Derby v Leicester: Go Low at Pride Park

Andy Tongue thinks goals will be at a premium in the East Midlands derby between two sides struggling for form... 

Leicester are once again Sky's pick for the Saturday evening televised game with the focus on their faltering promotion challenge as they visit East Midlands rivals Derby, who have stumbled lately too and are not able to start planning for next season just yet. Compare the best betting offers, free bets and bonuses, with full details, reviews and all the best odds. Choose your bonus betting now!  

Derby 

Nigel Clough's young side are on a run of eight games without a win as the gruelling Championship schedule seems to have taken its toll and ended any hopes of a late run for the play-off spots. They need at least one more win to ensure they don't get dragged into the relegation melee but a strong home record, just three defeats at Pride Park all season, should see them okay. Striker Jamie Ward has ten goals in 16 starts but nobody else in the side has managed more than seven as the free-flowing attacking football from earlier in the season has dried up. 

Leicester 

The wheels have come off the Foxes' promotion push lately with just one win in the last eight matches seeing them slip from contenders for an automatic place to now in danger of missing out on the play-offs altogether with the third East Midlands outfit Nottingham Forest coming good at the right time. One clean sheet in eleven represents a marked defensive deterioration from what was their real strength earlier in the season. However, in Chris Wood, they still have the division's top striker who poses a real threat to opposition defences and Tuesday's draw at leaders Cardiff, where they were only denied by an injury time equaliser, was a marked step up on previous performances.  

Both Teams to Score 

The Rams have failed to find the net in two of their last three home games and, despite the presence of Wood, Leicester haven't scored in two of their last four matches. With that in mind, laying both teams to score at 1.86 looks the way forward in this one.  

Over/Under 2.5 goals 

On a similar note, backing under 2.5 goals would have paid out in each of Derby's last three home games so I'm happy to back that at 1.87.

Source: betting.betfair.com/football/championship/derby-v-leicester-go-low-at-pride-park-140313-601.html

Cheltenham Festival SmartPlays: Wednesday March 13

After a couple of seconds yesterday, we're hoping for our luck to turn on day two of the Festival...

Timeform haven't been around for all 142 runnings of the National Hunt Chase, but we can tell you that the 143rd renewal is better than most of its recent predecessors. Back In Focus looks a genuine Grade 1 performer, as evidenced by him winning a Grade 1 last time, while Tofino Bay was fourth in the same race having won one of Ireland's leading handicap chases, the Troytown, on his previous start. Those two are undoubtedly worthy of respect, though at current prices there seems to be more mileage in backing a horse whose biggest win to date came in a midweek Leicester handicap.

Buddy Bolero is a brother to a novice chase winner at the Festival (Finger Onthe Pulse, 2008 Jewson) and has looked a similarly good-class prospect on his five starts so far. Off the mark at the third attempt over hurdles, he's won both starts so far over fences, the second being the aforementioned Leicester handicap. That day Buddy Bolero made a laughing stock of an opening mark of 129 in slamming some useful rivals, including a couple of subsequent winners, in a race on soft ground over just shy of three miles. Although this trip is obviously an unknown, Buddy Bolero is certain to stay further than three miles and if he can see out four today must have every chance of emulating his older brother. Check now best bonus for horse racing: bonus racebets

Luck is pretty much a prerequisite in the Coral Cup, in which our second SmartPlay runs, with the run of the race and avoiding trouble in running sometimes more important than a horse's handicap mark. Obviously, we can only guess at the first two factors before the race, but we like to think we know a well-handicapped horse when we see one, and that's precisely what we see in Pendra. Winner Melodic Rendezvous wasn't able to represent the Tolworth form in Tuesday's Supreme, but it looks pretty good on the evidence to date and it's for that reason that runner-up Pendra looks so well treated off a BHA mark of 139. Unbeaten before the Tolworth, Pendra was the only horse to really serve it up to Melodic Rendezvous and therefore even if this race were to be run over two miles you'd fancy he was on a good mark. Throw in the fact that he's by Old Vic (a well-known stamina influence) out of Mariah Rollins (not short of speed, but stayed three miles) and it takes no great leap of imagination to see Pendra improving significantly for this step up to 21 furlongs. With any luck, he'll be right there come the finish.

Hopefully we won't need to be 'getting out' by the time of the concluding Champion Bumper, but it does seem to present a chance to knock it out of the park with one that's been priced up dismissively. On jockey bookings, Sizing Tennessee looks to be the third choice among the Willie Mullins trio, but on form he's number one. His easy defeat of the solid Kandinski at Gowran last time looks to be on a par with just about anything the field has to offer, while his overall profile fits in with what you expect to see of a Champion Bumper type. Sizing Tennessee is by Robin des Champs out of a listed hurdle winner in France and is bound to stay further than two miles, something often required of horses in this normally hectic race. It's certainly something he has on seemingly speedy stable-companion Union Dues and, while Mullins runner number three, Briar Hill, has a fairly eye-catching jockey booking in Ruby Walsh, current prices and tangible form lines point to selecting Sizing Tennessee as a win-and-place bet in the bumper.

Source: betting.betfair.com/horse-racing/cheltenham/cheltenham-festival-smartplays-wednesday-march-13-1-120313-143.html

Welbeck urged to go for goals

Danny Welbeck has been told he now needs to 'up the ante' if he wants to become one of the main men at Manchester United. 

The young Red Devils striker is earning plenty of plaudits this season for his displays, most notably his showings in the recent games against Real Madrid in the Champions League. Welbeck got on the score-sheet in the first leg in Madrid, but the 22-year-old has notched just two goals this season. He even trails behind the likes of defenders Jonny Evans and Patrice Evra in the goal stakes this term. Bet on Premier League with best bookmaker for online betting: bet365, no.1 for uk punters. 

Welbeck will be hoping to get the nod again from Sir Alex Ferguson when United host managerless Reading this weekend. He is 5.00 to open the scoring against the Royals in a match Manchester United can be backed at 10.00 to win 3-1. Former Old Trafford legend Bryan Robson insists: "A few of the younger lads have progressed really well this season. 

It was a measure of how far Danny has come on that the boss put him in the team ahead of Rooney last week. "Danny has all the attributes you need, apart from being a natural finisher. It is an area you can improve on. I know Danny will do that because he is a keen lad with such a great mentality towards the game." 

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Source: bet365.com/news/en/betting/football/premier-league/welbeck-urged-to-go-for-goals

Benitez backs Torres to keep scoring

Chelsea manager Rafa Benitez believes a confident Fernando Torres will grab more goals after the Spaniard scored a brace in the 3-1 victory at Sunderland. 

Torres helped himself to two goals against Nordsjaelland in the Champions League in midweek, his first goals in two months, before scoring two more at the Stadium of Light - including his first penalty in the Premier League.

He almost grabbed a hat-trick against the struggling Black Cats, hitting the woodwork before Juan Mata fired home the rebound. Benitez now believes that Torres, who now has six Premier League goals to his name this season and 11 in all competitions, has his confidence back and hopes his rich vein of form in front of goal continues.

"It's fair to say that we are watching now a Fernando with more confidence and with more belief, and at the same time, the team is the same way," said the former Liverpool, Valencia and Inter Milan boss. "I was analysing his movement before and we were adjusting little things. It's a question of confidence and just little different movements. I have said before, if the team plays well and creates chances, Fernando will score goals."

The result has left Chelsea at 13.00 to win this season's Premier League title and at 1.20 to finish in the top four while Sunderland are available at 3.00 to be relegated. This weekend sees a top-of-the-table clash between Manchester City and Manchester United and we've got a fantastic free bet offer to add to the excitement. To qualify for your free In-Play bet, simply place a pre-match bet on the match and we will give you a free In-Play bet to the same stake once the match has kicked off.

Source: bet365.com/news/en/betting/football/premier-league/benitez-backs-torres-to-keep-scoring

Hargeaves issues United warning

Sir Alex Ferguson has been warned not to be left with egg on his face for a second successive season.


The Manchester United chief took an unusually cautious approach to last season's Manchester derby at the Etihad Stadium, which saw them lose 1-0 to City, subsequently handing the title initiative back to Roberto Mancini's men.

In fact, the Red Devils failed to muster a single effort on goal during that game back in April, and have been warned they will be punished again for any similar negative approach. City, like before, host their neighbours tomorrow knowing a victory will see them leapfrog United into top spot in the Premier League thanks to a superior goal difference. Mancini's side are 9.00 to win 2-1, and are 3.40 to keep a clean sheet against their city rivals. A goalless draw can be backed at 13.00.

Former England midfielder Owen Hargreaves, who played at City last term, having quit United the previous campaign, told the Manchester Evening News: "United surprisingly took their foot off the gas in that game. "They had an opportunity to go to the Etihad Stadium and win the game. They set up in a way anticipating something from City that didn't happen. "I think you should play to your strengths. City were probably the best playing side last season, United fans will probably hate to admit it, but it's true.

"If City were able to win the title for a second time running, it would be a massive achievement." We've got a fantastic free bet offer to add to the excitement. To qualify for your free In-Play bet, simply place a pre-match bet on the match and we will give you a free In-Play bet to the same stake once the match has kicked off. Follow the link to the Man City v Man Utd Free Bet Offer page for full details.

Source: bet365.com/news/en/betting/football/premier-league/manchester-derby-free-in-play-bet-offer