strong defence last season
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Shot-Data Shots for
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Which teams take the most shots?
- Which teams take the most shots on target/off target?
- Which teams take the most shots in the box/outside?
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What else stands out for each of us?
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Shots against
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Which teams face the most shots?
- Which teams face the most shots on target/off target?
- Which teams face the most shots in the box/outside?
- What else stands out for each of us?
Zach Lowy speaks to Connor Holden (@ConnorHolden00) and Roberto Rojas (@RobertoRojas97) about the action in the Copa Libertadores, Lionel Messi's start to life in Miami, Moises Caicedo's move to Chelsea and plenty more in the latest episode of Zach Lowy's European Football Show.
On Episode 5 of the A2D Podcast, Lwanele and Keagan give their predictions for the upcoming Premier League season, from top goalscorer to the top 4. They also discuss some of the big transfer news, with Harry Kane potentially set to join Bayern Munich.
Mastos and David are back for another #Masterclass powered by Bet.co.za. In this week's edition, our two favourite punters are looking with excitement at the return of the Premier League and Ligue 1. They have created a multi that adds up to 42.85 odds. As usual, they share and discuss their research behind the selections and also give some general betting advice. Good luck, and stay tuned for the next one.
Mitch and Grant return after the off-season hiatus to preview the 2023-24 English Premier League campaign. Will Man City win the title again? They travel to Vincent Kompany's Burnley on Friday having thrashed the Clarets 6-0 in March. Can Arsenal go one better this time around after making three major signings in Rice, Havertz and Timber? Chelsea have a new coach in Mauricio Pochettino and a young squad lacking firepower and midfield depth. They host a rebuilding Liverpool on Sunday, who have sold both Fabinho and Henderson in this window. Then we have the Harry Kane saga at Tottenham to unwrap as well as Man Utd's big signings to instil the real "Ten Hag ball" style of play. We have season previews of the so-called big seven and offer betting tips for all ten matches. It's back!
We discussed Banyana Banyana's World Cup exit and the opening weekend of the PSL. Best regards
After an action-packed first round in the PSL, Mitch Matyana and Grant James are back to preview a full round of midweek fixtures. The headline match sees Mamelodi Sundowns host Kaizer Chiefs on National Women's Day. Can Amakhosi lay down a marker for the season against the Champions? We have a KZN derby to enjoy and the two promoted teams play their first matches at home. Can Pirates bounce back to beat Royal AM or will they draw a third straight home league match? Meanwhile, Steve Komphela's Swallows host Cape Town City with a new forward set for a debut. An exciting midweek awaits and we have all the tactical talk and betting tips you could ask for!
Mastos and David are back for another #Masterclass powered by Bet.co.za. In this week's edition, our two favourite punters look games in Belgium, Switzerland and Norway and to get to a juicy accumulator of 69 odds overall. As usual, they share and discuss their research behind the selections and also give some general betting advice. Good luck, and stay tuned for the next one.
Join Mitch Matyana and analyst Grant de Smidt, where we dive intot he latest transfer buzz surrounding the big 5 clubs in the DSTV Premiership - Kazier Chiefs, Supersport, Sundowns, Orlando Pirates and Cape Town City. We'll share our insights, predictions and thoughts on the impact these transfers will have on the upcoming season. Get ready for an in-depth discussion about the movers and shakers in South Africa football.
Max Verstappen cruised to his 10th Grand Prix victory of the season after leading a Red Bull one-two in Belgium. The Dutch driver won the race despite starting in sixth position. Bet Central’s Sean Parker chats to Formula 1 expert Phumudzo Tshiove about the race and some of the standout performances by other drivers.
Zach Lowy speaks to Arouca defender Jerome Opoku about his time at Fulham's academy, his loan spell in Denmark, staying in touch with his Ghanaian roots, leading Arouca to European qualification, his introduction to fatherhood, his transition to life in Portugal, and plenty more on the latest episode of Zach Lowy's European Football Show.
Mastos and David are back for another #Masterclass powered by Bet.co.za. In this week's edition, our two favourite punters look at some of the returning leagues in Belgium and Switzerland, and pair those selection with Norway and Iceland to get to a juicy accumulator of 59.57 odds overall. As usual, they share and discuss their research behind the selections and also give some general betting advice. Good luck, and stay tuned for the next one.
The Belgian Grand Prix hosts the third Sprint race of 2023 and signals the midpoint of the Formula 1 season. Bet Central’s Sean Parker is joined by Phumudzo Tshiove to preview the race at Spa-Francorchamps. Can the McLaren boys make life difficult for runaway drivers’ standings leader Max Verstappen? Or will the Dutch driver cruise to victory? Listen to the duo pick their favourites and who will be the dark horses ahead of this weekend’s race.
The Hungarian Grand Prix had all the ingredients of being a humdinger after Lewis Hamilton snatched his 104th pole position. However, Max Verstappen showed once again how superior the RB19 is as he claimed victory by over 30 seconds ahead of Lando Norris. Bet Central's Sean Parker chats to Mary-Anne Wakefield about the race at the Hungaroring.
Zach Lowy speaks to @lfcels and @_NOMICS about Wilfried Zaha's move to Galatasaray, Marseille's transfer window, the ongoing Kylian Mbappe transfer saga, Manchester United's capture of Andre Onana, and plenty more on the latest episode of Zach Lowy's European Football Show.
**1. Transfers**
- SuperSport Utd has been active in the transfer market of late
- Terrence Dzvukamanja / Etiosa Ighodaro / Abdulrazack Hamza / Grant Margeman / Siphesihle Ndlovu / Washington Arubi Phathutshedzo Nange / Ronald Pfumbidzai
- AmaZulu look to be beating Chiefs and SS United to signing Rowan Human - like him as a player - chance to step-up to the next level at Usuthu
- SuperSport averaged almost 20 crosses per game (a league 1st)
- took the most shots via headers last season (2.5 per game)
2. WWC in general
- What we’ve seen so far
3. Banyana v Sweden
The Possession Question
- Banyana were not expected to have much of the ball
- 32% possession was expected even by the coach
Low possession needs
- Reading the game well
- Keeping the ball well (thin read/small sample)?
- Be careful with receptions
This resulted in an improved attack overall.. but
- 40 minutes without a shot allowed the Swedes back in the game
- The height question (danger of jumping from a stationary position)
The scene is set for this weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix as Red Bull chases a record 12th consecutive victory. The Hungaroring is often called 'Monaco without sidewalks' because of its plethora of slow to medium corners. Max Verstappen starts as the favourite, but who will stand tall between Mercedes, Ferrari, and Aston Martin?
Bet Central F1 host Sean Parker is joined by Mary-Anne Wakefield to preview the race.
1. Intro
Transfer news/updates - any transfer that has surprised you since last week? ○ Caleb Bimenyimana & Andile Jali?
Women's World Cup
- Three days from the start of the competition
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32 countries taking part - largest ever / USA are defending champions
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Banyana’s group at the 2023 World Cup
Rankings in Group G - Sweden 3rd, Argentina 28th, Italy 16th, Banyana 54th
- It’s a tough group
- Must win at least one game and get a result in another (D/W)
2019 WC
- Banyana overawed on their debut four years ago, lost every game
- 4 shots on target at the 2019 World Cup (a joint-low with New Zealand)
- 17 touches in the opposition box, the fewest for any team
- But come into this one as African champs, + experience from the last WC
- Top scorers at AFCON too, but the attack was an issue at France2019
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Possession-based AFCON, not here (others will have more control)
| AFCON v WC STATS | | AFCON | WC2019 | | Passes per game | 400 | 1st | 283 | 8th lowest | | Final 3rd passes | 64 | 1st | 32 | 3rd lowest | | Possession | 56% | 2nd | 38% | 7th lowest | | Shots | 13 | 2nd | 5 | 3rd bottom | | Box touches | 17 | 1st | 4 | lowest | | xG | 0.77 xG | 2nd bottom |
Sweden
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World Ranking: 3rd
- World Cup Appearances: 9th
- Best Finish: Final (2003)
- Key Player (s): Fridolina Rolfö (Barcelona), Lina Hurtig (Arsenal)
Argentina
- World Ranking: 28th
- World Cup Appearances: 4th
- Best Finish: Group Stages (2003, 2007, 2019)
- Key Players: Vanina Correa (Rosario Central), Yamila Rodríguez (Palmeiras)
Italy * World Ranking: 16th * World Cup Appearances: 4th * Best Finish: Quarter Finals (1991, 2019) * Key Player(s): Cristina Girelli (Juventus), Manuela Giugliano (Roma)
3.Other African teams
Zambia
- Only Olympic reps, WAFCON semis, and COSAFA holders
- Beat Germany in preps
- Racheal Kundananji 25-goals in La Liga/Liga Femi
Nigeria
- One of seven teams that have been in every single edition, along USA, Germany, Norway, Brazil, Japan, and Sweden
- The highest-ranked African team
- Asisat Oshoala is a UEFA CL winner & recent Ballon d’Or nominee
Morocco
- Debutants; 8th different African team
- Reynald Pedros, the Lionesses of Atlas are being coached by a two-time
UWCL-winning manager and 2018 winner of The Best FIFA Women's Coach * 60% average for possession was the highest at WAFCON, but things will likely
be very different in New Zealand.
On Episode 4 of the A2d Podcast, Lwanele and Keagan each rank their top 5 current Premier League managers and their top 5 managers of all time. They also discuss the Saudi Pro League, with more players on the verge of joining the league after receiving big money offers.
1. General Transfer Market Review
- Very busy window
- Players coming from all over the world - Ghana, Brazil, Venezuela etc
- Players transferring to all over the world - Morocco, Romania, Israel etc
- No big squad overhauls like last season - releasing players (AmaZulu, Kaizer
Chiefs, Sekhukhune Utd) * Kennedy Mweene (Sundowns) retiring?
+ Won literally everything in South Africa with Sundowns
+ Continental champions for club & country
+ 5 times in league match day squad last season - no appearances
-
Lot’s of coaching changes as well.
-
6 teams already have a coaching change - 2 more changes will see half the league make coaching changes
- How does a coach (Pablo Franco Martin - AmaZulu) adopt to a new league - ambitious club like AmaZulu?
-
How does that affect an old player/new player?
- What formation does a coach prefer?
- Can a player play in that formation?
- Some coaching travel with their pieces
- Signings are like a jigsaw puzzle
- Individual pieces must fit together and the system works
-
A trend - the popularity of wide-forwards.
The PSL's big three teams Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns have all invested differently this off-season, but one area they all doubled up on is wide attackers. Coincidence or tactical evolution?
Lesiba Nku & Junior Mendieta at Sundowns
Pule Mmodi & Tebogo Potsane at Chiefs
Katelgo Oltadisa &Patrick Maswanganyi at Pirates
What do they bring? Types of wide player
- Unlockers - Mmodi / Otladisa / Mount, Neymar
- Wide goal threat - Saleng, Mendieta / Salah, Mbappe
- Outlet - Saleng, Mendieta / Grealish, Sancho
-
- other metrics on a wide-attacker radar...
-
What could that mean tactically?
-
General trend has been Less 4-4-2, more 4-3-3, and other formations
-
Advantages & disadvantages of 2 & 3-man mids.
- Moremidfielders=retain&advancepossession
- Moremidfielders=lessdefenders?
- CF must be able to hold up play without a strike partner (and partner with
wide players). 4. Moregoalsfromotherpartsofthefield? 5. WhattypeofpassesshouldbeplayedtoCF(flatpasses=morecontrol) 6. Will we see more goalkeepers play out from the back (instead of hoofing
to a target man who loses the ball immediately) 7. Lesslongballsasameansofballprogression(Sundownsontheup?) 8. Touchlinehuggers(ononeorbothsides?)
Max Verstappen scored Red Bull’s first victory at Silverstone since 2012, but it was Lando
Norris’ second place finish that had the British capacity crowd off their feet.
The McLaren driver completed a phenomenal weekend after qualifying on the front row and
overtook Verstappen at the start. Lewis Hamilton finished third recording his 13th podium on
home turf.
Zach Lowy speaks to ESPN's Herculez Gomez and content creator Aaron Cikaya about the action in the Gold Cup, David De Gea's departure, Lionel Messi's Inter Miami move, PSV's latest attacking signings and more.
Lwanele and Asher are back with another UFC podcast for the stacked UFC 290 card, headlined by two title fights. Alexander Volkanovski takes on Yair Rodriguez for the featherweight title while Brandon Moreno squares off against Alexandre Pantoja for the flyweight title.The pair also preview South Africa’s two stars in Dricus du Plessis and Cameron Saaiman as they look to extend their unbeaten runs in the UFC.
Mastos and David are back for another #Masterclass powered by Bet.co.za. In this week's edition, our two favourite punters mainly focussed on Norway, Sweden and Iceland for this week's multi, which came to 48.57 odds. As usual, they share and discuss their research behind the selections and also give some general betting advice. Good luck, and stay tuned for the next one.
Join Lwanele Poswayo and Keagan Pretorius as they discuss Mason Mount’s move to Man Utd and react to him being given the iconic number 7 jersey. Keagan also shares his views on which players Man Utd should keep and the ones they should sell.
Host Zach Lowy chats with Mohamed Salad and Dharnish Iqbal about the latest news in European Football.
Formula 1 heads to the home of motorsport for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, home to iconic corners like Maggotts, Becketts and Copse. Surprisingly standings leader Max Verstappen has not won at Silverstone yet , and will want to add that to his exceptional record thus far. British drivers Lando Norris, Lewis Hamilton, George Russell and Alex Albon will relish driving in front of the massive 400 000+ crowd Sean Parker is joined by Phumudzo Tshiove to preview the race and discuss their predictions for the race.
**STAT OF THE WEEK**
- Last week: Molefi Ntseki announced as their new coach
- This week: Kaizer Chiefs announced six new players
-
Average age 28 =/= long-term renovation but an immediate challenge?
Mduduzi Mdantsane
-
Favourite at Cape Town City, making over 100 appearances for the club
- 21 goals = all-time top scorer since they joined the PSL in 2016
- Yet, last season was least productive in terms of goals, with just 2 (also v Chiefs)
- Completed one 90 all season
-
Played 40% of all league mins available for CT City last season (1092 mins)
**Ranga Chivaviro** -
17 goals all comps 2nd behind only Peter Shalulile (23)
- 10 league goals in 1254 mins (46% of mins Gallants played in)
- Caleb Bimenyimana’s struggles key to this signing?
- 3.92 shots per 90 = 1st
- 50-55% shot accuracy = Top5
- Incredible ability to get into good spots and take shots in the center of the box
-
Needs good supply from Dolly et al. to elevate Chiefs’ attacking threat.
Pule Mmodi
-
Versatile (left & right attacking midfield, and also as left winger last season).
- 9 G/A were second only to Knox Mutizwa at Arrows.
- near-elite output for short passes, forward passes and passes into the box.
- in the Top 20 for dribbles/90, rises to Top 3 for total dribbles (played many mins)
- Passing and dribbling abilities, = key to disrupting deep defensive blocks
Thatayaone Ditlhokwe & Given Msimango
- Ditlhokwe youngest signing
- Saw more minutes than any other SuperSport player in the league
- Msimango also saw most minutes in the league for his team.
- One of only two only players to play every minute of every league game 100%
* Left-sided centre back & Right-sided centre back = Chiefs may have gone all out to sign a new first-choice defensive pairing.- The radar highlights some of the differences between the two players.
- Msimango is a passer-defender likely to be involved more in the buildup
- Ditlhokwe on the other hand ranked higher for successful defensive actions
A masterful display by Max Verstappen at Red Bull’s home race saw the double world champion complete a clean sweep at the Austrian Grand Prix. The big talking point of the race was track limits as several drivers were handed penalties for multiple infringements. Sean Parker and Mary-Anne Wakefield unpack what happened in Spielberg.
Mastos and David are back for another #Masterclass powered by Bet.co.za.
In this week's edition, our two favourite punters mainly focus on Norway, with a bit of Japanese and Swedish flavour for this week's multi, which came to 59.5 odds. As usual, they share and discuss their research behind the selections and also give some general betting advice.
Good luck, and stay tuned for the next one.
Formula 1 is back in Europe and this time it's in the picturesque Styrian mountains of Austria for a Sprint weekend. Could Red Bull's dominance be slipping after Aston Martin, Mercedes and even Ferrari showed strong pace a fortnight ago? Bet Central F1 host Sean Parker is joined by Mary-Anne Wakefield to preview the race and offer their expert predictions.
In the second episode of the A2D Podcast, Lwanele Poswayo and Keagan Pretorius rank the best treble-winning teams. The pair also select their Premier League best XI from the 2022/23 season and discuss the latest transfer news in the world of football.
Zach Lowy speaks to Casey Evans and Martino Puccio about Bologna's progression under Thiago Motta, Sandro Tonali's imminent departure to Newcastle, Ilkay Gundogan's move to Barcelona, and plenty more.
Mastos and David are back for another #Masterclass powered by Bet.co.za. With Europe's top leagues still on break and European and African qualifiers also finished, our two favourite punters branched out to Norway, Iceland and even South America to find their best picks for this week's multi, which came to 53 odds. As usual, they share and discuss their research behind the selections and also give some general betting advice. Good luck, and stay tuned for the next one.
Zach Lowy speaks to Jacek Kulig (@FTalentScout) and Astorre Cerebrone (@xyCerebrone) about Valencia's relegation battle, Folarin Balogun's USMNT debut, Spain's win in the UEFA Nations League Finals, Christopher Nkunku's move to Chelsea, and more on the latest episode of Zach Lowy's European Football Show.
Join the Numbers Game Podcast hosts Moyoli and Alex, as they discuss the latest news in local soccer.
The final designated event comes straight after a thrilling US Open which saw Wyndham Clark outplay the likes of Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler. In this episode, we recap the year's third Major in detail before breaking down the Travelers Championship and provide some of our favourite tips for the week.
Max Verstappen breezed to a 41st victory at the Canadian Grand Prix and secured Red Bull's 100th win in Formula 1. The real action was behind the runaway leader with two greats of the sport, Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton, swapping places and putting on a show. Sean Parker and Phumudzo Tshiove chat about the race.
Mastos and David are back for another #Masterclass powered by Bet.co.za. This week, with Europe's top league on break, our two favourite punters looked at European and African qualifiers to create a nice multi for the upcoming weekend. As usual, they share and discuss their research behind the selection and also give some general betting advice. Good luck, and stay tuned for the next one.
Zach Lowy speaks to @umirf1 and @jdeposicion about how Manchester City won the treble and their first Champions League title in Istanbul, West Ham’s victory over Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League Final, Jude Bellingham’s move to Real Madrid and plenty more in the latest episode of Zach Lowy’s European Football Show.
Mitch Matyana and Grant de Smidt are back in studio to review the newly dubbed "big seven" in the English Premier League. The duo discuss the 2022-23 season performances of Chelsea, Man City, Arsenal, Tottenham, Newcastle, Man Utd and Liverpool. They also look at which areas need to be strengthened and who the main transfer targets should be in the transfer window. Chelsea
1) With 30 points less than the year before, the biggest regression in EPL, what went wrong? What were the biggest reasons for the failed season: was it sacking Thomas Tuchel, appointing Graham Potter, Frank Lampard's ill-fated return or something else?
2) Mauricio Pochettino has been appointed as the new coach. Is he the right man? He will have just one game a week next season to navigate with no European football.
3) Transfers: Some big departures are expected with Mason Mount, N'Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic set to leave? Kai Havertz is also being linked with a move away. Which areas will Chelsea sign players having already invested £600m on transfers under the new owners?
Man City
1) They won the treble after an incredible finish to the season. How much of it was down to Erling Haaland signing?
2) Pep Guardiola decided to ditch Joao Cancelo on loan to Bayern Munich and have no specialist left back in his XI. After he got criticised for that, no one is saying anything now thanks to his tactical genius. Mitch and Grant discuss the coach's innovative adjustments.
3) Could City see some big departures like Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva in the transfer window? And who comes in to replace them? Where can they realistically strengthen the side?
Arsenal
1) The Gunners finished 2nd, a full 15 points more than the season before. Did they throw away the title even though they would have surely bitten your hand off for 2nd spot back in August?
2) Next season Arsenal are finally back in the UEFA Champions League. Which areas do they need to get stronger in the transfer window to try to match this season or get closer to City in the title race next year?
3) Mitch and Grant make their early predictions for next season: will Arsenal be title challengers or have they missed their golden chance to win the league?
Tottenham
1) After so much early season optimism, things unravelled and they finished 8th! How much blame goes to coach Antonio Conte and what other factors were there? They got 11 points from the season before, a big drop-off.
2) Harry Kane got 30 goals out of Spurs' 70 scored. What if he leaves this summer? And if he stays one more year, can Tottenham afford to lose him on a free transfer in 2024?
3) Aside from the attack, where else does new coach Ange Postecoglou need new players? What style of play can we expect from the Australian in his first truly elite job?
Newcastle
1) The Magpies got 22 more points than the 21-22 season before, the biggest jump in the entire division. What has Eddie Howe done to turn the entire club and the city around like this?
2) They're in the UEFA Champions League next season. Which areas must they strengthen in order to compete in that competition? One of Mitch's favourites is being linked!
3) Can the Toon make top four again next year and what are some of the pitfalls they could face? We ask whether they have the depth required and whether teams will park the bus against Newcastle next term.
Man Utd
1) Erik Ten Hag added +17 points to Man Utd's total in his first season. Mitch and Grant discuss which things impressed them about his work and what the coach improved.
2) It could be an interesting summer for the club, not just because of a potential sale. Who could arrive and who could leave? David De Gea, Harry Maguire and Anthony Martial are some of the big names who could face uncertain futures whilst Mason Mount is being strongly linked.
3) Will we see a different style of play next season, based on the fact that this term wasn't all that similar to what we saw from the Dutchman's Ajax side? We ask whether De Gea may need to depart for this to happen.
Liverpool
1) The Reds saw a massive 25-point dip to go from 2nd to 5th spot in the season just past. Simply put.. what happened?! Is the cycle over with these players?
2) Transfer business will be key for Liverpool and Alex Mac Allister is already through the door for a bargain price. James Milner, Roberto Firmino and several others have left. Who else could we see arrive?
3) Can Jurgen Klopp build another great team to win the Premier League title and how long will it take? Or do we see them as more of a Cup team in the next couple of years? Is their old blueprint of 'heavy metal football' no longer possible?
Formula 1 is back after a two week break, the drivers head to North America for the Canadian Grand Prix at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal. Can Sergio Perez get onto the offensive early in Canada and trouble Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen? Bet Central F1 host Sean Parker chats to Phumudzo Tshiove, they preview the race and give their predictions.
The year's third Major takes the golfing world to Los Angeles Country Club for the US Open. It's going to be a stern test with fast fairways and thick rough as England's Matt Fitzpatrick defends his title. He will have to beat Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy who lead the odds. In this preview, we break down the course, the favourites and share our best bets. Enjoy!
EPISODE DESCRIPTION 1. Introduction * Transfer season - Favourite rumour so far
- Mamelodi Sundowns 1. Anything that stands out for you?
- Young / Experienced squad?
- Where do they need strength / what could they do better
3. Pirates 1. Anything that stands out for you? 2. Young / Experienced squad? 3. Where do they need strength / what could they do better?
4. Chiefs 1. Anything that stands out for you? 2. Young / Experienced squad? 3. Where do they need strength / what could they do better?
On today’s episode, host Lwanele Poswayo is joined by UFC expert Asher Arenz.
They preview the eagerly anticipated UFC 289 co-main event between Charles “Do Bronx” Oliveira and Beneil Dariush.
They give their best bets, predictions and where they feel the fight could be won or lost.
Join Lwanele Poswayo and Keagan Pretorius on the very first episode of the A2D Podcast, where they discuss and agree to disagree on several topics in the world of football.
In this episode, they’ll be looking back at this past weekend’s FA Cup final and preview this weekend’s massive UEFA Champions League final between Man City & Inter Milan.
The pair also chat about Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s recent retirement and Mauricio Pochettino’s appointment as the new head coach of Chelsea.
Mitch Matyana and Grant de Smidt are back to review the PSL season, looking at the traditional big three clubs in Mamelodi Sundowns, Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs.
They also round up five other clubs' seasons. Which teams met expectations and which fell short of the mark?
Where do the clubs need to strengthen in the upcoming transfer window? We look at these questions and more.
Rory McIlroy will attempt to win the RBC Canadian Open for the third time in a row this week. One of the oldest PGA TOUR events is being played at a new venue - Oakdale Golf & Country Club which should offer good scoring. A host of leading tour players will attempt to stop McIlroy's charge and we highlight the trends and potential best picks for the week in our latest episode.
Join Mitch Matyana, Dave Kappel and Grant de Smidt on our latest podcast as we provide insight, analysis and expert betting tips on Wednesday UEFA Europa Conference League final between Fiorentina and West Ham United. The trio also ask whether Man City will complete the treble by winning Saturday's UEFA Champions League final vs Inter Milan. Don't miss out on this essential guide for your betting.
Max Verstappen drove to a commanding win over Lewis Hamilton and George Russell at the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona. The Dutch driver won his third consecutive race, but it was the resurgence of Mercedes that grabbed all the headlines.
Zach Lowy speaks to Jack Collins and @RDFTactics about Sevilla's Europa League victory, Ange Postecoglou's excellent campaign with Celtic, Manuel Ugarte's potential fit at Paris Saint-Germain, Monza's first season in Serie A, and plenty more on the latest episode of Zach Lowy's European Football Show.
We are back with another edition of the Mastos Masterclass. In this podcast, we look at the best bets for the weekend across Europe's top five football leagues.
We cover the Bundesliga, Serie A, English Premier League, Ligue 1 and La Liga. Our favourite punter Mastos has teamed up with host David Kappel for betting tips for Saturday, and Sunday. The best podcast for those who like multiples, parlays and accumulators.
Jack Nicklaus plays host as the world's best players arrive at Muirfield Village for the 2023 Memorial Tournament. Billy Hoschel defends his title and will have to be brilliant if he wants to beat the two biggest threats in Scottie Scheffler and Jon Rahm. Another player that will be tough to beat is two-time winner Patrick Cantlay. In this episode, we break down what skills are needed to win as well as pick up on some trending players who could contend.
-
Intro
-
Predictions from last week
- Stat/Moment of the week/end Nedbank Cup - talking points?
- The penalty decision - thoughts?
- Alex: Watch out for Terrence Dzvukamanja!!!
- Sekhukhune - thoughts?
- PSL Awards - the role of stats v the eye tests. 2. The Big Winners a) Teboho Mokoena i) For - Sundowns champions & he was key ii) Crucial to style of play (65% possession) iii) Pass profile (radar = Sundowns radar) iv) Against - G/A
b) Ronwen Williams i) Record breaker ii) Actually conceded just 10 goals iii) High on goals prevented (7, compared to 5 & 5 last two seasons) iv) 1000+ passes
GOALS PREVENTED THIS SEASON
Keeper Team Goals Prevented J. Salim Richards Bay 10 R. Williams Sundowns 7
V. Mothwa AmaZulu 5 B. Sangaré Sekhukhune 5 V. Kolak TS Galaxy 4
c) Monnapule Saleng i) 26 G/A best in domestic comps ii) Dual threat - unlocker & outlet (Only player with 10+G & 10+A) iii) League leader in xA, Pirates leader for shots (3rd in the league) iv) +4 overperformance on xG (2nd in league)
OTHER THOUGHTS ON AWARDS - Junior Mendieta unlucky to miss out - Sundowns won league early - Downs not dependent on the individual (like 2021/22), but the collective - Gap between the best & 2nd best at Sundowns smaller than at Pirates - Important that awards are time specific - Andile Jali and next season - where does he go now?
Sean Parker briefly discussed the rain-hit Monaco Grand Prix with Mary-Anne Wakefield before previewing the Spanish GP in Barcelona. It's a home GP for Ferrari's Carlos Sainz and Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso, but many fans will be looking forward to the drivers racing at a traditional circuit for the first time since the opening Bahrain GP.
Zach Lowy speaks to Vuyo Ndebele and Paul Brown about Everton's narrow escape from relegation, Lens' return to the Champions League, Juventus' nightmare campaign, Villarreal's Senegalese striker Nicolas Jackson, the final day of the Bundesliga season and plenty more on the latest episode of Zach Lowy's European Football Show.
We are back with another edition of the Mastos Masterclass. In this podcast, we look at the best bets for the weekend across Europe's top five football leagues.
We cover the Bundesliga, Serie A, English Premier League, Ligue 1 and La Liga. Our favourite punter Mastos has teamed up with host David Kappel for betting tips for Saturday, and Sunday. The best podcast for those who like multiples, parlays and accumulators.
On today’s episode, host Lwanele Poswayo is joined by UFC expert Asher Arenz. The pair share their UFC pound-for-pound rankings for both the women’s and men’s divisions. There are some surprising choices on the lists and some controversial exclusions.
- Intro
Last match day review
- SuperSport Utd Confed Cup
- Pirates Caf Cup
- Sundowns - knocked out
- Relegation reviews - we were right & wrong
Lee
Alex
Maritzburg
Yes
Yes
Chippa
Yes
Yes
Marumo
No
No
- Stat of the week - Sekhukhune P30 W10 D10 L10
- Tinkler record Chiefs
-
Big Topic: Nedbank Cup
-
Match Focus: Nedbank Cup
-
Are Pirates a Cup team?
- History of the cup in recent years
- Who is more under pressure to win?
- Do Sekhukhune United have anything to lose?
- Are Pirates under pressure to win this game?
- What can we expect?
- Season - does that play a part in this game?
Where are Sekhukhune United most dangerous?
Pirates shot map (LEAGUE)
-
Player Focus: Monnapule Saleng
-
25 G/A more than anyone else except Shalulile
-
8 goals away from home
-
Reviews, transfers & gossip
-Final Predictions
-Alex: 2-1 win for Pirates (Saleng matchwinner)
-Lee: 1-0 win for Sekhukhune (Daniel Cardoso)
Zach Lowy speaks to @Culturecams and Elizabeth Helenek about La Liga’s racism problem, Rayan Cherki’s emergence at Lyon, Tottenham’s dismal campaign and more in the latest episode of Zach Lowy’s European Football Show.
Host of the Bet Central Formula 1 show Sean Parker is joined by F1 enthusiast Phumudzo Tshiovhe to preview the Monaco Grand Prix. Arguably the most famous race on the calendar, qualifying on pole position is vital to securing a solid chance of winning the race.
Red Bull won't be able to exercise their straight-line speed on the narrow street circuit, and this will allow Ferrari and Aston Martin to challenge F1's dominant team. Look out for Mercedes as they show off their upgrades to the W14.
In this week's episode, our expert tipsters recap the highs and lows of the PGA Championship, discuss LIV Golf's impact on the Majors and then break down the 2023 Charles Schwab Challenge in detail. From the course, to previous winners and some interesting tips, this is a week to listen in to.
Join Mitch Matyana and Grant de Smidt on our latest podcast as we provide insight analysis and expert betting tips for the final weekend of the PSL. From Kaizer Chiefs vs Cape Town City to Amazulu vs Orlando Pirates, we've got you covered. Don't miss out on this essential guide for your weekend betting.
Join Mitch Matyana and analyst Grant de Smidt as they provide expert analysis and betting tips for match week 37 of the Premier League, including the highly-anticipated Manchester City vs Chelsea fixture. From stats to trends, we've got you covered.
In this edition of the UFC podcast, Lwanele Poswayo is joined by UFC expert Asher Arenz. The pair discuss the recently announced UFC 291 main card that Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje will headline for the BMF belt, the potential Kamzat Chimaev vs Kamaru Usman fight, Francis Ngannou signing with the PFL and more.
-
Intro
-
Congratulations Polokwane City
- Stat of the week
-
Big Topic: Chiefs and stats
-
Team Focus: Arthur Zwane
-
Have their stats improved?
- Too broad a statement leaves him open to ridicule
- He is both right and wrong (some stats have improved, some has not)
- Why do stats increase/decrease?
- Change in style of play/how they approach games
-
Improvement in performance a) General
-
A win will take his win% to 48% and equal all before him since last title
b) Attack&DefenceRadar
c) xG/xGAandRollingxG
- Real Q is do improved stats indicate future improvement
-
xG does that very well
-
But the Chance issue has gone on for long (always high on xG)
-
Player Focus: Khanyisa Mayo
-
12 goals makes him joint-top scorer
- Mayo is the 3rd City player to score 12+ league goals in a single PSL season after Lebo Manyama & Kermit Erasmus (both 13).
- He won City Player of the Year over the weekend
- 3rd highest shot taker in the league
- But highest for City ______________________________________________________________________________
- 8 of his 12 goals have come in the last 8 games.
-
Can’t buy him off this form.
-
Weekend preview
-
Sundowns v Maritzburg
- Who will be relegated/Playoffs?
Lee
Alex
Maritzburg
Yes
Yes
Chippa
Yes
Yes
Marumo
No
No
Host of the Bet Central Formula 1 show Sean Parker is joined by F1 enthusiast Phumudzo Tshiovhe to preview the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. The sport returns to a traditional race track at Imola after two races at street circuits. Most of the teams will bring substantial upgrades to Imola this weekend, and we discuss whether it'll be enough to halt Red Bull from clinching a sixth straight victory this season.
Zach Lowy speaks to Milan fan and American content creator Ahmed Bdair and Inter fan and Swedish journalist Siavoush Fallahi as they discuss the upcoming Milan derby, Sevilla's turnaround under Jose Luis Mendilibar, Seko Fofana's emergence in Lens' midfield, Brighton's sensational campaign and more.
The year's second Major championship, the PGA Championship, takes place this weekend at Oak Hill Country Club in Pittsford, New York. While Justin Thomas is the defending champion, our prediction is that Jon Rahm and Scottie Scheffler will be the toughest to beat on a long, demanding golf course that favours the big-hitters.
In this episode, we look into the course, the recent PGA Championship trends as well as highlight a few bets to consider outside of finding the eventual champion.
Host Mitch Matyana, punter David Kappel, and analyst Grant de Smidt go in depth in this week's betting preview of the upcoming UEFA Champions League and Europa League semi-final second leg fixtures. They will provide expert analysis on team form, player availability and betting odds, along with tips and predictions for upcoming matches.
With their combined knowledge and experience, they'll give you valuable insights and strategies for making the most of your bets.
We are back with another edition of the Mastos Masterclass. In this podcast, we look at the best bets for the weekend across Europe's top five football leagues.
We cover the Bundesliga, Serie A, English Premier League, Ligue 1 and La Liga. Our favourite punter Mastos has teamed up with host David Kappel for betting tips for Saturday, and Sunday. The best podcast for those who like multiples, parlays and accumulators.
Join Mitch Matyana and Grant de Smidt on our latest podcast as we provide insightful analysis and expert betting tips for this weekend's PSL games. From Golden Arrows vs Amazulu to Supersport United vs Kaizer Chiefs, we've got you covered.
Don't miss out on this essential guide to your weekend betting.
Join Mitch Matyana and analyst Grant de Smidt as they provide expert analysis and betting tips for match 36 of the Premier League, including the highly-anticipated Arsenal vs Brighton fixture.
From stats to trends, we've got you covered.
Max masterclass in Miami Max Verstappen produced his best performance of the season to win the Miami Grand Prix from ninth position. The two-time world champion scythed his way through the field, including overtaking Charles Leclerc and Kevin Magnussen simultaneously, and gained seven places after 15 laps. He led a Red Bull 1-2 finish and moved 14 points clear of Red Bull teammate and closest rival Sergio Perez. Fernando Alonso finished third. Listen to Bet Central's F1 podcast show host Sean Parker and guest Mary-Anne Wakefield review the race.
Zach Lowy speaks to Thomas Rongen, the subject of the upcoming film "Next Goal Wins," about playing with Johan Cruyff, managing the American Samoa national team, as well as the action in Europe from Santiago Gimenez's stellar form at Feyenoord to Napoli's Scudetto win in the latest episode of Zach Lowy's European Football Show.
The AT&T Byron Nelson returns to TPC Craig Ranch this year. Host Wade Pretorius discusses everything you need to know in this in depth betting review.
Join Mitch Matyana, punter David Kappel, and analyst Grant de Smidt for an in-depth betting preview for the upcoming UEFA Champions League and Europa League fixtures.
They will provide expert analysis on team for, player availability, and betting odd, along with tips and predictions for upcoming matches. With their combined knowledge and experience, they'll give you valuable indights and strategies for making the most of your bets in these exciting tournaments.
Mitch Matyana and analyst Grant de Smidt break down the upcoming Nedbank Cup semi-finals.
The first match features the highly anticipated clash between Kaizer Chiefs and Pirates, while the second match sees Stellenbosch take on Sekhukhune United.
Join them as they analyze the strengths and weaknesses of each team and make their predictions for who will advance to the final.
Join Mitch Matyana and analyst Grant de Smidt as they discuss the upcoming match week 35 in the English Premier League.
In this episode, they'll be taking a closer look at the crucial match between Newcastle and Arsenal at St James' Park, and how it could be the end of Arsenal's title hopes. They'll also be analyzing the massive relegation battle between Nottingham Forest and Southampton, and what it means for the future of both clubs.
Don't miss out on the latest insights and betting tips.
We are back with another edition of the Mastos Masterclass. In this podcast, we look at the best bets for the weekend across Europe's top five football leagues.
We cover the Bundesliga, Serie A, English Premier League, Ligue 1 and La Liga. Our favourite punter Mastos has teamed up with host David Kappel for betting tips for Saturday, and Sunday.
If you like multiples, parlays and accumulators, this podcast is for you.
Former champion Henry Cejudo comes out of retirement hell-bent on reclaiming the title he never lost when he faces reigning bantamweight king Aljamain Sterling at UFC 288 in Newark on Sunday morning.
The second Formula Miami Grand Prix takes place this weekend and it promises to be bigger and better than the first edition.
Organisers are expecting over 250 000 fans across the weekend, and teams have upped the ante in terms of hospitality, with suites temporarily built inside the Hard Rock Stadium.
The 5.41 km-long circuit uses the stadium's parking lot and features 19 turns with cars reaching a top speed north of 340km/h.
Look out for overtaking opportunities as the drivers head out of Turn 8 and go full throttle down to Turn 11. The left-hander at Turn 16 into the third sector is another high-speed section.
The circuit's surface has been relaid and that's welcomed by the drivers who suffered from bouncing during last year's race.
As for who we think is the favourite, Sergio Perez heads into the second race of the double-header sky-high with confidence.
The Mexican knows this is his best chance of winning a world title and the RB19 is in a league of its own compared to other teams' cars.
Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen will be Perez's closest rival, but look out for Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz who performed well in 2022's race.
The first sprint race weekend of the season turned out to be rather uninteresting as Sergio Perez romped to a double win at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
The Mexican beat Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen to climb closer to his Red Bull teammate in the drivers' standings.
The new sprint race format has a few kinks that need to be ironed out, but it did mean Baku fans were treated to two qualifying sessions and two races.
Ferrari's display over the weekend saw them finish as the second-fastest car ahead of Mercedes and Aston Martin. Leclerc finally got into his stride with two podium finishes over the weekend.
The narrow Baku street circuit saw several drivers come undone with a few touches to the wall and the inevitable safety car. But for the most part, Perez held his advantage over the reigning world champion.
The PGA Tour's best will once again be in action when the 2023 Wells Fargo Championship tees off at Quail Hollow on Thursday. The stop is another elevated event with only Jon Rahm and Scottie Scheffler missing out this week. The rest of the best are in as they look to stop Rory McIlroy, the clear favourite, from winning a fourth title at one of his most favoured venues.
Zach Lowy speaks to Real Madrid fan Faysal and beIN Sports commentator George D. Metellus about Karim Benzema’s string of hat-tricks, Toulouse’s Coupe de France win, Liverpool’s last-gasp win against Tottenham and more.
Join host Mitch Matyana and analyst Grant de Smidt on this week's episode of the football podcast as they discuss the intense relegation battle in the PSL. With Maritzburg United, Marumo Gallants and Chippa United all fighting to avoid the drop, the stakes have never been higher. Tune in to hear their analysis of the teams' recent performances and their predictions for the upcoming matches.
Don't miss this exciting episode packed with insights and predictions for the PSL's most crucial games of the season!
Join Mitch Matyana and analyst Grant de Smidt in this week's Premier League podcast as they discuss the midweek fixtures of matchweek 34. They'll be exploring the value of the goals market for betting, as well as the title race heating up with Man City taking the top spot over Arsenal.
Don't miss their insights and predictions for all the upcoming matches!
We are back with another edition of the Mastos Masterclass. In this podcast, we look at the best bets for the weekend across Europe's top five football leagues.
We cover the Bundesliga, Serie A, English Premier League, Ligue 1 and La Liga. Our favourite punter Mastos has teamed up with host David Kappel for betting tips for Saturday and Sunday.
The best podcast for those who like multiples, parlays and accumulators.
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Opening
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Predictions from last podcast
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Pirates win - both
- Chiefs draw - Lee & Alex: Chiefs win
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SS Utd win - both
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We spoke of Iqraam Rayners - scored again on the weekend
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Your Moment/Stat of the Week / Talk about games just happened - leads nicely into Chiefs
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Team Focus: Kaizer Chiefs
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P:27 / W:13 / D:5 / L:9 / GS:31 / GC:29 / Pts:44
- Lots of penalties thai season - game Stellies in CT 3 penalties 3 goals ● Arthur Zwane under lots of pressure this season - justified?
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xG and Shot chart discussion
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Solid on the xG data
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Why have they not been more clinical in front of goal?
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Player Focus: Peter Shalulile 100 goals
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Match Focus
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Stellenbosch FC vs Golden Arrows - Top 8 quali
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Alex: Stellies win
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Lee: Stellies win
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Royal AM vs CT City - Top 8 quali
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Alex: Away win
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Lee: Draw
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AmaZulu vs Sekhukhune Utd - Relegation vs Top 8 quali
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Alex: Away win
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Lee: Draw
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Mid-week fixture and Nedbank cup semi-final (Soweto Derby)
Host Mitch Matyana and coach and analyst Grant de Smidt preview this weekend in the Premier League.
Listen to our comprehensive betting preview of every match union in the Premier League.
Zach Lowy speaks to freelance broadcaster Dan Bardell and Paris-based journalist Jonathan Johnson about Aston Villa's revival under Unai Emery, Bayern's nightmare start under Thomas Tuchel, Eduardo Camavinga and plenty more.
UFC expert Asher Arenz joins host Lwanele Poswayo in this week’s podcast. The pair discuss several talking points in the UFC and combat sports, from South Africa’s Dricus du Plessis taking on Robert Whittaker at UFC 290 to Gervonta Davis beating Ryan Garcia in their super fight last weekend.
Host Sean Parker talks Azerbaijan Grand Prix with guest Pierre.
Formula 1 returns after a three-week hiatus with the Azerbaijan Grand Prix at its fast and furious street circuit.
Host Mitch Matyana and coach and analyst Grant de Smidt preview matchweek 33 in the Premier League.
Listen to our comprehensive betting preview of every match union in the Premier League.
The Analytics Laduma team take a statistical look at the Premier Soccer League and tell interesting stories from the data.
In this episode, they focus on Supersport United, the impressive Iqraam Rayners of Stellenbsoch and then also Orlando Pirates v Cape Town City.
The Numbers Game
20 April 2023
Ep 06
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Opening
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Predictions from last podcast
Lee: Stellies upset
Alex: Pirates extra time
- We spoke of Ranga Chivaviro - transfer rumours
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Our Moment/Stat of the Week
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Team Focus: SuperSport Utd
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Hunt: Matsatsantsa are second best team in the league
- WLDWD - 2 wins / 1 Loss / 2 Draws - in last 5 games
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Early season form - a wrong narrative?
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Solid on the xG data
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Bradley Grobler with 10 goals of 11 xG (no surprise)
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Next up, approx 2 xG off Lungu, Gabuza, Rayners
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xA
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Patrick Maswanganyi - 4 assists off 4.6
- Grant Margeman - 3 assists off 4.5
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Jamie Webber - 1 assist off 4.1
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Player Focus: Iqraam Rayners
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10 goals since he joined - 5 DSTV Prem / 5 Nedbank Cup
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xG on in the league / xG off in the cup - a worry?
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More than what he scored during his time with SuperSport Utd over 2.5 seasons?
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Could he be a contender for Player of the season / for a position
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Match Focus
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Pirates vs CT City
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Home win
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Sekhukhune Utd vs Chiefs
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Draw/
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SS Utd vs AmaZulu
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Home Win
Host Carl Lewis and coach and analyst Grant de Smidt preview every match this weekend and share their biggest betting tips for the FA Cup Semi's as well as the Premier League.
Listen to our comprehensive betting preview of every match this weekend.
Zach Lowy discusses the latest action in Europe with Jamie Kemp and Derek Rae. The trio discuss European Footballs' biggest talking points.
Host Carl Lewis is joined by punter David Kappel and coach and analyst Grant de Smidt. The trio preview every quarterfinal in the UEFA Champions League.
Chelsea v Real Madrid
Napoli v AC Milan
Inter v Benfica
Manchester City v Bayern Munich
Carl Lewis and rugby punter Neal Hoogwerf preview and have the best bets for Super Rugby Pacific, URC, Gallagher Prem & Currie Cup.
- Opening
● Predictions from last podcast
● We spoke of Ashley du Preez
● Your Moment/Stat of the Week
- Team Focus: Orlando Pirates
● Can Pirates really challenge next season?
● 8 wins in 10
● Converting draws into wins
● 6/8 wins by 2+ goals
● xGA is solid, xG needs work
- Player Focus: Chivaviro
● 8 goals this year
● Only Shalulile has more goals in all comps this season (14)
- Match Focus
● Nedbank Cup Quarter-Finals
○ Dondol v Pirates
○ Stellies v Downs
○ Chippa v Sekhukhune
○ Royal AM v Kaizer Chiefs
A massively important Matchweek 31 sees both Manchester City and Arsenal with tough games as we close in on the final five matches of the season. Will either drop points?
We preview every match this weekend.
Israel Adesanya is back. The Last Stylebender reclaimed his middleweight throne with a second-round knockout win over Alex Pereira to close out UFC 287 from the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida. Former featherweight champion Max Holloway takes on the division’s hottest rising star Anthony Allen in a pivotal main event clash at UFC Kansas City on Saturday night (Sunday morning SA time). The co-headliner at the T-Mobile Center is another showdown at 145 pounds with Edson Barboza battling Billy Quarantillo. The spotlight also shines on the light heavyweight division with Dustin Jacoby meeting unbeaten Azamat Murzakanov and Tanner Boser taking on Ion Cutelaba. Plus, Pedro Munhoz collides with Chris Gutierrez at bantamweight and the legendary Clay Guida goes toe-to-toe with Rafa Garcia at lightweight.
The PGA Tour's top golfers will tee off Thursday at the 2023 RBC Heritage at Harbour Town Golf Links. The RBC Heritage 2023 field is loaded with major champions, including Jon Rahm, Scottie Scheffler, Jordan Spieth, Collin Morikawa and Justin Thomas. In total, seven of the top 10 golfers in the world will compete at Harbour Town, with 500 FedEx Cup points going to the winner.
Zach Lowy discusses the latest action in Europe with Aaron West and Owuraku Ampofo, from Samu Chukwueze's emergence in Villarreal's attack, to Lazio's impressive form under Maurizio Sarri, to Arsenal's breathtaking draw against Liverpool.
The hunted becomes the hunter as former champion Israel Adesanya runs it back against Alex Pereira, the man who dethroned him for the middleweight title at UFC 287 in Miami on Saturday night (Sunday morning SA time).
The Miami-Dade Arena will come unglued when Miami’s favourite son Jorge Masvidal returns to battle Gilbert Burns in a pivotal welterweight bout in the co-main event.
A second showdown in the 170-pound division will see Kevin Holland square off against Santiago Ponzinibbio while there are two bantamweight bangers on deck as Rob Font faces Adrian Yanez and prodigy Raul Rosas Jr collides with Christian Rodriguez.
Host Carl Lewis and coach and analyst Grant de Smidt preview matchweek 30 in the Premier League with Liverpool v Arsenal the headline match in a weekend where relegation, European spots and of course the title race is all front and centre - there is a lot to play for.
Listen to our comprehensive betting preview of every match union in the Premier League.
Host Carl Lewis chats with the sports editor at the Rapport, Tinus van Staden, about why South Africa plays such little test cricket and the factors behind this shift in global cricket.
If Gerald Coetzee - the Proteas' new star bowler - plays 50 tests, he will take 450 wickets, a Protea supporter recently wrote on Twitter. "We will have to manage him well if he wants to have a career of 25 years," someone snaps back. Tongue-in-cheek, of course. Very hyperbolic. Nobody expects Cricket South Africa to manage any player well! But on a serious note: Due to the stepchild status that Test cricket enjoys these days, a quarter-century career is about what it takes for a player to amass significant Test figures (albeit 450 wickets in 50 Tests – nine per Test! – practically impossible). The 22-year-old Coetzee will never achieve superstar statistics. It's not his fault. He has a truckload of talent - a fast bowler with speed, aggression, natural swing and sustainable bowling action. The problem is South Africa no longer plays enough Tests for Coetzee to stand a chance of equaling Dale Steyn's record of 439 Test wickets (in 93 Tests over 15 years). Even the 27-year-old Kagiso Rabada (who has already taken 280 wickets in 60 Tests) may never reach Steyn's figures. And this is a greater injustice because Rabada has the potential to become the country's best yet. In the next four-year cycle - from May 2023 to April 2027 - South Africa will only play in 28 Tests. Only in 2026 again in a series of more than two tests, when England comes here for three matches. Test famine compared to the red-ball festivities that await the Big Three: 43 for England, 40 for Australia and 38 for India. Five-Test series between these countries abound.
Zach Lowy covers Europe's top 5 leagues with some of the best football writers from around the world.
It’s Masters week, the unofficial start of golf season — at least for those of us in the northern parts of the country.
The Masters is the first major of the golf season and arguably the best. Augusta National is a special place — a visually stunning course that tests the mettle of the best players in the world. Augusta requires precision approach shots and a deft touch on pitches and chips. Its lightning-fast greens can make even the best putters in the world look like amateurs.
Scottie Scheffler, the No. 1 player in the world, won his first major at Augusta last year and is among the betting favorites this week, along with Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm.
As if the world’s greatest golfers taking on arguably the world’s greatest course wasn’t enough, we get some extra spice with some of the prodigal sons of the LIV Tour joining their former colleagues in this week’s field. Players in the Saudi-backed LIV Tour have been banned from playing in PGA Tour events, but they are welcome at Augusta, which means we’ll see former Masters champs Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed, Sergio Garcia, Bubba Watson and Phil Mickelson.
From fireworks to farce, what began at the Australian Grand Prix with illuminating excitement ended with the dampest of squibs. Inevitably, and with what is likely to become a relentless refrain this season, Max Verstappen won for Red Bull in Melbourne but only after a measure of the chaos and confusion that F1 seems exquisitely adept at serving up. Its labyrinthine rulebook once more weighed heavy on the action, informed by the looming spectre of the Abu Dhabi 2021 controversy and an intimation that the demand for entertainment is in the driving seat of decision making. The meeting at Albert Park took a full two and half hours to conclude. Late risers in the UK hoping to catch the final laps over breakfast were doubtless pleased to find that there was still plenty of time left to watch after it was stopped no fewer than three times. Whether they understood what was happening by the end is another question entirely as few it seems in Melbourne had many ideas either, the race concluding in an ignominious fashion, dismissed by drivers as a mess that left even them confused. The second and key stoppage came with four laps to go, to deal with debris after Kevin Magnussen’s Haas clipped the wall at turn two and lost its right rear tyre. A standing restart followed and, with two laps to run, the pinnacle of motor racing descended into bedlam. Six cars were involved in incidents, flying into one another and off the track before the field had managed to reach the end of the first sector of the lap. The red flag was shown once more and those that could return to the pits, only for a further delay of over 30 minutes as the FIA leafed through their regulation documents to work out what should happen next. Time ticked on as the sun sank lower in the sky, the self-proclaimed fastest sport in the world proceeding at a torturous pace and everyone willing these painful final moments to be put out of their misery. Finally, over it was. The pack trotted out for one lap behind the safety car to complete race distance and a bemused Verstappen took the flag from Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso.
Host Carl Lewis chats with Rapport sports editor Tinus van Staden about how South African cricketers make money.
If a Protea played in the 2022-23 season in all 38 of the team's matches, (not including “World Cup -tournaments as a top CSA player contract of about R3 million, he will only earn around 4.4 million. Compared to others in the glamour leagues.
Tristan Stubbs was paid 9.2 mill for his contract with the Sunrisers Eastern Cape. David Million earned 6.2 million for two months with the Gujarat Titans. Compared to the 4.4 million a “hypothetical” Protea Player with a big national contract and tournament money would earn.
Cricket in SA could soon be dealt a death blow as several Proteas are reportedly expected to leave the game. This follows Quinton de Kock's announcement that he’ll be shelving his test cap.
According to Cricket insiders, several factors are resulting in this drastic move.
But mostly due to the heavy wallets, they could walk away with, playing as “soldiers for hire” in T-20 cricket worldwide.
Cricket SA’s head Pholetsi Moseki and SACA executive Andrew Breetzke both agree that situation is extremely worrying.
CSA insiders say they fear that the top players in the country will be leaving due to the appeal of T-20 league money. According to them the money on offer from CSA is nothing in comparison to leagues worldwide.
Players will start to lose interest in national contracts and why wouldn’t they?
In the SA20 top players earn around R5 million in comparison with national contracts where they’d earn between 1.5 and 3 million rand yearly. And when they get national contracts then they need letters of permission from CSA allowing them to play in leagues worldwide.
So CSA knows they are at a crossroads but there’s not much they can do about it. A CSA source says they simply don’t have the money like Australia, New Zealand, England and India. But there’s hope that a cash injection from the SA 20 league could make a difference. But sadly it might be too late.
According to Rapport it’s initially expected that CSA will only become profitable in the fifth year. Top players like Tristan Stubbs, Dewald Brevis, Jordan Hermann and Marco Jansen wil totally be swallowed by the appeal of the T-20 system. (Unless they really want to represent their country) And even then they will have to reach a compromise with CSA to allow them to play in some T-20 matches.
Why would they involve themselves with international cricket where they are also faced with transformation policies while they could earn big money elsewhere?)
In rugby, for instance, private investments play a big role in funding the game but according to Rapport this isn’t a viable option for Cricket SA because of what benefit would it be to a private investor. The SA20 isn’t completely owned by CSA (CSA 57.7% . Supersport 30% and Indian businessman Sundar Raman 12.5%)
One day cricket is watered down and we are playing less test matches, that’s why CSA can’t be the main sponsor. Compared to SA rugby that earns a highly successful Bok team that has won three world cups with an iconic black captain. (diff between Rugby and Cricket world leagues)
Like David Miller who’ll be playing in Feb and March for the Multan Sultans in the Pakistan Superleague for a salary of around 2.8 million. From April to June he’ll be playing for the Gujarat Titans in the IPL earning 6.2 million. If he plays again in August and September in the Hundreds tournament where he played last year for the Welsh Fire earning 1.5 million. Whereas he could earn about 10.5 million in just three leagues. For four months’ work – and that doesn’t even include the millions he’ll earn in the SA20 league. Compared to what a Protea may earn playing in every match of the current season.
Tournament money for the 2022-23 Proteas season is reportedly as follows. 14 thousand for a T20 match. 31 thousand for a one day match and 100 thousand for a test. Players also earn TV rights money the value of which depends on their national contracts.
In the current season that started on 1 May 2022 ending 31 April, the Protas will play 16 T-20’s, 14 one day matches and eight tests. That excludes last years T20 World cup tournament and this years World Cup tournament in one-day cricket.
Say a player plays in all the matches on a 3 mill per season contract, he would have earned 4.4 mill from his Protea service excluding tv rights. And that’s for a year’s worth of play.
Protea Captain Dean Elgar played 11 tests in 2022. His tournament money would be around 1.1 million. Even with a big national contract he would only have made around 4 million with the Proteas.
Compared to Pretorius’ 4.1 million playing fo the Super Giants in SA20. Or Stubbs that made 9.2 mill by the Sunrisers in SA20. Elgars problem is that he only plays in one format for SA. Recently Elgers said that players should get better salaries because that will be the downfall of the game.
The rand will always be on the backfoot of the dollar that’s why you can understand why players need to utilize their short careers optimally in test cricket. He’ll be happy if he could help with this situation before he retires from the game.
Host Carl Lewis and coach and analyst Grant de Smidt preview Matchweek 29 of the Premier League.
The English Premier League race is getting more chaotic by the week: Matchweek 28 saw upsets galore and outbursts which led to manager Antonio Conte leaving Tottenham via Ryanair, while the relegation battle is even more interesting (and frightening) for clubs and players alike.
After the international break, fans and punters will be salivating for the return of club football.
Listen to Sean Parker and Pierre Arries preview the Australian GP here.
The second Australian Grand Prix in four years will take place at Albert Park this weekend and interestingly it's a track where double world champion Max Verstappen has failed to register a victory.
The track
The street circuit is made up of public roads and set next to a lake and also features a section through Lakeside Stadium's parking lot. The 5.278 km-long track was resurfaced ahead of the 2022 race, in which Ferrari's Charles Leclerc won ahead of Sergio Perez and George Russell.
The track is searingly quick with an average speed of over 235km/h achieved by Lewis Hamilton in his 2019 pole lap. It has 14 corners with an unprecedented four DRS zones, and it has traditionally been a place where drivers have found it difficult to overtake. The new regulations introduced in 2022 have tried to make cars follow one another more closely, although what has happened in the past is a long DRS train made up of several cars.
The first two DRS zones are located close to each other, the first one down the main straight from the final Turn 14 to Turn 1. A right-hand turn flings the cars into Turn 2 and the second DRS zone is found until the end of Turn 3. It will be interesting to see what effect the four DRS zones will have on the race on April 2.
Red Bull and Aston Martin are the in-form teams
With only two races to judge teams and drivers on, it's clear Red Bull and Aston Martin have made the biggest impression. Mike Krack, Aston Martin's Team Principal, told the F1 Nation podcast that the Silverstone-based team has more in its tank. That's an ominous warning to Mercedes and Ferrari. Mercedes introduced a few changes to the W14 in Saudi Arabia but were unable to topple Fernando Alonso off the final step of the podium.
Alonso and teammate Lance Stroll seem very comfortable in the AMR23 and that builds confidence in terms of getting the most out of the car. They will look to Sunday's race as another chance to upset the establishment.
Speaking of the establishment, there was a clear indication in Jeddah that Ferrari had turned down the wick on the SF-23. They had issues in Bahrain and finished sixth and seventh in Saudi Arabia. Team Principal Fred Vasseur will need to make a tough decision this weekend and decide if power is more important than reliability.
Mercedes showed an improvement in pace in Jeddah, but the forward momentum is still not where the team expects itself to be. The silver lining is that the W14 hasn't had any reliability issues.
We'll be keeping an eye on the Alpine duo of Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon as well as Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg of Haas. We expect to see those drivers fighting amongst the top 10 and don't forget a Safety Car in Melbourne is more than likely.
Perez, Verstappen, Alonso
Fastest lap: Perez
Pole position: Perez
First to retire: Oscar Piastri
Most Team Points: Red Bull
Both Cars Qualify for Q3 Shootout: Mercedes
Free Practice 1/2/3 Winning Car: Perez/ Red Bull
Safety Car: Yes
Top 6: Gasly, Ocon
Top 10: Hulkenberg, Albon, Magnussen
The PGA TOUR has already provided plenty of drama this season but we haven't even reached the first major of the year.
It's likely a product of the new designated events as we're seeing so many more events with all the top names in attendance.
This week's Valero Texas Open won't be one of those designated events but it certainly has some fantasy-friendly names that are trying to tune up their game ahead of the Masters or play there way into the event with a win this week.
The Course TPC San Antonio is the host course this week. It's a Greg Norman design that has played that role since the 2010 edition.
Looking at the scorecard, we see a par 72 that stretches to 7,438 yards.
Diving into the hole-by-hole view, we see four par 5s with three of them playing over 590 yards. Three of them have a birdie rate of 30 percent or less which is well below the TOUR rate for par 5s which is closer to 45 percent. So, TPC San Antonio has no easy buckets, despite it being a par-72 layout with four par 5s.
Keeping the ball in play is of utmost importance because there is rocky terrain if you miss too far offline, which can lead to some big numbers if you don't play it safe.
The deep greenside bunkers put an emphasis on short game.
The greens are bermudagrass that were overseeded with poa trivialis. The Director of Course Operations did note that some warmer weather in the last few months has allowed for some of that bermudagrass to wake up early. That puts it in a grey area for all of the stat nerds trying to plug in performance on a particular grass type.
Lastly, we are in Texas so Mother Nature is always one of the key defences for the course. We'll check on that in a bit.
Host Carl Lewis and cricket writer Daniel Gallan discuss the biggest talking points in South African and world cricket.
The road to title contention goes through Texas as top-five bantamweights Marlon Vera and Cory Sandhagen battle it out in what promises to be an action-packed main event showdown at UFC San Antonio on Saturday night (Sunday morning SA time).
Every week football writer Zach Lowy has some of the globe's best journalists on his podcast to discuss European football's biggest talking points.
Carl Lewis and rugby punter Neal Hoogwerf preview and have the best bets for Super Rugby Pacific, Gallagher Premiership, United Rugby Championship and Currie Cup.
The Red Bull train left Saudi Arabia with its second win of the Formula 1 season, although on this occasion it was Sergio Perez who edged his teammate Max Verstappen to the chequered flag. The Dutch driver was voted F1.com's driver of the day after making up 13 places on the fast and tricky street circuit. The Mexican secured the fifth victory of his career and was under pressure from the two-time world champion until the latter stages in Jeddah. In a remarkable turn of events, Fernando Alonso scored his second podium in a row and the 100th of his career. The two-time world champion celebrated alongside Perez and Verstappen. The stewards decided after the chequered flag that he served his drive-through penalty incorrectly and was relegated to fourth place. Mercedes' George Russell assumed the third position. However, Aston Martin appealed the decision and after a complicated sequence of events, they proved that there was no precedent set for the jack touching the car being judged as illegal. In the end, it was a just reward for Alonso who grabbed the lead from Perez at Turn 1 and then maintained a decent gap between Aston Martin and Russell's Mercedes after the Spaniard was passed by Perez and Verstappen. Lewis Hamilton felt he should've been faster than Russell as he was on the medium compound. However, Russell rejected team orders and pushed on with his hard tyres to keep the seven-time champion at bay. Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc finished sixth and seventh after a tough outing, both had reliability issues over the weekend, and left Jeddah frustrated with the result. Esteban Ocon had a strong race to finish eighth, ahead of Alpine teammate Pierre Gasly. Kevin Magnussen earned his first point of the season after squeezing Yuki Tsunoda out of 10th place. Alex Albon and Lance Stroll were the only two retirements. The next race is in a fortnight at Melbourne's Albert Park.
Host Carl Lewis chats with coach Grant de Smidt and award-winning journalist Lorenz Kohler about the State of South African football including Bafana Bafana and SAFA.
The panel covers the Bafana squad, Hugo Broos' tenure, player development and talent ID, SAFA leadership, SAFA's vision 2020 or now 2030.
Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has named a 23-man squad for the decisive home and away Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Liberia.
South Africa host the West African nation on Friday, 24 March (18:00) at Orlando Stadium in Soweto, and play again four days later on Wednesday, 28 March (18:00 SA time) in the Liberian capital of Monrovia.
Bafana's ticket to Ivory Coast can be booked with victories in both fixtures before their final Group K match against Morocco in June.
Last week, Broos announced a 35-man preliminary squad which he has now trimmed down ahead of the national training camp.
Broos has picked in-form Mamelodi Sundowns striker Cassius Mailula, as well as Orlando Pirates top-scorer Monnapule Saleng. Both these players are seen as candidates for the PSL footballer of the season accolade.
The training camp commences on Sunday (19 March).
Bafana Bafana 23-man squad:
Goalkeepers: Ronwen Williams (Mamelodi Sundowns), Veli Mothwa (AmaZulu), Ricardo Goss (SuperSport United)
Defenders: Sydney Mobbie (Sekhukhune United), Innocent Maela (Orlando Pirates), Nkosinathi Sibisi (Orlando Pirates), Thapelo Morena (Mamelodi Sundowns), Aubrey Modiba (Mamelodi Sundowns), Grant Kekana (Mamelodi Sundowns), Mothobi Mvala (Mamelodi Sundowns), Siyanda Xulu (Turan-Tovuz IK, Azerbaijan)
Midfielders: Njabulo Blom (St Louis City, USA), Teboho Mokoena (Mamelodi Sundowns), Luke Le Roux (Vargerb Bois, Sweden), Sphephelo Sithole (Belenenses, Portugal)
Forwards: Monnapule Saleng (Orlando Pirates), Lyle Foster (Burnley, England), Mihlali Mayambela (Aris Limassol, Cyprus), Bongokuhle Hlongwane (Minnesota, USA), Themba Zwane (Mamelodi Sundowns), Zakhele Lepasa (Orlando Pirates), Percy Tau (Al Ahly, Egypt), Cassius Mailula (Mamelodi Sundowns).
The score will be settled once and for all when local favourite Leon Edwards makes the first defence of his welterweight title against the man he dethroned Kamaru Usman in a titanic trilogy tilt at UFC 286 in London on Saturday night.
Two of the best and most explosive lightweights in the world, Justin Gaethje and Rafael Fiziev, will fight fire with fire in a co-headlining clash that could blow the roof off the iconic O2 Arena.
Plus, undefeated Casey O’Neill meets Jennifer Maia at flyweight, Gunnar Nelson battles Bryan Barberena at welterweight and top-10 middleweights Marvin Vettori and Roman Dolidze face off.
The Analytics Laduma team are back with another podcast and as usual, they have a team focus, player focus and league focus. Mamelodi Sundowns * Are they the ultimate club now? * Won as many games as they did last season (19) * Themba Zwane said they are aiming for the Points record * Need 14 points to break but it will not be easy * Must go W4 D2 L1 or W5 D0 L2 (3 wins won’t suffice)
Goals
- They lead the league for goals and for xG
- But the goals-gap is bigger than the xG gap
- More efficient in front of goal
Performances?
- We at season stage where results matter more than performances
- They are not keeping clean sheets, but the fall off inthe 2nd half happens all the time
- One clean sheet in eight games, no clean sheet in six
Playing young players vs last season
- Sundowns played the fewest youngsters last season from a minutes played perspective. Ofentse Mashiane got 19 minutes in the last game of the season which Sundowns won 3-2, Promise Mkhuma was the next youngest (22) who made the bench once but was unused
- 1 player U-23 last season / 24 players in 25-29 bracket / 12 Over 30
Player Focus: Cassius Mailula * The last thing you thought Sundowns needed was a goalscorer (most goals last season, most different scorers) * Shalulile was injured for a while,but it was during the WC break, so he had time to recover * Either way Mailula was ready to step up, 20 goal involvements for a 21 year old is insane
In the league, he has 9 goals from about 6xG, an overperformance of 3xG, placing him first in the league for all players. An overperformance of xG can mean many things, two of which are:
- He is the luckiest player in the division, or
- He is the most clinical
- Touch position across 3 central channels reflected by shot locations
- His selection of shots shows a high volume of attempts at close rang
- All 9 goals come from inside box (all but one of Downs’ goals has)
- All 9 goals come from high value locations + deep in the 6-yard box.
*His league goals come from both left (4) & right (5) feet (0 headers)
Not wasteful. Of players with 20+ shots, he is second most accurate in the league (59%) behind only Ranga Chivaviro (60%) and level with Caleb Bimenyimana (59%). The difference in this is miniscule.
League Focus * It’s almost done * The battles for 8th & relegation all we can focus on now * Only SuperSport can catch Sundowns now * Record title win is 2006/7 Sundowns (5 to play, I think)
Match of the Weekend: Pirates v SuperSport - conundrum for Pirates
- Lose & SuperSport probably seal 2nd
PREDICTIONS:
- 1-1 draw - Lee
- 2-1 Pirates - Alex
Carl Lewis and coach and analyst Grant de Smidt preview the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. Manchester City v Burnley – Saturday 17:45 Vincent Kompany will return to the Etihad to face the club he was captain of at the 2019 FA Cup final, but this time as a manager and at the business end of what has been an incredible season in charge of Burnley in the Championship. Whilst City aren’t perhaps at the peak of their powers, at least in the Premier League, they are still a formidable force and will take some beating.
After their outstanding performance in the Champions League, where they defeated RB Leipzig 8-1 on aggregate, it is no surprise that the Cityzens are 1/5 to triumph here in 90 minutes and progress to the semi-final of the FA Cup for the fifth season in a row.
Though Burnley have been fantastic in the Championship all season, the odds do discredit them here, with chances of only 6/1 that they will win this tie and advance.
It could be a close game on the day with Burnley’s renowned resolute defence, one of their main driving forces this season, likely to give City some trouble scoring for fun like they would against every other Championship side. It is 19/10 that City win with both teams scoring, and 3/1 that Pep Guardiola’s men will net three goals.
The unstoppable Erling Haaland will is just 7/20 to score at anytime and 13/2 to score a hat-trick, something that is more than on the cards after witnessing how he demolished RB Leipzig in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Sheffield United v Blackburn Rovers – Sunday 12:00 Perhaps the most intriguing game of the quarter-finals, Sheffield United versus Blackburn guarantees that at least one Championship side will make it through to the semi-finals.
Bost sides have had good seasons in the second flight, with Sheffield currently sitting second, three points clear of third and with a game in hand. Blackburn have recently climbed back into the play off positions and also sit three points clear of the chasing pack as we edge towards the last few games of the season.
Sheffield are the favourites here at 7/10 to win in 90 minutes, but it is a tough one to call as the Championship has been so unpredictable this season. Blackburn are 4/1 but expect this to be closer than the odds make out.
As we know, the FA Cup brings a degree of magic that makes anything possible, and extra time is one of the options that is more than likely. Blackburn are 16/1 to win after 90 minutes, with Sheffield United at 11/1.
With the atmosphere Bramall Lane can produce, expect this one to be fiery. Both teams still have a lot to fight for in the league, so may not field the strongest teams, but an FA Cup semi-final nonetheless will be a major achievement for either side. It is 4/5 that both teams will score and 2/1 that we witness over 3.5 goals.
Manchester United v Fulham – Sunday 16:30 Manchester United have already won one trophy at Wembley this season and could be on course to take home another as they come up against Fulham at Old Trafford.
Fulham are not a side to be overlooked but United’s recent form sees them well backed here at 4/9 to win in 90 minutes, with the Cottagers outsiders at 11/2.
It is expected that Erik ten Hag’s side will come out on top but after their recent 7-0 rattling to Liverpool, anything could go here. Add some FA Cup magic and you have yourself a Fulham side that may just fancy their chances.
Fulham are 16/1 to win on penalties, which certainly offers great value. Of course, holding United to a draw over 120 minutes will be tough, but Fulham have shown their defensive resilience on more than one occasion this season, conceding just 37 goals since August. United’s record is only marginally better at 35, so expect the travelling fans to have something to get excited about.
Both teams to score is odds-on at 17/20, with over 4.5 goals in the contest coming out at 7/2, which is definitely one to consider with the deadly form Marcus Rashford and co are in at the moment. He is only 4/5 to score at any time – something he has done in a lot of big games for United this season.
Once again, the EPL delivered more twists and turns than a Spanish soap opera over the weekend.
The constants – Arsenal and Manchester City winning – stayed the same, but the rest was an enthralling, must-see football.
Looking ahead to Matchweek 28, where the main games have huge ramifications to be felt from first to last.
Nottingham Forest v Newcastle
Brentford v Leicester
Chelsea v Everton
Arsenal v Crystal Palace
Carl Lewis and rugby punter Neal Hoogwerf preview and have the best bets for Super Rugby Pacific, Six Nations and Currie Cup.
Super Rugby Pacific
We’re officially one month into the new-look Super Rugby season and there has been no shortage of storylines to follow.
Round 4 kicks off on Friday afternoon with a crucial clash between the struggling Blues and Highlanders, followed by a big game for the Rebels when they take on the Brumbies in Melbourne.
The Crusaders and the Chiefs headline Saturday’s slate from Christchurch, followed by what is arguably the game of the round on Sunday between the Waratahs and Force from Leichhardt Oval.
We’ve analysed all six games, and our best bets can be found below.
Six Nations
Ireland are the favourites to reign supreme but it’s all to play for in the final round of the Six Nations on Saturday.
The action starts in Edinburgh, where Scotland and Italy will seek to end their campaigns on a high. The spotlight then shifts to Paris, where second-placed France, who trail Ireland by four points, will be hunting a full house against Wales to put pressure on the log leaders.
Ireland wrap up the Championship in Dublin, where a win – or draw – against wounded England would see them secure their first Six Nations title and Grand Slam since 2018.
Currie Cup
Building momentum will be the shared objective for the eight title-chasing teams in the second round of the Currie Cup this weekend.
A catfight kicks off the action as the defending champion Pumas play host to the Lions in Nelspruit on Friday while the Bulls battle arch-rivals Western Province in Pretoria in the evening game.
A catfight kicks off the action as the defending champion Pumas play host to the Lions in Nelspruit on Friday while the Bulls battle arch-rivals Western Province in Pretoria in the evening game.
Carl Lewis chats with Tinus van Staden, sports editor at Rapport about Faf du Plessis and the his potential Proteas return.
du Plessis says he wants to make a Proteas comeback because of his burning desire to win a World Cup.
The 38-year-old retired from Test cricket two years ago, but remains available for ODI and T20I selection.
Du Plessis’ last ODI was against Australia at the 2019 World Cup in England and his last T20I against England in late 2020.
He was overlooked for both the 2021 and 2022 T20 World Cup squads by the Proteas selectors despite excelling in T20 leagues around the world.
Du Plessis was the second-highest run-scorer in the recent SA20, with 369 at an average of 41.00 and a strike rate of 147.60, despite finishing the tournament with two ducks. Before that, he had hit 113* and 92.
“When I was captain [of the Proteas], there was a big drive for me to do something special, on and off the field,” Du Plessis told Rapport newspaper.
“The thing now will be to win a World Cup for South Africa. There is nothing bigger that anyone would want from us. That will be the only reason I come back. I want to win something.”
This year’s ODI World Cup will take place in India in October and November, with the next T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA in June 2024.
Du Plessis met with Proteas limited-overs coach Rob Walter in Cape Town three weeks ago to discuss a possible return to the national team.
“I wanted to know from Rob if I was really in their plans, because there are a lot of other guys who are also really good,” he said. “I think we can field a good team to push to win something. I’m still hungry to do it. That’s why I still play so much cricket.”
Du Plessis told Rapport he would be available to play T20I cricket for South Africa again in December.
“I planned my year as if I was only going to play in [franchise] leagues. I made commitments up to and including the Caribbean Premier League in September, but I haven’t made any league commitments after that.”
South Africa and West Indies will lock horns in the first game of the three-match ODI series on Thursday, March 16. Buffalo Park in East London will host the contest.
South Africa, led by Temba Bavuma, earlier named their squad for the first two ODIs of the series. But they won’t be having the services of Keshav Maharaj, who sustained an injury during his team's second and final Test against their Caribbean opponents.
Maharaj ruptured his Achilles while celebrating a wicket after which he had to be stretchered off. In his absence, Bjorn Fortuin, who had an excellent campaign for the Paarl Royals in the inaugural SA20, is the only spin-bowling option for the hosts.
Skipper Temba Bavuma must be high on confidence after scoring a hundred in the final Test. Sisanda Magala bowled well in the ODIs against England and should be raring to go. Rassie van der Dussen and Quinton de Kock bring in a truckload of experience in their batting department.
West Indies, on the other hand, will be playing under new skipper Shai Hope after Nicholas Pooran stepped down. Roston Chase and Shannon Gabriel have returned to the ODI setup. Anderson Phillip and Jayden Seales are injured and will miss out.
The pack will be looking to chase down Max Verstappen as the F1 action swings to Saudi Arabia and the Jeddah Street Circuit this weekend.
Red Bull's Dutch star dominated the field on day one as he strolled to success in Bahrain, though the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix may prove tougher.
Due to its tight and twisting nature, the Jeddah Street Circuit should see a much closer battle this time around, especially as we saw Verstappen and rival Charles Leclerc battle it out to the very end here last season.
Formula One fans will be hoping for more of the same on Sunday.
Host Carl Lewis is back with cricket writer Daniel Gallan and they review the Proteas 2-0 series win against the West Indies.
They discuss Temba Bavuma's 100, Aiden Markram and all the other positives but also the concerns including selection and the middle order.
Daniel feels Cricket South Africa isn't invested in cricket as they should be as custodians of the game. The scheduling of the test matches during the week was poor planning and we talk about ticketing prices.
And we end with Virat Kohli's 28th test century and the long wait that it was.
Zach Lowy speaks to Colin Millar and Euan McTear about Napoli’s Scudetto charge, Manchester United’s draw to Southampton, the Negreira case and all things Spanish football.
Carl Lewis chats with coach Grant de Smidt and punter David Kappel ahead of the Round of 16-second legs. It's a comprehensive betting preview with tips included.
Tuesday 14 March
Manchester City vs Leipzig (agg: 1-1)
Porto vs Inter (agg: 0-1)
Wednesday 15 March
Real Madrid vs Liverpool (agg: 5-2)
Napoli vs Frankfurt (agg: 2-0)
Leipzig out to breach City fortress Leipzig coach Marco Rose spoke in glowing terms about his team's second-half performance in the 1-1 draw against Manchester City in Germany, but will they regret not converting more of their opportunities after half-time? Not since Lyon's 2-1 victory in September 2018 have City been beaten on home soil in the Champions League, winning 21 of their 23 matches during that spell.
Among those victories was a remarkable 6-3 triumph over Jesse Marsch's Leipzig in September 2021 – a game in which Christopher Nkunku scored a hat-trick for the visitors. The Frenchman is the club's joint-top scorer in Europe this season but has been ruled out of the second leg due to injury, complicating the task as the Bundesliga side plot a route to the last eight.
Inter warned ahead of Porto trip Porto have an impressive recent record against Italian opposition in the round of 16, having dispatched both Roma and Juventus at this stage in 2018/19 and 2020/21 respectively. As was the case against the Giallorossi four years ago, the Dragons will have to come from behind to eliminate Inter and clinch a quarter-final spot for the third time in five seasons after a 1-0 defeat at Stadio San Siro.
The Nerazzurri overcame Porto in the round of 16 in 2004/05 but were beaten on their last visit to the Estádio do Dragão seven months later, when an own goal from Marco Materazzi and a Benni McCarthy effort earned the Portuguese side a 2-0 group-stage victory. Part of the Inter side that reached the semi-finals in 2002/03, Sérgio Conceição will be determined to end his former employers' journey in the competition this term.
Liverpool's mission improbable Stunned as he reflected on Liverpool's worst-ever European home defeat, a 5-2 loss to Real Madrid in the first leg, Jürgen Klopp reflected: "I think Carlo [Ancelotti] thinks the tie is over. I think so as well at the moment." The prospects are certainly not good: no side has ever retrieved a three-goal deficit from the home leg of a Champions League knockout tie (with Manchester United the only team to have come back from a two-goal home defeat).
Ancelotti, however, is not thinking of the quarter-finals just yet. "Unfortunately, this tie isn't finished," Madrid's Italian coach said. "No way." His side are unbeaten in seven games against Liverpool (W6 D1), but he must also contend with this season's top Champions League scorer (eight-goal Mohamed Salah). Meanwhile, some members of the current squad will remember the 2018/19 round of 16 tie against Ajax when the Amsterdam side – trailing 2-1 from the home leg – won 4-1 at the Santiago Bernabéu to eliminate the holders.
Napoli close to quarter-final first UEFA Cup winners in 1989, the year before they won their second (and most recent) league title, Napoli's exceptional season looks set to get slightly better. The runaway Serie A leaders they go into the home leg of their tie against UEFA Europa League winners Frankfurt with a two-goal lead, and with their opponents' star striker Randal Kolo Muani serving a suspension following a red card in the first leg in Germany.
Having finished top of their Champions League group for only the second time, they need only avoid calamity in the return to reach the last eight of Europe's top club competition for the first time in their history, having been thwarted in the round of 16 on three previous occasions. After the first leg, Corriere dello Sport said Napoli were out of this world (their headline: 'Galattici!'), but coach Luciano Spalletti is eager to keep their feet on terra firma for now. "We need to stay calm, very calm," he warned. "Our biggest enemy is to think it's done."
We are back with another edition of the Mastos Masterclass. In this podcast, we look at the best bets for the weekend across Europe's top five footballing leagues. We cover the Bundesliga, Serie A, English Premier League, Ligue 1 and La Liga. Our favourite punter masters has betting slips for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The best podcast for those who like multiples, parlays and accumulators.
Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has named a relatively familiar 35-man preliminary squad for the decisive home and away Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Liberia.
South Africa host the West African nation on Friday, 24 March at Orlando Stadium in Soweto, Johannesburg, and play again four days later on Wednesday, 28 March in the Liberian capital of Monrovia.
Bafana's ticket to Ivory Coast can be booked with victories in both fixtures before their final group match against Morocco in June.
The ban on Zimbabwe's national team by FIFA made qualification easier for Bafana. To not make the cut from Group K to participate in the tournament would be a complete failure for Broos.
Belgian-born coach Broos named ten Sundowns players in his preliminary squad following the Tswhane outfit's dominant display across all 2022/23 soccer calendar competitions.
Cassius Mailula, 21, was a notable inclusion by Broos as his creative spark and goalscoring attributes have inspired Brazilians all season.
Red-hot Orlando Pirates forward Monnapule Saleng, Al Ahly ace Percy Tau, Burnley's new face Lyle Foster and Kobamelo Kodisang, who plies his trade in Portugal for Moreirense, have all caught the eye of Broos.
Kaizer Chiefs, meanwhile, have only one representative in the squad, with Brandon Peterson named among three other goalkeeping options.
The Bafana mentor will trim down the squad to 23 players ahead of their training camp, which commences on Sunday, 19 March.
Bafana Bafana 35-man preliminary squad:
Goalkeepers: Ronwen Williams (Mamelodi Sundowns), Veli Mothwa (AmaZulu), Brandon Petersen (Kaizer Chiefs), Ricardo Goss (SuperSport United)
Defenders: Nyiko Mobbie (Sekhukhune United), Khuliso Mudau (Mamelodi Sundowns), Siyanda Xulu (Turan-Tovuz IK, Azerbaijan), Siyanda Msani (Richards Bay FC), Innocent Maela (Orlando Pirates), Taariq Fielies (Cape Town City), Nkosinathi Sibisi (Orlando Pirates), Thapelo Morena (Mamelodi Sundowns), Aubrey Modiba (Mamelodi Sundowns), Grant Kekana (Mamelodi Sundowns), Thapelo Maseko (SuperSport United),
Midfielders: Mothobi Mvala (Mamelodi Sundowns ), Miguel Timm (Orlando Pirates), Njabulo Blom (St Louis City, USA), Grant Magerman (SuperSport United), Teboho Mokoena (Mamelodi Sundowns), Luke Le Roux (Vargerb Bois, Sweden), Sphephelo Sithole (Belenenses, Portugal), Sphelele Mkhulise (Mamelodi Sundowns)
Forwards: Monnapule Saleng (Orlando Pirates), Khanyisa Mayo (Cape Town City), Lyle Foster (Westerlo, Belgium), Mihlali Mayambela (Aris Limassol, Cyprus), Fagrie Lakay (Pyramids, Egypt), Bongokuhle Hlongwane (Minnesota, USA), Pule Mmodi (Golden Arrows), Themba Zwane (Mamelodi Sundowns), Zakhele Lepasa (Orlando Pirates), Percy Tau (Al Ahly, Egypt), Cassius Mailula (Mamelodi Sundowns), Kobamelo Kodisang (Moreirense FC, Portugal)
The team at Analytics Laduma are back for another episode of a deep dive into stats and facts in the Premier Soccer League (DSTV Premiership) and they cover:
Match Focus:
Stellenbosch FC v Mamelodi Sundowns
Player Focus:
The stats behind some of the best individual performances in the league
League Focus:
Interesting takeouts and stats from around the league.
Host Carl Lewis and coach and analyst Grant de Smidt preview Matchweek 27 in the Premier League.
Host Carl Lewis and rugby punter Neal Hoogwerf preview and have the best bets for Six Nations, Super Rugby Pacific & Gallagher Premiership.
Carl Lewis chats with NBA expert Cyrus Rogers about the biggest talking points in the National Basketball Association.
In this episode they cover:
- The Denver Nuggets' impressive regular season where they lead the Western Conference - we also discuss Nikola Jokic.
- Sacramento Kings - how far can they go?
- Los Angeles Lakers are in a play-in spot and we talk about how their trades have worked out.
- Ja Morant's behaviour and Memphis Grizzlies
- Philadelphia 76ers
- New York Knicks - we talk about how good they are
- Brooklyn Nets
Zach Lowy speaks to Alex Barker and Raphael Adelugba about the weekend’s action in Europe including Liverpool’s dominant win against Manchester United, Real Madrid’s struggles in attack, Roma’s victory over Juventus, and more.
Host Carl Lewis and golf punter Wade Pretorius preview The Players Championship and provide four bets to take for the weekend.
TPC Sawgrass will once again play host to the most prominent field on the PGA TOUR, as the world’s best look to add an iconic title to their trophy case.
Forty-nine of the top 50 players on the current FedExCup Playoffs and Eligibility Points List will compete, as well as 43 of the top 50 on the Official World Golf Ranking … Eight PLAYERS winners and six FedExCup champions will tee it up, led by 2019 PLAYERS champion and reigning FedExCup titleholder Rory McIlroy … All 14 players who have won on TOUR this season will be at TPC Sawgrass … At least 30 players will compete in their first PLAYERS, including Min Woo Lee, who earned a spot via the top 50 on the world ranking after The Honda Classic. The brother of Minjee Lee (No. 3 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings) is looking to acquire PGA TOUR status via the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai Rankings at year’s end. The top 10 players on the Race to Dubai, not already exempt, will earn PGA TOUR cards for the following season … Justin Suh earned a start at TPC Sawgrass after finishing atop the Korn Ferry Tour’s 2022 season-long standings. If not otherwise exempt, the winners of this week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard and Puerto Rico Open will round out the field.
Host Carl Lewis and cricket writer Daniel Gallan discuss the recently concluded ICC Women's T20 World Cup and the selection talking points around the Proteas Test squad in their series against the West Indies.
Red Bull enjoyed a perfect start to the season in the 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix as Max Verstappen cruised to victory over team mate Sergio Perez – while Fernando Alonso finished third as Charles Leclerc retired from the race.
Everyone bar hard-shod Kevin Magnussen (P15) began the race on soft tyres and Verstappen had a solid getaway, but team mate Perez fell back and lost second place to Leclerc – while Carlos Sainz couldn’t quite pry P3 off the Red Bull. The reigning champion stretched his legs in the lead and eventually won by more than 10 seconds. Perez completed the one-two with both Red Bull drivers on similar soft-soft-hard strategies.
Aston Martin’s hopes of crashing the podium fight seemed to have come crashing down on Lap 1 when Lance Stroll made a lunge on team mate Alonso into Turn 4 and hit the rear-right of his car, allowing both Mercedes ahead.
Ferrari’s hopes of the podium did however come crashing down on Lap 41, when Leclerc retired with an engine issue. That was just after Alonso produced an absolutely brilliant move to take P5 off Lewis Hamilton, down the inside of Turn 10. Alonso went on the warpath and on Lap 45 he passed Sainz after a stunning battle through Sector 2, to seal his first podium since Qatar 2021.
Host Carl Lewis is joined by coach Grant de Smidt and punter David Kappel to preview the second leg of the UEFA Champions League round of 16. They give best bets and create multi for the week's action.
The UEFA Champions League round of 16 second legs start on 7 March with Chelsea and Club Brugge trying to overturn deficits, while there is little to separate Tottenham and AC Milan or Bayern and Paris as they gear up for their rematches.
We pick out some key talking points ahead of the keenly anticipated returns.
7 March
Benfica vs Club Brugge (agg: 2-0)
Second-half goals from João Mário and David Neres gave Benfica a 2-0 advantage in the first leg and made it just one win in eight games for new Club Brugge coach Scott Parker. Add in the fact that the Eagles had 15 wins and two draws from their 17 home games this season at the end of February and the task facing Blauw-Zwart is an uphill one to say the least.
Chelsea vs Dortmund (agg: 0-1)
Karim Adeyemi's wonderful solo effort was enough to give Dortmund a 1-0 victory in the first meeting with Chelsea, whose travails in front of goal continued in Germany. The Blues have drawn blanks in ten of their last 15 matches, scoring just six times across the other five outings. That said, Graham Potter's charges are playing some eye-catching football and they seem to be on the cusp of translating their fluid build-up into goals.
8 March
Tottenham Hotspur vs AC Milan (agg: 0-1)
A second successive 1-0 victory ensured Milan head to north London with a quarter-final spot in their sights, but Rossoneri supporters will hope they are not made to rue their second-half profligacy against Spurs at San Siro. Midfielder Charles de Ketelaere and defender Malick Thiaw both spurned excellent opportunities to add to Brahim Díaz's early effort, missing the target with close-range headers.
Bayern vs Paris Saint-Germain (agg: 1-0)
Kingsley Coman's second-half header may have given the 2019/2020 winners a slender lead in the French capital but Paris have a blueprint for success in Munich, having beaten Hansi Flick's Bayern 3-2 in the 2020/21 quarter-final first leg. Kylian Mbappé scored twice that evening, and the France international's cameo off the bench in Paris on 14 February suggests he could play a major role in the teams' latest tussle.
Jon Jones seeks to cement himself as the greatest of all time when he makes his eagerly-awaited return to face Ciryl Gane in a titanic clash for the vacant heavyweight championship at UFC 285 in Las Vegas on Saturday night (Sunday morning SA time).
A second title will be on the line in the co-main event at the T-Mobile Arena as flyweight queen Valentina Shevchenko goes toe-to-toe with Alexa Grasso.
Undefeated welterweight wrecking ball Shavkat Rakhmonov rumbles with Geoff Neal, top-10 lightweights Mateusz Gamrot and Jalin Turner go toe-to-toe and wrestling phenom Bo Nickal makes his much anticipated UFC debut against Jamie Pickett at middleweight.
The team at Laduma Analytics provide stats and data on the biggest and most interesting talking points in South African football, specifically the Premier Soccer League / DSTV Premiership.
The familiar phrase of "it's lights out and away we go" returns this Sunday as the first Formula 1 Grand Prix of 2023 takes place in Bahrain. A week and a bit after Red Bull and Max Verstappen were incredibly satisfied after winter testing at the same venue of Sunday's race all eyes will be on the two-time driver's world champion. The Dutch driver dominated in 2022, with the energy drink team winning all but five races. The 25-year-old will begin the season as the driver to beat, and judging from the data extracted during the test enjoyed a nearly faultless two days in the RB19. Verstappen is the favourite to stand on the top step of the podium after Sunday's night race at 1.86. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc is at 3.75 and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton an outside bet at 9.50. The Briton incidentally, has won the Bahrain GP five times, more than any other driver. Leclerc grabbed victory here last year after Verstappen was undone by a mechanical issue, with the latter favourite to start on pole 1.86. Leclerc secured nine pole positions last year, but could only muster three victories during a season plagued by errors, poor team strategy, and reliability issues. The track The Bahrain GP circuit has been used since the Middle East GP in 2004. It's 5.412km long and the site used to be a camel farm. Since 2014 it has been held at night after flood lights were installed. The circuit lends itself to overtaking thanks to three long straights. The 15 corners are broken up by three DRS zones. Formula 1 instituted regulation changes in 2022 and admittedly the number of overtakes has increased significantly. In Bahrain the overtakes are likely to take place down the main straight with the drivers braking into a sharp right-hander at Turn 1. The maximum speed is over 330km/h on the longest flat-out section which is over 1.2km long. The drivers will likely change gears 56 times per lap. It remains to be seen if Fernando Alonso can replicate the pace he showed in winter testing and give Ferrari and Mercedes a headache this weekend. The new Aston Martin driver has three wins in Bahrain and looks fast in the AMR23. Keep your eyes on the rookie Logan Sargeant for Williams who along with AlphaTauri's Yuki Tsunoda and Alfa Romeo's Zhou Guanyu is at 11.00 to be the first to retire in the GP. Listen to the Bet Central F1 podcast as I chat with Pierre Arries about the upcoming season opener. Verstappen, Hamilton, Leclerc Fastest lap: Russell Pole position: Leclerc First to retire: Logan Sargeant Most Team Points: Mercedes Both Cars Qualify for Q3 Shootout: Alpine Free Practice 1/2/3 Winning Car: Russell/ Mercedes Safety Car: Yes Top 6: Hulkenberg Top 10: Ocon, Bottas, Guanyu
Carl Lewis and rugby punter have your best bets for Super Rugby Pacific, United Rugby Championship and Gallagher Premiership.
Sean Parker is joined by Formula 1 social media content creator Mary-Anne Wakefield, better known as Lallie's Life to discuss the winter testing in Bahrain. The duo break down who the winners and losers were after three days and 21 000km of testing ahead of the 2023 season opener at the Sakhir circuit. Red Bull and Aston Martin impressed the most with blistering runs for two-time world champions Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso. Mercedes and McLaren have their work cutout ahead of Sunday's race after disappointing with the former hoping to reduce the gap to Red Bull and Ferrari after only winning one race in 2022. McLaren say they know what's wrong with the MCL60 and their first upgrade of the season will need to eradicate several shortcomings of the car. Lando Norris admitted the car was difficult to drive in Bahrain. And lastly, Parker and Wakefield discuss whether the number of testing days should be reduced.
Football writer Zach Lowy hosts this podcast where he invites some of the best football writers from across the globe to talk about the biggest talking points in European football.
The podcast covers the Premier League, Ligue 1, Serie A, Bundesliga, La Liga, Primera Liga, and everything else. Today's two guests are Adam Khan — a Bundesliga expert and German football analyst and Eduard Holdis — a historical football writer and general football journalist.
The PGA TOUR returns to Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge for the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard, the TOUR’s fourth designated event of 2023. World No. 1 Jon Rahm – with three wins in six TOUR starts this season – leads a star-studded field in Orlando.
44 of the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking are set to tee it up at Bay Hill – the most in any event since last year’s Open Championship … The field includes the top 30 on the FedExCup and all 13 TOUR winners so far this season … Scottie Scheffler returns to defend his 2022 title … Other Arnold Palmer Invitational winners returning to Bay Hill include Tyrrell Hatton (runner-up a year ago), Jason Day, Francesco Molinari and defending FedExCup champion Rory McIlroy … PGA TOUR University presented by Velocity Global is well-represented in the sponsor exemptions. The No. 1 player in the Class of 2022 and current No. 1 are both in the field. Pierceson Coody, who has won two of his first 15 Korn Ferry Tour starts since turning pro last summer, is in the field, one week after making the cut at The Honda Classic in his first PGA TOUR start as a pro. Ludvig Aberg, the current No. 1 in PGA TOUR U, is trying to extend his lead in the standings. The Texas Tech star arrives at Bay Hill after a win Feb. 22 at The Prestige in La Quinta, California. The top spot in PGA TOUR U is especially important this year, as the No. 1 player after the NCAA Championship will earn immediate status on the PGA TOUR and be eligible for all full-field, open events. Also in the field on a sponsor exemption is Cole Hammer, a teammate of Coody on the Texas team that won the 2022 NCAA Championship. Hammer, who finished fifth in last year’s class of PGA TOUR U grads, had a T5 finish late last year in The RSM Classic. Other players competing at Bay Hill on sponsor exemptions include major winners Stewart Cink, Zach Johnson and Padraig Harrington, as well as 2022 Korn Ferry Tour Player of the Year Justin Suh. DP World Tour winners Adrian Meronk and Thriston Lawrence also received invitations.
Host Carl Lewis and rugby punter Neal Hoogwerf preview and have best bets for Six Nations, Super Rugby Pacific, URC & Gallagher Premiership.
Host Carl Lewis asks NBA expert Cyrus Rogers about how he thinks the blockbuster trades will affect the Eastern and Western Conference in the NBA? The likes of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Mikal Bridges, D'Angelo Russell and so much more. Late Wednesday night, the Phoenix Suns pulled off the blockbuster deal of the NBA trade deadline, picking up Brooklyn Nets’ superstar Kevin Durant.
That was just the beginning of a wild NBA trade deadline.
Seven months after Kevin Durant asked Brooklyn for a trade, the 2014 MVP got his wish, thereby ending a four-year run that will be remembered as one of the most disappointing superstar team-ups in NBA history while opening a glittery new chapter that should rekindle his championship aspirations.
The Nets sent Durant and forward T.J. Warren to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for forwards Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson and Jae Crowder, plus four unprotected first-round picks and a 2028 first-round pick swap, a person with knowledge of the agreement confirmed Thursday. ESPN.com first reported the terms of the agreement, which will see Phoenix send its 2023, 2025, 2027 and 2029 first-round picks to Brooklyn.
Among the flurry of moves on Thursday:
• The Matisse Thybulle era is over in Philadelphia. The 76ers agreed to part ways with the two-time, second-team All-Defensive selection, trading him to in a three-team trade in exchange for a player whom they think can better help them contend for an NBA title. The team acquired Charlotte Hornets forward Jalen McDaniels and draft picks in the trade that will send Thybulle to the Portland Trail Blazers. The Blazers will in turn send the New York Knicks’ Svi Mykhailiuk to the Hornets.
• The Orlando Magic traded fifth-year big man Mo Bamba to the Los Angeles Lakers. The Magic acquired veteran guard Patrick Beverley, a future second-round pick and cash considerations for Bamba. It’s unlikely Beverley will play for the Magic, sources told the Sentinel. He’ll likely be bought out or waived.
• The Lakers are sending center Thomas Bryant to the Denver Nuggets for reserve guard Davon Reed and three future second-round picks.
• The Nuggets traded guard Bones Hyland to the Los Angeles Clippers for two second-round picks. The second-round picks are for 2024 and 2025, the source said, and there are no protections on the picks.
The Clippers were also a part of a three-team deal with the Memphis Grizzlies and Houston Rockets that sent John Wall from L.A. to Houston in exchange for Eric Gordon. The Rockets also received Danny Green and three second-round picks from the Grizzlies. Memphis received Luke Kennard from the Clippers.
• In another three-team deal, the Indiana Pacers traded Jae Crowder to the Milwaukee Bucks for Jordan Nwora, Serge Ibaka and two second-round picks. The Brooklyn Nets received five second-round picks.
• The Golden State Warriors made a pair of moves, sending former No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman to the Detroit Pistons for Kevin Knox II and five second-round picks via the Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks received Saddiq Bey from the Pistons.
The Warriors also traded five second-round picks to the Portland Trail Blazers for Gary Payton II.
• The league-leading Boston Celtics didn’t sit out the deadline, adding Mike Muscala from the Oklahoma City Thunder for Justin Jackson and two future second-round picks.
• The New York Knicks on Wednesday traded for Josh Hart, sending Cam Reddish and a first-round pick to Portland.
Host Carl Lewis and Grant de Smidt create a PSL Betting Guide ahead of this weekend’s DStv Premiership round of fixtures, headlined by the Soweto Derby.
Soweto Derby
Things are looking grim for Arthur Zwane at the moment. Chiefs have won just one game all year, with 17% their second-worst win rate in the first two months of the calendar year in PSL history. 2015 remains their worst start, but even so, they only played twice by the end of February that year. They just don’t seem to have the cutting edge up front, blanking in four of the six games, despite averaging 16 shots per game during this time.
When a defender (Sfiso Hlanti) is your top goal scorer seven games into the year, it spells trouble. Yet, the team always finds a way to turn it on for the derby. Bet.co.za is licensed and regulated by the Western Cape Gambling Board. No persons under the age of 18 are permitted to gamble. South African National Gambling Foundation toll-free counselling line: 0800 006 008 or WhatsApp Line: 076 675 0710. Winners know when to stop.
It's a busy weekend in English football with Newcastle and Manchester United duelling for the first trophy on offer, the Carabao Cup, then there are also eight matches in the Premier League.
Host Carl Lewis and coach Grant de Smidt preview all of these matches for your betting purposes.
Manchester United and Newcastle United head under the famous arch of Wembley this weekend for the Carabao Cup final.
Manchester United v Newcastle United
Both teams have had impressive campaigns this season so far, setting up a blockbuster encounter in the capital. Ahead of Sunday’s showdown we’ve delved into the Betfred markets to see where the value is.
Newcastle haven't beaten Man United since 2019 and have tasted defeat in four of their last six contests with the Red Devils. However, the Toon have picked up draws in the last two meetings and there’s no denying that they’re a team who are on the up - in fact, they’ve only been beaten three times in all competitions this season and two of those were against Liverpool.
This is shaping up to be an enthralling battle, but you have to favour United (6/5 to win inside 90 minutes and 4/7 to lift the trophy) who have momentum on their side with six wins from their last eight in all competitions, scoring 19 along the way. Newcastle are winless in their last three, all in the league, and it has seen them drop below Tottenham Hotspur to fifth in the table.
Premier League Matchweek 25
Fulham v Wolves
Everton v Aston Villa
Leeds v Southampton
Leicester v Arsenal
West ham v Forest
Bournemouth v Man City
Crystal Palace v Liverpool
Tottenham Hotspur v Chelsea
"Bet.co.za is licensed and regulated by the Western Cape Gambling Board. No persons under the age of 18 are permitted to gamble. South African National Gambling Foundation toll-free counseling line: 0800 006 008 or WhatsApp Line: 076 675 0710. Winners know when to stop."
Host Carl Lewis is joined by young, up-and-coming journalist Avuyile Sawula about the Springboks and Jacques Nienaber's first press conference of the new year.
Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber and Head of Athletic Performance Andy Edwards have provided an update on the ongoing alignment camp.
Fourteen players have assembled in Cape Town for the three-week camp that will involve off-field alignment sessions as well as on-field training sessions.
Nienaber said the majority of the players in the camp haven't had a proper break since before the British & Irish Lions series in 2021.
Fourteen frontline Springboks assembled in Cape Town on Sunday for a three-week "physical and rugby development" camp as the world champions step up preparations for the defence of their title in France later this year.
The camp, which runs until 10 March, is for players of national interest and those who have been on a break from the United Rugby Championship (URC).
The camp will involve a series of off-field alignment sessions as well as on-field training sessions to prepare the players for the remainder of the season.
Host Carl Lewis is joined by coach Dace Wessels to talk about Australian rugby and their chances in Super Rugby. Dave coached in Australia for several years (Brumbies, Melbourne Rebels and Western Force) so is placed to discuss Australian rugby.
They talk about how Australia can be more competitive in Super Rugby and what fundamental changes they can make to their rugby administration.
We move on to the Six Nation and in particular Ireland. The Irish made a huge statement on top of the other massive statements they have made in the last few years when they beat France two weeks ago.
They showed why they are world number one but we ask do they have the 'juice' to become world champions.
UFC 284 Review
The top two Pound-for-Pound fighters in the world put on an instant classic at UFC 284. The 155-pound title was on the line Saturday in Perth, Australia as Featherweight Champion Alexander Volkanovski moved up in wait to challenge Lightweight Champion Islam Makhachev. Volkanovski came up short in a spirited effort, pushing Makhachev to the limit in their five-round Main event. In the Co-main event, dynamic striker Yair Rodriguez (15-3) took on former collegiate wrestler Josh Emmett (18-3) for the Interim Featherweight Championship. Rodriguez was able to outduel Emmett in an absolute battle, earning a submission (Triangle choke) in round two. Also, on the main card intriguing prospect, Jack Della Maddalena stopped Randy Brown (16-5) in under three minutes. Maddalena was the UFC’s rookie of the year in 2022 going (3-0) and had a real coming out party in front of his native Australian fans this weekend.
Jones v Gane Preview
After more than two years since his last fight, former Lightweight Champion Jon Jones is now set to enter the Octagon once again. The UFC has now released an official trailer to build anticipation for the UFC 285 Heavyweight main event, Jon Jones vs Ciryl Gane.
Facing legal trouble outside of the cage, a contract dispute with the UFC, and adjusting to his new Heavyweight weight class, Jones last fought in a successful title defense against Dominick Reyes at UFC 247 back in February 2020.
Following Francis Ngannou’s departure from the UFC, Jon Jones will be going up against Ciryl Gane in his Heavyweight debut for the now-vacant title. The fight will answer questions about Jones’ performance at Heavyweight and if he can still perform following his lengthy layoff. UFC 285 will also see a co-main event Flyweight title bout between champion Valentina Shevchenko and Alexa Grasso.
Host Carl Lewis chats with award-winning football journalist Lorenz Kohler about CAF's new continental tournament coined the African Super League.
The Prize money of the Africa Super League will be USD 100 million, with the winner receiving USD 11.5 million.
Some of the funding from the Africa Super League will be used to allocate USD 1 million per annum to each of CAF’s 54 Member Countries, which is a total of USD 54 million per annum to develop football in all the African countries.
CAF will also receive USD 50 million per annum to develop football for boys and girls, to employ world-class staff, to improve and to make all its other competitions attractive and appealing to football spectators, TV viewers, sponsors and other partners.
Africa’s most valuable football club competition, the Africa Super League, will officially kick off in August 2023 and will involve 24 clubs from 16 countries across the Continent.
AFRICA SUPER LEAGUE KEY FACTS:
24 Clubs
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3 regions (North, Central/West, Southern/East)
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8 clubs per region
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Maximum 3 clubs per country
Over 16 different countries
- representing approximately 1 billion people
Duration
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10 months
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August to May
197 matches
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Maximum 21 matches played by the finalists
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Relegation/promotion playoff
After back-to-back elevated events on the West Coast, the PGA Tour makes its way to the Southeast to begin the Florida Swing at the Honda Classic. Unfortunately, this one is just a regular old event, which has resulted in a rather weak field at Jack Nicklaus' PGA National Champion Course.
That doesn't make the event any less important, however, for players fighting for their careers, or fighting to get back in the winner's circle. Sungjae Im, the tournament favourite and is looking to win for the first time since the 2021 Shriners. That was the second win of his tour career, the first coming in the 2020 Honda Classic just before the COVID pandemic brought the world to a halt.
After Im is a rather sizable odds gap, with Shane Lowry's name checking in at 14-1. Last year, Lowry needed a birdie on the 72nd to force a playoff with Sepp Straka, but an untimely rainstorm made the difficult 18th that much harder and Lowry settled for par, finishing one shot back in solo second.
A trio of players—Aaron Wise, Alex Noren and Min Woo Lee—are next at 25-1, followed by Chris Kirk, Denny McCarthy and Matt Kuchar at 28-1. Billy Horschel is 30-1, while Harris English, who appears to be back at full health, is 35-1.
Football writer Zach Lowy hosts this European football podcast and is joined by Sam Tabuteau, Premier League correspondent, and David Parkes a Belgian football expert and journalist.
The trio take a deep dive into Paris Saint Germain and their Ligue 1 struggles. They also touch on Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Lionel Messi and the Qatari/PSG project.
They move on to the Ligue Golden Boot race which is an unexpectedly exciting one.
They move across the pond to the Premier League and take a deep dive into Chelsea, Graham Potter, Todd Boehly and everything that has been going on at the London club.
Finally, they finished with some predictions for the UEFA Champions League this week.
Host Carl Lewis is joined by motorsport journalist Sean Parker and ApexMag editor Marius Boonzaier to tell us everything we need to know about the Formula E World Championship that takes pace in the Mother City.
The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship makes it two brand new events in a fortnight, with the series' maiden trip to South Africa and Cape Town on 25 February, for Round 5 of Season 9.
The inaugural Cape Town E-Prix is Formula E's first sub-Saharan African event, with the spectacular Table Mountain providing the backdrop for the second of three consecutive events at new venues to the championship, following an unforgettable debut in India and Hyderabad last time out.
The Mother City's Green Point district provides the location for the high-speed 2.927km circuit, looking out on Robben Island and in the shadow of Table Mountain - snaking around the DHL Stadium and skirting the coastline.
It's a fast-paced track, with bumpy braking zones, a tight chicane at Turns 4, 5 and 6 with a pacy, eye-of-the-needle section midway around the lap - all set to throw up a real challenge for the 22 world class drivers. Another new event means everybody starts at zero, too.
Carl Lewis and cricket writer Daniel Gallan discuss the biggest talking points in South African and world cricket.
In this podcast, the pair cover:
Shukri Conrad, South Africa's new Test coach, has revealed that he took the call to replace Dean Elgar with Temba Bavuma as Test captain.
Aiden Markram, who Conrad confirmed would open the batting against West Indies after being dropped for the Australia series.
Markram, who has an average of 24.60 in his last 23 Tests, was preferred over Sarel Erwee, and Conrad indicated he would get a long run in the Test team.
Similarly, tough calls were made in the bowling department, where Lungi Ngidi was left out in favour of Gerald Coetzee. Conrad confirmed Coetzee was likely to debut and that South Africa would go all-pace for the first Test at SuperSport Park.
South Africa have included three spinners in the squad in Keshav Maharaj, Simon Harmer and Senuran Muthusamy, who played two Tests on the India tour in 2019.
Conrad said he would opt for seven batters and four bowlers, as opposed to the six-five combination South Africa were using, which left them looking a batter light routinely. Secondly, Rassie van der Dussen and Kyle Verreynne have both been dropped, the latter despite finishing as the second-highest run-scorer in the Australia series.
They also cover the ICC Women's T20 World Cup as the Proteas look destined to make into the semi-inals of their home tournament.
A rematch of last season's Liverpool versus Real Madrid final and a tale from yesteryear between Porto and Inter are among the key storylines in the round of 16 openers. Host Carl Lewis previews every match this week and provide betting tips and predictions. They cover single bets and multiples.
Final rematch for Liverpool and Madrid
They don't come bigger than this. Liverpool and Real Madrid meet again with the latter in the ascendancy in recent years after winning 1-0 in last season's final thanks to Vinícius Júnior's goal at the Stade de France and a 3-1 Gareth Bale-inspired triumph in Kyiv in 2018. "This tie speaks for itself," says Reds boss Jürgen Klopp, whose side were also eliminated by Madrid in the 2020/21 quarter-finals. "I know we have played Real Madrid in a couple of recent finals but it is not so often that our two clubs have met in a two-legged tie."
Their 2014/15 group stage meetings were a break from the knockout norm but Madrid still won both games with Karim Benzema scoring twice in the first, a 3-0 away win, and the sole goal in the second. The French marksman has 16 goals in 23 Champions League games against English clubs – his largest tally against opposition from a single nation – including seven last season. Liverpool's hopes of bucking the trend may rest on quelling the evergreen striker.
Opposites collide as Frankfurt face Napoli
These two sides certainly took different paths to get to the round of 16 with Napoli cruising through by winning their first five matches while Frankfurt struck twice in the second half of their last match at Sporting CP to jump into second spot in their section. The German side have impressed domestically too, with the likes of French World Cup star Randal Kolo Muani enhancing their reputation.
In Victor Osimhen, Napoli possess a red-hot striker of their own; one of many reasons the Partenopei have been tearing it up in Italy this season. A first Scudetto since 1989/90 seems only a matter of time but coach Luciano Spalletti is taking nothing for granted, either in that regard or his next European opponents: "Eintracht are holders of the Europa League, a team on the up. It certainly won't be easy."
Have Man City learned their Leipzig lesson?
Like Napoli, Manchester City will be expected by most to progress from their tie against Leipzig as they continue their search for that elusive Champions League crown. Pep Guardiola will doubtless be preaching a similarly wary message to his charges, particularly given they failed to heed his words of warning when beaten 2-1 in Leipzig in the group stage last season, albeit his side were already safely through.
"They have a really good team – we knew before the group stage," said the City manager after that game. "Unfortunately we made one or two mistakes and they punished us. We were more aggressive in the second half, we played to win but we lost." Christopher Nkunku inspired the German outfit to a 3-2 victory over holders Real Madrid this term and though he is just coming back from long-term injury, the English champions, against whom he scored a hat-trick last season, will have to put the shackles on him to avoid a similar fate.
Will Porto's Pepe roll back the years against Inter?
You have to go back more than 17 years for the last meetings of these sides, yet those encounters provide food for thought relevant to this day. Inter ended Porto's Champions League defence in the 2004/05 round of 16, winning 3-1 in the San Siro second leg after a 1-1 first-leg draw. The Portuguese side gained some revenge the following season though, winning 2-0 at home in the group stage. The link between then and now? A certain colossus at the back.
A 22-year-old named Pepe played the full match and helped Porto shut out the Nerazzurri in that last game, but he had only managed ten minutes as a late substitute across the two matches the previous season. Now 39, the centre-back has struggled with injury this season but when fit he remains integral to Sérgio Conceição's side. Off the back of a fine World Cup, club president Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa said: "I think he will play another five or six years. He is a monster, a competitive animal." Count out a Pepe-led Porto at your peril.
Host Carl Lewis and rugby punter Neal Hoogwerf preview the United Rugby Championship and the Gallagher Premiership. They provide the best handicap bets and best bets for the weekend's action.
URC Fixtures
Glasgow Warriors v Ulster (Glasgow, Friday 21.35) Munster v Ospreys (Limerick, Friday 21.35) Emirates Lions v Cell C Sharks (Johannesburg, Saturday 15.00) Bulls v Stormers (Pretoria, Saturday 17.05) Zebre v Connacht (Parma, Saturday 17.05) Cardiff Rugby v Benetton (Cardiff, Saturday 19.15) Scarlets v Edinburgh (Llanelli, Saturday 19.15) Leinster v Dragons (Dublin, Saturday 21.35)
Gallagher Premiership
Bristol v Newcastle Falcons Gloucester v Harlequins Bath Rugby v London Irish Northampton Saints v Sale Sharks Leicester v Saracens
Host Carl Lewis and football writer Zach Lowy review the first round of fixtres in UEFA Champions League knockout stage. First legs Tuesday 14 February AC Milan 1-0 Tottenham Paris 0-1 Bayern
Wednesday 15 February Club Brugge 0-2 Benfica Dortmund 1-0 Chelsea
Tuesday 21 February Liverpool vs Real Madrid Frankfurt vs Napoli
Wednesday 22 February Leipzig vs Man City Inter vs Porto
There are six matches in the DSTV Premiership this weekend and host Carl Lewis and coach and analyst Grant de Smidt preview every match including:
Orlando Pirates v Maritzburg
Royal AM v Supersport
Sekhukhune v Richards Bay
AmaZulu v TS Galaxy
Kaizer Chief v Golden Arrows
Cape Town City v Swallow FC
The best PSL podcast in South Africa. Betting preview and predictions.
Host Carl Lewis and Grant de Smidy preview match week 24 in the Premier League with betting advice included in our comprehensive preview.
We cover every match over the weekend including:
Saturday English Premier League matches
Aston Villa v Arsenal
Nottingham Forest v Man City
Wolves v Bournemouth
Everton v Leeds
Chelsea v Southampton
Brighton v Fulham
Newcastle v Liverpool
Sunday English Premier League Matches
Manchester United v Leicester
Spurs v West Ham
The Premier League betting podcast.
Cricket writer Daniel Gallan and host Carl Lewis discuss a wide-ranging variety of topics in the world of cricket including:
- Women's Premier League Auction
South African national women's cricketers Shabnim Ismail and Marizanne Kapp landed themselves a cool R2.17 million and R3.26 million respectively at Monday's Women's Premier League auction.
Ismail was snapped up by the UP (Uttar Pradesh) Warriorz and Kapp by the Delhi Capitals. Kapp's partner Dane van Niekerk and fellow women's national teammate Chloe Tryon were picked up by the Royal Challengers Bangalore and the Mumbai Indians for R649 000 each.
- Proteas Women T20 World Cup Comeback
Nonkululeko Mlaba grabbed three scalps as South Africa got their ICC Women's T20 World Cup campaign back on track with a 65-run victory against New Zealand at Boland Park on Monday evening.
Chasing 133 to win under lights, the New Zealand batting line-up crumbled thanks to superb bowling from the Proteas women.
SA20 Legacy and Future
Sunrisers Eastern Cape beat the Pretoria Capitals. We disuss the tournaments impact on SA cricket.
The best players in the world were already committed to play in The Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club, but on Friday we learned that golf’s biggest star is set to play, too. Woods, the tournament host, will be making his first official PGA TOUR start since last July.
The 82-time PGA TOUR winner will headline a stacked field competing for 550 FedExCup points.
Woods last teed it up at an official PGA TOUR event at The Open Championship in July. He hasn’t played a non-major on the PGA TOUR schedule since THE ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP in October 2020… All of the top 30 players in the FedExCup standings will roll into Riviera along with 23 of the top 25 in the world led by defending FedExCup champ Rory McIlroy… Golfers with California connections include 2021 Genesis winner Max Homa and last season’s runner-up Collin Morikawa… The Charlie Sifford Memorial Exemption went to Marcus Byrd, a standout on the APGA Tour. This is his second PGA TOUR start (2022 Corales Puntacana Championship).
He led Middle Tennessee State University to back-to-back conference championships in 2018 and 2019… The seven sponsor exemptions include Justin Suh, the 2022 Korn Ferry Tour Player of the Year; Ben Taylor, who has two top-five finishes this season; Davis Thompson, runner-up at The American Express; Keita Nakajima, a former Asia-Pacific Amateur champion who was the world’s No.1-ranked amateur for a record 87 weeks; Adrian Meronk, who won twice on the DP World Tour in 2022, becoming the first golfer from Poland to win on that tour; and South Korean Yeongsu Kim, who won the Genesis Championship on the KPGA in October to earn a spot in the field.
Host Carl Lewis is joined by coach Grant de Smidt and punter David Kappel. The trio preview and give betting tips for the UEFA Champions League Round of 16.
Another mouth-watering clash between Paris and Bayern is among the key storylines as the UEFA Champions League round of 16 commences.
PSG v Bayern Munich
Paris and Bayern have got to know each other pretty well in recent years with the heavyweights pitched together for the third time in four seasons. The German side will probably feel they have the psychological edge having won three of the last four meetings, including the 2020 final when the French outfit's former winger Kingsley Coman scored the only goal in Lisbon to give the German club their sixth European Cup.
Paris exacted some revenge by eliminating Bayern on away goals in the 2020/21 quarter-finals with a 3-2 first-leg win in Munich, aided by a Kylian Mbappé double, proving decisive despite Bayern's subsequent 1-0 victory at the Parc des Princes. Thomas Müller, who scored for the Bavarian giants in that opener, summed up this tie: "Two very good teams with very good players. Sadly one cannot go through to the next round. A big game of football."
AC Milan v Tottenham Hotspur
Antonio Conte underwent surgery to have his gall bladder removed at the start of the month but will be eager to be on the plane as his side head for San Siro, the current Spurs manager having been in charge of Milan's city rivals Inter for two seasons from 2019 to 2021. His teams tended to thrive in the derby, the Nerazzurri winning four of their five meetings with the Rossoneri and scoring at least twice in all those victories.
Key to those successes were a talismanic striker – Romelu Lukaku struck in all of those contests. That should be a good omen for current Tottenham forward Harry Kane, who recently became the club's all-time leading goalscorer after overhauling Jimmy Greaves' previous landmark of 266. Add in the fact that another Spurs striker, Peter Crouch, scored the only goal of the game and the tie, at San Siro when the London side beat Milan at this stage in 2011, and Conte's charges should be optimistic.
Borussia Dortmund v Chelsea
Plenty can change for a team between the end of the group stage and the beginning of the knockout phase, and nowhere is that more in evidence than at Stamford Bridge. When Graham Potter's men beat Dinamo Zagreb 2-1 on Matchday 6 it was their seventh win in ten games, with just a single defeat in that spell. However, their following seven games brought only one win and five defeats, including two domestic cup exits, and a slump into mid-table.
"We have to keep improving and stick together because clearly we're suffering as a football club and it's not nice at all," said Potter after a particularly bruising 4-0 FA Cup loss at Manchester City. "But that's where we are at the moment." Chelsea have responded with a flurry of activity in the transfer window, including the eye-catching acquisitions of João Félix, Enzo Fernández and Mykhailo Mudryk. They will be hoping the new blood can spark the sort of revival that saw them scoop the trophy in 2021.
Club Brugge v Benfica
Portuguese opposition has brought out the best and the worst in Club Brugge already this season so which version of the Belgian hopefuls will turn up at the Jan Breydelstadion? Will it be the rampant and resilient side that turned heads in this season's competition with a 4-0 triumph at Porto on Matchday 2 or the porous one that were beaten by the same scoreline in the reverse fixture?
Scott Parker, who took the reins from Carl Hoefkens at the start of this year, has outlined what we can expect from him as Club Brugge coach: "How am I as a coach? The 'no sweat, no glory' mentality emphasises exactly what I am. If someone steps in as coach halfway through the season, you have to be able to quickly see what you want to change. I have no doubt that we can be successful with this team."
The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup kicks off in Cape Town on 10 February, and we have the rundown on everything you need to know. Host Carl Lewis chats with cricket writer Daniel Gallan and Raf Nicholson ahead of the showpiece. South Africa are set to host the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup for the first time since the tournament’s inception, with play taking place from 10 to 26 February in Cape Town, Paarl and Gqeberha.
The Proteas Women will be joined by nine teams all vying for their chance at glory, with the line-up led by defending champions, Australia.
Australia
Undoubtedly the favourites, Australia head into the 2023 edition ranked number one in the ICC Women’s T20 rankings. The women from Down Under have won the T20 World Cup a record five times in the seven editions it has been played, including the last time out in 2020.
Australia have featured in every final since the inaugural 2009 edition, with their sole loss against West Indies in 2016, and they are also the only side in the competition’s history to have reached the semifinals or better in every edition of the tournament.
England
Ranked number two in the world, England won the inaugural 2009 edition of the tournament, where they put on a dominant display in the final against New Zealand to secure the title in front of a home crowd.
Although they have yet to repeat their heroics of 2009, the English women have advanced past the group stages all but once in the tournament’s history. During that time, they reached the finals in 2012, 2014 and 2018. However, they lost out on all three occasions to Australia.
New Zealand
New Zealand got their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup career off to a flying start by reaching the finals of the 2009 and 2010 editions, losing to England and Australia, respectively.
Notably, New Zealand lost the 2010 final by just three runs after falling short in a dramatic run chase. The Black Caps then reached the semifinals of the 2012 edition in Sri Lanka.
However, since then it hasn’t been plain sailing. The third-ranked side in the world have only reached the semifinals in one of the last four editions, and they enter the 2023 edition on the back of two consecutive group stage knockouts.
India
Ranked fourth in the world, India began their T20 World Cup career with back-to-back semifinal appearances in 2009 and 2010. However, they followed it up with a string of three group stage knockouts.
In 2018, the Indian women rediscovered their form by reaching the semifinals, and they followed it up by making the finals of the 2020 edition, where they lost to a dominant Australian team.
West Indies
Despite being ranked sixth in the world, West Indies are one of only three teams to ever win the T20 World Cup. After three consecutive semifinal appearances, the Windies women pulled off a victory against Australia in the final of the 2016 edition, while captain Stafanie Taylor was named Player of the Tournament. That was the only time the Australian women have lost in the final of the T20 World Cup in six appearances.
The West Indies followed up their 2016 triumph with a semifinal showing at home in 2018. And although they were knocked out in the group stages in 2020, they have proven time and time again that they cannot be overlooked in the T20 format.
Pakistan
Ranked seventh in the world and having featured in every edition since the tournament’s inception, Pakistan have never advanced past the group stages and have won just seven of their 28 matches in the competition.
Sri Lanka
Eighth-ranked Sri Lanka, who hosted the tournament in 2012, have also featured in every edition of the tournament and are yet to advance past the group stages.
Bangladesh
Bangladesh first qualified for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2014 and have featured in every edition since. Ranked ninth in the world, they have never advanced past the group stages and have won just two of their 17 matches in the competition.
They hold the unfortunate record of the lowest team score in the tournament’s history, when they were bundled out for 46 against the West Indies in 2018.
Ireland
The 10th-ranked side in the world, Ireland have featured in three previous editions of the T20 World Cup, although their record leaves something to be desired. The Irish women have not won a match at the tournament in 13 attempts and will be looking to break their duck when the 2023 edition gets underway in South Africa.
The PGA Tour season is officially heating up with a full-field event this week at the 2023 Waste Management Phoenix Open. The Stadium Course at TPC Scottsdale will once again host this fantastic event, which will be packed with fans – particularly on the iconic 16th hole.
Below, we look at the 2023 Waste Management Phoenix Open odds and make our PGA Tour picks and predictions.
This is the 2nd elevated event of the season, which means most of the biggest players in the game will be in the field. Jon Rahm and world-No. 1 Rory McIlroy will be competing at TPC Scottsdale, as will Scottie Scheffler, Collin Morikawa and Patrick Cantlay. Scheffler will attempt to defend his title from last year against this stellar field.
The Stadium Course at TPC Scottsdale isn’t overly long, stretching just 7,261 yards and playing as a par 71. But it is a ball-striker’s course, requiring players to be accurate off the tee and hit an abundance of greens. The greens are pretty large and won’t be running lightning quick, so it certainly won’t be a putting contest in Phoenix.
We are back with another edition of the Mastos Masterclass. In this podcast, we look at the best bets for the weekend across Europe's top five footballing leagues. We cover the Bundesliga, Serie A, English Premier League, Ligue 1 and La Liga. Our favourite punter masters has betting slips for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The best podcast for those who like multiples, parlays and accumulators.
Host Carl Lewis and rugby punter Neal Hoogwerf preview every match in the opening Round of the Six Nations and also have best bets for the only United Rugby Championship match this weekend between the Sharks and Stormers.
Carl Lewis talks to cricket writer Daniel Gallan about South African cricket and more specifically:
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Proteas beat England 2-1 in the ODI series
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Shukri Conrad's impact
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Temba Bavuma's century and leadership
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Selection - Youth v Experience
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SA20 and Cricket health in South Africa
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Castle Lager sponsorship
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Dane van Niekerk selection drama
Carl Lewis and coach and analyst Grant de Smidt discuss the weekend's action and preview every match in the DSTV Premiership.
The headline match is on Saturday between Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns with the weekend kicking off on Friday with a doubleheader and ending with Kaizer Chiefs in the afternoon.
Carl Lewis chats with the Laduma Analytics team as they discussed Opta's new power rankings for every football club in the world.
And then in the main topic, they discuss Mamelodi's Sundown's record-breaking season and also some records that they are yet to break.
Host Carl Lewis and coach and analyst Grant de Smidt preview match week 22 for your betting purposes.
After a week of FA Cup action, we turn to Matchweek 22 of the English Premier League, with some teams in must-win positions to keep title hopes and European aspirations alive, while elsewhere the likelihood of relegation looms large.
Carl Lewis and coach Dave Wessels discuss:
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Steve Borthwick and Eddie Jones's new roles
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Six Nations Predictions
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Champions Cup form A South African rugby perspective
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South African rugby calendar
-Coaching and pathways
Golf punter Wade Pretorius and host Carl Lewis provide the best bets for the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and the Ras al Khaimah Classic, a week after a very successful betting week.
At the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, the multi-course swing comes to an end this week on the California coast.
It's the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am where a full field of PGA TOUR pros will team up with pro-am partners, many of those partners having celebrity status, while taking on some iconic courses. Most notably, the host course, Pebble Beach Golf Links.
While 156 pros will start the week, that number will be trimmed to the Low 60 and ties after 54 holes. The top pro-am teams will continue to duke it out on Sunday.
It's another week of splitting courses before the cut. This week lines up similarly with the recent AmEx where he saw a trio of courses utilized to account for hours of daylight and the usage of pro-am partners.
Host Carl Lewis talks to soccer writer Zach Lowy and asks these questions:
Arsenal
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Is this Arsenal the real deal?
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What can we learn from Arsenal and Arteta
Napoli
- How are Napoli so good?
La Liga Title Race
- Who will the league be in Spain...Real Madrid or Barcelona?
Lille
- Why is Lille so good to watch?
We are back with another edition of the Mastos Masterclass. In this podcast, we look at the best bets for the weekend across Europe's top five footballing leagues.
We cover the Bundesliga, Serie A, English Premier League, Ligue 1 and La Liga. Our favourite punter masters has betting slips for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The best podcast for those who like multiples, parlays and accumulators.
The SA20 is on a short hiatus after a fantastic start to the competition. In this podcast, host Carl Lewis is joined by cricket writer Chris Chiwanza and cricket content creator Werner Erasmus to discuss the SA20 so far.
We speak about every team:
Durban Super Giants Joburg Super Kings Sunrisers Eastern Cape Pretoria Capitals Paarl Royals MI Cape Town
We also talk about the best player/s on each team as well as our biggest disappointments.
Carl Lewis and coach Grant de Smidt preview the weekend's action in the DSTV Premiership which begins with a Western Cape derby as Cape Town City travels to Stellenbosch.
It's a full slate of fixtures with Mamelodi Sundowns, Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs are in action.
We have a full tactical and betting preview.
Host Carl Lewis and coach Grant de Smidt preview Round 4 of the FA Cup which is headlined by Arsenal and Manchester City and also very tasty fixture in Brighton v Liverpool.
We also have predictions and betting tips for:
Walsall v Leicester
Accrington v Leeds
Manchester United v Reading
Preston v Tottenham Hotspur
Derby County v West Ham
Southampton v Blackpool
After being knocked out of the Super 12 stage of the T20 World Cup following a surprise 13-run defeat to the Netherlands, Mark Boucher stood down from his position as head coach.
Cricket South Africa have subsequently decided to split the roles, naming Shukri Conrad and Rob Walter as head coaches of the test and limited-overs sides respectively.
While both coaches will not begin their roles until February, the less-established members of the South African squad will be keen to impress Walter, who will undoubtedly be keeping a close eye on the ODI series with England.
The three matches against England will take on greater importance for the hosts, who are currently battling with Ireland, Sri Lanka and West Indies in the World Cup Super League for the final automatic qualifying berth for the 50-over World Cup.
South Africa need to complete a series whitewash over England and win their two ODIs against the Netherlands in March and April if they are to qualify automatically, otherwise, they will have to secure their place in India via a 10-team qualifier tournament.
Meanwhile, after winning the T20 World Cup in November, England are now preparing for a busy year across both red-ball and white-ball formats, with an Ashes series and an ODI World Cup awaiting them before the end of 2023.
Although England may be the reigning champions, the tourists arrive in South Africa with a point to prove, after drawing one and losing two of their previous three ODI series, including a 3-0 defeat to Australia in November.
Captain Jos Buttler may be the first to point out that there were mitigating circumstances to the Australia defeat, with the series beginning four days after England's T20 World Cup triumph, while a number of fringe players were given valuable game time.
Although England have not played since the series whitewash in Australia, several members of their squad have kept busy over the winter, competing in the various T20 leagues around the world, but the focus returns to international cricket in Bloemfontein.
With only 13 ODIs separating England between now and the start of their World Cup defence, every game will be crucial for coach Matthew Mott and Buttler to establish who should be involved in the tournament in India.
A South African side captained by Temba Bavuma is expected to opt for an opening pairing of Quinton de Kock and Janneman Malan.
Anrich Nortje will attempt to intimidate the England batting lineup, with his fierce pace that can comfortably reach the 90mph mark.
Lungi Ngidi, Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen could all be involved, highlighting the quality the hosts possess in their seam attack, while Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi will provide the spin options.
As for the tourists, eight members of their squad have already spent at least a couple of weeks in the country, competing in the inaugural edition of the SA20 league.
Jofra Archer was one of those who have been playing in the franchise competition, after returning from an injury layoff, and he is set to feature for England for the first time since a T20I against India in March 2021.
After being named player of the tournament at the T20 World Cup, Sam Curran will want to play a key role, while Harry Brook could make his first ODI appearance.
South Africa squad: Temba Bavuma (capt), Quinton de Kock, Heinrich Klaasen, Rassie van der Dussen, Keshav Maharaj, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Sisanda Magala, Janneman Malan, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Wayne Parnell, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi
England squad: Jos Buttler (capt), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Ben Duckett, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Jason Roy, Phil Salt, Olly Stone, Reece Topley, David Willey, Chris Woakes
Host Lwanele Poswayo and UFC expert Asher Arenz review the UFC 283 pay-per-view that took place in Brazil this past weekend. The pair also looks at what’s next for the newly crowned champions Jamahal Hill and Brandon Moreno. They also discuss the recently announced main events for UFC 285 and UFC 286, with both pay-per-views taking place in March.
Kaizer Chiefs have lost three straight matches in the DSTV Premiership and are winless in 2023. The results have piled on the pressure on head coach Arthur Zwane with the embarrassing 4-0 loss to Amazulu bookended by 1-0 losses to Mamelodi Sundowns and Sekhukhune United.
In this podcast with Laduma Analytics, we discuss Chiefs attack in-depth focused on their xG and their creativity in front of goal. Have they been poor or just unlucky?
We also have a deep dive into their players such as Keagan Dolley, Bonfils-Caleb Bimenyimana, Khana Billiat and a host of other attacking players.
League rugby is back, more specifically the United Rugby Championship and the Gallagher Premiership, so rugby punter Neal Hoogwerf and host Carl Lewis preview and provide their best bets for the weekend's action.
The South African sides plan on hitting the foreign ground running as the United Rugby Championship resumes this weekend.
After the conclusion of the pool stages of the European Champions and Challenge Cup competitions last weekend, the focus switches back to the URC where all four local sides are abroad for Round 13 action.
On Friday night, the Stormers are up against Ulster in Belfast and the Bulls battle the Scarlets in Llanelli while Saturday sees the Sharks take on Edinburgh and the Lions tackle Connacht in Galway.
Gallagher Premiership Rugby returns after a two-week European hiatus with three pulsating derbies headlining Round 16.
The battle for West Country bragging rights gets underway at Sandy Park on Saturday afternoon, with Gloucester Rugby looking to reverse a striking away streak.
Exeter Chiefs have not lost a Gallagher Premiership Rugby match at home to Gloucester since January 2015 and in their last 11 meetings the home side has prevailed on nine occasions.
Both had mixed fortunes in the Heineken Champions Cup, with Chiefs bouncing back from a bonus-point loss to Bulls to run in six tries at home to Castres.
That 40-3 win secured a home tie for the Round of 16, while Gloucester also responded to defeat to Leinster by winning at Bordeaux-Begles and booking a place in the knock-out stages.
The two teams are separated by just a point either side of the semi-final cut-off and a win could boost either above third-place Harlequins who have a derby of their own to contend with.
London Irish are their hosts on Sunday afternoon, still smarting from the last-gasp 26-24 defeat at the Stoop in October. George Head was the unlikely hero for Quins that day, surging over from a driving lineout in the 84th minute.
Harlequins will be without a raft of internationals as Six Nations preparations gather pace, but Nick David’s twinkling form will worry the home side, who have won their last three at the Gtech Community Stadium.
David made more metres – 155 – than any player in Round 4 of the Heineken Champions Cup, and his effort against Sharks was his third try in four matches.
And the East Midlands will be abuzz with derby day excitement on Saturday afternoon, when Leicester Tigers welcome Northampton Saints to Mattioli Woods Welford Road.
It couldn’t be any tighter in mid-table as the gap from third to ninth stands at just five points, while only points difference keeps Saints in sixth from Tigers in seventh.
Saints have a point to prove after making their European exit and emerging on the losing side in the last four encounters with the Gallagher Premiership Rugby champions.
But Round 16 truly kicks off on Friday evening, when Bath Rugby make the long journey north to face Sale Sharks, a side they have not defeated in four meetings.
Alex Sanderson’s Sharks had a fortnight to forget in Europe after losses to Ulster and Toulouse, but their domestic form is still to be feared, winning four league matches in five.
It will be fascinating to see how the title chasers cope without Manu Tuilagi, Ben Curry, Jonny Hill and Bevan Rodd against a Bath side missing Tom Dunn, although both teams will have Scotland internationals to call upon, Ewan Ashman for Sale, Josh Bayliss, Cam Redpath and Ruaridh McConnochie for Bath.
Saracens will hope Johann van Graan’s men will do them a favour as they look to extend their nine-point lead at the Gallagher Premiership Rugby summit at home to Bristol Bears on Saturday afternoon.
Top versus bottom may seem like a foregone conclusion, with the Bears failing to win away at Saracens since 2006.
But the Men in Black will not be able to call upon the likes of Owen Farrell, Ben Earl, Elliot Daly and Max Malins, offering Bears a hefty slice of hope a historic win could be on its way.
Farmer's Insurance Open
After Jon Rahm sensationally triumphed last week at The American Express in La Quinta, this week attentions turn to the Farmers Insurance Open from Torrey Pines South Course, San Diego, California, USA.
Some huge names in the world of golf travel to California looking to get their 2023 PGA Tour season off to a flying start. The PGA Tour is back up and running, with the field’s gradually picking up again ahead of what is set to be another sensational season of golf action.
After The American Express last week, the PGA Tour is back on the road, so who will be victorious after 72 holes comes Sunday afternoon this week in California? Without further ado, here are our Farmers Insurance Open betting picks and as we bid to predict the winner this week from Torrey Pines South Course, San Diego, California, USA.
Dubai Desert Classic
It's the third week of four in the United Arab Emirates, as the players travel 60 miles north from last week's venue to tee-up in the prestigious Hero Dubai Desert Classic.
With the action switching from Abu Dhabi to Dubai, the tournament takes place at Emirates Golf Club, one of the oldest courses in the Middle East.
The Dubai Desert Classic is the longest-running Tour event in the region, having made its debut in March 1989.
And this will be the 32nd time that Emirates Golf Club has been part of the DP World Tour schedule.
Cricket South Africa announced Rob Walter and Shukri Conrad as the new head coaches of the South African National men's cricket team. The appointments came out of nowhere (relatively) but both coaches have a proven track record of success and trophies in the domestic game. That's why host Carl Lewis speaks to former Protea Farhaan Berhardien about Rob Walter, who he played under at the Titans, and also Shukri Conrad, who he’s rubbed shoulders with through his time in domestic cricket.
In this wide-ranging discussion, they touch on what Rob Walter will bring as the head coach of the Proteas white ball team, what kind of character he is, what his strengths are and if it’s a good appointment.
The podcast also touches on Shukri Conrad, who will be in charge of the test team, Behardien gives his opinion on both head coaches and then thereafter they have a fascinating discussion on the state of South African cricket and also transformation.
They speak about culture, and they speak about the current state of domestic cricket and how we can improve it. ‘Fudgie’ brings some solutions to domestic cricket, which is struggling at the moment to produce quality batters and quality Test cricketers. Having played domestic cricket for nearly two decades, Behardien has a wealth of experience, knowledge, and insight to provide solutions for South African cricket.
Two titles hang in the balance as the UFC returns to Brazil for the first time in three years with a blockbuster card to kick-start their 2023 pay-per-view offering on Saturday night (Sunday morning SA time).
The Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro will be rocking as local favourite Glover Teixeira looks to make a triumphant homecoming when he takes on the surging Jamahal Hill for the vacant light heavyweight championship in the main event.
History will be made in the co-headliner of UFC 283 as another returning hero, flyweight titleholder Deiveson Figueiredo and interim champion Brandon Moreno conclude the first-ever quadrilogy for undisputed gold.
Three more Brazilian standouts feature on the main card – ex-welterweight title challenger Gilbert Burns, who meets Neil Magny, former strawweight champion Jessica Andrade, who faces Lauren Murphy, and Johnny Walker, who battles Paul Craig in a clash of light heavyweight finishers.
It's our first NBA podcast for 2023, and I am back with NBA expert Cyrus Rogers. We discuss the best teams in the Western Conference and the Eastern Conference, we start out with the Western Conference where the Denver Nuggets led by Nikola Jokic, has the number one seed in the conference and look like a serious playoff contender, or NBA championship contender.
They are closely followed by the Memphis Grizzlies, led by Ja Morant, who also look like serious contenders this year. Elsewhere, the surprise package of the season, the Sacramento Kings have the third seed as we speak and are in great form at the moment. We also touch on the New Orleans Pelicans, the Dallas Mavericks, the Minnesota Timberwolves and and the Golden State Warriors.
We move swiftly to the east where the Boston Celtics are looking like the best team in basketball right now. The Milwaukee Bucks have been up and down recently, however, they remain contenders as long as they have the Greek freak. They will always be in contention come playoff time.
We also talk about the Philadelphia 76 ERs and the Brooklyn Nets. We also touch on the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Miami Heat, and the New York Knicks. The best South African basketball podcast is here. Listen now.
Host Carl Lewis is joined by coach and analyst Grant de Smidt, they preview the weekend's action in the PSL.
There are other games to look forward to. On Friday, we have a double header as United take on Moroka Swallows while Cape Town City host TS Galaxy in the Mother city.
Then on Saturday, Royal AM Host Chippa United, and then there's a KZN Derby as Golden Arrows host Maritzburg United. Also Amazulu are on a high after the 4-0 win over Kaizer Chiefs, they host bottom of the table Marumo Gallants. And then on Sunday, Orlando Pirates take on the struggling Stellenboschosh.
And then second place face third place as SuperSport host Richards Bay. Listen to our podcast for the best betting tips, previews and tactical previews in South Africa. Listen now.
We are back with another edition of the Mastos Masterclass. In this podcast, we look at the best bets for the weekend across Europe's top five footballing leagues.
We cover the Bundesliga, Serie A, English Premier League, Ligue 1 and La Liga. Our favourite punter masters has betting slips for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The best podcast for those who like multiples, parlays and accumulators.
The Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs, widely regarded as the best weekend of NFL football each year, is upon us. The Cowboys, 49ers, Giants, Eagles, Bills, Bengals, Chiefs and Jaguars are the eight teams remaining. NFL Playoffs odds involving all of those teams are available to bet on now. Here we will dish out live lines for each Divisional Round game, give betting updates for each team, and also look at the schedule for this weekend’s contests.
The NFL Playoffs started on Saturday, Jan. 14 and will culminate with the Super Bowl on Sunday, Feb. 12.
Jacksonville Jaguars at Kansas City Chiefs The Chiefs unsurprisingly opened as a hefty -9 favorite against the Jaguars. The total for this game was 53 points on Tuesday, the highest of any Divisional Round game. Both the Chiefs and Jags are fully capable of putting up big-time points, as Jacksonville tallied 31 points against the Chargers this past weekend and racked up 40 points (in overtime) against the Cowboys last month.
Kansas City’s offensive exploits are well-documented and the Chiefs come into this game well-oiled. The Chiefs scored 31 points in Week 18 against the Raiders and have surpassed the 30-point mark in three of their last five games. It should be pointed out, however, that in the first meeting between the Chiefs and Jaguars this season, the two teams combined to score just 44 points in a 27-17 Kansas City win.
New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles Beating a competent NFL team three times in one five-month span is no easy task but the Philadelphia Eagles are favored to do so as they opened as a -7.5 favorite over the New York Giants. Jalen Hurts and the Eagles most recently beat Brian Daboll’s crew 22-16 in the final week of the regular season, although New York was resting many of its starters.
In the only other meeting this season, Philly thumped New York, 48-22, at the Meadowlands on Dec. 11. Miles Sanders led the way for the Birds in that contest, racking up 144 yards and 2 TDs on 17 carries.
Cincinnati Bengals at Buffalo Bills This one will be emotionally charged for obvious reasons and it will pit two of the AFC’s powers against one another. The Bills opened as a -4 favorite. By Tuesday afternoon, the line was nudged up to Bills -5 in most spots and the total sat at 49 points.
Neither Joe Burrow or Josh Allen were at their best last week in their respective Wild Card round wins. Burrow threw for just 209 yards in a narrow 24-17 win over the Ravens. Allen, meanwhile, had some issues solving the Dolphins defense as he tossed a pair of picks. In the end, however, the Bills star threw for 352 yards on 23-of-39 passing and found the end zone three times in 34-31 Buffalo victory.
Dallas Cowboys at San Francisco 49ers There were plenty of questions about how the Cowboys could handle the pressure of a road playoff game going into Monday night’s game at Tampa Bay, but Dallas performed swimmingly. Dak Prescott tossed 4 TDs and completed 25-of-33 passes for 305 yards in a 31-14 Cowboys win.
Prescott and company will now look to avenge last season’s postseason defeat at the hands of the 49ers. San Fran dealt Dallas a 23-17 loss in the Wild Card round last season. The 49ers raced out to a 13-0 lead in that one and held a 23-7 lead going into the fourth quarter. The Cowboys kept it close, however, benefitting from a fourth quarter Jimmy Garoppolo interception.
Garoppolo, of course, won’t be leading the Niners this time out as Brock Purdy has emerged as a steady signal-caller for Kyle Shanahan’s club.
The decision to do away with the double leg format in the Heineken Champions Cup round of 16 has significantly upped the ante for the teams as they head into the final round of the pool phase of the competition this weekend.
Up until this season, the teams that emerged from the round of 16 to play in the quarterfinals did it by winning a double legged tie, meaning home and away fixtures with the winner determined on aggregate score across the two games. With a home fixture guaranteed, the finishing order didn’t matter so much.
However, under the current format that changes markedly, with the top four teams on the final log in the respective pools hosting their one-off round of 16 fixtures, with the teams finishing from positions 5th to 8th in the pools having to travel.
And with the play-off games that follow the round of 16 all being hosted by the higher ranked team, with one caveat, this weekend’s games have huge significance. The caveat is that the South African teams will have to host their games overseas once they get to the semifinal, with the final set for Dublin regardless of who gets there.
An example of why this weekend is so important can be understood by looking at the possible South African scenario. If the DHL Stormers and the Vodacom Bulls, with the Stormers currently fourth in Pool B and the Bulls sixth in Pool A, win their final games this weekend, there is a good chance that we could see a replay in Cape Town of last year’s Vodacom United Rugby Championship final in the round of 16. Conversely, if the Stormers slip or drop points in their final pool fixture against Clermont-Auvergne on Saturday evening, they could find themselves traveling to Pretoria, or worse still to somewhere like Saracens or Exeter Chiefs, or even Dublin to play Leinster if it goes really bad for them.
Any of those latter fixtures would be far less palatable to Steven Kitshoff’s men than a home game against either the Bulls or, as the log stands currently, the Edinburgh team they beat fairly easily at DHL Stadium in last year’s URC quarterfinal and again in a league fixture earlier in the current season.
Neither of the Stormers or Bulls have officially booked their places in the last 16 and could theoretically still fall out of the picture completely if they lose badly at the weekend. However, with the Stormers playing at home, you’d fancy their chances of at least keeping the points differential advantage they have on other teams in order to make their passage to the next round safe, and the Bulls are also well placed on points differential in comparison to teams that can catch them on log points.
The Cell C Sharks have a lot more to play for on their trip to London to face Harlequins on Saturday than you’d imagine was the case seeing they are the one South African team that has already qualified for the round of 16. They are currently seeded second in Pool A, and if they hold onto that position, they will have a good chance of securing home advantage for both the round of 16 and the quarterfinal that will be played a week later. For them, a win this week at The Stoop will be a significant step towards possibly making the semi-finals. So this is effectively the weekend that could make or break challenges as it will determine home advantage not just for the first play-off phase, but also the rankings that will impact on who plays where beyond that.
In that sense there are some interesting match-ups this weekend of crucial importance, with only one point separating Leinster, the Sharks and Saracens in the quest for the advantage that comes with pole position in Pool A, and with three teams - Toulouse, LaRochelle and Leicester Tigers - locked together on 13 points in Pool B in the battle for top spot there.
The Stormers are theoretically still in with a chance of topping Pool B, which they would do if they scored a bonus point win over Clermont at the DHL Stadium and Toulouse, LaRochelle and the Tigers lost their last pool games. Those teams are currently three points ahead of the Stormers on the log.
\ As it stands now the Sharks will face an interesting round of 16 match against French champions Montpellier, who are down the log in Pool B after two successive losses to the Ospreys.
The approach to the pool phases of the Champions Cup is for some French teams impacted by the bunfight they are involved in trying to avoid relegation from the Top 14. Two teams get dropped at the end of every French league season, and currently none of the teams positioned from fourth through to 14th are safe. But that might change by the end of March, and if Montpellier feel safer in the Top 14 they might be a more formidable proposition in the round of 16. The same goes for most other potential French opponents. Weekend Heineken Champions Cup fixtures Lyon v Vodacom Bulls (Friday, 22.00) Leicester v Ospreys (Friday, 22.00) Northampton v La Rochelle (Saturday, 15.00) Harlequins v Cell C Sharks (Saturday, 15.00) Bordeaux-Begles v Gloucester (Saturday, 17.15) Leinster v Racing 92 (Saturday, 17.15) Exeter Chiefs v Castres (Saturday, 19.30) DHL Stormers v ASM Clermont-Auvergne (Saturday, 19.30) Ulster v Sale (Saturday, 22.00) Montpellier v London Irish (Saturday, 22.00) Toulouse v Munster (Sunday, 17.15) Edinburgh v Saracens (Sunday, 19.30) The current seeding order in the respective pools Pool A Leinster Cell C Sharks Saracens Exeter Chiefs Edinburgh Rugby Vodacom Bulls Harlequins Racing 92 Pool B Toulouse LaRochelle Leicester Tigers DHL Stormers Ospreys Munster Montpellier ASM Clermont-Auvergne As it stands the round of 16 clashes would be as follows: - Leinster v Clermont, Cell C Sharks v Monpellier, Saracens v Munster, Exeter Chiefs v Ospreys, Edinburgh v Stormers, Vodacom Bulls v Leicester Tigers, LaRochelle v Harlequins, Racing 92 v Toulouse.
Five of the top 10 players in the world will be at The American Express, led by PGA TOUR Player of the Year Scottie Scheffler. A pair of Southern California natives, Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele, also are in that group. Schauffele is set to tee it up after withdrawing from the Sentry Tournament of Champions due to injury… Other notables heading to La Quinta include a pair of three-time winners in 2022, Tony Finau and Sam Burns; PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year Cameron Young and Sahith Theegala, who qualified for last year’s TOUR Championship in his rookie season. Theegala grew up in nearby Chino Hills before starring at Pepperdine… A hearty contingent of International Presidents Cup team members will also be teeing it up led by Tom Kim. There will be seven from that squad at The American Express… Rahm, coming off his win at the Sentry Tournament of Champions, is one of a handful of past champions returning to the Coachella Valley. Others include Bill Haas, Andrew Landry, and Adam Long. Rahm has won three of his last four starts between the PGA TOUR and DP World Tour… Sponsor exemptions include John Pak, the No. 1 player in 2021’s inaugural class of PGA TOUR University presented by Velocity Global graduates; Taiga Semikawa, who won back-to-back starts on the Japan Tour during an amateur career that saw him reach No. 1 in the world (he has since turned pro and made the cut at the Sony Open in Hawaii) and Tennessee freshman Caleb Surratt, the ninth-ranked amateur in the world who made the cut earlier this season at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship.
Host Carl Lewis and the team at Laduma Analytics dive into the stats and data around the DSTV Premiership. In this episode they focus on:
- Sundowns xG overperformance
- Unlucky Kaizer Chiefs and Cape Town City - they should have scored more
- Orlando Pirates struggles - lack of goals and limp seocnd-half performance
- Who are the most creative player in the league?
- Whihc players deserve your attention
The best stats based PSL and South African football podcast around.
It's Round 3 of the Champions Cup and as usual Carl Lewis and rugby punter Neal Hoogwerf preview every single match over the weekend and have a handicap bet for each.
Clermont-Auvergne v Leicester Tigers (Friday, 22.00) Gloucester v Leinster (Saturday, 15.00) Sale Sharks v Toulouse (Saturday, 15.00) Cell C Sharks v Bordeaux-Begles (Saturday, 17.15) Munster v Northampton Saints (Saturday, 17.15) LaRochelle v Ulster (Saturday, 19.30) Vodacom Bulls v Exeter Chiefs (Saturday, 19.30) Ospreys v Montpellier (Saturday, 22.00) Saracens v Lyon (Saturday, 22.00) Castres v Edinburgh (Sunday, 15.00) London Irish v DHL Stormers (Sunday, 15.00) Racing 92 v Harlequins (Sunday, 17.15) There will be desperation for some and concern about seedings for others so everyone has much to play for as the Heineken Champions Cup pool phase goes into the third round this weekend.
Whereas some teams are on the cusp of qualifying for the round of 16, and an elite few may even feel quite secure that they have pretty much already done so, there are still seedings on the line. The way the competition works, the top eight teams in each pool advance, with the first-placed team in Pool A facing the last-placed team in Pool B, and vice-versa.
The way it stands at the moment, Pool A leaders Leinster would advance to a round of 16 tie against Clermont-Auvergne, with LaRochelle playing against Gloucester. However, the Pool phase is only half completed and much can happen in these remaining two weeks.
The SA20 has got off to a fantastic start and now on Friday the 13th, we have the competition's first doubleheader in the Western Cape, host Carl Lewis and cricket punter Lwanele Poswayo preview both matches.
The Paarl Royals and Joburg Super Kings will lock horns in Match No. 4 of the SA20 2023 on Friday, January 13. The match will take place at Boland Park in Paarl.
And then for the second match, we are an hour away in Cape Town for Match 5 between tournament favourites MI Cape Town and the Durban Super Giants at the picturesque Newlands.
After another 18-week NFL regular season, the road to Super Bowl LVII (57) officially gets started with "Super Wild Card Weekend." Fourteen teams have earned a shot at winning the Lombardi Trophy but that number will be trimmed to eight by Monday night. Kansas City and Philadephia will sit out this weekend's action after earning the top seeds in the AFC and NFC, respectively.
This year's Wild Card Round features plenty of familiarities as all six games are rematches from the regular season. It's the fifth time since the 1970 merger this has happened, according to Elias Sports. In fact, three of the pairings are divisional, meaning it will be the third time these teams have faced off against each other.
The action gets started on Saturday with Seattle taking on San Francisco. The 49ers have won the first two meetings with their NFC West rivals and they enter this one as the hottest team in the league with 10 straight victories. On Saturday night, the Los Angeles Chargers make the cross-country trip to face Jacksonville, the AFC South champion making its first playoff appearance since the 2017 season (lost in the AFC Championship Game).
Sunday's tripleheader starts with an AFC East rubber match between Miami and Buffalo. The Dolphins won back in Week 3 on their turf with the Bills returning the favor in mid-December. Both games were close (decided by a total of five points), but Miami has been struggling recently (had lost five in a row before beating the New York Jets on Sunday and still needed Buffalo to defeat New England to get in the playoffs) and is dealing with uncertainty at quarterback. Then in the NFC, the New York Giants will play Minnesota in Minneapolis for the second time in less than a month. In Week 16, the Vikings won 27-24 thanks to a 61-yard field goal by Greg Joseph at time expired. The Giants are in the playoffs for the first time since the 2016 season (lost in the Wild Card Round) while Minnesota is out to prove its 13-4 record is more representative of this team compared to its negative (-3) point differential.
Then on a special postseason edition of "Sunday Night Football," Baltimore and Cincinnati will face off for the second straight weekend (and third time overall). The AFC North rivals split the season series, each winning on its home field, but the Bengals' 27-16 victory at home last Sunday prevented a coin flip from deciding the location of this game, as it was one of the scenarios outlined in the resolution approved by league owners last Friday as a result of the special circumstances that were created following the Week 17 Buffalo-Cincinnati game being ruled no-contest. (There could still be a neutral-site AFC Championship Game depending on which teams advance.) Now, the two-time division and reigning AFC champion Bengals will look for back-to-back wins over a Ravens team that may not have Lamar Jackson at quarterback.
Super Wild Card Weekend concludes with Dallas and Tampa Bay renewing acquaintances on "Monday Night Football." These two teams opened up the season against each other, a 19-3 Buccaneers victory in AT&T Stadium, but much has changed since then. On paper, this appears to be a mismatch with the Cowboys four games better in the win column, but Tampa Bay will host as the NFC South champion and Dallas is coming off of an ugly 26-6 loss at Washington that got everyone's attention, for the wrong reasons. Now Dak Prescott and the Cowboys have to get their act together and head to Tampa to take on a Bucs team that knows what it takes to win in the postseason. That's something Dallas hasn't experienced in four years.
It's Matchweek 20 of the English Premier League and host Carl Lewis is joined by coach and analyst Grant de Smidt to preview an action-packed weekend.
The weekend is headlined by two huge derbies, the Manchester Derby and the North London Derby. In Manchester, United host City at a great time considering Erik Ten Hag's men are on a great run of form. Pep Guaurdiola's City are chasing Arsenal for the Premier League title so the derby has huge implications outside of pride. The same in North London, Arsenal slipped up against Newcastle and will want all three points against their neighbours, Tottenham Hotspur.
Other good matches see, Brighton host Liverpool, Brentford take on Bournemouth while on Sunday we see under pressure Graham Potte and his Chelsea side London rivals Crystal Palace as well as Newcastle v Fulham.
We have predictions and a tactical preview for every match in the Premier League.
The DSTV Premiership is in full swing and we have a full round of fixtures this weekend with all the BIG clubs in action. As usual, host Carl Lewis and coach and analyst Grant de Smidt go through the biggest games including Monday's Tshwane Derby between Mamelodi Sundowns and Supersport United.
But before that, we have a cracker of a match in KZN as Amazulu host Kaizer Chiefs. On Saturday we'll see the struggling Orlando Pirates face Lamontville Golden Arrows. There's also a coastal derby as Chippa United host Cape Town City.
We preview selected matches from the weekend, happy punting.
Sunrisers Eastern Cape and Pretoria Capitals are set to lock horns in Match No. 3 of the SA20 2023 on Thursday, January 12. The match will take place at St George's Park in Gqeberha.
The Sunrisers will be captained by Aiden Markram, who has not only been a reliable batter for South Africa but also in franchise leagues around the world. There’s no lack of firepower in their lineup as they have the likes of Tom Abell and Tristan Stubbs in the middle order.
Sarel Erwee and JJ Smuts should open the batting. Brydon Carse and Sisanda Magala have made impressive starts to their international careers and a lot will depend on them. Roelof van der Merwe and Marco Jansen are potent all-rounders and need to step up.
The Capitals, on the other hand, have one of the best lineups in the tournament, if not the best. Will Jacks and Phil Salt are explosive batters and should open the batting. Cameron Delport and Rilee Rossouw are both reliable and explosive, giving solidity to the middle order.
Anrich Nortje is among the fastest bowlers going around and a lot will depend on him. The Capitals also have potent pacers in Daryn Dupavillon, Wayne Parnell and Migael Pretorius. James Neesham and Senuran Muthusamy are more than handy all-rounders and can be mightily effective.
Host Carl Lewis and cricket punter Lwanele Poswayo preview the Durban Super Giants v Joburg Super Kings - the two sides will lock horns in the second game of the SA20 2023 on Wednesday (January 11) in Kingsmead, Durban.
The Giants will be captained by Quinton de Kock, who's one of the most powerful strikers of the ball. Johnson Charles is a globetrotter in T20s and is likely to open with De Kock. Heinrich Klaasen and Christiaan Jonker will bring in a lot of power in the middle order.
Jason Holder and Dwaine Pretorius are handy all-rounders, and a lot will depend on them. Keshav Maharaj and Akila Dananjaya should take care of the spin-bowling department. Hardus Viljeon, Reece Topley and Junior Dala are the specialist pacers in the team.
The Kings, meanwhile, will be captained by Faf du Plessis, who's fresh from playing for Perth Scorchers in the Big Bash League. Janneman Malan and Kyle Verreynne have put in strong performances for South Africa, so the Kings will look up to them to repeat those exploits in franchise cricket.
Alzarri Joseph will be high on confidence after becoming the leading wicket-taker in international cricket last year. Romario Shepherd is a big man and is more than effective as an all-rounder. Lewis Gregory will need to bring to the fore the truckload of experience he has.
Host Carl Lewis chats with experienced cricket punter Ed Hawkins, the pair discuss every team in the SA20 and some betting principles ahead of the tournament.
The inaugural season of the SA20 gets underway in a couple days time, starting on the 10th January with MI Cape Town facing Paarl Royals in the season opener. 22 games will be played in the next two weeks, before we have the unusual situation of a mid season break for nine days so South Africa can play an important ODI series against England. After that, the remaining eight matches will be played, with semi-finals taking place on the 8th & 9th February and the final on the 11th.
It looks to be a straight semi-final format, with 1st vs 4th & 2nd vs 3rd, which I wouldn’t be a fan of, the page play-off format is much better and actually rewards the teams that play well during the group stages.
Lwanele Poswayo and UFC expert Asher Arenz are back to discuss several UFC topics. They look at Jon Jones’ potential return to the Octagon, Khamzat Chimaev’s weight class, his next opponent, UFC judging and more.
Lwanele Poswayo is joined by UFC expert Asher Arenz as the pair predict every UFC champion in 2023 from the Women’s Strawweight Division to the Men’s Heavyweight Division. They also look at some of the dark horses to look out for this year.
Host Carl Lewis and Grant de Smidt preview Premier League Matchweek 17 .
With the EPL returning this weekend after the World Cup break we have picked the best three bets from the action on matchweek 17
After an exciting World Cup that showcased 133 players from the Premier League, club football is back with Matchweek 17.
Arsenal commands the top of the table with 37 points and a goal differential of 22, while Manchester City, Newcastle, and Tottenham sit within three points of each other right behind them.
Host Carl Lewis and rugby punter preview and predict round 2 of the Heineken Champions Cup.
The best rugby betting podcast.
In our final World Cup podcast, host Carl Lewis is joined by coach Grant de Smidt and punter David Kappel to preview the FIFA World Cup Final between Argentina and France and also the Bronze Medal match between Croatia and Morocco.
Tactical analysis and best bets ion this podcast.
Host Carl Lewis and cricket punter Lwanele Poswayo preview have your best bets and preview for the first Test between Australia and South Africa at the Gabba.
Australia have not won a home Test series against South Africa in 16 years but they are shaping up well ahead of this winter's highly-anticipated three-match series against the Proteas, which starts at the Gabba in Brisbane on Saturday.
South Africa have prevailed on each of their last three visits down under - in 2008-09, 2012-13 and 2016-17 - but the Aussies sit comfortably atop the current World Test Championship standings and are fresh from a confidence-boosting series win over the West Indies.
Australia beat the Windies by 164 runs and 419 runs in two matches at the start of December and they are 2-9 to record another series triumph against South Africa.
A key battle of the contest will be between the two high-class bowling units, which both contain top-quality pacemen.
Australia have faced a couple of selection headaches in that department with Josh Hazlewood set to miss the first Test, while captain Pat Cummins was absent for the second match against the Windies but is expected to return.
One bowler definitely in line to feature, though, is Scott Boland, who was the unlikely hero of Australia's Ashes triumph last year and took three wickets in one over against the Windies last week.
Boland has played only four Tests but has taken 21 wickets and could be Australia's most potent bowler at the Gabba.
The World Cup semi-finals are upon us; Argentina vs Croatia and France vs Morocco; host Carl Lewis is joined by coach Grant de Smidt and punter David Kappel to preview the FIFA World Cup semi-finals between Argentina v Croatia and Morocco v France.
Host Carl Lewis talks to football writer Zach Lowy about the players who impressed us most in Qatar at the FIFA World Cup.
The team is back for the daily FIFA World Cup betting podcast and this time we look at the Quarterfinals; included in today's podcast is a preview, predictions and best bets Host Carl Lewis is joined by coach and analyst Grant de Smidt and punter David Kappel.
Croatia v Brazil
Netherlands v Argentina
Morocco v Portugal
France v England
Carl Lewis and rugby punter Neal Hoogwerf preview and prediction every match of the new and imprioved Heineken Champions Cup this weekend.
The 2022/23 Heineken Champions Cup is now just around the corner, with this season’s groundbreaking competition preparing to kick off on Friday night.
The addition of three South African clubs to the already elite mix of sides is set to make for an enthralling tournament, as 24 teams go head-to-head for the prestigious trophy.
London Irish welcome Montpellier Hérault Rugby on Friday in the opening game of this season’s Heineken Champions Cup, with kick-off in that Pool B encounter at 20:00 (UK & Irish time).
Wing Ollie Hassell-Collins has been in scintillating form for Irish in the Gallagher Premiership and will be looking for a try on his Heineken Champions Cup debut, while fellow Englishman Zach Mercer is poised to be a key figure at No.8 for Montpellier ahead of his move to Gloucester Rugby next summer.
On Saturday, the action gets underway at 13:00 as last season’s finalists, Leinster Rugby, travel to Racing 92 in Pool A, with that game providing a fascinating match-up at fly-half where Ireland’s Johnny Sexton, gunning for his fifth EPCR star with the Irish province, and Scotland’s Finn Russell go head-to-head.
At the same time, Cell C Sharks make their Heineken Champions Cup bow at home to Harlequins in Pool B. Quins centre André Esterhuizen returns to his former club, while Cell C Sharks fly-half Boeta Chamberlain will be one to keep an eye on given his kicking form in the United Rugby Championship (URC).
DHL Stormers are the next South African side to debut, with their Pool B clash with ASM Clermont Auvergne at Stade Marcel-Michelin starting at 15:15. Clermont wing Damian Penaud, who starred in last season’s competition, will face a stern test in the form of DHL Stormers counterpart Leolin Zas.
Louis Rees-Zammit is another lightning wing likely to be involved as Gloucester Rugby mark their return to the Heineken Champions Cup at the same time. They host Union Bordeaux-Bègles in Pool A.
Reigning champions Stade Rochelais entertain Northampton Saints in Pool B at 17:30. Lock Will Skelton, a monumental figure in La Rochelle’s victory in the 2022 final, is set for a heavyweight clash with recent England debutant David Ribbans.
Also at 17:30, the Heineken Champions Cup heads to Pretoria for the first time as Vodacom Bulls host last season’s EPCR Challenge Cup winners, Lyon, in Pool A. Wing Kurt-Lee Arendse is one of a host of big South African names set for their Heineken Champions Cup debuts.
Saturday’s matches finish at 20:00, when 2020 winners Exeter Chiefs visit Castres Olympique in Pool A. No.8 Sam Simmonds, EPCR Player of the Year in 2020, is primed for another big campaign, while Castres wing Filipo Nakosi often catches the eye with his superb footwork.
On Sunday, Sale Sharks face Ulster Rugby at AJ Bell Stadium, with that Pool B contest kicking off at 13:00. Two elite back-row forwards are set to do battle there in Sale’s Tom Curry and Ulster’s Nick Timoney.
There is a repeat of last season’s thrilling quarter-final at 15:15 in Pool B, when Munster Rugby host Stade Toulousain, with the Irish province look to exact revenge for that incredible place-kick competition defeat. Munster fly-half Joey Carbery comes into the game off the back of a superb display in the URC, but he is facing one of the best in the world in Toulouse playmaker Romain Ntamack.
Three-time champions Saracens are also in action at 15:15, with Edinburgh Rugby heading to StoneX Stadium on their return to the competition.
Saracens’ England prop, Mako Vunipola, clashing with Edinburgh’s Scotland international, WP Nel, in the front row could make for tasty viewing.
Ospreys are at home to Leicester Tigers at 17:30 as what promises to be an exhilarating opening round concludes. Two British & Irish Lions scrum-halves could be on show in Swansea, in Ospreys’ Rhys Webb and Leicester’s Ben Youngs.
THE Alfred Dunhill Championship returns to Leopard Creek for the first time in two years with Christiaan Bezuidenhout back to defend his title on home soil.
The South African secured what was his second European Tour title with an impressive four-stroke victory thanks to a 69 on a thrilling final day, ending the tournament on 14 under par.
Bezuidenhout, who started the final round three shots adrift, said: "It's incredible. This tournament has been close to my heart since I played it for the first time.
"It's always been a tournament I wanted to win and to pull it off today is really, really special to me. I'm proud of myself to stick in there and to have pulled it off round here.”
The tournament marks the end of the DP World Tour’s South Africa Swing and once again boasts a strong field, dominated by home players, including Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel, Dean Burmester, Daniel van Tonder, Thriston Lawrence, Branden Grace, George Coetzee, Darren Fichardt, Erik van Rooyen and Oliver Bekker.
They will be joined by Dan Bradbury, the young Englishman who defied the odds by winning the Joburg Open in only his third DP World Tour start. He is the feel-good story of 2022. The man from Wakefield turned professional during the summer and was only playing in Johannesburg on a sponsors’ invitation but led the tournament from start to finish.
It means he now has a three-year exemption, a place in The Open in 2023 and can plan his schedule. It will be fascinating to watch his progress in the weeks and months ahead.
A number of other Europeans are also taking part, hoping to finish off the year with a victory. These include Spain’s Adrian Otaegui, England's Eddie Pepperell, and Frenchman Antoine Rozner.
Host Carl Lewis is joined by coach David Wessels and journalist Simnikiwe Xabanisa to talk about South African rugby and more specifically the Springboks.
The trio take a closer look at South Africa’s four best performers throughout the recently concluded 2022 Springboks Test season.
They cover these topics:
- Your summary of the Springbok season
- Grading Jacques Nienaber's 2022
- Your Highlight/s of the Springboks season
- Your biggest disappointment/s of the season
- Player of the season
- Springboks game of the season
- What do you want out of 2023
- Bok's prediction for the 2023 World Cup
The team is back for part 2 of the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 betting preview and predictions.
Host Carl Lewis is joined by coach and analyst Grant de Smidt and punter David Kappel.
The trio preview:
Japan v Croatia
Brazil v South Korea
Morocco v Spain
Portugal v Switzerland
In another edition of our daily World Cup betting podcast, host Carl Lewis is joined by coach and analyst Grant de Smidt and punter David Kappel.
They preview the weekend's Round of 16 matches - our first batch of knockout matches in Qatar:
The Netherlands v USA
Argentina v Australia
England v Senegal
France v Poland
Host Carl Lewis and rugby punter Neal Hoogwerf preview the United Rugby Championship and the Gallagher Premiership.
United Rugby Championship:
Sharks v Ospreys
Edinburgh v Munster
Stormers v Dragons
Connacht v Bennetton
Zebre v Glasgow
Bulls v Cardiff
Leinster v Ulster
Lions v Scarlets
Gallagher Premiership:
Bath v Harlequins
London Irish v Newcastle Falcons
Gloucester v Northampton Saints
Bristol Bears v Leicester Tigers
In another edition of our daily World Cup betting podcast, host Carl Lewis is joined by coach and analyst Grant de Smidt and punter David Kappel.
They preview final group stage matches in Group G and H.
In another edition of our daily World Cup betting podcast, host Carl Lewis is joined by coach and analyst Grant de Smidt and punter David Kappel.
We look at the final matches of Groups E and F.
Croatia v Belgium
Morocco v Canada
Spain v Japan
Costa Rica v Germany
Host Carl Lewis is back with coach and analyst Grant de Smidt and punter David Kappel for their daily World Cup betting podcast.
The trio are focused on Group C and D which include:
Denmark v Australia
France v Tunisia
Argentina v Poland
Saudi Arabia v Mexico
Host Carl Lewis and golf punter Wade Pretorius preview the Hero World Challenge & SA Open Championship with Wade providing his best bets for both tournaments this weekend.
SA Open
Dating all the way back to 1893, the South African Open is the second oldest National Open in the world, with only the Open Championship, which was first staged back to 1860, dating back further.
The South African Open has been co-sanctioned between the Sunshine and DP World Tour since 1997.
Last year's edition was also scheduled to be a co-sanctioned event but due to COVID-19 travel restrictions in place in the UK from South Africa the majority of DP World Tour players withdrew and the event was revised as a sole-sanctioned Sunshine Tour event.
Dean Burmester's very decent recent form figures in his homeland, reading 4-2-1-43-4-2-18-2, include his two fourths in the last two editions of this event and he's been in reasonable form this year with an 11th placed finish in the Open Championship and a fourth in the Sanderson Farms Championship on the PGA Tour the highlights.
His prestigious length off the tee should be an asset this week but his very recent form is a bit disappointing, reading 37-32-MC-54, and I'm happy to swerve him.
Branden Grace, who won the first of the two editions staged in 2020, has been plying his trade on the LIV Tour of late and to some success too.
Grace won the LIV Golf Invitational Portland in July and after a quiet spell he finished inside the top-ten at the Nedbank Challenge last time out in what was his first appearance in his homeland since he won this title almost three years ago.
Charl Schwartzel also plays on the LIV Tour now he too has tasted success, winning the first event staged there - the LIV Golf Invitational London in June.
Schwartzel is still looking to win his national title for the first time but he hasn't played in the last couple of editions of the event either so taking the title can hardly be described as a burning desire.
World Hero Challenge
The PGA TOUR pops back into the frame to squeeze in one more event before the new year.
This week's field is capped at just 20 golfers who are guaranteed four rounds of action and at least a couple OWGR points for their effort. Last year's winner, Viktor Hovland, scooped up 48 OWGR points last year while last-place finisher, Jordan Spieth, grabbed 2.4 points for his showing.
The Course
The host venue this week is Albany, an Ernie Els design that was established in 2010.
Albany is unique as a desert-links style setup that almost looks like a video game creation.
The scorecard shows a par 72 that stretches out past 7,400 yards.
The course is unique in the hole-by-hole layout as there are five par 3s and five par 5s. It's a good balance as the abundance of par 3s puts an emphasis on smart and steady iron play while the par 5s often reward the elite drivers. On top of that, a pair of driveable par 4s also put a premium on controlling your metals/woods.
Off the tee, golfers will see generous landing areas but plenty of sand and other trouble (bushes) waiting to gobble up errant tee balls. Water is in play on five holes.
For turf, this coastal course features wall-to-wall bermudagrass that can be very tricky at times, particularly around the greens.
Looking at the scoring environment, the weather dictates how low they can go at Albany. Bubba Watson won the 2015 edition at 25-under but the other five Albany champs have finished at 18-under or 20-under. That's probably tougher than you might expect for a resort course with five par 5s but that goes to show how the plethora of par 3s and a few tough par 4s help offer a good scoring balance.
Host Carl Lewis is joined by motorsport journalist Sean Parker and Pierre Arries to review the 2022 Formula 1 season which was the Red Bull of Max Verstappen dominating the season. The trio provide their highlights and lowlights of the season.
In many ways, F1 delivered just what it needed to in 2022, but not much more. The new generation of cars were significantly better when it came to on-track racing, and any track layout changes appeared to be to the benefit of the racing. In saying that, there were a handful of races that provided below-par entertainment.
The season also benefited, at least in the first half, from a return to form for Ferrari. The old adage of "F1 being strong when Ferrari's strong" remains true. Let's hope for a genuine three-horse race, with Mercedes back in the mix, in 2023
The sport's governing body still left plenty to be desired, with more bizarre stewarding decisions, off track controversies with Red Bull's breached cost cap, and reports of terrible fan experiences at some Grand Prix.
In another edition of our daily World Cup betting podcast, host Carl Lewis is joined by coach and analyst Grant de Smidt and punter David Kappel.
They preview final group stage matches in Group A and B which include:
The Netherlands v Qatar
Ecuador v Senegal
England v Wales
Wales v USA
Host Carl Lewis is joined by coach and analyst Grant de Smidt and punter David Kappel for their daily FIFA World Cup Betting podcast.
In this episode they preview:
South Korea v Ghana
Switzerland v Brazil
Portugal v Uruguay
Cameroon v Serbia
After a 7-0 thrashing of Costa Rica on Wednesday marked Spain’s biggest-ever World Cup victory and the first time they’ve won their opening game in the competition since 2006, Luis Enrique’s side now face Germany in Group E’s blockbuster tie. The Spanish coach's endeavours haven’t gone unnoticed either, with Manchester United reportedly the latest vying for his signature. He’ll be staying put for now though, and Spain’s rampant victory in their Group E opener will have fans believing that they can avenge their disappointing Round of 16 exit in 2018. Particularly as they’ve appeared to quashed murmurs that a lack of goals would be their undoing in Qatar, having already scored only one less (seven) in this tournament than they did during their triumphant 2010 World Cup winning campaign (eight)! Spain’s free-scoring nature appears ominous for a Germany side who were stunned 2-1 by Japan in their opener, especially as Spain trounced them 6-0 the last time they met - their heaviest defeat since 1931! That result appeared to expedite long-serving German coach Joachim Löw’s exit last year, but current boss Hansi Flick, who was previously Löw’s assistant, now needs to steady the ship and avoid a repeat of Germany’s shock group-stage exit in 2018. Failure to win here could even see ‘Die Mannschaft’ out before game three, if Japan beat Costa Rica earlier in the day.
In another edition of our daily World Cup betting podcast, host Carl Lewis is joined by coach and analyst Grant de Smidt and punter David Kappel preview Group C and D action:
Tunisia v Australia
Poland v Saudi Arabia
Denmark v France
Argentina v Mexico
Host Carl lewis is joined by coach and analyst Grant de Smidt and punter David Kappel to preview the FIFA World Cup 2022 action in Group A and B on Friday 25 November 2022.
It's the second round of matches so we have more context and information about all the teams in action. The fixture schedule looks like:
Wales v Iran
Qatar v Senegal
Netherlands v Ecuador
England v USA
We have tactical analysis, preview, betting tips and predictions
Host Carl Lewis and rugby punter Neal Hoogwerf preview; England v South Africa, Wales v Australia, the United Rugby Championsip and the Gallagher Premiership.
The Springboks will be hell-bent on ending the year on a high when they take on England at Twickenham on Saturday.
It’s set to be a humdinger at the home of English rugby to wrap up the 2022 international season but first up is a clash in Cardiff, where Wales and Australia will look to sign off with a win.
The South African franchises welcome Welsh regions to the republic as the United Rugby Championship resumes this weekend.
The cross-hemisphere league is back after the international break and it’s fitting that teams from South Africa and Wales face off as these as the two nations involved in the URC who have final Test assignments on Saturday.
The South African quartet have a perfect record against Welsh opposition on home soil and they’ll be out to keep it that way starting with the Stormers, who square off with the Scarlets in Cape Town on Friday.
The Bulls battle the Ospreys in Pretoria on Saturday while Sunday sees the Lions face the Dragons in Johannesburg and the Sharks clash with Cardiff in Durban.
And then we finish with four matches in the Gallagher Premiership.
Host Carl lewis is joined by coach and analyst Grant de Smidt and punter David Kappel to preview the FIFA World Cup 2022 action in Group G and H on Thursday 24 November 2022. We have a practical analysis, preview, betting tips and predictions for: Switzerland v Cameroon, Portugal v Ghana, Brazil v Serbia & Uruguay v South Korea
Host Carl lewis is joined by coach and analyst Grant de Smidt and punter David Kappel to preview the FIFA World Cup 2022 action in Group E and F on Wednesday 23 November 2022.
First up, Morocco v Croatia and then the two Group E matches, Germany v Japan and Spain v Costa Rica. We end the podcast with Belgium facing Canada.
Group E is an intriguing group with two of Europe's powerhouses in Spain and Germany.
Host Carl Lewis is joined by coach and analyst Grant de Smidt and punter David Kappel.
They preview Group C and D match including Argentina v Saudi Arabia, Denmark v Tunisia, France v Australia & Mexico Poland.
We have a tactical preview and betting tips and predictions
In another edition of our daily World Cup betting podcast, host Carl Lewis is joined by coach and analyst Grant de Smidt and punter David Kappel to preview England v Iran, The Netherlands v Senegal and Wales v USA.
The podcast includes a tactical preview, betting tips and predictions.
The Three Lions arrive here as one of the competition favourites then, with Gareth Southgate’s men breezing through the qualification phase to book their place at the finals. England avoided defeat in all ten matches (W8, D2) whilst scoring a scintillating 39 goals and conceding just three; that was the best group-stage goal difference for any European qualifier (+36).
Players to watch: England’s Kane scored two of their most recent four goals and is chasing history here as he hopes to become the first player to be a top/joint-top scorer in two separate World Cups. No Iran player was involved in more goals during third-round Asian World Cup qualifying than Mehdi Taremi (G4, A2), who also secured two goals and one assist across his last three club appearances. Senegal should enter this tournament in high spirits after lifting the Africa Cup of Nations trophy for the first time earlier this year, albeit they did have to qualify for this World Cup via the play-offs, both of which came at the expense of Egypt! Whilst Senegal have been tipped as a side that’s capable of a solid run in this tournament, they will face a selection headache as star-man Sadio Mané is set to miss the whole tournament due to an “injury in the right fibula” according to manager Aliou Cissé. Having missed out on the 2018 edition altogether, Louis van Gaal’s Netherlands are making their long-awaited return to football’s biggest stage looking to go one better than their third and second-placed finishes in their last two participations. Still unbeaten in 2022 (W6, D2), the Oranje will be hoping for a strong start in this tournament to justify their favourites tag for topping Group A. After missing out in 2018, the USA return to the FIFA World Cup stage in Qatar. Automatic qualification for the finals was secured by the skin of their teeth, finishing above Costa Rica on goal difference alone to seal their place. But now they have made it through, the Stars and Stripes could be filled with confidence considering their previous good record at the World Cup, progressing out of their group in four of their last seven tournaments. Gregg Berhalter’s men chose not to have a warm up friendly, so they come into this tournament in indifferent form after failing to win any of their last three internationals (D2, L1), scoring just once in the process. Perhaps facing Wales will increase morale though considering the USA have never lost a H2H against their opponents (W1, D1), but they also have a miserable recent record at the World Cup against European opposition, failing to win any of their last nine meetings (D4, L5).
In the first of our daily FIFA World Cup 2022 betting tips, host Carl Lewis is joined by coach and analyst Grant de Smidt and punter David Kappel. The podcast includes a tactical preview, predictions and betting tips. Qatar is the smallest country to ever host the FIFA World Cup but easily the most controversial; accusations of bribery and corruption surfaced soon after FIFA awarded them hosting rights in 2010, and since then they’ve faced intense pressure over several issues including their treatment of migrant workers and environmental concerns. With the country’s human rights record and anti-homosexuality stance making headlines, ex-FIFA President Sepp Blatter admitted earlier this month that awarding them the tournament was “a mistake”. Whatever the rights or wrongs, for the first time nations must play a World Cup in November and December, making this unfamiliar territory for everyone and uncomfortable for many. Under their coach of five years Félix Sánchez, the Qataris have opted for continuity and prepared for their World Cup debut by playing numerous friendlies this year, with their current six-match unbeaten run (W5, D1 – includes unofficial friendlies) starting with a creditable 2-2 draw against Chile. They’ve proved themselves in tournament football too by finishing third in last year’s Arab Cup as hosts while they won the last edition of the Asian Cup in 2019. That experience, as well as Copa Ámerica and Gold Cup appearances, should help them against an Ecuador side making their fourth appearance at a World Cup finals and who finished fourth in the CONMEBOL World Cup qualification standings (W7, D5, L6). They’ve been steady in their subsequent games too (W2, D4) but with all four of those draws ending goalless, Argentine coach Gustavo Alfaro will need to find the key to unlocking their attacking potential if they’re to become the first side to beat the host nation in a World Cup opener. Another dull stalemate would be unusual as not since 1978 has the World Cup begun with a goalless draw and the era of hosts playing the first game (2006 onwards) has usually provided plenty of entertainment. Qatar will now seek to emulate Germany (W 4-2 v Costa Rica in 2006), Brazil (W 3-1 v Croatia in 2014) and Russia (W 5-0 v Saudi Arabia in 2018), who all pleased their fans while getting the tournament off to a flier.
Carl Lewis and football writer Zach Lowy discuss players to watch in Group H of the World Cup in Qatar.
Ghana
World ranking: 61
Coach: Otto Addo
Confirmed 26-man squad:
Lawrence Ati-Zigi (St Gallen), Danlad Ibrahim (Asante Kotoko), Manaf Nurudeen (Eupen), Joseph Aidoo (Celta Vigo), Daniel Amartey (Leicester City), Abdul-Rahman Baba (Reading), Alexander Djiku (Racing Strasbourg), Tariq Lamptey (Brighton & Hove Albion), Gideon Mensah (Auxerre), Denis Odoi (Club Bruges), Mohammed Salisu (Southampton), Alidu Seidu (Clermont), Mohammed Kudus (Ajax), Daniel-Kofi Kyereh (Freiburg), Elisha Owusu (Gent), Thomas Partey (Arsenal), Salis Abdul Samed (Lens), Daniel Afriyie (Hearts of Oak), Andre Ayew (Al Sadd), Jordan Ayew (Crystal Palace), Osman Bukari (Red Star Belgrade), Issahaku Abdul Fatawu (Sporting Lisbon), Antoine Semenyo (Bristol City), Kamal Sowah (Club Bruges), Kamaldeen Sulemana (Rennes), Inaki Williams (Athletic Bilbao)
Ghana will be without first-choice goalkeeper Jojo Wollacott at the World Cup after he suffered a finger injury before his final club game ahead of the tournament. Thomas Partey is one of five Premier League players.
Portugal
World ranking: 9
Coach: Fernando Santos
Confirmed 26-man squad:Diogo Costa (Porto), Rui Patricio (AS Roma), Jose Sa (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Joao Cancelo (Manchester City), Diogo Dalot (Manchester United), Ruben Dias (Manchester City), Raphael Guerreiro (Borussia Dortmund), Nuno Mendes (Paris St-Germain), Pepe (Porto), Danilo Pereira (Paris St-Germain), Antonio Silva (Benfica), William Carvalho (Real Betis), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), Joao Mario (Benfica), Ruben Neves (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Matheus Nunes (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Otavio (Porto), Joao Palhinha (Fulham), Bernardo Silva (Manchester City), Vitinha (Paris St-Germain), Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid), Ricardo Horta (SC Braga), Rafael Leao (AC Milan), Goncalo Ramos (Benfica), Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United), Andre Silva (RB Leipzig)
Cristiano Ronaldo is one of ten Premier League players included in Portugal’s 26-man squad. Naturally, Wolves feature heavily for a nation who are without Liverpool’s Diogo Dalot through injury.
South Korea
World ranking: 28
Coach: Paulo Bento
Confirmed 26-man squad:
Kim Seung-gyu (Al Shabab), Jo Hyeon-woo (Ulsan Hyundai), Song Bum-keun (Jeonbuk Motors), Kim Min-jae (Napoli), Kim Jin-su (Jeonbuk Motors), Hong Chul (Daegu FC), Kim Moon-hwan (Jeonbuk Motors), Yoon Jong-gyu (FC Seoul), Kim Young-gwon (Ulsan Hyundai), Kim Tae-hwan (Ulsan Hyundai), Kwon Kyung-won (Gamba Osaka), Cho Yu-min (Daejon Citizen), Jung Woo-young (Al Sadd), Na Sang-ho (FC Seoul), Paik Seung-ho (Jeonbuk Motors), Son Jun-ho (Shandong Taishan), Song Min-kyu (Jeonbuk Motors), Kwon Chang-hoon (Gimcheon Sangmu), Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur), Lee Jae-sung (Mainz), Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Hwang In-beom (Olympiacos), Jeong Woo-yeong (Freiburg), Lee Kang-in (Real Mallorca), Hwang Ui-jo (Olympiacos), Cho Gue-sung (Jeonbuk Motors)
Son Heung-min has been included despite suffering a fractured eye socket playing for Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League earlier this month.
Uruguay
World ranking: 14
Coach: Diego Alonso
Confirmed 26-man squadFernando Muslera (Galatasaray), Sergio Rochet (Nacional), Sebastian Sosa (Independiente), Jose Maria Gimenez (Atletico Madrid), Sebastian Coates (Sporting CP), Diego Godin (Velez Sarsfield), Martin Caceres (LA Galaxy), Ronald Araujo (Barcelona), Guillermo Varela (Flamengo), Jose Luis Rodriguez (Nacional), Mathias Olivera (Napoli), Matias Vina (Roma), Lucas Torreira (Galatasaray), Manuel Ugarte (Sporting CP), Matias Vecino (Lazio), Rodrigo Bentancur (Tottenham Hotspur), Federico Valverde (Real Madrid), Facundo Pellistri (Manchester United), Nicolas De La Cruz (River Plate), Agustin Canobbio (Athletico Paranaense), Facundo Torres (Orlando City), Giorgian De Arrascaeta (Flamengo), Maxi Gomez (Trabzonspor), Luis Suarez (Nacional), Edinson Cavani (Valencia), Darwin Nunez (Liverpool)
Alonso is yet to find the right blend since he replaced Oscar Tabarez last year. Uruguay can call upon Suarez, Cavani and Nunez but time is running out to find a formula to get the best out of the trio – it certainly didn’t work in the shock defeat to Iran.
Carl Lewis and football writer Zach Lowy discuss players to watch in Group G of the World Cup in Qatar.
Group G at the 2022 World Cup contains five-time champions Brazil, World Cup regulars Cameroon and two potential European dark horses in the form of Serbia and Switzerland
Brazil
World ranking: 1
Coach: Tite
Confirmed 26-man squad:Alisson (Liverpool), Ederson (Manchester City), Weverton (Palmeiras), Dani Alves (Club Universidad Nacional), Danilo (Juventus), Alex Sandro (Juventus), Alex Telles (Manchester United), Bremer (Juventus), Eder Militao (Real Madrid), Marquinhos (PSG), Thiago Silva (Chelsea), Bruno Guimaraes (Newcastle United), Casemiro (Manchester United), Everton Ribeiro (Flamengo), Fabinho (Liverpool), Fred (Manchester United), Lucas Paqueta (West Ham United), Antony (Manchester United), Gabriel Jesus (Arsenal), Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal), Neymar (PSG), Pedro (Flamengo), Raphinha (FC Barcelona), Richarlison (Tottenham Hotspur), Rodrygo (Real Madrid), Vinicius Jr (Real Madrid).
Head coach Tite has decided to leave out Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino and Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhaes. Gunners duo Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus have made the cut, though.
Cameroon
World ranking: 43
Coach: Rigobert Song
Confirmed 26-man squad:Devis Epassy (Abha Club), Simon Ngapandouetnbu (Marseille), Andre Onana (Inter Milan), Jean-Charles Castelletto (Nantes), Enzo Ebosse (Udinese), Collins Fai (Al Tai), Olivier Mbaizo (Philadelphia Union), Nicolas Nkoulou (Aris Salonika), Tolo Nouhou (Seattle Sounders), Christopher Wooh (Stade Rennes), Martin Hongla (Verona), Pierre Kunde (Olympiakos), Olivier Ntcham (Swansea City), Gael Ondoua (Hannover 96), Samuel Oum Gouet (Mechelen), Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa (Napoli), Vincent Aboubakar (Al Nassr), Christian Bassogog (Shanghai Shenhua), Eric-Maxim Choupo Moting (Bayern Munich), Souaibou Marou (Coton Sport), Bryan Mbeumo (Brentford), Nicolas Moumi Ngamaleu (Young Boys), Jerome Ngom (Colombe Dja), Georges-Kevin Nkoudou (Besiktas), Jean-Pierre Nsame (Young Boys ), Karl Toko Ekambi (Lyon)
Brentford forward Mbeumo switched allegiance from France to the Indomitable Lions in August in time to make the squad for the September friendlies and the World Cup finals. Mbeumo will be scrapping with Ekambi, Choupo-Moting and Aboubakar for a starting role in Song’s side.
Serbia
World ranking: 21
Coach: Dragan Stojković
Confirmed 26-man squad:
Marko Dmitrovic (Sevilla), Predrag Rajkovic (Mallorca), Vanja Milinkovic-Savic (Torino), Stefan Mitrovic (Getafe), Nikola Milenkovic (Fiorentina), Strahinja Pavlovic (RB Salzburg), Milos Veljkovic (Werder Bremen), Filip Mladenovic (Legia Warsaw), Strahinja Erakovic (Red Star Belgrade), Srdjan Babic (Almeria), Nemanja Gudelj (Sevilla), Sergej Milinkovic-Savic (Lazio), Sasa Lukic (Torino), Marko Grujic (Porto), Filip Kostic (Juventus), Uros Racic (Braga), Nemanja Maksimovic (Getafe), Ivan Ilic (Hellas Verona), Andrija Zivkovic (PAOK), Darko Lazovic (Hellas Verona), Dusan Tadic (Ajax), Aleksandar Mitrovic (Fulham), Dusan Vlahovic (Juventus), Filip Duricic (Sampdoria), Luka Jovic (Fiorentina), Nemanja Radonji (Torino).
Serbia look primed to surprise a few people in Qatar. Stojkovic’s side were superb in their Nations League wins, with Mitrovic taking his Premier League form to the international stage by scoring a hat-trick against Sweden. His and Vlahovic’s firepower will give Serbia a great chance to get through the group, especially with Mitrovic resting an ankle injury before the tournament.
Switzerland
World ranking: 15
Coach: Murat Yakin
Confirmed 26-man squad:
Gregor Kobel (Borussia Dortmund), Philipp Kohn (Red Bull Salzburg), Jonas Omlin (Montpellier), Yann Sommer (Borussia Monchengladbach), Manuel Akanji (Manchester City), Eray Comert (Valencia), Nico Elvedi (Borussia Monchengladbach), Ricardo Rodriguez (Torino), Fabian Schar (Newcastle United), Sylvan Widmer (Mainz 05), Michel Aebischer (Bologna), Edimilson Fernandes (Mainz 05), Fabian Frei (Basel), Remo Freuler (Nottingham Forest), Ardon Jashari (Luzern), Noah Okafor (Red Bull Salzburg), Fabian Rieder (Young Boys), Xherdan Shaqiri (Chicago Fire), Djibril Sow (Eintracht Frankfurt), Renato Steffen (Lugano), Granit Xhaka (Arsenal), Denis Zakaria (Chelsea), Breel Embolo (Monaco), Christian Fassnacht (Young Boys), Haris Seferovic (Galatasaray), Reuben Vargas (FC Augsburg)
The third matchday meeting between Serbia and Switzerland could be vital in deciding who joins Brazil in the knockout stages. The Swiss have plenty of experience, with Shaqiri and Xhaka both in possession of over 100 caps, while Embolo is expected to be the key man in attack.
Carl Lewis and football writer Zach Lowy discuss players to watch in Group F of the World Cup in Qatar.
Group F contains two sides who enjoyed good 2018 World Cup campaigns in Belgium – who finished third – and Croatia, who were ultimately beaten finalists. Canada are making only their second World Cup appearance, while Morocco have qualified for their second World Cup in a row.
Belgium
World ranking: 2
Coach: Roberto Martínez
Confirmed 26-man squad:Koen Casteels (Wolfsburg), Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid), Simon Mignolet (Club Brugge), Toby Alderweireld (Royal Antwerp), Zeno Debast (Anderlecht), Leander Dendoncker (Wolves), Wout Faes (Leicester City), Arthur Theate (Stade Rennes), Jan Vertonghen (Anderlecht), Yannick Carrasco (Atletico Madrid), Timothy Castagne (Leicester City), Thorgan Hazard (Borussia Dortmund), Thomas Meunier (Borussia Dortmund), Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City), Amadou Onana (Everton), Youri Tielemans (Leicester City), Hans Vanaken (Club Brugge), Axel Witsel (Atletico Madrid), Leandro Trossard (Brighton), Dries Mertens (Galatasaray), Lois Openda (Lens), Michy Batshuayi (Fenerbahce), Eden Hazard (Real Madrid), Jeremy Doku (Stade Rennes), Charles De Ketelaere (AC Milan), Romelu Lukaku (Inter Milan)
The Red Devils landed a cushy-looking draw as they look to better their third-place finish in 2018. Martinez has a number of young players coming through, Everton’s Onana among them, but Belgium look set to retain an experienced first XI.
Canada
World ranking: 41
Coach: John Herdman
Confirmed 26-man squad:
Milan Borjan (Red Star Belgrade), James Pantemis (CF Montreal), Dayne St. Clair (Minnesota United), Sam Adekugbe (Hatayspor), Derek Cornelius (Vancouver Whitecaps – Panetolikos), Alistair Johnston (CF Montreal), Richie Laryea (Nottingham Forest), Kamal Miller (CF Montreal), Steven Vitoria (Chaves), Joel Waterman (CF Montreal), Stephen Eustaquio (FC Porto), Liam Fraser (Deinze), Atiba Hutchinson (Besiktas), Mark-Anthony Kaye (Toronto FC), Ismael Kone (CF Montreal), Jonathan Osorio (Toronto FC), Samuel Piette (CF Montreal), David Wotherspoon (St. Johnstone), Tajon Buchanan (Club Brugge), Lucas Cavallini (Vancouver Whitecaps), Jonathan David (Lille), Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich), Junior Hoillett (Reading), Cyle Larin (Club Brugge), Liam Miller (FC Basel), Ike Ugbo (Troyes).
Herdman’s biggest concern, one of the things “keeping him awake at night”, was the fitness of captain Atiba Hutchinson, Canada’s most-capped player, who missed the friendlies due to a bone bruise suffered in pre-season with Besiktas.
Croatia
World ranking: 12
Coach: Zlatko Dalic
Confirmed 26-man squad:Dominik Livakovic (Dinamo Zagreb), Ivica Ivusic (Osijek), Ivo Grbic (Atletico Madrid), Domagoj Vida (AEK Athens), Dejan Lovren (Zenit Saint Petersburg), Borna Barisic (Rangers), Josip Juranovic (Celtic), Josko Gvardiol (RB Leipzig), Borna Sosa (Stuttgart), Josip Stanisic (Bayern Munich), Martin Erlic (Sassuolo), Josip Sutalo (Dinamo Zagreb), Luka Modric (Real Madrid), Mateo Kovacic (Chelsea), Marcelo Brozovic (Inter Milan) Mario Pasalaic (Atalanta), Nikola Vlasic (Torino), Lovro Majer (Rennes), Kristijan Jakic (Eintracht Frankfurt), Luka Sucic (Red Bull Salzburg), Ivan Perisic (Tottenham), Andrej Kramaric (Hoffenheim), Bruno Petkovic (Dinamo Zagreb), Mislav Orsic (Dinamo Zagreb), Ante Budimir (Osasuna), Marko Livaja (Hajduk Split)
Dalic is likely to pick a familiar-looking XI, with Modric, Kovacic, Brozovic, Perisic and Lovren all still key players for the 2018 runners-up. Kovacic and Perisic have been joined by Old Firm rivals Barisic and Juranovic as British-based representatives.
Morocco
World ranking: 22
Coach: Walid Regragui
Confirmed 26-man squad:
Yassine Bounou (Sevilla), Munir El Kajoui (Al Wehda), Ahmed Reda Tagnaouti (Wydad Casablanca), Achraf Hakimi (PSG), Noussair Mazraoui (Bayern Munich), Nayef Aguerd (West Ham), Romain Saiss (Besiktas), Achraf Dari (Brest), Badr Benoun (Qatar SC), Yahia Attiyat Allah (Wydad Casablanca), Jawad El Yamiq (Real Valladolid), Sofyan Amrabat (Fiorentina), Azzedine Ounahi (Angers), Belil El Khanouss (Genk), Abdelhamid Sabiri (Sampdoria), Ilias Chair (QPR), Selim Amallah (Standard Liege), Yahya Jabrane (Wydad Casablanca), Amine Harit (Marseille), Hakim Ziyech (Chelsea), Zakaria Aboukhlal (Toulouse), Walid Cheddira (Bari), Sofiane Boufal (Angers), Youssef En-Nesyri (Sevilla), Abde Ezzalzouli (Osasuna), Abderrazak Hamdallah (Al-Ittihad)
The second-best team in Africa, according to FIFA rankings, will face two of 2018 semi-finalists in Qatar. Morocco look strong in the full-back areas, with Mazraoui and Hakimi, while Regragui has plenty of options up front to supplement a forward line likely to consist of Ziyech, Boufal and En-Nesyri.
Carl Lewis and football writer Zach Lowy discuss players to watch in Group E of the World Cup in Qatar.
Every World Cup needs a Group of Death. In 2022, Group E is indeed that group, containing four-time winners Germany, 2010 champions Spain, alongside an underrated Japan side and CONCACAF qualifiers Costa Rica, who have previous of escaping tricky groups.
Germany
World ranking: 11
Coach: Hansi Flick
Confirmed 26-man squad:Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Barcelona), Kevin Trapp (Frankfurt), Armel Bella-Kotchap (Southampton), Matthias Ginter (Freiburg), Christian Gunter (Freiburg), Thilo Kehrer (West Ham), Lukas Klostermann (Leipzig), David Raum (Leipzig), Antonio Rudiger (Real Madrid), Nico Schlotterbeck (Borussia Dortmund), Niklas Sule (Borussia Dortmund), Julian Brandt (Borussia Dortmund), Niclas Fullkrug (Werder Bremen), Leon Goretzka (Bayern Munich), Mario Gotze (Frankfurt), Ilkay Gundogan (Manchester City), Jonas Hofmann (Borussia Monchengladbach), Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich), Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich), Karim Adeyemi (Borussia Dortmund), Serge Gnabry (Bayern Munich), Kai Havertz (Chelsea), Youssoufa Moukoko (Borussia Dortmund), Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich), Leroy Sane (Bayern Munich).
World ranking: 24
Coach: Hajime Moriyasu
Confirmed 26-man squad:Shuichi Gonda (Shimizu S-Pulse), Daniel Schmidt (Sint-Truiden), Eiji Kawashima (Strasbourg), Miki Yamane (Kawasaki Frontale), Hiroki Sakai (Urawa Reds), Maya Yoshida (Schalke), Takehiro Tomiyasu (Arsenal), Shogo Taniguchi (Kawasaki Frontale), Ko Itakura (Borussia Monchengladbach), Hiroki Ito (Stuttgart), Yuto Nagatomo (FC Tokyo), Yuta Nakayama (Huddersfield Town), Wataru Endo (Stuttgart), Hidemasa Morita (Sporting Lisbon), Ao Tanaka (Fortuna Dusseldorf), Gaku Shibasaki (Leganes), Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton), Daichi Kamada (Eintracht Frankfurt), Ritsu Doan (Freiburg), Junya Ito (Stade Reims), Takumi Minamino (AS Monaco), Takefusa Kubo Real Sociedad), Yuki Soma (Nagoya Grampus), Daizen Maeda (Celtic), Takuma Asano (Bochum), Ayase Ueda (Cercle Bruges).
Costa Rica
World ranking: 31
Coach: Luis Fernando Suárez
Confirmed 26-man squad:
Keylor Navas (PSG), Esteban Alvarado (Herediano), Patrick Sequeira (Club Deportivo Lugo), Francisco Calvo (Konyaspor), Juan Pablo Vargas (Millonarios), Kendall Waston (Saprissa), Óscar Duarte (Al-Wehda), Daniel Chacón (Colorado Rapids), Keysher Fuller (Herediano), Carlos Martínez (San Carlos), Bryan Oviedo (Real Salt Lake), Ronald Matarrita (Cincinnati), Yeltsin Tejeda (Herediano), Celso Borges (Alajuelense), Youstin Salas (Saprissa), Roan Wilson (Grecia), Gerson Torres (Herediano), Douglas López (Herediano), Jewison Bennette (Sunderland), Álvaro Zamora (Saprissa), Anthony Hernández (Puntarenas), Brandon Aguilera (Nottingham Forest), Bryan Ruiz (Alajuelense), Joel Campbell (León), Anthony Contreras (Herediano), Johan Venegas (Alajuelense).
World ranking: 7
Coach: Luis Enrique
Confirmed 26-man squad:
Unai Simon (Athletic Bilbao), Robert Sanchez (Brighton), David Raya (Brentford), Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea), Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid), Eric Garcia (Barcelona), Aymeric Laporte (Manchester City), Pau Torres (Villarreal), Jordi Alba (Barcelona), Jose Luis Gaya (Valencia), Hugo Guillamon (Valencia), Sergio Busquets (Barcelona), Rodri (Manchester City), Gavi (Barcelona), Pedri (Barcelona), Carlos Soler (PSG), Koke (Atletico Madrid), Marcos Llorente (Atletico Madrid), Pablo Sarabia (PSG), Dani Olmo (Leipzig), Nico Williams (Athletic Bilbao), Marco Asensio (Real Madrid), Alvaro Morata (Atletico Madrid), Ferran Torres (Barcelona), Yeremy Pino (Villarreal), Ansu Fati (Barcelona)
Carl Lewis and football writer Zach Lowy discuss players to watch in Group D of the World Cup in Qatar.
Group D at the 2022 World Cup consists of the current world champions, a team that’s defeated them twice recently and two teams with a lot of work to do if they’re going to get a fourth match in Qatar.
Denmark
World ranking: 10
Coach: Kasper Hjulmand
Confirmed 26-man squad:
Kasper Schmeichel (Nice), Oliver Christensen (Hertha Berlin), Frederik Rønnow (Union Berlin), Simon Kjaer (AC Milan), Joachim Andersen (Crystal Palace), Joakim Maehle (Atalanta), Andreas Christensen (Barcelona), Rasmus Kristensen (Leeds United), Jens Stryger Larsen (Trabzonspor), Victor Nelsson (Galatasaray), Daniel Wass (Brondby), Alexander Bah (Benfica), Thomas Delaney (Sevilla), Mathias Jensen (Brentford), Christian Nørgaard (Brentford), Christian Eriksen (Manchester United), Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (Tottenham), Andreas Skov Olsen (Club Bruges), Jesper Lindstrom (Eintracht Frankfurt), Andreas Cornelius (Copenhagen), Martin Braithwaite (Espanyol), Kasper Dolberg (Sevilla), Mikkel Damsgaard (Brentford), Jonas Wind (VfL Wolfsburg), Yussuf Poulsen (RB Leipzig), Robert Skov (Hoffenheim).
Australia
World ranking: 38
Coach: Graham Arnold
Confirmed 26-man squad:
Mathew Ryan (FC Copenhagen), Andrew Redmayne (Sydney FC), Danny Vukovic (Central Coast Mariners), Aziz Behich (Dundee United), Milos Degenek (Columbus Crew), Thomas Deng (Aibirex Niigata), Joel King (Odense Boldklub), Nathaniel Atkinson (Hearts), Fran Karacic (Brescia), Harry Souttar (Stoke City), Kye Rowles (Hearts), Craig Goodwin (Adelaide United), Aaron Mooy (Celtic), Jackson Irvine (St Pauli), Ajdin Hrustic (Hellas Verona), Bailey Wright (Sunderland), Cameron Devlin (Hearts), Riley McGree (Middlesbrough), Keanu Baccus (St Mirren), Awer Mabil (Cadiz), Mathew Leckie (Melbourne City), Martin Boyle (Hibernian), James Maclaren (Melbourne City), Jason Cummings (Central Coast Mariners), Mitchell Duke (Fagiano Okayama), Garang Kuol (Central Coast Mariners)
Newcastle new boy Kuol features for the Socceroos before moving to Tyneside in January despite being yet to start a game for Central Coast Mariners in the A-League. Keeper Mitch Langerak came out of international retirement just in time for the final friendlies and the finals in Qatar, only to miss out on the final squad.
France
World ranking: 4
Coach: Didier Deschamps
Confirmed 26-man squad:
Hugo Lloris (Tottenham Hotspur), Alphonse Areola (West Ham), Steve Mandanda (Rennes), Benjamin Pavard (Bayern Munich), Jules Koundé (Barcelona), Raphaël Varane (Manchester United), Axel Disasi (Monaco), William Saliba (Arsenal), Lucas Hernandez (Bayern Munich), Théo Hernandez (Milan), Ibrahima Konaté (Liverpool), Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich), Adrien Rabiot (Juventus), Aurélien Tchouaméni (Real Madrid), Youssouf Fofana (Monaco), Mattéo Guendouzi (Marseille), Jordan Veretout (Marseille), Eduardo Camavinga (Real Madrid), Ousmane Dembélé (Barcelona), Kylian Mbappé (Paris Saint-Germain), Karim Benzema (Real Madrid), Olivier Giroud (Milan), Antoine Griezmann (Atlético Madrid), Randal Kolo Muani (Eintracht Frankfurt), Marcus Thuram (Borussia Monchengladbach).
No Paul Pogba or N’Golo Kante for France at this tournament but there is still an embarrassment of riches, particularly in forward positions. Varane’s hamstring injury has not kept him out, while Presnel Kimpembe has been replaced in the squad by Disasi due to an injury. Marcus Thuram was named late to take the squad to full capacity. And then Randal Kolo Muani was brought into the squad for the injured Christopher Nkunku.
Tunisia
World ranking: 30
Coach: Jalel Kadri
Confirmed 26-man squad:
Aymen Dahmen (CS Sfaxien), Bechir Ben Said (US Monastir), Mouez Hassen (Club Africain), Aymen Mathlouthi (Etoile Sahel), Ali Abdi (Caen), Dylan Bronn (Salernitana), Mohamed Drager (FC Luzern), Nader Ghandri (Club Africain), Bilel Ifa (Kuwait SC), Wajdi Kechrida (Atromitos), Ali Maaloul (Al Ahly), Yassine Meriah (Esperance), Montassar Talbi (Lorient), Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane, Ghaylane Chaalali (both Esperance), Aissa Laidouni (Ferencvaros), Hannibal Mejbri (Birmingham City), Ferjani Sassi (Al Duhail), Elyas Skhiri (FC Cologne), Anis Ben Slimane (Brondby), Seifeddine Jaziri (Zamalek), Issam Jebali (Odense), Wahbi Khazri (Montpellier), Taha Yassine Khenissi (Kuwait SC), Youssef Msakni (Al Arabi), Naim Sliti (Al Ittifaq).
Carl Lewis and football writer Zach Lowy discuss players to watch in Group C of the World Cup in Qatar.
It begins on 22 November for Lionel Messi, Lionel Scaloni and millions of Argentines back home wearing white and sky blue. But it also begins for Poland, Mexico and Saudi Arabia. Most of the footballing world believes Argentina will progress through Group C, but who will join them?
Argentina
World ranking: 3
Coach: Lionel Scaloni
Confirmed 26-man squad:
Franco Armani (River Plate), Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa), Geronimo Rulli (Villarreal), Nahuel Molina (Atletico Madrid), Gonzalo Montiel (Sevilla), German Pezzella (Real Betis), Nicolas Otamendi (Benfica), Cristian Romero (Tottenham), Lisandro Martinez (Manchester United), Nicolas Tagliafico (Lyon), Marcos Acuna (Sevilla), Juan Foyth (Villarreal), Guido Rodriguez (Real Betis), Rodrigo De Paul (Atletico Madrid), Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen), Alexis Mac Allister (Brighton), Enzo Fernandez (Benfica), Alejandro Gomez (Sevilla), Angel Di Maria (Juventus), Leandro Paredes (Juventus), Lionel Messi (PSG), Nicolas Gonzalez (Fiorentina), Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan), Paulo Dybala (Roma), Julian Alvarez (Manchester City), Joaquin Correa (Inter Milan)
Saudi Arabia
World ranking: 51
Coach: Hervé Renard
Confirmed 26-man squad:
Mohamed Al-Owais (Al-Hilal), Nawaf Al-Aqidi (Al-Nassr), Mohamed Al-Yami (Al-Ahly), Yasser Al-Shahrani (Al-Hilal), Ali Al-Bulaihi (Al-Hilal), Abdulelah Al-Amri (Al-Nassr), Abdullah Madu (Al-Nassr), Hassan Tambakti (Al-Shabab), Sultan Al-Ghanam (Al-Nassr), Mohammed Al-Breik (Al-Hilal), Saud Abdulhamid (Al-Hilal), Salman Al-Faraj (Al-Hilal), Riyadh Sharahili (Abha), Ali Al-Hassan (Al-Nassr), Mohamed Kanno (Al-Hilal), Abdulelah Al-Malki (Al-Hilal), Sami Al-Najei (Al-Nassr), Abdullah Otayf (Al-Hilal), Nasser Al-Dawsari (Al-Hilal), Abdulrahman Al-Aboud (Ittihad), Salem Al-Dawsari (Al-Hilal), Hattan Bahebri (Al-Shabab), Fahad Al-Muwallad (Al-Shabab), Haitham Asiri (Al-Ahly), Saleh Al-Shehri (Al-Hilal) Firas Al-Buraikan (Al-Fateh).
Poland
World ranking: 26
Coach: Czesław Michniewicz
Confirmed 26-man squad:Bartlomiej Dragowski (Spezia), Lukasz Skorupski (Bologna), Wojciech Szczesny (Juventus), Jan Bednarek (Aston Villa, on loan from Southampton), Bartosz Bereszynski (Sampdoria), Matty Cash (Aston Villa), Kamil Glik (Benevento), Robert Gumny (Augsburg), Artur Jedrzejczyk (Legia Warsaw), Jakub Kiwior (Spezia), Mateusz Wieteska (Clermont), Nicola Zalewski (Roma), Krystian Bielik (Birmingham City), Przemyslaw Frankowski (Lens), Kamil Grosicki (Pogon Szczecin), Jakub Kaminski (Wolfsburg), Grzegorz Krychowiak (Al-Shabab), Michal Skoras (Lech Poznan), Damian Szymanski (AEK Athens), Sebastian Szymanski (Feyenoord), Piotr Zielinski (Napoli), Szymon Zurkowski (Fiorentina), Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona), Arkadiusz Milik (Juventus), Krzysztof Piatek (Salernitana), Karol Swiderski (Charlotte FC).
Mexico
World ranking: 13
Coach: Gerardo Martino
Confirmed 26-man squad:
Guillermo Ochoa (Club America), Alfredo Talavera (Juarez), Rodolfo Cota (Leon), Jorge Sanchez (Ajax), Kevin Alvarez (Pachuca), Nestor Araujo (Club America), Johan Vasquez (Cremonese), Hector Moreno (Monterrey), Cesar Montes (Monterrey), Gerardo Arteaga (Genk), Jesus Gallardo (Monterrey), Andres Guardado (Real Betis), Hector Herrera (Houston Dynamo), Charly Rodriguez (Cruz Azul), Erick Gutierrez (PSV Eindhoven), Luis Chavez (Pachuca), Edson Alvarez (Ajax), Orbelin Pineda (AEK Athens), Luis Romo (Monterrey), Alexis Vega (Guadalajara), Hirving Lozano (Napoli), Raul Jimenez (Wolves), Roberto Alvarado (Guadalajara), Uriel Antuna (Cruz Azul), Henry Martin (Club America), Rogelio Funes Mori (Monterrey).
Host Carl Lewis and coach and analyst Grant de Smidt bring a deep-dive analysis of the FIFA World Cup 2022 favourites:
Brazil
Argentina
France
England
Host CArl Lewis and football writer Zach Lowy discuss players to watch in Group B.
Group B at the 2022 World Cup contains one of the favourites, England, alongside fellow home nation Wales, the United States and Iran.
Group B
England
World ranking: 5
Coach: Gareth Southgate
Confirmed 26-man squad:
Nick Pope (Newcastle), Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal), Jordan Pickford (Everton), Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Conor Coady (Everton), Eric Dier (Tottenham), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), Luke Shaw (Manchester United), John Stones (Manchester City), Kieran Trippier (Newcastle), Kyle Walker (Manchester City), Ben White (Arsenal), Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund), Mason Mount (Chelsea), Kalvin Phillips (Manchester City), Declan Rice (West Ham), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Conor Gallagher (Chelsea), James Maddison (Leicester City), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Jack Grealish (Manchester City), Harry Kane (Tottenham), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Raheem Sterling (Chelsea), Callum Wilson (Newcastle), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)
Kyle Walker and Kalvin Phillips are in despite their recent injury issues. Ben White, Callum Wilson, Marcus Rashford and James Maddison have been recalled. Ben Chilwell and Reece James miss out through injury.
Iran
World ranking: 22
Coach: Carlos Queiroz
Confirmed 25-man squad:
Alireza Beiranvand (Persepolis), Hossein Hosseini (Esteghlal), Payam Niazmand (Sepahan), Amir Abedzadeh (Ponferradina), Ramin Rezaeian (Sepahan), Abolfazl Jalali (Esteghlal), Hossein Kananizadegan (Al Ahli SC), Shoja Khalilzadeh (Al Ahli SC), Mortza Pouraliganji (Persepolis), Majid Hosseini (Kayserispor), Sadegh Moharrami (Dinamo Zagreb), Milad Mohammadi (AEK), Ehsan Hajisafi (AEK), Saeid Ezatolahi (Vejle Boldklub), Ahmad Nourollahi (Shabab Al Ahli), Ali Karimi (Kayserispor), Rouzbeh Cheshmi (Esteghlal), Vahid Amiri (Persepolis), Mehdi Torabi (Persepolis), Alireza Jahanbakhsh (Feyenoord), Ali Gholizadeh (Charleroi), Saman Ghoddos (Brentford), Sardar Azmoun (Bayer Leverkusen), Karim Ansarifard (Omonia), Mehdi Taremi (Porto)
Iran are the underdogs of Group B but, ranked 20th in the world, they are only one place below Wales and heading to their third-successive finals. Sixteen of the players in their most recent squad played in Russia in 2018. The players recently voiced their support for protests over the death of Mahsa Amini while she was being held by ‘morality police’. It remains to be seen if the squad will continue those protests in Qatar.
United States
World ranking: 16
Coach: Gregg Berhalter
Confirmed 26-man squad:
Matt Turner (Arsenal), Sean Johnson (NYCFC), Ethan Horvath (Luton Town), Sergino Dest (AC Milan), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville), DeAndre Yedlin, (Inter Miami), Antonee Robinson (Fulham), Tim Ream (Fulham), Joe Scally (Borussia Monchengladbach), Shaq Moore (Nashville), Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic), Aaron Long (New York Red Bulls), Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United), Kellyn Acosta (LAFC), Tyler Adams (Leeds United), Luca De La Torre (Celta Vigo), Weston McKinnie (Juventus), Yunus Musah (Valencia), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders), Christian Pulisic (Chelsea), Jesus Ferreira (FC Dallas), Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders), Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund), Josh Sargent (Norwich City), Tim Weah (LOSC Lille), Haji Wright (Antalyaspor)
Zach Steffen missed the recent friendlies and is not included in the Qatar squad, with Arsenal keeper Matt Turner taking the reins as No. 1.
Premier League stars Turner, Antonee Robinson, Tim Ream, Brenden Aaronson, Tyler Adams, and Christian Pulisic are in.
Wales
World ranking: 19
Coach: Rob Page
Confirmed 26-man squad:
Wayne Hennessey (Nottingham Forest), Danny Ward (Leicester City), Adam Davies (Stoke City), Neco Williams (Nottingham Forest), Ben Davies (Tottenham Hotspur), Ben Cabango (Swansea City), Joe Rodon (Rennes, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur), Chris Mepham (Bournemouth), Ethan Ampadu (Spezia, on loan from Chelsea), Chris Gunter (AFC Wimbledon), Connor Roberts (Burnley), Tom Lockyer (Luton Town), Aaron Ramsey (Nice), Joe Allen (Swansea City), Harry Wilson (Fulham), Joe Morrell (Portsmouth), Dylan Levitt (Dundee United), Rubin Colwill (Cardiff City), Jonny Williams (Swindon Town), Matthew Smith (Milton Keynes Dons), Sorba Thomas (Huddersfield Town), Gareth Bale (Los Angeles FC), Dan James (Fulham, on loan from Leeds United), Kieffer Moore (Bournemouth), Mark Harris (Cardiff City), Brennan Johnson (Nottingham Forest).
Joe Allen has not played for Swansea since September due to a hamstring problem but is in the squad. Tom Lawrence misses out thanks to a knee injury that has kept him out of Rangers action since August. The good news is that Aaron Ramsey is at least playing (sparingly) for Nice while Gareth Bale looked in fine fettle in the MLS Cup final.
Carl Lewis and football writer Zach Lowy discuss players to watch in Group A of the World Cup in Qatar.
Group A at the 2022 World Cup contains three-time losing finalists the Netherlands, reigning AFCON winners Senegal and hosts Qatar alongside South American qualifiers Ecuador.
Group A
Ecuador
World ranking: 44
Coach: Gustavo Alfaro
Confirmed 26-man squad:
Moises Ramirez (Independiente del Valle), Alexander Dominguez (LDU Quito), Hernan Galindez (Aucas), Piero Hincapie (Bayer Leverkusen), Robert Arboleda (Sao Paulo), Pervis Estupinan (Brighton), Angelo Preciado (Genk), Jackson Porozo (Troyes), Xavier Arreaga (Seattle Sounders), Diego Palacios (Los Angeles FC), Felix Torres (Santos Laguna), William Pacho (Royal Antwerp), Carlos Gruezo (Augsburg), Jose Cifuente (Los Angeles FC), Alan Franco (Talleres), Moises Caicedo (Brighton), Angel Mena (Club Leon), Jeremy Sarmiento (Brighton), Jhegson Mendez (Los Angeles FC), Ayrton Preciado (Santos Laguna), Gonzalo Plata (Real Valladolid), Romario Ibarra (Santos Laguna), Djorkaeff Reasco (Newell’s Old Boys), Kevin Rodriguez (Imbabura), Michael Estrada (Cruz Azul), Enner Valencia (Fenerbahce).
Premier League representation comes exclusively from Brighton, with Moises Caicedo, Pervis Estupinan and Jeremy Sarmiento all making the cut.
Netherlands
World ranking: 8
Coach: Louis van Gaal
Confirmed 26-man squad:Justin Bijlow (Feyenoord), Remko Pasveer (Ajax), Andries Noppert (sc Heerenveen), Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool), Nathan Ake (Manchester City), Daley Blind (Ajax), Jurrien Timber (Ajax) Denzel Dumfries (Internazionale), Stefan de Vrij (Internazionale), Mathijs de Ligt (Bayern München), Tyrell Malacia (Manchester United), Jeremie Frimpong (Bayer Leverkusen), Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona), Steven Berghuis (Ajax), Davy Klaassen (Ajax), Teun Koopmeiners (Atalanta Bergamo), Cody Gakpo (PSV), Marten de Roon (Atalanta Bergamo), Kenneth Taylor (Ajax), Xavi Simons (PSV), Memphis Depay (FC Barcelona), Steven Bergwijn (Ajax), Vincent Janssen (Royal Antwerp FC), Luuk de Jong (PSV), Noa Lang (Club Brugge), Wout Weghorst (Besiktas)
There will be no Giorginio Wijnaldum, Tim Krul or Bruno Martins Indi, a weakness maybe a relative lack of experience. Newcastle defender Sven Botman has also missed out.
Qatar
World ranking: 50
Coach: Felix Sanchez
Confirmed 26-man squad:
Saad Al Sheeb (Al-Sadd), Yousef Hassan (Al-Gharafa), Meshaal Barsham (Al-Sadd), Ro-Ro (Al-Sadd), Abdelkarim Hassan (Al-Sadd), Boualem Khoukhi (Al-Sadd), Ismaeel Mohammad (Al-Duhail), Bassam Al-Rawi (Al-Duhail), Tarek Salman (Al-Sadd), Musab Kheder (Al-Sadd), Homam Ahmed (Al-Gharafa), Jassem Ghaber (Al-Arabi), Karim Boudiaf (Al-Duhail), Abdulaziz Hatem (Al-Rayyan), Ali Assadalla (Al-Sadd), Assim Madibo (Al-Duhail), Salem Al-Hajri (Al-Sadd), Mohammed Waad (Al-Sadd), Mostafa Tarek (Al-Sadd), Hassan Al-Haydos (Al-Sadd), Akram Afif (Al-Sadd), Almoez Ali (Al-Duhail), Mohammed Muntari (Al-Duhail), Ahmed Alaaeldin (Al-Gharafa), Khalid Muneer (Al-Wakrah), Naif Al-Hadhrami (Al-Rayyan).
Captain Hassan Al-Haydos has an astonishing 169 caps.
Senegal
World ranking: 18
Coach: Aliou Cisse
Confirmed 26-man squad:Edouard Mendy (Chelsea), Seny Dieng (QPR), Alfred Gomis (Rennes), Youssouf Sabaly (Real Betis), Kalidou Koulibaly (Chelsea), Abdou Diallo (RB Leipzig), Pape Abou Cisse (Olympiacos), Formose Mendy (Amiens), Fode Ballo-Toure (AC Milan), Ismail Jakobs (Monaco), Idrissa Gueye (Everton), Cheikhou Kouyate (Nottingham Forest), Nampalys Mendy (Leicester), Pape Gueye (Marseille), Pape Sarr (Tottenham), Moustapha Name (Pafos), Mamadou Loum (Reading), Krepin Diatta (Monaco), Sadio Mane (Bayern Munich), Ismaila Sarr (Watford), Bamba Dieng (Marseille), Boulaye Dia (Salernitana), Famara Diedhiou (Alanyaspor), Nicolas Jackson (Villarreal), Iliman Ndiaye (Sheffield United)
AFCON champions Senegal look well-placed to thrive in Qatar, with Cisse in his seventh year as manager with an experienced squad, a third of whom play in the Champions League, already used to success. Despite an injury sustained days before the squad announcement, Mane has been included. He probably would have been if his left leg fell off, to be fair.
Host Carl Lewis and NFL punter James Godlonton go through their best bets for Week 11 in the NFL including Carl's parlay.
Tennessee Titans at Green Bay Packers
The Packers hammered Tennessee 40-14 the last time they met at Lambeau Field on Dec. 27, 2020. Aaron Rodgers and Christian Watson connected for three TDs in Week 10, which kept their NFC playoff hopes alive. Tennessee's offense has struggled, but Derrick Henry should feast against a Packers' defense that allows 140.6 rushing yards per game. Tennessee wins on a walk-off field goal by Randy Bullock.
Chicago Bears at Atlanta Falcons
Justin Fields, who has 325 rushing yards the last two weeks, is drawing comparisons to Michael Vick. Will Fields, a Kennesaw, Ga., native, put on a show against Vick's former team? Atlanta had a long week to bounce back from a Thursday Night Football loss against the Panthers. These are two of the three worst passing offenses in the NFL. Fields' play-making on the run will make the difference.
Carolina Panthers at Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens had a bye week, and that should help against the Panthers. Baltimore is 2-2 at home, and all of those games have been decided by four points or less. The Ravens are 27th in pass offense; one spot ahead of the Panthers. Will Lamar Jackson or P.J. Walker finds a rhythm through the air? The Panthers are 0-4 S/U on the road. Trust the home team.
Cleveland Browns at Buffalo Bills
The Browns still have two games before Deshaun Watson returns from an 11-game suspension, and they are going to be brutal. Buffalo is coming off a loss, and Josh Allen will bounce back against a Cleveland defense that was torched by Miami for 39 points and 491 yards in Week 10. The Browns won the last meeting 19-16 in Allen's second season in 2019. The Bills turn the tables.
Washington Commanders at Houston Texans
The Commanders are on the fringe of the playoff picture, and they have won two road games this season. Houston does not have much outside a solid rookie season from running back Dameon Pierce (772 yards, 3 TDs). The Texans are 0-4 ATS when they are an underdog of less than seven points.
Philadelphia Eagles at Indianapolis Colts
If Colts interim coach Jeff Saturday knocks the Eagles off, then will he be voted Coach of the Year? Jonathan Taylor resurfaced with 147 yards and a TD in Week 10, and that's the recipe Saturday is going to ride with Philadelphia coming off a short week. It will work into the second half, but the Eagles get back on track after Monday's loss to Washington. Jalen Hurts hits A.J. Brown with the game-winning touchdown in the final minute.
New York Jets at New England Patriots
These teams met in Week 8, and the Patriots won 22-17 on the strength of five field goals by Nick Folk. The Jets had a bye week to enjoy the victory against Buffalo. Zach Wilson had a season-low 48.8% completion percentage in the first meeting against the Patriots. What will Wilson learn from that experience on the road against a Bill Belichick defense?
Los Angeles Rams at New Orleans Saints
The Rams have lost three straight games, a stretch in which they have averaged 14.7 points per game. Now, Cooper Kupp might be out with an ankle injury. The Saints have averaged 11.5 points in back-to-back losses, and they have lost four of five. When two bad teams meet, anything can happen. This is a coin-flip game.
Detroit Lions at New York Giants
The Lions have a chance for a rare three-game win streak, and their offense looks better when Amon-Ra St. Brown is healthy. New York is 3-1 S/U in home games this season, and all four have been decided by eight points or less. The Giants keep it moving in the right direction in a thriller. The Lions still can't stop the run, and Saquon Barkley will have a huge game.
Las Vegas Raiders at Denver Broncos
It's the Josh McDaniels bowl in a battle of the most disappointing teams of 2022. Denver has the top scoring defense in the NFL, and yet the offense has been miserable. The Raiders have won the last five in this rivalry, but the Broncos flip the script.
Dallas Cowboys at Minnesota Vikings
The Cowboys are favored against Minnesota, which continues to produce close-game victories. Kirk Cousins is 2-8 lifetime against Dallas, and that includes a 1-2 mark with Minnesota. Still, the strong running game with Dalvin Cook and connection with Justin Jefferson has gone a long way this season. All that said, the fact Dallas is favored makes us think Dak Prescott will bounce back on the road.
Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers beat the Bengals 23-20 and are a different team with T.J. Watt on the field. The Bengals, however, are coming off a bye week. Joe Burrow will not throw four interceptions this time, and the running game behind Joe Mixon will be a difference maker. Cincinnati picks up its first AFC North victory of the season.
Kansas City Chiefs at Los Angeles Chargers
Sunday, 8:20 p.m., NBC
The Chiefs have scored 40-plus points in three of their four road games, and they have a chance to win a ninth straight game at the Chargers' home field. Patrick Mahomes II maintains the hot hand, and the Chiefs continue to look like the team to beat in the AFC.
San Francisco 49ers (-7.5) at Arizona Cardinals
The 49ers are rounding into shape as a playoff contender, and the tag-team backfield of Christian McCaffrey and Eli Mitchell combined for 32 carries for 127 yards against the Chargers in Week 10. San Francisco will continue to grind out wins against Arizona, which might be without Kyler Murray (hamstring) for another week. The Cardinals did sweep this series in 2021, but the 49ers are the better team this time.
Host Carl Lewis chats with NBA expert Cyrus Rogers about the biggest talking points in the NBA.
In the Western Conference, the pair chat about Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers incredible start to the new season. Another incredible season is that of the Utah Jazz. with a roster of journeymen they've managed to compete at a high level although the wheels might be coming off a bit.
The Memphis Grizzlies and New Orleans Pelicans are also nicely placed with some in the conference, they've both had some big highs with the likes of Ja Morant, Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram playing their part.
In the Eastern Conference, the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks are setting the standard. We also talk about the Atlanta Hawks and ask if we should take them seriously. The Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers are also on the agenda.
Also, they talk Golden State Warriors and what could possible be going wrong with the defending NBA champions.
The Springboks look primed to return to the win column while the All Blacks and Wallabies face stiff challenges as the Autumn Nations Series rolls on this weekend.
Saturday’s stacked line-up of international rugby includes South Africa taking on Italy in Genoa, New Zealand tackling England in London, and Australia battling Ireland in Dublin, with France wrapping up the weekend’s action when they welcome Japan to Toulouse on Sunday.
Group A: Qatar, Ecuador, Senegal, Netherlands
Group B: England, Iran, United States, Wales
Group C: Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Poland
Group D: France, Australia, Denmark, Tunisia
Group E: Spain, Costa Rica, Germany, Japan
Group F: Belgium, Canada, Morocco, Croatia
Group G: Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland, Cameroon
Group H: Portugal, Ghana, Uruguay, South Korea
Group A at the 2022 World Cup contains three-time losing finalists the Netherlands, reigning AFCON winners Senegal and hosts Qatar alongside South American qualifiers Ecuador.
We look at the predictor numbers to assess who will make it out of the group stage and into the last 16.
Group B at the 2022 World Cup contains one of the favourites, England, alongside fellow home nation Wales, the United States and Iran.
It begins on 22 November for Lionel Messi, Lionel Scaloni and millions of Argentines back home wearing white and sky blue. But it also begins for Poland, Mexico and Saudi Arabia. Most of the footballing world believes Argentina will progress through Group C, but who will join them?
Group D at the 2022 World Cup consists of the current world champions, a team that’s defeated them twice recently and two teams with a lot of work to do if they’re going to get a fourth match in Qatar.
Every World Cup needs a Group of Death. In 2022, Group E is indeed that group, containing four-time winners Germany, 2010 champions Spain, alongside an underrated Japan side and CONCACAF qualifiers Costa Rica, who have previous of escaping tricky groups.
Group F contains two sides who enjoyed good 2018 World Cup campaigns in Belgium – who finished third – and Croatia, who were ultimately beaten finalists. Canada are making only their second World Cup appearance, while Morocco have qualified for their second World Cup in a row.
Group G at the 2022 World Cup contains five-time champions Brazil, World Cup regulars Cameroon and two potential European dark horses in the form of Serbia and Switzerland
Group H at the 2022 World Cup contains two-time champions Uruguay, World Cup regulars South Korea, one of Africa’s most historic performers Ghana and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal.
Group H at the 2022 World Cup contains two-time champions Uruguay, World Cup regulars South Korea, one of Africa’s most historic performers Ghana and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal.
The curtain comes down on the 2022 Formula 1 season at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi this weekend.
Max Verstappen and Red Bull blew Ferrari away as the Dutch driver collected 14 wins on his way to a second drivers' championship and constructors' championship for the team.
Mercedes has come a long way since their early season troubles and George Russell's first win ahead of Lewis Hamilton in Sao Paulo last Sunday was well deserved.
Max Verstappen starts as the favourite at 2.15, and for the past two seasons, the Red Bull driver stood on the top step. Last season's controversial win for the Dutchman must still sting for Hamilton's camp, and the British driver will want justice for a shocking call by the race director.
The seven-time world champion has scored five victories in Abu Dhabi and his recent form has propelled him to 3.60 for the win.
Russel has had an excellent debut season with Mercedes considering the team's struggles. The former Williams driver is guaranteed a fourth-place finish in the drivers' standings and is 4.25 for the race win.
The Ferrari duo of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz will look to end the year on a high after a season marked by dodgy strategy calls.
The track
The Yas Marina Circuit is the most expensive track in the world, it was built on a man-made island at an eye-watering cost of $1 billion.
It hosted its first race in 2009 and is 5.28km long with 16 turns. Last year it underwent a few changes that now offer a more flowing lap. A 1.2km long straight from Turn 5 to 6 is an opportunity for pedal-to-metal racing with a maximum speed of around 340km/h.
Hermann Tilke designed the track, and Turns 10, 11 and 12 pose a challenge for drivers with lateral load making it difficult to navigate that stretch.
The set-up requirement is for a high level of downforce and 63% of the lap is at full throttle with 56 gear changes per lap.
The weather forecast has sunshine predicted and no rain predicted over the weekend.
What to look out for:
Sergio Perez and Leclerc have a straight battle for second place in the drivers' standings, both are on 290 points. Mercedes has a 19-point deficit to Ferrari in the constructors' championship to scoop second spot, so watch out for all-out action across the field.
Four-time champion Sebastian Vettel bids farewell to F1, and the future of Daniel Ricciardo and Mick Schumacher is still unclear as both have not secured a seat for next season.
If the action at Interlagos was anything to go by, we expect the drivers to leave nothing on the table and battle for every position.
Lwanele Poswayo and UFC punter Asher Arenz review the UFC 281 pay-per-view that took place at Madison Square Garden this past weekend.
It was one of the most exciting pay-per-views of the year with 11 finishes (7 first-round finishes) and two new world champions as Alex Pereira became the new UFC Middleweight Champion while Zhang Weili regained her throne as the queen of the Strawweights by defeating Carla Esparza.
The pair make some early predictions for the UFC 282 card scheduled to take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas next month.
Host Carl Lewis speaks to Sport24 journalist Khanyiso Tshwaku
Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber has made a few tweaks to his team for Saturday's Test against Italy in Genoa.
Jasper Wiese returns at No 8 in a starting XV which also features new lock and centre pairings.
Wiese was a late withdrawal form last week's Test against France in Marseille due to concussion protocols. He takes over from Kwagga Smith, who drops down to the bench.
Stormers duo Salmaan Moerat and Marin Orie will form a starting lock combination, with Lood de Jager having returned home with a shoulder injury and Eben Etzebeth given a breather on the bench.
There is also a positional switch in the pack, with Franco Mostert moving from lock to flanker in place of Pieter-Steph du Toit, who is awaiting a disciplinary hearing on Wednesday for a red card received against France.
In the backline, Andre Esterhuizen comes in at inside centre in a new-look midfield pairing with Damian de Allende, who switches to outside centre in place of Jesse Kriel.
Meanwhile, Stormers No 8 Evan Roos will feature on the bench alongside forwards Etzebeth, Smith, and the front row of Steven Kitshoff, Vincent Koch (props) and Malcolm Marx (hooker) in a six-two forwards-backs split.
Cobus Reinach (scrumhalf) and Manie Libbok (utility back) are the backline reserves.
Saturday's Test kicks off at 15:00 (SA time).
Springbok team: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Damian de Allende, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Damian Willemse, 9 Faf de Klerk, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Franco Mostert, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Marvin Orie, 4 Salmaan Moerat, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ox Nche
Substitutes: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Steven Kitshoff, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Eben Etzebeth, 20 Kwagga Smith, 21 Evan Roos, 22 Cobus Reinach, 23 Manie Libbok
Host Carl Lewis and cricket punter Lwanele Poswayo preview the T20 World Cup Final between England v Pakistan.
England versus Pakistan: while we’re on tenterhooks watching the typically unpredictable Melbourne weather, punters will be desperate for the T20 World Cup final to get on the park.
But what a matchup: the number 2 ranked team in the world England, take on the number 3 ranked Pakistan, with both teams in their best possible form coming into the final at the ‘G.
It sets up a huge final (thanks, Captain Obvious) with both England and Pakistan crushing their opponents in the semis. Interestingly enough, both teams batted second and cruised to a comfortable victory.
The world’s leading mixed martial arts promotion returns to Madison Square Garden with a stacked UFC 281 card headlined by a championship double-header on Saturday night (Sunday morning SA time).
In the main event, Nigerian-born superstar Israel Adesanya will seek to slay his boogeyman when he puts his middleweight championship on the line against lethal kickboxer Alex Pereira.
Strawweight queen Carla Esparza faces former champion Zhang Weili in the co-headliner at the world’s most famous arena while a third blockbuster bout will see Dustin Poirier collide with Michael Chandler in a much-anticipated clash of legendary lightweights.
One of the greats Frankie Edgar will make his last walk to the Octagon to face Chris Gutierrez in his retirement bout at bantamweight and Dan Hooker returns to lightweight for what promises to be an exciting main card-opening clash against Claudio Puelles.
Host Carl Lewis and rugby punter Neal Hoogwerf preview, predict and provide the best best for the test Rugby this week and other Gallagher Premiership.
Test Rugby:
Wales v Argentina
England v Japan
Italy v Australia
France v South Africa
Scotland v New Zealand
Host Carl Lewis, coach, and analyst Grant de Smidt preview Gameweek 16 of the Premier League this weekend.
There are eight fixtures on Saturday headlined by Newcastle v Chelsea. Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool are also all in action.
On Sunday, Manchester United face Fulham. Listen to our comprehensive betting preview for the weekend.
It’s hard to believe the penultimate weekend of the 2022 Formula 1 season is upon us. The drivers battle at Interlagos with more points on offer with the final Sprint race taking place on Saturday.
Both championships have been secured, with Max Verstappen searching for his 15th victory of the season at Interlagos this weekend. Ferrari holds a 40-point lead over Mercedes in the constructors’ championship, and the Brackley team will look to gain some ground on the Italian team.
It’s no surprise then that Verstappen is the favourite to win the Sprint and Grand Prix. The Sprint format means qualifying takes place on Friday after the first practice session and the fastest driver takes home the pole position title. The Sprint race offers fans added action, with an all-out 100km sprint to the finish with no mandatory pit stops.
Host Carl Lewis is joined by rugby coach Dave Wessels and journalist Simnikiwe Xabanisa as they discuss the biggest talking points in South African and world rugby.
Ireland significantly enhanced their number-one standing in world rugby when they saw off the Springboks 19-16 in a tense Test in Dublin on a cool but comfortable Saturday evening.
Were Ireland the better side? In front of their passionate crowd, they were, and the critical part was their ability to make their chances count.
They struck twice in four minutes just after the half-time break through loose-forward Josh van der Flier and wing Mack Hansen to give Ireland a 10-point buffer that was too much for the Boks to overhaul.
The Boks had more than a decent foothold in the game, but the lack of a regular goal-kicker hurt them badly.
The seven points that were missed off the tee by Damian Willemse and Cheslin Kolbe would have swung the game in the Boks' favour.
The Boks were also guilty of being creatively blunt in the red zone and it's something they desperately need to fix ahead of next week's clash against France.
Ireland have not only kept a 10-year home unbeaten streak against the Boks, but have beaten New Zealand and the world champions in the space of a year.
Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber has made a few changes to his team for Saturday's Test against France in Marseille.
Stormers flyhalf Manie Libbok is chosen on the bench and will make his Test debut is he gets a run. Libbok's inclusion is likely to cover for the team's shaky goalkicking that was exposed in last weekend's 19-16 defeat to Ireland in Dublin.
In all, Nienaber has made five changes and two positional switches from the side that ran out against Ireland.
Willie le Roux comes back into the starting XV at fullback, with Cheslin Kolbe moving to right wing and Kurt-Lee Arendse to left wing as Makazole Mapimpi drops to the bench.
The other change in the backline sees Faf de Klerk replace Jaden Hendrikse at scrumhalf, forming a halfback combination with Damian Willemse.
The Bok mentor also made changes to his forward pack, with tighthead prop Frans Malherbe packing down in a new-look front row alongside Bongi Mbonambi (hooker) and Ox Nche (loosehead prop). Franco Mostert also starts at lock in place of the injured Lood de Jager.
Other changes on the bench include Cobus Reinach as scrumhalf cover, with Hendrikse dropping out of the match-day squad.
Steven Kitshoff (prop), Malcolm Marx (hooker) and Marvin Orie (lock) also feature on the bench as the Boks this week opted for a five-three forwards-backs split on the bench
Host Carl Lewis and cricket punter Lwanele Poswayo preview the second T20 World Cup semi-final between England and India.
Only two steps away from the ultimate glory, India cannot afford to put a foot wrong as they square off against a formidable England on a tricky Adelaide Oval track in the T20 World Cup 2022 semi-final on Thursday. (More Cricket News)
While India have had better performances in the group stage compared to England, a high stakes, 'winner takes it all' contest like this always starts on an even keel. England's premier all-rounder Ben Stokes has already admitted that they have not play their best cricket and the Indian team needs to ensure that a Jos Buttler and Stokes himself don't choose the semifinal to bring their A game to the fore.
History is also a bit against India when it comes to results at the business end of the ICC events.
Post 2013, Indian teams have struggled to cross the final two hurdles on multiple occasions -- 2014 T20 World Cup final, 2016 T20 World Cup semifinals, 2017 Champions Trophy final and 2019 ODI World Cup semifinal.
Even though Rohit Sharma played in all those games, he wasn't leading the side back then and hence doesn't carry any baggage of disappointment as he enters the most critical phase of his full time captaincy.
Rohit (89 runs in 5 games) would like to forget the physical pain of being hit in the forearm as he wouldn't shy away from playing one pull shot too many if a fit Mark Wood or his likely replacement Chris Jordan digs it short.
The India skipper needs an innings of substance in the competition and there couldn't be a bigger match than a semifinal to shut his detractors.
Virat Kohli would have a battle at hand against his old nemesis Adil Rashid, while Suryakumar Yadav's skills against Sam Curran's cutters will be an enticing match-up.
Stokes' all round abilities will find its match in Hardik Pandya, who has done his bit with the bat and ball in various games.
The Proteas' disappointing exit from the ICC T20 World Cup, while still a shock to the system of many, probably exhibited various signs of happening.
One of those signs is simply how the majority of the squad underperformed.
Host Carl Lewis and cricket punter Lwanele Poswayo give their verdict.
South Africa squad for T20 World Cup 2022 Batters Temba Bavuma (captain), Reeza Hendricks, Rilee Rossouw, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs
Wicket-keepers Quinton de Kock, Heinrich Klaasen
All-rounders Marco Jansen
Bowlers Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Tabraiz Shamsi, Wayne Parnell
Host Carl Lewis is joined by Lwanele Poswayo as they provide betting tips for the first semi-final of the 2022 T20 World Cup (T20WC) will see Group 1 winners New Zealand take on Group 2 runners-up Pakistan in Sydney on Wednesday evening. The Blackcaps beat Ireland by 34 runs in their final Super 12 stage game on Friday and, although they finished level on points with England and Australia, they had a superior Net Run Rate (NRR). Meanwhile, Pakistan defeated Bangladesh in a pseudo quarter-final to take advantage of South Africa’s shock defeat to the Netherlands earlier in the day. It'll be a fascinating contest between the fastest scorers of this edition (8.89rpo for New Zealand) against the second-most economical bowling attack (6.55rpo for Pakistan). Kane Williamson’s side have been conquered only once in this tournament - a 20 run loss to England in Brisbane - and have won by margins of 89 runs and 65 runs (against Australia and Sri Lanka) in their two games at the SCG. Furthermore, they have a very strong record at this stage of recent ICC tournaments, reaching the final of the 2021 T20WC following the final of the 2015 and 2019 ODI World Cups. The only blot on their copybook came in the 2016 T20WC when they lost to England in the semi-final. With the ball, New Zealand have shared the wickets around, with all five main bowlers making significant contributions. Tim Southee, Mitchell Santner, Trent Boult, Ish Sodhi and Mitchell Santner have all claimed at least six wickets at averages in the teens or better. Southee has been particularly impressive at the SCG: from his 6.1 overs he has produced one maiden, conceded only 18 runs and taken four wickets. Pakistan lost their opening two matches of this T20WC to India and Zimbabwe but have since beaten the Netherlands, South Africa and Bangladesh. The win over the previously undefeated South Africa was at the SCG by 33 runs (DLS) and that victory injected plenty of confidence into the side after the shock defeat to Zimbabwe. Pakistan reached the final of the first two T20WCs, winning in 2009, but have lost their last three semi-finals with the most recent failure at this hurdle coming against Australia last year. Batting has been an issue for Pakistan in this competition with their openers, Mohammed Rizwan and Babar Azam both not living up to their usual high standards. Rizwan is the second leading run scorer in T20Is this year (924 runs at 46.20) but has struggled for form over the five games and is yet to make a half-century. Shan Masood, who only made his T20I debut in September, is Pakistan’s leading run scorer with 134 runs and a top score of 52 not out. Shaheen Shah Afridi came into this tournament not at full fitness but has become more effective with every game and took 4-22 in the win over Bangladesh on Sunday. Spinner Shadab Khan is also in fine form and has taken 10 wickets from his last four matches including 2-16 at the SCG. This will be the 29th T20I meeting between the teams with Pakistan leading 17-11. They also have the edge over recent contests with a 4-1 advantage from their last five matches. They beat New Zealand during the 2021 T20WC group stage and won three of their four clashes during the Tri-Nation Series in New Zealand last month. At the SCG, England beat Sri Lanka on Saturday when chasing and ended a run of eight successive T20I games at the venue which were won by the team batting first. Meanwhile, none of the matches in Sydney have failed to produce a result and there is no rain forecast to interrupt proceedings during the hours of this game. Players to watch: Only South Africa’s Anrich Nortje and Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga have taken more T20WC wickets than Trent Boult over the last two years. His 19 wickets during this time have cost 15.15 runs per dismissal, with his best performance coming at the SCG on October 29th when he took 4-13. Fellow left-arm quick Shaheen Shah Afridi exploded onto the 2021 T20WC with figures of 3-31 against India and 1-21 against New Zealand in his opening two games but, this year, his best performances have come over recent matches. He has taken eight wickets from his last three games including 3-14 against a powerful South Africa batting line-up at the SCG. Stat attack: Since January 2021, New Zealand have won 83% of T20Is that they have begun as favourites, whilst Pakistan have won 53% of T20Is that they have begun as outsiders. Both centuries in the 2022 T20WC have been scored at the SCG, as have three of the top four team totals. The last seven T20Is between New Zealand and Pakistan have been won by the team batting second. New Zealand have bowled out Australia (111) and Sri Lanka (102) in both of their matches in this tournament at the SCG. Babar Azam averages 44.87 against New Zealand from 10 innings in T20Is. Glenn Phillips is New Zealand’s leading run-scorer at this T20WC and has the second-best scoring rate (9.83rpo) of all players to strike at least 150 runs. Haris Rauf has dismissed Devon Conway in four of the five T20Is in which they faced off for at least one ball (4/29 from 27 balls).
Host Carl Lewis is joined by football punter Mastos for another Mastos Masterclass. European football's top 5 leagues and provide our best bets for your multiple and accas. We cover matches from Friday to Sunday in the English Premier League, Serie a, La Liga, Bundesliga and Ligue 1.
Coach analyst Grant de Smidt joins host Carl Lewis and they preview Gameweek 15 of the Premier League including Arsenal v Chelsea, Tottenham v Liverpool and all of the eight other matches.
Host Carl Lewis and NFL punter James Godlonton make their picks for the Week 9 of the NFL, included, we have some player props and a parlay from Carl.
Philadelphia, Buffalo and Kansas City are considered the Super Bowl favorites as the NFL season hits the midpoint.
All three teams are double-digit favorites heading into Week 9.
Philadelphia opens the action on Thursday night against the Texans. That's not a glamorous game, but it's a chance to watch Jalen Hurts continue his MVP-caliber season for the undefeated Eagles. Hurts, a Houston native, should be in top form against the Texans with favorite target A.J. Brown.
Buffalo also is a heavy road favorite against the Jets. Josh Allen also is in the MVP mix, and favorite target Stefon Diggs is tied for the NFL lead with seven TD receptions. The matchup against rookie cornerback Sauce Gardner should be fun, too.
Kansas City also is in the mix, and is a double-digit favorite against the Titans. Patrick Mahomes II had a bye week to prepare, and the Titans are heating up with Derrick Henry, who is coming off a 219-yard effort in Week 8.
Host Carl Lewis and rugby punter preview the four Test Matches and four Gallagher Premiership matches - we have your best bets in the best rugby betting podcast around.
Test rugby goes full tilt this weekend with a host of epic encounters in store. The southern hemisphere’s finest have made their annual migration north and this year’s Autumn Nations Series might prove to be the most thrilling yet.
The match of the weekend is the much-anticipated showdown between the Springboks and Ireland in Dublin with the co-featured attractions seeing Wales take on the All Blacks and France face the Wallabies.
Test Rugby Wales v New Zealand
Ireland v South Africa
France v Scotland
England v Argentina
Gallagher Premiership Northampton Saints v Exeter Chiefs
Sale Sharks v Gloucester
Newcastle Falcons v Bath Rugby
Bristol v Saracens
Host Carl Lewis and motorsport journalist Sean Parker about the Mexico City Grant Prix and the drama of Red Bull and Max Verstappen's snub of Sky Sports because of the budget cap commentary and the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Host Carl Lewis and golf punter Wade Pretorius preview the World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba in Mexico and provide the best bets for the weekend.
The PGA Tour's Fall Swing continues this week in Mexico, where the now former World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is back in action and back in his rightful spot as the solo favourite. Our experts, as always, are in search of a little more value down the odds board, however.
The next biggest story to watch is Viktor Hovland's quest for a three-peat in this event, something that has not been done on the PGA Tour since Steve Stricker won three consecutive John Deere Classics between 2009 and 2011. Per stats guru Justin Ray, only two other players have pulled off the rare accomplishment in the past 40 years on tour. You probably guessed that one of them was Tiger Woods, who did it an absurd six separate times, including two four-peats. The other was Stuart Appleby, who won the Sentry Tournament of Champions in 2004, 2005 and 2006. Rare company, to say the least.
Host Carl Lewis and cricket punter Lwanele Poswayo preview the big group 2 ICC T20 World Cup match between South Africa and Pakistan in Sydney. South Africa's batting line-up is unlikely to change as long as they're winning, which probably means that there's still no room for Reeza Hendricks. The only consideration for them is whether to bring back Tabraiz Shamsi in place of one of the quicks, which could leave Lungi Ngidi on the sidelines. South Africa: : (possible) 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Temba Bavuma (capt), 3 Rilee Rossouw, 4 Aiden Markram, 5 David Miller, 6 Tristan Stubbs, 7 Wayne Parnell, 8 Keshav Maharaj, 9 Anrich Nortje 10 Lungi Ngidi/Tabraiz Shamsi, 11 Kagiso Rabada. Fakhar Zaman has been ruled out of the match with a knee injury so Pakistan's line-up will have atleast one change. Asif Ali was dropped after the India match but may be brought back in to the XI unless Fakhar is ruled out of the tournament entirely, in which case Mohammad Haris could be brought in as a player replacement. Pakistan: 1 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 2 Babar Azam (capt), 3 Shan Masood, 4 Asif Ali, 5 Iftikhar Ahmed, 6 Shadab Khan, 7 Mohammed Nawaz, 8 Mohammed Wasim, 9 Shaheen Shah Afridi, 10 Haris Rauf, 11 Naseem Shah. Pitch and conditions
This match will be played on the same pitch as the Sri Lanka-New Zealand game, where Trent Boult took a career-best 4 for 13. There's expected to be something in it for the quicks but also plenty of opportunities to score big. Sydney is the only venue at the tournament where teams have breached 200. The best news is that there's no chance of rain at all, with the temperatures in the mid-teens. Stats and trivia * Pakistan have a 3-0 win record against South Africa at the T20 World Cup, even though they last met in 2012.
- The average first innings score in Sydney at this tournament so far is 188, the highest of the venues used.
Host Carl Lewis and coach Dave Wessels and journalist Simnikiwe Xabanisa discuss the biggest talking points in South African and world rugby.
In this episode, they preview the huge Test match between Ireland and South Africa in Dublin and touch on selection, and expectations and then provide predictions.
South Africa: 15 Cheslin Kolbe, 14 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Damian Willemse, 9 Jaden Hendrikse, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Lood de Jager, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Steven Kitshoff.
Replacements: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Ox Nche, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Franco Mostert, 20 Deon Fourie, 21 Kwagga Smith, 22 Faf de Klerk, 23 Willie le Roux.
First, they discuss the United Rugby Championship.
Host Carl Lewis and cricket punter Lwanele Poswayo preview the T20 World Cup double header in Adelaide featuring Zimbabwe v Netherlands & Bangladesh v India.
Host Carl Lewis and cricket punter Lwanele Posway preview the Group 1 doubleheader in Brisbane involving Afghanistan v Sri Lanka and England v New Zealand.
Afghanistan v Sri Lanka
If their Asia Cup tilts are anything to go by, these are evenly matched teams. A quick recap of what happened roughly two months ago: Afghanistan thumped Sri Lanka in the group stage, their quicks ripping through the Sri Lanka batting order to have them 105 all out, before Afghanistan's top four ran down the target in 67 deliveries; next match, in the Super 4s, Sri Lanka comfortably chased 176 in Sharjah - a ground record. Both arrive at this match with their campaigns in critical condition. Sri Lanka have just been crushed back-to-back, by Australia, then New Zealand. Afghanistan have had successive matches abandoned because of rain, having earlier been swatted aside by England. The losers here will be knocked out of semi-final contention, though there also seems to be a chance that this match will be another washout, which doesn't quite end both teams' semi-final hopes, but might, depending on other results (an especially cruel fate for Afghanistan, who have only lost one match so far). England v New Zealand England and New Zealand's last meeting in this format was an instant classic, a slow-burning epic which saw England's World Cup hopes go up in flames. Just short of a year on, England will be staring elimination in the face once again, unless they can overcome one of the tournament's two unbeaten sides at the Gabba. They would still be alive mathematically with a defeat on Tuesday night, but will be relying on Afghanistan beating Australia on Friday, before having to overcome Sri Lanka in their final fixture in Sydney. In short, this is a must-win. Net run rate shouldn't be a major concern for England at this stage, thanks in no small part to Ireland's Lorcan Tucker. Australia were heading for a convincing win on Monday evening when Ireland were 25 for 5, but Tucker's unbeaten 71 closed the margin of defeat significantly. As a result, two wins should be enough for England to reach the semi-final; and they have the advantage of playing the last game in Group 1.
Host Carl Lewis and cricket punter Lwanele Poswayo review the Proteas' massive win over India in the T20 World Cup.
An astonishing display of fast bowling from South Africa’s Lungi Ngidi and half-centuries from David Miller and Aiden Markram saw South Africa to a nail-biting five-wicket victory against India in their T20 World Cup match at the Perth Stadium on Sunday.
India collapsed to 49-5 after choosing to bat first before recovering to a total of 133-9 but South Africa stumbled to 40-3 at the halfway stage of the run chase before a fourth-wicket stand of 76 saw them accelerate to victory with just two balls to spare with Miller keeping cool under intense pressure to finish unbeaten on 59 from 46 balls with four fours and three sixes.
Suryakumar Yadav fought a brilliant, lone battle for India with a remarkable 68 from just 40 balls (6x4, 3x6) while the next highest score was just 15.
South Africa’s four-man pace attack complimented each other impressively and, although it was man-of-the-match Ngidi who claimed 4-29 the other three quicks all contributed to India’s demise on a fast, bouncy pitch in the Western Australian capital.
South Africa struggled desperately for the first 10 overs of the run-chase limping to 40-3 having been 3-2 and 24-3 with left-arm swing bowler, Arshdeep Singh, claiming wickets with his first and third deliveries.
Quinton de Kock (1) edged an outswinger to second slip and Rilee Rossouw (0) was trapped lbw by an inswinger. Captain Temba Bavuma again struggled with 10 from 15 balls before attempting a ramp shot against Mohammad Shami and edging into the gloves of Dinesh Karthik.
Markram and Miller stabilised the innings but at drinks, there were still 94 runs required from the final 10 overs.
A change of gear from Markram saw 16 runs accrue from the 11th over from Hardik Pandya and 17 from the 14th bowled by Ashwin to seemingly put South Africa back on track with 35 runs required from the final five overs with seven wickets in hand. But a mistimed pull against Pandya to Yadav at deep midwicket saw Markram depart for 52 from 41 balls with six fours and a six.
Offspinner Ashwin started the 18th over with South Africa requiring 24 runs from the final three overs but Miller calmed South African nerves – and kept his own – to hit two sixes back over the bowler’s head to reduce the target to 12 runs from 12 balls before Tristan Stubbs (6) was trapped lbw.
Earlier India openers Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul struck a legside six apiece but otherwise adopted a cautious approach before Rohit (15 off 14 balls) spliced a hook shot against Ngidi’s second delivery lobbing a tame return catch to the bowler.
Ngidi struck again with his sixth ball when Rahul (9 off 14 balls) edged a fierce lifter to Markram at deep slip with the total at 26-2 after five overs.
There was no respite with Virat Kohli (12) failing to control a hook shot in Ngidi’s next over and offering a simple catch to Kagiso Rabada at fine leg before Deepak Hooda (0) was beaten for pace by Anrich Nortje and edged to ‘keeper de Kock.
India’s top-order disintegration was completed in Ngidi’s third over – the ninth of the innings – when Hardik Pandya (2) mistimed another hook shot to fine leg where Rabada claimed a magnificent, diving second catch of the innings.
Dinesh Karthik contributed just six from 15 balls to a sixth-wicket stand of 52 with Yadav before slashing a Wayne Parnell delivery to Rossouw at cover and there were further wickets for Parnell when Ashwin (7) heaved a slower ball to mid-on for Rabada’s third catch and Yadav miscued a clever slower ball to Keshav Maharaj at mid-off.
Parnell, bowling two overs in the Power Play and two at the end of the innings, returned a sensational analysis of 4-1-15-3 while Nortje (4-0-23-1) and Rabada (4-0-26-0) did their jobs superbly.
The victory moves South Africa above India to the top of the log and victory against Pakistan in Sydney on Thursday will all but secure their place in the semifinals.
INDIA: Rohit Sharma (captain), KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik, Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammad Shami, Arshdeep Singh
SOUTH AFRICA: Quinton de Kock, Temba Bavuma (captain), Rilee Rossouw, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Wayne Parnell, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi
Host Carl Lewis chats to experience punter David Kappel ahead of the final Matchday of the group stage in the UEFA Champions League.
TUESDAY
Porto vs Atletico Madrid: over 1.5 goals - 1.31
Porto are already qualified, Atletico need a win to secure Europa League qualification
Atletico won first leg 2-1, but only collected 2 points after
One constant is goals, 4/5 UCL games had over 1.5 goals, all of Porto's games had over 1.5 goals
Liverpool vs Napoli: over 0.5 FHGs - 1.27
Both teams are already qualified for the last 16, Napoli won first leg 4-1
Napoli have won 13 games in a row - best run in club history, unbeaten ion 28 games
Liverpool are struggling, have lost to Nottingham and Leeds
One constant again is goals
Rangers vs Ajax: Ajax win/draw & over 1.5 goals - 1.52
Rangers lost all of their 5 UCL games this season, conceding 19 goals. Ajax won first leg 4-0.
21/23 Rangers games this season had over 1.5 goals, 16/17 Ajax games had over 1.5 goals
Over 2.5 goals also an option here!
Marseille vs Spurs: Spurs win/draw - 1.42
Spurs need a draw to qualify, while Marseille qualify with a win. Spurs won first leg 2-0
This game will be a feisty affair, check yellow cards
Marseille have only won 1/6 games, Spurs comeback-win vs Bournemouth should give them confidence
Sporting vs Frankfurt: over 1.5 goals - 1.25
Sporting are ahead of Frankfurt based on goal difference, so Frankfurt need a win to qualify, Sporting can draw
It will be an open game, another feisty one too
6/7 Frankfurt games had over 2.5 goals, 15/17 Sporting games this season had over 1.5 goals
Bayern vs Inter: over 0.5 FHGs - 1.22
both are already qualified for the last 16. Bayern won first leg 2-0.
Bayern are unbeaten in 9 games, Inter unbeaten in 7
Both teams promise goals and both are known for goals in the first half
Plzen vs Barca: Barca win - 1.28
Plzen have lost all 5 games, conceding 20 goals. Barca won the first leg 5-1.
Barca can't qualify for last 16, but will want a win here to take pressure off Xavi.
Barca have won 10/12 games in LaLiga this season
Tuesday code: G7JVC (7 odds)
WEDNESDAY
Real vs Celtic
Real are qualified but could still drop into 2nd place, Celtic will finish 4th
Real have 13/17 games this season, but dropped points on the weekend and lost to Leipzig last round
Celtic have won 11/12 games in Scotland, but none in UCL
Shakhtar vs Leipzig: Over 1.5
Shakhtar beat Leipzig 4-1 in the first leg, which lead to the sacking of their coach
But Leipzig have recovered and will qualify with at least a draw, while Shakhtar need to win
All UCL games of both sides had over 1.5 goals this season
Milan vs Salzburg: Milan win/draw & over 1.5 goals - 1.38
Milan will qualify with a draw, Salzburg need a win. First leg ended 1-1.
All of Milan's UCL games this season had over 1.5 goals, 4/5 Salzburg games also had over 1.5 goals
Salzburg need to attack, so it will be an open game.
Chelsea vs Zagreb: Chelsea win - 1.32
Chelsea are already qualified for last 16, but lost first leg 1-0
Chelsea also got hammered by Brighton 4-1 on the weekend, they will want to make up for it
Zagreb have a chance to qualify for Europe but would need to beat Chelsea
Copenhagen vs Dortmund: Dortmund win/draw - 1.21
Dortmund are already qualified and beat Copenhagen 3-0 in the first leg
Dortmund are unbeaten in 7/8 games and will want to carry that momentum into the knockout stages
Copenhagen are without a win in the UCL this season and haven't even scored
Maccabi vs Benfica: Benfica win/draw - 1.22
Benfica have already qualified, could still overtake PSG in first spot
Benfica are unbeaten 27 games - together with Napoli the in-form sides in Europe
Maccabi lost 4/5 UCL games this season, conceding 15 goals
Juventus vs PSG: over 0.5 FHGs - 1.29
PSG are qualified but are still fighting for No.1 spot in the group, Juventus are 3rd but could still drop into 4th. PSG won first leg 2-1
PSG attacking trio in superb form, PSG are unbeaten in 32 games, Juventus are struggling, have lost 3/6 games
Host Carl Lewis chats to rugby punter Neal Hoogwerf and they preview Test matches between Japan v New Zealand & Scotland v Australia, United Rugby Championship and the Gallagher Premiership.
United Rugby Championship
Scarlets v Leinster
Glasgow Warriots v Bennetton Treviso
Lions v Stomers
Munster v Ulster
Gwent Dragons v Zebre
Ospreys v Connacht
Bulls v Sharks
Cardiff v Edinburg Rugby
International Test Rugby
Japan v New Zealand
Scotland v Australia
Gallagher Premiership
Gloucester v Exeter Chiefs
Harlequins v London Irish
Northampton Saints v Bath Rugby
Saracens v Sale Sharks
Host Carl Lewis and cricket punter Lwanele Poswayo preview Sunday's huge Group 2 T20 World Cup match between India and South Africa.
The pair give their predictions, best bets and value bets for the match taking place in Perth.
Group 2 has been heavily affected by rain so this match could essentially ensure qualification for either side who wins this heavyweight bout.
Host Carl Lewis is joined by football punter Mastos for another Mastos Masterclass, the pair search European football's top 5 leagues and provide out best bets for your multiple and accas. We cover matches from Friday to Sunday in the English Premier League, Serie a, La Liga, Bundesliga and Ligue 1.
Host Carl Lewis and NFL punter James Godlonton make their picks for the Week 8 of the NFL, included, we have some player props and a parlay from Carl.
Denver Broncos vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (-2.5) Let’s check in on how things are going with the Broncos as they prepare for their game in London:
Before the season, if you would’ve told me that the Broncos defense would be ranked first in EPA per drive (where they stand currently) after seven weeks, I’d have guessed we’d be looking at a legit Super Bowl contender. But the offense ranks 29th, and they’re 2-5.
The Jaguars have five losses on the season, too, but all five of them have been one-possession games. Their offense moves the ball most weeks. Trevor Lawrence could have some trouble against Denver, but I trust the Jaguars to do enough to win by a field goal in London.
The pick: Jaguars (-2.5)
Follow along as Steven Ruiz analyzes and grades the NFL’s quarterbacks all season long
Chicago Bears at Dallas Cowboys (-9.5) The Bears unleashed a version of their offense last week that everyone’s been begging for. They used Justin Fields in the designed run game, and it worked out beautifully. Chicago scored on seven of its first nine possessions en route to a 33-14 win over the Patriots.
But keeping that momentum going against Dallas will be a challenge. The Cowboys have an athletic defense, and the Bears will no longer benefit from the element of surprise.
I see a competitive game, but the Cowboys force a turnover late and get the cover.
The pick: Cowboys (-9.5)
Las Vegas Raiders at New Orleans Saints (+1.5) Stat that would probably surprise a lot of people: The Raiders offense currently ranks second in expected points added (EPA) per drive. They’ve figured some things out, and running back Josh Jacobs has been a big part of the solution. He’s third in the NFL with 633 rushing yards and is averaging 5.7 yards per carry. The Raiders are 2-4, but all four losses have been by six points or fewer.
As for the Saints, they’re sticking with Andy Dalton over Jameis Winston at quarterback. Remember, losing games gets the Saints nowhere in terms of draft positioning. They traded their first-round pick to the Eagles, and that could prove to be really painful. If the season ended today, that’d be the no. 6 pick.
I don’t think the Saints are very good, and I like the Raiders to be able to move the ball in this one.
Pick: Raiders (-1.5)
Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons (-4.5) The Falcons got lit up for 537 yards in a loss to the Bengals last week, and their secondary has been decimated by injuries. A.J. Terrell did not practice Wednesday because of a hamstring injury. That means it’ll likely be two backup starters at corner for Atlanta in this game.
Last week’s Panthers win over the Bucs was one of the most surprising results of the season. Carolina is headed nowhere, but its young players, including defensive end Brian Burns and defensive tackle Derrick Brown, continue to make plays. With P.J. Walker at quarterback, the Panthers delivered their best offensive performance of the season in terms of EPA per drive.
Given the Falcons’ cornerback situation and how often they run the ball, I’m taking the points here.
The pick: Panthers (+4.5)
Pittsburgh Steelers at Philadelphia Eagles (-10.5) The Eagles are coming off a bye and remain the NFL’s only undefeated team. According to Football Outsiders, the Eagles have the second-easiest remaining schedule in the NFL. The next four quarterbacks they’re slated to face are: Kenny Pickett, Davis Mills, Taylor Heinicke, and Sam Ehlinger.
The Steelers battled last week in a 16-10 loss to the Dolphins. If they could have held on to one of a handful of interception opportunities, they might have had a chance to steal the game. One fun subplot for this game: How will the Steelers’ coaching staff attack Jalen Hurts? Head coach Mike Tomlin, senior defensive assistant Brian Flores, and defensive coordinator Teryl Austin have seen a lot of football. They might not have the roster talent to slow Hurts down, but it’s at least possible that they’ll come up with a game plan that other teams take notice of in future weeks.
The Eagles are the much better team right now, and a blowout would not be surprising, but this is a big number, and I generally lean toward Tomlin when he’s an underdog.
The pick: Steelers (+10.5)
Miami Dolphins at Detroit Lions (+3.5) The Lions have been outscored 53-6 in their past two losses, to the Patriots and Cowboys. Part of the issue has been injuries, and it sounds like there’s at least a chance that running back D’Andre Swift and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown could play in this game.
The Dolphins squeaked by the Steelers on Sunday night. Pro Football Focus charts what it calls turnover-worthy plays. The idea is that you should treat a dropped interception the same as an actual interception when assessing the quarterback. Tua Tagovailoa has the second-highest percentage of turnover-worthy plays among starters this season.
Given their speed on offense, the Dolphins are capable of blowing teams out on any given week. But I like the Lions to recapture some of the offensive magic we saw early in the season and keep it close here.
The pick: Lions (+3.5)
Arizona Cardinals at Minnesota Vikings (-3.5) For what feels like the 100th time this season, Kyler Murray and Kliff Kingsbury went at it on the sideline last week after the Cardinals had to waste a timeout because the play clock was winding down. On a positive note for the Cardinals, their win over the Saints was their best offensive performance of the season in terms of EPA per play. DeAndre Hopkins returned, and his presence on the field has been a game-changer for them the past couple of seasons.
The Vikings are 5-1, and they are tied with the Cowboys for the second-best Super Bowl odds in the NFC behind the Eagles. I cohost and/or listen to roughly 400 hours of NFL podcasts each week and have not found a single person who really believes in the Vikings. The best thing about Vikings fans is that they won’t be offended by that assessment. There’s no chance they believe in this team yet, either.
I never like taking the Cardinals, given how disorganized they are on a weekly basis, but I do like the matchup of their offence against the Vikings defence.
The pick: Cardinals (+3.5)
New England Patriots at New York Jets (+2.5) Bill Belichick got outcoached by Matt Eberflus last week. I did not expect to type that sentence this season! Belichick’s quarterback platoon plan backfired, and the Patriots were not prepared for Justin Fields to be unleashed as a runner. They got outplayed on special teams too.
Mac Jones is expected to get the start this week for New England. The Jets are reeling a bit after they lost running back Breece Hall and guard Alijah Vera-Tucker to season-ending injuries.
I like both defences. It’ll likely be a low-scoring game, but I trust Mac Jones to make more plays than Zach Wilson.
The pick: Patriots (-2.5)
Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans (+2.5) Look who’s in first place in the AFC South yet again. Yup, it’s the Titans. They have failed to score more than 24 points in a game this season, yet they’ve won four games in a row and are 4-2. The Titans don’t do anything great. They are 25th in EPA per drive on offense and 13th on defense. But they’re well-coached and don’t give games away. Slogan for winning the AFC South in 2022: Don’t screw it up.
As for the Texans, Football Outsiders gives them a 17 percent chance to land the top pick in the 2023 draft. They’ve generally been a competitive team. Even last week, Houston was up 20-17 going into the fourth quarter before the Raiders scored 21 straight.
If this line got above a field goal, I’d be tempted to take the Texans. Ryan Tannehill is dealing with an ankle injury, but I still like the Titans to grind out an ugly win.
The pick: Titans (-2.5)
New York Giants at Seattle Seahawks (-3) Both Brian Daboll and Pete Carroll are on the short list of Coach of the Year candidates. The Giants are somehow seventh in offensive DVOA. As coaches around the league make excuses for why their teams aren’t performing, Daboll has shown he can do more with less.
As for the Seahawks, I thought they’d be doomed this year. Instead, they’re in first place in the NFC West. Fox analyst Mark Sanchez had an apt observation during their win over the Chargers last week: He said the Seahawks’ sideline looked like a party, while the Chargers’ sideline looked like a morgue. Carroll’s teams always play with joy, and he deserves credit for that.
As for this game, I see two pretty evenly matched teams. I’ll take the points.
The pick: Giants (+3)
Washington Commanders at Indianapolis Colts (-3) It sure sounds like the decision to go from Matt Ryan to Sam Ehlinger at quarterback was driven by owner Jim Irsay.
So Irsay wanted Carson Wentz traded, then signed off on the Ryan trade, and now prefers Ehlinger? I’m not sure that the Colts have a sound process in place here. It’s possible that Ehlinger gives them a boost of energy. We see that often with new quarterbacks. But the truth is the Colts just don’t have a lot of talent on offense.
Taylor Heinicke didn’t exactly light it up last week, but Washington’s defensive front can still create problems. In what feels like a coin-flip game, I’ll take the points.
The pick: Commanders (+3)
San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams (+1.5) According to The Athletic’sTim Kawakami, one reason the 49ers traded for Christian McCaffrey was that they were still bitter about losing out to the Rams in the Matthew Stafford deal. It sounds like the 49ers admire the Rams’ “eff them picks” approach, but there are differences between what they did for McCaffrey and what the Rams have done.
One, the Rams have generally traded picks for players at premium positions. Stafford at quarterback. Jalen Ramsey at cornerback. Von Miller at edge rusher. And two, one reason the Rams’ approach has worked out is because they’ve stayed relatively healthy, at least until this season. We’ve seen their depth get tested this year, and it hasn’t been pretty.
The 49ers traded for a running back who played in 10 games in 2020 and 2021 combined. They now don’t have a pick until the end of the third round in the 2023 draft. Plus, they’ll have to pay McCaffrey $12 million next season. That’s $12 million they can’t spend elsewhere on the roster. I think the trade is both fun and reckless. The fun part will be watching Kyle Shanahan scheme up an offense for McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, and Brandon Aiyuk. It’s possible this group will stay healthy and get to the Super Bowl. But the most likely scenario is that this will end up being a poor use of resources.
As for this game, I think I’m the last person on the planet who isn’t giving up on the Rams just yet. Let’s see what this offense looks like now that Sean McVay has had a chance to make some tweaks during the bye.
The pick: Rams (+1.5)
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Are Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady Just Down, or Are They Out? Green Bay Packers at Buffalo Bills (-10.5) According to TruMedia’s database, this is the first time in Aaron Rodgers’s career that the Packers have been an underdog of 10 points or more. Offensively, I see a quarterback who doesn’t trust his pass catchers. Defensively, I see a group that is not playing up to its talent.
Then we have the Bills. Their plus-95 point differential is not only tops in the NFL, but it’s 39 points better than any other team.
Would it surprise me if Rodgers looked like the two-time reigning MVP, the Packers thrived in the “nobody believes in us” role, and they made this a competitive game? No. But I’m in “prove it” mode with Green Bay. The Bills are talented and well-coached, and they never take their foot off the gas. I’m not fading them here.
The pick: Bills (-10.5)
Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns (+3.5) I didn’t see the Bengals’ 35-17 win over the Falcons last week as proof that they’ve figured out their offensive scheme. To me, it was just a reminder of how special the best version of Joe Burrow is. He went 34-for-42 for 481 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions, spreading the ball around and making a number of high-level throws. In a year when so many quarterbacks are struggling, Burrow ranks fourth in EPA per pass play.
The Browns, meanwhile, are reeling. They’ve lost four in a row, and per The Athletic’s Zac Jackson, someone in the locker room yelled “no f---ing leadership” after last week’s loss to the Ravens. Not great!
Two things the Browns will lean on here: their run game and their pass rush. I think the Bengals do enough to win, but this feels like a field goal game. I’ll take the home dogs.
The pick: Browns (+3.5)
Top-10 featherweights take centre stage as Boston bruiser Calvin Kattar battles surging Brit Arnold Allen in a high-stakes headliner at UFC Vegas 63 on Saturday night (Sunday morning SA time).
Welterweight veterans Tim Means and Max Griffin meet in the co-main event at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas where undefeated heavyweight prospect Waldo Cortes Acosta makes his promotional debut against Jared Vanderaa in the featured bout.
Plus Josh Fremd takes on Tresean Gore in a middleweight match-up and dangerous light heavyweights Dustin Jacoby and Khalil Rountree rumble in the main card opener.
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Lots of coaching changes in the PSL
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Only City, TS Galaxy and Stellenbosch have the same coaches as at the start of last season (Sundowns & Richards Bay notable).
- Some of the criticism against Zwane is harsh, he is still a new coach
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When was the last derby with two new coaches at the helm?
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How have the coaches fared?
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Same number of games played
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Jose Riviero has a lot in his favour
- Better defence (7 - 18)
- Into the Cup final (1 leads to 2)
- Beating Sundowns (compared to Chiefs losing 4-0)
| Kaizer Chiefs | Orlando Pirates | | Ball possession, % | 52% | 52% | | Goals | 18 | 14 | | xG (Expected goals) | 1,77 | 1,17 | | Opponent's xG | 1,16 | 0,75 | | Net xG (xG - Opponent's xG) | 0,61 | 0,43 | | Entrance to the penalty box | 16 | 16 | | Entrances to the final third | 47 | 40 | | Entrances to the opposition half | 70 | 60 | | Passes | 454 | 438 | | Crosses | 15 | 14 | | Positional attacks | 65 | 58 |
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But What did the coaches inherit?
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Is he doing better because he found a team at a better level (was Arthur dealt a shorthand?)
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What was the trajectory when they came in?
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Who can catch Sundowns
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Now?
- In the long term?
- Are any of these 50 point teams?
- Is Jose building a Cup team?
Host Carl Lewis and the team at Laduma Analytics as they take a deep dive into Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates ahead of this weekends Soweto Derby.
What can we expect this weekend?
- The Most drawn fixture in PSL history
- 52 matches
- 24 draws
- Pirates will treat this like a mini Cup final
- Chiefs won’t see much in front of goal (1.5 xG max)
- Remember Sundowns not getting a SoT v Pirates
- Predict a 1-1 draw
Host Carl Lewis and the team at Laduma Analytics review the MTN8 Semifinals.
The MTN8 semi-finals saw Orlando Pirates and AmaZulu reach the final of the competition, knocking out Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs respectively. By The Numbers is a weekly focus on some of teh statistics from the PSL weekend. With just one match remaining in the competition, we have enough data to see if there are any patterns & trends.
Semi-final 1 - Sundowns 0 Orlando Pirates 3
Pirates took few shots, that was enough
If you had said before the game that Sundowns would take 14 shots at goal and Pirates only five, no one would have batted an eyelid. Sundowns are the joint-highest shot takers per game in the league, while Pirates have been a low volume shot team all season (only recently averaging the fewest shots on target per game in the top-flight). That has improved of late recently, but in a tie where they had to soak up a lot of pressure, they reverted to the norm.
5 - shots for Pirates on the day, their lowest in a match since 17 August (4 v Royal AM)
5 - shots by Pirates, the lowest by any team in a MTN8 match this season
Having taken an early-ish lead, it would have been foolish for Pirates to go recklessly chasing more goals. After all, Sundowns needed two goals to overcome the away goal deficit. So a lot of credit must go to Jose Riveiro’s tactics after taking the lead. Sundowns’ comeback record has never been great, at moments on Satuday it did feel like we had seen versions of this match many times. This was not tiki take Pirates at all.
210 - passes by Pirates in this game, the fewest by a team in the MTN8 this season
210 - passes by Pirates, the fewest by a team in the MTN8 since we have this data available (2016/17 season, 62 games)
210 - passes by Pirates, the fewest by a Pirates team since we have Pirates data available (2015/16 season, 300+ games)
Even the goals they scored came from situations that initially did not look dangerous. Truth is, they just had to wait for the mistakes and be clinical when the opportunities arose. A bit of a smash and grab.
3 - shots by Pirates, that resulted in the three goals
Sundowns unimaginative with possession
Sundowns were their own enemies on the day, with some uncharacteristically bad defending from Sundowns. From Modiba being outsmarted & outmuscled by Saleng, to failed offside traps and not playing to the whistle,. You need only look at their Tuesday night performance to see that this is not a squad that became poor overnight. They are a possession team, and they were against Pirates.
67% - Possession for Sundowns in this game, their highest in a match against Pirates since we have this data available (2015/16)
80 - entries into the Pirates half, their second most in a game against Pirates since 2015/16
80 - entries into the Pirates final third, their second most in a game against Pirates since 2015/16
Yet, given tons of possession by Pirates, they were unimaginative for large parts of the game, with a few half-chances providing the most threat. It’s not just about possession, but what you do with it. The two matches with the highest entries into the Pirates ha;f & box ended in defeat (3-1 in January 2018, and this 3-0)*
Semi-final 2 - AmaZulu 0 Chiefs 0
Like Sundowns the day before, Chiefs dominated the possession and passing stats, although to a lesser extent. They made their way upfield, but never really tested Veli Mothwa. Despite the upfield forays, Chiefs failure in attack is made worse by the fact that this was a day when they really needed to score goals.
24 - box entries for Chiefs in this game, their second most in a game this season
0 - shots on target for Chiefs in this game
3 - Number of time Chiefs have ended a match without a shot on target in the last eight years
*Some data providers classified this effort from Blom as a shot, when it seems like a shot
Credit to AmaZulu
Some credit mjst be given to AmaZulu too, who defended well as a unit. This was only the second time this season that they limited a team to less than 1xG (0.83 xGA v Chiefs and 0.76 xGA v TS Galaxy on Matchday 1). The final looks increasimngly like it will be a clash of the defences.
Host Carl Lewis and cricket punter Lwanele Poswayo preview Friday morning's T20 World Cup doubleheader as arch-rivals Australia and England square off in a must-win game for both sides. The first games of the morning will see Ireland take on Afghanistan with the Irish brimming with confidence after their fantastic victory over England earlier this week.
The pair give their predictions, best bets and value bets for the doubleheader, with both games taking place at the MCG in Melbourne.
Host Carl Lewis chats with NBA expert Cyrus Rogers about the start of the new league season. We discuss who has impressed him and who has disappointed him the most so far.
Max Verstappen scored his 13th Grand Prix victory of the 2022 season, overtaking bitter rival Lewis with six laps remaining at the Circuit of the Americas. The win secured Red Bull the constructors' championship for the first time since 2013. The team dedicated the victory to the late energy drink company's founder and team owner Dietrich Mateschitz.
Mercedes' second and fifth-place finishes in Austin saw the Brackley-based team whittle down second-placed Ferrari's lead in the constructors' championship to 53 points.
F1 heads to Mexico this weekend for the second race of the doubleheader. It has been a happy hunting ground for the world champion, with three wins at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.
The 4.3km long circuit was heavily revamped in 2015 and features two long straights in the first sector. The track has a total of 17 turns and there are two DRS detection zones midway through the second and third sectors. Interestingly the track is 2km above sea level.
Each of the 71 laps require 52 gear changes and drivers will spend 45% of the lap at full throttle. The longest flat-out section of the track is 1 200m and maximum speed is 349km/h.
The track's fast nature lends itself to favour Red Bull and Ferrari. The duo has shown their superior performance over the rest of the pack all season, and we foresee a victory for Verstappen. In fact, Red Bull's dominance in recent history lends us to predict a 1-2 win for the Milton Keynes-based outfit. Ferrari's Carlos Sainz is a good bet to round off the podium. The Spaniard was unlucky to lose out in States after starting on pole, only to have Russell clatter into the scarlet car at turn 1.
Mercedes will be buoyed by their strong performance in Austin, and Hamilton might rue the decision to continue on the hard compound at the end of the race. The W13 wore a range of modifications last weekend, and it could pay dividends once again in Mexico.
Look out for Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon to make headway for Alpine at a track that suits their strong package. Aston Martin's Sebastian Vettel is driving with the verve of a world champion, and we expect the German to continue his gung-ho approach in Mexico City.
Verstappen, Perez, Sainz
Fastest lap:
Pole position: Verstappen
First to retire: Latifi
Most Team Points: Red Bull
Both Cars Qualify for Q3 Shootout: Mercedes
Free Practice 1/2/3 Winning Car: Verstappen / Red Bull
Safety Car: Yes
Top 6: Alonso
Top 10: Gasly, Stroll, Vettel
Host Carl Lewis and cricket punter Lwanele Poswayo preview a triple header at the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia.
The pair provide best bets and player prop bets for:
South Africa v Bangladesh in Sydney
South Africa have a chance to get two crucial points against Bangladesh after their opening game against Zimbabwe was washed out in Hobart. Bangladesh, with an important opening-match win under their belt, are just about confident enough to give them yet another headache.
Team news South Africa might drop one of the fast bowlers to bring in Tabraiz Shamsi, who could be handy at the SCG. South Africa (probable): 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Temba Bavuma (capt), 3 Rilee Rossouw, 4 Aiden Markram, 5 David Miller, 6 Tristan Stubbs, 7 Wayne Parnell, 8 Keshav Maharaj, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Anrich Nortje/Tabraiz Shamsi, 11 Lungi Ngidi Bangladesh usually don't change their winning combination but they might somehow try to accommodate Mehidy Hasan Miraz in the XI. Bangladesh (probable): 1 Soumya Sarkar, 2 Najmul Hossain Shanto, 3 Litton Das, 4 Shakib Al Hasan (capt), 5 Afif Hossain, 6 Nurul Hasan (wk), 7 Mosaddek Hossain, 8 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 9 Taskin Ahmed, 10 Mustafizur Rahman, 11 Hasan Mahmud Pitch and conditions This match will be played on a new pitch that has a decent covering of grass but is expected to be reasonably dry. The weather has been dry and warm in the lead-up but there's some rain in the forecast for Thursday afternoon. India v Netherlands in Sydney Friday will be the first instance of India and Netherlands contesting in a T20 international. While India will enter as clear favourites, they will also be the first to point out the danger that Scott Edwards' team poses. Netherlands are the only Associates in the Super 12s. They have worked hard to earn their place and now their players want to enjoy playing alongside the big boys, a long-cherished dream. India, Pakistan and South Africa are in their group, and the Dutch want to ensure they push themselves to create an upset. Pakistan v Zimbabwe in Perth In the aftermath of two derbies, two different moods. Zimbabwe upset with having had to carry on in the conditions they did against South Africa, but no doubt relieved to have come away with a point. Pakistan, meanwhile, anguished at seeing two points slip away in that wild last over at the MCG against India.
Max Verstappen is the 2022 Formula 1 world champion. The Red Bull driver secured his second title with a win at a wet Suzuka circuit in Japan amid controversy over how many points should have been awarded. We have a betting preview for the United States Grand Prix.
With four races remaining in the season, Verstappen has won six out of the last seven races. Those victories have helped Red Bull to a 165-point lead over Ferrari in the constructors’ championship. The maths is simple: Red Bull needs 25 points from a win at the Circuit of the Americas to secure their first title since 2013.
This weekend’s race is the 10th anniversary since the 5.513km track in Texas was opened in 2012. It’s also the second race in the United States after the inaugural Miami GP. Sir Lewis Hamilton holds the record for the most wins with six, with Michael Schumacher with five victories. Verstappen took the chequered flag in 2021, finishing ahead of Hamilton and Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez.
The Circuit of the Americas track was purpose-built for F1 and kicks off with a steep climb to Turn 1 that is wide enough for three cars to fit alongside each other. From Turn 3 to 6 the designers bit from the high-speed Maggots and Becketts at Silverstone. Another sequence to look out for is the long right-hander from Turn 16 through to 18. We’re likely to see a high number of overtakes and the layout will favour Red Bull’s high straight-line performance. Ferrari won’t be far behind, but I expect Alpine and AlphaTauri to give Mercedes a few headaches over the weekend.
Verstappen’s recent form puts him at the top of the pile for the win, and news that Ferrari will test a 2023-spec engine for Charles Leclerc means he will take a five-place grid penalty.
Carlos Sainz should outperform Sergio Perez and I expect the Spaniard to complete a double podium finish for the Italian team. Mercedes will bring a raft of upgrades to the States, and will likely show a decent pace in sectors one and three due to the high downforce nature of the track. However, on the two straights, the Brackley-based team won’t match the high speeds of the Alpine and even AlphaTauri.
This weekend is the first race since news broke of Red Bull breaking the 2021 cost cap and the energy drink team will want the focus to be on them securing the constructors’ title rather than facing tough questions.
The pursuit for gold in the world’s pre-eminent mixed martial arts promotion leads to Yas Island in Abu Dhabi where two titles will be on the line at a stacked UFC 280 on Saturday night.
Headlining the star-studded event at the Etihad Arena is a clash for the vacant lightweight championship as uncrowned king Charles Oliveira collides with wresting juggernaut Islam Makhachev.
The co-main event sees the present meet the past to determine the future of the bantamweight division as Aljamain Sterling defends the belt against former two-time champion TJ Dillashaw.
The rest of the loaded main card consists of fights with title implications of one kind or another with ex-bantamweight champion Petr Yan squaring off against rising star Sean O’Malley, Beneil Dariush meeting Mateusz Gamrot in a tilt of top 10 lightweights and Katlyn Chookagian facing Manon Fiorot in a number one contender clash in the flyweight division.
Six weeks into the NFL season and certain things are becoming clear. The Eagles are soaring. New York hasn’t felt a buzz like this around their NFL teams in years. The Packers are faltering. And there are certain things you cannot predict on a week-by-week basis. As part of our NFL week 7 preview, we are taking the time to look back on the season so far, picking out our MVP’s so far and also the surprising games from the last slate on games.
On top of all that, join host Carl Lewis and NFL punter James Godlonton as they bring you our NFL week 7 preview looking ahead of the Browns trip to Baltimore, Jacksonville playing host to the resurgent Giants, the Jets hoping to fly against the Broncos and arguably the game of the week in San Francisco as the 49ers welcome the Chiefs, fresh off their disappointment against the Bills.
Host Carl Lewis chats to rugby punter Neal Hoogwerf and they preview the final of the Bunnings NPC, United Rugby Championship and a shortened Gallagher Premiership. NPC Final Canterbury v Wellington
United Rugby Championship Benetton Treviso v Bulls
Connacht v Scarlets
Zebre v Edinburgh Rugby
Lions v Glasgow Warriors
Leinster v Munster
Sharks v Ulster
Cardiff v Stormers
Dragons v Ospreys
Gallagher Premiership Gloucester v London Irish
Exeter Chiefs v Saracens
Bath v Northampton Saints
Sale Sharks v Harlequins
Host Carl Lewis is joined by coach Dave Wessels and veteran journalist Simnikiwe Xabanisa and they discuss the biggest talking points in world rugby and South African rugby. In this episode they discuss:
The Springboks will begin preparations for their end-of-year tour in Stellenbosch this Sunday with a group of 26 players. A group of 17 South African-based players and nine who are currently plying their trade in Japan will meet for the three-day training camp. They will be in the camp until Wednesday, 26 October, with a few of the players set to return to their teams for United Rugby Championship duty a few days later.
Players invited to Stellenbosch training camp:
Props: Thomas du Toit, Steven Kitshoff, Frans Malherbe, Ox Nche
Hookers: Malcolm Marx, Bongi Mbonambi
Locks: Lood de Jager, Eben Etzebeth, Salmaan Moerat
Loose forwards: Pieter-Steph du Toit, Siya Kolisi, Elrigh Louw, Kwagga Smith
Utility forwards: Deon Fourie, Franco Mostert
Scrumhalves: Faf de Klerk, Jaden Hendrikse
Flyhalf: Johan Goosen
Centres: Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende
Outside backs: Kurt-Lee Arendse, Willie le Roux, Makazole Mapimpi, Canan Moodie, Sbu Nkosi
Utility back: Damian Willemse
We also discuss the South African teams in the United Rugby Championship:
Stormers drew 16-all with Ospreys in the wet and rainy Swansea
The Springbok-laden Sharks smacked the Glasgow Warriors
The Lions lost to a very good Ulster side by two points in the Joburg
And finally, the Bulls lost to Munster to make it losses in a row.
Host Carl Lewis is joined by experience cricket punter Ed Hawkins for a special T20 World Cup Preview.
We discussed T20 cricket betting principles and things you should consider when placing bets.
We also touch on the World Cup venues:
Sydney Cricket Ground
Perth Stadium, Perth
Bellerive Oval, Hobart
MCG, Melbourne
The Gabba, Brisbane
Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
And we end with predictions for the World Cup winner, top tournament batter and top tournament bowler.
Host Carl Lewis talks to NBA expert Cyrus Rogers about the fight between Draymond Green & Jordan Poole at the Golden State Warriors - we discuss the implications and what the future holds for both and the organisation.
Host Carl Lewis is joined by NBA expert Cyrus Rogers ahead of the new NBA season. We make out predictions for the season, using odds from Bet.co.za, the pair discuss and debate the best future bets for the NBA.
Outside of picking Eastern and Western COnfernecen winners, they also touch on their most likely to win the chip. After discussing teams, they speak about the player awards including MVP, Rookie and Most Improved Player of the Year.
Host Carl Lewis is joined by football writer Zach Lowy as the pair discuss the fresh drama between superstar Kylian Mbappe and Paris Saint Germain where the World Cup winner is apparently looking for a way out of Paris after his relationship with the Qatari owners broke down. They also touch on his relationship with Neymar and Lionel Messi.
They also talk UEFA Champions League; five teams advance; Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Manchester City, Napoli and Club Brugge have all secured spots in the Champions League round of 16 with two games left in the group stage.
Host Carl Lewis is joined by football punter Mastos for another Mastos Masterclass, the pair search European football's top 5 leagues and provide out best bets for your multiple and accas.
We cover matches from Friday to Sunday in the English Premier League, Serie a, La Liga, Bundesliga and Ligue 1.
Week 6 of the NFL season signals the start of the bye weeks, meaning we won't have another full slate of games until Week 12 (Thanksgiving week). But that doesn't mean there won't be enough action to keep fans entertained on a weekly basis.
And one thing that doesn’t go away even with byes in effect is "Thursday Night Football." For Week 6, TNF pits Washington against Chicago. Both teams are struggling right now but this gives each an opportunity to get back into the win column (barring a tie). If anything, fans are just hoping there will be at least one touchdown scored after last Thursday's field goal-fest between Indianapolis and Denver.
And if TNF isn't your cup of tea, there are 11 games on Sunday. There is no London game in Week 6 (next one is Week 8), but the 1 p.m. ET window features some intriguing cross-conference matchups with Baltimore taking on the New York Giants and the Jets heading to Lambeau Field to face the Packers. Elsewhere, Minnesota heads to Miami, Cincinnati will be in New Orleans, and Tom Brady and the Buccaneers will be in the Steel City to face the reeling Steelers. There is one divisional contest and it's an important one as Jacksonville and Indianapolis meet for the second time this season already (Jaguars won 24-0 in Week 2) with both teams getting a chance to gain on idle Tennessee in the AFC South.
There are just three games in the later-afternoon time slot on Sunday but one of those is a highly anticipated showdown between current AFC leaders Buffalo and Kansas City. Besides the Bills and Chiefs both entering this game with 4-1 records, no one has forgotten about their epic divisional playoff game last season that initiated a tweak to the overtime rules. There's also Arizona at Seattle in a key NFC West contest and the Rams will look to turn things around at home against the Panthers.
Week 6 concludes with a pair of divisional prime-time games. First place in the NFC East and more will be on the line for "Sunday Night Football" when the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles renew their rivalry. The Eagles are the only unbeaten team left standing while the Cowboys could get Dak Prescott back, although Cooper Rush has certainly managed during their four-game winning streak, with considerable help from Dallas' suffocating defense. Then on "Monday Night Football" it's the Chargers and Broncos battling it out in Los Angeles with both teams jockeying for position in the AFC West.
Host Carl Lewis chats to rugby punter Neal Hoogwerf and they preview the semi-finals in the Bunnings NPC, United Rugby Championship and a shortened Gallagher Premiership.
NPC
Wellington vs Auckland
Canterbury vs Bay Of Plenty
United Rugby Championship
Ospreys vs Stormers
Connacht vs Leinster
Lions vs Ulster
Sharks vs Glasgow Warriors
Edinburgh Rugby vs Benetton Treviso
Cardiff vs Gwent Dragons
Munster vs Bulls
Scarlets vs Zebre
Gallagher Premiership
Saracens vs Bath
Gloucester vs Bristol
Northampton vs Newcastle Falcons
Harlequins vs Leicester
Host Carl Lewis is joined by motorsport journalist Sean parker as they chat about Red bull's Max Verstappen winning back-to-back Driver's Championships in Japan this weekend, the Dutchman joins the illustrious company that achieved this feat.
Also, they talk about the FIA's report on Red Bull and Aston Martin overspending with regard to the budget cap and the implications for the world of Formula 1.
Also,
Pierre Gasly will join Alpine in 2023, while Nyck de Vries will take the French driver's place at AlphaTauri, the two teams confirmed Saturday.
Gasly will replace Aston Martin-bound Fernando Alonso, leaving the Red Bull driver program he joined in 2014.
Host Carl Lewis and golf punter Wade Pretorius preview the ZOZO Championship in Japan and also the Andalucia Masters in Spain.
ZOZO Championship
Our experts went all in on Sungjae Im last week. He wound up finishing solo seventh. In our longshots section, we even touted Matthew NeSmith (T-2), Tom Hoge (T-4) and Mito Pereira (T-4). You couldn’t possibly have had the board more covered.
Well, you could have by picking 20-year-old Tom Kim, who picked up his second PGA Tour win in remarkable fashion, going bogey-free over 72 holes at the Shriners Children’s Open. We’re now 0-for-2 as a group in correctly predicting Tom Kim wins, which won’t be the case for long if he keeps winning at this Tiger Woods-ian rate.
Perhaps foolishly, none of our experts are backing Kim this week at the Zozo Championship, which returns to Japan for a third time in its four years of existence. Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club has produced two elite winners in Woods and Hideki Matsuyama, and our outright selections indicate we expect more of the same in 2022.
Andalucia Masters
The European Tour action stays in Spain this weekend following the Open de Espana last weekend. This weekend, the attention will be on Real Club Valderrama, Sotogrande, as the Andalucia Masters is staged. Matt Fitzpatrick was the event winner last year and looks to be a commanding favourite at the top of the betting for the 2022 edition.
Host Carl Lewis is joined by coach Dave Wessels and veteran journalist Simnikiwe Xabanisa and they discuss the biggest talking points in world rugby and South African rugby. In this episode, they discuss Worcester Warriors and Wasps and what their financial problems mean for professional rugby around the world. Finances in world rugby CVC Capital and private equity in rugby Lions: Should we take this Lions side seriously: Henco van Wyk seems legit, does have what it takes to make it all the way? 19-yer-old Ruan Venter looks like another gem from the South African loose forward production line Sharks: Thoughts on the Sharks so far... What is the minimum that the SHakrs need to achieve this season for Sean Everitt to be safe? Stormers Great start for the Stormers this season...thoughts so far... Sacha Mngomezulu looked comfortable against Zebre, kicking was also on point... breakout season? Bulls Their loss to Glasgow - should we be concerned? Unprepared or outplayed? They face Munster next, it could potentially become a poor tour if they lose to the Irish...big pressure or still early season?
TUESDAY
Copenhagen vs Man City: Man City W & over 2.5 goals, 1.43 odds
Copenhagen lost 5-0 to City, 3-0 to BVB & drew 0-0 with Sevilla
City beat Copenhagen 5-0, Sevilla 4-0, BVB 2-1 + last six games were all over 2.5 goals
Maccabi vs Juventus: Juventus draw no bet, 1.36
Juve beat Macaabi 3-0 at, Macaabi lost 4/5 games
Juve won 2/3 last games + lost to PSG & Benfica and need the points vs Macaabi
Shakhtar vs Real Madrid: Real win, 1.37
Real have won 11/12 games this season
Real have won 3/3 vs Shakhtar
Milan vs Chelsea: over 1.5 goals, 1.28
Chelsea won first leg 3-0
11/12 Milan games this season had over 1.5 goals, 9/11 Chelsea games had over 1.5 goals
PSG vs Benfica: over 0.5 FHGs, 1.23
All of PSG's UCL games had over 1.5 FHGs, 2/3 Benfica's had over 1.5 FHGs
PSG have scored in the first half in 12/14 games this season
Celtic vs Leipzig: over 1.5 goals, 1.19
Leipzig won the first leg 3-1
All of Celtic's 13 games this season had over 1.5 goals (9 had over 2.5 goals)
All of Leipzig's 14 games this season had over 1.5 goals (10 had over 2.5 goals)
WEDNESDAY
Atletico vs Brugge: Atletico win/draw under 4.5 goals, 1.28
Brugge won first leg 2-0, and have won 3/3 in UCL, but somewhat poor in Belgium
Atletico need a win after picking up just 3 points in 3 games
10/11 Atletico games had under 4.5 goals, 14/15 Brugge games had under 4.5 goals
Napoli vs Ajax: over 2.5 goals, 1.50
Napoli have won 8/8, 7/8 had over 2.5 goals
Ajax have only won 1/5, 9/12 games had over 2.5 goals
Rangers vs Liverpool: over 0.5 FHGs, 1.25
2/3 UCL games of Rangers had over 0.5 FHGs, 3/3 UCL games of Liverpool had over 0.5 FHGs
11/12 Liverpool games had over 0.5 FHGs, 14/17 Rangers games had over 0.5 FHGs
Sporting vs Marseilla: over 1.5 goals, 1.23
All 12 Sporting this season had over 1.5 goals (9/12 had over 2.5 goals)
11/13 Marseille games had over 1.5 goals (7/13 had over 2.5 goals)
Plzen vs Bayern:
Plzen conceded 12 goals in 3 UCL games, Bayern scored 9, including 5-0 in the first leg
12/14 Bayern games had over 0.5 FHGs
11 games, 19.37 odds, Code: 7WXX9
Host Carl Lewis and football writer Zach Lowy discuss the biggest talking points in European football. They cover Napoli and Luciano Spalletti's impressive start to the season. The team from Naples is leading the Serie A and their Champions League group and it's time we start taking note of them as a club.
They also chat about Manchester City, Paris Saint Germain, Roberto de Zerbi to Brighton and a whole lot more.
Host Carl Lewis and football writer Zach Lowy discuss the biggest talking points in European football. They cover Napoli and Luciano Spalletti's impressive start to the season. The team from Naples is leading the Serie A and their Champions League group and it's time we start taking note of them as a club.
They also chat about Manchester City, Paris Saint Germain, Roberto de Zerbi to Brighton and a whole lot more.
With 2022 NBA season two weeks away, host Carl Lewis and NBA expert Cyrus Rogers discuss the biggest talking points in the league and during the preseason.
Topics covered:
The returns of Ben Simmons at the Brooklyn Nets, Kawhi Leonard at the LA Clippers, Jamal Murray at the Denver Nuggets and so much more.
A mature chat on the Boston Celtics and Ime Udoka...also chat about the LA Lakers and their roster, Minnesota Timberwolves and more.
They end the chat with Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson.
Host Carl Lewis and rugby punter discuss the United Rugby Championship and Gallagher Premiership and provide the best bets for both competitions.
All four South African franchises will be behind enemy lines in Europe in the fourth round of the United Rugby Championship this weekend.
The Lions and Sharks conclude their tours while the defending champion Stormers and Bulls begin theirs. The pride of Johannesburg kick things off and are the only local team in action on Friday when they take on Edinburgh in an evening encounter.
Saturday sees the Stormers tackle Zebre in Parma, the Sharks face log leaders Leinster in Dublin and the Sharks battle the Warriors in Glasgow.
Edinburgh Rugby vs Lions
Connacht vs Munster
Zebre vs Stormers
Leinster vs Sharks
Scarlets vs Cardiff
Glasgow Warriors vs Bulls
Ulster vs Ospreys
Benetton Treviso vs Gwent Dragons
Gallagher Premiership
Bristol vs Exeter Chiefs
Leicester vs Sale Sharks
Bath vs Gloucester
Newcastle Falcons vs Saracens
Wasps vs Northampton
Host Carl Lewis and NFL punter James Godlonton chat NFL Week 5 and as usual, they give their best bets and gut picks for every game in Week 5.
Indianapolis Colts at Denver Broncos (-3.5) This feels like a huge game for both of these teams. The Colts are showing a bunch of signs that suggest they might just be a terrible team. They’ve been outscored by 42 points in the first halves of their four games—the second-worst differential in the NFL. Matt Ryan leads the NFL with nine fumbles. And they very easily could be 0-3-1, if the Chiefs didn’t hand them a win in Week 3. Now the Colts go to Denver without running back Jonathan Taylor and linebacker Shaquille Leonard.
The Broncos have been shaky as well, but I like what I’ve seen from their defence. It’s hard to see a scenario where the Colts move the ball consistently against that group.
The pick: Broncos (-3.5)
New York Giants at Green Bay Packers (-7.5) The Packers needed overtime last week to beat the Patriots and third-string QB Bailey Zappe. They’re 3-1, but their last two wins have come by a combined five points.
The Giants are also 3-1. They completed just nine passes in last week’s win over the Bears. I think the Giants’ defence will be creative and aggressive enough to keep the team competitive against bad offences most weeks, but this game feels like another story. Aaron Rodgers has seen every blitz known to man. And, it was just a couple weeks ago that the Cowboys went up and down the field against the Giants. Green Bay takes care of business in London.
The pick: Packers (-7.5)
Pittsburgh Steelers at Buffalo Bills (-14) Two things stood out with quarterback Kenny Pickett in his NFL debut last week against the Jets:
- For better or worse, he’s going to let it rip.
- He’s going to make some plays with his legs.
But this is a tough spot for the Steelers. They’re sloppy on offence, and offensive coordinator Matt Canada has not shown that he’ll give them any kind of an edge schematically. Pickett will be going up against a talented defence with veteran coaches in Sean McDermott and defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier. Maybe he’ll make some second-reaction plays, and their receivers will win some one-on-one matchups, but I don’t see this going well for Pickett.
On the other side of the ball, the Steelers have looked like a mediocre defence without T.J. Watt, and star safety Minkah Fitzpatrick missed practice Wednesday with a knee injury.
I generally don’t like going against Mike Tomlin when he’s an underdog, but the Bills never take their foot off the gas. This one could get ugly.
The pick: Bills (-14)
Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars (-7) Trevor Lawrence didn’t give the Jaguars a chance in the rain last week against the Eagles. He turned the ball over five times and left plays on the field all afternoon. The weather affected him as much as any quarterback I’ve seen in recent years.
The Texans go into Week 5 as the NFL’s only winless team, putting them in the driver’s seat for the no. 1 overall pick. But they’ve been competitive. Even last week against the Chargers, they scored 17 straight at one point to get back into the game.
Jaguars win, but I’m taking the points.
The pick: Texans (+7)
Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-9) Success rate measures how often each play produces a positive result in terms of Expected Points Added (EPA). It strips away outliers because a seven-yard completion on 3rd-and-6 is treated the same as a 50-yard completion. Both are deemed successful. Through four games, the Falcons’ offence ranks second in success rate. The Bucs are all the way down at 18th. Who could’ve seen that coming?
There are plenty of reasons to think that this line is too high. The Falcons have moved the ball well, and Tom Brady is listed on the Bucs’ injury report with finger and shoulder ailments. The Bucs have lost two in a row.
Still, I’m not sure the Falcons’ approach is sustainable. Quarterback Marcus Mariota completed just seven passes in their win over the Browns last week. Plus, the Falcons will be without Cordarrelle Patterson, who is on injured reserve. I think Tampa will eventually find itself on offence, and that process might start right here.
The pick: Bucs (-9)
Tennessee Titans at Washington Commanders (+2.5) The Commanders’ season is quickly turning into a nightmare. It’s hard to identify anything that they actually do well. Washington is 30th in Football Outsiders’ DVOA metric—28th on offence and 24th on defence. Quarterback Carson Wentz currently ranks 26th in EPA per pass play.
The Titans are a flawed team, but the offence has had flashes, and running back Derrick Henry looked terrific during last week’s win over the Colts. The Commanders haven’t covered or beaten the spread since Week 1. It feels like the move is to continue to fade them until I get burned.
The pick: Titans (-2.5)
Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings (-7) The Bears’ 67 pass attempts through four games are the fewest by any team in TruMedia’s database, which goes back to 2000. Their 34 completions are also the fewest.
The Viking's defence has been shaky, but with the Bears’ issues on offence, that might not matter. Kirk Cousins, meanwhile, has the pieces around him to be successful here. The Vikings rank sixth in ESPN’s pass block win rate metric, and it’s hard to see the Bears having an answer for Justin Jefferson, who’s coming off of a 10-catch, 147-yard performance against the Saints.
The pick: Vikings (-7)
Seattle Seahawks at New Orleans Saints (-5.5) I thought this Seahawks offence was going to stink. I thought we’d look back at Week 1 like it was a cute little moment before they came back down to earth. Yet, four games in, the Seahawks rank second in EPA per drive and fourth in offensive success rate. Last week’s performance against the Lions was the best we’ve seen by an offence in terms of EPA per drive all season. Quarterback Geno Smith looked comfortable all game long, and Rashaad Penny gashed the Lions for 151 rushing yards.
The Saints have a much better defence than the Lions, but they seem to make game-changing mistakes every week. Seattle’s defence has been the worst in the NFL in terms of EPA per drive, so maybe this is a get-right game for the Saint's offence. But I feel good taking the points here.
The pick: Seahawks (+5.5)
Detroit Lions at New England Patriots (-3.5) As of this writing, we don’t know who’s playing quarterback for the Patriots. Mac Jones was a limited participant in Wednesday’s practice. If he can’t go, it’ll be rookie Bailey Zappe making his first career start after replacing an injured Brian Hoyer last week.
The Lions offence has been legitimately impressive. They’re averaging a league-best 34.5 points per game. Even without wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and running back D’Andre Swift last week, they piled up 520 yards against the Seahawks. Unfortunately for Detroit, they have the NFL’s worst defence, according to DVOA.
This is a tough game. It wouldn’t surprise me to see Bill Belichick put together a game plan that flusters Jared Goff (after all, he’s done it before). But given New England’s uncertainty at quarterback, combined with what the Lions have shown offensively so far this season, I’ll ride with Detroit.
The pick: Lions (+3.5)
Miami Dolphins at New York Jets (+3) Teddy Bridgewater gets the start at quarterback, as Tua Tagovailoa remains in the concussion protocol following last week’s head injury on Thursday night and while the NFL and NFLPA continue their review on how Tagovailoa’s concussion evaluation was handled in Week 3.
The Jets are 2-2, but their offence could have a tough time here. Quarterback Zach Wilson, who returned last week after missing much of the preseason and the first three games with a knee injury, is now dealing with an ankle injury, and the Dolphins rank second in pass rush win rate. I’m looking forward to some fun reps between Jets rookie corner Sauce Gardner and Dolphins receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. But I don’t think New York’s offence will move the ball consistently enough to pull off the upset.
The pick: Dolphins (-3)
Los Angeles Chargers at Cleveland Browns (+2.5) Despite a loss last week to the Falcons, the Browns’ run game once again looked incredible. Nick Chubb led the way as Cleveland ran for 177 yards. The Browns offence has been efficient through four games with Jacoby Brissett at quarterback. Defensively, they can’t stop the run, but the Chargers have the 30th-ranked rushing offence, per DVOA.
Defensive end Myles Garrett returned to practice Wednesday after missing last week’s game due to injuries sustained in a car crash. This feels like a spot where the Browns can control the game with their rushing attack, and if Garrett plays on Sunday, the Chargers could face serious issues protecting Justin Herbert.
The pick: Browns (+2.5)
Dallas Cowboys at Los Angeles Rams (-5.5) I thought the Cowboys were cooked after the Dak Prescott injury. I was wrong. They’ve won three in a row, and Dallas’ defence has held opponents under 20 points in every game this season.
As for the Rams, it’s early, but the Allen Robinson II signing ($15.5 million per year with $30.25 million guaranteed!) is shaping up to be a disaster. He has nine catches for 95 receiving yards. There have been 62 wide receivers who have run at least 100 routes this season. Among that group, Robinson ranks 61st in yards per route run.
The Rams allowed seven sacks in their loss Monday night to the 49ers. Now they have to face Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence. I’ll take the points.
The pick: Cowboys (+5.5)
Philadelphia Eagles at Arizona Cardinals (+5.5) The biggest rivalry in American sports right now is Kliff Kingsbury vs. the play clock. Every half of every game, the play clock nears zero, the Cardinals call timeout, and Kyler Murray and Kingsbury yell at each other. In a world filled with uncertainty, it’s one of the only things we can count on as a society.
This is an “any given Sunday” game. There’s no real reason to think the Cardinals should win. The Eagles are the better coached team and the more talented team. Their offensive line dominated last week in a win over the Jaguars. They’re the only remaining undefeated team and are second in the NFL with a +44 point differential. If you played this game out 100 times, the Eagles would more often than not win by double digits.
But football is weird. Murray thrives in chaos. Turnovers swing games. The Eagles have some injuries, and they’ve been shaky on special teams. It’s conceivable that they look past the Cardinals and ahead to their big Week 6 matchup against the Cowboys. But given what we’ve seen from these teams so far this season, I’m not going to be the one predicting that will happen.
The pick: Eagles (-5.5)
San Francisco 49ers at Carolina Panthers (+6.5) Every once in a while, I’ll look at a game and think: How could anyone possibly take THAT side? This game, with this line, qualifies. The Panthers are 1-3 and have lost 10 of their last 11 games going back to last year. Baker Mayfield ranks 32nd in EPA per pass play. No caveats are necessary. This team stinks.
And now the 49ers come to town boasting what looks to me like the best defence in the NFL. Offensively, we know that Kyle Shanahan is going to make sure that Jimmy Garoppolo isn’t asked to do too much. We also know that Shanahan will be conservative with his in-game decision-making.
Still, it’s hard to even come up with a scenario where the Panthers are competitive. But one of my rules for game-picking is: If it looks too easy, take the other side. So, here we go. What could go wrong?
The pick: Panthers (+6.5)
Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens (-3) For the reasons outlined in the video below, I think John Harbaugh made the right call going for the touchdown on fourth down against the Bills last week—even though the Ravens ended up losing. Having said that, one challenge Harbaugh faces is making sure his players understand why he’s doing what he’s doing, especially when his unorthodox decisions don’t work out. Last week, cornerback Marcus Peters was livid with Harbaugh, and the coach will have to manage that type of thing going forward.
The Bengals are coming off a Thursday night win against the Dolphins. I’m not convinced that they’ve solved all their problems, but they handled the Ravens last year, winning both games by a combined score of 82-38. I know it’s a different Ravens team, but this feels like a coin-flip game. I’m taking the points.
The pick: Bengals (+3)
Las Vegas Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs (-7.5) Version 2.0 of the Chiefs offence without Tyreek Hill is off to a pretty good start. Here’s where Kansas City ranks in a number of different offensive categories:
- EPA per drive: 1st
- Points per drive: 1st
- Points per game: 2nd
- Success rate: 3rd
Last week, against a good Bucs defence, Patrick Mahomes made plays inside of the structure and outside of the structure, the Chiefs ran the ball well, and Andy Reid pulled out his usual tricks in the red zone. Mahomes leads all quarterbacks in EPA per pass play through four games.
The Raiders, meanwhile, ran for 212 yards and got their first win of the Josh McDaniels era last week against the Broncos. Their three losses came by a combined 13 points. The Raiders aren’t a great team, but they’re a competitive one. I think they’ll be able to move the ball well enough to keep this one close.
The pick: Raiders (+7.5)
It was the first week back after the September international break and we have had some captivating results in week 9 of the DSTV Premiership. Orlando Pirates lost rather surprisingly to Sekhukhune United, Marumo Gallants got their first win and Richards Bay continued their fine form with a 1-0 win over AmaZulu FC. This week Laduma Analytics dive into the passing data and take a look at what they can uncover inside the data.
It has been a busy few weeks since the season began and we are nearly one third of the way into the season. During this period, we can look back over the course of the season and try in one aspect to understand how important certain combinations of play or even relationships between players were for a club. For instance, which passing combinations were the most valuable in the 2022/2023 DSTV Premiership season.
Passing
Passing is the most common data point that we can expect to observe in a football match. To little surprise, Mamelodi Sundowns have the most average number of passes per game (551), followed by Royal AM (515), TS Galaxy (495), Marumo Gallants (487), Stellenbosch (476) and Orlando Pirates (475).
Cape Town City - A team we would normally associate with high passing numbers, only have the 7th most attempted passes per game (464) at this moment in time. The one major problem with passing data is that it is subject to a lot of noise. For instance, backward passes in general (except cut-backs inside the opposition box) are les valuable than a pass that cuts through the middle of the defence like a through ball. How can we cut through some of that noise and find what is truly important? What if we wanted to measure the most valuable combinations between two players?
Expected Threat (xT)
xT is one of the methods used to measure the offensive contributions that take place on the field of play. Every football fan, coach and analyst will know that certain parts of the field are far more valuable than others. For example, having possession of the ball in your own half is far less valuable. Further up the field however, let's say on the edge of the opposition penalty box - it is extremely valuable.
xT covers how the ball is moving between the phases and areas of the field. Every player in a possession sequence is attributed a certain numerical value to moving the ball forward into the different spaces. This is how in the data we may be able to find under-valued players but also verify how good we know some players truly are.
Location
As the footbal pitch visual below shows, the most valuable areas are inside the opposition box - hardly a surprise to any football fan.
Most Valuable Combinations
The list below shows the passing combinations which our model considers to be the most valuable combinations between any group of players in the league. The pass count shows the number of accurate passes that occurred between the players.
Since we are only looking at the relationships between some players that move the ball up the field, in this instance (at this time) we do not consider a player's individual relationship with a group of players.
The Top 3 most common relationships based on the number of accurate passes that also happen to have the highest expected threat are players from Stellenbosch FC, Mamelodi Sundowns and Cape Town City.
Stellenbosch FC
Fawaaz Basadien has already been a very impactful player for Stellenbosch FC providing assists and very fruitful combinations with Junior Mendieta as the table above shows.
If we examine their combinations on the image below, we can begin to understand how these two players have combined throughout the season so far. Most of all their combinations have occurred down the left-hand side and quite a few balls have been passes down the flank into spaces behind or for Mendieta to run onto.
Mamelodi Sundowns
Next up we take a look at a Mamelodi Sundowns duo - Teboho Mokoena and Themba Zwane
Mokoena has already shown dominant displays in the middle of the park with his passing accuracy and range being a key to why he has played a major chunk of minutes for the champions this season.
This map visually explains why the Mokoena and Zwane relationship ranks high on our list above. All but three of the accurate passes are directed forwards with passes into the channels which are dangerous areas within the opposition half.
Cape Town City FC
Last but not least we have to include the relationship between Thamsanqa Mkhize and Khanyisa Mayo.Similar to Basadien and Mendieta, the two Citizen players are combined well and Mhkize has provided balls into areas which have allowed Mayo to cut in from the right on his favourite left-foot. With 3 goals and 2 assists from Mayo so far, how often will clubs allow for attacking relationships that involve him to develop before they put a stop to it?
Host Carl Lewis and golf punter Wade Pretorius preview two tournaments this weekend, the Shriners Children’s Open & Open de España.
The PGA Tour heads to Vegas for the Shriners Hospital for Children Open this week. This event often gets a few bigger names, as the Vegas location makes it somewhat more attractive to the bigger names in golf.
The Shriners Hospital for Children Open has a regular cut line of the top 65 players and ties. It’s a full-field event with 150-plus players and has quite a bit more talent at the top of the board than last week’s field, which had just one player in the top 40 of the OWGR. This week the event features 12 players in the top 50 of the OWGR, with the highest-ranked player being Patrick Cantlay at No. 4.
Here’s a list of the top 5 players in the OWGR in the Shriners field this week.
- Patrick Cantlay — 4
- Max Homa — 17
- Sungjae Im — 19
- Tom Kim — 21
- Aaron Wise — 36
Other Notables: Si Woo Kim, Garrick Higgo, Rickie Fowler, Alex Noren, Emiliano Grillo
Across the pond in Spain, he might have fallen to sixth in the Official World Golf Rankings but former World No.1 Jon Rahm will be the star of the show at this week’s Spanish Open in Madrid.
The tournament is one of the continent’s oldest and has been the site of many historic moments, not the least being Seve Ballesteros’ 50th European Tour victory in 1995.
His third Spanish Open crown, it was also the legendary Spaniard’s last tournament win, in hindsight a fitting end to a stunning career.
In recent years the tournament has lost a little of its lustre but there is no questioning its place in history with an honour roll including some of the best to ever play the game.
Arnold Palmer, Nick Faldo, Bernhard Langer, Colin Montgomerie, Peter Thomson and Peter Alliss are just a sampling of the former champions and Rahm himself has twice been a winner.
Host Carl Lewis is joined by motorsport journalist Sean Parker and they preview the Japanese Grand Prix.
The Japanese Grand Prix has proven pivotal in the title race throughout its history on the Formula 1 calendar and this year's race at Suzuka is no exception.
After not being held in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Japanese Grand Prix returns this weekend and could see Max Verstappen crowned as world champion.
Along with Verstappen holding a 104-point lead over nearest rival Leclerc in the drivers' standings heading into the Japanese Grand Prix, Red Bull are 137 points clear of second-placed Ferrari in the Constructors' Championship.
Perez's victory in Singapore put the Milton Keynes-based team in prime position to claim the constructors' title for the first time since 2013.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner is eager to secure the drivers' and constructors' double this year, having missed out to Mercedes on the latter in 2021 despite Verstappen being crowned champion.
"This team is a phenomenal team - it's the best team in the pit lane," Horner told Sky Sports F1. "We're incredibly proud of everything which is being achieved.
"This year could well be our best ever year in Formula 1, so we're going to keep pushing, keep attacking races.
eek 4 of the 2022 NFL season and after a surviving a topsy-turvy three weeks of game results, expect some "normalcy" to return as it's becoming gradually easier to figure out the most and least reliable teams in the league.
That should mean only bigger and better things for Sporting News' picks and predictions against the spread going forward. Although these selections are for "entertainment purposes only", it's time to get serious to battle back against the numbers.
NFL picks against the spread for Week 4 Game of Midweek: Dolphins at Bengals (-3, 47.5 o/u) By the numbers, the Dolphins defied logic with their win over the Bills to get to 3-0, following a near-impossible comeback to take down the Ravens. There is bound to be some regression to the mean and their blitzing defense plays well into the hands of Joe Burrow, who got well passing last week. Tua Tagovailoa's back injury and limited running game help will make this spot difficult in a hostile environment on a short week. Miami is bound for the classic letdown while Cincinnati continues marching back into the AFC playoff conversation.
Pick: Bengals win 27-23 and cover the spread.
Buccaneers over Chiefs (-2.5, 44 o/u) Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs' offense couldn't get much of anything going against a very similar Todd Bowles-led Buccaneers defense in Super Bowl 55. The Bucs have their share of offensive issues around Tom Brady tied to injuries, but they will get a bit reinforced this week with weaponry and blocking to have a more balanced and explosive attack. Kansas City will see more of a compressed passing game again while Tampa Bay sees some expansion to how it usually has operated with the GOAT.
Pick: Buccaneers win 24-23.
AFC Game of the Week: Bills (-3.5, 52 o/u) at Ravens The Bills statistically dominated the Dolphins with Josh Allen having another massive game. They ended up stopping themselves in critical situations that cost them the game. The Ravens melted down late against the Dolphins or they would be 3-0 instead give the way Lamar Jackson also has sparkled as a passer and runner, too. The health of Buffalo's secondary is a concern here, but its zone defense will contain the chunk plays from Jackson. Baltimore, even with its playmaking talent on the back end, has proved it can give up too much downfield because of needing to resort more to blitzing.
Pick: Bills win 27-24 but fail to cover the spread.
Lock of the Week: Packers (-10.5, 39 o/u) over Patriots The Packers are back rolling with the ideal offense-defense complementary football with Matt LaFleur and Aaron Rodgers after their typical Week 1 mess. Rodgers outdueled the GOAT last week and now he'll take to the shell of his former team against a shockingly reeling Bill Belichick defense. The Patriots will need to hope that Brian Hoyer, filling in for an injured Mac Jones, can dig deep to find something more in the passing game while being too run heavy. That won't work well on the road in their current dysfunctional offensive state.
Pick: Packers win 30-10 and cover the spread.
Vikings (-2.5, 44 o/u) at Saints Minnesota is still trying to figure out its offensive identity under Kevin O'Connell. The Vikings can be a massive passing team with Kirk Cousins and it's good they have found some big-play pop away from Justin Jefferson. They also got on track running vs. the Lions and can still have more success on the ground with or without Dalvin Cook. The Saints are all over the place in trying to find balance and explosiveness with Jameis Winston and will come in hurting more with key offensive injuries. Dennis Allen's defense can only contain so much in London.
Pick: Vikings win 24-17 and cover the spread.
Browns (-2.5, 48 o/u) at Falcons The Browns are close to being 3-0 as well had they not melted down late against the Jets in Week 2. They will go into Atlanta well rested and likely some traveling support from the Dawg Pound. When Nick Chubb goes back down to Georgia, the Falcons' run defense can prepared to get gashed. The Falcons simply don't have the power and pop to match with the Browns can do on either of the ball even with Marcus Mariota joining Jacoby Brissett and playing better than expected overall at QB.
Pick: Browns win 23-20 and cover the spread.
Commanders at Cowboys (-3, 42.5 o/u) The Commanders are an absolute defensive mess under Ron Rivera and Jack Del Rio. They cannot stop anything vs. the run or pass and are very undisciplined in giving up big plays. The Cowboys are methodical and creative offensively without Dak Prescott, as Cooper Rush and the running game are set up well to produce here. Then Micah Parsons and Dallas' defense will take care of the rest by taking it to Carson Wentz.
Pick: Cowboys win 20-14.
Seahawks at Lions (-6, 50 o/u) The Seahawks can stay in this game with Geno Smith throwing to their wide receivers given issues in Detroit's secondary. But that will happen for only a while as Jared Goff and his weapons will see wide-open spaces in coverage and the Lions have proved they can pound the ball and run well on anyone.
Pick: Lions win 31-23 and cover the spread.
Titans at Colts (-3, 42.5 o/u) Derrick Henry got on track for the Titans last week to earn them their first win. Jonathan Taylor has been contained for a couple games but the Colts were able to get a big win without him going off in Week 2. The Titans are crumbling a bit up front in their offense and are inconsistent with their wide receivers, a break for the Colts' new-look defense. This is meant to be a Taylor-dominated game and he will let Indy ride him to victory.
Pick: Colts win 24-20 and cover the spread.
Bears at Giants (-3.5, 39 o/u) Justin Fields and Daniel Jones are bound to give us the ugliest game of the week as these two new coaches, Matt Eberflus and Brian Daboll try to grind out another win with the defense and running game. Using that method, someone needs to come out on top, barring a low-scoring tie. Side with the Giants having the slightly better formula with Jones supported by Saquon Barkley and a capable of making better dual-threat plays than Fields at home.
Pick: Giants win 16-13 but fail to cover the spread.
Jaguars at Eagles (-6.5, 48.5 o/u) Doug Pederson will try to fare better in his revenge game vs. Philadelphia than Carson Wentz did. Pederson has his offense looking complete with Trevor Lawrence, Christian Kirk, James Robinson and others. This is a good defensive challenge for the Jaguars but they will have some success moving the ball with a dynamic and diverse attack. The Jaguars' defense is seeing some young players stand out early, but there are still enough issues to struggle on the road with the Eagles' balance and explosiveness led by a red-hot Jalen Hurts.
Pick: Eagles win 34-27 and cover the spread.
Jets at Steelers (-3.5, 41.5 o/u) It looks like the Steelers won't get one more shot at old Ravens rival Joe Flacco as Zach Wilson is expected to return and start for New York. The Steelers insist on sticking with Mitchell Trubisky over rookie Kenny Pickett, which gives them the veteran edge, even though a Wilson-Pickett matchup would give this game more of a young QB groove. The Steelers will keep things simple with a rebound outing for the T.J. Watt-less defense and running game to avoid the upset at home.
Pick: Steelers win 23-17 and cover the spread.
Chargers (-6, 45.5 o/u) at Texans The Chargers seemed out of sorts with Justin Herbert not fully healthy against the Jaguars. They were playing without Keenan Allen again and also lost left tackle Rashawn Slater and edge rusher Joey Bosa. The injury curse might be back to give them powder blues, but this screams get-well game on the road for Herbert and all of his weapons, namely Austin Ekeler. Davis Mills is fading hard as Houston's starting QB and Los Angeles' defense will be motivated for a strong effort vs. the pass.
Pick: Chargers win 34-14 and cover the spread.
Cardinals at Panthers (-1.5, 44 o/u) Kyler Murray and Baker Mayfield both won Heisman Trophies playing quarterback for Oklahoma and also went No. 1 overall in their respective NFL Drafts. Unfortunately, neither QB is playing up to the team expectations, Murray vs. his massive new contract and Mayfield vs. his supposed savior status.
Murray needs to take offensive matters more into his own hands or Arizona is in danger of freefall out of playoff contention, The defense has started to play better and it's time for him to respond and here he should get plenty of support from James Conner and the traditional running game. The Panthers' offensive woes around Mayfield continue, including not knowing how to use his weapons well.
Pick: Cardinals win 24-14.
Broncos at Raiders (-2, 44 o/u) The Broncos and Raiders are breaking in new offensive-minded coaches, Nathaniel Hackett and Josh McDaniels. Russell Wilson and Derek Carr have been slow to adapt and deliver in the new systems, despite having ample receiving weaponry. The play-calling isn't in sync for either QB, but Las Vegas has shown more signs of things coming together soon. Denver's defense has overachieved early and will come down to earth on the road. Desperation kicks in for Carr and the feisty Raiders and they get the win to get them back in a suddenly underachieving AFC West.
Pick: Raiders win 23-20 and cover the spread.
Rams at 49ers (-2.5, 45 o/u) The Rams and 49ers are getting shaky quarterback play as Matthew Stafford is coming off a right elbow injury and Jimmy Garoppolo is operating post right shoulder surgery. This should be a typical, grinding, close physical game between the two NFC West archrivals that plays out much like their final two big meetings of 2022, including the NFC title game. Give the edge to the 49ers for better overall defense and a more reliable running game at home tied to the strong recent history of Kyle Shanahan vs. Sean McVay.
Pick: 49ers win 20-17.
Stats of the Week Week 3 record straight up: 10-6
Week 3 record against the spread: 9-7
Season record straight up: 28-19
Season record against the spread: 24-24
eek 4 of the 2022 NFL season and after a surviving a topsy-turvy three weeks of game results, expect some "normalcy" to return as it's becoming gradually easier to figure out the most and least reliable teams in the league.
That should mean only bigger and better things for Sporting News' picks and predictions against the spread going forward. Although these selections are for "entertainment purposes only", it's time to get serious to battle back against the numbers.
NFL picks against the spread for Week 4 Game of Midweek: Dolphins at Bengals (-3, 47.5 o/u) By the numbers, the Dolphins defied logic with their win over the Bills to get to 3-0, following a near-impossible comeback to take down the Ravens. There is bound to be some regression to the mean and their blitzing defense plays well into the hands of Joe Burrow, who got well passing last week. Tua Tagovailoa's back injury and limited running game help will make this spot difficult in a hostile environment on a short week. Miami is bound for the classic letdown while Cincinnati continues marching back into the AFC playoff conversation.
Pick: Bengals win 27-23 and cover the spread.
Buccaneers over Chiefs (-2.5, 44 o/u) Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs' offense couldn't get much of anything going against a very similar Todd Bowles-led Buccaneers defense in Super Bowl 55. The Bucs have their share of offensive issues around Tom Brady tied to injuries, but they will get a bit reinforced this week with weaponry and blocking to have a more balanced and explosive attack. Kansas City will see more of a compressed passing game again while Tampa Bay sees some expansion to how it usually has operated with the GOAT.
Pick: Buccaneers win 24-23.
AFC Game of the Week: Bills (-3.5, 52 o/u) at Ravens The Bills statistically dominated the Dolphins with Josh Allen having another massive game. They ended up stopping themselves in critical situations that cost them the game. The Ravens melted down late against the Dolphins or they would be 3-0 instead give the way Lamar Jackson also has sparkled as a passer and runner, too. The health of Buffalo's secondary is a concern here, but its zone defense will contain the chunk plays from Jackson. Baltimore, even with its playmaking talent on the back end, has proved it can give up too much downfield because of needing to resort more to blitzing.
Pick: Bills win 27-24 but fail to cover the spread.
Lock of the Week: Packers (-10.5, 39 o/u) over Patriots The Packers are back rolling with the ideal offense-defense complementary football with Matt LaFleur and Aaron Rodgers after their typical Week 1 mess. Rodgers outdueled the GOAT last week and now he'll take to the shell of his former team against a shockingly reeling Bill Belichick defense. The Patriots will need to hope that Brian Hoyer, filling in for an injured Mac Jones, can dig deep to find something more in the passing game while being too run heavy. That won't work well on the road in their current dysfunctional offensive state.
Pick: Packers win 30-10 and cover the spread.
Vikings (-2.5, 44 o/u) at Saints Minnesota is still trying to figure out its offensive identity under Kevin O'Connell. The Vikings can be a massive passing team with Kirk Cousins and it's good they have found some big-play pop away from Justin Jefferson. They also got on track running vs. the Lions and can still have more success on the ground with or without Dalvin Cook. The Saints are all over the place in trying to find balance and explosiveness with Jameis Winston and will come in hurting more with key offensive injuries. Dennis Allen's defense can only contain so much in London.
Pick: Vikings win 24-17 and cover the spread.
Browns (-2.5, 48 o/u) at Falcons The Browns are close to being 3-0 as well had they not melted down late against the Jets in Week 2. They will go into Atlanta well rested and likely some traveling support from the Dawg Pound. When Nick Chubb goes back down to Georgia, the Falcons' run defense can prepared to get gashed. The Falcons simply don't have the power and pop to match with the Browns can do on either of the ball even with Marcus Mariota joining Jacoby Brissett and playing better than expected overall at QB.
Pick: Browns win 23-20 and cover the spread.
Commanders at Cowboys (-3, 42.5 o/u) The Commanders are an absolute defensive mess under Ron Rivera and Jack Del Rio. They cannot stop anything vs. the run or pass and are very undisciplined in giving up big plays. The Cowboys are methodical and creative offensively without Dak Prescott, as Cooper Rush and the running game are set up well to produce here. Then Micah Parsons and Dallas' defense will take care of the rest by taking it to Carson Wentz.
Pick: Cowboys win 20-14.
Seahawks at Lions (-6, 50 o/u) The Seahawks can stay in this game with Geno Smith throwing to their wide receivers given issues in Detroit's secondary. But that will happen for only a while as Jared Goff and his weapons will see wide-open spaces in coverage and the Lions have proved they can pound the ball and run well on anyone.
Pick: Lions win 31-23 and cover the spread.
Titans at Colts (-3, 42.5 o/u) Derrick Henry got on track for the Titans last week to earn them their first win. Jonathan Taylor has been contained for a couple games but the Colts were able to get a big win without him going off in Week 2. The Titans are crumbling a bit up front in their offense and are inconsistent with their wide receivers, a break for the Colts' new-look defense. This is meant to be a Taylor-dominated game and he will let Indy ride him to victory.
Pick: Colts win 24-20 and cover the spread.
Bears at Giants (-3.5, 39 o/u) Justin Fields and Daniel Jones are bound to give us the ugliest game of the week as these two new coaches, Matt Eberflus and Brian Daboll try to grind out another win with the defense and running game. Using that method, someone needs to come out on top, barring a low-scoring tie. Side with the Giants having the slightly better formula with Jones supported by Saquon Barkley and a capable of making better dual-threat plays than Fields at home.
Pick: Giants win 16-13 but fail to cover the spread.
Jaguars at Eagles (-6.5, 48.5 o/u) Doug Pederson will try to fare better in his revenge game vs. Philadelphia than Carson Wentz did. Pederson has his offense looking complete with Trevor Lawrence, Christian Kirk, James Robinson and others. This is a good defensive challenge for the Jaguars but they will have some success moving the ball with a dynamic and diverse attack. The Jaguars' defense is seeing some young players stand out early, but there are still enough issues to struggle on the road with the Eagles' balance and explosiveness led by a red-hot Jalen Hurts.
Pick: Eagles win 34-27 and cover the spread.
Jets at Steelers (-3.5, 41.5 o/u) It looks like the Steelers won't get one more shot at old Ravens rival Joe Flacco as Zach Wilson is expected to return and start for New York. The Steelers insist on sticking with Mitchell Trubisky over rookie Kenny Pickett, which gives them the veteran edge, even though a Wilson-Pickett matchup would give this game more of a young QB groove. The Steelers will keep things simple with a rebound outing for the T.J. Watt-less defense and running game to avoid the upset at home.
Pick: Steelers win 23-17 and cover the spread.
Chargers (-6, 45.5 o/u) at Texans The Chargers seemed out of sorts with Justin Herbert not fully healthy against the Jaguars. They were playing without Keenan Allen again and also lost left tackle Rashawn Slater and edge rusher Joey Bosa. The injury curse might be back to give them powder blues, but this screams get-well game on the road for Herbert and all of his weapons, namely Austin Ekeler. Davis Mills is fading hard as Houston's starting QB and Los Angeles' defense will be motivated for a strong effort vs. the pass.
Pick: Chargers win 34-14 and cover the spread.
Cardinals at Panthers (-1.5, 44 o/u) Kyler Murray and Baker Mayfield both won Heisman Trophies playing quarterback for Oklahoma and also went No. 1 overall in their respective NFL Drafts. Unfortunately, neither QB is playing up to the team expectations, Murray vs. his massive new contract and Mayfield vs. his supposed savior status.
Murray needs to take offensive matters more into his own hands or Arizona is in danger of freefall out of playoff contention, The defense has started to play better and it's time for him to respond and here he should get plenty of support from James Conner and the traditional running game. The Panthers' offensive woes around Mayfield continue, including not knowing how to use his weapons well.
Pick: Cardinals win 24-14.
Broncos at Raiders (-2, 44 o/u) The Broncos and Raiders are breaking in new offensive-minded coaches, Nathaniel Hackett and Josh McDaniels. Russell Wilson and Derek Carr have been slow to adapt and deliver in the new systems, despite having ample receiving weaponry. The play-calling isn't in sync for either QB, but Las Vegas has shown more signs of things coming together soon. Denver's defense has overachieved early and will come down to earth on the road. Desperation kicks in for Carr and the feisty Raiders and they get the win to get them back in a suddenly underachieving AFC West.
Pick: Raiders win 23-20 and cover the spread.
Rams at 49ers (-2.5, 45 o/u) The Rams and 49ers are getting shaky quarterback play as Matthew Stafford is coming off a right elbow injury and Jimmy Garoppolo is operating post right shoulder surgery. This should be a typical, grinding, close physical game between the two NFC West archrivals that plays out much like their final two big meetings of 2022, including the NFC title game. Give the edge to the 49ers for better overall defense and a more reliable running game at home tied to the strong recent history of Kyle Shanahan vs. Sean McVay.
Pick: 49ers win 20-17.
Stats of the Week Week 3 record straight up: 10-6
Week 3 record against the spread: 9-7
Season record straight up: 28-19
Season record against the spread: 24-24
Host Carl Lewis and Laduma Analytics preview the first leg on the MTN8 Semifinals between Orlando PIrates v Mamelodi Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs v Amazulu.
This blockbuster MTN8 semifinal between Pirates and Sundowns offers up plenty of intriguing subplots for Mzansi to enjoy. Could we see a second Buccaneers debut for Kermit Erasmus, and Ndabayithethwa Ndlondlo in a Pirates jersey for the first time?
Kaizer Chiefs coach Arthur Zwane says they will be coming out “guns blazing” to score goals when they take on AmaZulu in the MTN8 semi-final first-leg on Sunday afternoon.
Amakhosi and Usuthu have already met in the DStv Premiership this season when they shared the spoils after a 1-1 draw on 3 September at the FNB Stadium.
Host Carl Lewis and Laduma Analytics preview the first leg on the MTN8 Semifinals between Orlando PIrates v Mamelodi Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs v Amazulu.
This blockbuster MTN8 semifinal between Pirates and Sundowns offers up plenty of intriguing subplots for Mzansi to enjoy. Could we see a second Buccaneers debut for Kermit Erasmus, and Ndabayithethwa Ndlondlo in a Pirates jersey for the first time?
Kaizer Chiefs coach Arthur Zwane says they will be coming out “guns blazing” to score goals when they take on AmaZulu in the MTN8 semi-final first-leg on Sunday afternoon.
Amakhosi and Usuthu have already met in the DStv Premiership this season when they shared the spoils after a 1-1 draw on 3 September at the FNB Stadium.
Brazil are the favourites to win this year’s 2022 World Cup in Qatar and are priced at 550.
Despite losing the Copa America final to Argentina last year, Tite’s side have been terrific of late both in qualifying and their friendly fixtures, with players such as Neymar, Casemiro and Thiago Silva all ready to play a huge part in the tournament.
The five-time world champions – who have not won the World Cup since 2002 – have been drawn alongside Serbia, Switzerland and Cameroon in Group G, and are expected to get through with no significant problems.
Holders France are priced at 7.00 and will hope to become only the third country in history to retain the World Cup, after Italy in 1938 and Brazil in 1962. Les Bleus have been drawn with Denmark, who beat them twice in the Nations League.
South American champions Argentina are 7.00 and, if Lionel Messi hits form, they will fancy their chances of beating anybody. Group C opponents Mexico and Poland should provide a stern test, but one they look well capable of passing.
Spain, world champions in 2010, are 9.00 in the betting and have performed well in both the Nations League and qualifying. Luis Enrique’s side are full of talented youngsters and could surprise everyone in Qatar.
However, Spain have been drawn in a group alongside Germany 11.00 and the fixture between the two will tell us a lot about how the sides will fare in this year’s World Cup.
World Cup groups in full Group A: Qatar, Ecuador, Senegal, Netherlands
Group B: England, Iran, USA, Wales
Group C: Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Poland
Group D: France, Australia, Denmark, Tunisia
Group E: Spain, Costa Rica, Germany, Japan
Group F: Belgium, Ghana, Morocco, Croatia
Group G: Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland, Cameroon
Group H: Portugal, Canada, Uruguay, South Korea
Brazil are the favourites to win this year’s 2022 World Cup in Qatar and are priced at 550.
Despite losing the Copa America final to Argentina last year, Tite’s side have been terrific of late both in qualifying and their friendly fixtures, with players such as Neymar, Casemiro and Thiago Silva all ready to play a huge part in the tournament.
The five-time world champions – who have not won the World Cup since 2002 – have been drawn alongside Serbia, Switzerland and Cameroon in Group G, and are expected to get through with no significant problems.
Holders France are priced at 7.00 and will hope to become only the third country in history to retain the World Cup, after Italy in 1938 and Brazil in 1962. Les Bleus have been drawn with Denmark, who beat them twice in the Nations League.
South American champions Argentina are 7.00 and, if Lionel Messi hits form, they will fancy their chances of beating anybody. Group C opponents Mexico and Poland should provide a stern test, but one they look well capable of passing.
Spain, world champions in 2010, are 9.00 in the betting and have performed well in both the Nations League and qualifying. Luis Enrique’s side are full of talented youngsters and could surprise everyone in Qatar.
However, Spain have been drawn in a group alongside Germany 11.00 and the fixture between the two will tell us a lot about how the sides will fare in this year’s World Cup.
World Cup groups in full Group A: Qatar, Ecuador, Senegal, Netherlands
Group B: England, Iran, USA, Wales
Group C: Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Poland
Group D: France, Australia, Denmark, Tunisia
Group E: Spain, Costa Rica, Germany, Japan
Group F: Belgium, Ghana, Morocco, Croatia
Group G: Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland, Cameroon
Group H: Portugal, Canada, Uruguay, South Korea
Host Carl Lewis and Laduma Analytics discuss the age profiles of the clubs in the DSTV Premiership. We speak about which club gives the most minutes to young players under 23 years old, we also break down the squad profiles in terms of ages which tells us who has the youngest and oldest squad. A fascinating discussion about an important topic in South African football.
Host Carl Lewis and Laduma Analytics discuss the age profiles of the clubs in the DSTV Premiership. We speak about which club gives the most minutes to young players under 23 years old, we also break down the squad profiles in terms of ages which tells us who has the youngest and oldest squad. A fascinating discussion about an important topic in South African football.
The original Formula 1 night Grand Prix returns to the calendar for the first time since 2019 after Covid-19 restrictions forced its cancellation. The last time F1 visited the Marina Bay Circuit, Sebastian Vettel was driving for Ferrari and scored his fifth win at the Southeast Asia race.
On the track, the street circuit is one of the most demanding on the calendar. Drivers can expect to lose up to three kilograms thanks to battling with the 80% humidity during Sunday's 61-lap race covering a distance of 308km.
Since 2008, the Singapore GP has showcased the glorious liveries under the powerful 1 600 lights as the cars scythe through the city's CBD. A total of 23 corners features four high-speed sections, seven slow turns, and with 49% of the lap at full throttle. The maximum speed of around 325km/h is reached as the driver heads out of Turn 5 lefthander and pins the throttle through the kink at Turn 6 before braking hard into Turn 7.
In terms of the car setup, maximum downforce is needed to offer drivers the most grip through the high-speed corners. This is where we've seen reigning champion Max Verstappen dominate with the RB18 in 2022. One aspect all the drivers mention is the bumpiness of the street circuit that requires full concentration, as it can unsettle the car at high speed. Since 2008, 21 Safety Car deployments have taken place, at least one every race.
Verstappen has won the last five races and will be looking to put the Red Bull in pole position, as eight pole-sitters have gone on to claim the chequered flag. The Dutchman can claim the championship if Charles Leclerc finishes outside of the top eight and Sergio Perez fails to claim a podium place.
Ferrari's inconsistent performances have seen them last taste victory at the Austrian GP in July. Charles Leclerc's title hopes have disappeared like a gust of wind blowing away scarlet flare smoke at Monza and he looks like a deflated figure. Ferrari's F1-75 should be well suited for the high downforce nature of this weekend's race. Spaniard Carlos Sainz is 16 points behind Mercedes' George Russell and will hope to move into the top four.
The Mercedes duo of Russell and Lewis Hamilton should pose a major threat to Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz in Singapore. The Woking team says its package should suit the Marina Bay Circuit's nature and with a three-week break after the triple-header. Now is the time for Mercedes to make a strong surge towards P2 in the constructors' championship.
Verstappen, Hamilton, Russell
Fastest lap: Verstappen
Pole position: Verstappen
First to retire: Sebastian Vettel
Most Team Points: Mercedes
Both Cars Qualify for Q3 Shootout: Red Bull
Free Practice 1/2/3 Winning Car: Verstappen / Red Bull
Safety Car: Yes
Top 6: Alonso
Top 10: Norris, Ocon, Magnussen
The original Formula 1 night Grand Prix returns to the calendar for the first time since 2019 after Covid-19 restrictions forced its cancellation. The last time F1 visited the Marina Bay Circuit, Sebastian Vettel was driving for Ferrari and scored his fifth win at the Southeast Asia race.
On the track, the street circuit is one of the most demanding on the calendar. Drivers can expect to lose up to three kilograms thanks to battling with the 80% humidity during Sunday's 61-lap race covering a distance of 308km.
Since 2008, the Singapore GP has showcased the glorious liveries under the powerful 1 600 lights as the cars scythe through the city's CBD. A total of 23 corners features four high-speed sections, seven slow turns, and with 49% of the lap at full throttle. The maximum speed of around 325km/h is reached as the driver heads out of Turn 5 lefthander and pins the throttle through the kink at Turn 6 before braking hard into Turn 7.
In terms of the car setup, maximum downforce is needed to offer drivers the most grip through the high-speed corners. This is where we've seen reigning champion Max Verstappen dominate with the RB18 in 2022. One aspect all the drivers mention is the bumpiness of the street circuit that requires full concentration, as it can unsettle the car at high speed. Since 2008, 21 Safety Car deployments have taken place, at least one every race.
Verstappen has won the last five races and will be looking to put the Red Bull in pole position, as eight pole-sitters have gone on to claim the chequered flag. The Dutchman can claim the championship if Charles Leclerc finishes outside of the top eight and Sergio Perez fails to claim a podium place.
Ferrari's inconsistent performances have seen them last taste victory at the Austrian GP in July. Charles Leclerc's title hopes have disappeared like a gust of wind blowing away scarlet flare smoke at Monza and he looks like a deflated figure. Ferrari's F1-75 should be well suited for the high downforce nature of this weekend's race. Spaniard Carlos Sainz is 16 points behind Mercedes' George Russell and will hope to move into the top four.
The Mercedes duo of Russell and Lewis Hamilton should pose a major threat to Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz in Singapore. The Woking team says its package should suit the Marina Bay Circuit's nature and with a three-week break after the triple-header. Now is the time for Mercedes to make a strong surge towards P2 in the constructors' championship.
Verstappen, Hamilton, Russell
Fastest lap: Verstappen
Pole position: Verstappen
First to retire: Sebastian Vettel
Most Team Points: Mercedes
Both Cars Qualify for Q3 Shootout: Red Bull
Free Practice 1/2/3 Winning Car: Verstappen / Red Bull
Safety Car: Yes
Top 6: Alonso
Top 10: Norris, Ocon, Magnussen
Host Carl Lewis is joined by rugby punter Neal Hoogwerf as the pair preview the weekend action in the United Rugby Championship and the Gallagher Premiership. Handicap bets for every match this weekend.
United Rugby Championship Bulls vs Connacht
Cardiff vs Lions
Ulster vs Leinster
Stormers vs Edinburgh Rugby
Ospreys vs Glasgow Warriors
Munster vs Zebre
Benetton Treviso vs Scarlets
Gwent Dragons vs Sharks
Gallagher Premiership Newcastle Falcons vs Bristol
Saracens vs Leicester
London Irish vs Bath
Sale Sharks vs Exeter Chiefs
Harlequins vs Northampton
Host Carl Lewis is joined by rugby punter Neal Hoogwerf as the pair preview the weekend action in the United Rugby Championship and the Gallagher Premiership. Handicap bets for every match this weekend.
United Rugby Championship Bulls vs Connacht
Cardiff vs Lions
Ulster vs Leinster
Stormers vs Edinburgh Rugby
Ospreys vs Glasgow Warriors
Munster vs Zebre
Benetton Treviso vs Scarlets
Gwent Dragons vs Sharks
Gallagher Premiership Newcastle Falcons vs Bristol
Saracens vs Leicester
London Irish vs Bath
Sale Sharks vs Exeter Chiefs
Harlequins vs Northampton
After an enthralling weekend, things get back on track with ‘standard’ 72-hole events on both sides of the pond.
In Europe, the DP World Tour continues an excellent, varied, schedule by hosting the 21st running of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, taking in rounds at Kingsbarns, Carnoustie and St. Andrews, before finishing the pro-am format at the Home of Golf.
It’s been just a few weeks since Cam Smith broke Rory McIlroy’s heart here at the 150th Open, and much has changed since, most notably the Aussie’s defection to the LIV tour. Given the proliferation of amateurs, the course won’t be set up anywhere near as tough as it was in August, but with some wind and rain expected, it will be as unpredictable as we can get it.
The PGA Tour resumes the always-bizarre wraparound season, this time at the Sanderson Farms, once an ‘opposite’ event, but now a fully fledged member of the schedule.
‘Average’ is the word I’d use to describe this event, as that is exactly what it is.
Average width, average length, average greens, and whilst fairways and greens will always help, the last four winners have ranked in the top four for strokes gained off the tee. 2018 champion, Cameron Champ, summed it up best by saying, “I felt like if I was further up, even in the rough versus hitting a 3-wood being 40 yards back, I would rather be up there. I guess that’s the game plan.”
Here are this week’s best bets at each:
After an enthralling weekend, things get back on track with ‘standard’ 72-hole events on both sides of the pond.
In Europe, the DP World Tour continues an excellent, varied, schedule by hosting the 21st running of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, taking in rounds at Kingsbarns, Carnoustie and St. Andrews, before finishing the pro-am format at the Home of Golf.
It’s been just a few weeks since Cam Smith broke Rory McIlroy’s heart here at the 150th Open, and much has changed since, most notably the Aussie’s defection to the LIV tour. Given the proliferation of amateurs, the course won’t be set up anywhere near as tough as it was in August, but with some wind and rain expected, it will be as unpredictable as we can get it.
The PGA Tour resumes the always-bizarre wraparound season, this time at the Sanderson Farms, once an ‘opposite’ event, but now a fully fledged member of the schedule.
‘Average’ is the word I’d use to describe this event, as that is exactly what it is.
Average width, average length, average greens, and whilst fairways and greens will always help, the last four winners have ranked in the top four for strokes gained off the tee. 2018 champion, Cameron Champ, summed it up best by saying, “I felt like if I was further up, even in the rough versus hitting a 3-wood being 40 yards back, I would rather be up there. I guess that’s the game plan.”
Here are this week’s best bets at each:
India take on South Africa on Wednesday in the first of three T20Is as the preparations for next month’s T20 World Cup intensify. The hosts come into this match full of confidence after a fantastic 2-1 series win against the current T20 World Cup holders Australia. Their opponents, the Proteas, were last in action in this format when they beat Ireland 2-0 in August of this year.
India are hitting form at just the right time. Their key batsmen are also playing well after brilliant batting performances against Australia. Their bowling on the other hand is a bit of a concern, especially in the death over which will be a huge test against South Africa’s firepower in the middle order.
South Africa proved earlier in the year that they are more than capable of going toe-to-toe with India in the sub-continent and their recent form in T20I cricket cannot be understated. They are the value bet at 2.65 but I just see the team that has played more T20Is recently winning this match.
Suggested Bet: India to win 1.45
Yadav is India’s form batsman if not world cricket’s. He’s climbed to number three in the T20I rankings and was the highest run scorer for India in the series against Australia, batting with aggression throughout the series. Suryakumar Yadav has scored 34 runs or more in four of his last seven T20Is and I expect him to get more than that in this game.
Suggested Bet: S Yadav to be India’s top batsman 5.50
Along with Aiden Markram, Miller has been the Proteas’ best batsman in this format in the last 12 months. He has scored 850 runs in T20 cricket this year at an average of 42.5 while striking at 140.5. I like both him and Markram for this match with the latter averaging at an immense 58 with a strike rate of 141 in Asian conditions.
There’s more value in backing David Miller at 6.50 as I feel this could be a low-scoring game with the middle to lower order playing a huge role.
Suggested Bet: D Miller to be SA’s top batsman 6.50
Alternative Bet: A Markram to be SA’s top batsman 5.50
India have hit 62 sixes in the powerplay this year which shows their change in approach. The Proteas take a different approach with Temba Bavuma or Reeza Hendricks usually needing a couple of overs to get their eye in. I expect India to get off to a faster start than the visitors.
Suggested Bet: India to score the highest runs in the 1st 6 overs at 1.71
The average score across the 16 T20 matches at Greenfield Stadium from 2017-2019 stands at 141 runs, with the 10 teams not managing to surpass the 200-run mark even once in this two-year period. I expect this to be a low-scoring encounter with also some of the Proteas batsmen not having played in this format recently.
Suggested Bet: The highest individual score to be under 67.8 at 1.86
India take on South Africa on Wednesday in the first of three T20Is as the preparations for next month’s T20 World Cup intensify. The hosts come into this match full of confidence after a fantastic 2-1 series win against the current T20 World Cup holders Australia. Their opponents, the Proteas, were last in action in this format when they beat Ireland 2-0 in August of this year.
India are hitting form at just the right time. Their key batsmen are also playing well after brilliant batting performances against Australia. Their bowling on the other hand is a bit of a concern, especially in the death over which will be a huge test against South Africa’s firepower in the middle order.
South Africa proved earlier in the year that they are more than capable of going toe-to-toe with India in the sub-continent and their recent form in T20I cricket cannot be understated. They are the value bet at 2.65 but I just see the team that has played more T20Is recently winning this match.
Suggested Bet: India to win 1.45
Yadav is India’s form batsman if not world cricket’s. He’s climbed to number three in the T20I rankings and was the highest run scorer for India in the series against Australia, batting with aggression throughout the series. Suryakumar Yadav has scored 34 runs or more in four of his last seven T20Is and I expect him to get more than that in this game.
Suggested Bet: S Yadav to be India’s top batsman 5.50
Along with Aiden Markram, Miller has been the Proteas’ best batsman in this format in the last 12 months. He has scored 850 runs in T20 cricket this year at an average of 42.5 while striking at 140.5. I like both him and Markram for this match with the latter averaging at an immense 58 with a strike rate of 141 in Asian conditions.
There’s more value in backing David Miller at 6.50 as I feel this could be a low-scoring game with the middle to lower order playing a huge role.
Suggested Bet: D Miller to be SA’s top batsman 6.50
Alternative Bet: A Markram to be SA’s top batsman 5.50
India have hit 62 sixes in the powerplay this year which shows their change in approach. The Proteas take a different approach with Temba Bavuma or Reeza Hendricks usually needing a couple of overs to get their eye in. I expect India to get off to a faster start than the visitors.
Suggested Bet: India to score the highest runs in the 1st 6 overs at 1.71
The average score across the 16 T20 matches at Greenfield Stadium from 2017-2019 stands at 141 runs, with the 10 teams not managing to surpass the 200-run mark even once in this two-year period. I expect this to be a low-scoring encounter with also some of the Proteas batsmen not having played in this format recently.
Suggested Bet: The highest individual score to be under 67.8 at 1.86
Host Carl Lewis is joined by coach Dacve Wessels and journalist Simnikiwe Xabanisa for another episode of the School of Hard Knock-Ons Podcast, South Africa's best rugby show.
In this episode we do a complete Springboks review of their Rugby Championship campaign and try to answer some of the burning questions around the Springbok camp and selection.
Host Carl Lewis is joined by coach Dacve Wessels and journalist Simnikiwe Xabanisa for another episode of the School of Hard Knock-Ons Podcast, South Africa's best rugby show.
In this episode we do a complete Springboks review of their Rugby Championship campaign and try to answer some of the burning questions around the Springbok camp and selection.
Host Carl Lewis and coach and analyst Grant de Smit and the review Orlando Pirates season so far. Orlando Pirates have been one of the busiest clubs in terms of player movements during this ‘off-season’, welcoming in the likes of Bienvenu Eva Nga, Evidence Makgopa, Miguel Timm, Azola Matrose, Tapelo Xoki and Nkosinathi Sibisi.
Pirates also dropped something of a bombshell during the pre-season with the appointment of little-known Spaniard Jose Riveiro as the club’s new head coach.
We review everything of their season so far including their DSTV Premiership campaign.
Host Carl Lewis and coach and analyst Grant de Smit and the review Orlando Pirates season so far. Orlando Pirates have been one of the busiest clubs in terms of player movements during this ‘off-season’, welcoming in the likes of Bienvenu Eva Nga, Evidence Makgopa, Miguel Timm, Azola Matrose, Tapelo Xoki and Nkosinathi Sibisi.
Pirates also dropped something of a bombshell during the pre-season with the appointment of little-known Spaniard Jose Riveiro as the club’s new head coach.
We review everything of their season so far including their DSTV Premiership campaign.
Rugby punter Neal Hoogwerf joins host Carl Lewis as they provide the best handicap bets for the Rugby Championship, United Rugby Championship & the Gallagher Premiership.
Rugby punter Neal Hoogwerf joins host Carl Lewis as they provide the best handicap bets for the Rugby Championship, United Rugby Championship & the Gallagher Premiership.
Host Carl Lewis chats with coach and analyst Grant de Smidt about Kaizer Chiefs 2022/23 season so far. The Amakhosi are currently floundering in ninth spot on the DSTV Premiership table but their recent win against Supersport United has done a lot to lift spirits around Naturena.
The pair discuss head coach Arthur Zwane and the start of his first full season in charge and also Kaizer Chiefs Kamohelo Mahlatsi, Zitha Kwinika, George Matlou, Dillon Solomons, Ashley du Preez, Yusuf Maart and Siyethemba Sithebe.
Host Carl Lewis chats with coach and analyst Grant de Smidt about Kaizer Chiefs 2022/23 season so far. The Amakhosi are currently floundering in ninth spot on the DSTV Premiership table but their recent win against Supersport United has done a lot to lift spirits around Naturena.
The pair discuss head coach Arthur Zwane and the start of his first full season in charge and also Kaizer Chiefs Kamohelo Mahlatsi, Zitha Kwinika, George Matlou, Dillon Solomons, Ashley du Preez, Yusuf Maart and Siyethemba Sithebe.
Host Carl Lewis chats with the team at Laduma Analytics as they chat statistics and data in the DSTV Premiership. In this week's episode, they focus on Mamelodi Sundowns, Kaizer Chiefs, Amazulu and Bafana Bafana.
Goals
Goals are lacking again - why is that?
Big difference in the total number of expected goals (140) vs approx 121 goals. Games are creating good quality chances - 2.15 expected goals per game but games are only just under 2 goals a game.
Which teams are creating well but struggling to score?
Sundowns
- A game for the goalkeepers, with this week being an International week
- Themba Zwane had a great opportunity to score 0.25 xG = a more clinical Zwane on his day would have converted that
Sundowns vs AmaZulu game stats
- 17 shots - the second highest total of shots taken this 2022/23 season.
- 2.3 xG - the second highest total of xG accumulated this 2022/23 season.
- 9 - the highest number of chances in games this season.
20 opposition box entrances on average - next best team CT City with 16 entrances into Opp box
Allende sees Mothwa and the gap at the near post
- Reminded me of Van Persie against Barcelona
- Maicon for Brazil against North Korea at the 2010 FIFA world cup @ Ellis Park?
AmaZulu
Where to start?
- Fantastic off-season with lots of quality players coming in
- Also losing players.
-
A really strong start to the season - 3 wins out of first 4 games but the underlying data was never strong and indicated differently to how they were positioned on the log prior to the MTN 8 break (see below)
-
That followed suit and performances caught up with results
- Never been overly strong this season in creating good quality chances, currently 12th on log for xG
- Early season - 7 goals from 3.73 xG & 1 goal from 3.63 xG
Up and down with chance creation and got results when ultimately (based on probability) may not have deserved them - SuperSport United & CT City in the league. Played well very good against
8th on the log for shots taken - 10 shots
84 shots - 47 inside box / 37 outside bo
13th for shots on target - 30%
12th for xG - 0.92 xG
Kaizer Chiefs
A win against SuperSport - very much needed but a very poor opening 15-20 minutes.
7 goals in 8 games (0.88 goals per game)
12 xG in 8 games (1.5 xG per game - 5th on log)
Most teams with penalties
4 penalties & 2 goals scored from penalties
9 xG when we remove 4 penalties that they have had (1.13 xG per game - 10th)
They went through a similar problem exactly 11 months ago and at the time also had a poor conversion rate of their chances at 13%, now it is 19%, league average is 4%
Bafana Bafana talk
Mashego to Sundowns / Ndumiso Mabena to Pirates rumours / Dan Masela to Marumo Gallants
Lakay / Modiba / Mashego all at one club
- Players suffer but so does the national team
Shame that it will only be friendlies
Squad looks exciting
Host Carl Lewis chats with the team at Laduma Analytics as they chat statistics and data in the DSTV Premiership. In this week's episode, they focus on Mamelodi Sundowns, Kaizer Chiefs, Amazulu and Bafana Bafana.
Goals
Goals are lacking again - why is that?
Big difference in the total number of expected goals (140) vs approx 121 goals. Games are creating good quality chances - 2.15 expected goals per game but games are only just under 2 goals a game.
Which teams are creating well but struggling to score?
Sundowns
- A game for the goalkeepers, with this week being an International week
- Themba Zwane had a great opportunity to score 0.25 xG = a more clinical Zwane on his day would have converted that
Sundowns vs AmaZulu game stats
- 17 shots - the second highest total of shots taken this 2022/23 season.
- 2.3 xG - the second highest total of xG accumulated this 2022/23 season.
- 9 - the highest number of chances in games this season.
20 opposition box entrances on average - next best team CT City with 16 entrances into Opp box
Allende sees Mothwa and the gap at the near post
- Reminded me of Van Persie against Barcelona
- Maicon for Brazil against North Korea at the 2010 FIFA world cup @ Ellis Park?
AmaZulu
Where to start?
- Fantastic off-season with lots of quality players coming in
- Also losing players.
-
A really strong start to the season - 3 wins out of first 4 games but the underlying data was never strong and indicated differently to how they were positioned on the log prior to the MTN 8 break (see below)
-
That followed suit and performances caught up with results
- Never been overly strong this season in creating good quality chances, currently 12th on log for xG
- Early season - 7 goals from 3.73 xG & 1 goal from 3.63 xG
Up and down with chance creation and got results when ultimately (based on probability) may not have deserved them - SuperSport United & CT City in the league. Played well very good against
8th on the log for shots taken - 10 shots
84 shots - 47 inside box / 37 outside bo
13th for shots on target - 30%
12th for xG - 0.92 xG
Kaizer Chiefs
A win against SuperSport - very much needed but a very poor opening 15-20 minutes.
7 goals in 8 games (0.88 goals per game)
12 xG in 8 games (1.5 xG per game - 5th on log)
Most teams with penalties
4 penalties & 2 goals scored from penalties
9 xG when we remove 4 penalties that they have had (1.13 xG per game - 10th)
They went through a similar problem exactly 11 months ago and at the time also had a poor conversion rate of their chances at 13%, now it is 19%, league average is 4%
Bafana Bafana talk
Mashego to Sundowns / Ndumiso Mabena to Pirates rumours / Dan Masela to Marumo Gallants
Lakay / Modiba / Mashego all at one club
- Players suffer but so does the national team
Shame that it will only be friendlies
Squad looks exciting
Special guest Shaun Rheeder joins host Carl Lewis, the pair analyse every squad after the SA20 Auction which was a big day for South Africa cricket. Shaun is an expert on South African domestic cricket with deep data base which provides us with insightful opinions and analysis. Squads Durban Super Giants: Quinton de Kock, Prenelan Subrayen, Jason Holder, Kyle Mayers, Reece Topley, Dwaine Pretorius, Heinrich Klaasen, Keemo Paul, Keshav Maharaj, Kyle Abbott, Junior Dala, Dilshan Madushanka, Johnson Charles, Matthew Breetzke, Christiaan Jonker, Wiaan Mulder, Simon Harmer Jo'burg Super Kings: Faf du Plessis, Gerald Coetzee, Maheesh Theekshana, Romario Shepherd, Harry Brook, Janneman Malan, Reeza Hendricks, Kyle Verreynne, George Garton, Alzarri Joseph, Leus du Plooy, Lewis Gregory, Lizaad Williams, Donavon Ferreira, Nandre Burger, Malusi Siboto, Caleb Seleka MI Cape Town: Kagiso Rabada, Dewald Brevis, Rashid Khan, Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran, Rassie van der Dussen, Ryan Rickelton, George Linde, Beuran Hendricks, Duan Jansen, Delano Potgieter, Grant Roelofsen, Wesley Marshall, Olly Stone, Waqar Salamkheil, Ziyaad Abharams, Odean Smith Paarl Royals: David Miller, Corbin Bosch, Jos Buttler, Obed McCoy, Lungi Ngidi, Tabraiz Shamsi, Jason Roy, Dane Vilas, Bjorn Fortuin, Wihan Lubbe, Ferisco Adams, Imraan Manack, Evan Jones, Ramon Simmonds, Mitchell van Buuren, Eoin Morgan, Codi Yusuf Pretoria Capitals: Anrich Nortje, Migael Pretorius, Rilee Rossouw, Phil Salt, Wayne Parnell, Josh Little, Shaun von Berg, Adil Rashid, Cameron Delport, Will Jacks, Theunis de Bruyn, Marco Marais, Kusal Mendis, Daryn Dupavillon, Jimmy Neesham, Eathan Bosch, Shane Dadswell Sunrisers Eastern Cape: Aiden Markram, Ottniel Baartman, Marco Jansen, Tristan Stubbs, Sisanda Magala, Junaid Dawood, Mason Crane, JJ Smuts, Jordan Cox, Adam Rossington, Roelof van der Merwe, Marques Ackerman, James Fuller, Tom Abell, Aya Gqamane, Sarel Erwee, Brydon Carse South Africa power-hitter Tristan Stubbs fetched the highest bid of Rand 9.2 million (USD 520,000 approx.) at the inaugural SA20 player auction in Cape Town on Monday. Sunrisers Eastern Cape won a fierce bidding war against MI Cape Town and Johannesburg Super Kings to snap up their homegrown star-in-the-making. Uncapped 24-year-old batter Donavon Ferreira, who plays for Titans in the South African domestic circuit, created a big stir. Having listed his base price at Rand 175,000 (USD 10,000 approx.), Ferreira, who also bowls a bit and keeps wicket, was eventually snapped up by Super Kings for Rand 5.5 million (USD 310,000 approx.) in the accelerated round of the auction. The winning bid came after some chaos, as Paarl Royals and Pretoria Capitals both tried to outbid Super Kings but were forced to pull out as they didn't have much left in their purse at that point and had other spots still to fill - if they were allowed to keep bidding, they would have run out of the money needed to fill their quota of 17 players. Ferreira has played 19 T20s so far, and boasts a strike rate of 148.26 and an average of 54.85. The Jansen brothers - Duan and Marco - were also in demand, with Marco joining Stubbs at Sunrisers for Rand 6.1 million (USD 344,000 approx.) and Duan going to MI for Rand 3.3 million (USD 186,000 approx.). Marco is already part of the Sunrisers franchise in the IPL, while Duan was recently with the Mumbai Indians development squad that toured the UK. Kolpak-returnee Rilee Rossouw, who has played T20 cricket around the world, also hit paydirt, with Capitals forking out Rand 6.9 million (USD 389,000 approx.) for him. Wayne Parnell, another Kolpak returnee, also triggered a bidding war, which was won by Capitals too. They outbid Super Kings and got the left-arm seam-bowling allrounder for Rand 5.6 million (USD 316,000 approx). However, there were no takers for South Africa's T20I captain Temba Bavuma and Test captain Dean Elgar.
Special guest Shaun Rheeder joins host Carl Lewis, the pair analyse every squad after the SA20 Auction which was a big day for South Africa cricket. Shaun is an expert on South African domestic cricket with deep data base which provides us with insightful opinions and analysis. Squads Durban Super Giants: Quinton de Kock, Prenelan Subrayen, Jason Holder, Kyle Mayers, Reece Topley, Dwaine Pretorius, Heinrich Klaasen, Keemo Paul, Keshav Maharaj, Kyle Abbott, Junior Dala, Dilshan Madushanka, Johnson Charles, Matthew Breetzke, Christiaan Jonker, Wiaan Mulder, Simon Harmer Jo'burg Super Kings: Faf du Plessis, Gerald Coetzee, Maheesh Theekshana, Romario Shepherd, Harry Brook, Janneman Malan, Reeza Hendricks, Kyle Verreynne, George Garton, Alzarri Joseph, Leus du Plooy, Lewis Gregory, Lizaad Williams, Donavon Ferreira, Nandre Burger, Malusi Siboto, Caleb Seleka MI Cape Town: Kagiso Rabada, Dewald Brevis, Rashid Khan, Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran, Rassie van der Dussen, Ryan Rickelton, George Linde, Beuran Hendricks, Duan Jansen, Delano Potgieter, Grant Roelofsen, Wesley Marshall, Olly Stone, Waqar Salamkheil, Ziyaad Abharams, Odean Smith Paarl Royals: David Miller, Corbin Bosch, Jos Buttler, Obed McCoy, Lungi Ngidi, Tabraiz Shamsi, Jason Roy, Dane Vilas, Bjorn Fortuin, Wihan Lubbe, Ferisco Adams, Imraan Manack, Evan Jones, Ramon Simmonds, Mitchell van Buuren, Eoin Morgan, Codi Yusuf Pretoria Capitals: Anrich Nortje, Migael Pretorius, Rilee Rossouw, Phil Salt, Wayne Parnell, Josh Little, Shaun von Berg, Adil Rashid, Cameron Delport, Will Jacks, Theunis de Bruyn, Marco Marais, Kusal Mendis, Daryn Dupavillon, Jimmy Neesham, Eathan Bosch, Shane Dadswell Sunrisers Eastern Cape: Aiden Markram, Ottniel Baartman, Marco Jansen, Tristan Stubbs, Sisanda Magala, Junaid Dawood, Mason Crane, JJ Smuts, Jordan Cox, Adam Rossington, Roelof van der Merwe, Marques Ackerman, James Fuller, Tom Abell, Aya Gqamane, Sarel Erwee, Brydon Carse South Africa power-hitter Tristan Stubbs fetched the highest bid of Rand 9.2 million (USD 520,000 approx.) at the inaugural SA20 player auction in Cape Town on Monday. Sunrisers Eastern Cape won a fierce bidding war against MI Cape Town and Johannesburg Super Kings to snap up their homegrown star-in-the-making. Uncapped 24-year-old batter Donavon Ferreira, who plays for Titans in the South African domestic circuit, created a big stir. Having listed his base price at Rand 175,000 (USD 10,000 approx.), Ferreira, who also bowls a bit and keeps wicket, was eventually snapped up by Super Kings for Rand 5.5 million (USD 310,000 approx.) in the accelerated round of the auction. The winning bid came after some chaos, as Paarl Royals and Pretoria Capitals both tried to outbid Super Kings but were forced to pull out as they didn't have much left in their purse at that point and had other spots still to fill - if they were allowed to keep bidding, they would have run out of the money needed to fill their quota of 17 players. Ferreira has played 19 T20s so far, and boasts a strike rate of 148.26 and an average of 54.85. The Jansen brothers - Duan and Marco - were also in demand, with Marco joining Stubbs at Sunrisers for Rand 6.1 million (USD 344,000 approx.) and Duan going to MI for Rand 3.3 million (USD 186,000 approx.). Marco is already part of the Sunrisers franchise in the IPL, while Duan was recently with the Mumbai Indians development squad that toured the UK. Kolpak-returnee Rilee Rossouw, who has played T20 cricket around the world, also hit paydirt, with Capitals forking out Rand 6.9 million (USD 389,000 approx.) for him. Wayne Parnell, another Kolpak returnee, also triggered a bidding war, which was won by Capitals too. They outbid Super Kings and got the left-arm seam-bowling allrounder for Rand 5.6 million (USD 316,000 approx). However, there were no takers for South Africa's T20I captain Temba Bavuma and Test captain Dean Elgar.
Host Carl Lewis and NFL punter James Godlonton go through each and every game in the NFL slate in Week3 of the 2022 season.
The New York Giants are the surprise undefeated team in the NFL after two weeks.
Saquon Barkley is a factor again, and New York has pulled out two close victories in the first two weeks. Now, the Giants get the Monday Night Football spotlight against the rival Dallas Cowboys, who pulled off their own upset against Cincinnati in Week 2 with backup quarterback Cooper Rush. These teams are always in primetime – even when they're bad – but this one is worth watching.
San Francisco's Jimmy Garoppolo is back after the devastating season-ending injury to Trey Lance. Garoppolo gets the Sunday Night Football spotlight against the Denver Broncos and Russell Wilson, who have split two games and are back in a prime-time slot.
We like the underdog in both games as part of a fun Week 3 that gives us another installment of Aaron Rodgers vs. Tom Brady, Ravens vs. Patriots, Carson Wentz taking on the Eagles and the surprising Lions going to Minnesota with a chance at the NFC North lead.
NFL picks, predictions for Week 3 Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns (-3.5) The Steelers are underdogs for the third straight week. Jacoby Brissett and Mitchell Trubisky have nearly identical passing lines through two games, so it's going to be about which team generates a steady rushing attack. Neither team can stop the pass, but the Browns are a little better against the run. It's a coin flip honestly, and it will come down to the last kick. Anybody remember what happened the last time these two played on Thursday Night?
Houston Texans at Chicago Bears (-3.5) It's the Lovie Smith revenge game we didn't know we needed. Chicago averages 76.5 passing yards per game with Justin Fields; a desperate sign they need to cut him loose a little bit. Houston has shown some fight the first two weeks. Ultimately, the Texans fail to generate a steady running game behind Davis Mills, and the Bears go to 2-1 despite all those offensive issues.
The Titans are in desperation mode after a rough start, and the Raiders are coming off a shocking loss to the Cardinals. Derek Carr has the weapons around him with Darren Waller and Davante Adams. Tennessee plays keep-away long enough to cut Derrick Henry loose. The Raiders have won the last three at Tennessee, but the last meeting was 2019.
Kansas City Chiefs (-6.5) at Indianapolis Colts The Colts' early-season woes is one of the more surprising storylines of the NFL season. Indianapolis has a -4 turnover ratio, and this is a prove-you-still-got-it game for Matt Ryan. Patrick Mahomes II has nothing to prove. Six different Kansas City players have caught TDs this season. The Chiefs keep rolling.
Buffalo Bills (-4.5) at Miami Dolphins If the Dolphins can pull off this upset, then Mike McDaniel might as well be crowned NFL Coach of the Year. If Miami proved anything in Week 2, then it's that McDaniel is willing to air it out with Tua Tagovailoa and star receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. These are "if" statements, however. Josh Allen is the truth, and he is 7-1 with 21 TDs and five interceptions against Miami. He comes through again in what could be the best game of the week.
Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings (-7) The Lions are an early-season feel-good team with the additions made with second-year coach Dan Campbell. They've scored 35.5 points per game, and Jared Goff is off to a great start with playmakers DeAndre Swift and Amon-Ra St. Brown. These teams split last year's meetings, and each game was decided by two points. We're still not sold on Detroit's defense, and the Kirk Cousins-Justin Jefferson continues in a fun NFC North matchup.
Baltimore Ravens (-3) at New England Patriots The Ravens and Patriots each lost to the Dolphins. Lamar Jackson has split two career starts against New England, but he completed more than 70% of his passes in those games. The Ravens need somebody other than Jackson to step in the running game, because that's what Bill Belichick is going to key in on. This is a tough one to pick, but we'll trust the Ravens on the road.
Cincinnati Bengals (-4.5) at New York Jets It's not a Super Bowl hangover. It's the fact Joe Burrow has taken 13 sacks in two games. The Jets, however, have had problems stopping the run and getting to the quarterback. Yes, New York beat the Bengals last season, which precipitated that Super Bowl run. This time, the Bengals use a heavy dose of Joe Mixon to get back on track in the AFC North.
Philadelphia Eagles (-4) at Washington Commanders The Carson Wentz revenge game is here. Wentz has back-to-back 300-yard games for Washington, but the defense needs Chase Young back and it shows. Philadelphia is working off a short week, but Jalen Hurts and A.J. Brown continue to refine their connection. That opens lanes for the running game, too. The teams have split the last four at Washington, and all four games were decided by 10 points or less.
New Orleans Saints (-3) at Carolina Panthers What should we expect with Jameis Winston and Baker Mayfield? That is typically anybody's guess. The Saints have a more reliable running game at this point, and this feels like another close game for Carolina. Those haven't gone Matt Rhule's way, and the seat is getting warmer.
Jacksonville Jaguars at Los Angeles Chargers (-7) The line will be impacted on the status of Justin Herbert (ribs), who is day to day after taking a nasty shot against the Chiefs in Week 2. We'll assume Herbert plays, and the Chargers are able to protect the ball against an improved Jacksonville team with new coach Doug Pederson. We'll re-evaluate this pick if Herbert cannot go.
Los Angeles Rams (-4) at Arizona Cardinals
The Rams are 10-1 against the Cardinals under Sean McVay, and that included last year's playoff blowout. Kyler Murray led a miraculous comeback, and the Rams nearly coughed up a 28-3 lead in Week 2. We still trust McVay's track record here.
Green Bay Packers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-3)
Aaron Rodgers referenced the Packers' last trip to Tampa Bay on Sunday Night Football, and with good reason. It wasn't pretty in a 38-10 loss at Raymond James Stadium. This might be the last time we see Rogers vs. Tom Brady (you never know), but this one will come down to which team has the better running game. Brady's passing stats are not gaudy by any means, but he's taken just three sacks in two games. Rodgers, meanwhile, has taken seven sacks. The protection has to be there for the Packers to have a chance.
Atlanta Falcons at Seattle Seahawks (-2) The Falcons have two losses by a combined total of five points, and five turnovers in those games is the leading problem. That's tough to carry on the road, but Seattle has turnover issues of their own. Which quarterback between Geno Smith and Marcus Mariota protects the football better? We'll give the home team a slight advantage.
San Francisco 49ers at Denver Broncos (-1) Garoppolo might just energize the 49ers' offense and the passing attack here. The 49ers are more than familiar with Wilson, who is still working out the kinks with his new team and first-year coach Nathaniel Hackett. The 49ers defense is nasty, and that's the difference in an ugly win.
Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants (-3) First-year coach Brian Daboll has a chance to push New York to 3-0, another unexpected early-season development. The Cowboys have won nine of the last 10 meetings in this series, however, so the Giants have to know this isn't going to come easy. Daniel Jones is completing 70.9% of his passes so far. Can Rush match that efficiency on the road? We're going with the small upset, and Micah Parsons makes the difference on the MNF stage.
Host Carl Lewis and NFL punter James Godlonton go through each and every game in the NFL slate in Week3 of the 2022 season.
The New York Giants are the surprise undefeated team in the NFL after two weeks.
Saquon Barkley is a factor again, and New York has pulled out two close victories in the first two weeks. Now, the Giants get the Monday Night Football spotlight against the rival Dallas Cowboys, who pulled off their own upset against Cincinnati in Week 2 with backup quarterback Cooper Rush. These teams are always in primetime – even when they're bad – but this one is worth watching.
San Francisco's Jimmy Garoppolo is back after the devastating season-ending injury to Trey Lance. Garoppolo gets the Sunday Night Football spotlight against the Denver Broncos and Russell Wilson, who have split two games and are back in a prime-time slot.
We like the underdog in both games as part of a fun Week 3 that gives us another installment of Aaron Rodgers vs. Tom Brady, Ravens vs. Patriots, Carson Wentz taking on the Eagles and the surprising Lions going to Minnesota with a chance at the NFC North lead.
NFL picks, predictions for Week 3 Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns (-3.5) The Steelers are underdogs for the third straight week. Jacoby Brissett and Mitchell Trubisky have nearly identical passing lines through two games, so it's going to be about which team generates a steady rushing attack. Neither team can stop the pass, but the Browns are a little better against the run. It's a coin flip honestly, and it will come down to the last kick. Anybody remember what happened the last time these two played on Thursday Night?
Houston Texans at Chicago Bears (-3.5) It's the Lovie Smith revenge game we didn't know we needed. Chicago averages 76.5 passing yards per game with Justin Fields; a desperate sign they need to cut him loose a little bit. Houston has shown some fight the first two weeks. Ultimately, the Texans fail to generate a steady running game behind Davis Mills, and the Bears go to 2-1 despite all those offensive issues.
The Titans are in desperation mode after a rough start, and the Raiders are coming off a shocking loss to the Cardinals. Derek Carr has the weapons around him with Darren Waller and Davante Adams. Tennessee plays keep-away long enough to cut Derrick Henry loose. The Raiders have won the last three at Tennessee, but the last meeting was 2019.
Kansas City Chiefs (-6.5) at Indianapolis Colts The Colts' early-season woes is one of the more surprising storylines of the NFL season. Indianapolis has a -4 turnover ratio, and this is a prove-you-still-got-it game for Matt Ryan. Patrick Mahomes II has nothing to prove. Six different Kansas City players have caught TDs this season. The Chiefs keep rolling.
Buffalo Bills (-4.5) at Miami Dolphins If the Dolphins can pull off this upset, then Mike McDaniel might as well be crowned NFL Coach of the Year. If Miami proved anything in Week 2, then it's that McDaniel is willing to air it out with Tua Tagovailoa and star receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. These are "if" statements, however. Josh Allen is the truth, and he is 7-1 with 21 TDs and five interceptions against Miami. He comes through again in what could be the best game of the week.
Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings (-7) The Lions are an early-season feel-good team with the additions made with second-year coach Dan Campbell. They've scored 35.5 points per game, and Jared Goff is off to a great start with playmakers DeAndre Swift and Amon-Ra St. Brown. These teams split last year's meetings, and each game was decided by two points. We're still not sold on Detroit's defense, and the Kirk Cousins-Justin Jefferson continues in a fun NFC North matchup.
Baltimore Ravens (-3) at New England Patriots The Ravens and Patriots each lost to the Dolphins. Lamar Jackson has split two career starts against New England, but he completed more than 70% of his passes in those games. The Ravens need somebody other than Jackson to step in the running game, because that's what Bill Belichick is going to key in on. This is a tough one to pick, but we'll trust the Ravens on the road.
Cincinnati Bengals (-4.5) at New York Jets It's not a Super Bowl hangover. It's the fact Joe Burrow has taken 13 sacks in two games. The Jets, however, have had problems stopping the run and getting to the quarterback. Yes, New York beat the Bengals last season, which precipitated that Super Bowl run. This time, the Bengals use a heavy dose of Joe Mixon to get back on track in the AFC North.
Philadelphia Eagles (-4) at Washington Commanders The Carson Wentz revenge game is here. Wentz has back-to-back 300-yard games for Washington, but the defense needs Chase Young back and it shows. Philadelphia is working off a short week, but Jalen Hurts and A.J. Brown continue to refine their connection. That opens lanes for the running game, too. The teams have split the last four at Washington, and all four games were decided by 10 points or less.
New Orleans Saints (-3) at Carolina Panthers What should we expect with Jameis Winston and Baker Mayfield? That is typically anybody's guess. The Saints have a more reliable running game at this point, and this feels like another close game for Carolina. Those haven't gone Matt Rhule's way, and the seat is getting warmer.
Jacksonville Jaguars at Los Angeles Chargers (-7) The line will be impacted on the status of Justin Herbert (ribs), who is day to day after taking a nasty shot against the Chiefs in Week 2. We'll assume Herbert plays, and the Chargers are able to protect the ball against an improved Jacksonville team with new coach Doug Pederson. We'll re-evaluate this pick if Herbert cannot go.
Los Angeles Rams (-4) at Arizona Cardinals
The Rams are 10-1 against the Cardinals under Sean McVay, and that included last year's playoff blowout. Kyler Murray led a miraculous comeback, and the Rams nearly coughed up a 28-3 lead in Week 2. We still trust McVay's track record here.
Green Bay Packers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-3)
Aaron Rodgers referenced the Packers' last trip to Tampa Bay on Sunday Night Football, and with good reason. It wasn't pretty in a 38-10 loss at Raymond James Stadium. This might be the last time we see Rogers vs. Tom Brady (you never know), but this one will come down to which team has the better running game. Brady's passing stats are not gaudy by any means, but he's taken just three sacks in two games. Rodgers, meanwhile, has taken seven sacks. The protection has to be there for the Packers to have a chance.
Atlanta Falcons at Seattle Seahawks (-2) The Falcons have two losses by a combined total of five points, and five turnovers in those games is the leading problem. That's tough to carry on the road, but Seattle has turnover issues of their own. Which quarterback between Geno Smith and Marcus Mariota protects the football better? We'll give the home team a slight advantage.
San Francisco 49ers at Denver Broncos (-1) Garoppolo might just energize the 49ers' offense and the passing attack here. The 49ers are more than familiar with Wilson, who is still working out the kinks with his new team and first-year coach Nathaniel Hackett. The 49ers defense is nasty, and that's the difference in an ugly win.
Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants (-3) First-year coach Brian Daboll has a chance to push New York to 3-0, another unexpected early-season development. The Cowboys have won nine of the last 10 meetings in this series, however, so the Giants have to know this isn't going to come easy. Daniel Jones is completing 70.9% of his passes so far. Can Rush match that efficiency on the road? We're going with the small upset, and Micah Parsons makes the difference on the MNF stage.
Host Carl Lewis and golf punter Wade Pretorius preview the President's Cup which tees at Quail Hollow of this week and offers international golf fans the chance to enjoy a rare team golf experience. Here, we break down everything you need to know about the event.
Everything you need to know is right here.
The Cup is played between the US team and The International Team, who are players outside of the USA and Europe.
How May Matches?
Foursomes – It’s two players on a team hitting alternate shots.Fourballs – It’s two players on a team hitting their own ball and their score for the hole is the best of the two balls.
Since 2007, the USA lead the foursomes sessions by 30 points. Since 2005, the USA have won every foursomes session. The fourballs are even and the Internationals edge the Singles by 2 points.
So we know where this week’s competitive edge will lie…
Who’s In Charge?
US – Davis Love III – The respected Statesman has been involved in numerous Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup team rooms as a player and vice-captain.
International – Trevor Immelman – the much-loved South African takes over from Ernie Els. The former Master’s winner is a noted commentator in the US these days and does have a great reputation in the global game.
On Thursday, Love III will name his first foursomes pair, then Immelman will reply. In match 2, the South African will name his pair and then Love III will reply. It alternates this way all week.
Who Earned Their Way Onto The Team?
USA -Scottie Scheffler, Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schauffele, Sam Burns, Justin Thomas and Tony Finau Internationals – Adam Scott, Mito Pereira, Tom Kim, Corey Conners, Hideki Matsuyama and Sungjae Im
Who Got Selected?
USA – Jordan Spieth, Collin Morikawa, Max Homa, Billy Horschel, Kevin Kisner and Cameron YoungInternationals – Cameron Davis, Si Woo Kim, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, K.H. Lee, Sebastian Munoz and Taylor Pendrith
Homa won last weekend on the PGA TOUR to make it 4 wins in his last 41 starts.
Who Missed Out This Time Around?
LIV golf players were excluded which means Immelman couldn’t select Louis Oosthuizen, Cameron Smith, Joaquin Niemann, and Marc Leishman. And that’s not even the full list.
Dustin Johnson is a notable absentee from the US team while Bryson DeChambeau was another player who shone in the last Ryder Cup.
What Do The Numbers Say?
Look away now if you are an International fan. They’ve never won the tournament. As listed above, don’t do well in foursomes and are severely weakened by the LIV absentees.
The best International ranked player on Immelman’s team is Hideki Matsuyama at 17 in the world. He would be the 11th on the US team. The average world ranking of the home side is 11.6.
But maybe their inexperience will show, while Spieth is making his 4th appearance and Thomas his 3rd. No other US player has played in more than 1 before this week. In all, 14 players are on debut this week.
One oddsmaker had the US team starting with such a dominance that it would be comparable to a football team starting with a 16.5-point lead.
Who Could Make A Name For Themselves This Week?
Let’s see how Internationals rookie Taylor Pendrith goes for the visitors – he ranks 3rd on the Tour in strokes gained ball striking (off tee + approach) since July 1.
For the US team, back Thomas to win every game and enhance his status in the US team room.
Anything To Note About The Course?
The Wells Fargo host venue is no stranger to many in the event this week. Matsuyama finished fifth in the 2017 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow. Justin Thomas (2017 PGA Championship) and Max Homa (2019 Wells Fargo Championship) both have wins at Quail Hollow.
In just the past week, it was announced Greg Norman is going to Congress to advocate for LIV Golf, Cameron Smith won another $4 million on the LIV Golf circuit and Max Homa defended his title at the Fortinet Championship.
While professional men's golf remains more splintered than ever, the sport will come together -- at least those players who are still eligible to compete on the PGA Tour -- at the 14th Presidents Cup at Quail Hollow Club starting on Thursday.
Host Carl Lewis and golf punter Wade Pretorius preview the President's Cup which tees at Quail Hollow of this week and offers international golf fans the chance to enjoy a rare team golf experience. Here, we break down everything you need to know about the event.
Everything you need to know is right here.
The Cup is played between the US team and The International Team, who are players outside of the USA and Europe.
How May Matches?
Foursomes – It’s two players on a team hitting alternate shots.Fourballs – It’s two players on a team hitting their own ball and their score for the hole is the best of the two balls.
Since 2007, the USA lead the foursomes sessions by 30 points. Since 2005, the USA have won every foursomes session. The fourballs are even and the Internationals edge the Singles by 2 points.
So we know where this week’s competitive edge will lie…
Who’s In Charge?
US – Davis Love III – The respected Statesman has been involved in numerous Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup team rooms as a player and vice-captain.
International – Trevor Immelman – the much-loved South African takes over from Ernie Els. The former Master’s winner is a noted commentator in the US these days and does have a great reputation in the global game.
On Thursday, Love III will name his first foursomes pair, then Immelman will reply. In match 2, the South African will name his pair and then Love III will reply. It alternates this way all week.
Who Earned Their Way Onto The Team?
USA -Scottie Scheffler, Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schauffele, Sam Burns, Justin Thomas and Tony Finau Internationals – Adam Scott, Mito Pereira, Tom Kim, Corey Conners, Hideki Matsuyama and Sungjae Im
Who Got Selected?
USA – Jordan Spieth, Collin Morikawa, Max Homa, Billy Horschel, Kevin Kisner and Cameron YoungInternationals – Cameron Davis, Si Woo Kim, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, K.H. Lee, Sebastian Munoz and Taylor Pendrith
Homa won last weekend on the PGA TOUR to make it 4 wins in his last 41 starts.
Who Missed Out This Time Around?
LIV golf players were excluded which means Immelman couldn’t select Louis Oosthuizen, Cameron Smith, Joaquin Niemann, and Marc Leishman. And that’s not even the full list.
Dustin Johnson is a notable absentee from the US team while Bryson DeChambeau was another player who shone in the last Ryder Cup.
What Do The Numbers Say?
Look away now if you are an International fan. They’ve never won the tournament. As listed above, don’t do well in foursomes and are severely weakened by the LIV absentees.
The best International ranked player on Immelman’s team is Hideki Matsuyama at 17 in the world. He would be the 11th on the US team. The average world ranking of the home side is 11.6.
But maybe their inexperience will show, while Spieth is making his 4th appearance and Thomas his 3rd. No other US player has played in more than 1 before this week. In all, 14 players are on debut this week.
One oddsmaker had the US team starting with such a dominance that it would be comparable to a football team starting with a 16.5-point lead.
Who Could Make A Name For Themselves This Week?
Let’s see how Internationals rookie Taylor Pendrith goes for the visitors – he ranks 3rd on the Tour in strokes gained ball striking (off tee + approach) since July 1.
For the US team, back Thomas to win every game and enhance his status in the US team room.
Anything To Note About The Course?
The Wells Fargo host venue is no stranger to many in the event this week. Matsuyama finished fifth in the 2017 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow. Justin Thomas (2017 PGA Championship) and Max Homa (2019 Wells Fargo Championship) both have wins at Quail Hollow.
In just the past week, it was announced Greg Norman is going to Congress to advocate for LIV Golf, Cameron Smith won another $4 million on the LIV Golf circuit and Max Homa defended his title at the Fortinet Championship.
While professional men's golf remains more splintered than ever, the sport will come together -- at least those players who are still eligible to compete on the PGA Tour -- at the 14th Presidents Cup at Quail Hollow Club starting on Thursday.
Host Carl Lewis and rugby journalist Simnikiwe Xabanisa interview new Sharks Currie head coach Joey Mongalo.
Mongalo has very successful spells with the Lions and Bulls as their defence coach.
Mongalo joined the Bulls after the director of rugby Jake White's arrival and was part of the management team that conquered the domestic landscape in the last two years, culminating in the inaugural United Rugby Championship (URC) final loss last weekend.
In the two years at Loftus, where Mongalo played his rugby for the Bulls from the Under-20s to the Currie Cup seniors, the Bulls won two Currie Cup trophies, Super Rugby Unlocked and the Rainbow Cup domestic league - all available trophies during the pandemic.
Last weekend, they lost to the Stormers 18-13 in Cape Town but stunned many by ousting hot favourites and runaway URC league stage leaders Leinster in Dublin in the semi-finals.
Their dogged defence saw them through the whole season, while their powerful maul and intricate counter-attacking and offloading game led to players such as Marcell Coetzee, Johan Grobbelaar and Madosh Tambwe ranking high in try-scoring stakes.
Mongalo spent 10 years growing as a defence coach at the Lions before joining White's technical team and was part of the 2018 Super Rugby finalists as well as coaching the Lions junior structures from Under-19 to Under-21s.
The Sharks have been reeling from their disappointing season finish after being knocked out by the Bulls at Loftus in the URC quarter-finals after missing out on a chance to top the SA Shield and wrest a home playoff (a defeat to Munster scuppered their hopes).
The defeat piled pressure on URC head coach Sean Everitt, who was endowed with a squad featuring 11 Springboks, with one of the best ones Eben Etzebeth on the way as well as a cream of young talents such as Phepsi Buthelezi and Ntuthuko Mchunu.
An announcement on Mongalo's new role is set to be made next week after high-level meetings between the executive and management.
Host Carl Lewis and rugby journalist Simnikiwe Xabanisa interview new Sharks Currie head coach Joey Mongalo.
Mongalo has very successful spells with the Lions and Bulls as their defence coach.
Mongalo joined the Bulls after the director of rugby Jake White's arrival and was part of the management team that conquered the domestic landscape in the last two years, culminating in the inaugural United Rugby Championship (URC) final loss last weekend.
In the two years at Loftus, where Mongalo played his rugby for the Bulls from the Under-20s to the Currie Cup seniors, the Bulls won two Currie Cup trophies, Super Rugby Unlocked and the Rainbow Cup domestic league - all available trophies during the pandemic.
Last weekend, they lost to the Stormers 18-13 in Cape Town but stunned many by ousting hot favourites and runaway URC league stage leaders Leinster in Dublin in the semi-finals.
Their dogged defence saw them through the whole season, while their powerful maul and intricate counter-attacking and offloading game led to players such as Marcell Coetzee, Johan Grobbelaar and Madosh Tambwe ranking high in try-scoring stakes.
Mongalo spent 10 years growing as a defence coach at the Lions before joining White's technical team and was part of the 2018 Super Rugby finalists as well as coaching the Lions junior structures from Under-19 to Under-21s.
The Sharks have been reeling from their disappointing season finish after being knocked out by the Bulls at Loftus in the URC quarter-finals after missing out on a chance to top the SA Shield and wrest a home playoff (a defeat to Munster scuppered their hopes).
The defeat piled pressure on URC head coach Sean Everitt, who was endowed with a squad featuring 11 Springboks, with one of the best ones Eben Etzebeth on the way as well as a cream of young talents such as Phepsi Buthelezi and Ntuthuko Mchunu.
An announcement on Mongalo's new role is set to be made next week after high-level meetings between the executive and management.
Host Carl Lewis and coach and analyst Grant de Smidt preview all the matches in the DSTV Premiership, this is the most comprehensive betting guide you'll find in South African football.
Host Carl Lewis and coach and analyst discuss the latest Bafana Bafana squad announced by Hugo Broos.
Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos sprung a number of surprises when he named his 23 man squad for next week’s friendly internationals against Sierra Leone and Botswana.
Mamelodi Sundowns playmaker Themba Zwane has earned his first call up under Broos’ tenure while Orlando Pirates forward Zakhele Lepasa returns to the national team for the first time since 2019.
The inclusion of Zwane’s name on the team list will excite South African football supporters in the lead up to the friendly matches on the 24th and the 27th of this month.
Broos has resisted selecting Zwane in the past despite his status as a fan favourite and a star player at his club, but the Belgian trainer has indicated that he was rewarding players who have been playing consistently and are in good form.
Broos has called up Sibongiseni Mthethwa, Melusi Buthelezi, Mihlali Mayambela & Luke le Roux's for the first time, while Percy Tau and Evidence Makgopa didn’t make the cut.
“You know the history of Percy Tau. He was injured last season and he was injured again at the end of the season. He didn’t play the last four games and he’s recovering now. I don’t think it’s the right [time] to select him for this game,” Broos said.
The coach has suggested he will experiment with the new combinations and hopes to rebuild the squad’s confidence after dismal results recently which included losses to Ghana, France and Morocco.
“The idea is that we have to gain confidence again after three defeats. There was a lot of criticism around this team and myself. I think it wasn’t a good idea to play stronger teams again and maybe have defeats,” Broos added.
Bafana Bafana squad:
Goalkeepers: Ronwen Williams (Mamelodi Sundowns), Veli Mothwa (AmaZulu), Melusi Buthelezi (TS Galaxy)
Defenders: Nyiko Mobbie (Sekhukhune United), Terrence Mashego (Cape Town City), Thibang Phete (Al Bataeh, United Arab Emirates), Rushine de Reuck (Mamelodi Sundowns), Aubrey Modiba (Mamelodi Sundowns), Khuliso Mudau (Mamelodi Sundowns), Nkosinathi Sibisi (Orlando Pirates), Innocent Maela (Orlando Pirates)
Midfielders: Sibongiseni Mthethwa (Stellenbosch FC), Goodman Mosele (Orlando Pirates), Sphephelo Sithole (Belenenses, Portugal), Teboho Mokoena (Mamelodi Sundowns), Luke le Roux (Varbergs BoIS, Sweden)
Forwards: Khanyisa Mayo (Cape Town City), Lyle Foster (KVC Westerlo, Belgium), Themba Zwane (Mamelodi Sundowns), Zakhele Lepasa (Orlando Pirates), Mihlali Mayambela (Aris Limassol, Cyprus), Pule Mmodi (Golden Arrows), Kgaogelo Sekgota (Kaizer Chiefs)
Host Carl Lewis and coach and analyst discuss the latest Bafana Bafana squad announced by Hugo Broos.
Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos sprung a number of surprises when he named his 23 man squad for next week’s friendly internationals against Sierra Leone and Botswana.
Mamelodi Sundowns playmaker Themba Zwane has earned his first call up under Broos’ tenure while Orlando Pirates forward Zakhele Lepasa returns to the national team for the first time since 2019.
The inclusion of Zwane’s name on the team list will excite South African football supporters in the lead up to the friendly matches on the 24th and the 27th of this month.
Broos has resisted selecting Zwane in the past despite his status as a fan favourite and a star player at his club, but the Belgian trainer has indicated that he was rewarding players who have been playing consistently and are in good form.
Broos has called up Sibongiseni Mthethwa, Melusi Buthelezi, Mihlali Mayambela & Luke le Roux's for the first time, while Percy Tau and Evidence Makgopa didn’t make the cut.
“You know the history of Percy Tau. He was injured last season and he was injured again at the end of the season. He didn’t play the last four games and he’s recovering now. I don’t think it’s the right [time] to select him for this game,” Broos said.
The coach has suggested he will experiment with the new combinations and hopes to rebuild the squad’s confidence after dismal results recently which included losses to Ghana, France and Morocco.
“The idea is that we have to gain confidence again after three defeats. There was a lot of criticism around this team and myself. I think it wasn’t a good idea to play stronger teams again and maybe have defeats,” Broos added.
Bafana Bafana squad:
Goalkeepers: Ronwen Williams (Mamelodi Sundowns), Veli Mothwa (AmaZulu), Melusi Buthelezi (TS Galaxy)
Defenders: Nyiko Mobbie (Sekhukhune United), Terrence Mashego (Cape Town City), Thibang Phete (Al Bataeh, United Arab Emirates), Rushine de Reuck (Mamelodi Sundowns), Aubrey Modiba (Mamelodi Sundowns), Khuliso Mudau (Mamelodi Sundowns), Nkosinathi Sibisi (Orlando Pirates), Innocent Maela (Orlando Pirates)
Midfielders: Sibongiseni Mthethwa (Stellenbosch FC), Goodman Mosele (Orlando Pirates), Sphephelo Sithole (Belenenses, Portugal), Teboho Mokoena (Mamelodi Sundowns), Luke le Roux (Varbergs BoIS, Sweden)
Forwards: Khanyisa Mayo (Cape Town City), Lyle Foster (KVC Westerlo, Belgium), Themba Zwane (Mamelodi Sundowns), Zakhele Lepasa (Orlando Pirates), Mihlali Mayambela (Aris Limassol, Cyprus), Pule Mmodi (Golden Arrows), Kgaogelo Sekgota (Kaizer Chiefs)
Host Carl Lewis is joined by coach and analyst Grant de Smidt as they preview the weekend's action in the Premier League for your betting purposes.
Friday, September 16
Aston Villa v Southampton (1900)
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Southampton have won 16 of their 40 Premier League matches against Villa (L15 D9).
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In their last meeting in the league, Villa defeated Southampton 4-0 at home.
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Villa are winless in the league this season after winning their first game, while Southampton have won twice in six games.
Nottingham Forest v Fulham (1900)
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This will be the first Premier League meeting between Forest and Fulham.
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The teams last met in the second-tier Championship, where Forest won 1-0 at Fulham in April this year.
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Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic (six goals) is second behind Erling Haaland (10) in the Premier League's list of top scorers this season.
Saturday, September 17
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Manchester City (1130)
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City have won 10 of their 16 Premier League matches against Wolves (L4 D2).
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City won 5-1 at Wolves in their last league meeting in May this year.
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Wolves last defeated City in the league in December 2019, winning 3-2 at home.
Newcastle United v Bournemouth (1400)
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Newcastle have won four of their eight Premier League games against Bournemouth (L2 D2).
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Newcastle won 4-1 away to Bournemouth in their last league meeting in July 2020.
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Bournemouth last defeated Newcastle in the league in November 2017, winning 1-0 at St James' Park.
Tottenham Hotspur v Leicester City (1630)
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Spurs have won four out of their last five league meetings with Leicester (L1)
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Four or more goals have been scored in the last three league meetings between the two sides.
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Bottom club Leicester have lost their last five league games.
Sunday, September 18
Brentford v Arsenal (1100)
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Leaders Arsenal were handed their first defeat of the season by Manchester United in their last game, while Brentford are on a three-match unbeaten streak (W1 D2).
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Brentford won this fixture 2-0 last season, in what was the pair's first Premier League encounter.
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Arsenal have won both London derbies they have played this season.
Everton v West Ham United (1315)
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West Ham are targeting a third consecutive win at Goodison Park, a feat they have never accomplished before.
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West Ham have won three of their last four league meetings with Everton (L1).
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Everton are winless in the Premier League so far, having drawn four and lost two of their opening six games.
Chelsea v Liverpool, Manchester United v Leeds United and Brighton & Hove Albion v Crystal Palace have been postponed ahead of Queen Elizabeth's funeral on Monday
Host Carl Lewis is joined by coach and analyst Grant de Smidt as they preview the weekend's action in the Premier League for your betting purposes.
Friday, September 16
Aston Villa v Southampton (1900)
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Southampton have won 16 of their 40 Premier League matches against Villa (L15 D9).
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In their last meeting in the league, Villa defeated Southampton 4-0 at home.
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Villa are winless in the league this season after winning their first game, while Southampton have won twice in six games.
Nottingham Forest v Fulham (1900)
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This will be the first Premier League meeting between Forest and Fulham.
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The teams last met in the second-tier Championship, where Forest won 1-0 at Fulham in April this year.
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Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic (six goals) is second behind Erling Haaland (10) in the Premier League's list of top scorers this season.
Saturday, September 17
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Manchester City (1130)
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City have won 10 of their 16 Premier League matches against Wolves (L4 D2).
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City won 5-1 at Wolves in their last league meeting in May this year.
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Wolves last defeated City in the league in December 2019, winning 3-2 at home.
Newcastle United v Bournemouth (1400)
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Newcastle have won four of their eight Premier League games against Bournemouth (L2 D2).
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Newcastle won 4-1 away to Bournemouth in their last league meeting in July 2020.
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Bournemouth last defeated Newcastle in the league in November 2017, winning 1-0 at St James' Park.
Tottenham Hotspur v Leicester City (1630)
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Spurs have won four out of their last five league meetings with Leicester (L1)
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Four or more goals have been scored in the last three league meetings between the two sides.
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Bottom club Leicester have lost their last five league games.
Sunday, September 18
Brentford v Arsenal (1100)
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Leaders Arsenal were handed their first defeat of the season by Manchester United in their last game, while Brentford are on a three-match unbeaten streak (W1 D2).
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Brentford won this fixture 2-0 last season, in what was the pair's first Premier League encounter.
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Arsenal have won both London derbies they have played this season.
Everton v West Ham United (1315)
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West Ham are targeting a third consecutive win at Goodison Park, a feat they have never accomplished before.
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West Ham have won three of their last four league meetings with Everton (L1).
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Everton are winless in the Premier League so far, having drawn four and lost two of their opening six games.
Chelsea v Liverpool, Manchester United v Leeds United and Brighton & Hove Albion v Crystal Palace have been postponed ahead of Queen Elizabeth's funeral on Monday
Host Carl Lewis chats to the team at Laduma Analytics about Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs, CHippa United and Iqraam Rayners.
Host Carl Lewis chats to the team at Laduma Analytics about Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs, CHippa United and Iqraam Rayners.
NFL punter James Godlonton joins host Carl Lewis ahead of week 2 in the NFL - we give our 5 best bets and then we pick a handicap bet for all the other games.
Nine NFL playoff teams from last season lost in Week 2. That left the door for some playoff upstarts for 2022 to make their case for this season.
Baltimore and Miami just missed the postseason in 2021. Now, they meet in Week 2 in what should be one of the best games of the week. Lamar Jackson could get JK Dobbins back, and Tua Tagovailoa has improved with the help of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. That game might not have the hype of the Thursday Night Football showdown between the Chiefs and Chargers, but it will be just as entertaining from a scoring standpoint.
The Vikings also made a statement in Week 1 with a 23-7 victory against Green Bay. While the Packers will look to avoid a 0-2 start against rival Chicago on Sunday Night Football; Minnesota can assert early control of the NFC North at Philadelphia.
Which teams will go 2-0? 0-2? Each week, SN will pick the NFL games straight up and against the spread. Last week, we finished 7-8-1. Hey, it's Week 1, right?
NFL punter James Godlonton joins host Carl Lewis ahead of week 2 in the NFL - we give our 5 best bets and then we pick a handicap bet for all the other games.
Nine NFL playoff teams from last season lost in Week 2. That left the door for some playoff upstarts for 2022 to make their case for this season.
Baltimore and Miami just missed the postseason in 2021. Now, they meet in Week 2 in what should be one of the best games of the week. Lamar Jackson could get JK Dobbins back, and Tua Tagovailoa has improved with the help of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. That game might not have the hype of the Thursday Night Football showdown between the Chiefs and Chargers, but it will be just as entertaining from a scoring standpoint.
The Vikings also made a statement in Week 1 with a 23-7 victory against Green Bay. While the Packers will look to avoid a 0-2 start against rival Chicago on Sunday Night Football; Minnesota can assert early control of the NFC North at Philadelphia.
Which teams will go 2-0? 0-2? Each week, SN will pick the NFL games straight up and against the spread. Last week, we finished 7-8-1. Hey, it's Week 1, right?
Host Carl Lewis and motorsport journalist Sean Parker discuss the many rumours and movements of drivers for the 2023 season.
The 2022 F1 silly season kicked off with the announcement that Fernando Alonso will leave Alpine at the end of the season and replace the retiring Sebastian Vettel at Aston Martin, and it has only gotten weirder since then.
That move set up a staredown between Alpine and McLaren for the rights to super-prospect Oscar Piastri. McLaren won, leaving Daniel Ricciardo out.
There are now either 14 drivers under contract for the 2023 season and lots of rumors about the other six seats.
Below we take a look at the driver situation for next season at each team, going in order of the current Constructors' Championship standings.
Host Carl Lewis and motorsport journalist Sean Parker discuss the many rumours and movements of drivers for the 2023 season.
The 2022 F1 silly season kicked off with the announcement that Fernando Alonso will leave Alpine at the end of the season and replace the retiring Sebastian Vettel at Aston Martin, and it has only gotten weirder since then.
That move set up a staredown between Alpine and McLaren for the rights to super-prospect Oscar Piastri. McLaren won, leaving Daniel Ricciardo out.
There are now either 14 drivers under contract for the 2023 season and lots of rumors about the other six seats.
Below we take a look at the driver situation for next season at each team, going in order of the current Constructors' Championship standings.
Rugby punter Neal Hoogwerf joins host Carl Lewis as they provide the best handicap bets for the Rugby Championship, United Rugby Championship, Gallagher Premiership & Bunnings NPC.
Rugby punter Neal Hoogwerf joins host Carl Lewis as they provide the best handicap bets for the Rugby Championship, United Rugby Championship, Gallagher Premiership & Bunnings NPC.
Host Carl Lewis is back the usual loose trio coach Dave Wessels and rugby journalist Simnikiwe Xabanisa for another episode of the School of Hard Knocks-Ons.
In this rugby podcast, the trio focus on:
Preview of the Rugby Championship clash between Argentina and South Africa.
The Springboks have named an unchanged Starting XV for the Pumas Test.
Talented young loose forward Elrigh Louw takes over from Duane Vermeulen on the bench, Faf de Klerk returns as scrumhalf cover in place of Cobus Reinach, and Andre Esterhuizen gets a run in place of Warrick Gelant in the match, which has been moved to Estadio Libertadores De América.
With New Zealand on 10 log points and the Springboks, Australia and Argentina trailing by only one point each on nine points– although Nienaber’s men are currently in second place on the standings due to a favourable points difference – all four teams are under pressure to win their remaining matches and preferably with bonus points to give themselves the best possible chance of winning the title.
With the Boks coming off a strong performance against Australia in Sydney in their last match two weeks ago, where they registered a convincing 24-8 bonus-point victory, Nienaber opted to retain the starting team that laid a strong foundation for the win.
We also touch on Elton Jantjies and take a look at it from a coaches and media perspective.
We then look ahead to the Unit3d Rugby Championship where the Bulls and Lions kick off the season from a South African perspective.
Host Carl Lewis is back the usual loose trio coach Dave Wessels and rugby journalist Simnikiwe Xabanisa for another episode of the School of Hard Knocks-Ons.
In this rugby podcast, the trio focus on:
Preview of the Rugby Championship clash between Argentina and South Africa.
The Springboks have named an unchanged Starting XV for the Pumas Test.
Talented young loose forward Elrigh Louw takes over from Duane Vermeulen on the bench, Faf de Klerk returns as scrumhalf cover in place of Cobus Reinach, and Andre Esterhuizen gets a run in place of Warrick Gelant in the match, which has been moved to Estadio Libertadores De América.
With New Zealand on 10 log points and the Springboks, Australia and Argentina trailing by only one point each on nine points– although Nienaber’s men are currently in second place on the standings due to a favourable points difference – all four teams are under pressure to win their remaining matches and preferably with bonus points to give themselves the best possible chance of winning the title.
With the Boks coming off a strong performance against Australia in Sydney in their last match two weeks ago, where they registered a convincing 24-8 bonus-point victory, Nienaber opted to retain the starting team that laid a strong foundation for the win.
We also touch on Elton Jantjies and take a look at it from a coaches and media perspective.
We then look ahead to the Unit3d Rugby Championship where the Bulls and Lions kick off the season from a South African perspective.
Host Carl Lewis and cricket writer Daniel Gallan review the Test cricket series between England and South Africa which the home side won 2-1 and the Proteas batting unit failed dismally.
The pair pull no punches as they rate the performance of each and every player for South Africa.
Dean Elgar (captain), Sarel Erwee, Marco Jansen, Simon Harmer, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Duanne Olivier, Keegan Petersen, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Lutho Sipamla, . . .
Host Carl Lewis and cricket writer Daniel Gallan review the Test cricket series between England and South Africa which the home side won 2-1 and the Proteas batting unit failed dismally.
The pair pull no punches as they rate the performance of each and every player for South Africa.
Dean Elgar (captain), Sarel Erwee, Marco Jansen, Simon Harmer, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Duanne Olivier, Keegan Petersen, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Lutho Sipamla, . . .
Host Carl Lewis and golf punter Wade Pretorius preview the LIV Golf, Italian Open and Fortinet Championship and provide the best betting options for you.
Italian Open
The 2022 DS Automobiles Italian Open field is set with the passing of the entry deadline. The DP World Tour field is set for this event, played at Marco Simone Golf Club in Rome, Italy.
The DS Automobiles Italian Open field is headlined by the likes of Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Matt Fitzpatrick and more.
This is set to be a 144-player field is played out over four days, with this event marking the 34th event of the 2021-2022 DP World Tour schedule. LIV Golf LIV Golf is heading to Rich Harvest Farms just outside of Chicago for the fifth event of its Invitational Series. LIV Golf heads to the Windy City to make the second-to-last stop of its Invitational Series at Rich Harvest Farms.
The field of 48 is highlighted by Boston Invitational winner Dustin Johnson, the newly-acquired Cameron Smith (T4 in Boston), as well as young stars like Joaquin Niemann and Bryson DeChambeau.
Fortinet Championship
The 2022 Fortinet Championship, the first event of the new 2022-23 PGA Tour season, kicks off this week at Silverado Resort in California. Here’s everything you need to know to watch the tournament.
This season is the final wraparound PGA Tour season before major schedule changes take place in 2024, and it all gets started this week at the Fortinet Championship.
Fresh off a year that saw him double his win total and finish T5 at the Tour Championship, defending champion Max Homa is ready to try to get this year off to a similar hot start in Napa.
Host Carl Lewis and golf punter Wade Pretorius preview the LIV Golf, Italian Open and Fortinet Championship and provide the best betting options for you.
Italian Open
The 2022 DS Automobiles Italian Open field is set with the passing of the entry deadline. The DP World Tour field is set for this event, played at Marco Simone Golf Club in Rome, Italy.
The DS Automobiles Italian Open field is headlined by the likes of Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Matt Fitzpatrick and more.
This is set to be a 144-player field is played out over four days, with this event marking the 34th event of the 2021-2022 DP World Tour schedule. LIV Golf LIV Golf is heading to Rich Harvest Farms just outside of Chicago for the fifth event of its Invitational Series. LIV Golf heads to the Windy City to make the second-to-last stop of its Invitational Series at Rich Harvest Farms.
The field of 48 is highlighted by Boston Invitational winner Dustin Johnson, the newly-acquired Cameron Smith (T4 in Boston), as well as young stars like Joaquin Niemann and Bryson DeChambeau.
Fortinet Championship
The 2022 Fortinet Championship, the first event of the new 2022-23 PGA Tour season, kicks off this week at Silverado Resort in California. Here’s everything you need to know to watch the tournament.
This season is the final wraparound PGA Tour season before major schedule changes take place in 2024, and it all gets started this week at the Fortinet Championship.
Fresh off a year that saw him double his win total and finish T5 at the Tour Championship, defending champion Max Homa is ready to try to get this year off to a similar hot start in Napa.
Host Carl Lewis is joined by coach and analyst Grant de Smidt as they preview the UEFA Champions League Matchday 2 for your betting purposes.
Sporting Lisbon v Tottenham
Could there be a better indication of Sporting Lisbon’s progress than three consecutive wins across two competitions, each with an increasingly larger margin? Whilst a 5-0 defeat of Tottenham to better their weekend league conquest of Portimonense (4-0) is significantly unlikely, pumping out nine goals to nought with 15 different starters will ensure no UEFA Champions League (UCL) Group D opposition will take them lightly. One player almost certain to start here is Sporting’s Marcus Edwards, who along with Tottenham’s Eric Dier both made their professional debuts with the opposing club!
Liverpool v Ajax
So often on the right side of history on the continental stage, Liverpool found themselves on the wrong side last time out, with a humiliating 4-1 defeat to Napoli in their Group A opener equalling their biggest ever UCL loss. Now needing to play catchup if they’re to top their UCL group for a fourth consecutive season, manager Jürgen Klopp will be hoping the extended rest period will serve his injury-hit squad well, after claiming his side need to improve in “pretty much everything”.
Bayern Munich v Barcelona
Just nine months on from last season’s final UEFA Champions League (UCL) group stage game when Bayern Munich condemned Barcelona to a first group stage exit from the tournament since 2000/01 (W3-0), Bayern will now seek to assert their dominance yet again. The big storyline in this fixture is Robert Lewandowski’s swift return to the Allianz Arena following his move to Barça, and he actually contributed to three goals in this H2H last season in Bayern colours (G2, A1).
AC Milan vs Dinamo Zagreb
AC Milan’s latest attempt to win the UEFA Champions League (UCL), and do so as Italian champions for the first time since 1994, got off to a disappointing start with a 1-1 draw at Salzburg. Coach Stefano Pioli described the performance as “positive” but identified shortcomings, as Milan made it just one clean sheet across their last nine UCL outings.
Man City vs Dortmund
Last season’s UEFA Champions League (UCL) semi-finalists Manchester City got their latest quest for European glory off to a perfect start when they crushed Sevilla 4-0 at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium last week. That result was in keeping with the free-scoring start the Citizens have made to their season, netting 24 goals across seven unbeaten fixtures in all competitions, with five of those contests seeing four or more goals scored.
Chelsea vs RB Salzburg
Chelsea have been in the headlines of the footballing world recently, after a UEFA Champions League (UCL) matchday one loss to Dinamo Zagreb last week brought about the end of Thomas Tuchel’s 100-game tenure at the club. Graham Potter has now been thrust into the hot seat, and his first assignment - and first taste of managing in Europe’s elite club competition - involves trying to stop Chelsea from avoiding losing their opening two matches of a UCL campaign for the very first time.
Juventus v Benfica
Matchday one of this UEFA Champions League (UCL) group stage saw Juventus belatedly recover to lose only 2-1 against French champions PSG, when all early signs pointed to humiliation. However, they carried the worst habits of that game into a shock 2-2 weekend draw vs Serie A (SA) minnows Salernitana, clawing back after a disastrous start before an explosive finale saw three players and Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri receive a red card in injury time!
Real Madrid v RB Leipzig
Despite going a goal down to Mallorca, Real Madrid hit back to win 4-1 on Sunday, their second straight victory by a three-goal margin after opening their UEFA Champions League (UCL) campaign by impressively dispatching Celtic 3-0. Madrid are becoming used to battling adversity, recording seven straight wins this term despite losing Karim Benzema and Éder Militão to injury and selling Casemiro to Manchester United.
Host Carl Lewis is joined by coach and analyst Grant de Smidt as they preview the UEFA Champions League Matchday 2 for your betting purposes.
Sporting Lisbon v Tottenham
Could there be a better indication of Sporting Lisbon’s progress than three consecutive wins across two competitions, each with an increasingly larger margin? Whilst a 5-0 defeat of Tottenham to better their weekend league conquest of Portimonense (4-0) is significantly unlikely, pumping out nine goals to nought with 15 different starters will ensure no UEFA Champions League (UCL) Group D opposition will take them lightly. One player almost certain to start here is Sporting’s Marcus Edwards, who along with Tottenham’s Eric Dier both made their professional debuts with the opposing club!
Liverpool v Ajax
So often on the right side of history on the continental stage, Liverpool found themselves on the wrong side last time out, with a humiliating 4-1 defeat to Napoli in their Group A opener equalling their biggest ever UCL loss. Now needing to play catchup if they’re to top their UCL group for a fourth consecutive season, manager Jürgen Klopp will be hoping the extended rest period will serve his injury-hit squad well, after claiming his side need to improve in “pretty much everything”.
Bayern Munich v Barcelona
Just nine months on from last season’s final UEFA Champions League (UCL) group stage game when Bayern Munich condemned Barcelona to a first group stage exit from the tournament since 2000/01 (W3-0), Bayern will now seek to assert their dominance yet again. The big storyline in this fixture is Robert Lewandowski’s swift return to the Allianz Arena following his move to Barça, and he actually contributed to three goals in this H2H last season in Bayern colours (G2, A1).
AC Milan vs Dinamo Zagreb
AC Milan’s latest attempt to win the UEFA Champions League (UCL), and do so as Italian champions for the first time since 1994, got off to a disappointing start with a 1-1 draw at Salzburg. Coach Stefano Pioli described the performance as “positive” but identified shortcomings, as Milan made it just one clean sheet across their last nine UCL outings.
Man City vs Dortmund
Last season’s UEFA Champions League (UCL) semi-finalists Manchester City got their latest quest for European glory off to a perfect start when they crushed Sevilla 4-0 at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium last week. That result was in keeping with the free-scoring start the Citizens have made to their season, netting 24 goals across seven unbeaten fixtures in all competitions, with five of those contests seeing four or more goals scored.
Chelsea vs RB Salzburg
Chelsea have been in the headlines of the footballing world recently, after a UEFA Champions League (UCL) matchday one loss to Dinamo Zagreb last week brought about the end of Thomas Tuchel’s 100-game tenure at the club. Graham Potter has now been thrust into the hot seat, and his first assignment - and first taste of managing in Europe’s elite club competition - involves trying to stop Chelsea from avoiding losing their opening two matches of a UCL campaign for the very first time.
Juventus v Benfica
Matchday one of this UEFA Champions League (UCL) group stage saw Juventus belatedly recover to lose only 2-1 against French champions PSG, when all early signs pointed to humiliation. However, they carried the worst habits of that game into a shock 2-2 weekend draw vs Serie A (SA) minnows Salernitana, clawing back after a disastrous start before an explosive finale saw three players and Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri receive a red card in injury time!
Real Madrid v RB Leipzig
Despite going a goal down to Mallorca, Real Madrid hit back to win 4-1 on Sunday, their second straight victory by a three-goal margin after opening their UEFA Champions League (UCL) campaign by impressively dispatching Celtic 3-0. Madrid are becoming used to battling adversity, recording seven straight wins this term despite losing Karim Benzema and Éder Militão to injury and selling Casemiro to Manchester United.
Host Carl Lewis is pack with punter David Kappel of iDiski Times as they provide best bets for your multiples for UEFA Champions League Matchday 2.
Plzen vs Inter: Inter to win either half, 1.22 odds
Plzen started with a 5-1 defeat to Barca, Inter started with a 0-2 vs Bayern
Inter knows they need to beat Plzen if they want to have a chance in a group with Bayern and Barca
Sporting vs Spurs: over 1.5 goals, 1.25 odds
Spurs beat Marseille 2-0, Sporting beat Frankfurt 3-0
All of Spurs games this season had over 1.5 goals, all of Sporting's too (5/7 over 2.5)
Liverpool vs Ajax: over 0.5 FHGs, 1.21 odds
Ajax beat Rangers 4-0, Liverpool lost to Napoli 1-4
Ajax have won the first in 6/6, Liverpool lost first half in 6/8
Marseille vs Frankfurt: over 1.5 goals, 1.25 odds
Marseille lost 2-0 to Spurs, Frankfurt 3-0 to Sporting
7/8 Marseille games this season had over 1.5 goals, 8/9 Frankfurt games, too
Bayern vs Barca: over 0.5 FGHs, 1.21 odds
Bayern beat Inter 2-0, Barca beat Plzen 5-1
6/7 Barca games had over 2.5 goals, 5/9 Bayern games over 2.5 goals
Porto vs Brugge: Porto win/draw over 1.5 goals, 1.35 odds
Porto lost to Atletico 2-1, Brugge beat Leverkusen 1-0
Porto won the last 13 home games, 11/13 had over 2.5 goals, 6/9 Brugge games had over 2.5 goals
Milan vs Zagreb: Milan win 1.29 odds
Zagreb beat Chelsea 1-0, Mila drew 1-1 with Salzburg
Milan have won 8/9 home games
Shakhtar vs Celtic: over 1.5 goals, 1.20 odds
Shakhtar beat Leipzig 4-1, Celtic lost 3-0 to Real Madrid
All Celtic games had over 1.5 goals, 6/8 Celtic games had over 2.5 goals
Man City vs Dortmund: Man City win & over 2.5 goals, 1.50 odds
Man City beat Sevilla 4-0, Dortmund beat Copenhagen 3-0
All City games this season had over 1.5 goals, 7/9 had over 2.5 goals
City have won last 9 games at home, all had over 2.5 goals
Chelsea vs Salzburg: Chelsea win/draw over 1.5 goals, 1.30 odds
Chelsea lost 1-0 to Zagreb, Salzburg drew 1-1 with Milan
5/5 Chelsea games had over 2.5 goals, all Salzburg games had over 1.5 goals, 6/9 had over 2.5 goals
Juventus vs Benfica: Benfica to score, 1.30 odds
Juventus lost 2-1 to PSG, Benfica beat Maccabi 2-0
Juve conceded in 4/5 last games, Benfica have 17 games in a row, scored twice in 15/17
Maccabi vs PSG: PSG to score first half, 1.25 odds
Maccabi lost 2-0 to Benfica, PSG beat Juve 2-1
PSG have scored (and won) the first half in 9/10 games, Maccabi conceded 2 in their last 4 European games
Real vs Leipzig: FHG, 1.25 odds
Real beat Celtic 3-0, Leipzig lost 4-1 to Shakhtar
Real have won all 7 games this season, scoring at least twice, 6/7 to score first
All Leipzig games had over 1.5 goals, 6/8 had over 2.5
Rangers vs Napoli: Napoli win/draw
Rangers lost 4-0 to Ajax, Napoli beat Liverpool 4-1
Napoli are unbeaten in 18 games, Rangers lost last two games 4-0
Host Carl Lewis is pack with punter David Kappel of iDiski Times as they provide best bets for your multiples for UEFA Champions League Matchday 2.
Plzen vs Inter: Inter to win either half, 1.22 odds
Plzen started with a 5-1 defeat to Barca, Inter started with a 0-2 vs Bayern
Inter knows they need to beat Plzen if they want to have a chance in a group with Bayern and Barca
Sporting vs Spurs: over 1.5 goals, 1.25 odds
Spurs beat Marseille 2-0, Sporting beat Frankfurt 3-0
All of Spurs games this season had over 1.5 goals, all of Sporting's too (5/7 over 2.5)
Liverpool vs Ajax: over 0.5 FHGs, 1.21 odds
Ajax beat Rangers 4-0, Liverpool lost to Napoli 1-4
Ajax have won the first in 6/6, Liverpool lost first half in 6/8
Marseille vs Frankfurt: over 1.5 goals, 1.25 odds
Marseille lost 2-0 to Spurs, Frankfurt 3-0 to Sporting
7/8 Marseille games this season had over 1.5 goals, 8/9 Frankfurt games, too
Bayern vs Barca: over 0.5 FGHs, 1.21 odds
Bayern beat Inter 2-0, Barca beat Plzen 5-1
6/7 Barca games had over 2.5 goals, 5/9 Bayern games over 2.5 goals
Porto vs Brugge: Porto win/draw over 1.5 goals, 1.35 odds
Porto lost to Atletico 2-1, Brugge beat Leverkusen 1-0
Porto won the last 13 home games, 11/13 had over 2.5 goals, 6/9 Brugge games had over 2.5 goals
Milan vs Zagreb: Milan win 1.29 odds
Zagreb beat Chelsea 1-0, Mila drew 1-1 with Salzburg
Milan have won 8/9 home games
Shakhtar vs Celtic: over 1.5 goals, 1.20 odds
Shakhtar beat Leipzig 4-1, Celtic lost 3-0 to Real Madrid
All Celtic games had over 1.5 goals, 6/8 Celtic games had over 2.5 goals
Man City vs Dortmund: Man City win & over 2.5 goals, 1.50 odds
Man City beat Sevilla 4-0, Dortmund beat Copenhagen 3-0
All City games this season had over 1.5 goals, 7/9 had over 2.5 goals
City have won last 9 games at home, all had over 2.5 goals
Chelsea vs Salzburg: Chelsea win/draw over 1.5 goals, 1.30 odds
Chelsea lost 1-0 to Zagreb, Salzburg drew 1-1 with Milan
5/5 Chelsea games had over 2.5 goals, all Salzburg games had over 1.5 goals, 6/9 had over 2.5 goals
Juventus vs Benfica: Benfica to score, 1.30 odds
Juventus lost 2-1 to PSG, Benfica beat Maccabi 2-0
Juve conceded in 4/5 last games, Benfica have 17 games in a row, scored twice in 15/17
Maccabi vs PSG: PSG to score first half, 1.25 odds
Maccabi lost 2-0 to Benfica, PSG beat Juve 2-1
PSG have scored (and won) the first half in 9/10 games, Maccabi conceded 2 in their last 4 European games
Real vs Leipzig: FHG, 1.25 odds
Real beat Celtic 3-0, Leipzig lost 4-1 to Shakhtar
Real have won all 7 games this season, scoring at least twice, 6/7 to score first
All Leipzig games had over 1.5 goals, 6/8 had over 2.5
Rangers vs Napoli: Napoli win/draw
Rangers lost 4-0 to Ajax, Napoli beat Liverpool 4-1
Napoli are unbeaten in 18 games, Rangers lost last two games 4-0
Host Carl Lewis chats with Neal Hoogwerf to preview Round 1 of the new Gallagher Premiership season. Due to the passing of Queen Elizabeth, both Friday matches have been postponed - we od have bets for all the matches this weekend.
The eagerly awaited Gallagher Premiership Rugby season will commence on Friday when Bristol Bears face Bath in a west country derby with Sale up against Northampton Saints. The concern ahead of the brand-new season has been centred off the pitch with Worcester Warriors facing a battle for survival.
However, on the field it is certain to be yet another season full of competitive rugby with the Premiership proving once again why it is the toughest and hardest league in the world.
Lets take a look at all 13 sides ahead of the big kick off
Bath Rugby
Bath’s new head coach Johann van Graan has a big job on his hands to improve the fortunes of Bath after the side finished bottom of the table for the first time in their history and suffered a number of embarrassing defeats including a 64-0 drubbing at Gloucester.
Van Graan has gone with experienced ahead of the new season with his first task to repair a very leaky defence.
Among a host of recruits for Bath, Piers Francis has been signed from Northampton along with international Quinn Roux, a late signing after Charlie Ewels suffered a knee injury on England’s tour to Australia that will keep him out of a large chunk of the season.
Bristol Bears
Bristol had a roller coaster of a season last term with at one point being top of the table, to almost finishing bottom and missing out on a Champions League spot.
Director of Rugby Pat lam had to contend with a huge injury list that decimated the side. Their key players Charles Piutau and Semi Radrada missed a number of matches last campaign and will be raring to go ahead of the new campaign.
Ellis Genge has re-joined from Leicester to form an England prop pairing with Kyle Sinkler, whose season was also disrupted by injury.
Exeter Chiefs
The Chiefs missed out on the Premiership final for the first time in six seasons, and finished in the lower regions of the table, missing out on a top six finish.
Rob Baxter has been given a new role, Director of Rugby instead of Head Coach, and has recruited Australian prop Scott Sio and Ireland’s Rory O’Loughlin.
Gloucester
The club only just missed out on a play-off place last season by the narrowest of margins, a single point.
With Jonny May fit to start the new season and No 8 Albert Tuisue joining from London Irish, Head Coach George Skivington has kept the majority of last season’s side, with the empathises on pushing for a top four finish.
Harlequins
Quins will be looking to bounce back after losing out to Saracens in the semi-final last season.
The side had to contend with more international call-ups than they have been used to, but still made the top four, the only side to do so from the previous four teams.
Director of Rugby Tabai Matson has recruited lock Irne Herbst from Benetton, with the club re-signing Charlie Matthews after a stint in Japan.
Once again you can never rule Harlequins out of the accusation and are worthy contenders for sure.
Leicester Tigers
The Tigers clawed their way from the bottom to the top last season. They went on to defeat Saracens in the final. Under Head Coach Steve Borthwick Tigers have become a side that are extremely difficult to beat.
South Africa’s Handre Pollard has been recruited from Montpellier along with Anthony Watson from Bath.
Expect Tigers once again to be the team to beat come June with the possibility of back-to-back titles not beyond them.
London Irish
The Exiles qualified for the Champions Cup after a 10-year absence and were a much-improved side from previous seasons.
They unearthed a star in Henry Arundell, and relished playing in a smaller stadium of the Brentford Community Stadium, compared to the larger surface at Reading.
Twenty players left Irish during a busy summer with Api Ratuniyarawa joining from Northampton with Josh Basham making the move down south from Newcastle.
Newcastle
After 10 years at the helm, Dean Richards decided to stand down with new Head Coach Dave Walder taking over the reigns.
Newcastle have been used to strong starts at the beginning of the season followed by slumps and a lowly league position.
Their hopes of future success rest on the shoulders of the excellent Adam Radwan. The winger has improved immensely as a player and is growing as a player.
Northampton Saints
In recent seasons Saints have been a yo-yo club. Up one week and down the next. Previous Director of Rugby Chris Boyd has returned back to New Zealand in the summer with Phil Dowson giving the top job.
Saints have the luxury of having two international captains in the form of England’s Courtney Lawes and Wales Dan Biggar.
Sale Sharks
Three England internationals have arrived at the AJ Bell Stadium including George Ford from Leicester and Jonny Hill from Exeter.
Sharks failed to build on their top four finish of the previous season and will be looking to improve on their sixth place finish from last season.
Saracens
Saracens returned back to the Premiership after one season back in the big time and reached the Premiership final.
Their recruitment has been kept to the minimum with the signing of former Harlequins player Hugh Tizard a big signing for the club.
With the experience, the club process then expects Saracens under Mark McCall to be there or thereabouts once again.
Wasps
Recruitment was put on hold in the summer for a few weeks as Wasps looked to refinance the £35 million that fell due to bondholders in May.
Finalists two seasons ago, Wasps missed out on qualifying for the European Champions Cup by finishing in ninth place, which wasn’t helped by a horrendous injury list which at one stage stood at 27 which included Joe Launchbury, Jack Willis and Thomas Young.
South Africa’s Vincent Koch has been signed from Saracens along with Will Haydon-Wood from Falcons.
Worcester Warriors
Steve Diamond's bid to become the first Worcester coach to get the club into the Champions Cup has now turned into a battle for survival for the club.
Money for August’s salaries was found at the last minute, but with the club's bank accounts frozen because of an unpaid tax bill, things are still very uncertain for Worcester.
Despite the off-field distractions, Worcester have been busy with 15 players leaving and seven coming in.
Host Carl Lewis chats with Neal Hoogwerf to preview Round 1 of the new Gallagher Premiership season. Due to the passing of Queen Elizabeth, both Friday matches have been postponed - we od have bets for all the matches this weekend.
The eagerly awaited Gallagher Premiership Rugby season will commence on Friday when Bristol Bears face Bath in a west country derby with Sale up against Northampton Saints. The concern ahead of the brand-new season has been centred off the pitch with Worcester Warriors facing a battle for survival.
However, on the field it is certain to be yet another season full of competitive rugby with the Premiership proving once again why it is the toughest and hardest league in the world.
Lets take a look at all 13 sides ahead of the big kick off
Bath Rugby
Bath’s new head coach Johann van Graan has a big job on his hands to improve the fortunes of Bath after the side finished bottom of the table for the first time in their history and suffered a number of embarrassing defeats including a 64-0 drubbing at Gloucester.
Van Graan has gone with experienced ahead of the new season with his first task to repair a very leaky defence.
Among a host of recruits for Bath, Piers Francis has been signed from Northampton along with international Quinn Roux, a late signing after Charlie Ewels suffered a knee injury on England’s tour to Australia that will keep him out of a large chunk of the season.
Bristol Bears
Bristol had a roller coaster of a season last term with at one point being top of the table, to almost finishing bottom and missing out on a Champions League spot.
Director of Rugby Pat lam had to contend with a huge injury list that decimated the side. Their key players Charles Piutau and Semi Radrada missed a number of matches last campaign and will be raring to go ahead of the new campaign.
Ellis Genge has re-joined from Leicester to form an England prop pairing with Kyle Sinkler, whose season was also disrupted by injury.
Exeter Chiefs
The Chiefs missed out on the Premiership final for the first time in six seasons, and finished in the lower regions of the table, missing out on a top six finish.
Rob Baxter has been given a new role, Director of Rugby instead of Head Coach, and has recruited Australian prop Scott Sio and Ireland’s Rory O’Loughlin.
Gloucester
The club only just missed out on a play-off place last season by the narrowest of margins, a single point.
With Jonny May fit to start the new season and No 8 Albert Tuisue joining from London Irish, Head Coach George Skivington has kept the majority of last season’s side, with the empathises on pushing for a top four finish.
Harlequins
Quins will be looking to bounce back after losing out to Saracens in the semi-final last season.
The side had to contend with more international call-ups than they have been used to, but still made the top four, the only side to do so from the previous four teams.
Director of Rugby Tabai Matson has recruited lock Irne Herbst from Benetton, with the club re-signing Charlie Matthews after a stint in Japan.
Once again you can never rule Harlequins out of the accusation and are worthy contenders for sure.
Leicester Tigers
The Tigers clawed their way from the bottom to the top last season. They went on to defeat Saracens in the final. Under Head Coach Steve Borthwick Tigers have become a side that are extremely difficult to beat.
South Africa’s Handre Pollard has been recruited from Montpellier along with Anthony Watson from Bath.
Expect Tigers once again to be the team to beat come June with the possibility of back-to-back titles not beyond them.
London Irish
The Exiles qualified for the Champions Cup after a 10-year absence and were a much-improved side from previous seasons.
They unearthed a star in Henry Arundell, and relished playing in a smaller stadium of the Brentford Community Stadium, compared to the larger surface at Reading.
Twenty players left Irish during a busy summer with Api Ratuniyarawa joining from Northampton with Josh Basham making the move down south from Newcastle.
Newcastle
After 10 years at the helm, Dean Richards decided to stand down with new Head Coach Dave Walder taking over the reigns.
Newcastle have been used to strong starts at the beginning of the season followed by slumps and a lowly league position.
Their hopes of future success rest on the shoulders of the excellent Adam Radwan. The winger has improved immensely as a player and is growing as a player.
Northampton Saints
In recent seasons Saints have been a yo-yo club. Up one week and down the next. Previous Director of Rugby Chris Boyd has returned back to New Zealand in the summer with Phil Dowson giving the top job.
Saints have the luxury of having two international captains in the form of England’s Courtney Lawes and Wales Dan Biggar.
Sale Sharks
Three England internationals have arrived at the AJ Bell Stadium including George Ford from Leicester and Jonny Hill from Exeter.
Sharks failed to build on their top four finish of the previous season and will be looking to improve on their sixth place finish from last season.
Saracens
Saracens returned back to the Premiership after one season back in the big time and reached the Premiership final.
Their recruitment has been kept to the minimum with the signing of former Harlequins player Hugh Tizard a big signing for the club.
With the experience, the club process then expects Saracens under Mark McCall to be there or thereabouts once again.
Wasps
Recruitment was put on hold in the summer for a few weeks as Wasps looked to refinance the £35 million that fell due to bondholders in May.
Finalists two seasons ago, Wasps missed out on qualifying for the European Champions Cup by finishing in ninth place, which wasn’t helped by a horrendous injury list which at one stage stood at 27 which included Joe Launchbury, Jack Willis and Thomas Young.
South Africa’s Vincent Koch has been signed from Saracens along with Will Haydon-Wood from Falcons.
Worcester Warriors
Steve Diamond's bid to become the first Worcester coach to get the club into the Champions Cup has now turned into a battle for survival for the club.
Money for August’s salaries was found at the last minute, but with the club's bank accounts frozen because of an unpaid tax bill, things are still very uncertain for Worcester.
Despite the off-field distractions, Worcester have been busy with 15 players leaving and seven coming in.
Host Carl Lewis and coach and analyst preview every game in Matchweek 7 of the Premier League 2022/23 season
Another weekend of Premier League action is upon us and we have selected three more bets that should be of interest this weekend
The Premier League season is barely underway, and the first international break is already around the corner on Sept. 19. However, there have already been plenty of exciting finishes and drama through the first six matchweeks.
Two managers have already been sacked after Scott Parker (Bournemouth) was fired on Aug. 27, followed by the shocking dismissal of Thomas Tuchel at Chelsea this week.
Several big-time clashes are set to take place this week. Most notably, a “Big 6” showdown between Manchester City and Tottenham on Saturday.
So what will happen in Matchweek 7? Let’s examine some of my favorite best bets and predictions for this weekend in the Premier League.
Host Carl Lewis and coach and analyst preview every game in Matchweek 7 of the Premier League 2022/23 season
Another weekend of Premier League action is upon us and we have selected three more bets that should be of interest this weekend
The Premier League season is barely underway, and the first international break is already around the corner on Sept. 19. However, there have already been plenty of exciting finishes and drama through the first six matchweeks.
Two managers have already been sacked after Scott Parker (Bournemouth) was fired on Aug. 27, followed by the shocking dismissal of Thomas Tuchel at Chelsea this week.
Several big-time clashes are set to take place this week. Most notably, a “Big 6” showdown between Manchester City and Tottenham on Saturday.
So what will happen in Matchweek 7? Let’s examine some of my favorite best bets and predictions for this weekend in the Premier League.
Host Carl Lewis chats with coach, analyst and Chelsea fan Grant de Smidt after Thomas Tuchel was relieved of his role as manager of Chelsea Football Club. They also discuss owner Todd Boehly and potential new manager, Graham Potter.
Chelsea on Wednesday sacked manager Thomas Tuchel just seven games into the season following a chastening 1-0 Champions League defeat at Dinamo Zagreb.
The London club said in a statement they had "parted company" with the German, who led them to Champions League glory in 2021 and the Club World Cup crown earlier this year.
The former Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain boss, 49, leaves Stamford Bridge after less than 20 months in charge.
The Stamford Bridge club, under new owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali, defended the timing of the decision.
"As the new ownership group reaches 100 days since taking over the club, and as it continues its hard work to take the club forward, the new owners believe it is the right time to make this transition," the statement said.
Chelsea are sixth in the Premier League table after three wins, one draw and two defeats in their opening six matches.
Chelsea's coaching staff will take charge of the team as the club "moves swiftly to appoint a new head coach".
Boehly's consortium paid a world-record fee of £4.25 billion ($4.9 billion) for a sports franchise to buy Chelsea from Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich in May.
The ambitious US magnates are in the process of overhauling the club and have acted quickly to unseat Tuchel.
Graham Potter has agreed in principle to become Chelsea's new manager after the shock sacking of Thomas Tuchel, according to widespread reports on Thursday.
Chelsea's new US owners are understood to have met a release fee in the Brighton boss's contract, with his club allowing the Blues to talk to their manager.
The former Swansea City and Ostersunds coach is expected to have his Chelsea deal finalised in time for him to take charge of Saturday's Premier League trip to Fulham.
Chelsea are understood to have made initial contact with former Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino and Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim, as well as considering Zinedine Zidane and Leicester's Brendan Rodgers.
Host Carl Lewis chats with coach, analyst and Chelsea fan Grant de Smidt after Thomas Tuchel was relieved of his role as manager of Chelsea Football Club. They also discuss owner Todd Boehly and potential new manager, Graham Potter.
Chelsea on Wednesday sacked manager Thomas Tuchel just seven games into the season following a chastening 1-0 Champions League defeat at Dinamo Zagreb.
The London club said in a statement they had "parted company" with the German, who led them to Champions League glory in 2021 and the Club World Cup crown earlier this year.
The former Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain boss, 49, leaves Stamford Bridge after less than 20 months in charge.
The Stamford Bridge club, under new owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali, defended the timing of the decision.
"As the new ownership group reaches 100 days since taking over the club, and as it continues its hard work to take the club forward, the new owners believe it is the right time to make this transition," the statement said.
Chelsea are sixth in the Premier League table after three wins, one draw and two defeats in their opening six matches.
Chelsea's coaching staff will take charge of the team as the club "moves swiftly to appoint a new head coach".
Boehly's consortium paid a world-record fee of £4.25 billion ($4.9 billion) for a sports franchise to buy Chelsea from Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich in May.
The ambitious US magnates are in the process of overhauling the club and have acted quickly to unseat Tuchel.
Graham Potter has agreed in principle to become Chelsea's new manager after the shock sacking of Thomas Tuchel, according to widespread reports on Thursday.
Chelsea's new US owners are understood to have met a release fee in the Brighton boss's contract, with his club allowing the Blues to talk to their manager.
The former Swansea City and Ostersunds coach is expected to have his Chelsea deal finalised in time for him to take charge of Saturday's Premier League trip to Fulham.
Chelsea are understood to have made initial contact with former Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino and Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim, as well as considering Zinedine Zidane and Leicester's Brendan Rodgers.
Host Carl Lewis chats to Zach Lowy about their favourite transfers this window and the pair touch on some of the biggest deadline day transfers in the Premier League.
Antony Manchester United have completed the signing of Antony from Ajax in a deal initially worth €95m (£82m), the forward describing it as an “incredible moment” after agreeing on a five-year contract with the option of 12 further months.
Wesley Fofana and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Fofana, meanwhile, has signed a seven-year contract and the 21-year-old is the third player to join Chelsea this summer for £50m or more, after Raheem Sterling and Marc Cucurella.
Chelsea’s summer spending could reach close to £350m as they pursue deadline-day deals for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Josko Gvardiol. The figure in the first window under the new owners went past £250m on Wednesday with the £75m signing of Wesley Fofana from Leicester.
Eddie Howe believes Alexander Isak possesses the “X factor” to succeed at Newcastle United and is convinced the £59m Sweden striker is ideally suited to the English game. The 22-year-old’s club record move from Real Sociedad on a six-year contract was confirmed on Friday, and Newcastle’s manager is planning to give Isak a debut during Sunday’s visit to Wolves.
Marc Cucurella’s move from Brighton to Chelsea has been confirmed in a deal that could reach £62m. Chelsea are paying a guaranteed £55m for the left-back and up to another £7m in add-ons.
Wolves are set to sign the Portugal midfielder Matheus Nunes after agreeing a deal worth €45m (£38m) plus €5m in add-ons with Sporting for the 23-year-old.
West Ham have announced the signing of the Brazil midfielder Lucas Paquetá from Lyon in a club-record €60m (£51.3m) deal.
The 25-year-old becomes the eighth new recruit for the Hammers this summer, signing a deal until 2027 with an option to extend his contract by an additional year.
Host Carl Lewis chats to Zach Lowy about their favourite transfers this window and the pair touch on some of the biggest deadline day transfers in the Premier League.
Antony Manchester United have completed the signing of Antony from Ajax in a deal initially worth €95m (£82m), the forward describing it as an “incredible moment” after agreeing on a five-year contract with the option of 12 further months.
Wesley Fofana and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Fofana, meanwhile, has signed a seven-year contract and the 21-year-old is the third player to join Chelsea this summer for £50m or more, after Raheem Sterling and Marc Cucurella.
Chelsea’s summer spending could reach close to £350m as they pursue deadline-day deals for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Josko Gvardiol. The figure in the first window under the new owners went past £250m on Wednesday with the £75m signing of Wesley Fofana from Leicester.
Eddie Howe believes Alexander Isak possesses the “X factor” to succeed at Newcastle United and is convinced the £59m Sweden striker is ideally suited to the English game. The 22-year-old’s club record move from Real Sociedad on a six-year contract was confirmed on Friday, and Newcastle’s manager is planning to give Isak a debut during Sunday’s visit to Wolves.
Marc Cucurella’s move from Brighton to Chelsea has been confirmed in a deal that could reach £62m. Chelsea are paying a guaranteed £55m for the left-back and up to another £7m in add-ons.
Wolves are set to sign the Portugal midfielder Matheus Nunes after agreeing a deal worth €45m (£38m) plus €5m in add-ons with Sporting for the 23-year-old.
West Ham have announced the signing of the Brazil midfielder Lucas Paquetá from Lyon in a club-record €60m (£51.3m) deal.
The 25-year-old becomes the eighth new recruit for the Hammers this summer, signing a deal until 2027 with an option to extend his contract by an additional year.
Host Carl Lewis and coach Dave Wessels are joined by rugby coach and analyst Eoin Toolan for a fascinating chat on the Springboks, Wallabies, All Blacks and the Rugby Championship in general.
They cover:
- Joe Schmidt's influence on the New Zealand gameplan and attacking structure
- South Africa's attacking structure
- Australia lacks an identity at the moment and lacks consistency
- Should Jacques Nienaber consider Damian Willemse as a serious contender for the number 10 jersey?
- Thoughts on the Bomb Squad and whether Malcolm Marx and co should start matches going forward
- Australia's rugby union struggles - no real financial clout
Host Carl Lewis and coach Dave Wessels are joined by rugby coach and analyst Eoin Toolan for a fascinating chat on the Springboks, Wallabies, All Blacks and the Rugby Championship in general.
They cover:
- Joe Schmidt's influence on the New Zealand gameplan and attacking structure
- South Africa's attacking structure
- Australia lacks an identity at the moment and lacks consistency
- Should Jacques Nienaber consider Damian Willemse as a serious contender for the number 10 jersey?
- Thoughts on the Bomb Squad and whether Malcolm Marx and co should start matches going forward
- Australia's rugby union struggles - no real financial clout
Host Carl Lewis chats with cricket writer Christopher Chiwanza about South African fast bowler Anrich Nortje who since bursting on the international scene with his raw pace has garnered respect from around the world in cricket.
Anrich Nortje is a genuine quick who has been described as "extremely exciting" by none other than Dale Steyn. Like Steyn, Nortje is not a product of a big city but comes from the town of Uitenhage, north of Port Elizabeth, which is home to the largest Volkswagen factory in the African continent. It's hardly surprising then, that Nortje is well-acquainted with speed. He regularly sends the speed gun over 150kph and has a fearsome bouncer.
Nortje was schooled at Brandwag High and went on to complete a Bachelor of Commerce degree in financial planning at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, where he used varsity cricket to hone his skills. Nortje enjoyed a strong start to his first-class franchise career, with 20 wickets in four matches in the 2016-17 season and a fifth-place finish on the first-class wicket charts in the 2017-18 summer, when he was the second-highest wicket-taking seamer. But the shorter format was where he got his big break.
Nortje stormed onto the scene in late 2018, in the inaugural edition of the Mzansi Super League, South Africa's franchise T20 competition, with express pace that helped him take eight wickets in three matches for the Cape Town Blitz. His sensational start did not last too long and he was forced out of the tournament with an ankle injury, which required surgery. He recovered by early 2019 and made his ODI debut against Sri Lanka in March 2019. Nortje played four of the five matches in the series with a best return of 3 for 57 at his home ground in Port Elizabeth and appeared to have made a strong case for inclusion in the 2019 World Cup squad.
Nortje's career appeared to be on the ascendancy when he was contracted by Kolkata Knight Riders for the 2019 IPL but had to withdraw from the tournament when he picked up a shoulder injury. Despite that, he was named in South Africa's World Cup squad and had recovered in time for the tournament but broke his thumb in training ahead of the team's departure. An opportunity to tour with the national side finally came in September-October 2019, when Nortje was named in the squad for a T20I and Test series in India. He made his debuts in both formats there.
Host Carl Lewis chats with cricket writer Christopher Chiwanza about South African fast bowler Anrich Nortje who since bursting on the international scene with his raw pace has garnered respect from around the world in cricket.
Anrich Nortje is a genuine quick who has been described as "extremely exciting" by none other than Dale Steyn. Like Steyn, Nortje is not a product of a big city but comes from the town of Uitenhage, north of Port Elizabeth, which is home to the largest Volkswagen factory in the African continent. It's hardly surprising then, that Nortje is well-acquainted with speed. He regularly sends the speed gun over 150kph and has a fearsome bouncer.
Nortje was schooled at Brandwag High and went on to complete a Bachelor of Commerce degree in financial planning at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, where he used varsity cricket to hone his skills. Nortje enjoyed a strong start to his first-class franchise career, with 20 wickets in four matches in the 2016-17 season and a fifth-place finish on the first-class wicket charts in the 2017-18 summer, when he was the second-highest wicket-taking seamer. But the shorter format was where he got his big break.
Nortje stormed onto the scene in late 2018, in the inaugural edition of the Mzansi Super League, South Africa's franchise T20 competition, with express pace that helped him take eight wickets in three matches for the Cape Town Blitz. His sensational start did not last too long and he was forced out of the tournament with an ankle injury, which required surgery. He recovered by early 2019 and made his ODI debut against Sri Lanka in March 2019. Nortje played four of the five matches in the series with a best return of 3 for 57 at his home ground in Port Elizabeth and appeared to have made a strong case for inclusion in the 2019 World Cup squad.
Nortje's career appeared to be on the ascendancy when he was contracted by Kolkata Knight Riders for the 2019 IPL but had to withdraw from the tournament when he picked up a shoulder injury. Despite that, he was named in South Africa's World Cup squad and had recovered in time for the tournament but broke his thumb in training ahead of the team's departure. An opportunity to tour with the national side finally came in September-October 2019, when Nortje was named in the squad for a T20I and Test series in India. He made his debuts in both formats there.
Host Carl Lewis chats with cricket writer Christopher Chiwanza about South African left-hand batter, Ryan Rickelton.
Only in his early 20s at present, Ryan Rickelton has been a part of Gauteng since 2015. With a terrific average of 45.75 in first-class cricket alongside his wicket-keeping skills, Rickelton has notched up five centuries in the format. Although he was dismissed for a duck in his debut first-class innings, the youngster showed character to bounce back and play determined as well as courageous knocks in the next few innings.
He has been the leading run-getters in few of the tournaments for Gauteng, the 2017–18 CSA Provincial One-Day Challenge and 2017–18 Sunfoil 3-Day Cup being two of them where he scored 351 runs and 562 runs respectively. The young wicket-keeper batsman was named in Highveld Lions squad in June 2018 and was also named in the Cricket South Africa Emerging Squad in July 2018. He's one of those batsmen who can score fifties easily but fails to convert those scores into big ones - one of the aspects, Rickelton needs to work on.
Host Carl Lewis chats with cricket writer Christopher Chiwanza about South African left-hand batter, Ryan Rickelton.
Only in his early 20s at present, Ryan Rickelton has been a part of Gauteng since 2015. With a terrific average of 45.75 in first-class cricket alongside his wicket-keeping skills, Rickelton has notched up five centuries in the format. Although he was dismissed for a duck in his debut first-class innings, the youngster showed character to bounce back and play determined as well as courageous knocks in the next few innings.
He has been the leading run-getters in few of the tournaments for Gauteng, the 2017–18 CSA Provincial One-Day Challenge and 2017–18 Sunfoil 3-Day Cup being two of them where he scored 351 runs and 562 runs respectively. The young wicket-keeper batsman was named in Highveld Lions squad in June 2018 and was also named in the Cricket South Africa Emerging Squad in July 2018. He's one of those batsmen who can score fifties easily but fails to convert those scores into big ones - one of the aspects, Rickelton needs to work on.
Host Carl Lewis chats with NBA guru Cyrus Rogers about the biggest talking points in the NBA as well as previewing the WNBA semi-finals.
In a statement released Tuesday, Nets general manager Sean Marks said the past MVP and two-time NBA champion will remain with the franchise after originally requesting a trade on June 30. (Durant's four-year, $198 million extension kicks in this season.)
The Los Angeles Lakers have acquired guard Patrick Beverley from the Utah Jazz in exchange for guard Talen Horton-Tucker and forward Stanley Johnson, it was announced today by Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Rob Pelinka.
“We are thrilled to add Patrick Beverley’s toughness and competitive spirit to our team,” Pelinka said. “We’re confident that Patrick’s ‘3-and-D’ style will fit in nicely with the other pieces of our roster, and align perfectly with Coach Ham’s philosophy of hard work and smart play.”
The top four seeds advanced to the semifinals of the 2022 WNBA playoffs with relative ease, but the matchups and storylines that await in the next round are hardly short of intrigue.
The top-seeded Las Vegas Aces and No. 4 seed Seattle Storm face off in a battle featuring seven former No. 1 overall draft picks. The Aces are hungry to win the franchise's first championship, which would make Becky Hammon the first first-year coach to win a WNBA title since Van Chancellor in 1997, the league's inaugural season. But Sue Bird and Tina Charles have plenty to fight for, too, as Bird readies for retirement with four (and if things go her way, five) WNBA titles to her name, while Charles switched teams midseason in search of her coveted first.
Fresh off winning decisive Game 3s in the first round, the No. 2 seed Chicago Sky and the third-seeded Connecticut Sun are hoping to carry that momentum into the semifinals, where they'll meet for the second straight year and in the postseason for the third consecutive summer. Behind Candace Parker, who has indicated this could be her final season in the league, the defending champion Sky are looking to become the first WNBA team to repeat since 2001-02. The Sun -- the W franchise with the most playoff wins (33) but no title -- hope to advance to their second Finals in four seasons before their championship window diminishes.
Host Carl Lewis is joined by Mastos for another masterclass where we focus on bets for your accas and multiples. We are in the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A Ligue 1 and Bundesliga this weekend. They also try the Belgian Jupiler Pro League and the Eredivisie this weekend. The podcast is for football punters who enjoy multiples across various markets.
Host Carl Lewis is joined by Rapport sports editor Tinus van Staden and the pair discuss the newly maned T20 Cricket tournament, the SA T20.
Topics they discuss include:
Why has CSA placed so much importance on the competition?
The importance of Graem Smith and his relationship with IPL owners nad BCCI
The money behind the SA20
WHo will control the league and what players will be available?
Cricket South Africa's new T20 tournament finally has a name in the form of SA20 and its commissioner, Graeme Smith, said player availability is the least of their problems.
The league's draft will take place on 19 September to fill out the six teams with 17 players, 10 of which will be local and seven international.
From a match-day perspective, the teams will follow the international standard of seven local and four foreign players format.
The tournament is slated to start on 23 January, as soon as the Proteas players are back from their three-Test series against Australia.
The start of the SA20 will coincide with the business end of Australia's established Big Bash League, but Smith said agreements are in place for individuals who signed for the BBL to leave and play in South Africa.
"We have an agreement with the players that we've signed and the BBL has an agreement in place that allows players to take part in a portion of the Big Bash," Smith said.
"They have a different structure this year, so the players in our league who have signed up will be there up until the early days of January so that they will be available.
"They'll be released to come and play here, from where they'll be fully available for the South African league."
The six teams based in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Gqeberha, Paarl, and Cape Town will have a purse of US$ 2 million (R34 million) for player acquisitions, some of which have been used.
Smith said the acquiring of players hasn't been easy, but they're in the process of sorting out player registration for the tournament.
"We've managed to attract quality players and a large part of our group will be South African players," Smith said.
"We've got an extensive list of international players that we're sorting out for the auction. We're still finalising some of the auction details and we're sorting out the player registration because of the large number of players.
"There has been an element of pre-signing that has been taking place and the teams have a purse of $2 million that already includes the pre-signed players."
The SA20 is CSA's third attempt at a viable T20 tournament after the failures of the Mzansi Super League and the Global League T20.
Smith hoped that this tournament can have a life of its own that makes it stand out as a brand.
"The name is very simple, but this is something that we can own and bring to life," Smith said.
"A lot of work has gone into it and we're very excited with what we've done and what we can create going forward.
"We hope it's a brand that brings cricket together, along with new fans."
Can anything stop Max Verstappen from storming to a second Drivers’ Championship? Judging by the Dutchman’s dominant victory in Belgian last weekend, the answer is no.
This weekend the attention turns to who can halt Verstappen at his home Grand Prix at Zandvoort. The Red Bull driver won his home GP in 2021 after the race returned for the first time since 1985. Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez trails him in the driver’s standings after seven podium finishes in 2022.
The 4.259km-long Zandvoort circuit was opened in 1948 and hosted its first GP in 1952.
Nestled between the dunes near the North Sea coastline, around 30km from Amsterdam. The track’s nature is fast and twisty, with several medium-speed corners that give the feeling of being on a rollercoaster. The Italian designer Jarno Zaffelli added an increased banking angle at the Tarzanbocht corner to 18 degrees, which provides brilliant sling-shot momentum down to Gerlachbocht. Zandvoort rewards cars with more downforce, which naturally plays into Ferrari’s hands. We’ve seen the Italian team struggle with niggly strategy and reliability issues at times this season so it will be anything but move sailing for Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.
Qualifying is vital to get a good grid position, as overtaking is difficult thanks to most of the circuit spent cornering.
Verstappen has already played mind games this week in the press by admitting that Ferrari will be strong and that he’s going into his home race to have fun. The sea of orange will follow Verstappen to Zandvoort, and the Dutch fans bring an electric atmosphere to any GP, which we saw in 2021. Therefore, we’ve pencilled in the Dutchman for the win and for Leclerc to qualify on pole due to the unpredictability of the Scuderia this season.
From one world champion to another, Lewis Hamilton will be hoping to put last weekend’s crash behind him after his run of five podium finishers came to an end. Mercedes struggled with George Russell far off the pace compared to Red Bull and Ferrari. Mercedes scored a double podium finish last season in the Netherlands and will have their work cut out for them.
Host Carl Lewis is joined by Laduma Analytics to preview this weekend's action in the DSTV Premiership with a focus on the four biggest games involving Sundownsm Pirates, Chiefs and more.
Supersport v Sundowns
- Supersport last victory here was Sep 2019
- Hunt’s team are confusing - good in the league (despite league pos)
- Leaky v Sundowns (2.7xgA); 600+ passes v 200odd for them
- Same style - just 10 box entries (8 v Pirates)
Chiefs v AmaZulu
- Chiefs have lost the games they were supposed to & won where supposed to
- Over 1xG every game, but conceding too many chances
- Should have scored v CT City
- Entered the box 17 times (most this season)
- AmaZulu have been very lucky
TS Galaxy v CT City
- Galaxy has consecutive clean sheets, but will be tested against City
- Could concede v City that takes the most shots & enters box most
Maritzburg v Pirates
- Maritzburg surprisingly high on xP table
- Pirates in the Cup was best xG game, but 2nd worst xGA
- More attacking = more openness
- If they go back to league style, it will be low-scoring game
Host Carl Lewis chats to Zach Lowy about the drama surrounding Juventus and World Cup-winning Paul Pogba. We also discuss Paris Saint Germain and their start under the new manager and directory of football with some thoughts on the chemistry between Mbappe, Neymar and Messi.
The French authorities are investigating a case of “attempted extortion by an organized gang” with regards to Paul Pogba. Pogba has told police that he was trapped by childhood friends and two hooded men with assault rifles, who demanded €13m from him.
Apart from childhood friends, one of the alleged gang members is his brother Mathias Pogba. They have attempted to intimidate him on various occasions, even visiting him at Juventus’ training centre.
Between March 25 and 29, when France hosted the Ivory Coast and South Africa in two friendlies, Paul Pogba visited his family in Langy-sur-Marne. His friends then took him to an apartment in Paris, where they accused him of not helping him financially since turning pro.
Host Carl Lewis is back with the team of Laduma Analytics and we discuss the XG data which tells which teams have been playing well and which not.
Expected Goals & Goal Difference
Is Gavin Hunt a critic of data & data-driven performance analysis?
Or are journalists driving a narrative?
His recent quotes (as always) were interesting
"I thought we had the best chances, I mean really two good chances which I thought we should have scored. It's fairly disappointing but that has been the story of us"
Well data back up his claims
Supersport have experienced the worst of luck in front of goal (offensively and defensively).
Their goal difference is currently minus two, when +5 is what they should have had [8xG -3xG]
City has not had the rub of the green. Defence is par (7xGA and 8 conceded)
Their front line has underperformed by 4 goals - 10xG yielding just 6 goals
Sundowns have an xGD of +2, but an Actual GD of +8. This is because they conceded a high quality of chances and should have conceded 5 goals by now.
Chippa & AmaZulu are main concerns, Richards Bay & TS Galaxy also in danger
It's a miracle TS Galaxy haven't conceded, with 6xG conceded (effectively Buthelezi has saved the team 6 goals)
Expected Points Table [10 mins]
Based on xP City, Pirates, Maritzburg & Sundowns should be our top 4
Based on xP AmaZulu, Chippa, HGalaxy, Richards Bay should be Bottom 4
Going forward, we expect the league table to shake up again and be rearranged.
5 teams have topped table this season (last time there were more was 17/18).
All things remaining the same, Maritzburg, Supersport and City should climb ⏫
AmaZulu and Richards Bay will go in the opposite direction.⏬
Host Carl Lewis & Rugby punter Neal Hoogwerf provide the best handicaps bets for the Rugby Championship and Bunnings NPC action this weekend.
The Springboks and All Blacks will be out for redemption in the fourth round of the Rugby Championship on Saturday.
After their shock first-ever defeat to Argentina on home soil last weekend, the pressure is back on Ian Foster and his charges and a bounce-back victory is non-negotiable in Hamilton.
Similarly, South Africa are feeling the heat and will be desperate to avoid a third consecutive loss when they take on the Wallabies in Sydney.
The fourth LIV Golf tournament tees off this weekend at The International in Boston just days after Open Championship winner Cameron Smith defected from the PGA Tour to the polarizing Saudi-backed league. This will be the third LIV event on United States soil and first since the controversial LIV New Jersey at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster. As always, Sporting News has all the odds, best bets, sleepers, and course information you will need to bet on this event.
The news broke about Open Champion Smith on Tuesday, and he automatically became the favourite to win LIV Golf Boston. Ranked No. 2 in the world, the 29-year-old serves as the best player to defect to LIV and, thus, the biggest blow to the PGA. Smith takes with him to LIV Joaquin Niemann, the 23-year-old Chilean and OWGR No. 19 who was set to play alongside Smith at the Presidents Cup.
Let's dive into the full odds board, and pick the best bets to win as well as some top values and sleepers.
Rory McIlroy carded a final-round 66 to finish a shot ahead of Scottie Scheffler, who squandered a six-shot lead after a three-over 73; Scheffler finished tied-second with Sungjae Im, with Xander Schauffele in fourth place.
Host Carl Lewis is joined by former Protea Ashwell Prince and cricket writer Daniel Gallan as they review the second test between England and South Africa. The Proteas went down by an innings and 85 runs, a complete reversal from the first Test at Lord's.
South Africa's selection was called into question and the trio discuss the Proteas and Mark Boucher's tactics at Old Trafford where they picked two spinners, Kesh Maharaj and Simon Harmer after dropping promising all-rounder Marco Jansen.
They also discuss the batting unit with everyone struggling, the focus has been on Aiden Markram and Rassie van der Dussen with potentially Khaya Zondo and Ryan Rickleton coming into replacing for the third Test at the Oval.
Host Carl Lewis is joined by Dave Wessels and Simnikiwe Xabanisa for another episode of the School of Hard Konock-Ons.
The trio dissect Australia's big win against the Springboks in Adelaide over the weekend. They cover Nienanber's selection, tactics and plan for the World Cup.
Argentina beat the All Blacks in empathetic fashion and Michael Cheika deserves his credit for masterminding the victory.
They also preview this week's action of the Rugby Championship and make their predictions for the action between the Wallabies v Springboks and All Blacks v Argentina.
South Africa rang the changes on Tuesday in their search for a desperately needed win against Australia, with eight new players named in the starting team, partly due to injuries.
The Springboks head into the clash on Saturday in Sydney after back-to-back defeats, a 35-23 loss to the All Blacks at home before crashing 25-17 against the Wallabies in Adelaide.
It left the world champions bottom of the four-team Rugby Championship with three games to play and in dire need of a victory to keep their hopes alive.
"We selected a team we thought would be best for this match given that we have several players out with injuries and with an eye on how we want to play," said coach Jacques Nienaber, whose team have failed to win on Australian soil since 2013.
"We let ourselves down in the last two games and we are determined to rectify that this week and change our fortunes in Australia. We'll prepare as well as possible this week to stay in the hunt for the title."
Four of the changes are injury-enforced with Handre Pollard, Lukhanyo Am and Pieter-Steph du Toit all out with knee problems, while Elton Jantjies has hurt his hand.
It means Damian Willemse will move from fullback to flyhalf, Jesse Kriel slots in at centre and Franco Mostert was included in the loose trio.
Talented young back Canan Moodie will make his Springbok debut on the right wing in a positional switch with Warrick Gelant, who moves to the bench.
The experienced Willie le Roux takes Willemse's place at fullback in his 77th Test, with the other backline change at scrumhalf, where Jaden Hendrikse replaces Faf de Klerk who was axed from the 23.
Prop Steven Kitshoff and hooker Malcolm Marx earn starts in a new-look front row with Frans Malherbe while Jasper Wiese takes over at No.8 from veteran Duane Vermeulen, who is among the replacements.
The changes forced a reshuffle of the front row on the bench, with Deon Fourie the replacement hooker, and Ox Nche and Trevor Nyakane providing cover at prop.
Cobus Reinach is the replacement scrumhalf while the experienced Frans Steyn offers options at flyhalf and centre.
Max Verstappen made light work of his grid penalties to win the 2022 Belgian Grand Prix from P14 on the grid in a Red Bull one-two backed up by Sergio Perez, while pole-sitter Carlos Sainz finished P3 for Ferrari.
Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso tangled at Les Combes on Lap 1, leaving the Mercedes driver out of the race before Valtteri Bottas spun out in avoidance of Nicholas Latifi and brought out a Safety Car on Lap 2.
The restart saw Verstappen line up eighth while Sainz led Perez – Leclerc having had to pit for mediums with a tear-off in his brake duct. Verstappen made quick work of the cars ahead, sweeping into P3 by Lap 8 with only Perez and Sainz to beat.
Host Carl Lewis and coach and analyst Grant de Smidt preview the MTN8 quarterfinals this weekend which is the big event this weekend in South African football.
They have a betting preview for:
Royal AM v Orlando Pirates
Cape Town City v AmaZulu
Stellenbosch v Kaizer Chiefs
Mamelodi Sundowns v Supersport United
Host Carl Lewis is joined by coach and analyst Grant de Smidt, they preview eight matches in Matchweek 2 of the Premier League including Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Spurs, Arsenal, Liverpool and more.
Host Carl Lewis and rugby punter Neal Hoogwerf are back and they p[review and provide betting tips for the Rugby Championship and NPC in New Zealand.
The Rugby Championship has mostly been a New Zealand-led procession in recent years but this season it resembles a genuine competition going into round three with all four teams having notched a win apiece. New Zealand and South Africa would appear best placed to stamp their authority on this weekend's fixtures but the fluctuating fortunes of the southern hemisphere powers this year make predictions a little trickier than usual.
New Zealand and South Africa would appear best placed to stamp their authority on this weekend's fixtures but the fluctuating fortunes of the southern hemisphere powers this year make predictions a little trickier than usual. Argentina, so often the tournament whipping boys, top the standings after thrashing Australia two weeks ago but face a tough clash against the All Blacks, who revived their season with an impressive victory over South Africa last time out.
The world champion Springboks, meanwhile, would be strong favourites to hand the struggling Wallabies a fourth defeat of the season at Adelaide Oval on Saturday were it not for their woeful record on Australian soil. South Africa have won only four of 29 away tests against the Wallabies since the championship began as the Tri-Nations in 1996, the last coming in Brisbane in 2013.
"It's a strange one, it's not that we underestimate them or treat them differently to New Zealand," lock Lood de Jager said. "Maybe it is the style of play, but we have an opportunity to not look back in history, but rather look forward and do something that not a lot of Springbok teams have managed in the past ..."
Coach Jacques Nienaber has cut a member from his famous 'Bomb Squad' bench to bring in an extra back but with Faf de Klerk returning at scrumhalf, the Wallabies are expecting the usual bombardment of high balls mixed with stifling defence. Reece Hodge, safe under the high ball and with a prodigious boot of his own, has been brought into the Australia team at fullback in one of six changes to the side that was embarrassed 48-17 by the Pumas.
"They've got a good kicking game and a good defence and we've got to win that aerial battle," coach Dave Rennie said. "It's a massive game for us ... the Rugby Championship is pretty even and we need to stay in the fight." While the Springboks will be out to snap a nine-year losing streak in Australia, the Pumas will be looking for a first-ever away win over the 11-times southern hemisphere champion All Blacks in Christchurch on Saturday.
Coach Michael Cheika, who was a consultant with the Pumas when they secured their only win over the All Blacks in Sydney two years ago, has unsurprisingly stuck largely with the players who tore apart the Wallabies in San Juan. "We face a situation where we need to change history," he said. "We haven't won here before ... I want to be part of the coaching staff that beats New Zealand for the first time in New Zealand. The opportunity is there."
All Blacks coach Ian Foster has retained the team that saved his job with the 35-23 victory in Johannesburg in the last round and he will expect them to get their season back to parity at three wins and three losses. "The recent form of Argentina makes this a test one that we are looking forward to," he said. "And the fact that the Rugby Championship is incredibly even meant this test is vital to us."
Host Carl Lewis is joined by Mastos for another masterclass where we focus on bets for your accas and multiples. We are in the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A Ligue 1 and Bundesliga this weekend. The podcast is for football punters who enjoy multiples across various markets.
Host Carl Lewis is joined by Dave Wessels and former Test match lock for England Geoff Parling.
He played for Newcastle Falcons, Leicester Tigers and Exeter Chiefs in Premiership Rugby, he won three English titles as a player, two with Leicester in 2010 and 2013 then again with Exeter in 2017. He played in Japan for Munakata Sanix Blues and for Melbourne Rebels in Super Rugby. He won 29 caps for England, appearing at the 2015 Rugby World Cup and won three caps for the British & Irish Lions on the 2013 tour to Australia.
Since retiring from playing Parling has been a forwards coach, including for the Australia national team.
The trio cover:
Australia Rugby
England Rugby
Gallagher Premiership
Springboks v Wallabies
United Rugby Championship
Rugby World Cup 2023
And a whole lot more
Host Carl Lewis and cricket punter Lwnele Poswayo
LAST MEETINGSouth Africa beat England by an innings and 12 runs
THE TEAM NEWS
ENGLAND
After four consecutive Test victories this summer, England were brought back down to earth with a bang at Lord’s as their batting line-up was twice demolished by South Africa, subjecting the hosts to an innings thrashing, their first defeat under the permanent Test captaincy of Ben Stokes.
Whilst England are unlikely to panic themselves into making changes, Zak Crawley's tortuous run of form surely cannot carry on for much longer, with the lack of other opening options perhaps being the main thing keeping him in the side at present.
One of the best performing domestic batters of the summer Harry Brook could come in and open instead of Crawley having been on the edge of selection all summer, but that would be an extremely big ask of a batter who primarily bats in the middle order.
SOUTH AFRICA
Question marks were asked of South Africa’s batting line-up heading into this series, but they stood up well enough at Lord’s to accrue 326 in their first and only innings following England’s 165, which proved more than enough for the Proteas’ magnificent bowling attack to work with, running through England again for 149 and sealing an innings win.
Kagiso Rabada was a doubt for the first Test but after passing a fitness test, the fast bowler proved why he is one of the best players in the world, taking seven wickets across the match including a five-wicket-haul and having shown no ill-effects from that ankle injury, Rabada should be set to go again in Manchester.
At Emirates Old Trafford, pitches have proven notoriously conducive to spin in Test cricket so it would be no surprise if the tourists replaced one of their four pacemen (most likely Lungi Ngidi) with a second spin-bowler in Simon Harmer to partner Keshav Maharaj, but aside from that potential change the same South African side is expected.
Host Carl Lewis chats to the team at Laduma Analytics and they discuss the stand-out players in South African top-flight football, using data, we name their best players in the PSL/DSTV Premiership.
Goalkeepers
Jamal Jamal Magoola
GK at newly promoted Richards Bay
4 games, 3 clean sheets
1 goal conceded against 5.2 xGA
Melusi Nkazimulo Buthelezi
GK at TS Galaxy
Great start for the team - 8 points against 2 points same stage last season (4 games)
Yet to concede a goal
- 5 xGA so when will that happen?
Defenders
Riaan Hanamub
moved from Chippa Utd to AmaZulu in the off-season
Filled in at left-back
4 games, played 4 games
2 assists
Fawaaz Basadien
Brilliant scouting from Stellenbosch
Moved from Swallows
4 games, played 4
2 assists off 1.03 xA
Wonder when teams will figure out the relationship he has forged with Mendieta
Pirates and CT City goals
Ricardo Nascimento
Cemented spot in heart of Royal AM defence at 35 years of age
4 games, played 4 games
1 goal, 1 assist
Keegan Allan
Nedbank Cup's Most Promising Young Player of the Tournament award
2 goals from defence
1 match played
Could be crucial for Swallows in defence
Midfielders
Siphelele Luthuli
Playing well despite Chippa struggling in the table
Set piece deliveries creating chances
7 chances created
Sanele Barns
Richards Bay
Right side of midfield
5 chances created
1 assist
Andre Ernest De Jong
Playing time at AmaZulu?
3 goals in 4 games
6 chances created
Junior Mendieta
Another great season in a Stellenbosch shirt
1 goal & 2 assists
Forwards
Khanyisa Mayo
4 games, played 4 games - 2 sub out
City have struggled but Mayo has shown
Pace
2 goals
10 shots
6 shots on target
3 chances created
1 assist (2 xA)
Khama Billiat
32 years of age - good return
0 goals + 2 assists (2 xA)
4 shots + 3 on target
5 chances created
Gabadinho Mhango
Scored as many goals as Pirates so far (3)
13 shots - 6 on target
5 chances created
Host Carl Lewis and motorsport journalist Sean Parker preview the Belgian Grand Prix.
The Formula 1 season restarts at one of its most iconic circuits this week, with the Belgian Grand Prix the first of nine races that will determine the outcome of 2022's world championship battles.
After two victories heading into the summer break and two woeful rounds for his closest rival, Max Verstappen heads into the Spa-Francorchamps resumption with a mighty 80-point lead as he looks to retain his title.
But can Charles Leclerc hit back? Are Mercedes, and Lewis Hamilton, back in contention? And what on earth is going on in the driver market?
Reigning World Champion Max Verstappen, who looks all but set to take his second Drivers’ title, seems ready to kick off from where he left off in Hungary, and the writing is on the wall for his title rival Charles Leclerc.
Host Carl Lewis chats with motorsport journalist Sean Parker about the new car regulations set for the 2026 season. The FIA World Motor Sport Council has approved new power unit regulations for the 2026 F1 season. The two key aspects of these new regulations are that the cars will have increased electrical power and they will run on 100% sustainable fuels. Although, the new rules do not change the engine setup fundamentally. It’ll continue with the same 1.6-litre V6 twin-turbo hybrid unit but the new rules determine the manner in which the power is produced. So, all in all, the F1 car will continue to produce the same 1000 hp+, but they will be more efficient and require less fuel. Below here we have tried to explain the key changes that the engines and the 2026 F1 cars will feature. Less powerful ICE In 2026, the power output of the twin-turbo V6 engine will be reduced by 38% with a target output of 536 hp. These new engines will not be as loud, because the FIA has decreased the fuel flow to the engine for 2026 (more about that later), which in turn also reduces the engine revs. Thus reducing the exhaust note of the new units MGU-H removed, In comes MGU-K The FIA will remove the Motor Generator Unit - Heat (MGU-H) that uses the exhaust gases to capture energy. And since this is used to spin up the turbo and reduce lag, the removal of the MGU-H unit will damper throttle response, thus bringing in turbo lag. This gap in power, that will be developed due to the removal of the MGU-H, will be filled up by a more powerful hybrid unit called the Motor Generator Unit - K. This 468 hp strong electric motor unit will recapture the energy developed under braking. Basically, a more powerful Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS). This increase in regenerative braking will also eliminate the role of friction brakes on the rear axles. The MGU-H also had little to no relevance to road cars, so its development was quite expensive which saw the usage of several exotic materials. With the removal of the MGU-H, manufacturers, like Porsche and Audi will join the sport, who didn’t want to commit earlier for the development of such an expensive one-off power unit. Increased safety This new MGU-K unit will be fitted within the chassis, in the same safety cell that also houses other high-voltage equipment, the battery and control electronics. Thus making the car safer than before and limiting the chances of any fire outbreak due to heat. New Fuel This was already announced earlier. Formula One cars in 2026 will be powered by an entirely new bio-fuel. The emissions from this new fuel will be “Net Zero” i.e. they will not contribute any CO2 to the atmosphere. Other sustainable methods that the 2026 season will adopt, include, mandatory battery recycling, and the cobalt recycled at the end of the MGU-K’s life. Less fuel With the increase in electric power, the dependency on fuel will also decrease. In fact, it is the new 100% emission-free bio-fuels that will be used will be based on energy instead of volume. With this change in fuel-flow rate, manufacturers will have to come up with new innovative ways to produce maximum power from the least amount of fuel used. In fact, F1 is also aiming to run each car on70 kg of fuel during a race from 2026 onwards. This is a massive reduction from the 100 kg of fuel used by cars now during the entire race.
Host Carl Lewis is joined by Rapport editor Tinus van Staden and SA Rugby journalist Dylan Jack.
They discuss the Springbok selection for Australia this week and what their selection criteria will look like for the rest of the Rugby Championship until the World Cup in France in 2023.
Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber on Monday named a 34-man squad for the Australian leg of the Castle Lager Rugby Championship, with the uncapped Canan Moodie earning a call-up for his first tour in a settled national squad.
Nienaber said the touring squad, which features a good mix of youth and experience, was in line with the standard travelling squad for the Rugby World Cup and he believed that they were the right group of players to achieve what they set out to do in the two Tests against Australia in Adelaide (Saturday, 27 August) and Sydney (Saturday, 3 September).
Nienaber said he would make changes to the squad for the two Tests against Argentina in Buenos Aires and Durban as he looks to give his expanded group of players a chance to prove themselves with an eye on the Rugby World Cup which will be hosted in France next year.
“We have been working with a large group of players for the last few months and we believe this will pay off in the long run as we look to expand our depth for the Rugby World Cup and beyond,” said Nienaber.
“Since we are going on tour, however, we will take a group of players that is more in line with the size of a Rugby World Cup squad, and our thought process is that we will have two groups of players – one who will participate in the Australian leg of the competition and another for the Argentina matches.
“This way we can manage the players as well as possible on tour, while at the same time ensuring we continue to develop our depth and give the players opportunities to prove themselves with a little over a year to go before the Rugby World Cup kicks off.”
Moodie, who was called up to the squad as utility back cover following the suspension handed to wing Kurt-Lee Arendse for a dangerous tackle, is the only uncapped player in the group and will travel with the Springboks for the first time, providing cover at wing and fullback. His presence also fills the void left by Cheslin Kolbe, who is on the road to recovery from a broken jaw, which will see him only return for the last Test against Argentina.
With Bongi Mbonambi (hooker) ruled out for four weeks after suffering a knee injury at training last week, Deon Fourie will serve as back-up to Malcolm Marx and Joseph Dweba, while Damian Willemse’s versatility in the backline will see provide cover at flyhalf, centre and fullback.
“Bongi has been ruled out for four weeks, but Deon, who is an experienced hooker and flank, has been practicing his lineout throws with us, so we are confident that he will be able to fill that void for us in these matches,” said Nienaber.
“We are also excited to see how Canan slots in during the next few weeks and to see how he adapts to our structures and systems, and we believe he has the skills to slot in for Kurt-Lee and Cheslin.
Nienaber said the touring squad, which features a good mix of youth and experience, was in line with the standard travelling squad for the Rugby World Cup and he believed that they were the right group of players to achieve what they set out to do in the two Tests against Australia in Adelaide (Saturday, 27 August) and Sydney (Saturday, 3 September).
Nienaber said he would make changes to the squad for the two Tests against Argentina in Buenos Aires and Durban as he looks to give his expanded group of players a chance to prove themselves with an eye on the Rugby World Cup which will be hosted in France next year.
“We have been working with a large group of players for the last few months and we believe this will pay off in the long run as we look to expand our depth for the Rugby World Cup and beyond,” said Nienaber.
“Since we are going on tour, however, we will take a group of players that is more in line with the size of a Rugby World Cup squad, and our thought process is that we will have two groups of players – one who will participate in the Australian leg of the competition and another for the Argentina matches.
“This way we can manage the players as well as possible on tour, while at the same time ensuring we continue to develop our depth and give the players opportunities to prove themselves with a little over a year to go before the Rugby World Cup kicks off.”
Moodie, who was called up to the squad as utility back cover following the suspension handed to wing Kurt-Lee Arendse for a dangerous tackle, is the only uncapped player in the group and will travel with the Springboks for the first time, providing cover at wing and fullback. His presence also fills the void left by Cheslin Kolbe, who is on the road to recovery from a broken jaw, which will see him only return for the last Test against Argentina.
With Bongi Mbonambi (hooker) ruled out for four weeks after suffering a knee injury at training last week, Deon Fourie will serve as back-up to Malcolm Marx and Joseph Dweba, while Damian Willemse’s versatility in the backline will see provide cover at flyhalf, centre and fullback.
“Bongi has been ruled out for four weeks, but Deon, who is an experienced hooker and flank, has been practicing his lineout throws with us, so we are confident that he will be able to fill that void for us in these matches,” said Nienaber.
“We are also excited to see how Canan slots in during the next few weeks and to see how he adapts to our structures and systems, and we believe he has the skills to slot in for Kurt-Lee and Cheslin.
After 12 months, 44 events and tens of millions of prize money handed out, just one event remains on the 2021-22 PGA Tour schedule — the Tour Championship. The annual event is hosted at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta and welcomes the top 30 players in the FedEx Cup standings, making it one of the strongest fields of the entire season.
The limited field isn’t the only unique aspect of the Tour Championship. The purse is the largest on Tour, with $75 million up for grabs, and the field starts with handicapped scores as well.
Tour Championship starting positions 10 under: Scottie Scheffler
Eight under: Patrick Cantlay
Seven under: Will Zalatoris
Six under: Xander Schauffele
Five under: Sam Burns
Four under: Cameron Smith, Rory McIlroy, Tony Finau, Sepp Straka, Sungaje Im
Three under: Jon Rahm, Scott Stallings, Justin Thomas, Cameron Young, Matthew Fitzpatrick
Two under: Max Homa, Hideki Matsuyama, Jordan Spieth, Joaquin Niemann, Viktor Hovland
One under: Collin Morikawa, Billy Horschel, Tom Hoge, Corey Conners, Brian Harman
Even par: K.H. Lee, J.T. Poston, Sahith Theegala, Adam Scott, Aaron Wise
Host Carl Lewis and coach and analyst Grant de Smidt preview a full slate of midweek fixtures in the DSTV Premiership.
The action begins on Tuesday in the Mother City as Cape town City host Kaizer Chiefs in a headline clash. The likes of Mamelodi Sundowns, Orlando Pirates and league leaders Amazulu are also in action.
This is the best PSL podcast, our comprehensive previews are for betting purposed and for those who love the DSTV Premiership.
Host Carl Lewis is joined by cricket writer Daniel Gallan and former South African Test match batter Ashwell Prince as they analyze the series between England and `South Africa.
The Proteas won the first test at Lords by an innings and 12 runs thanks to their fast bowling battery of Kagiso Rabada Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi and Marco Jansen.
The trio review the first Test and discussed their key takeouts while also looking ahead to the second Test at Old Trafford, Manchester.
Host Carl Lewis is joined by Mastos for another masterclass where we focus on bets for your accas and multiples. We are in the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A Ligue 1 and Bundesliga this weekend.
The podcast is for football punters who enjoy multiples across various markets.
Hosts Carl Lewis and motorsport journalist Sean Parker have a fascinating interview with South African Pierre Arries who has worked in race control at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in 2017 and 2018 and has a technical scrutineer in motorsport.
Pierre Arries provides us with a fantastic insight into what happens behind the scenes at a Formula Grand Prix.
Host Carl Lewis is joined by experienced punter David Kappel of iDiski Times and they discuss the best goalscoring tips for the weekend from the Premier League, Serie A, Bundesliga and La Liga.
FRIDAY:
Gladbach vs Hertha: Thuram to score 2.5
Started with two goals in first two Bundesliga games, netted a hat-trick in the DFB Pokal
If we consider last season, he's scored 8 goals in last 9 competitive games
Gladbach 5 goals in two opening games, plus 9 in the Cup
Hertha conceded four in two opening games, plus 4 in Cup
SATURDAY:
Spurs vs Wolves: Kane to score 1.83
Spurs scored 6 goals in their two opening games
Wolves conceded 15 goals in last 7 Premier League games
Kane has scored 6 goals in last 7 Premier League games
Heung-min Son to score: 2.05
- He hasn't scored vs Wolves yet, no goal this season yet
Bournemouth vs Arsenal: Jesus to score 1.74
Arsenal started with two wins and six goals
Bournemouth conceded four goals vs Man City
Jesus scored a brace in last game and 7 goals in 5 pre-season games
He's scored 2 goals in 5 games vs Brentford so far
Martinelli to score: 3.0
he's scored in both opening games
Jesus & Martinelli double: 6.58
Union vs Leipzig: Nkunku to score 2.65
Leipzig have scored 3 goals in first 2 games, Nkunku scored 2 of them
Union have conceded just 1 so far but Leipzig need points after starting wit 2 draws
Plus Timo Werner is back
Werner to score: 2.6
- Werner has 3 goals in 2 games vs Union
Torino vs Lazio: Immobile to score 2.2
Both Lazio and Torino started with 2-1 wins
Immobile scored for Lazio
He has scored 12 times in 16 meetings with Torino, including 7 in his last 6
Inter vs Spezia: Lukaku to score 1.68
Inter started Serie A with a win, Lukaku scored in the first minute of his return
Inter have scored 5 times in 2 matches vs Spezia last season
Lukaku has scored 1 in 2 clashes with Spezia
SUNDAY:
Bochum vs Bayern: Mane to score 1.62
Bayern scored 8 goals in their first 2 games, 13 in 3 if we count the cup
Bochum has conceded 5 goals in 2 games
Last season Bayern beat Bochum 7-0 and lost 4-2
Mane has netted 3 goals so far
Musiala to score: 2.4
Musiala has scored 4 goals in first 3 games
Mane & Musiala double: 5.03
Newcastle vs Man City: De Bruyne to score 2.75
Newcastle started with 2 clean sheets but City score 6 in first 2 games
Haaland is the obvious pick, but low value in 1.57 (for a single)
De Bruyne looks in great form and offers good value
Napoli vs Monza: Osimhen to score 1.95
Napoli started with a 5-2 win, Osimhen scored 1, Monza lost 2-1 to Torino
He netted 14 goals last season despite missing parts due to injury
A strong Napoli need a firing Osimhen
Celta Vigo vs Real Madrid: Benzema to score (odds not available)
Real started with a 2-1 comeback win, Celta with a 2-2 draw
Benzema has scored 11 goals in 18 games vs Celta
More impressively, he's scored 5 in the 2 games last season
MONDAY:
Manchester United vs Liverpool: Salah to score 1.83
Liverpool scored 3 goals in first 2 games, United conceded 6
Salah has netted 1 this season so far
Liverpool scored 13 goals in last 3 league games vs United, Salah scored 6 of those
Overall he has scored 9 goals vs United, who are with Watford and West Ham his favourite opponents
MULTI: Immobile, Jesus, Musiala & Osimhen to score 17.93
Host Carl Lewis chats with coach and analyst Grant de Smidt head of the third weekend of the DSTV Premiership. We cover all the big games for your betting this weekend including Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs, Mamelodi Sundowns, and more.
Host Carl Lewis is joined by coach and analyst Grant de Smidt preview Matchweek 3 of the Premier League season, this is a comprehensive betting guide to help with your betting.
We cover all 10 matches this weekend including the headline match, Manchester United v Liverpool, as well as Chelsea, Manchester CIty, Arsenal and much more.
Host Carl Lewis and rugby punter Neal Hoogwerf are back and they preview and provide betting tips for NPC in New Zealand.
Host Carl Lewis and the LAduma Analytics teams take a much closer look at two games from the past weekend. Having seen Sundowns blow Chiefs away, Orlando Pirates could not take advantage against Chippa, missing out on the chance to go level on points with three other table toppers. As usual, we dig beyond the score lines to look at some of the numbers that may not have seen the public eye.
We cover:
Kaizer Chiefs v Mamelodi Sundowns Orlando Pirates v Chippa Utd Cape Town City
Host Carl Lewis chats with cricket writer Christopher Chiwanza about the Proteas number 3 batter in test cricket, Keegan Petersen. Keegan’s journey to the top has been a long walk, both figuratively and literally. For most of the journey, Keegan has had his father, Dirk ‘Dirkie’ by his side. He is his own man now.
Keegan Petersen spent large parts of his childhood on the grassbanks and sidelines of Parys cricket fields. That is where his father, Dirk ‘Dirkie’ Petersen, played home matches throughout his club cricket career with Paarl Cricket Club.
He has played for the Boland, Cape Cobras, Knights and Dolphins before making his debut for South Africa in Test cricket.
Host Carl Lewis chats with cricket writer Christopher Chiwanza about one of the most exciting young talents in world and South African cricket, Tristan Stubbs.
Find out more about the explosive hitter for the Proteas, Mumbai Indians and Warriors
Tristan Stubbs burst on the scene in 2021, during the CSA T20 Challenge. He had no franchise cricket experience, but he performed like someone with a few seasons under his belt. In 2022, he came back faster, better and stronger. The 21-year-old has made a case for himself as a serious T20 player.
Tristan is conscious of his fitness. He has always been. He was one of the fittest players in his school team, he is currently one of the fittest batters at Warriors. During the lockdown, he ran around for hours in their tiny backyard. He also skipped a lot. After lockdown, he added gym work and a route that passed close to Robbie’s place. He has bulked up since his debut for the Warriors in 2021.
That’s not the only place that Robbie saw Tristan. He also saw him practising his batting in the nets. Tristan was an Eastern Province player at the time. Robbie liked what he saw. He had never seen the young man bat in a match, he didn’t need to. What he saw in the nets was enough to tell him that this boy was special. He had the height, the strength and showed the ability of many modern T20 players.
The hard-working kid that Robbie saw in the nets is the same hardworking kid that Richard Gilbert and Michael Smith worked with at Grey High School.
Tristan ended up at Grey High because he insisted on the school. His parents would have preferred Oakhill, which was closer to home. But Tristan was dead set on Grey High. He was in love with the institution. The hostels and the grounds were his favourite bits, he experienced these when he was 11.
He also scored his first 50 for South Western Districts Under-11s at Grey High. After the match, he asked for a little piece of the pitch to take home as memorabilia to remember his first 50. He still has it in his room in Knysna.
Anyway, during his time at Grey High, especially the last year, when Tristan was not in class he spent a lot of time in the nets training.
Tristan and his best friend LJ du Preez had a habit of collecting balls from Michael Smith. Smith was the Director of Cricket and the professional who worked with Grey High during Tristan’s time at the school. By the time Tristan left the school, the boys had a full bag of balls.
Every day, the boys would be in the nets, LJ doing most of the throwing of balls. On the days when they would have managed to get Mike Smith to come along, he would throw balls and operate the bowling machine for them. On the odd days that neither Mike nor LJ were available, Tristan would find a boy from the hostels to throw balls to him.
He didn’t hit the balls for sake of hitting them, as most boys are wont to do. He did enjoy hitting the balls, but most of the time he had something that he was working on.
“A lot of boys might go and just smash a few balls and sixes and then they're done. Tristan wanted a good practice,” says Richard Gilbert, the Grey High cricket head coach. “Sometimes Mike Smith and I would observe from a distance, and you could see he wasn't wasting his time on rubbish practice, there was always something that he was working on. Something that we would have discussed over the weekend.”
Tristan did this six days a week. The other one day was often spent playing hockey. That has not yet changed. Tristan still plays hockey once a week and focuses on cricket the rest of the time.
Another thing that Tristan used to do when he played cricket for Grey High School is this. On the field, he normally fielded at long-off. He knew that coaching was not allowed during the game, but he always had all these ideas swirling in his head that he needed to bounce off someone who knew better. So, while at long-off, he would stand still like a tree and call the coach over. He would engage him in conversation, not necessarily ask him what to do with tactics or the field, but share the ideas he has in his head.
He still bounces ideas on Michael Smith, who helps him with his batting. He also bounces ideas on Robbie Petersen and the rest of the Warriors coaching unit.
“What I saw in those days is what he still is now, he is hungry to learn and so much in love with training,” says Robbie Petersen. “I don’t have to ask him to train. A player like that is a coach’s dream.”
Host Carl Lewis is joined by cricket punter Lwanele Poswayo as they provide the best bets for the first Test between England and South Africa at Lords.
Host Carl Lewis is joined by coach Dave Wessels and journalist Simnikiwe Xabanisa - the trio discuss New Zealand's convincing win over South Africa at Ellis Park. We also cover Ian Foster, All Blacks, Rugby Championship, Argentina and Australia.
Host Carl Lewis and golf punter Wade Pretorius preview the BMW Championship at the Wilmington Country Club in Delaware. We have six bets to take this weekend.
Only the top 70 in the FedExCup standings will earn their way to the BMW Championship… Scottie Scheffler, who entered the Playoffs at No. 1 in the FedExCup, is coming off a missed cut at the FedEx St. Jude Championship, just his fourth of the season… Other notables looking to bounce back after a missed cut in Memphis are past FedExCup winners Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth… The TOUR’s biggest stars will continue their quest for the FedExCup at Wilmington Country Club including world No. 1 Scheffler; defending BMW and FedExCup champ Patrick Cantlay; The Open and THE PLAYERS winner Cameron Smith and Sam Burns and Xander Schauffele, who each have three wins this season… Five TOUR rookies -- Cameron Young, Davis Riley, Taylor Pendrith, Mito Pereira, and Sahith Theegala – advanced to the second Playoffs event with eyes on finishing their first TOUR season at East Lake… The BMW Championship field will be confirmed when the FedExCup standings are set after Sunday’s conclusion of the FedEx St. Jude Championship.
Host Carl Lewis is joined by cricket writer Daniel Gallan, the chatty pair discuss selection for the Proteas and preview a huge Test series.
After managing to win just one Test match in 17 attempts, England has flipped the tables in the last four Test cricket matches, winning each of them more comprehensively than the last one.
A thumping 3-0 series victory over New Zealand was followed by a record run chase in the last innings against India and all eyes will now be on whether or not the current method of the England batters, going hell for leather, is sustainable or not.
England has played some sensational cricket of late, led by Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root. At the same time, one also has to concede that they have had the rub of the green, and some.
The red ball has hardly swung this summer, highlighted by Joe Root’s statement that he currently prefers to bat against the red ball than the white one, given the diametrically opposite manner in which both balls are behaving.
The pitches too have been the most batting-friendly over the last 5 years and haven’t really broken down in the last couple of days, assisting England to chase down mammoth totals.
There won’t be a lot of change in England’s philosophy or personnel, apart from Ben Foakes coming in place of Sam Billings after having recovered from COVID-19.
Both Craig Overton and Ollie Robinson are in the England squad but they might have to wait their turn with Stuart Broad, James Anderson and Matty Potts currently ahead of them in the pecking order and England showing more and more faith in their lead spinner Jack Leach.
After playing white-ball cricket, South Africa did not have an ideal outing in the four-day practice match against England Lions, losing by a massive margin of an innings and 56 runs.
However, one can never really read too much into warm-up matches and South Africa will be keen to become the first team to put up a strong resistance against the buzzword that is ‘Bazball’.
Host Carl Lewis is joined by coach and analyst Grant de Smidt as they review the DSTV Premiership match between Mamelodi Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs
Defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns subjected Kaizer Chiefs to a humiliating 4-0 defeat at Loftus Versfeld in Tshwane on Saturday afternoon. Gaston Sirino opened the scoring for the hosts in the sixth minute following a mix-up between Siyabonga Ngezana and goalkeeper Bruce Bvuma in the Chiefs box.
Ngezana was culpable once again in Masandawana's second goal, bringing down Peter Shalulile in the 16th minute for a needless penalty, though Zitha Kwinika was mistakenly shown a yellow card for the foul by referee Victor Gomes. The Namibian dusted himself to double the lead from the spot.
Shalulile got his second goal of the afternoon after firing past the helpless Bvuma in the 53rd minute. Ronwen Williams saved a 56th minute penalty by Khama Billiat, for good measure. The highly-rated Abubeker Nessir introduced himself to South African football rather frighteningly with a sensational goal in the 76th minute to complete the embarrassing rout.
Mamelodi Sundowns: Williams, Modiba, Mudau, B. Onyango, De Reuck, Mokoena, Jali, Zwane, Sirino, Shalulile Subs: D. Onyango, Morena, Lebusa, Mkhulise, Kapinga, Nasir, Lakay, Domingo, Kutumela.
Kaizer Chiefs: Bvuma, Solomons, Ngezana, Kwinika, Frosler, Blom, Sithebe, Maart, Alexander, Dolly, Billiat Subs: Petersen, Nj. Ngcobo, Nange, Mashiane, Sifama, Radebe, Nk. Ngcobo, Sekgota, Shabalala
Host Carl Lewis and coach and analyst Grant de Smidt as they preview the two midweek matches in the DSTV Premiership (Premier Soccer League).
On Tuesday, Cape Town City have an opportunity to belatedly kickstart their DStv Premiership season against fellow slow starters Maritzburg United at Athlone Stadium on Tuesday evening.
City, who were runners-up last season, are stuck in the starting blocks with Eric Tinkler's team suffering three consecutive defeats to Mamelodi Sundowns, Swallows FC and AmaZulu.
On Wednesday, Orlando Pirates face Royal AM in a big midweek clash.
as Orlando Pirates take on Royal AM on Wednesday. Both teams can pack a punch on their day and have a point to prove in this fixture.
Royal AM are currently in fifth place in the South African Premier Division and have made a fairly impressive start to their league campaign. The home side suffered a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Stellenbosch last week and will need to bounce back in this match.
Orlando Pirates, on the other hand, are in eighth place in the league table at the moment and are yet to hit their stride this season. The Buccaneers slumped to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Chippa United in their previous game and will need to step up to the plate this week.
Host Carl Lewis is joined by the Laduma Analytics team to discuss the opening two rounds of the DSTV Premiership. We take a statistical look at the data and what it tells us about the teams in the Premier Soccer League.
Host Carl Lewis is joined by Mastos for another masterclass where we focus on bets for your accas and multiples. We are in the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A Ligue 1 and Bundesliga this weekend.
Host Carl Lewis chats with coach and analyst Grant de Smidt head of the opening weekend of the DSTV Premiership. We cover all the big games for your betting this weekend including Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs, Mamelodi Sundowns, and more.
Host Carl Lewis is joined by coach and analyst Grant de Smidt, they preview eight matches in Matchweek 2 of the Premier League including Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Spurs, Arsenal, Liverpool and more.
Host Carl Lewis is joined by coach Dave Wessels and journalist Simnikiwe Xabanisa as they preview the heavyweight clash between the Springboks and the All Blacks at Ellis Park.
A bullish Springbok side will be determined to do the double over the All Blacks when the game’s greatest rivals collide in their Rugby Championship rematch in Johannesburg on Saturday afternoon.
Host Carl Lewis and rugby punter Neal Hoogwerf are back and they p[review and provide betting tips for the Rugby Championship and NPC in New Zealand.
A bullish Springbok side will be determined to do the double over the All Blacks when the game’s greatest rivals collide in their Rugby Championship rematch in Johannesburg on Saturday afternoon, writes Quintin van Jaarsveld.
Likewise, the Wallabies will be looking to make it back-to-back wins over the Pumas in the evening encounter in San Juan. Will they kick on or will New Zealand and Argentina bounce back?
Upon the conclusion of a regular season jam-packed with events and four tremendous major championships, the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup Playoffs have arrived. Since the FedEx Cup Playoffs started in 2007, professional golf has never felt more tenuous and has likely never been more up in the air.
Now the headlines as the FedEx Cup Playoffs begin will actually come from a courtroom in Northern California, rather than the golf course, after the PGA Tour responded to a lawsuit by 11 LIV golfers. Three of those golfers -- Talor Gooch, Hudson Swafford and Matt Jones) -- are trying to play in this year's FedEx Cup Playoffs via temporary restraining order that will be ruled on by the time the festivities begin in Memphis at the FedEx St. Jude Championship on Thursday.
Taking on a new look from just a year ago, it is no longer The Northern Trust that will kick off the postseason, rather the FedEx St. Jude Championship at TPC Southwind ushers in the festivities. A long-standing host venue on the PGA Tour, this par 70 design will welcome the top 121 players to Memphis, Tennessee, this week.
While the first playoff event is typically reserved for the top 125 players, with four players on the sidelines, the field is whittled down that much more. Eyes are drawn to the top of the standings, where world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler sits at the top of the mountain. Enjoying a strong spring that saw him capture the Masters and three other victories, he has built a large lead over the likes of Cameron Smith, Sam Burns, Xander Schauffele and reigning FedEx Cup champion Patrick Cantlay.
Host Carl Lewis is joined by Mastos for another masterclass where we focus on bets for your accas and multiples.
We are in the Premier League, Ligue 1 and Bundesliga this weekeend.
Host Carl Lewis chats with coach and analyst Grant de Smidt head of the opening weekend of the DSTV Premiership. We cover all the big games for your betting this weekend including Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs, Mamelodi Sundowns, and more.
Host Carl Lewis and coach and analyst Grant de Smidt preview Matchweek 1 of the new Premier League season for 2022/23.
We cover:
Crystal Palace v Liverpool
Fulham v Liverpool
Tottenham v Southampton
Newcastle v Nottingham Forest
Everton v Chelsea
Leicester v Brentford
Man United v Brighton
West ham v Man City
Matsatsantsa scraped into the top eight last season on goal difference after beating Orlando Pirates in their final match. They have a new coach in four-time league winner Gavin Hunt and a young, exciting group of players. Even with key players departing in the last two transfer windows, there is much to look forward to at SuperSport United.
Host Carl Lewis is joined by coach and analyst Grant de Smidt ahead of the new DSTV Premiership season...they preview Amazulu.
City decided to reappoint Eric Tinkler last off-season after the departure of Jan Olde Riekerink. The former Barnsley midfielder was the side’s initial coach after being formed in 2016 and this felt like a really good fit. After a few seasons of inconsistent performances with plenty of goals leaked, Tinkler did an incredible job and finished in the CAF Champions League places having ended second. What will the new season hold as John Comitis’ club plays in Africa’s showpiece competition for the first time?
Host Carl Lewis chats with punter David Kappel about long-term outright bets for the Premier League, Bundesliga, Serie A and La Liga. We focus on title winners and top goalscorers.
Premier League:
Outright winner: Liverpool - 3.5 odds
2018/19: 97 vs 98 | 2019/20: 99 vs 81 | 2020/21: 69 vs 86 | 2021/22: 92 vs 93
Top goalscorer: Mohamed Salah - 5.5 odds (Haaland 3.75)
No AFCON, no World Cup, no distractions…
Top goalscorer: Heung-min Son - 17 odds
Scored 19 goals in 26 leagues games under Conte
Winner & goalscorer double: Liverpool/Salah - 13 odds
Bundesliga:
Outright winner: Leverkusen - 21 odds
Leverkusen collected the joint-most points in the second half of the season…
Kept the squad together…
Top goalscorer: Nkunku - 8 odds
Nkunku scored 20 goals in the Bundesliga last season and 32 overall
Top goalscorer: Schick - 8 odds
Schick scored 24 goals in the Bundesliga last season, despite missing 7 games.
LaLiga:
Outright winner: FC Barcelona - 2.3 odds (Madrid 2.2 odds)
Barca collected more points than Real Madrid in second half of 2021/22…
Barca beat Real Madrid 4-0 in Madrid…
Top goalscorer: Lewandowski - 3 odds (Benzema 3 odds)
Lewandowski has won the Golden Boot in 7 out his last 9 campaigns…
Serie A:
Outright winner: AS Roma - 11 odds (Inter Milan 2.75, Napoli 17.00)
Paula Dybala effect
Won UEFA Conference League
Jose Mourinho is cooking
Top goalscorer: Romelu Lukaku - 4.5 odds
Scored 47 goals in two seasons in Serie A…
Back at the club of his dreams…
Knows how to bully Serie A defenders…
Goalscorers outright multi: Schick - Lewa - Lukaku - Salah - 594 odds (R50 - R31185)
CODE: FJVF7
Host Carl Lewis is joined by coach Dave Wessels and journalist Simnikiwe Xabanisa as they preview the heavyweight clash between the Springboks and the All Blacks. They also touch on Argentina v Australia, The Women Springboks and the Blitzboks winning gold at the Commonwealth Games.
The All Blacks will be desperate to bounce back and prove their critics wrong when they go behind enemy lines to face world champions South Africa on Saturday.
New Zealand clash with the Springboks at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit, then Johannesburg seven days later, in the opening rounds of the 2022 Rugby Championship.
The All Blacks have faced a barrage of criticism from pundits and fans in New Zealand since the humbling 2-1 home series defeat to Ireland. They have now lost four of their last five games.
New Zealand’s forwards must front up to the notoriously physical Springboks pack, but centre Rieko Ioane said the backs must also assert themselves.
With five successive titles to their name, Mamelodi Sundowns go into this season as resounding favourites to win the crown yet again. Despite a slight drop-off in the final months of the last term, they still finished 16 points ahead of Cape Town City whilst scoring 13 more goals than any other side. They’ve had another busy transfer window but could quite easily have acquired no new players and still have retained the title with relative ease. We look at the areas they can improve, where the new additions fit in, and the foreign quote conundrum.
Host Carl Lewis is joined by coach and analyst Grant de Smidt as they preview Orlando Pirates ahead of the new DSTV premiership season.
The last two seasons have seen Pirates finish 17 and then 21 points behind champions, Mamelodi Sundowns. The three seasons before that saw the gap total 14 points across those campaigns combined. After finishing sixth last term, Pirates have appointed 46-year-old Spaniard Jose Riveiro as head coach and made some significant changes to the playing staff. Will we see a big improvement this season from a team who lost the CAF Confederations Cup final last season and have won just a single trophy in the last eight years?
Host Carl Lewis is joined by coach and analyst Grant de Smidt as they preview Kaizer Chiefs ahead of the new DSTV Premiership season.
Kaizer Chiefs continued their trophy drought and general malaise last season as they finished in fifth place, some 18 points off champions Mamelodi Sundowns. Stuart Baxter’s return proved ill-fated and short-lived with Arthur Zwane overseeing the final seven matches. He has been given the job on a full-time basis now, instigating a clear-out and making transfer market moves to freshen the squad and change the style of play. A huge season awaits at Naturena.
South Africa have five more T20Is to play before the World Cup, but just two more in which to finalise their squad (their three in India in October come just before the tournament) and there's no better place to assess themselves from than the perch of a series win. From Rilee Rossouw's comeback from Kolpak to Andile Phehlukwayo's comeback from concussion, South Africa demonstrated what stand-in captain David Miller gleefully referred to as "great bouncebackability and character", and found match-winners in different individuals. Only 15 can go to the T20 World Cup, though, and performances over the last 12 months mean South Africa will find themselves with several selection conundrums, though Miller doesn't mind. "Its a great healthy space to be in," he said. "We'd rather have those headaches than having no options." With matches to play against Ireland in Bristol next week, we take a look at the main talking points ahead of the World Cup squad selection and some of those who've made strong cases to be included.
Host Carl Lewis chats with coach and analyst Grant de Smidt about which clubs had the best transfer window in the Premier League.
We cover Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, Tottenham, Arsenal and more.
Host Carl Lewis is joined by football writer Zach Lowy to discuss the biggest transfer stories in European football.
Topics covered:
PSG
Vitinha
Nordi Mukiele
Hugo Ekitike
Barcelona
Raphinha
Lewandowski
Kounde??
Bayern
De Ligt
Juventus
Di Maria
Bremer - Torino
Inter
Henrikh Mkhitaryan
Onana
Lukaku
Host Carl Lewis chats with NBA expert Cyrus Rogers about the biggest talking points in the NBA right now.
Topics covered:
Kevin Durant to Celtics? Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart apparently part of the package. Or should he stay the Brooklyn Nets?
Jalen Brunson to New York Knicks
Donovan Mitchell in limbo at Utah Jazz
Why the Boston Celtics have done great recruitment
Host Carl Lewis is joined by motorsport journalist Sean Parker as they preview the Hungarian Gran Prix this weekend.
Host Carl Lewis is joined by the Laduma Analytics team to discuss how South Africa became African Champions.
Just after midnight local time, Banyana Banyana lifted their first ever African title, holding off a late charge from Morocco on their home turf to win 2-1. Throughout the tournament, Banyana have been seen as one of the favourites, slightly behind Nigeria. True to form, the two were on a collision course for the final. But the hosts dumped the 9-woman Super Falcons out via a penalty shootout in the semis. Nigeria didn’t recover from that, even falling to 4th place after the 3rd place playoff, their joint-lowest finish at WAFCON.
Carl Lewis and Simnikiwe Xabanisa interview Junior Springboks head coach Bafana Nhleko. They discuss the SA Rugby, junior rugby, his future and a whole lot more.
Host Carl Lewis is joined by motorsport journalist Sean Parker as they review the French Grand Prix at Paul Ricard.
Max Verstappen earned his seventh win of the 2022 Formula One season at Sunday's French Grand Prix.
Charles Leclerc did not finish after earning the pole position, crashing on the 18th lap. It allowed Verstappen, who started in second, to come out on top for an easy win at Circuit Paul Ricard.
The Red Bull Racing driver extended his lead in the season driver standings after yet another first-place finish, while Sergio Perez closed the gap behind Leclerc for second place.
Lewis Hamilton finished Sunday's race in second, his highest finish of the 2022 season, while Mercedes teammate George Russell also earned a podium spot in third place.
Final Results
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Max Verstappen
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Lewis Hamilton
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George Russell
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Sergio Perez
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Carlos Sainz
Host Carl Lewis is joined by cricket writer Daniel Gallan as they preview the important T20 series between England and South Africa. The series begins on Wednesday in Bristol. The home team are heavily favoured but South Africa is a tough nut to crack in this format recently.
Kagiso Rabada and Wayne Parnell are back while the headline selection is Rilee Rossouw, the brutal leftie who has scored a lot of runs for Somerset in the recent Vitality Blast.
Carl and Daniel also select their prefered South African starting XI for the first T20.
Host Carl Lewis is joined by cricket writer Daniel Gallan for a recap of the series between South Africa and England, which ended 1-1.
The chatty pair debate, discuss and analyse the Proteas ODI side and the series.
They even tuck into the topic of the future of 50-over cricket and its place in world cricket.
Topics covered: Rassie van der Dussen's brilliant century at Chester-le-street and how important he is for the South Africa batting unit.
Quinton de Kock, Janneman Malan and captain Temba Bavuma; who should open the batting?
Aiden Markram's 1st ODI knock and his impressive off-spin...growth in white-ball cricket.
David Miller and Heinrich Klaasen - should Mark Boucher pick the pair as power hitters? What are the other options?
Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi, the Proteas spin twins and how important they are - South Africa are now a two-spinner team.
All-rounder pecking order? Andile Phehlukwayo or Dwaine Pretorius?
Fast bowlers Anrich Nortje and Lungi Ngidi
Host Carl Lewis is joined by motorsport journalist Sean Parker, they preview the French Grand Prix at Paul Ricard.
The final pair of back-to-back races prior to the summer break gets underway with this weekend's French Grand Prix, before moving onto Hungary on 31 July. Scuderia Ferrari and the other teams have set up camp at Le Castellet, in the Var region in the hinterland between Toulon and Marseille. The Paul Ricard Circuit is named after one of the original owners of the venue and the inventor of the eponymous aniseed drink, which is something of an institution in France. The race weekend is expected to be the hottest of the season so far, with temperatures heading for 40 degrees centigrade, which will make life difficult for the drivers and teams.
Paul Ricard was built in 1970, construction taking less than a year and today, it is at the cutting edge when it comes to race track safety. For several years it was used only as a test track, a popular choice because of the high number of possible configurations. Several safety measures first evaluated here went on to be adopted by the majority of tracks, with large run-off areas, some tarmac and others the traditional gravel.
The French Grand Prix returned to the calendar in 2018, after a ten-year break and it uses a 5.842-kilometre version of the track, featuring 15 corners. The first sector is the fastest, providing the best overtaking opportunities, especially under braking into turn 1 and going into turn 3. The second section is all about the power unit, featuring the Mistral straight which is broken up by a chicane to reduce the entry speed into Signes, one of the fastest corners on the calendar. Aerodynamics take on greater importance in the third sector, with a variety of medium-speed corners between 11 and 15. There are two DRS zones: one on the main straight, the other on the first part of the Mistral straight.
Host Carl Lewis is joined by rugby coach Dave Wessels and journalist Simnikiwe Xabanisa as they review the July Internationals which saw some fascinating results.
They cover:
All Blacks and Ian Foster
Ireland and their attacking shape
Springboks, Jacques Nienaber, Rassie, Damian Willemse
Review of South Africa v Wales series
Eddie Jones and England
Dave Rennie and Australia
Cameron Smith enjoyed a maiden major title with a one-shot win over Cameron Young, with Rory McIlroy two strokes back in third; Speculation over LIV participation continued at St Andrews, while Tiger Woods' return ended with a missed cut.
As the door closes on another year of men's majors, golf celebrates a new champion in Cameron Smith after he stormed to victory over Rory McIlroy in a thrilling 150th edition of The Open.
While the Australian flourished at the Home of Golf to frustrate McIlroy, thousands descended on the St Andrews links to worship Tiger Woods for what might have been his farewell outing at a course on which he won in 2000 and 2005.
Host Carl Lewis previews the 1st ODI between England and South Africa at Chester-le-Street with cricket writer Daniel Gallan.
South Africa will be taking on the World champions England in a three-match ODI series starting on Tuesday. With the One Day World Cup still more than a year away, the primary focus for all the teams is currently on the T20 internationals but South Africa would still like to give their players much-needed workouts and identify a few slots to be filled before the mega event in India.
The series has gained more significance for South Africa ever since they announced the cancellation of the ODI series against Australia effectively forfeiting 30 ODI Super League points making it more difficult for them to finish in the top eight for direct qualification.
It also highlights the changing atmosphere with respect to cricket showcasing that the domestic franchise cricket is becoming the highest in terms of agenda for all the major nations.
Host Carl Lewis is joined by coach and analyst Grant de Smidt about the latest news and transfers in the Premier Soccer League/DSTV Premiership including Gavin Hunt at Supersport United, Thulani Hlatswayo, Mamelodi Sundowns' latest recruits and lastly Amazulu and Sekhukhune's bust transfer window.
The Proteas have cancelled their men's one-day international series scheduled for Australia in January, it was confirmed on Wednesday.
Cricket Australia announced that matches scheduled for Hobart, Sydney and Perth (on 12, 14 and 17 January) have been scrapped after South Africa requested new dates to avoid a clash with their domestic T20 league could not be accommodated.
"It is disappointing that Cricket South Africa will be unable to contest the ODI series in January," said Cricket Australia chief executive Nick Hockley.
The series was part of the ICC Super League which determines direct qualification for the 2023 World Cup.
Host Carl Lewis is joined by NBA expert Cyrus Rogers to discuss the biggest talking points in NBA right now.
The biggest talking points include the obvious, Kevin Durant and his trade request from the Brooklyn Nets. His prefered destinations are the Phoenix Suns or Miami Heat. Cyrus talks about his trade options and where he will likely end up (probably Brooklyn).
They also cover Durant's Nets teammate Kyrie Irving and his potential trade to the Lakers and LeBron James. The Irving chat can't work without talking about Russell Westbrook.
They also cover:
Los Angeles Clippers & John Wall
Chet Holmgren, Jabari Smith & Paolo Banchero in the Summer League
Host Carl Lewis is joined by expert rugby punter Neal Hoogwerf as provides his best bets for every Test match this weekend.
After a stunning collective comeback by the Home Nations, all four power struggles between Northern and Southern Hemisphere powerhouses will be decided on a super Saturday for the ages.
An unprecedented weekend of Test rugby is in store after Wales, Ireland, England and Scotland squared their respective three-Test series against South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and Argentina last weekend.
It's left us with a dream scenario - winners take all wars in Wellington, Sydney, Cape Town and Santiago del Estero. When the dust settles, I have it split 2-2 between the SANZAAR sides and the invaders from the North. Here's who Neal is backing and why, listen.
Host Carl Lewis chats to football writer Zach Lowy about La Liga's biggest and most iconic clubs, Barcelona and Real Madrid, in this deep dive.
They cover Barcelona's financial mess and their continued transfer saga regarding Raphinia and Frenkie de Jong amongst others.
We also touch on defending champions and Champions League winners Real Madrid.
Host Carl Lewis chats to coach Dave Wessels and journalist Simnikiwe Xabanisa to review the Springboks v Wales Test and look ahead to the third and final Test in Cape Town.
We also look at the All Blacks v Ireland and the battle between the Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere.
Host Carl Lewis chats with golf punter Wade Pretorius ahead of her 150th Open Championship at the iconic St. Andrews.
The 150th Open Championship has arrived, and St. Andrews is once again ready to stage golf's oldest major championship. From a betting perspective, many top players are in excellent form. Scottie Scheffler, Justin Thomas and Matt Fitzpatrick are seeking their second major titles of the year. Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy and last weekend's Scottish Open champ Xander Schauffele are also among the favourites. It should be another memorable week at the Old Course – so how should you bet it?
On Bet.co.za:
Top 20
Christiaan Bezuidenhout @3.50
Kevin Kisner @6.50
Top 10
Seamus Power @6.50
Joaquin Niemann @6.00
Top 5 & Winners
Rory McIlroy @10.00
Collin Morikawa @31.00
Shane Lowry @23.00
Patrick Cantlay @21.00
Host Carl Lewis chats to motorsport journalist Sean Parker as we dissect and review the Austrian Grand Prix as Ferrari's Charles LeClerc came out trumps ahead of Red Bull's Max Verstappen and Mercedes Lewis Hamilton.
Host Carl Lewis is joined by Alex from the team at Laduma Analytics as they discuss some of the most interesting statistical anomalies from the past DSTV Premiership season.
Host Carl Lewis chats to coach Dave Wessels and journalist Simnikiwe Xabanisa to discuss Craven Week, specifically what the players need to know when making a decision on their rugby future.
Following a Southern Hemisphere clean sweep, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, and Argentina will seek to seal the deal in their respective series against their Northern rivals on Saturday.
The foursome drew first blood on home soil last weekend and will be determined to complete the mission with a match to spare.
Wales, Ireland, England, and Scotland, on the other hand, will be desperate to bounce back and turn next weekend’s final battles into winners take all wars.
Starting the day’s action is the second of two Tests between Japan and France in Tokyo. From there, it’s off to Dunedin, Brisbane, and Bloemfontein before the Test rugby party plane makes a final stop in Salta.
Host Carl Lewis and motorsport journalist Sean Parker preview the Ausytian Grant Prix and the Red Bull Ring this weekend.
The 2022 Genesis Scottish Open gets underway on Thursday, July 7, and a number of players will enter The Renaissance Club confident they can secure the victory. Matt Fitzpatrick is coming off an impressive victory at the U.S. Open and he's finished inside the top-10 in four of his last five starts on the PGA Tour. Fitzpatrick enters the Genesis Scottish Open 2022 ranked first in strokes gained: tee-to-green (1.870) and second in scoring average (69.056). Meanwhile, Scottie Scheffler, the No. 1 ranked player in the world, can add to his impressive resume with a victory at the 2022 Genesis Scottish Open.
Scheffler has secured four victories this season, but should he be among your 2022 Genesis Scottish Open picks? The latest 2022 Genesis Scottish Open odds from Bet.co.za Sportsbook list Scheffler at 12.00, while Fitzpatrick is going off at 18.00. Jon Rahm is the 11.00 favourite, with Justin Thomas 12.00 and Xander Schauffle 18.00) next in line on the PGA odds board.
A first win in Formula One is unforgettable and Carlos Sainz will doubtless relive his victory in a thrilling and dramatic British Grand Prix long into his dotage. Yet this was a race that will also live long for all who witnessed what will be classed as a classic of modern racing, hailed as “Formula One at its best” by Lewis Hamilton, who secured an immense, feisty third behind the Red Bull of Sergio Pérez in second.
After China’s Guanyu Zhou was fortunate to enjoy a remarkable escape from an enormous accident, where the halo cockpit protection device almost certainly saved his life, the record crowd of 142,000 at Silverstone were treated to an absolutely bravura climax as the top four went wheel to wheel in a no holds barred fight to the flag.
Ferrari’s Sainz came out on top only after a hard, unpredictable battle to seal his first win at his 150th meeting. He becomes, alongside Fernando Alonso, only the second Spaniard to win an F1 race.
Behind him Pérez secured an unlikely second having dropped to 16th at one point and Hamilton delivered one of his most determined performances to take third, equalling his best finish of the season.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was in fourth with Alpine’s Alonso in fifth. Championship leader Max Verstappen could manage only seventh after he took damage. He now leads Pérez by 34 points and Leclerc by 43 points in the title fight.
In our weekly transfer roundup, host Carl Lewis and Zach Lowy discuss the latest and biggest news in the European transfer market which include:
Yves Bissouma
Gabriel Jesus
Sven Botman
Fabio Vieira
Boubacar Kamara
Sadio Mané x Ryan Gravenberch
Host Carl Lewis chats with rugby punter Neal Hoogwerf ahead of a bumper weekend of Test match rugby. He has a betting tip for all five Test matches this week.
Rugby’s Southern Hemisphere powerhouses kick off their 2022 seasons in blockbuster battles against invaders from the North on Saturday.
The Springboks will be looking to lay down a marker in the opening encounter of their three-Test series against Wales in Pretoria, the All Blacks battle Ireland in Auckland and the Wallabies tackle England in Perth.
Bookending the day’s action is a clash between Japan and France in Toyota and a showdown between Argentina and
Scotland in San Salvador de Jujuy.
Host Carl Lewis chats to motorsport journalist Sean Parker ahead of the British GP as Formula 1 is back after a fortnight and the teams are back across the pond after Max Verstappen's fifth win in six races at the Canadian Grand Prix.
This weekend at the historic Silverstone circuit is likely to be a sell-out and traditionally is one of the best-supported races on the calendar. The Mercedes pair of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell are the first all-British driver pairing since the seven-time world champion and Jenson Button 10 years ago.
The 5.89km track features the high-speed corners Maggots, Becketts, and Chapel Curve that were introduced in 1991 with speed peaking at over 300km/h with the drivers fully committed. Red Bull's Sergio Perez and Aston Martin's Lance Stroll have shown admiration for the second sector while Hamilton compared driving flat-out at his home race to flying a fighter jet.
Host Carl Lewis and veteran journalist Simnikiwe Xabamisa interview Stormers forwards coach Rito Hlungwani in one of the most insightful conversations on the podcast.
Hlungwani talks about his rugby journey from Limpopo all the way to Cape Town. He shares his story about his playing career and how he became a coach.
The Stormer's coach provides incredible insight into the URC champion's culture and dressing room.
Host Carl Lewis is back with golf punter Wade Pretorius and we have a bumper betting show as Wade provides insights into three tournaments over the weekend. We cover LIV Golf, Irish Open on the DP World Tour and the PGA Tour's John Deere Classic.
Host Carl Lewis talks with NBA expert Cyrus Rogers about the 2022 NBA Draft. He provides everything you need to know ahead of the big day.
Soon we'll find out where all of these coveted NBA Draft prospects that we've learned so much about over the past year will finally call home. Obviously most of the intrigue surrounds the top three players, Jabari Smith Jr., Chet Holmgren and Paolo Banchero, but this is a deep draft with potential impact players throughout.
This is my final mock draft, and it went differently than I expected. I often found myself straying from my prospect rankings because the fit just didn't seem right. For example, I rate TyTy Washington much higher than No. 16, but it just didn't make sense for a lot of teams above that to draft a guard with his skill set. That's what makes the draft so interesting -- the best player isn't always the right player. As we just saw with the likes of Andrew Wiggins in the NBA Finals, fit is everything.
In terms of players whose stock has improved, I have Dyson Daniels, Jeremy Sochan and Dalen Terry jumping significantly from my previous mock draft. I also consistently have Blake Wesley higher than most other mocks that I've seen. But alas, there's no more time for tweaking. This is the final version, like it or not, and we'll see how close it is to the truth on Thursday.
Host Carl Lewis is joined by coach Dave Wessels and journalist Simnikiwe Xabanisa as they review the URC Final.
In this conversation:
Dave analyses how the Stormers beat the Bulls 18-13
We talk about the Stormers lineout and how Rito Hlungwane came out a star
We review Jake White and the Bull's season in the URC
Bulls & Stormers Player of the Season
Currie Cup Final - Griquas v Pumas
South African coaching pipelines
Springboks
France D2 v Currie Cup
Heineken Champions Cup
Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has sensationally apologised for comments he made during a press conference last week.
The 70-year-old, along with his technical staff, returned to South Africa following a disappointing 2-1 defeat to Morocco in Bafana's opening 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.
Speaking at SAFA House last Tuesday, the Bafana mentor went as far as saying that South Africa does not produce "quality players", while also adding that the level of the PSL was "not high enough".
In the PGA Tour, After a dramatic finish to the 2022 U.S. Open last weekend – and with seemingly-endless drama surrounding Saudi-backed tour LIV Golf – the PGA Tour resumes Thursday with the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, CT.
In the DP World Tour,
BILLY HORSCHEL, fresh from his victory in The Memorial at Muirfield Village, is the star attraction as he makes his debut at the BMW International Open at Golfclub München Eichenried.
The field also includes Martin Kaymer, Sergio Garcia, Louis Oosthuizen, Laurie Canter, Bernd Wiesberger and several others who played in the LIV Invitational at Centurion Golf Club.
Those who were members of the PGA Tour have been suspended. As things stand, the DP World Tour has taken no action against them and they are free to compete in Germany.
Host Carl Lewis and analyst Grant de Smidt take another deep dive into Kaizer Chiefs' recent transfer activity and analyse their squad as it stands
Chiefs announced the arrival of Dillon Solomons, Kamohelo Mahlatsi and George Matlou from Swallows FC while Siyethemba Sithebe comes in from AmaZulu. A day later they announced Yusuf Maart from Sekhukhune.
All the four new signings are midfielders and they join the former Stellenbosch FC duo of defender Zitha Kwinika and striker Ashley du Preez as new signings.
New coach Arthur Zwane is being backed in the transfer market but will this lead to immediate on-filed success? We also discuss this.
Host Carl Lewis and analyst Grant de Smidt Orlando Pirates recent transfers and what it means for the club. It's a deep dive.
The club on Monday confirmed the signing of four new players in Evidence Makgopa, Eva Nga, Miguel Timm and Azola Matrose.
In addition, the club have also confirmed that six more players have followed Thulani Hlatshwayo out of the exit door at the club.
Pirates have announced the departures of Justice Chabalala, Wayne Sandilands, Thabang Monare, Elson Sithole, Kwanda Mngonyama and Abel Mabaso.
Host Carl Lewis and cricket writer Lwanele Poswayo discuss the recent T20 series between India and South Africa.
The main topics are:
Proteas top order
Bavuma, Hendricks and de Kock
Power hitting in the middle overs from Miller, Klaasen and van der Dussen
Impressive from Parnell and Pretorius
Proteas quicks put their best foot forward
Spin twins came unstuck - Maharaj and Shamsi
Host Carl Lewis and golf punter celebrate their winning picks from the US Open at Brookline as well as dissect the golf major from the weekend.
England's Matt Fitzpatrick was swamped by his family after superbly holding off the world's best players to claim his first major title with a one-shot victory in the US Open at Brookline.
The 27-year-old was also hugged by Rory McIlroy on the 18th green as he became just the third Englishman in 52 years to win the sport's second oldest major.
Fitzpatrick shot a two-under 68 for a six-under total to beat world number one Scottie Scheffler (67) and Will Zalatoris (69) in a gripping battle that went to the final hole.
Host Carl Lewis and motorsport journalist Sean Parker review the 2022 Canadian Grand Prix
Max Verstappen claimed his fifth win in the last six races at the 2022 Canadian Grand Prix, withstanding a late onslaught from Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, as Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton took his second podium of the season in P3.
With six wins in nine races, Verstappen’s 2022 increasingly has the air of Hamilton’s 2015 or Sebastian Vettel’s 2011 – let’s call it The Year After The Year – when the serenity and self-assurance that comes with winning a hard-fought World Championship together elevates both team and driver to a whole new level of performance.
Forty-six points ahead of team-mate Sergio Perez, Verstappen now leads the Drivers’ standings by the exact margin he trailed Charles Leclerc after the first three rounds, underlining the speed of the title race’s turnaround.
If Ferrari have been their own worst enemies in recent weeks, Perez’s DNF with a suspected gearbox problem after seven laps in Canada acted as a reminder that there also remains an underlying fragility about Red Bull, who have combatted car issues big and small since the start of the season.
Rugby punter Neal Hoogwerf provides his best bets and tips for United Rugby Championship Grand Final, Gallagher Premiership Final, Super Rugby Pacific Final and the Currie Semi FInals
The matches we cover:
United Rugby Championship Grand Final - Stormers v Bulls
Gallagher Premiership Final - Leicester Tigers v Saracens
Super Rugby Pacific Final - Blues v Crusaders
Currie Cup Semi Finals - Bulls v Griquas and Cheetahs v Pumas
The best rugby betting podcast out there.
Formula 1 returns to Canada for the first Grand Prix at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve since 2019 after Covid-19 enforced travel restrictions that prevented the race from taking place. The top tier of motorsport racing has changed considerably since Lewis Hamilton finished ahead of Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc two years ago with new regulations and a pause of Mercedes dominance.
Red Bull and Ferrari have been the dominant teams this season, with reigning world champion Max Verstappen scoring five victories to lead the drivers' championship from his teammate Sergio Perez. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc chalked up two wins and has been in scintillating form in qualifying, starting on pole for the last four races. However, Ferrari have recently been crippled by reliability issues and bad strategy calls.
The drivers will battle on a third street circuit in a row, with the fast, flowing track requiring the cars to be at full throttle for the majority of the lap. A focus on higher top speed and less on cornering grip will be the dominant set up across the paddock. The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is dominated by heavy braking chicanes. It's vital for the drivers to be precise when accelerating out of those areas on the track and not lose traction which costs valuable milliseconds. We're likely to see teams who performed well last weekend in Baku replicate that form in Montreal. Red Bull start as favourites and it'll be interesting to see which driver has the superior pace on race day as that'll determine who the team decides to back strategy wise.
Leclerc has been superb in qualifying this season and we still back him to start on the front row. Ferrari will hope they are not plagued by any issues over the weekend. One statistic that stands out is that pole position has been decided by less than a tenth of a second at four of the last seven Canadian Grands Prix.
Finally, the final T13 also known as the 'Wall of Champions' is a chicane that bleeds into the final straight and has caught many drivers out over the years.
Perez, Verstappen, Russell
Fastest lap: Verstappen
Pole position: Leclerc
First to retire: Nicholas Latifi
Most Team Points: Red Bull
Both Cars Qualify for Q3 Shootout: Red Bull
Free Practice 1/2/3 Winning Car: Verstappen/ Red Bull
Safety Car: Yes
Top 6: Gasly
Top 10: Tsunoda, Vettel, Alonso
Back with the team at Laduma Analytics as we dissect, crunch the numbers and analyse South Africa's AFCON 2023 Qualifier loss against Morocco.
Bafana lost 2-1 away from home, but what do the stats say about their performance and Hugo Broos tactics?
Host Carl Lewis is joined by coach Dave Wessels and veteran journalist Simnikiwe Xabanisa as they discuss the biggest talking points in world rugby.
In this episode they cover:
We have a big preview of the United rugby championship grand final between the Stormers and Bulls at the Cape Town stadium
How the Bulls beat Leinster in Ireland
Canan Moodie is excellent
Concern over the Bull's contract density and readiness for another big match
How Did the Stormers
Springbok squad, Duane Vermeulen and Frans Steyn update. We also discuss the big takeouts
Host Carl Lewis and golf punter Wade Pretorius preview the US Open in Brookline, Massachusetts. and provide the best bets. It's a big moment for golf with many subplots happening as we speak because of LIV Golf, so there will be a lot of eyes on the action at the Country Club.
Brrokline welcomes the U.S. Open for the first time in over 20 years, while Rory McIlroy is perhaps his best chance at breaking his major drought. And Phil Mickelson gets another chance to claim the career grand slam after the most testing period of his time in professional golf without his career-long nemesis Tiger Woods in the field as he prepares for The Open at St. Andrews.
Motorsport journalist Sean Parker reviews the biggest talking points from another eventful Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Red Bull's Max Verstappen dominated the latter stages of the 2022 Azerbaijan Grand Prix to take the race win and extend his world championship lead as Ferrari pair Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz both suffered engine problems and had to retire in Baku.
Verstappen's teammate Sergio Perez eventually finished second after originally taking the lead from Leclerc on the opening lap of the race, whilst Mercedes' George Russell took the last spot on the podium after finishing P3.
Lewis Hamilton finished in P4 after battling through the pain barrier caused by his porpoising car with AlphaTauri's Pierre Gasly finishing in a season best result of fifth.
Sebastian Vettel, Fernando Alonso, Daniel Ricciardo, Lando Norris and Esteban Ocon rounded out the top 10 to all score crucial points.
We chat with our golf expert Wade Pretorius after a big weekend in world golf. He provides context to the state of golf and where everything stands after the Canadian Open and LIV Golf event.
Charl Schwartzel won the inaugural event in the Saudi-funded rebel LIV Golf series on Saturday as Patrick Reed became the latest big-name player to sign up.
Defending champion Rory McIlroy birdied his final two holes and shot an 8-under-par 62 on Sunday to stave off a number of fellow stars and win the RBC Canadian Open at St George’s Golf and Country Club in Toronto.
South Africa's Schwartzel carded a final round of 72 at the Centurion Club outside London to finish seven under par and a shot clear of compatriot Hennie du Plessis.
Hos Carl Lewis and cricket writer Lwanele Poswayo preview the third T20i between India and South Africa in Visakhapatnam.
After losing two back-to-back matches, India will take on South Africa in the third match of the series, to be played at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam on June 14 (Tuesday). The Men in Blue have not been able to match the level of Proteas in the current series so far and are desperate to make a comeback.
One of the biggest issues team India has is their bowling line-up, which has looked weak. The likes of David Miller, Rassie van der Dussen and Heinrich Klassen have exposed Indian bowling line-up. With series on the line, the Men in Blue will want to put out a better show in the third match and eventually win that match.
We have a special episode as host Carl Lewis is joined by experienced punters Mastos and David Kappel.
With the European football season on a break, many leagues still exist to bet on. In this episode, we talk about betting strategies for the off-season and which leagues to bet on. We cover:
Premier League (Australia)
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Delid (Iceland)
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Delid (Iceland)
Canadian Soccer League
Superettan (Sweden)
Eliteserien (Norway)
Meistriliiga (Estonia)
Virsliga (Latvia)
Ykkonen (Finland)
Chinese Super League (China)
Allsvenskan (Sweden)
K League 1 (South Korea)
UEFA Nations League
We are back with Zach Lowy our transfer analyst for another Transfer talk podcast that covers a new signings and potential signings in European football.
We start with Real Madrid, they agreed an £85.3m deal for the highly rated defensive midfielder Aurelién Tchouaméni from Monaco. The Lal Liga and Champions League winners spend big on the 22-year-old after missing out on striker Kylian Mbappe a few weeks ago.
Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain were apparently also on Tchouaméni's radar, who has been capped for France.
Zach also gives us the lowdown on Benfica's Darwin Nunez who seems set to join Liverpool on a big transfer fee. Nunez has been attracting a lot of attention from the top clubs in world football.
Frenkie de Jong to Manchester United rumours will be in the news every day until a concrete decision is made by someone involved. Zach provides more insight into what de Jong could bring to the Old Trafford.
Also, it seems Gabriel Jesus might leave Manchester City for either Arsenal or Real Madrid. Also, Alessandro Bastoni's potential move from Inter to Tottenham Hotspur, Zach believes Spurs could do with another quality centre back.
And lastly, we touch on the PSG manager position. It seems Mauricio Pocchetino is on his way out of Paris with Jose Mourinho's name thrown into the mix. Zach gives us his opinion on who PSG and Mbappe should be chasing.
After a successful weekend last week, rugby punter Neal Hoogwerf is back with his betting preview for a big weekend of playoff rugby.
We start with Super Rugby Pacific, the Crusaders host the Chiefs on Friday and then on Saturday the Brumbies travel to Blues.
In the Gallagher Premiership, we are also down to the final four. First up, an exciting match up between Saracens and Harlequins and then the top of the table Leicester Tigers take on the Northampton Saints.
We also have semifinals in the United Rugby Championship where Leinster host the Bulls at the RDS on Friday. The Stormers host Ulster in Cape Town on Saturday.
And then finally we finish off the podcast by taking a look at the Currie Cup.
Formula 1 travels to the city of Baku this weekend for the 2022 Azerbaijan Grand Prix as Max Verstappen looks to build on his lead in the Driver's Championship standings.
The Baku City Circuit has provided a number of memorable races throughout the years and arrives at a pivotal point in the 2022 Formula 1 season with the championship pendulum swinging away from Ferrari and in favour of Red Bull.
With the race weekend fast approaching, motorsport journalist Sean Parker provides a comprehensive preview for the 2022 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Host Carl Lewis is back with coach Dave Wessels and journalist Simnikiwe Xabanisa to discuss the biggest talking point in world rugby.
On the agenda today:
Bulls v Sharks
Sharks season review, including Sean Everitt and their player of the season
Stormers v Edinburgh
Evan Roos, Stormers lineouts
We make our semifinals predictions for:
Leinster v Bulls
Stormers v Ulster
Golf punter Wade Pretorius previews two tournaments this week, the controversial LIV Golf event in London and a solid field at the RBC Canadian Open.
In Canada,
Rory McIlroy can rewrite the history books with a victory at the 2022 RBC Canadian Open, which gets underway on Thursday, June 9. McIlroy is the defending champion of this event and he'll become just the seventh player to successfully defend his title with a win at St. George's Golf and Country Club. McIlroy is part of a loaded RBC Canadian Open 2022 field, which also includes fellow major champions like Scottie Scheffler, Justin Thomas, Shane Lowry and Patrick Reed.
In London,
Dustin Johnson quickly became the face of this venture, with rumors of a huge payday taking him to the Saudi Arabia-funded tour. He’s the betting favorite this week, followed by Louis Oosthuizen, Talor Gooch, Sergio Garcia and Kevin Na.
Overall, 16 of the Official World Golf Ranking’s top 100 are in the field. Hudson Swafford is the only player who has won this season on the PGA TOUR at the American Express in January.
Most of the other familiar names will come in the form of former European Ryder Cup players. Garcia headlines the group, and he’s joined by Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and Bernd Wiesberger.
Johnson and Garcia are two of four Masters champions in the field, along with Charles Schwartzel and the newly included Phil Mickelson.
Two-time major champion Martin Kaymer and former US Open winner Graeme McDowell are among the veterans in the field.
Host Carl Lewis chats to Zach Lowy about Tottenham's move for Ivan Perisic and other transfers confirmed transfers. We also touch on Robert Lewandowski and Sadio Mane's future.
Rugby punter Neal Hoogwerf has a handicap bet for every single match in the United Rugby Championship quarterfinals, Super Rugby Pacific quarterfinals and the final round of the Gallagher Premiership.
United Rugby Championship Ulster vs Munster
Bulls vs Sharks
Leinster vs Glasgow Warriors
Stormers vs Edinburgh Rugby
Gallagher Premiership Worcester Warriors vs Bath
Sale Sharks vs Bristol
Gloucester vs Saracens
Northampton vs Newcastle Falcons
Exeter Chiefs vs Harlequins
Leicester vs Wasps
Super Rugby Pacific Crusaders vs Reds
Chiefs vs Waratahs
Blues vs Highlanders
Brumbies v Hurricanes
Host Carl Lewis is back with coach Dave Wessels and journalist Simnikiwe Xabanisa to discuss the biggest talking point in world rugby.
On the agenda today:
La Rochelle's win over Leinster in the Champions Cup Final.
French rugby's rise and why it is successful
We preview the Sharks v Bulls and Stormers v Edinburgh
We also discuss the Currie Cup's role in South African rugby.
The DSTV Premiership season is complete and we sit down with the team at Laduma Analytics and select a team of the season using data and statistics. Familiar names like Andile Jali and Peter Shlulile are in...but there are some surprises.
Golf punter Wade Pretorius provides his best betting tips for The Memorial Tournament in 2022 at Muirfield.
The 2022 Memorial Tournament takes place this week and, perhaps, no event on tour has given Jon Rahm the spectrum of emotions as this one. Two years ago, Rahm's win here elevated him to the World No. 1 for the first time in his career. But last year, he appeared to be on his way to another victory with a six-stroke lead after 54 holes but was then forced to withdraw due to a positive COVID-19 test. The now-World No. 2 will be hoping for a result more aligned with the former than the latter when the Memorial Tournament 2022 tees off Thursday from Muirfield Village Golf Club.
Rahm is one of eight former champions in the field, and they will compete for the $12 million prize pool with $2.16 going to the victor. The Spaniard is the favourite in the latest 2022 Memorial Tournament odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while Rory McIlroy is right behind. Other contenders include defending champion Patrick Cantlay, Jordan Spieth and Collin Morikawa.
The matchup is set. The 2022 NBA Finals will feature two of the premier franchises in the league. The Celtics, currently tied with the Lakers at 17 titles, will look to add banner No. 18 to the TD Garden rafters. The Warriors will try to add title No. 7 to their record books.
This is going to be a star-studded affair featuring the Celtics' elite defense going up against an equally elite Warriors offense. Which team will raise the Larry O'Brien Trophy?
Red Bull’s Sergio Perez won his first race of 2022 by 1.1 seconds after a nailbiting end to the Monaco Grand Prix, with Carlos Sainz and Max Verstappen unable to make it past the Mexican – and Charles Leclerc losing out after dropping from pole to P4.
Rain saw the start delayed and, at 1518 local time, drivers completed one lap, heading back to the pits as a red flag was called. Gazebos unfurled and teams waited until 1605 for a rolling race start behind the Safety Car on wet tyres. The Safety Car pulled in for Lap 3 of 77 and Leclerc led away with Sainz, Perez and Verstappen in tow.
The front-runners swapped to intermediates, with Perez coming in first on Lap 17, Leclerc and Verstappen following two laps later, while Sainz skipped straight to hards with a switch on Lap 21, Leclerc following for a Ferrari double-stack. Red Bull followed one lap later and pulled off an overcut with their own double-stack – the order was now Perez, Sainz, Verstappen and a furious Leclerc in P4.
We chat to coach and analyst Grant de Smidt about Newcastle and the spectacular resurgence they had in the Premier League under Eddie Howe.
Howe took them from 19th all the way to 11th and this off-season he is expected to have a transfer kitty to make a splash with.
With money comes big expectations so what can we expect from the Magpies next season?
We chat with coach and analyst Grant de Smidt about Arsenal football club.
We take a comprehensive look and review at the Gunner's season which includes:
Mikel Arterta
Bukayo Saka
Future Transfers
Arsenal squad depth
And a lot more.
It's the biggest club competition in the world, it's the UEFA Champions League Final and it's a grudge match between Liverpool and Real Madrid.
Coach and analyst Grabnt de Smidt previews final in Paris.
We are back with the Laduma Analytics team with another episode focusing on the PSL and the DSTV Premiership. we focus on:
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Pirates losing another Cup final - Pirates 1.49xG v RSB 0.28xG
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PSL Weekend - Sundowns broken records
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Baroka relegation - They’ve never finished a season with a positive goal difference
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CAF places & permutations - Pirates record against the Top 8 sides: P13 W2 D7 L4; Royal AM record against the Top 8 sides: P13 W3 D7 L3; Supersport record against the Top 8 sides: P15 W5 D4 L6 [51% of their points come from Top half matches).
We chat with rugby punter Neal Hoogwerf ahead of a bumper weekend of rugby betting.
We first tackle every match in Super Rugby Pacific and the Currie Cup. Then we focus on the finals, Toulon v Lyon in the Challenge Cup and then Leinster v La Rochelle in the Champions Cup.
Hoping for a profitable weekend.
We chat with coach and analyst Grant de Smidt as we take a comprehensive look at the Amakhosi. The Glamour Boys...Kaizer Chiefs.
We cover their DSTV Premiership season as well as their cup runs. We also talk about Arthur Zwane and make a case for hiring Benni McCarthy.
We go through their goalkeeping, defending, midfield and attacking departments and suggest who must stay and who should be let go.
And lastly transfers, Ashley du Pree was signed from Stellenbosch and we talk about which transfers makes sense for Kaizer Chiefs.
We chat with coach and analyst Grant de Smidt about Hugo Broos' Bafana Bafana squad for their AFCON 2023 Qualifier against Morocco on 9 June 2022.
GOALKEEPERS
Ronwen Williams SUPERSPORT UNITED
Veli Mothwa AMAZULU
Bruce Bvuma KAIZER CHIEFS
Brandon Petersen KAIZER CHIEFS
DEFENDERS
Nyiko Mobbie SEKHUKHUNE UNITED
Khuliso Mudau MAMELODI SUNDOWNS
Bandile Shandu ORLANDO PIRATES
Grant Kekana MAMELODI SUNDOWNS
Thibang Phete BELENENSES
Siyabonga Ngezana KAIZER CHIEFS
Taariq Fielies CAPE TOWN CITY
Luke Fleurs SUPERSPORT UNITED
Athenkosi Mcaba STELLENBOSCH
Thabani Zuke GOLDEN ARROWS
Terrence Mashego CAPE TOWN CITY
Lyle Lakay MAMELODI SUNDOWNS
Innocent Maela ORLANDO PIRATES
Aubrey Modiba MAMELODI SUNDOWNS
MIDFIELDERS
Sphephelo Sithole BELENENSES
Goodman Mosele ORLANDO PIRATES
Fortune Makaringe ORLANDO PIRATES
Thabang Monare ORLANDO PIRATES
Yusuf Maart SEKHUKHUNE UNITED
Lebogang Maboe MAMELODI SUNDOWNS
Phathutshedzo Nange KAIZER CHIEFS
Jesse Donn SUPERSPORT UNITED
Mduduzi Mdantsane CAPE TOWN CITY
Thapelo Morena MAMELODI SUNDOWNS
STRIKERS
Thembinkosi Lorch ORLANDO PIRATES
Ashley Du Preez STELLENBOSCH
Keagan Dolly KAIZER CHIEFS
Evidence Makgopa BAROKA FC
Khanyisa Mayo CAPE TOWN CITY
Fagrie Lakay PYRAMIDS
Lyle Foster WESTERLO
Bongokuhle Hlongwane MINNESOTA
Percy Tau AL AHLY
Pule Mmodi GOLDEN ARROWS
Formula 1 heads to Monaco for the seventh round of racing of this exciting 2022 season. Motosport journalist Sean parker previews the iconic race for us. Charles Leclerc will be looking to bounce back in his home race, after losing the lead of the drivers' championship for the first time this season to rival Max Verstappen, as the reigning world champion heads into Monaco having won three races in a row.
The weather forecast shows that it will be mostly sunny in Monaco but there is a chance of rain, especially for the race on Sunday.
The Charles Schwab Challenge is an excellent follow-up to what was an excellent PGA Championship last week.
Three of the top-five players in the world and five of the top 10 are at Colonial Country Club for one of the PGA TOUR’s oldest stops in Fort Worth. That doesn’t even include Will Zalatoris, a Dallas native who came close to besting Justin Thomas last weekend in Tulsa.
Colonial, like Southern Hills Country Club, is a par-70, but it plays 400 yards longer than the PGA Championship host course. A certain type of player has generally won at Colonial, but last year Jason Kokrak broke that mold.
Our golf punter Wade Pretorius discusses his favorite bets and picks for the Charles Schwab.
We are back with another rugby podcast with coach Dave Wessells and veteran journalist Simnikiwe Xabanisa.
We do a debrief of the United Rugby Championship where we discuss:
Lions season review, state of the union and player of the season.
The Sharks attacking formation, Siya Kolisi's form and their chances against the Bulls at Loftus.
The Bulls under Jake White, their exciting young backs and ability on defence and attack.
And then also the South African Conference winners the Stormers and their impressive defence.
We move to the Springbok squad for their Wales series which Jacques Nienaber is expected to announce in the next two weeks. We expect a settled squad but who will be the surprise selections and who deserves a shot at a Bok cap.
We then finish with the Champions Cup and Challenge up.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona on Sunday, after early race dominator Charles Leclerc was forced to retire his Ferrari when it lost power.
Verstappen bounced back from an off-track excursion and an intermittent DRS issue to lead home a crushing Red Bull 1-2 ahead of teammate Sergio Perez.
Leclerc was cruising out front when he lost power on Lap 27, handing the lead to Mercedes’ George Russell. Perez passed the Mercedes just before half distance to hit the front but Verstappen charged past him towards the end of the race to score his fourth win of the season.
We chat with coach and analyst Grant de Smidt as we take a deep dive and analyze Chelsea Football Club
We discuss Thomas Tuchel, contracts, future transfers, Romelu Lukaku and so much more.
They've secured Champions League football, lost two cup finals and were knocked out by Real Madrid in Europe.
How would you rate their season>?
We have another episode with the team at Laduma Analytics.
- Quick discussion on Sundowns v Stellies game, in which Masandawna lost 3-0 but let's go into the stats.
- Pirates into Confed final and three games left and how that could change log positions
- Impressive young players in the PSL
- Coach & Player of the Month
We have another episode with coach Dave Wessels and journalist Simnikiwe Xabanisa and we are joined by a special guest AB Zondagh who is the assistant coach of Scotland and the former skills coach of Toulouse.
In this episode, we discuss the Champions Cup semi-final and the special club that is Leinster. We also chat about the differences between French and South African rugby.
We then look ahead to a fascinating weekend for the South African sides in the United Rugby Championship.
Lots of insight in this episode and a lot of other topics we tackle that would interest you.
We chat to NBA expert Cyrus Rogers about the NBA Conference Finals as the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics battle for the Eastern Conference. Then in the Western Conference, the Golden State Warriors dynasty face up against Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks. We also talk about the previous Playoff Round and touch on Jason Taytum, Jimmy Buttler, Chris Paul, Steph Curry and more.
Neal Hoogwerf is back and we take a look at every match in Super Rugby Pacific, Champions Cup & Currie Cup. He has a handicap best bet for every match.
Finally, we are back with punter Mastos for another masterclass. This week we again split our selections in two with Saturday and Sunday selections totalling 17 legs for you to cut and slice from.
We have bets from the Bundesliga, Serie A, Premier League and more.
Snarling after losing the light heavyweight title, Jan Blachowicz returns for a big-time battle against Aleksandar Rakic at UFC Vegas 54 on Saturday night. The co-main event at the promotion’s headquarters in Las Vegas is another tussle at 205 pounds as Ryan Spann squares off with Ion Cutelaba, while the next challenger for the flyweight title could emerge when Katlyn Chookagian collides with Amanda Ribas.
Bantamweight finishers Davey Grant and Louis Smolka will slug it out, veteran Frank Camacho faces newcomer Manuel Torres at lightweight and undefeated Jake Hadley makes his UFC bow against Allan Nascimento at flyweight.
We are back with the team at Laduma Analytics and OptaJabu and we discuss the record breaking season of Mamelodi Sundowns. What records have Masandawana broken and what can they still break?
Also, we go find depth into the lack of goals this season which could potentially be the lowest scoring season of all-time in the DSTV Premiership. We touch on goalkeepers and strikers.
A must listen for out stats and data people.
We chat with Zach Lowy about the Erling Haaland transfer from Borussia Dortmund to Manchester City. We talk about his potential impact at the club and what he brings to the table for Pep Guardiola. Zach also puts on his agent hat as we discuss where he believes the big name free agents should go this summer.
It's great podcast chatting transfers.
Ahead of next weekend’s PGA Championship, this week’s AT&T Byron Nelson field is stronger than expected with a number of potential winners.
Golf punter Wade Pretorius makes his best picks for the weekend at TPC Craig Ranch in Dallas.
This year, the AT&T Byron Nelson has seen its strength of field, measured by the Official World Golf Rankings, jump compared to previous seasons and the tournaments nearby on the schedule. World number 1 Scottoe Scheffler is the betting favourite but he will have stiff competition over the next four days.
Motorsport journalist Sean Parker reviews the Miami GP alongside host Carl Lewis.
The inaugural Miami GP is finally behind us now and saw Max Verstappen reducing the championship deficit to less than 20 points. The maiden Miami GP was more of an off-track spectacle than it was an on-track one as there were a few teething issues that needed to be resolved for the future. However, a solid foundation on which future long-term fan engagement can be built was laid in Miami.
There are six matches in the Premier League this week and they all have implications for various clubs across the table from the title right through to relegation. On Tuesday, Liverpool travels to Aston Villa where they hope Stevie Gerrard can do them a favour. Wednesday sees Man City travel to Wolves while the headline fixture is on Thursday, Spurs v Arsenal, in the North London Derby.
coach and analyst Grant de Smidt preview every match in the Premier League.
Rugby punter Neal Hoogwerf provides his best handicap bets for Super Rugby Pacific, European Champions Cup and the Currie Cup.
Coach and analyst Grant de Smidt previews a big weekend of Premier League action as Liverpool face Spurs and Man City take on Newcastle with the title still very much up for grabs.
We chat with coach and analyst Grant de Smidt as we preview a full sale of fixtures which is headlined by Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns on Sunday.
We have a comprehensive preview of the action this weekend, all seven matches in DSTV Premiership.
The F1 Miami GP will be making its debut this weekend in what will be the first of the two trips the sport will make to the United States this year. The 2022 season has had four races so far and the top 2 drivers this season, Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen, have shared the honors with 2 wins each.
Last time around, in Imola, it was Verstappen storming his way back into contention with a grand slam and closing down the championship lead by 17 points. In the first iteration of the Miami GP, the Red Bull driver will be looking to carry on with his form from the last US GP in 2021 where he beat Lewis Hamilton for the win.
Having said that, let's get right to it and jump straight to the preview and predictions for the very first Miami GP.
The 2022 Wells Fargo Championship gets underway on Thursday, May 5, from TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm in Potomac, Maryland. The 2022 Wells Fargo Championship field features a strong mix of proven champions and budding superstars eager to make their mark on the PGA Tour.
Major champions like Rory McIlroy, Patrick Reed, Sergio Garcia and Jason Day are set to tee it up this week with 500 FedEx Cup points going to the winner.
Golf punter Wade Pretorius provides his best bets for the weekend.
In this rugby podcast, coach Dave Wessels and veteran journalist Simnikiwe Xabanisa discuss a variety of topics and where the global game stands, topics include:
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Global rugby calendar
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Champions Cup
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Changing the South African rugby system
-Springboks v All Blacks
Former Melbourne Rebels coach Dave Wessells and veteran journalist join host Carl Lewis as they discuss the Stormers, Sharks, Bulls and Lions as well as a Varsity Cup review.
2:30: Stormers v Glasgow Warriors
8:30: Hacjivah Dayimani resurgence & Cape Town allowing players to flourish
15:40: Stormers coaching & attacking shape
18:30: Continuity and retaining players is becoming a problem for SA rugby sides
21:00: Bulls v Bennetton
24:00: Jake & Bulls building a dynasty?
25:00: Dave on Jake's ability to spot talent and his time at the Bulls
38:00: Sim gives Edgar Rathbone Bulls CEO his flowers
40:00: Bull's innovative attacking move
41:30: The Lions v Connacht
46:30: The Lion's innovation on attack
47:40: The Lion's best players this season
52:00: Who would start for the Boks at 9 if Faf & Reinach are out?
58:00: Sharks v Leinster
59:10: Dave on South African flyhalves
1:06: South African coaches
1:20: Varsity Cup
We review the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix with motorsport journalist Sean Parker after Max Verstappen won a dramatic wet-dry race over Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez as Ferrari couldn’t deliver on home turf – Charles Leclerc spinning late on to finish sixth after Carlos Sainz retired.
The Dutchman topped Saturday’s Sprint and led off the line on Sunday, teammate Perez joining him at the front – while Leclerc momentarily dropped to fourth. The Safety Car emerged on the opening lap as Daniel Ricciardo tipped Carlos Sainz into the gravel and out of the race for the second Grand Prix.
Gallagher Premiership Rugby returns after a fortnight of European action, and with just four rounds left, every match counts as the race for semi-final and Heineken Champions Cup places reaches its conclusion.
Reigning champions Harlequins host table-toppers Leicester Tigers at the Twickenham Stoop in a massive game for both sides.
Third place Quins suffered European heartbreak after missing out on a Heineken Champions Cup quarter-final spot by just one point after two legs against Montpellier and they will be hoping to inflict just a fourth league defeat of the season on the Tigers.
If Tabai Matson’s men manage to pull off a positive result it will help put pressure on second place Saracens as sides look to nail down a home semi-final.
Tigers edged the reverse fixture 16-14 at Mattioli Woods Welford Road, and should they win again they will have all but guaranteed home advantage for their semi-final fixture.
Sunday’s match also has huge semi-final ramifications as Saracens host fourth place Exeter Chiefs at StoneX Stadium.
Both sides need a win as Saracens look to lock down a home semi while Chiefs need to see off the likes of Gloucester Rugby and Northampton Saints to secure the final spot in the top four.
The Chiefs edged out Saracens 18-15 at Sandy Park, and this weekend’s clash is sure to be another closely fought cracker.
On Friday night, Bristol Bears host Gloucester at Ashton Gate, with The Cherry and Whites still very much in the hunt for a semi-final spot, while the Bears will be desperate to bounce back from their European exit and finish the season strongly.
Gloucester won the reverse fixture 27-10 at Kingsholm and will be hoping for a similar result this time around to keep pace with Rob Baxter’s Chiefs.
Also on Friday night, Newcastle Falcons host London Irish at Kingston Park looking to avenge their 43-21 defeat to Irish in December.
Irish currently occupy eighth spot and a place in the Heineken Champions Cup next season, so they will be hoping to get back to winning ways after suffering back-to-back Gallagher Premiership Rugby defeats to Northampton Saints and Harlequins.
There are two further Saturday games, with Wasps hosting Worcester Warriors at the Coventry Building Society Arena.
Wasps sit just one point behind London Irish and have a game in hand, making a win on Saturday even more important if they are to leapfrog their rivals.
The Warriors won a classic earlier on in the season, edging Wasps 32-31 at Sixways, and fans will be hoping this is another thrilling encounter that goes to the wire.
Finally, Bath Rugby host Northampton Saints at the Recreation Ground on Saturday afternoon.
Both sides come into this game off the back of disappointing European Challenge Cup defeats but are at differing ends of the Gallagher Premiership Rugby table.
Fifth place Saints, who are four points behind Chiefs with a game in hand, are on a glittering run of form after winning their last three league matches.
However, Chris Boyd’s side face a much-improved Bath who are desperate to get themselves off the bottom of the table.
Saints won 40-19 at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens in the corresponding fixture and will be hoping their excellent run of form can earn them a similar result this week to keep them right in the mix for the top four.
United Rugby Championship sides are bracing themselves for what could be a pivotal weekend in the race for the play-offs.
With the final batch of northern hemisphere sides heading south for two rounds of fixtures, the pressure is on the DHL Stormers, Cell C Sharks and Vodacom Bulls to continue their impressive form in cross-hemisphere matches and strengthen their bid for a top-eight finish.
The Stormers face Glasgow Warriors on Friday night, before the Bulls host Benetton and the Sharks welcome leaders Leinster on Saturday.
Ulster host Munster in a high-stakes interpro, the Scarlets need revenge over the Dragons and Cardiff host the Ospreys at the Arms Park.
The weekend’s remaining fixtures see Edinburgh host Zebre Parma and the Emirates Lions face Connacht in Johannesburg.
This weekend’s Super Round sees Kiwi and Australian teams clash for the first time in the inaugural Super Rugby Pacific and rugby punter Neal Hoogwerf has a handicap bet for each match of the weekend.
The Fijian Drua will also play their first match against Kiwi opposition, when they face the Blues.
With all five matches – the Friday night game between Moana Pasifika and the Western Force has been postponed due to Covid-19 cases in the Force camp – taking place at Melbourne's AAMI Park, here are the teams and selection talking points for round 10.
We are back with another Mastos Masterclass and in this edition we have a 12-leg Saturday multiple with matches in the Premier League, Serie A and Bundesliga. There is also a 10-leg multiple for Sunday's matches as well across Europe's top leagues. Cut and slice these legs as you wish.
We are back with value punter Brenton Chelin as we hunt the top leagues in Europe for VALUE, VALUE and more VALUE. As usual, we focus on the goalscorer markets and this week we are tipping some big names with some exotics as well.
Brenton's favourite market BTTS and Match-Winner has the usual six legs. And then we finish with two trebles, a conservative one and a value one.
In our second podcast with the Laduma Analytics team, we once again take a deep dive into Kaizer Chiefs after news of their termination of head coach Stuart Baxter's contract filters out.
We discuss Baxter's second tenure and compare his record to his predecessors using xG and other metrics, surprisingly, Chiefs create a lot of chances.
We also look at the DSTV Premiership's most creative players and once again the Kaizer Chiefs players come out tops in terms of creativity.
We chat with footie writer Zach Lowy ahead of the Champions League Semi-Finals. One mega clash sees Real Madrid and Carlo Ancelotti take on Manchester City and Pep Guardiola.
The second semi is a bit of David v Goliath as Unai Emery's giant-killing Villareal (beat Bayern & Juventus) take on recent Champions League victors Liverpool.
Coach Dave Wessels and veteran rugby journalist Simnikiwe Xabanisa join host Carl Lewis as they discuss:
Stormers, Sharks & Bulls playoff hopes and chances as theUnited Rugby Championship comes to an end.
Also, we talk about the Springbok alignment camp as sim updates us on the biggest talking points.
Should the SA Rugby join the Champions Cup?
Also, Dave updates us on the Varsity Cup and his biggest takeouts.
Motorsport journalist Sean Parker previews the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola as Ferrari and Charles LeClerc look to assert their dominance of the Formula 1 season.
Many of the PGA Tour's top names will be back in action this week for the 2022 Zurich Classic team event, set to tee off Thursday in New Orleans. There are 80 teams scheduled to compete in the best-ball and alternate-shot tournament at TPC Louisiana. Masters winner and world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is among those getting back on the course after a week off, and he will team with Ryan Palmer, who won the Zurich in 2019 with Jon Rahm. No. 2 Collin Morikawa and fifth-ranked Viktor Hovland also are expected to present a formidable challenge.
We chat with NBA expert Cyrus Rogers as he provides and gives his predictions for the NBA Playoffs.
Coach and analyst Grant de Smidt provides a comprehensive betting preview ahead of every weekend fixture in the DSTV Premiership including Kaizer Chiefs, Cape Town City, Amazulu and more.
A comprehensive betting preview of five matches in the Premier League this weekend including Manchester United, Arsenal and Tottenham.
Coach and analyst Grant de Smidt previews both semi-finals from the storied FA Cup featuring:
Manchester City v Liverpool
Chelsea v Crystal Palace
A comprehensive betting preview.
Value punter Brenton Chelin is back on the Bet Central Podcast, he searches for betting value in the European footie leagues and we cover:
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3 x Anytime goalscorer bets
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6 x BTTS & match-winner
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Conservative Treble
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Value Treble at over 40
A famous punter on the Twitter streets, Mastos got 16 out of 19 tips right last week and we are back for a full house this weekend.
He has done his research on Europe's top 5 leagues and he provides:
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Match winner bets for your multis
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Over 1.5 goals multi
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Value, Exotic and Fun bets
In our first episode with the team from Laduma Analytics & OptaJabu, we dive into stats and data from the DSTV Premiership.
We cover:
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What makes Peter Shalulile so good?
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What makes Mamelodi Sundowns so good?
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Are we being too hard on Baxter? Analysis Kaizer Chiefs this season
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What kind of a team are Orlando Pirates? What does the data say?
We review the 2022 Masters at August National with golf expert Wade Pretorius. Scottie Scheffler, who held lead after 36 and 54 holes of play, finished the job with his first title at Augusta. The world's No. 1-ranked golfer finished the tournament with a 10-under par 278, with second-place Rory McIlroy finishing at 7 under after carding an incredible 8-under 64 in the final round (tied for a Masters record).
Host Carl Lewis discusses the United Rugby Champions fallout with coach Dave Wessels and veteran rugby journalist.
We cover:
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Stormers v Bulls analysis
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Who should we credit for the Stormer's resurgence?
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Getting more out of the TMO
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Who would be your Bok 10 if Pollard & Jantjies were out?
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Sharks v Lions analysis
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Sean Everitt and the Sharks project
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Cash van Rooyen and the Lions project
A famous punter on the Twitter streets, Mastos got 23 out of 25 tips right last week and we are back for a full house this weekend.
He has done his research on Europe's top 5 leagues and he provides:
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Match winner bets for your multis - Over 1.5 goals multi
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Value, Exotic and Fun bets
Two title bouts and a fascinating fight featuring one of the most intriguing anomalies to ever enter the Octagon make UFC 273 taking place in Jacksonville, Florida on Saturday night (Sunday morning SA time) a must-watch card.
The main event at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena will see Alexander Volkanovski defend the featherweight title against “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung.
The co-headliner is a bantamweight championship unification bout rooted in bad blood as champion Aljamain Sterling squares off with interim titleholder Petr Yan.
In a third blockbuster bout, former welterweight title challenger Gilbert Burns battles a mysterious mauler in unbeaten Khamzat Chimaev, who’s taken the UFC by storm.
But first, lightweight juggernaut Mark Madsen puts his undefeated record on the line against Vinc Pichel and top-10 strawweights Mackenzie Dern and Tecia Torres go toe-to-toe.
We are back at the Augusta National for the Masters and we've got a very excited Wade Pretorius to talk you through betting at Augusta.
He has a few strong fancies including Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and more. He also tips Erik van Rooyen to be the top South African this weekend.
We chat with coach and analyst Grant de Smidt about the weekend's action in the DSTV Premiership... betting tips included.
We chat with coach and analyst Grant de Smidt as we preview the weekend's action in the Premier League. We cover Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea, Spurs and more.
Value punter Brenton Chelin is back on the BEt Central Podcast, he searches for betting value in the European footie leagues and we cover:
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3 x Anytime goalscorer bets
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6 x BTTS & match-winner
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Conservative Treble
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Value Treble at over 16.00
Rugby punter Neal Hoogwerf has the best bet for every match in the Gallagher Premiership Round 22.
Failure’s not an option for the South African sides at the heart of the hunt for playoff places in the United Rugby Championship this weekend.
After their serious slip-up last weekend, the Sharks will be determined to rebound against the Dragons in Durban on Friday night, while the other local franchises will look to continue their unbeaten streaks against foreign foes on home soil on Saturday.
The Bulls battle Ulster in the match of the weekend at Loftus Versfeld, the Lions welcome Edinburgh to Ellis Park and the
Stormers collide with the Ospreys in Cape Town. Plus, Irish powerhouses Munster and Limerick lock horns in the pick of the European games.
With Super Round on the horizon, teams are starting to make their move as Super Rugby Pacific ramps up for round seven.
The action kicks off in Christchurch as the Crusaders host the Highlanders. The Crusaders will be buoyed after their dominant win over the Chiefs as they push for the top two whilst the Highlanders are refusing to panic despite remaining the lone winless team in 2022.
This is followed by the Fijian Drua welcoming the NSW Waratahs to the Gold Coast. The Drua are looking to build off their narrow defeat to the Rebels as they hunt for their second win. Meanwhile, the Waratahs have been boosted by the return of Wallabies captain Michael Hooper.
Saturday's action commences in Auckland as the Blues host Moana Pasifika. The hosts kicked off the round with a 32-19 win over the newcomers on Tuesday and will be out to complete the double.
Brisbane looms as the host for arguably the match of the round with the Queensland Reds facing the Brumbies. The top two sides on the leader once again will battle it out, with the Brumbies eager to replicate their 16-12 win a fortnight ago. As for the Reds, Brad Thorn's men are hoping they can replicate last year's Super Rugby AU Final at the same venue, pulling off an after-the-siren victory.
The round finishes on Sunday as the Hurricanes host the Chiefs at Sky Stadium. The hosts have opted to move Jordie Barrett to inside centre for the crucial clash whilst the Chiefs welcome back Luke Jacobson from injury.
A famous punter on the Twitter streets, Mastos has done his research on Europe's top 5 leagues and he provides:
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Match winner bets for your multis
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Over 1.5 goals multi
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Value, Exotic and Fun bets
The DSTV Premiership is back this weekend and we have coach and analyst Grant de Smidt to discuss a variety of topics focusing on the top four in the PSL.
We cover:
Benni McCarthy left Amazulu and was replaced by Brandon Truter. What next for Benni?
Orlando Pirates - Player of the season, co-coaches & more
Kaizer Chiefs - Stuart Baxter critics, tactics, player of the season & more
Royal AM - Suproise package, John Maduka, player of the season and more
Mamelodi Sundowns - Tactics, squad & more
We chat with coach and analyst Grant de Smidt about the state of the South African national team, Bafana Bafana, after a hige 5-0 loss to world champions France.
We cover Hugo Broos, selection, local players, local coaches, PSL, SAFA and more.
The final stop before Augusta National has arrived. The PGA TOUR goes from Austin to San Antonio this week for the Valero Texas Open, which has names of interest for bettors before the Masters.
Rory McIlroy is favoured this week at TPC San Antonio, which will host the Valero Texas Open.
Jordan Spieth, Hideki Matsuyama and Bryson DeChambeau are also playing this week, in hopes of gaining form before the Masters.
Golf punter Wade Pretorius has your best bets for Valero Texas Open.
On Sunday, Scottie Scheffler defeated Kevin Kisner 4&3 in the championship to win the WGC-Dell Match Play in Austin.
Scheffler’s third win in his last five starts catapulted him to World No. 1, ending Jon Rahm’s 14-week reign. In March alone, his season earnings have jumped to a whopping $7.4 million, leading the money list.
The 25-year-old has joined rare company and — with a Tour-leading six top-10s — is by far the hottest golfer heading into the Masters in April.
We chat with NBA expert Cyrus Rogers about these topics below:
- Can the Phoenix Suns actually win this thing?
- Is Devin Booker an MVP candidate?
- Would the Lakers get out of a play-in?
- NYC’s vax mandate… does this make the Nets the team to beat again?
- Do you think the Miami Heat are actually good enough to go to win the East?
- Is LeBron having an MVP season?
We chat with Motorsport journalist Sean parker about Sunday's eventful Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Defending Formula One champion Max Verstappen passed Ferrari rival Charles Leclerc four laps from the chequered flag to take his first win of the season. The Dutchman, who had started fourth, crossed the line just half a second ahead of Leclerc, who keeps the championship lead, having led a Ferrari one-two in last week's season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.
Spaniard Carlos Sainz was third for the Italian team while Mercedes and specifically Lewis Hamilton struggled for pace.
Formula 1 fans are still chatting about the incredible one-two Ferrari victory at the opening race in Bahrain, as we head into the second leg of the doubleheader in Saudi Arabia.
Ferrari and Red Bull head to Jeddah as favourites after providing a searing pace in Bahrain.
Motorsport editor Sean Parker previews the race and where to place bets.
We take a deep dive into the state of play at Manchester United with coach and analyst Grant de Smidt.
We discuss Manchester United's interim manager Ralf Rangnick as well as who their future manager should be, Mauricio Pochettino or Erik ten Hag.
We also touch on contracts of the current squad and future transfers that makes sense.
Rugby punter Neal Hoogwerf has selected his best for SUper Rugby Pacific this week.
The action kicks off in Auckland with the Moana Pasifika taking on the Hurricanes on Friday, also the Rebels and Western Force are out for revenge and redemption when they host the Fijian Drua and Brumbies respectively on Friday.
There is another triple-header on Saturday, the Highlanders go in search of their first win when they meet Blues. Thereafter, a Crusaders-Chiefs Aotearoa Final rematch should =keep the heart rate up before we finish with a big Australian derby between Reds and Waratahs.
The 2021/22 UEFA Champions League quarter-final draw has been made, with holders Chelsea set to meet 13-time winners Real Madrid amongst three other exciting fixtures.
We have Zach Lowy to discuss and predict the winners of each quarter-final and the eventual UCL winners.
Quarter-finals
First legs
Tuesday 5 April
Benfica vs Liverpool
Manchester City vs Atlético
Wednesday 6 April
Villarreal vs Bayern
Chelsea vs Real Madrid
Second legs
Tuesday 12 April
Bayern vs Villarreal
Real Madrid vs Chelsea
Wednesday 13 April
Liverpool vs Benfica
Atlético vs Manchester City
It's match play this week on the PGA Tour which means different betting opportunities for punters. Luckily Wade Pretorius has done his research and has some great advice ahead of the tournament. The star-studded groups for the 2022 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play with play scheduled to begin on Wednesday at Austin Country Club.
We chat with Motorsport journalist Sean Parker as we review a pulsating Bahrain Grand Prix. With lights out at the Bahrain International Circuit, the first race of the calendar year saw both the Ferrari drivers dominate on Sunday, in what was a very exciting race.
Charles Leclerc won the Grand Prix followed by his teammate Carlos Sainz taking up the second podium and Lewis Hamilton getting a lucky third place after Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen and teammate Sergio Perez of Red Bull had major fuel pump issues that cost them dearly.
We discuss every single talking point from the weekend.
Coach and analyst Grant de Smidt selects his best XI we dissect the squad.
Hugo Broos announced his Bafana Bafana squad for the international friendlies against France and Guinea, and as usual, generated some controversy with his selections.
Bafana have been an improved outfit under Broos since he replaced Molefi Ntseki last year, albeit not quite good enough to qualify for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar with some dubious refereeing decisions going against them.
Broos has continued to make surprising selections, but even if Bafana fans do not always agree with him, the Belgian mentor has surely built up credit with solid performances so far.
The world’s leading mixed martial arts promotion returns to the United Kingdom after a three-year wait with local favourite Tom Aspinall looking to seize the moment when he battles Alexander Volkov in a headlining heavyweight showdown at UFC London on Saturday night.
Rugby punter provides the best handicap bets for the final round of the Six Nations, Super Rugby Pacific and the United Rugby Championship.
The fourth and final leg of the Florida swing will begin on Thursday with the 2022 Valspar Championship in Palm Harbor. The tournament is returning to its regular March date after being played at the end of April last year. Scoring conditions are not friendly at Innisbrook's Copperhead Course, with only six holes yielding a birdie-or-better rate.
Golf punter Wade Pretorius has some strong fancies for the Valspar Championship.
Fresh from Pecanwood we head into Steyn City, and while they share plenty in common, there are also some key differences that hopefully extend to scoring. Both boast of generous fairways, but where Pecanwood was flat, Steyn City provides more of those trademark Jack Nicklaus elevation changes.
Golf expert Wade Pretorius provides a comprehensive betting preview in which he has some strong fancies for the Steyn City Championship
There are some fantastic midweek Premier League fixtures including: Brighton v Tottenham
Arsenal v Liverpool
Everton v Newcastle
Coach and analyst Grant de Smidt previews every single match for your midweek betting action.
Three days of pre-season testing in Bahrain stood between the teams and the opening race of the season. Conditions were vastly different to the cool spring temperatures of Barcelona, and as the heat took hold, reliability issues started to crop up. Add in some pretty major car evolutions since the 2022 machines were last on track, and there was plenty to discuss ahead of the opening race of the season. Here's how all 10 teams got on in Bahrain, in lap count order.
The final set of UEFA Champions League round of 16 seconds legs have the potential for plenty of drama with Manchester United, Ajax and Juventus all on level terms heading into their home returns while LOSC have ground to make up against Chelsea.
Coach and analyst Grant de Smidt previews every match UEFA Champions League round of 16 seconds legs.
Rugby punter Neal Hoogwerf has the best bet for every match in Round 20 of the Gallagher Premiership.
Rugby punter Neal Hoogwerf has the best bet for every match in Round 4 of the 2022 Six Nations.
After Round 3 of the Guinness Six Nations, there are still three teams who are realistically in the hunt to be crowned champions following the conclusion of Super Saturday.
The weekend kicks on Friday at the Principality as Wales host Lof leading France while on Saturday, Italy v Scotland begins the action with England v Ireland at Twickenham concluding the weekend's drama.
Super Rugby Pacific with Round Four is set to bring more grudge matches, pivotal clashes, and the beginning of new rivalries. The action kicks off on Friday night with a re-match of last year’s trans-Tasman final when the Blues host the Highlanders at Eden Park.
Later on Friday, the second-placed Brumbies travel to AAMI Park to face a Rebels. Saturday sees the start of two new rivalries when the Hurricanes face Moana Pasifika for the first time at Sky Stadium and Fijian Drua take on the Queensland Reds at Suncorp Stadium.
Also on Saturday, competition leaders the Crusaders square off with the Chiefs in a tantalizing match up at Orangetheory Stadium in Christchurch.
Round four is finished with afternoon footy on Sunday. The NSW Waratahs play host to the Western Force in a clash that will see the winner sitting pretty in the playoff zone.
The Players Championship kicks off a four-month stretch of marquee events on the PGA Tour. The event at TPC Sawgrass takes place a month before the Masters, and most of the top contenders in Florida will be in the mix for the green jacket. Justin Thomas comes into the Players as the reigning champion and the pre-tournament favourite. Thomas headlines a field that includes Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy and Collin Morikawa. Bryson DeChambeau is the main absence from the field as has been dealing with an injury. The top men's golf stars should be in the mix for the victory, but some surprise contenders could emerge. For example, Brian Harman, Talor Gooch and Victor Perez all landed in the top 10 of the Players in 2021 alongside Thomas, DeChambeau and Rahm.
There are four matches in the Premier League on Thursday and we preview each and every one with coach and analyst Grant de Smidt.
Our betting preview of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 Second Legs covering:
Bayern Munich v RB Salzburg
Liverpool v Inter
Man CIty v Sporting Lisbon
Real Madrid v PSG
A weekend of PSL action headlined by the Soweto derby between Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs. We also preview Mamelodi Sundowns, Cape Town City and more.
Coach and analyst Grant de Smidt previews a lovely weekend of Premier League action which is headlined by the Manchester Derby. We cover Chelsea, Liverpool and Spurs v Everton on Monday as well.
Former friends turned bitter enemies will settle their beef when Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal collide in a blockbuster grudge match at UFC 272 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday night (Sunday morning SA time), writes Quintin van Jaarsveld.
In the co-main event, Renato Moicano will look to make a major splash as he steps up on just four days’ notice to take on former lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos in a catchweight clash, while the undefeated Bryce Mitchell faces the biggest test of his career against UFC veteran and human highlight-reel Edson Barboza in a top-15 featherweight tilt.
Plus, the ever-entertaining Kevin Holland makes his welterweight debut against divisional stalwart Alex Oliveira and heavyweights Sergey Spivak and Greg Hardy slug it out.
Gallagher Premiership Rugby Round 19 has some fascinating fixtures including a top of the table clash between Saracens and Leicester Tigers. Harlequins and Newcastle start the weekend of Friday and the round ends on Sunday with a powerhouse battle between Exeter Chiefs and the Sale Sharks.
Round Three of Super Rugby Pacific is set to be a historic occasion as the Moana Pasifika play their inaugural game.
They will kick off ‘Women in Rugby’ Round against the Crusaders, who are looking to build on their hard-fought victory over the Highlanders.
This will be followed by the Fijian Drua’s first-ever home game as they welcome the Melbourne Rebels to Sunshine Coast Stadium. The game was moved as a result of flooding in Brisbane, with both teams eager for the first win of the season.
The triple-header of action concludes in Perth with the Western Force welcoming the Queensland Reds to HBF Park. It’ll make a homecoming of sorts for the Force, forced on the road to start their season. Tim Sampson’s men enter in great form after a bonus-point win over the Rebels, whilst the Queensland Reds are looking to continue their unbeaten run.
The Blues and Chiefs will kick off Saturday at Eden Park, with the Blues out to avenge their heartbreaking loss to the Hurricanes. Meanwhile, the Chiefs are looking to build momentum after their round one win over the Highlanders.
Following this, the Hurricanes host the Highlanders, heading into the contest full of confidence after last week’s thrilling victory.
Round three is capped off with a grudge match between the Brumbies and Waratahs at GIO Stadium, with both teams looking to solidify their spot in the top four.
Formula 1 is back after three days of pre-season testing in Barcelona. The testing provides teams with a chance to grab some valuable track time and data, but also keep an eye on their rivals.
Sean Parker provides us with everything we need to know about testing including Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull and McLaren. While there were also good showings from Aston Marting amongst a few others.
We chat with NBA expert Cyrus Rogers about the Western Conference contenders. The Phoenix Suns have been incredible under Monty Williams as they lead the West, their form should see them handle the injury of Chris Paul. The Suns are followed by the Golden State Warriors who are expecting the return of some of their key players as well.
We also touch on the Los Angeles Lakers, Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies, Dallas Mavericks and more.
We chat with NBA expert Cyrus Rogers about the Eastern Conference contenders. The Miami Heat currently lead the way with the Chicago Bulls closely behind them because of the insane form DeMar DeRozan is displaying.
However, with Kevin Durant expected to return to the Brooklyn Nets after injury, the East is still not decided until we see how KD affects the Net's form. We also touch on James Harden and Joel Embiid's 76ers as well as the defending NBA champions the Milwaukee Bucks and more.
The 2022 Arnold Palmer Invitational is the 18th event of the PGA Tour season and it also has the biggest purse of the year so far.
A stacked field will compete for the $12 million prize pool when play tees off Thursday, with the winner receiving $2.16 million. Palmer's name is on more than just this event as it's also on the course which is affectionately named 'Arnie's place". International golfers have dominated this event in recent years, winning five of the last six tournaments entering the Arnold Palmer Invitational 2022.
Also, there have been four first-time winners on the PGA TOUR over the past five weeks and if that seems like an uncommonly large amount, there’s a good reason: Because it is.
Listen to our comprehensive Betting Preview of 2022 Arnold Palmer Invitational.
The NBA Regular Season MVP is hotting up with the likes of Ja Morant and DeMar DeRozan pushing Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid.
We chat with NBA pundit Cyrus Rogers and he gives us some tips for the competitive award.
Zach Lowy takes us through the best clubs in European football at the moment. The Top 5 has a big English flavour while we also see some representation from Portugal, France and the Netherlands.
Wade Pretorius takes us through the biggest talking points in the golfing world. We touch on the Honda Classic, JC Ritchie and the Sunshine Tour, Phil Mickelson, an exclusive gold tournament and we dip our toe in the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Lightweight juggernaut Islam Makhachev’s trail of destruction leads to the UFC Apex where a game Bobby Green will look to steal his thunder in the main event of UFC Vegas 49 on Saturday night (Sunday morning SA time).
The co-headliner is a compelling showdown between submission experts Misha Cirkunov and Wellington Turman at middleweight, while flyweights Ji Yeon Kim and Priscila Cachoeira collide in the featured women’s bout.
A foursome of finishers promise to start the main card with a bang as Armen Petrosyan and Gregory Rodrigues rumble at middleweight before Arman Tsarukyan and Joel Alvarez let loose in a lightweight affair.
Rugby punter Neal Hoogwerf has some very strong predictions and tips for Round 18 of the Gallagher Premiership.
France will have to negotiate a slippery slope on their road to the Six Nations title when they come up against Scotland at Murrayfield on Saturday, writes Quintin van Jaarsveld.
The crunch clash in Edinburgh is followed by another mouth-watering match-up with England welcoming Wales to Twickenham, while Ireland host Italy to wrap up Round Three on Sunday.
The South African United Rugby Championship sides will be keen to close the deal on their respective one-week business trips in Europe this weekend.
The Bulls and Sharks are in Italy, while the Lions and Stormers have steeper challenges to overcome in Ireland. Friday night's doubleheader sees the Bulls battle Zebre and the Lions go up against log-leading Leinster.
The coastal franchises are in action on Saturday, with the Stormers colliding with Connacht and the Sharks tackling Benetton.
Rugby punter Neal Hoogwerf has a best bet for every match of Super Rugby Pacific this weekend.
The PGA TOUR heads to the PGA National in Palm Beach, a Jack Nicklaus redesign that features “The Bear Trap,” one of the toughest and most famous three-hole stretches in pro golf. The course plays as a par 70 and ranked as the third-toughest venue on the PGA TOUR last season.
Those teeing up at The Honda Classic include Sungjae Im, who is coming off a T33 finish at the Genesis. He’ll be joined by Louis Oosthuizen, Brooks Koepka and Joaquin Niemann, who is also coming off a win last week.
Golf expert Wade Pretorius gives us the best bets for the Honda Classic.
We review of all the fights of UFC 271:
Middleweight - Israel Adesanya (c) def. Robert Whittaker
Heavyweight Tai Tuivasa def. Derrick Lewis
Middleweight Jared Cannonier def. Derek Brunson
Lightweight Renato Moicano def. Alexander Hernandez
Lightweight Bobby Green def. Nasrat Haqparast
We back with Motorsport editor and journalist Sean Parker, this week, we discuss the FIA's decision to relieve Michael Masi of his race director duties while we touch on the 2022 Formula 1 car of Mercedes and Ferrari.
We chat with golf expert Wade Pretorius about Rory McIlroy's scathing but nice words for Phil Mickelson, we also touch on Joaquín Niemann's win at the Genesis Invitational as well as JC Ritchie's win on the Sunshine Tour in Cape Town.
There are four fixtures in the Premier League this week, this is to make up for the postponed matches because of Covid. Our comprehensive betting preview covers:
Burnley v Tottenham Hotspur
Liverpool v Leeds
Watford v Crystal Palace
Arsenal v Wolves
Coach and analyst provides an insightful betting preview for the remaining first leg UEFA Champions League Round of 16 matches:
Chelsea v Lille
Villareal v Juventus
Benfica v Ajax
Atletico v Manchester United
The Genesis Invitational will have the top 10 golfers in the world in the field, which includes the likes of Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy, Cameron Smith and Collin Morikawa. With its elevated Invitational status, a smaller field of 120 golfers will compete at The Riviera CC which notoriously plays difficult. With this in mind, golf expert Wade Pretorius provides his best tips for the weekend with DJ favoured with a few other value bets to feast on.
Golf expert Wade Pretorius talks about the entertaining Phoenix Open, Scottie Scheffler, Sahith Theegala, Sunshine Tour, Zander Lombard in our weekly golf wrap.
The DSTV Premiership is back and there is some great midweek action including the likes of Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs, Cape Town City and more. A comprehensive betting preview right here.
The 2022 Formula 1 season is almost upon us, but how much do you know about it? Motorsport Editor Sean Parker discusses the top four teams Red Bull, Mercedes, McLaren and Ferrari as well as their drives Lewis Hamilton, George Russel, Max Verstappen and Lando Norris' mega-contract.
Man Utd host Brighton at Old Trafford in the English Premier League on Tuesday night. The hosts are struggling to win matches of late, throwing away leads in poor second-half performances. Brighton is enjoying a very consistent season performance-wise and has lost two fewer games than the Red Devils. United have won their last six meetings with the Seagulls in all competitions and will want to ruin Graham Potter’s 100th match in charge of the club.
Formula 1 will introduce a new set of technical regulations for 2022, with cars set to be fundamentally different in the hope of better racing. We have Motosport Editor Sean Parker to discuss this while we also touch on Abu Dhabi amongst other things.
The opening set of UEFA Champions League round of 16 first legs includes Paris v Real Madrid and Inter v Liverpool, these are some real heavyweight clashes. Coach and analyst Grant de Smidt gives us a detailed preview of every match this week.
The highest sphere of striking and strategy will be on show when Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker finally run it back for the middleweight title at UFC 271 in Houston, Texas on Saturday night (Sunday morning SA time).
Hometown hero Derrick Lewis will have the Toyota Center rocking when he throws down with Tai Tuivasa in a co-headlining clash of heavyweight knockout artists, while the likely challenger of the main event championship showdown winner will emerge as Jared Cannonier and Derek Brunson do battle.
Further fireworks are in store with Kyler Phillips meeting Marcelo Rojo in a bantamweight bout and lightweights Nasrat Haqparast and Bobby Green going toe-to-toe.
It’s nothing but blockbuster battles in the United Rugby Championship this weekend. Ireland and Scotland’s giants collide on Friday night as fourth-placed Leinster tackle second-placed Edinburgh and the third-placed Glasgow Warriors meet fifth-placed Munster. Then it’s the final round of South African derbies on Saturday with the Lions hosting the Stormers and the Bulls squaring off against the Sharks. Rugby punter Neal Hoogwerf has his best bets for every match.
The Six Nations’ two title favourites face-off in a titanic battle when France play host to Ireland in Paris on Saturday. Wales will seek redemption and will have to stave off high-flying Scotland to keep their hopes of retaining the title alive to kick-off the weekend’s action, while England head to Rome where nothing but a full house will suffice against the Azzurri on Sunday. Rugby punter Neal Hoogwerf has his best bets for Round 2.
With a London derby, the East Midlands derby and three big matches on Saturday there is plenty to get stuck into and as usual Neal Hoogwerf has some strong fancies for the Gallagher Premiership in Round 16. The round starts with two games under the floodlights on Friday night.
Super Bowl 56 is the final chapter of the Cincinnati Bengals' fairytale run from underdogs to unlikely contenders. However, the mighty Los Angeles Rams remain. Listen to our Super Bowl Betting Preview.
Do the Cincinnati Bengals have what it takes? We all love an underdog story and this Super Bowl is shaping up to be a classic “David vs. Goliath” bout, with the nuggety Bengals looking to overwhelm the powerful Los Angeles Rams.
The Rams opened as 4-point favourites for the Super Bowl, which has risen to -4.5 with most early money siding with the Rams.
The Waste Management Phoenix Open (or Wasted Management Phoenix Open) begins Thursday and TPC Scottsdale. The Bet Central Podcast has a superb betting preview from golf expert Wade Pretorius. Wade says the tournament is one of the most raucous weeks in golf and is aptly named the "loudest event on grass".
The winner will pocket 500 FedExCup points and one of the most coveted trophies on the PGA TOUR. Listen to our insightful betting podcast here.
There are 9 matches in Premier League this week and we cover each and every one of them. From Man United's tussle with Burnley to Liverpool's match up with Leicester. Listen to our comprehensive betting preview.
We chat with golf expert Wade Pretorius about Saudi Arabia's plans to shake up the golfing landscape and we touch on Saudi International winner Harold Varner III as well as Tom Hoge's huge win at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
Zach Lowy recaps the best and worst transfers of the La Liga transfer window. Transfers covered include Barcelona's very active window with the signings of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Adama Traore and while we discuss why Valencia has a great window amongst a handful of other clubs.
Zach Lowy recaps the best and worst transfers of the Serie A transfer window. Transfers covered include Dušan Vlahović move from Fiorentina to Juventus, Inter's transfer activity and everything else in Calcio.
Coach and analysts previews selected matches from the Round of 32 in the Nedbank Cup including:
Richards Bay FC vs Mamelodi Sundowns
Royal AM vs Cape Town City FC
Maritzburg United vs Supersport United
Kaizer Chiefs vs TS Galaxy FC
Orlando Pirates vs AmaZulu FC
Zach Lowy profiles Bruno Guimaraes who joined Newcastle for around £40m from Lyon in Ligue 1. The 24-year-old Brazilian international is a central midfielder and has been watched by Arsenal, Man Utd and PSG. This is seen as a huge signing for Newcastle, Guimaraes is believed good enough to start for many Champions League clubs.
Coach and analyst Grant de Smidt preview selected matches from the FA Cup Fourth Round including: Manchester United v Middlesborough
Chelsea v Plymouth Argyle
Everton v Brentford
Manchester City v Fulham
Tottenham Hotspur v Brighton
Liverpool v Cardiff
Nottingham Forest v Leicester City
Zach Lowy gives us an insightful profile on Liverpool signing Luis Diaz who joined from FC Porto for an initial £37m, with the fee potentially rising to £49m. The 25-year-old Colombian attacker signed a five-and-a-half-year contract with The Reds. Here is everything you need to know.
The Six Nations will affect team selection in the Gallagher Premiership this weekend, that's why rugby punters Neal Hoogwerf's preview and betting tips is a must, he has the best bet for every Gallagher Premiership match this weekend.
Rugby punter Neal Hoofgwerf has the best bet for every URC match. The Highveld and coastal franchises are ready for round two as they run it back in the United Rugby Championship this weekend. But first, it's an Irish derby as Ulster and Connacht battle it out in Belfast on Friday night.
Rugby punter Neal Hoogwerf provides an insightful team by team preview of every nation in the Six Nations. Then at 17 minutes, he gives the best bet for every fixture this weekend.
Coach and analyst Grant de Smidt reviews the best and worst transfers of the January window in the Premier League which includes Coutinho, Everton, Spurs and much more.
Rugby punter Neal Hoogwerf provides betting tips for every Currie Cup match his week. The action kicks off in Kimberley where Griquas play host to the Pumas. We then head to Pretoria for a battle between the Bulls and the Cheetahs and make a final stop in Durban for the coastal derby between the Sharks and Western Province.
Coach and analyst Grant de Smidt talks us through some of the best deals of a quiet January transfer window in South African football. We cover Teboho Mokoena and Sundowns, the Soweto Giants and all the other interesting deals you missed. Everything you need to know about the DSTV Premiership transfer window.
We are back again with golf punter Wade Pretorius as we preview a star-studded field at the Saudi International. We also preview the Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Your best golf betting podcast
Your golfing weekend review is here, we chat with golf expert Wade Pretorius as we recap the Dubai Desert Classic and Farmer Insurance Open.
NFL punter James Godlonton provides the best handicap and player prop bets for the NFL Conference Finals this weekend. We cover Chiefs v Bengals and Rams v 49ers and he highlights the players you should keep an eye on for some exotic bets.
A star-studded field will take part in the Farmers Insurance Open this week and golf expert and punter Wade Pretorius gives us the lowdown on what to know if you plan on placing bets.
Rugby punter Neal Hoogwerf watches The Gallagher Premiership religiously and he lists the best South Africans in the league including Andre Esterhuizen, Tyrone Green, Dan Du Preez and more.
There are some big names in Dubai this week and golf expert and punter Wade Pretorius gives us the lowdown on what to know if you plan on placing bets on the Dubai Desert Classic.
The Gallagher Premiership is back and rugby punter Neal Hoogwerf is licking his lips. Some tasty tips in this podcast.
Rugby punter Neal Hoogwerf has is back with a tip for every match in the United Rugby Championship. The best rugby betting podcast.
Four games in the NFL this week as we see Divisional rivals face off for a chance to get into the Conference finals. We have bet for each game this weekend.
Rugby punter Neal Hoogewerf is back and he has some strong fancies for Round 1 of the Currie Cup. Fill your boots with the best sports betting podcast in South Africa.
We have your betting preview for a bumper weekend of Premier League action which is headlined by a top of the table clash and the North London derby.
We are into the playoffs and NFL punter James Godlonton has a handicap bet for every single NFL Wildcard game... the best sports betting podcast in South Africa.
Coach and analyst Grant de Smidt picks his best XI in the DSTV Premiership this season. He plays a 3-4-2-1 and includes players from Sundowns, Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates and more.
Prolific rugby punter Neal Hoogwerf provides a handicap bet for every match in the Champions Cup this weekend.
You've listened to our best bets for NFL Week 15, now listen to our bets for every other game from the round of gridiron. We make gut picks for every NFL game.
Week 15 of the NFL and we have the best bets from selected games this weekend. We cover the Patriots, Colts, Bengals, Buccaneers and more
Zach Lowy takes us through his power rankings for the best clubs in European football. We cover Inter, Manchester City, Real Madrid, Chelsea, Bayern Munich and much more.
Four massive matches in the DSTV Premiership and it all happens on Tuesday. Listen to our comprehensive betting preview which includes Mamelodi Sundowns, Amazulu, Orlando Pirates and more.
Although the Brentford v Man United fixture was postponed, it is still a busy week of Premier League action. As usual, we have a comprehensive betting preview for matches involving Man City, Chelsea, Liverpool and more.
We chat with coach and analyst Grant de Smidt ahead of another fascinating weekend of Premier League football. The top 3 are separated by just three points, so there is a lot at stake. Listen to our comprehensive betting preview.
European rugby's premier competition is back and we have prolific rugby punter Neal Hoogwerf back as well. We cover every match in the round with a handicap bet for each. Here's to another profitable rugby week.
We hope you've listened to our best bets podcast for the NFL Week 14, we covered 5 games you should bet on. In this NFL podcast, we provide betting tips for the Week 14 games that we did not preview on the best bets, these tips are from the gut.
We are back with more betting tips for NFL WEEK 14. We cover: Browns (-2.5) v Ravens Cowboys (-3.5) v Washington Broncos (-8) v Lions Bengals (-1) v 49ers Buccaneers (-3) v Bills
The best South African NFL Betting podcast.
We chat with NBA expert Cyrus Rogers about the Eastern Conference which has been fascinatingly competitive so far. However, The Brooklyn Nets are leading (as expected) but the Bulls, Bucks and Heat we have to look out for.
We chat with NBA expert Cyrus Rogers about the Western Conference where the Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns are bossing things as it stands. We also discuss the Jazz and Grizzlies and of course, we go to Hollywood for the Lakers and Clippers.
We have a tip for every NBA game on Wednesday, Thursday & Friday. We chat with NBA expert Cyrus Rogers as we go through over 20 matches in under 20 minutes.
Zach Lowy's popular European Football Power Rankings, we cover 5-1 which includes Ajax Amsterdam, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City. The best football clubs in the world.
Zach Lowy's popular European Football Power Rankings, we cover 10-6 which includes Sporting Lisbon, Rennes, West Ham, Inter and Real Madrid. The best football clubs in the world.
Coach and analyst Grant de Smidt previews the DSV Premiership midweek action including Mamelodi Sundowns, Cape Town City, Orlando Pirates, Amazulu and more.
Coach and analyst Grant de Smidt previews the final matchday of the UEFA Champions League group stage. There is still much at stake. Listen to our comprehensive betting preview.
Zach Lowy provides his weekly Power rankings for Europe Football covering the Premier League, Serie A, Eredivisie, La Liga, Bundesliga and more. English clubs dominate this week.
Zach Lowy provides his weekly Power rankings for Europe Football covering the Premier League, Serie A, Eredivisie, La Liga, Bundesliga and more. Napoli and PSG are the biggest movers.
Our Premier League Betting Preview covers:
Watford v Chelsea West Ham v Brighton Aston Villa v Man City Everton v Liverpool Spurs v Brentford Man Utd v Arsenal
Stellies (2nd), Sekhukhune (3rd) Chiefs (5th) and AmaZulu (8th) are all on the road this weekend. They will each be looking for three points that could help separate them from a crowded mid-table pack - only five points separate 2nd and 8th on the table. We ran through the numbers to bring you a betting guide.
We are back with coach and analysts Grant de Smidt, we discuss the headline matches of the weekend Chelsea v man United and Man City v West Ham and much more. It's a big weekend in the Premier League.
Local teams will look to turn the tables on their Northern Hemisphere counterparts on home turf as the United Rugby Championship comes to South Africa. We have a betting tip for every match.
The Gallagher Premiership is back and we have the rugby punter Neal Hoogwerf for more winners. He is been on a successful run, so if you have been following his tips, we know you're profitable. Once again, we cover every match this weekend with a betting tip for each.
We have your betting preview for Week 12 of the NFL: Lions v Bears Cowboys v Raiders Bengals v Steelers Dolphins v Panthers Packers v Rams
We chat with coach and analyst Grant de Smidt about the tasty DSTV Prem midweek action. We cover the Sundowns and the Tshwane Derby, Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs. The best South African betting podcast.
We chat with coach and analyst Grant de Smidt and cover some of the big Champions League matches this week including:
Villareal v Man Utd
Chelsea v Juventus
Liverpool v Porto
Man City v PSG
A comprehensive betting preview.
We chat with coach and analyst Grant de Smidt ahead of the return of the DSTV Premiership. Listen to the best and most comprehensive preview of the weekend which includes Sundowns, Chiefs, Pirates and much more.
We chat with coach and analyst Grant de Smidt ahead of a bumper Premier League weekend. Liverpool v Arsenal headline Matchday 12, while Chelsea, City, Man United have big assignments. Listen to our betting preview with best bets and predictions included.
The top prizes in New Zealand provincial rugby are upon the horizon and up for grabs. Otago takes on Taranaki in the Championship Final and then Waikato face Tasman in the Premiership Final. Rugby punter Neal Hoogwerf has some strong betting tips for this.
We chat with rugby punter Neal Hoogwerf and we preview the delicious Test rugby on offer. Neal gives us his best bets for the weekend including the All Blacks, Springboks, England, France and more. Every test match this weekend, we have a bet for you.
Our NFL podcast is BACK!!!! We are into Week 11 and we cover the Cowboys, Patriots, Panthers Packers, Chargers and Steelers. We get straight into the best bets for this weekend.
Serial winner Antonio Conte is back in the Premier League, this time with Tottenham Hotspur. Zach Lowy talks us through his views on the Italians new project.
We chat with NBA expert Cyrus Rogers about the wild and exciting Eastern Conference including the Nets, Heat, Bulls and much more.
We chat with NBA expert Cyrus Rogers about the NBA's Western Conference including the Lakers, Clippers, Warriors and much more.
We chat with NBA expert Cyrus Rogers about the three players he feels will be NBA Regular Season MVP.
Steph Curry
Kevin Durant
Giannis Antetokounmpo
We talk with Grant de Smidt about South Africa's FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign after they failed to progress after heartbreak in Ghana (and dodgy refereeing). How did Hugo Broos do and was his selections correct?
We chat with NBA expert Cyrus Rogers about the Western Conference including the wonderful Warriors, the Lakers, Clippers, Grizzlies and so much more
We chat with NBA expert Cyrus Rogers about the NBA Eastern Conference including the 76ers, Nets, Knicks, Heat, Wizards and so much more.
We are back with Brenton Chelin, he has done a lot of research to look for all the value betting in European soccer. We cover straight value bets, goalscorer market, BTTS and have a tasty multiple for you.
We preview which bowler and batter from each nation you should watch out for and bet on in this T20 Cricket World Cup. A comprehensive player preview. South Africa's best betting podcast.
ICC T20 Cricket World Cup Betting Preview, we cover:
1:55 - Structure of the T20 WC
3:00 - Group 1
20:30 Group 2
A Comprehensive Betting Preview covering South Africa, Australia, India, Pakistan and more.
We preview every nation at the WC and predict the semi-finalists.
We are back again with the Gallagher Premiership Round 6 and if you have been following our tips every week, it means you would have made a profit by now. Once again, we have a handicap bet for every match this weekend.
Although there will not be any South African teams playing this weekend, we still have a bet for every match in Round 5 of the United Rugby Championship. The best South African betting podcast.
We preview every Saturday game in the NBA including; Trailblazers Suns, Clippers, Nets and much more.
This will be Sunday morning for South African viewers of the NBA.
We preview every Friday game in the NBA including; Lakers v Suns, 76ers v Nets, Bulls v Pelicans and much more.
This will be Saturday morning for South African viewers of the NBA.
We preview every Thursday game in the NBA including: Hawks v Mavericks
Heat v Bucks
Warriors v Clippers
This will be Friday morning for South African viewers of the NBA.
The Champions League is back and we have a betting preview for you. We cover Manchester United's massive match against Atalanta. We cover Real Madrid, Inter, Liverpool, Manchester City. Chelsea and more.
We preview the Premier League with tactical analysis, injuries and the best betting options for you to take. South Africa's best betting podcast.
We cover the big matches in the DSTV Premiership including Kaizer Chiefs, Cape Town City, Supersport United and more. Your best South African betting podcast
We are back with Brenton Chelin, he has done a lot of research to look for all the value betting in European soccer. We cover straight value bets, goalscorer market, BTTS and have a tasty multiple for you.
It's been an action-packed start to the Gallagher Premiership season and once again we got a betting preview for every match this weekend. South Africa's best rugby betting podcast.
The United Rugby Championship is already in Round 4 and it seems the South African franchises are settling in. We cover every match this weekend with handicap/spread bets for each match.
Week 6 of the NFL and we are back with the best spread bets for selected games which include the Cardinals, Ravens, Rams, Panthers, Cardinals and Cowboys. The best South African NFL betting podcast.
We chat with coach and analyst Grant de Smidt about Kaizer Chief, Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns. We analyze their tactics, players and coaches. The best South African betting podcast.
We chat to rugby punter Neal Hoogwerf about the Gallagher Premiership Round 4, we preview every single match this weekend. The best rugby betting podcast in South Africa.
We chat to rugby punter Neal Hoogwerf about the United Rugby Championship Round 3, we preview every single match this weekend. The best rugby betting podcast in South Africa.
We talk everything Bafana Bafana from coach Hugo Broos frustration at SAFA to the squad makeup and then we pick a starting XI for the World Cup qualifier against Ethiopia.
Week 5 of what has been an incredibly unpredictable season and we once again have your betting tips which include the Rams, Chargers, Ravens, Bills, Chiefs and more. Your best South African NFL betting podcast.
We chat to NBA expert Cyrus Rogers about the upcoming NBA season and we discuss Ben Simmons, Vaccinations, Season and MVP Predictions.
A betting preview for Cape Town City v Orlando Pirates, Amazulu v Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns v Moroka Swallows. The best betting preview for South African soccer betting.
A betting preview for Premier League Gameweek 7 with coach and analyst Grant de Smidt. We cover Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and of course the big game Liverpool v Manchester City. The best sports betting podcast
It's been an entertaining season and not that easy for punters but we are back with NFL Week 4 predictions covering the Chiefs, Titans, Browns and more.
The Bet Central Podcast chats with Brenton Chelin who finds real value bets after hours of research. We cover single value bets, a value treble, both teams to score and goalscorer markets.
We chat with coach and analyst Grant de Smidt about the UEFA Champions League Matchday 2 games. We preview PSG v Man City, AC Milan v Atletico, Porto v Liverpool, Juventus v Chelsea, Man Utd v Villareal and more.
A historic chapter in rugby’s greatest rivalry will be written when the Springboks and All Blacks collide for the 100th time in Townsville on Saturday. The epic clash of the titans kick-off the fifth round of the Rugby Championship with New Zealand virtually assured of the title. Saturday’s other encounter is also an intriguing one as the resurgent Wallabies take on the Pumas.
Bet Central chats to coach and analyst Grant de Smidt ahead of a cracking Premier League weekend headlined by Chelsea v Manchester City and Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur. We cover analyze selected matches this weekend and provide the best bets.
Orlando Pirates v Mamelodi Sundowns headline a weekend where Cape Town City and Kaizer Chiefs are out for vengeance after big losses last week, this sets up another fascinating weekend in the DSTV Premiership.
We are in week 3 of a brand new season of NFL action, punter James Godlonton takes us through selected games and provides the best bet for six games, six spread bets including Cowboys, Steelers and Titans.
We are back with rugby punter Neal Hoogwerf who has us covered with Gallagher Premiership betting tips, he got 5 from 6 last week and is back for more. There are some massive fixtures ahead so let's get stuck in.
Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau's dislike for each is well publicised, we take a look at the history and how it will affect Team USA at the Ryder Cup this weekend.
The epic Ryder Cup is back after a one-year delay as Team USA take on Team Europe at Whistling Straits, We chat with golf punter Wade Pretorius who explains the competition and betting tips ahead of Friday.
Coach and analyst previews all the big games in the DSTV Prem for some expert betting tips. We cover Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs, Mamelodi Sundowns and the Cape Derby.