Sportsbet Blog

Match Details

Saturday 20th March. 7:10pm at Etihad Stadium.

Sportsbet Odds

Western Bulldogs 1.91

St Kilda 1.91

Preview

The 2010 AFL season is yet to kick off and we already have an epic on our hands for the NAB Cup grand final.

If this game is half as good as the 2009 preliminary final against the two sides (where St Kilda went onto win by 7 points) we will be in for a cracker.

Both teams have played good footy (when needed) leading into the final showing off some new talent along the way which could be the telling part of Saturday nights game.

For the Saints Rhys Stanley and Ben McEvoy have inspired in the last few weeks and both have been named to play in the grand final. Their height and speed played a welcome part in last weeks 70 point dismantling of Fremantle.

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Sportsbet have once again shown why they are the best when it comes to racing bets and special promos with two huge promotions that could see punters reap the rewards.

If you havent already got a Sportsbet account now is the time to join, with the following two offers and up to $200 in free bets  Sportsbet is the smart choice.

Australian Cup

Back any horse that isn’t trained by David Hayes to win or each way, if your horse runs 2nd behind a Hayes horse, your stake will be refunded.

David Hayes has 4 horses running in the Australian Cup and is looking for back to back wins in the race. Sportsbet is refunding wagers on any horse that runs 2nd to a winning Hayes horse in the Australian Cup.

Australian Guineas

Back any horse other than Denman to win or each way, if your horse beats Denman but does not win the race, your stake will be refunded!

Peter Snowden’s Denman is at short odds, but can he run 1600m at Flemington? If your horse can outrun Denman but loses the race, Sportsbet will refund your bet. They are hoping Denman doesn’t run last, otherwise they will refund every bet except the Winner and Denman!

A dominant heat win on Saturday night and now the perfect inside draw has seen Washakie shorten dramatically for Saturday night’s 2010 Inter Dominion Final with leading online bookmaker Sportsbet.

The star New Zealander firmed from $6.00 in to $4.60 with sentimental favourite Blacks A Fake also firming from $4.20 to $4.00 after drawing barrier three.

“Washakie has the gate speed to hold the front if challenged by Blacks A Fake, that’s why we are still betting $4.00 for “Blackie”. I think he’ll he have to do too much work” said Sportsbet’s Matthew Campbell.

Race favourite Monkey King (pictured above) drifted slightly from $2.10 to $2.30 after drawing barrier five. “Ricky May might take a peak at leading but I think with the speed on he will take a position in behind and still be the one to beat” said Campbell.

Although Sportsbet think Blacks A Fake will do it tough I think he has what it takes and has over many occasions shown why he is a superstar in the harness racing world. At $4.00 and taking barrier 3 I think Blacks A Fake is well worth a bet.

Sportsbet are the Inter Dominion Final specialists with betting on the big event right to the race start. They have a special offer giving you up to $200 worth of free bets just for making a deposit! Checkout the Sportsbet site here for more info on this free bet offer.

Update: See our tips for the Brownlow Medal.

With the 2009 Brownlow Medal drawing near its time to make a betting decision for the big night.

The first decision to make is who to make your Brownlow bet with. The obvious choice is to goto the best odds to maximise your potential winnings.

Betfair has once again shown why they are the best and have by far the best odds around. Not only do they have better odds for the favourite Gary Ablett but substantially better odds for the roughies. Want to know why Betfair continuously has the best odds? Checkout our Betfair review that shows why they are always better than the rest.

There is a number of Brownlow bets to choose from including head to head options, highest player of each team, how many Brownlow points will the winner have and even the leader after round 11.

Betfair also has a great refer-a-friend promotion that gives both you and your friend $50, see Betfair here for more info on this great offer.

Below is a odds comparison table from the three main Australian bookies for the 2009 Brownlow Medal which is drawn on thw 21st of September. The best odds for each player are in bold.

The 5th and final test match of this year’s Ashes series is set begin this Thursday evening (Australian Time) and will be played at the Oval. It is set to be a thriller as Australia and England will both be looking to push for a win. Although Australia only requires a draw to take home the series win, past performances would suggest that the Aussies will not settle for anything less than a win. Meanwhile, England will be looking to press home any advantage they can after taking the first win of the series and then losing their lead in the 4^th test. I believe that the fifth test will definitely be the best match of the Ashes series this time around and both teams will be faced with stiff competition.

Breakdown of Australia ($2.40 @ SportsBet.com.au)

Needing only a draw to take home the Ashes, the Australian’s are finally beginning to find form as the fifth test is set to begin.

Long gone now are the days of questioning who is to open the batting. Also long gone is the conundrum over the bowling line-up. The decision that was made to play Shane Watson instead of a struggling Phil Hughes proved to be a stroke of genius while getting Stuart Clark back in to the first eleven has paid off well for the tourists. His similarities to McGrath are astounding with his near perfect line and length and his first innings display at Headingley really provided the spark to get Australia going after breaking the back of the English batting line-up.

Another spark for the Aussies is Mitchell Johnson finally getting into what resembles good form. For the first three test matches of the series, Johnson had very much underperformed and has shown signs of improvement in the 4^th test at Headingley.

Overall, the playing eleven for Australia is beginning to resemble a real team for the first time this series. All the players are coming together just at the right time to possibly take home the Ashes.

Breakdown of England ($5 @ SportsBet.com.au)

This series, England has been an exact opposite of the touring side. The upper-hand that they earned through playing some great cricket in the first three test matches was thrown away in the fourth test after 2 innings of senseless batting.

There is now talk of panic in the English dressing room. The media is predicting the dropping of Ravi Bopara for the likes Mark Ramprakash and the selectors may even go for the likes of Jonathon Trott. The very thought of the selectors putting Ramprakash into the side really shows the negative mindset of the home side. A foolish move like his could not suit the Aussies more.

With the news that Andrew Flintoff will be fit enough to play, there is a small amount of confidence for England’s bowling line-up. With Flintoff retiring after the final Ashes test, England may very well rally behind a stunning performance by the all-rounder as they have done so many times in the past. The problem that the English selectors face is who will he replace? Steve Harmison is the likely choice, but with the Oval providing a bouncy wicket, the quick bowler’s may be vital for success. With Stuart Broad having found a bit of form, Graham Onions may be the man on the sidelines for the fifth test.

When it comes to batting for England, Alastair Cook really needs to find his touch quickly. I dare say that Andrew Strauss will be looking to smash his way back into the form that we have seen of late with a century. The dismal performance of the middle order will need to be rectified if England is to have any chance.

My prediction is an Aussie win here. The Aussies dominated the fourth test and I really believe that they will do the same at the Oval. If England is able to bat well enough to stay in the game then a draw ($2.25 @ SportsBet.com.au) may be on the cards.

Sportsbet is the place to go for ricket betting. They cover all markets including next man out number of 6′s and method of dismisal’s. They will give you a $50 free bet just for making a new account with them. Checkout their site for more info on this offer and to checkout the lastest odds for the 5th Ashes test.

Ireland’s largest bookmaker Paddy Power who are also owners of Australia’s Sportsbet made a massive decision on the weekend to pay all bets at the halfway mark of the US PGA for Tiger Woods to win the tournament. Woods was 4 shots in the lead at the time.

It can be a good business move as it increases the likelihood of punters betting their early winnings on other big events like round 1 of the English Premier League that started on the weekend. It also gives Paddy Power alot of good publicity with word going all around the world including right here on this blog in Australia!

Paddy Power said “Tiger is a dead certanty he just doesn’t lose from the front.”
“It’s cost us an arm and a leg but the way we see it is that we’ll be paying it out on Sunday night anyway so his backers may as well get their cash now and enjoy the rest of the weekend on us!”

This all backfired for Paddy Power who didn’t take into account that Tiger Woods would actually fall in a heap on the last day. He gave up a massive 4 stroke lead to South Korea’s Y.E. Yang breaking Tigers 36 game winning streak when at least holding a share of the lead going into the final days play.

It cost Paddy Power AU$2.5 Million in payouts.
“It takes a special kind of dimwit to turn what should have been our best-ever golf result into our worst,” Paddy Power said. “Paddy Power punters are obviously the big winners here and have made like bandits getting paid out on Tiger as a winner.”

This result was definitely one for the little guy.

In Australia, Sportsbet have only just last week paid out early on Daniel Rich being the AFL NAB Rising Star this year which I wrote about last week. Who knows what could happen with this market.

It’s worth sticking with bookies like Sportsbet that do early payouts because one day like what happened on the weekend the early payout will actually lose. Sportsbet also give new punters a $50 free bet to get hang of their website just for making a new account. They also will double your first deposit up to $200. Checkout their site to make a new account.

In statement released today from Sportsbet stating that Punters who backed Daniel Rich to win the NAB Rising Star are already in the money despite the winner not being announced until September 2nd. The people at Sportsbet are so convinced that Rich will win that they announced today they would pay all bets placed on Daniel Rich.

Matt Tripp CEO of Sportsbet said “We believe Daniel is across the line so we’ve decided to pay our customers now instead of waiting. The punters have a keen eye for young talent with Rich being well supported with all punters from his original opening quote of $11.00. We are standing Rich for close to $50,000”

In light of the massive payout they have reopened the market for punters still wanting to bet on the NAB Rising Star with Sportsbet but with a difference. The new market is called NAB Rising Star 2009 – “Without The Favourite Daniel Rich.”

This is one of many good reasons to bet with Sportsbet (see our Sportsbet review). This isn’t a new thing for Sportsbet, they have payed out early before on a couple a Roger Federer games and if I can remember correctly a Tiger Woods market as well.

This announcement is definitely a win for the footy punters and unlocks unsettled Rising Star bets that would have been locked until the after the AFL home and away season was over.

There is still a very slim chance that Daniel Rich wont win the Rising Star award or does something to cause him to be ineligible so I take my hat off to Sportsbet for looking after their customers this way and I think other bookies should take a leaf out of their book.

Here’s the odds for the new market

NAB Rising Star 2009 – Without The Favourite (Daniel Rich)
AFL – NAB Rising Star 2009 – Outright Winner

Andy Otten (Adelaide) Round 9         2.75
Stephen Hill (Fremantle) Round 6         3.50
Tayte Pears (Essendon) Round 13         9.00
Chris Masten (West Coast)                 11.00
Patrick Dangerfield (Adelaide) Round 3  12.00
Jack Grimes (Melbourne) Round 14        14.00
Callan Ward (Western Bulldogs)        14.00
Dayne Beams (Collingwood)            16.00

See all the other players and the latest odds at Sportsbet where they will give you a $50 free bet just for joining them today.

Australia ($4.75 @ SportsBet) will be looking to get themselves back into the running for the Ashes by posting a win in the third test match at Edgbaston in Birmingham. After winning at Lord’s to take a 1-0 lead in the series, England ($7 @ SportsBet) will be looking to enhance their advantage and they have an excellent chance of doing so given the inclement weather throughout the preceding week.

With the bowling squad that Australia has at its disposal, it is difficult to envision a tie of 1-1 in the series at the end of the game. The Aussies may very well want to rethink their attack and probably get in an extra bowler in place of a frontline batsman for such a conclusion to happen. When looking at things from the other side if conditions play out as expected, there will be a lot of swing and seam, both through the air and off the pitch. These conditions will favour England. What may not favour England is the weather which may end the game early.

In my opinion, the inclusion of Steve Harmison is a must, especially with the lack of fitness that Andrew Flintoff has shown. The pair both bowl at a similar length, and they both have a tendency to extract bounce where few others have been able to in the series so far. If Phil Hughes is once again going to be batting at the top for the visitors, then the selection of Harmison becomes even more valuable, especially when you consider the hold that he had over Phil Hughes in the tour game.

If the Aussies are to hold any chance of out-batting the hosts it will have to be a combination of Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke and Simon Katich who do the damage. So far in the series, Katich has done well without lighting the stands on fire, as where both Ponting and Clarke have a century to their names. Michael Hussey scoring the runs he has been used to and shrugging his poor form will be just what the Aussies desire.

England will once again bank upon their top order, especially given their fragile middle order, with an intensely nervous Ian Bell, a replacement for Kevin Pietersen and an out of form Ravi Bopara. Instead it will be up to Andrew Strauss to get England off to a start like he did in the second test at Lord’s where he played some great cricket. Alistar Cook will need to support him as much as possible. Matt Prior’s aggression has stolen games from the opposition on more than one occasion in the past and Paul Collingwood is often overlooked, but is an effective middle order test match player. In the lower order, Flintoff will be a vital batsman for England.

Having been declared unfit, Brett Lee probably will not play in the test match. This leaves the other four pace bowlers and Nathan Hauritz to fight for the four bowling spots in the first eleven. In my opinion, Hauritz should unquestionably be in the eleven. If Mitchell Johnson is rested for the game due to his sporadic form, then it will be Stuart Clark who should walk into the Aussie first eleven. To me, it looks almost certain and he should even open the bowling for the Australians.

My bet is on the draw ($1.40 @ SportsBet), but if the weather holds off England should take the win.

Sportsbet gives new members a $50 free bet (that can be used for betting on the cricket) just for signing up, checkout their site for more info and to see the latest cricket odds.

It’s a great time to be with Sportsbet as they have announced today they will be having a Super Saturday this weekend the 25th of July.

What’s this involve you ask? Around every month or two Sportsbet have a massive free bet promo weekend with six ways of getting some great free bets just for placing a few bets or making a deposit.

Last time Super Saturday was on I took advantage of the the offer called Resurrection Bet. This one is my favourites because if you lose you get a 100% refund of your bet to place on the following Wednesday. For example, if you put $200 on a horse to win and it comes 2nd by a nose there no need to worry, you get your money back! Just make sure you bet on the nominated Resurrection Bet races that are listed on the Sportsbet site and you can’t lose.

For more info on Super Saturday or to join Sportsbet checkout their site.

Here’s some details on the offers available

1. Everyone’s a Winner

You’ll win even if you lose. Sportsbet will refund 10% of your net losses on Randwick racing win, place and each way bets placed from 10am to 6pm AEST Saturday 25 July.

2. Happy Hour

For one mad hour from 1pm to 2pm AEST 25 July you can boost your payouts on 10 win, place or each way bets of up to $200 stake each on nominated Flemington & Doomben races with Sportsbet’s great Happy Hour 20% Bonus offer!

The 20% bonus is also on top of the Best Odds (better than the TAB) available through Sportsbet.

Heres the Happy Hour times for each state

Qld:  1pm-2pm.
SA:  12:30pm-1:30pm.
NT: 12:30pm-1:30pm.
WA: 11am-12pm.
Vic/NSW/ACT/Tas: 1pm-2pm.

3. Fifty/fifty bet

Earn a $50 free bet on each of the four 50/50 bet offer available on Super Saturday. You can get up to $200 in free bets!

4. Funky Fourth

Place an Each Way wager on one horse in any of the nominated Morphettville races and if your horse Runs 4th, your stake will be refunded and you’ll get your money back.

5. Resurrection Bets

Place a win, place or each way wager of up to $200 stake on the nominated Resurrection Bet races and if your bet loses, your stake immaculately resurrects as a Free Bet for ONE DAY only on Wednesday 29 of July.

6. Seeing Double 1st Deposit Bonus

Sportsbet will double the value of their ’1st Deposit’

Make your 1st deposit and earn up to $200 in free bets (2 free bets equal to 20% of the deposit amount up to $200).

The time has finally come to witness history with two teams going head to head that are both on a unbeaten thirteen wins a feat which has never been seen before. Both St Kilda and Geelong look ready to what should be a cracker of a match. Round fourteen also has another great game in Essendon and Collingwood on Friday night. This weekend has the look of a finals series in July and by Sunday night we will know alot about how the rest of the season might be shaped.

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Think you can beat our footy tips this round?

Then simply give us your tips in the comment box below and everyone that beats us gets a $50 betting voucher!

Sports Bet of the Round

Sportsbet are celebrating a massive round of footy with a “Blockbuster Double” market covering both the St Kilda v Geelong game and Essendon v Collingwood match. The sports bet of the round is Geelong and Collingwood to win in this market and will pay around $2.40 at Sportsbet who will also give you a $50 free bet on this weeks tip just for signing up with them here.

Essendon V Collingwood Friday Night at the MCG

Tip: Collingwood

This should be one to be remembered in be a very fast paced game with plenty of highlights with both teams coming off big wins. Collingwood look to be the stronger side on paper with Leon Davis and Scott Pendlebury both chances to come back to the inform Pies team but Essendons recent upsets made this game a tough one to pick. If Collingwood can slow the Dons down in the midfield they should be able to scratch out a hard fort win

Melbourne V West Coast Saturday at the MCG

Tip: West Coast

Home ground advantage won’t help Melbourne here as they continue their nightmare season. West Coast showed signs of what’s to come with a upset win against the Hawks last week and should easily over come Melbourne. Dean Cox will be a massive inclusion in the middle for the Eagles after recovering from injury. Keep an eye on Matthew Priddis, his first efforts on the ball are match winning and should do well this weekend.

Port Adelaide V Brisbane Sunday at AAMI Stadium

Tip: Brisbane

A win for the Lions here could see them in the top four and the form their usual goal kickers in Brown and Bradshaw are in should see them get a win over in Adelaide this weekend. Luke Power has also been instrumental in the middle helping the ball forward on numerous occasions in past weeks. Port Power are going through a rough patch at the moment only winning one of their last 5 games after what started a promising start to the season. They are struggling in defense with many crucial turn overs resulting in opposition goals. Brisbane by 29 points.

Western Bulldogs V Hawthorn Saturday Night at Etihad Stadium

Tip: Western Bulldogs

A big football game for both clubs which will make for a great spectacle. The Bulldogs are looking for a win here to keep a very important one game lead of the positions 4 to 6 on the ladder. The Hawks who look down and out are just keeping in touch with the top 8 and a loss here would definitely spell end for a chance to go back to back premiers this year. Daniel Giansiracusa is a big loss for the Doggies and will miss 6 weeks after surgery to remove loose material in his knee.

The Bulldogs should win here but don’t put your house on it, I still feel the Hawks will make a decent run in the second half of the season and wouldn’t surprised if they get up at Etihad this weekend .

Richmond V Adelaide Saturday Night at the Gold Coast

Tip: Adelaide

Richmond continue to disappoint in what could have been a great year for them and will struggle to kick a winning score against the Crows this weekend. The Tigers forward line lacks the experience and the attack needed to be a top eight side. Adelaide on the other hand is looking to claim their sixth win in a row. Jason Porplyzia is the Crows key to winning after a great couple of weeks including four goals last weekend against the Swans. I’m tipping Adelaide to win by 28 points.

Sydney V North Melbourne Sunday at the SCG

Tip: Sydney

Even without big Barry Hall this weekend Sydney have the depth to get a win at the SCG. North’s forward line has failed so far this year and a long injury list including the lively Daniel Wells has hampered any attempts of a recovery. Marty Mattner and Rhyce Shaw have been the shining light for the Swans the the last few weeks, look out for them to have another high possession game here.

Fremantle V Carlton Sunday at Subiaco

Tip: Carlton

The Blues desperately need a win here to hit back after a disappointing loss last weekend against Essendon. Chris Judd and Bryce Gibbs with be the telling signs if the Blues are to get up, if these players get a few early possessions it seems to spur the whole team to step up.

Although I’ve tipped Carlton there could be a upset in the waiting with plenty of value for Freo who win a lot of games where they are underdogs. Sportsbet have them at $2.35 to win at Subiaco which I think is pretty good for a home ground advantage and worth a bet. Sportsbet will give you a $50 free bet on this game just for joining. Checkout the site here for the latest odds and to claim your $50 free bet.

St Kilda V Geelong Sunday at Etihad Stadium

Tip: Geelong

Have your video recorders set because you will want to see this one again. It was a very hard thing to do but I’m tipping against my Saints for the first time this year. I’ve seen a lot of Geelong’s games in the last few months and they look a more mature and solid team that usually play on their terms. That’s not saying St Kilda will get beaten heavily in what promises to be one of the games of the year. There will be key match ups all over the ground with the midfield match ups the most crucial. Gary Ablett will once again be the key to the match. I think the Saints will let him do his own thing and won’t assign a full time tagger on him and concentrate their efforts on other Geelong stars Jimmy Bartel and Joel Corey.

A draw would be a ideal result to both of these unbeaten clubs. I hope I’m wrong but my prediction is around a 12 point win to the Cats.