The pundits are back to look ahead at a weekend of sporting action and advise you on any potential value in the betting markets.

Slim pickings in the last column before the Nottingham Forest game although with four bets going on the notebook there is still £45 ‘live’ as it were and we will remind you of those bets below. There was a winner though, backing QPR’s shot shy but defensively strong side for a draw proved profitable for the Challenger account again – the 2-2 at Nottingham Forest brought in £66 and a £46 profit on the week overall taking the total account amount to £142.61 in the black. Brian’s fifteen quid loss takes his balance to -£201.78. So let’s have a look what is on offer this weekend.




Brian Power

Having a look at the early markets there doesn’t seem to be a lot to look at this weekend unless the Oscars is your thing which it isn’t for me so I am going to stick with the Football and have a plunge on the housewife’s favourite - no not Ant and Dec but the Grand National.



First off our game against Ipswich on Sky. We are on a streak of draws at present and although our unbeaten run gets larger we have not won a home game since the December 20. Ok we have only played four games in this time and drawn them all the worrying aspect is we have only scored once in this period and that was against ten man Coventry. With this is mind I am going to go for a 1-1 draw and will stick with Leigertwood for first goal.



Elsewhere the new short term Chelsea boss Gus Hiddink (too easy to make a remark about him wanting to be a manure farmer when he was young) takes his team to Villa where a loss will dent their hopes of Champions League football next year. I think Villa will start to struggle due to the size of their squad and think the draw is nailed on and will please both managers.



Our last footie acca paid dividends a few weeks ago so we will have our usually dabble.



Onto the Grand National it is a race where anything can happen and there is no such thing as a good thing and that is why we will have a small each way bet on Power Elite at 50/1.



For the weekend:


£7.50 Correct score QPR 1 Ipswich 1

£5 1st scorer M Leigertwood



£10 Aston Villa and Chelsea to draw 12/5 Skybet



£3 trebles and £3 acc at Skybet


Leicester 6/5

Burnley 6/4

MK Dons 6/4

Oldham 7/4



7.50 acca at Skybet


Leeds 4/9

Arsenal 2/5

Man Utd 2/9

Millwall 4/7

Darlington 8/13



For the notebook:


£2.50 e/w Power Elite – Grand National 50/1 Ladbrokes



Previously advised:

France to win the 6 Nations £15 7/2 Skybet

Kauto Star to win Cheltenham Gold Cup £20 3/1 Corals






The Challenger

Well it looks like my first Rugby League bet of the season is a bad one. Like backing against QPR tipping my own Hull FC to be the first to lose their coach was more emotional insurance than anything else and while it’s still very possible if the start of the season does not go well, especially with former Huddersfield head coach Jon Sharp waiting in the wings, there appear to be more pressing concerns for a coach across the Pennines, ironically thanks to a loss at Hull last week. The 18-10 KC Stadium defeat last week made it back to back losses for Wigan and coach Brian Noble who will really start to feel the heat if things don’t improve. They should have enough to beat Castleford this weekend but not much beyond that, they really did look poor last Friday. The Rugby League money this weekend is going on an unlikely Hull double – Leeds are favourites at Craven Park tonight but have started the season in patchy form while many will be tipping the Celtic Crusaders to get off to a winning start in their first ever home Super League match tomorrow night after two defeats on the road to begin with. As for QPR, well why change a winning formula – I’ll be lumping on a draw yet again.



For the weekend:

QPR and Ipswich to draw £20 23/10 Bet 365

£10 on Damion Stewart for the first goal 22/1

£10 double Hull KR to beat Leeds (9/4) and Hull FC to win at Celtic (1/3) both VC Bet returns £43.33

£10 double Forest and Derby to draw (9/4) and Bristol City v Reading to draw (13/5) returns £117




Previously advised:

Hull coach Richard Agar to be the first Super League coach to leave – 8/1 Sky Bet

Photo: Action Images

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