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Canada vs. USA ice hockey betting will be through the roof on Sunday, as the two nations have to go at it all over again. The two sides met in the group stages of the Olympics, which the Americans, the firm underdogs, won out by a score of 5-3. That sent the Canadian nerves jittering, as their neighbours had simply outworked their superstar laden team from the Olympic host nation. After being taken to overtime by Switzerland too in the group stages, there were worries over a repeat of the last Olympics where the Canadian Ice Hockey team crashed and burned badly after starting as favourites.

The defeat against the Americans sent the Canadians into a quarter final showdown against the much fancied Russians (after they had easily won a quarter final play-off against Germnay), who have just as many superstar players as the Canadians. The downfall of having so many star players, is that it sometimes comes at the expense of teamwork, which is exactly what won the match for the Americans over the Canadians. But, in a blitz of a first period, the Canadians brushed aside the Russians, notably tying up Alexander Ovechkin, who is arguably the best ice hockey player in the world. The Canadians then went into the semi final full of confidence, but were brought down to earth again by Slovakia. After stretching out to a 3-0 lead, the Canadians started faltering, allowing the Slovaks to get score two goals to get within touching distance. It should have all been tied up right at the end, but Pavel Demitra missed in what only can be described as an inexplicable manner.

The USA had little trouble seeing off their semi final opponents Finland, after a storming first period. Team USA ran out 6-1 winners to coast into the Olympic final, somewhat against the odds. Unlike the Canadians, the American team is a very youthful one, as they have for young talent over experienced heads. They don’t have the pound for pound skill or class that the Canadians have, but they have a great hustle to their game on the forecheck, which has been disruptive for other teams. Thinking of betting strategies on this one, one wonders if the underdog can have their day twice in the same tournament over the favourites? The Canadians are blowing hot and cold, but they have the power and talent in the likes of Sidney Crosby, Rick Nash, Jerome Iginla and Joe Thornton to tear the Americans apart.

It could all come down to teamwork, something which the Canadians have been lacking. But if it comes down to a moment of sheer class to win a high pressured match between these two fiercest of rivals, then the betting will lean towards the Canadians. Will the home nation be frost bitten twice? Will they have learned their lessons from the first encounter? Sunday’s Olympic Gold Medal match will have all of the answers, and if the previous match was anything to go by, it should not be short on action and passion.

Canada to win: 1/2 at Coral
USA to win: 15/8 at SkyBet

As alluded to here in our preview to the Malaysian Open, young Russian Alisa Kleybanova has stormed through to her first WTA Tour final. After powerfully blitzering her way past opposition, the World Number 29 is the third highest ranked player, not to have won a title. She was seeded fourth for the Malaysian Open, and has had little trouble getting to the final, highlighted by her 6-4 6-1 win in the semi final over Ayumi Morita. Despite being a relative newcomer, she has displayed potential which many believe should take her far, and this is her first step in fulfilling some of that.

What Kleybanova has is raw power. The 20 year old is powerfully built and can send down howitzers for serves, which is one of the strengths of her game. But there is more to tennis than just power, but Kleybanova’s excellent service allows her to open up and expand on other aspects of her game. She will need all of her available tools and skills sets available, as she takes on tournament favourite Elena Dementieva in Sunday’s final.

The two Russians have never gone head to head before, but it presents what should be a great match between easily the two best players of the tournament. There was little doubt beforehand that Dementieva would get to the final, as the World Number 7 was the strongest competitor in the tournament, with only China’s Na Li (10th) coming close to her world ranking. Dementieva has only dropped fifteen games en-route to the final, and she is in great form this season, already having two tour titles under her belt. The veteran, or so she is called, at the age of 29, is probably the fittest woman on the tour, and she has an abundance of natural talent.

This should be a great final, between power and finesse, between veteran and rookie. Dementieva will need to hold her own serve, and find a way to deal with the cannons that are being fired at her. She is the form player, and is a class act, and will be expected to win through, but this could be one of the toughest matches she has had for a while.

Elena Dementieva to win: 1/5 at SkyBet
Alisa Kleybanova to win: 7/2 at  Boylesports

England take on Bangladesh in the first of three one day internationals on Sunday, with the big news that South African born player, Craig Kieswetter will make his full international debut for England. The powerful young batsman has been nothing short of impressive with the bat while on tour with the England Lions against Pakistan A, and hit a marvellous 143 in a warm up match earlier this week. He is an explosively powerful player, aggressive, if a little erratic at times. But the youthful enthusiasm, could be the breath of fresh air that England need in the short format of the game.

Natural comparisons will be drawn between Kieswetter and Kevin Pietersen, and the thought of them both on top form, and taking an offensive stand, is quite mouth watering. Bangladesh have never beaten England in the one day format, and England will again start as strong favourites. It will be interesting to see what happens with the line up, as Kieswetter is also a wicket keeper, which means that Matt Prior’s position is most under threat. Prior, given his chance in a warm up match, also impressed with the bat, and has been behind the stumps for England for some time now.

Kieswetter is not the only new face in the England squad, as Ajmal Shahzad and James Tredwell are also up for selection. There is no Andrew Strauss on this tour of Bangladesh, but England do not look to be short on batting options. Alastair Cook takes the mantle of captain, and has been impressive so far with the bat, and with Kieswetter coming in alongside Joe Denly, Eoin Morgan, Pietersen, Jonathan Trott, Paul Collingwood and Luke Wright, England will look to field a very strong batting unit. Although the one day game is still a long way from being their forte, they will be expected to have a comfortable ride against Bangladesh.

Bangladesh v England First ODI
England to win: 1/5 at Bet365
Bangladesh to win: 9/2 at Stan James

Series Betting
England to win: 1/5 at Bwin
Drawn Series: 133/10 at BetFair
Bangladesh: 11/2 at Stan James

Carling Cup Betting will hit its peak on Sunday. Manchester United will be looking to hold on to their Carling Cup, with victory over Aston Villa on Sunday. By that time, United will know where they stand in the race for the Premier League title as well, with Chelsea playing on Saturday, but all attention will be on their Wembley date against Martin O’Neill’s Aston Villa. Villa are enjoying a good season and are firmly lodged in the race for fourth spot in the Premier League. A lot of their good work can be attributed to the sound defensive system which O’Neill has instilled at the club, and they go into Sunday’s showdown with the best defensive record in the Premier League.

It was their defence which strolled into Old Trafford earlier in the season, to hold out for a surprise 1-0 win against the Red Devil’s, which sort of set a benchmark for what the Midlands side wanted to achieve this season. They have, slowly but surely, developed their own identity in style, personnel and have played their way into the upper tier of the Premier League. While they may take a more direct route to goal than Manchester United, that is simply playing to their strengths, and they do look a very good, organised and solid team. They certainly have pace up front in England hopeful Gabriel Agbonlahor, but they haven’t been prolific in front of goal, compared to the teams in the standings around them.

It is quite a strong England connection from Agbonlahor, with Emile Heskey, Ashley Young, Stephen Warnock, Stuart Downing and bright spark of the season, James Milner. As well as the pace of Agbonlahor, they have power in the air, but their route to goal has been a bit shy of other competitors. That hasn’t stopped their progress upwards though, as their defence has given them a great platform to build upon. The mainstay of this defence has been Richard Dunne and James Collins, who will need to police Rooney again. This allows them to soak  up a lot of pressure against teams, as well as conceding possession, because they are capable of winning matches by the odd goal. This is contrast to Manchester United, who drive towards goal with fluency, with England striker Wayne Rooney usually on the end of all the attacking moves.

Rooney, who can usually play just as well isolated, as well as part of a duo, is the main threat for Manchester United, and it goes without saying that the Villa defence will have to shepherd him well. Villa do not have many worries in terms of injuries and selection, with their more illustrious opponents having the lions share of that. United boss Alex Ferguson has to make do again without Rio Ferdinand and John O’Shea at the back again, as well as the experience which Ryan Giggs brings to the team. Owen Hargreaves is still absent, and midfielder Anderson injured himself against West Ham, and winger Nani will be missing through suspension.

Villa have had the better of the encounters between the two sides this season, but a lot could come down to big match experience. United have plenty of that, although they haven’t won a final at the new Wembley Stadium without needing penalties to do so, so that could factor in your betting strategies. It looks as if it will be a tight game on Sunday, and a draw is more than possible. United will start as strong favourites, even though they have had some woeful blips in from this season, which seem to come out of the blue. Aston Villa have gotten to the final, largely on the back of the reserve team, but the first team will be out in force on Sunday, including goalie Brad Friedel who has yet to play in the competition so far this season. Edwin van der Saar, who has just extended his contract at United, should get the starting nod for the Red Devils.

United also ran largely with their underlings through the competition, before the main players stepped into the fray to see off rivals Manchester City in the semi finals. This is the first piece of silverware on offer for the new season, and it’s no surprise that United are participating in it. They put the pressure back on Chelsea at the top of the Premier League with a midweek win over West Ham, after Ferguson tinkered greatly with his starting eleven. Now they will be looking to add what hopefully for United fans, will be the first silverware of another successful season. The key factor could be how well the Villa centre halves deal with a certain Mr Rooney, and rely on the pace that they have to catch United on the counter. It could be a big battle in the middle of the park for supremacy, as both teams have the capability to flood it.

BETTING STATS

Last 5 Head to Head
Aston Villa 1, Man Utd 1
Man Utd 0, Aston Villa 1
Man Utd 3, Aston Villa 2
Aston Villa 0, Man Utd 0
Man Utd 4, Aston Villa 0

Last 5 Match Goals
Man Utd: 13 For, 6 Against
Aston Villa: 11 For, 6 Against

Last 10 Form
Man Utd: W7, D1, L2
Aston Villa: W5, D5, L0

Asian Handicap Betting Advice: Yes, Manchester United will go into the betting as favourite, and rightly so. This should be a close game, with Aston Villa being such a tight unit, and therefore, any Asian Handicap bet which has Villa in the plus at a good price, should seriously be considered. Are United two goals better than Villa? Can Villa go better than holding out for a draw for long periods? These are questions worth asking, and both which point to a Villa plus.
Aston Villa +1 Asian Handicap: 4/5 at Victor Chandler

Carling Cup Betting often leans towards the underdog having their day in the sun at Wembley. Aston Villa start Sunday’s Carling Cup final as underdogs to Manchester United, and SportingBet are covering the event with a couple of great cash back promotions. Have a little extra coverage to back up your bets is great, and online Bookmaker SportingBet are stepping to the fore once against with two stake refund offers, one for lost First Goalscorer bets, and one for Correct Score bets.

The First Goalscorer refund will apply if Man Utd goal machine Wayne Rooney finds the back as last goalscorer, then all losing first goalscorer bets will be refunded. With the form Rooney is in, and pretty much being United’s sole source of goals, and with their penchant for popping up for late winners, this is a great promotion to jump on.

The Correct Score market refund will apply if Villa’s James Milner scores the last goal of the match. If the England World Cup hopeful buries the final goal and it messes up your correct score prediction, then SportingBet have you covered, as they will refund all lost stakes on the correct score market.

Will favourites United hang on the Carling Cup they won against Spurs last season? Can Villa top a great season for them, by creating an upset at Wembley. There is plenty of coverage on Sunday’s big match at SportingBet, and new account holders can get a £25 welcome bonus. Head on over to this excellent online bookmaker for your sports betting and check out the submarkets for the Wembley final, along with these fixed odds outright winner odds (for 90 minutes):

Manchester United to win: 3/4
Draw: 12/5
Aston Villa to win: 16/5

All eyes will be on John Terry and Wayne Bridge in the Chelsea v Man City betting fiesta, for Saturday’s early kick off at Stamford Bridge. Enough has been said about them in the media, but now they come together for the first time since all of the revelations broke. There have been questions over the focus of John Terry at the back since all the of the media coverage, with fingers being pointed at him for some of Chelsea’s conceded goals since then. Boss Carlo Ancelotti insists that Terry’s attention is not in doubt, despite the fact that the duo have refused mediation by the PFA. Still, there will be floods of punters making the most of online betting for this one, as it dominates the league matches.

Chelsea failed to get the better of ex-manager Jose Mourinho on Wednesday when they travelled to the San Siro to take on Inter Milan. The organised Inter defence highlighted Chelsea’s lack of creativity on the night, and Ancelotti oddly stuck to a 4-3-3 formation which wasn’t helping at all. This could be important tidbits of information to plan your betting strategies for Saturday. Malouda at left back, filling in for Ashley Cole looked a liability, and with Petr Cech picking up and injury that will keep him out of action for a month, this are things which can sway betting. Staying on the injury front, Chelsea are still without Essien and Deco in the midfield.

Still, their attention turns back to premier league and veteran keeper Hilario will take over the mantle of number one goalie for a while, with only England under-20 international Ross Turnbull as backup availability. Despite dominating possession, Chelsea couldn’t break down an organised and stubborn defence. This is the approach that Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini would be wise in adopting against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, where the London side have only dropped two points all season. They saw their lead at the top of the Premier League cut back to one point, as Manchester United picked up a comfortable win over West Ham midweek. Chelsea still hold a game in hand over their rivals though, which will even out this weekend, as United are in the Carling Cup final on Sunday.

Manchester City are going through a rough time at the moment, only winning two of their last eight games. Roberto Mancini must be feeling the pressure, as they have looked dour and without confidence, largely sparked by the absense of Argentinean genius Carlos Tevez. Tevez was given leave to return to his home country after the premature birth of his daughter. He has returned and should be available for selection on Saturday, which is quite timely as fellow striker Emmanuel Adebayor picked up a red card in City’s FA Cup replay exit to Stoke in midweek, which means that he will miss the match.

Mancini is under pressure already in his new job, and Manchester City need to get going again. They are still firmly in the hunt for a top four finish in the Premier League, but only if they can find some consistency and start winning games again. Two lacklustre drawn games in a row and a defeat in the FA Cup, isn’t a sign of the true direction that the Eastlands hierarchy want the club to be going in. The FA Cup was seen as their best chance for silverware after spending big in the summer, but they seem to be stuck in the mud a little bit. There is a lot riding on this game, purely from a football perspective. Chelsea need a good win to send them four points clear at the top of the league, while City could be hurting if they drop more points.

BETTING STATS

Last 5 Head to Head
Man City 2, Chelsea 1
Chelsea 1, Man City 0
Man City 1, Chelsea 3
Man City 0, Chelsea 2
Chelsea 6, Man City 0

Last 5 Match Goals
Chelsea: 8 For, 4 Against
Man City: 6 For, 3 Against

Last 10 Form
Chelsea: W6, D3, L1
Man City: W6, D2, L2

Win Percentage:
Chelsea have a 92.3 win percentage at home
Man City have a 23.1 win percentage away from home

Match Prices:
Chelsea to win: 5/11 at Expekt
Draw: 7/2 at Bet365
Man City to win: 15/2 at Bet365

Asian Handicap Betting Advice: City caused Chelsea headaches at Eastlands back in December, when they won 2-1. While Chelsea still look a little uneasy on the road, things are a different matter at Stamford Bridge, where the fans expect nothing less than three points. City, who are the draw specialists, could drag the game down into something of a stalemate as they try desperately not to lose. Chelsea should be the stronger team, as they do have quality and class. Crucial injuries will hurt them at the moment, but the scales should still be tipped slightly in their favour.
Chelsea -1 Asian Handicap: 4/5 at Stan James

Saturday 27^th February

English Premier League

Birmingham City v Wigan Athletic

Birmingham have stuttered of late after a fantastic run of games unbeaten so they will be determined to get back on track and to winning ways when they host Wigan at St Andrews.

Alex McLeish has worked wonders with his Birmingham side after winning promotion to the top flight last season. He bought shrewdly with the acquisitions of Scott Dann, Roger Johnson, Christian Benitez and Barry Ferguson all coming in during the summer transfer window. All 4 have been exceptional for the most part and played a huge part in City’s 15 match unbeaten run earlier in the season. These 4, along with Joe Hart, Lee Bowyer and Cameron Jerome have built an excellent spine down the centre of the side which has made them resilient, hard to beat and disciplined. Their strength is shown with them having the joint best home defensive record in the league, losing just 8 goals in 13 matches thus far, which has resulted in them losing only 2 at St Andrews. Their record against sides below them in the table at home has been good, with wins over Wolves, West Ham, Blackburn, Sunderland and Portsmouth already. Bolton are the only team currently below Brum who have escaped with all 3 points – it took a late goal for this to occur.

Wigan are still in the thick of a relegation battle after going on a run of 6 games without a win in the league. Roberto Martinez’s side suffered a heavy defeat in their most recent game against Tottenham at home. The first goal in a 3-0 reverse was blatantly offside but it shouldn’t mask the fact that Wigan offered nothing in an attacking sense and looked decidedly weak, slow and cumbersome at the back. Unsurprisingly the have only scored 3 goals in their last 6 matches which doesn’t bode well for Saturday as they were playing against far weaker defences than the only they’ll be up against at St Andrews. Part of Martinez’s problems have been the lack of goals but the main problem is their porous defence. Wigan have the 2^nd worst away defence in the Premier League, the only above them in this table is Burnley who haven’t won away from home all season. Wigan’s away record isn’t too bad for a team fighting relegation as they have been victorious 3 times on the road already this season. Their wins have come against Wolves, Aston Villa and Burnley. The win over Villa was a freak result in the sense that it was the opening day of the season and they have never looked like emulating such a win again.

McLeish’s side are so good at frustrating the bigger teams so it will be interesting to see if they adapt this style of play and take the game to the visitors. If they do change and be more expansive, it could mean they leave space for the likes of Hugo Rodallega and Charles N’Zogbia. I think McLeish is too canny for that and he’ll stick to his side strengths of having two compact units of 4 and trying to hit the away side on the break using the pace of Benitez and Jerome. Both players should relish the prospect of playing against Gary Caldwell and Titus Bramble. Both are very awkward when up against pace and power in my opinion, especially Caldwell. The Scottish international is a good reader of the game and his distribution isn’t the worst but he’s not physical enough for a centre half which could prove to be Wigan’s downfall come the end of the season.

Birmingham have won both games against Wigan at St Andrews in recent years and they will have targeted this match as one where they can get back to winning ways. They’ve not lost a home game since that defeat to Bolton back in September and I can’t see a poor Wigan side altering that statistic come 5pm on Saturday. Birmingham will be pushing for their best finish in the league for a long time and I think they’ll get another 3 points in this fixture.

My selection: Birmingham to beat Wigan

Best odds available: Evens available with Betfred

English Premier League

Burnley v Portsmouth

It will be Premier League first on Saturday when Burnley take on the first top flight side in England to go into administration – Portsmouth.

Brian Laws took the reigns from Owen Coyle in January and has tasted victory once thus far – a 2-1 win over West Ham in their last home match. For all their failings on the road (and there have been many) their home form is still more than decent with 6 wins and 4 draws from the 12 games played at Turf Moor this season. The only team to beat them at home, other than Wigan, were Chelsea at the end of last month, and even that was a close run thing. They are most definitely difficult to beat on their own patch. They are also beginning to get key players back at the right stage of the season with Martin Paterson returning last week and Steven Caldwell also getting back to fitness.

Portsmouth have had a disastrous season already and it’s set to get worse tomorrow (Friday) when they officially enter administration and automatically incur a 9 point penalty deduction. They’re already 7 points adrift at the bottom so when the penalty is incurred they are as good as relegated. It’s a shame for the players, supporters and the likes of Avram Grant who have done nothing to deserve such problems, but for the likes of Peter Storrie and the multiple owners who have tried to make a quick buck and totally mis-managed the finances of the  club in the last few years, it’s nothing more than justice. You simply can’t break the rules so extremely and expect to get away with it in the long run. They’ll go down because they deserve to. On the field Pompey have 1 win and 10 defeats from 13 away games and have lost 7 of their last 8 away league games.

Laws and Burnley are running out of games between now and the end of the season and they know that Saturday’s game is a must win if they are to survive their maiden season in the Premier League. Home games will be vital in their bid, especially home games against sides in and around their own position in the league. Pompey are the only side below them in the league at this point but it’s not all bad, only 4 points separate 7 positions and a win on Saturday could arguably see the Claret’s move to 14^th providing other results go their way,

You expect nothing else other than Portsmouth to give 100% on Saturday as they have done in every match this season, but the hype, attention and scandal surrounding the club at this moment is bound to have an affect. They have struggled on the road for the whole season and as I have already proven, Turf Moor isn’t the easiest of hunting grounds.

Burnley need the points more and I think their desire will prove to be too much for a club in crisis.

My selection: Burnley to beat Portsmouth

Best odds available: 6/5 available once again with Betfred

Sunday 28^th February

Scottish Premier League

Rangers v Celtic

It’s derby weekend once again in Glasgow when Celtic travel across the city to take on their bitter city rivals at Ibrox.

Rangers go into the match with a 7 point lead, a game in hand an 20 goals better off in terms of goal difference. The league really is theirs to throwaway and it will be a surprise if they don’t make it back to back league championships in May. Their team is not the greatest to watch, they don’t play free flowing football but their style of play is effective. They have a strong goalkeeper and defence, a hard working midfield and a good partnership upfront with Kenny Miller and Kris Boyd. They are undefeated at home this season and have already defeated Celtic in the league earlier this season – a 2-1 win back in October. Manager Walter Smith is likely to have a fully fit squad to choose from with Allan McGregor likely to take his place in goals despite being assaulted last Saturday in Glasgow. Smith will more than likely line up 4-4-2 and try to overpower Celtic using Lee McCulloch and Kevin Thompson as his midfield partnership.

Celtic are massive underdogs in the league but anything can happen in this fixture as we all know. They have played Rangers off the park twice already but only have a single point to show for their efforts. The last match between these two was the most one sided game I’ve watched in a long time – if it a was a boxing match it would have been stopped at half time. With a mix of shocking refereeing and some horrible finishing from Celtic, the match ended in a 1-1 draw. Celtic have failed to record back to back wins in the league since the beginning of December which is a damning statistic only made worse hen you consider it’s against teams such as Aberdeen, Kilmarnock and Falkirk. Tony Mowbray knows his side are in last chance saloon on Sunday and it’s up to them whether they take it or not.

Marc Antoine Fortune has been a big player for Celtic of late and his performance in the last game against Rangers was excellent. He dominated both of their centre halves and they couldn’t cope with his pace and power. His partner that day was Giorgios Samaras who missed a glut of glorious chances which were created because Fortune pulled the defence all over the place. On Sunday his partner will be Robbie Keane so it’s a massive difference in terms of quality, ability and bottle. Keane has done it all throughout his career and he will be desperate to score for his beloved Celt’s at Ibrox, providing of cours it is in a Celtic win.

Celtic are due a victory over Rangers but I normally refrain from betting on the outcome of these games because they are so hard to predict. I think the 9/4 on offer for an away win is too big as I strongly believe that Celtic have far more quality in their ranks, so I wouldn’t put anyone off backing them. The bet I will advise is for Keane to score at anytime. Fortune will do a lot of the ‘ugly work’ for his strike partner and Keane’s movement and quick thinking should seem him have at least a couple of good chances. He’s also scored in his last two games for Celtic so the signs are there that he is hitting top form as he get’s his sharpness.

My selection: Robbie Keane to score at anytime

Best odds available: 21/10 available with PaddyPower

KTF

Here are some important RBS Six Nations Betting Stats, which can help when planning your betting strategies. This is a big weekend in the Six Nations, with three matches which are hard to call. This has the potential of being one of the most explosive weekends of the tournament so far.

2010 Results to date:
Ireland 29, Italy 11
England 30, Wales 17
Scotland 9, France 18
Wales 31, Scotland 24
France 33, Ireland 10
Italy 12, England 17

========================

England v Ireland Betting Stats

England to win:

Draw: 20/1 at 888Sport
Ireland to win: 20/1 at Blue Square

England have won 70 matches
Ireland have won 44 matches
There have been 8 drawn matches

Largest winning margin England: 6-46
Largest winning margin Ireland: 43-14

England average points v Ireland: 11.80
Ireland average points v England: 7.95

2009 Result: Ireland 14, England 13

===========

Wales v France Betting Stats

Wales to win: 9/4 at William Hill
Draw: 22/1 at Bet365
France to win: 4/9 at SportingBet

Wales have won 43 matches
France have won 40 matches

Largest winning margin Wales: 49-14
Largest winning margin France: 51-0

Wales average points v France: 14.74
France average points v Wales: 14.43

2009 Result: France 21, Wales 16

===========

Italy v Scotland Betting Stats

Italy to win: 15/8 at Paddy Power
Draw: 22/1 at Bwin
Scotland to win: 4/7 at Totesport

Scotland have won 10 matches
Italy have won 5 matches

Largest winning margin Italy: 17-37
Largest winning margin Scotland: 15-45
Italy average points v Scotland: 19.07
Scotland average points v Italy: 23.87

2009 Result: Scotland 26, Italy 6

Nacarat’s demolition of a 20-strong field in last year’s Racing Post Chase at Kempton will live long in the memory and Tom George appears to have specifically prepared his charge for a repeat bid 12 months later. I’ll accept that the grey is closely matched with top weight Madison Du Berlais (9-1 with Victor Chandler) on their run together behind Kauto Star in the King George over the same course and distance in December but David Pipe’s gelding disappointed at Cheltenham next time and it remains to be seen if first-time blinkers instead of his usual cheekpieces will re-ignite his enthusiasm. Nacarat, on the other hand, has plenty going for him here not least the fact that Tony McCoy, on board for two of his three wins over fences in this country, is back in the saddle. This is a race in which the classier chasers towards the head of the handicap have dominated in recent years so Nacarat, set to carry 11st8lb, is firmly in the preferred weight range and may still be a bit of value at Paddy Power’s 4-1. There has also been support this week for Emma Lavelle’s Kilcrea Castle (into a general 6-1), who was third to The Sawyer over 2m6f at Ascot last month. But I can’t see any reason why he should overturn that form with runner-up Miss Mitch, despite having a slight turnaround in the weights. The Alners’ mare has never won over 3m under rules but she gives every indication the extra distance won’t worry her and looks a cast-iron each-way alternative at 7-1 with sportingbet. With Paul Nicholls‘ Fistral Beach (6-1 with William Hill) set to race from out of the handicap proper, the pick of the lightweights may be Oedipe. He was only 10th in this last year but was much more like his old self when fourth on his belated reappearance at Sandown earlier this month and is now dangerously well handicapped on the form he showed when landing a valuable handicap at Aintree in April 2008. Providing he doesn’t get too far behind in the early stages, a small each-way saver at a general 14-1 could reap some reward.

Rugby betting will spike on the weekend, as England go into their all important RBS Six Nations Clash against Ireland at Twickenham on Saturday, with an unchanged side from the one which started against Italy. The side under performed against the Italians, most notably with Jonny Wilkinson’s kicking game badly letting him down for once. There has been a lot of criticism fired at Wilkinson since the game, with questions being asked about his role in the team if not for his kicking. Much of the criticism has been directed at his apparent lack of ability to get the back line firing in an expansive way, but a lot of the blame should not fall solely on his shoulders.

England are still not playing the game that is in front of them, and they look anything but a side which has confidence in what they are doing with the ball. This is where betting on this match become tough. They have a good team, but not a good team plan. They could explode, or they could collapse against the Irish. Ball’s from the breakdown are still too slow, and that doesn’t give Wilkinson much to work with. Slow ball leads to him dropping deep and resorting to kicking, something which England have been woeful at this year. There have been so many aimless kicks, that it just highlights the problem of a lack of confidence in their handling and running. Aimless kicks have just given so much possession away, instead of kicking for territory, where England can challenge any team in the line-out.

Still, boss Martin Johnson will be happy enough that England have won two from two, or else he probably wouldn’t be in a job right now. England simply need to play as a team, with the forwards going forward with purpose and desire to knock people down, and clearing the rucking area quickly. Only rare glimpses of what England can really do in the backs, have supporters seen, and but the problem is more with the system than with the quality of players England have available. There have been calls for changes, most notably with wanting explosive and dangerous Ben Foden coming in at full back to add an extra dimension. But you can have the most attacking players in there, but if they don’t get good ball, then nothing is going to happen.

This is where the English could fall down against the Irish. Despite being comprehensively beaten in Paris last week, the Irish have a lot more experience as a team unit that England do, and on the day, that could count in spades. This isn’t as easily a winnable game as it was against the Welsh or the Italians, and the strong Irish side, although they have had their problems with inspiration and good scrummaging, will pose a whole new level of challenge for Martin Johnson’s men. The fact that the game is at Twickenham may help a bit, but only if England are playing well. Johnson was subjected to boo’s in the autumn, and if England fall behind, fall under pressure and fall apart, then Twickenham won’t be a happy place for the England players.

Ireland will be reeling from their 33-10 defeat against the French two weeks ago, and will remember that they were lucky to beat England at home last season. Both sides will be fresh after the break period, in what will be a crucial game in the 2010 RBS Six Nations. More likely than not, rugby betting on this one will lean towards a tight victory for the Irish, because of their experience and their strong team work. Ronan O’Gara has been dropped from the starting XV, with Jonathan Sexton taking over the role again at fly half. Ireland need to not get sucked into too much of a forward battle against England, as that slow game will be playing into the English hands. They will be hurting after the French defeat, and this will be a test of how bold they are in defence of their Six Nations title.

England to win: 21/20 at Boylesports
Draw: 20/1 at 888Sport
Ireland  to win: 21/20 at Blue Square