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Our smoking hot run in the postseason continued last night as we picked up another win, to run our record to 9-2 in the last two weeks. Yesterday, we backed the Murray State Racers, the champions of the Ohio Valley Conference, getting three points, against the Marquette Golden Eagles of the Big East. I took the points, but I made it clear that I smelled an upset in the makings, and liked Murray State to pull off the 12-5 upset.

Ja Morant showed everyone why he might be the best player in the country as he dropped a triple-double, as the Racers pounded Marquette. Morant doesn’t have the crazy athleticism or body that Zion Williamson has, but this guy is James Harden and Russell Westbrook all wrapped up in one, and in my opinion, is the best basketball player in the country. Morant did anything that he wanted and filled up the highlight reel as he filled up the stat sheet.

The game wasn’t even all that competitive as Murray State jumped out to a double-digit lead just minutes into the game and eventually pulled away for the 83-64 blowout victory. If Florida State isn’t afraid of playing Morant and his Racers on Saturday, they are crazy. This team is the real deal, and they need to be respected. For today’s pick, I will take a look at the eight-nine matchup in the Midwest region between the Washington Huskies and the Utah State Aggies.

The Washington Huskies and the Utah State Aggies play today for the chance to presumably meet the North Carolina Tar Heels in the round of thirty-two. The Huskies were the regular season PAC-12 champs, before getting knocked off by a red-hot Oregon Ducks team in the PAC-12 tournament. Washington skidded to the finish line as they went just 4-3 down the stretch, including two losses to the Ducks.

For Utah State, the Aggies came into the season with very low expectations but got hot late and reeled off seventeen wins in their last eighteen games. That run featured wins over MWC kingpin Nevada, as well as a win over San Diego State in the conference tournament finals. The Aggies are -3.5-point favorites. The game total over-under is set at 135 points. Tipoff is scheduled for 3:50 PM PST from Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

We have all heard all season long how bad the PAC-12 was this year. And it was certainly down. But I think people might be exaggerating just how bad the league was this season. Yeah, it wasn’t a great league top to bottom, but we saw Arizona State look great in their first-four game earlier in the week, and nobody wants to play Oregon right now. So, yes, the league sucked during the regular season, but that doesn’t mean that the PAC-12 won’t be sending at least one team to the Sweet 16.

And Washington could very well be that team. Their late-season struggles are likely distracting people from the fact that they won the regular season title by three full games. All of their early-season non-conference losses came to good teams that are all still dancing. And they made a mockery of the PAC-12 as they went 15-3 in league play.

The Huskies have what might be the best defensive player in the country in Matisse Thybulle, who leads the nations in steals and is averaging over two blocks a game. Remember, this team went into Spokane and nearly knocked off the then number one team in the country, the Gonzaga Bulldogs, losing on a last second buzzer beater from Gonzaga star Rui Hachimura. So, this team has shown us that they can hang with the best teams in the country.

Utah State surprised a lot of people with how they finished up the season. For most of the year, it looked like Nevada was the class of the MWC, but it was Utah State that emerged late in the year as the leagues most dangerous team. But when you look a little closer to their resume, it is a bit light. They have losses to BYU, Fresno State, and San Diego State, all teams that did not make the tournament.

And outside of a home court win over Nevada in early March, they don’t have much to show for quality wins. The best win they had before that one was a win over St. Mary’s in November. The Aggies are led on offense by Sam Merrill. Merrill is the leader of this team and has really turned it on in the postseason, averaging nearly twenty-five points a game.

To me, this game comes down to one matchup. Sam Merrill against Matisse Thybulle. In a strength on strength matchup, the Huskies will have their best lockdown defender guarding the Aggies biggest offensive threat. Whoever gets the better of that matchup, should win this game. And I will almost always take a great defender over a great scorer. Defense never takes a day off, it never has a bad shooting night.

I think that Thybulle locks up Merrill and frustrates him all afternoon long. This Washington team is very athletic, they love to force turnovers, and I think they are going to find a way to pull off the upset tonight. The tournament is always super hard to predict, but in what I see as a lower scoring game, snatching up the three and a half points seems to be the play here. Give me the Washington Huskies and the +3.5-points tonight from Columbus!

The Bet: Washington Huskies +3.5 points

PLACE YOUR BET!

Posted: March 22, 2019

(Photo credit: Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

Day one of the NCAA Tournament is in the books and the big story is Ja Morant of Murray State. This guy is expected to be a top pick in the NBA Draft this summer, but his team wasn’t meant to go that far in this tournament. He had other ideas.

Ja Morant finished with a triple double as Murray State beat Marquette in the day’s biggest upset, as twelve beat five. We also had two #10 seeds beat two #7 seeds on the first day as both Minnesota and Florida advanced. The top teams really showed up in this one as Gonzaga, Michigan, and Kentucky all won by 19 points or more. The top seeds showing up is always good to see and I think there are a couple that will again today.

The game continue on today. I posted a couple of tips for Friday in yesterday’s post, but I have a couple different ones below as well as some NBA. Let’s get into it.

NBA Betting Tips:

San Antonio Spurs at Houston Rockets: The Spurs have been playing their best basketball of the season of late as they are 9-1 over their past ten games. While the Rockets have been very good, this game should have a playoff type atmosphere. The standings in the West are very tight right now and seeding matters so much. I can see the Rockets winning this one, but I expect the Spurs to keep it close and I wouldn’t be shocked by an upset. Take the points. Spurs +6

Miami Heat at Milwaukee Bucks: That one loss for the Spurs? Against the Heat. Miami is 8-2 right now and on their best run of the season. While the Bucks are on probably their worst. They’ve had really bad injury luck with both Brogdon and Mirotic going down. The Bucks are weak right now and I just don’t feel comfortable with them giving up this many points. Especially with the way Miami is playing right now. Bet Heat +9

NCAA Basketball Betting Tips:

Iona vs. UNC: Yesterday saw some teams cover some huge lines, but for some reason this line just doesn’t seem big enough. Iona finished the season at 17-15 and they were 0-9 against the spread on the season. They had a hot finish to get to this point, but the record still plays. This is North Carolina we’re talking about here. They are a top-seed in this tournament and a favorite of many to go all the way in this thing. This line feels like a gift, don’t fight gifts. Just accept them and bet the Tar Heels here. Bet UNC -22

North Dakota State vs. Duke: Take that paragraph above this one and paste it here. All the good feelings I have about UNC are double with Duke who have the best player in college basketball in Zion Williamson. North Dakota State finished at just 19-15 on the season and they were just 2-10 straight up as an underdog this season. This isn’t a Cinderella story, the Blue Devils are going to roll all over this team and send them packing. Bet Duke -26.5

We had far too many passengers when it came to last night’s DraftKings NHL DFS Picks and on a 12-game slate that cannot happen.

Our lone productive stack on the night was the Backlund/Tkachuk/Brodie trio as they combined for two goals, an assist, 10 shots on goal and four blocks to boot.

Our three-man Blackhawks stack failed to hit the scoresheet in what was a disappointing effort in a 3-1 loss to the visiting Flyers.

Also, despite Boston scoring five goals, our mini-stack of Jake DeBrusk and Charlie Coyle was held pointless while Coyle posted a zero to really set the lineup back.

Finally, we got a real nice result from Jordan Binnington in goal as he turned aside 20 of 22 shots in a 5-2 win over the Red Wings.

It was a disappointing night, but let’s see if we can find a way to get back into profit territory on tonight’s tiny two-game slate.

C – Evgeny Kuznetsov (WAS) – $5,900 vs. MIN

The Washington Capitals continue their push for the top spot in the Metropolitan Division tonight when they host the Minnesota Wild – a team that is fighting tooth and nail for a Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. With just two games on the slate we should get a nice foundation to work with tonight so I will go ahead and roll out a high-floor Capitals three-man stack before filling out the rest of the lineup, beginning here with Kuznetsov. We are getting the Russian center at a quality price here tonight consider he is the top center at even strength while he obviously has a spot on that deadly top power play unit. He enters this one sporting a hot hand with a goal in back-to-back games while he has three goals and five points over his last four. With 20 goals and 65 points in 68 games this season – and skating alongside Alex Ovechkin – we have to love the value upside here at a sub-$6K price tonight.

C – Eric Staal (MIN) – $5,000 vs. WAS

When it comes to the Wild there are few players who have the same upside that the top line will bring to the table, and while it may not be the best differentiation strategy for GPPs, I am still going to roll out a pair of Wild forward from that top line in this one tonight, beginning with Staal. The Capitals are tied for 21st in overall defense this season with 3.11 goals against per game, and while that number improves to 2.86 at home, it’s still a middle-of-the-pack number rather than a spot near the top of the league, so we have some opportunity here. The big line in Minnesota knows they need to step up if a playoff spot is to be had as Staal enters this one tonight with 20 goals and 49 points in 73 games on the season, but has also fired 201 shots on goal to this point. We knew he was going to regress from his 42-goal season from last year on shooting percentage alone, but Staal has been more productive on the road than at home this season, so let’s look for some value with the veteran at a very reasonable price tonight.

W – Alex Ovechkin (WAS) – $7,400 vs. MIN

No surprise here as Ovechkin is overwhelmingly likely to be the highest owned player on this slate given his affordability relative to the remainder of skaters on the slate. The sniper is up to his old tricks again this season as he’s tallied 48 goals to once again pace the league while he’ added 35 helpers for 83 points in 73 games on the season. Of course, Ovechkin is one of of the NHL’s biggest shooters as he has once again surpassed the 300-shot barrier with 301 on the season and is coming off a game where he fired a whopping 11 shots on goal on WEdnesday against the Lightning, but zero found twine. That’s not to say he is cold entering this one as he has two goals and four assists over his last five games and has fired at least five shots on goal in four of those five games. Don’t think twice about this one tonight.

W – Zach Parise (MIN) – $6,200 vs. WAS

You could also go with Jason Zucker here if you need some cost savings as the trio of Parise, Staal and Zucker will skate together on the Wild’s top line as well as their top power play unit for this one tonight. It’s been a quality – and healthy – bounceback season from Parise this year as he has scored 26 goals and notched 58 points while skating in 72 games for the Wild on the year, missing just two games to this point in the season. Parise is also back to firing plenty of pucks on goal as he’s racked up a real nice 224 shots on goal this season and he hasn’t benefited from any particular surge in shooting percentage either as his 11.6% mark for the season very much aligns with his 11.4% mark for his career. Like Staal, Parise has outperformed on the road this season where he’s tallied 15 goals and 33 points in 35 games compared to 11 goals and 25 points in 37 home contests. Let’s see if this veteran duo can get the job tonight for their club who needs them in a bad way this evening.

W – Corey Perry (ANH) – $4,000 vs. SJ

This is where we can differentiate a bit in the lineup as we take a look at the matchup between the Ducks and Sharks. The Sharks are obviously the favorite tonight, but with Logan Couture questionable with an illness and Joe Pavelski also missing last night’s game with an injury, it could be a depleted Sharks team again tonight. Regardless, it’s also a Sharks team that ranks 25th with 3.45 goals against per game on the road this season, so we can probably look to the Ducks for some low-cost, lower-owned players than what we have at the top of his lineup. Perry is nowhere close to the player that took home Hart Trophy honors in the 2010-2011 season, however he has been fairly productive of late with three goals and five points in a five-game span prior to being held pointless over his last two. Perry is going to skate on the third line tonight where he will form a stack with one of our defensemen and utility player this evening.

D – John Carlson (WAS) – $6,000 vs. MIN

Carlson is going to be the highest owned blueliner on this slate but he is a dangerous fade considering his cross-category upside and with how much time he is going to skate with the Kuznetsov/Ovechkin duo in this one tonight. After a breakout year last year, Carlson hasn’t skipped a beast this time around as he’s tallied 12 goals and 65 points in 73 games, but also with 165 shots on goal and a whopping 153 blocked shots to boot. He’s also a beast on the top power play unit where he’s notched three goals and 31 points on the season. His name has been all over the scoresheet this month as he’s tallied two goals and six assists for eight points across his last eight games. He logs a ton of ice time as well as his 25:11 of average ice time per game rank sixth in the league. Considering all of the above, Carlson is simply a must in cash games and a dangerous fade otherwise.

D – Cam Fowler (ANH) – $4,000 vs. SJ

It’s hard to call Fowler’s season a success as he has failed to take that big step in the right direction with just four goals and 18 points in 52 games to go along with only 82 shots in those 52 games. Fowler also has just five power play points per game this season – all this despite logging a big chunk of ice time per game at 23:25. That said, he’s picked it up a notch over the month of March as he’s recorded a goal and five assists for six points over his last 10 games. Fowler also put four shots on goal his late time out on Wednesday against the Jets. The good news is all four of his goals and 11 of his 18 points have come at home in 27 games this season while he’s yet to score with just seven helpers in 25 road games this season. Fowler will remain the lone defenseman on the the top power play unit tonight and perhaps he can get things going against a Sharks team playing their second game in as many nights tonight.

G – John Gibson (ANH) – $7,100 vs. SJ

A GPP play given the fact that the Ducks are listed as +130 underdogs in this one tonight, but if anyone is up the task of pulling off an upset, it’s Gibson who has been real good in the Anaheim net this month. Entering play tonight, Gibson has posted a .926 Sv% in March and has also won four of his last five outings. He had produced a save percentage of at least .932 in four straight starts before allowing three goals on just 23 shots in a 3-0 loss to the Jets on Wednesday. He’s had a nice season again his California rival as Gibson has posted a quality .929 Sv% against the Sharks in three appearances this season and stopped 45 shots against them in an OT loss in their lone meeting in Anaheim this season. Keep an eye to make sure he is indeed getting the nod tonight, but let’s see if Gibson can deliver some value at a price just a hair over $7K tonight.

UTIL – Adam Henrique (ANH) – $4,000 vs. SJ

Henrique completes our lineup as well as a three-man Ducks stack as he should lineup up on the third line alongside Corey Perry as well as on the top power play unit with Cam Fowler. As a side note, we have exposure to both units tonight as Perry is projected to skate on the second unit. Henrique is having a decent season in Anaheim as he’s notched 17 goals and 38 points in 75 games to go along with 111 shots on goal to this point. His production does pick up a notch at home where he’s tallied 10 goals and 21 points in 38 games on the season while his 1.8 shots per game at home beats his 1.2 mark on the road. The 29-year-old has a goal and an assist over his last three games while he’s scored five goals over his last nine contests. He logs plenty of ice time with 16:36 per game on the season and hopefully that is enough for him to lead the way for this stack tonight.

PLAY THIS LINEUP

The week or so after Cheltenham is always a quiet one in National Hunt circles as stables draw breath before looking forward to the Grand National meeting at Aintree. But executives at Newbury will be relieved that most races on this Saturday’s card are well populated, including the showpiece EBF & TBA Mares’ NH Novices’ Hurdle Series Final.

Mares’ NH Novices’ Hurdle Trends

This Grade 2 race has been won by some decent mares down the years and 15 have stood their ground this season. It was won by Roksana last year and she won the Grade 1 OLBG Mare’s Hurdle at Cheltenham earlier this month.

• The last 11 winners have carried between 10st3lb and 11st5lb.
• Eight of the last 11 winners have had a higher official rating than 119.
• All recent winners finished in the first four on their previous start.
• Most recent winners had raced within the previous two months.
• All recent winners had won at least once over hurdles.

Scottish trainer Nick Alexander is a rare visitor to southern tracks so it’s a fair bet that he thinks OFF THE HOOK will run well. A close third behind a couple of decent mares in a Listed race at Haydock two runs ago, the seven-year-old beat last week’s Newcastle winner Sam’s Adventure at Ayr in January and would probably be shorter than the general 12/1 were she trained at a more fashionable yard.

The White Mouse (a general 4/1) has only been beaten once so far over hurdles and that was over a trip which was too short. She beat Oscar Rose, a general 14/1, fairly easily at Doncaster and the latter was only sixth in this race last year. The 33/1 available for Meabh could be interesting given she beat She Might Bite (6/1 in places) and Millarville (a general 14/1) at Warwick in November but those behind have almost certainly improved since.

Annie Mc (11/1 with Ladbrokes) was a very easy winner at Chepstow two runs ago but flopped on her latest start and also finished behind Outofthisworld (a best 12/1) at Market Rasen in the autumn. Harry Fry’s mare is 3lb better off in this rematch but does need forgiving a poor run last time at Ludlow. Etamine Du Cochet does have ability but it’s a worry that she has now had two wind operations and her win in a Huntingdon maiden hasn’t worked out as well as hoped.

Mares’ NH Novices Hurdle Series Final Current Best Odds

The White Mouse 9/2, She Mite Bite 6/1, Etamine Du Cochet 8/1, Annie Mc 11/1, Off The Hook, Outofthisworld, Sixty’s Belle and Oscar Rose 12/1, Millarville and Meep Meep 16/1, So Lonely 20/1, Our Dot’s Baby and Sweet Adare 25/1, Maebh and A Little Chaos 33/1

(Odds correct at 2.45pm March 23)

McBOOKIE.COM are the only online bookie listing first-scorer tips for all SPFL games and once again we’ve teamed up with the Scots firm to look at some of the best bets from the lower leagues.

Email your own selection  from the SPFL and Challenge Cup to mrfixit@dailyrecord.co.uk and you will have a chance to win a £20 free bet with McBookie.com.

One person with a correct prediction will be picked at random to scoop a £10 free bet. But if you have backed your player with at least a fiver at McBookie.com your prize will be doubled. Last week's winner will be picked later.

Meanwhile, here is McBookie's Damian Walker with his thoughts for this weekend after landing a big two double last time out..

Damian writes: “I’ve got to hold my hands up. In mid-January I wrote off Dumbarton who were in freefall and I just couldn’t see how they would bounce back with their threadbare squad.

“The Sons have since played seven League One matches – winning four and drawing the other three – and have actually won four of their last five games, including a 2-0 win over league leaders Arbroath.

“As a result of this great run they are now six points off the automatic relegation spot which had looked a very real possibility at the beginning of the year.

“On Saturday they travel to play Raith Rovers who must be a great frustration to their fans this season with their inconsistent form. Just over three weeks ago Dumbarton entertained Raith and led until the very last minute of the game.

“Now Raith have home advantage, bookies have them at odds on to win. That price both underestimates Dumbarton’s recent form and overplays that of the home side. In short Dumbarton look too big at 3-1.

“And if they do stay up a large part of that survival will be down to the goals of striker Dominic Thomas.

“In Dumbarton’s last six games Thomas has scored eight goals, including three in his last two matches, and McBookie make him 11-2 to score first.

“In League Two it is getting down to the nitty gritty and we have a huge game as second-placed Edinburgh City entertain leaders Peterhead.

“The visitors will be sick of the M90 come Saturday night as they travelled down to play Berwick Rangers in midweek, followed now by a trip down to Edinburgh. That has got to take its toll.

“That midweek journey to the borders provided one of the shocks of the season in League Two as 16-1 shots Berwick Rangers beat Peterhead 2-0.

“Rory McAllister didn’t travel south with the squad as his wife is expecting a baby and his goals were sorely missed but even allowing for his absence that was not a great result.

“If Edinburgh City are to win the title then this is probably a must-win game for them and I make them favourites to win on Saturday but bookies have them as 15-8 outsiders.

“Citizens striker Blair Henderson continues to bang in the goals and has now scored in his last three games and has 27  in total this season. McBookie make Henderson a 4-1 chance to score the first goal.

“Finally, staying in League Two and Annan Athletic have won five of their last six matches, losing the other away to Peterhead (no disgrace there).

“On Saturday they travel to face Clyde and odds of 12-5 don’t seem to take into account their excellent form of late.

“Annan’s Tony Wallace did this column a favour two weeks ago with a 10-1 first goal and he is 13-2 to score first this week.

“Can you find a winner!”

Recommended Bets

• Thomas (Dumbarton) 11-2
• Henderson (Edinburgh) 4-1
• Wallace (Annan) 13-2

ANOTHER crucial game in the Scottish Championship tonight As Partick Thistle host Inverness CT at Firhill.

Its an important game for both but for different reasons. The hosts are involved in a 4 way relegation  tussle with Alloa, Falkirk and QoS, whilst  ICT are battling out with Ayr United and Dunfermline for the last two promotion pay off spots.

Its a match both clubs really need to win but I feel Partick might just edge this. Fancy goals too but juts the home win for tonight's NAP and hopefully I can make it 17 winning NAP's from the last 20 in Scotland

Partick Thistle vs Inverness CT (KO 7.05pm)

This will be a keenly fought encounter and should be a cracking game with plenty at stake for both. Partick can be pleased with their home form since the return of the year which has seen them lose just one of their 6 games. They've beaten Dundee United, QoS, drew with Hearts and were 2-0 up against Ross County before a inexcusable  second half collapse.

The signing of Aussie striker Scott McDonald looks to be a great bit of business, the 34 year old has three in three and will play a key role in keeping the Jags in the league.

Inverness have a Scottish Cup Semi final to look forward but it will be all eyes on tonight as they look to overtake Dunfermline and get in the play off spots.

Draws have killed them this season with them drawing 9 times in 1o games earlier in the season which is an incredible stat. This will be a tough game for them though and despite Thistle's lowly position and I just feel the Partick at home will edge this.

Recommended Bets:

• Partick Thistle to win
• 17/10 (William Hill) (NAP)
• Over 2.5 match goals
• 27/25 (Marathonbet)

Written by Graeme on Friday, March 22nd, 2019

A 1-1 night for a slight loss with the NHL Tips yesterday.

We had the Habs in regulation and it was a nice and easy win there as the Habs move into 2nd place in the wild card race.

The Hurricanes lost and the Philadelphia Flyers got a key win as did the Florida Panthers. It’s highly doubtful Philly or Florida will make it but they just keep churning along. I really hope it’s the Hurricanes and Habs. Both those teams deserve it.

In the West, I went with the over in the Stars vs Avs game. While neither team was rocking the overs recently they’ve both been creating a lot of chances and giving up a lot of chances so it had a lot of potential. It was one of those games where I knew a goal would open it up. Alas it took until near the end of the 2nd period for that goal.

A tough one for the Stars but they are still in pole position. The Chicago Blackhawks of course lost to Philly which was gutting as I’ve been rooting for them. They’re not out yet but it just seems that the closer they get to the playoffs, the more they’re shooting themselves in the foot.

What a loss that was for the Jackets. Ouch.

Capitals vs Wild Betting Tips:

One thing I like this year is reading the comments, and not seeing too many people bet a team because they “HAVE” to win.

I’ve always felt that’s a common mistake to make. While I’ll always look at those games first when it comes to tipping, I really have to gauge whether a teams got “it” or not. The Blackhawks for example are showing they don’t have it. The Coyotes are the same.

Wild are another.

If they had ran the board in March or came close to it, they’d 100% be playoff material. They had a tough little run of games with the Panthers, Sharks and Stars. However losing to the Avs was a tough one. And there’s been a couple of games where things haven’t been going their way – Stars and Panthers game – and they’re unable to up their game at all.

They seriously need a win tonight. They’ve got a tough schedule coming up so they need all the confidence they can get and a road victory over the Capitals would give them that.

But I’ll believe it when I’ll see it. Caps are on a roll for the most part, and seem determined to take the Metro. They’ve had a couple of fighting losses and bounced back immediately so I can’t see that latest Tampa loss affecting them.

If the Wild are able to pick themselves up, go out to battle and pull off a big win tonight then so be it. But they just haven’t shown this month that they are able to do so.

0.5u on Capitals to win in Regulation

Canada: 1.94 Odds at Mr. Green
USA: -110 Odds at Bovada.
Everyone Else: 1.94 Odds at Mr. Green

(Odds correct as of 2019/03/22 8:13:41 AM EST but are subject to change.)

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Home / Football / Noel Fehily Can Pick Up Another Big Win Before Retirement

The International break continues apace on Friday evening with some cracking fixtures in the qualifying phase for Euro 2020.

All eyes will be on Wembley tonight as England get their qualifying campaign underway against the Czech Republic. Gareth Southgate's men will be the clear favourites following their stunning Nations League success last time year.

There is plenty of other sport for punters to enjoy today with some excellent racing to enjoy on both sides of the Irish Seas as we continue to work our way towards the 2019 Grand National at Aintree.

Elsewhere, the golf continues at the Valspar Championships and the snooker continues at the Tour Championships in Wales.

Our main bets today though will come in the football and the racing so check out our best selections for another thrilling day of action.

Friday's Football Treble

England are flying at the moment with top class players in every position and that means they can get our treble off to a flyer at Wembley. Elsewhere, Turkey should have too much for Albania in their crucial qualifying clash and Lithuania can edge a thriller away at minnows Luxembourg in perhaps the least attractive football match ever played.

Nap Of The Day

There is a cracking card at Newbury this afternoon and it will be an emotional afternoon for Noel Fehily as his retirement approaches. The jockey can pick up another big winner though with Green Dolphin the clear pick in the bumper following an 11 length success earlier this month at Wincanton.

Winning Tips Five From Five

The best advised winning bets in the last five days on the Betting Directory:

We've listed the best offers for today's sport below as well as new customer offers from the best bookmakers.

Archive - Previous 5 Football Articles

A small card tonight with only two games on the docket. The Minnesota Wild are in Washington for a meeting with the Capitals. The Wild have to treat the rest of the season like the playoffs. They are the first team out in the Western Conference and need a strong finish to get into the dance. The Arizona Coyotes are currently in possession of the final wildcard. It’s going to be a good finish in both conferences, with no room for error at this point.

The Capitals are feeling a little more comfortable, but they are still looking to close out the Metropolitan. It’s a race between the Capitals and Islanders. The Caps have looked like the better team recently, as they’ve opened up some breathing room on the Isles.

The Capitals probably should be coming off a win against the Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy set a franchise record with 54 saves in a 5-4 win in overtime. The Caps kept coming, but Vasilevskiy denied their sharpshooters in pivotal moments. You won’t find a team put up 58 shots and still lose often.

Bad beat for Washington, but they can’t feel bad about that effort, and they certainly can’t feel bad about how they have been playing recently. With that type of play, they may bounce the Lightning in a seven-game series if they do in fact meet in the playoffs. The Capitals can’t depend on the Lightning going through the motions in the playoffs, though.

Washington are winners in 9 of their last 12 games and have been playing their best hockey of the year recently. They certainly know how to turn it up when it matters most. We witnessed that last season and are seeing that happening again at the moment.

The first-half of the season they looked rather disinterested, but look hungry for another Cup. We’ll see if they can maintain their hot streak when the puck drops on the playoffs. Part of their run last season was aided by the play of Braden Holtby in net. He is the one piece who they are going to need to put them over the top. Holtby wasn’t great against the Lightning and I wouldn’t say he’s been particularly great throughout the entire season. However, there is still time for him to find his stroke. Head below for our free Wild vs. Capitals pick.

Minnesota Wild vs. Washington Capitals Pick

Ovechkin leads the league with 48 goals and is on pace to surpass 50 goals for the eighth time in his career. He came a goal short of making it 50 a season ago, but I don’t think he cares too much after finally getting his name on the Stanley Cup. The offence has a pretty good situation on their hands. Their ability to make teams cover the entire ice ranks amongst one of the best in the league.

They have average 3.5 goals per game in their last ten games, as we’ve seen the offence generating plenty of easy scoring chances recently. Vasilevskiy had an answer for those, though, but I don’t foresee the Wild being able to play keep up with the Caps in this spot.

Minnesota have notched just 2.4 goals per game in their last ten outings. They need less of that with the clock ticking down on their season. More goals would be ideal and now they go to Washington to face a Caps team burying goals at a pretty nice clip. Dubnyk’s career against Washington has been horrible to say the least. In nine career appearances, Dubnyk has posted a 3.82 GAA and 0.872 save percentage against the Caps.

He’s only been worse against the Bruins in his career. To add to their misfortunes, the Wild have lost eight in a row against the Capitals. The Caps have gone 8-0 dating back to 2015. Their most recent meeting was a 5-2 win in November. Additionally, the Wild have gone 1-7 in their last eight games on the Capitals’ ice. With that said, I’d consider the Caps on your betting card for Friday night.

I STILL can't believe it – Kazakhstan 3, Scotland 0. It surely has to be the other way round.

It's been branded Scotland's worst performance of all time and it's difficult to argue and Alex McLeish will do well to survive in the wake of the humiliation.

Well done to the one or two who backed against Scotland before kick-off and the dozens who did so after the match.

I maintain it was a huge shock and the Kazakhs are a poor team and we'll get an idea of their quality when Belgium and Russia visit.

Financially the defeat wasn't a disaster as I lost 1.5pts on the Super Single but saw the stake on my moneyback sixfold returned with my other five teams winning as the favourites all did the business.

Well done to all the winners – and there were plenty if you left Scotland out – and a special mention for Sean McCready who had two out of three correct on his Holland preview including a 4-0 correct score at 7-1.

There are another seven Euro qualifiers on Friday and hopefully no shocks. I've posted an England v Czech Republic preview and I expect Gareth Southgate's men to start with three points.

Other games include Bulgaria v Montenegro, Portugal v Ukraine, Moldova v France and Andorra v Iceland so plenty of short prices in there. I'll check latest team news in the morning before putting up at least one bet.

In Scotland Partick Thistle entertain Inverness in a game that affects both ends of the table and it could be a scoring draw. Not much else to look at although there are a handful of Dutch lower-league encounters.

Mr Fixit's March Super Singles Total: -8.8pts

Mr Fixit's March Accas Total: +13pts

ENGLAND begin their Euro 2020 qualifying campaign with a home contest against Czech Republic on Friday night. Daniel McCulloch (@DMcCulloch1984) shares his best bets.

England v Czech Republic | Friday 22nd March 2019, 19:45 | ITV

England kick-off their Euro 2020 campaign with a game which promises to be yet another routine qualifying victory for the Three Lions.

England may have lost at home to Spain in the Nations League but La Roja are comfortably the toughest opponents they’ve faced in a competitive home fixture in the last decade.

Since Steve McClaren’s unsuccessful tenure as England’s head coach, the Three Lions have played 24 home fixtures in order to qualify for major tournaments. They’ve won 21 of these and drawn three.

Their opponents on Friday night, Czech Republic, are certainly not the force they once were and I believe that their results in Group B of the Nations League gives an accurate reflection of where they are: they beat Slovakia twice but lost both matches with Ukraine.

Additionally, while the Czechs were generally competitive in the qualifiers for the last World Cup, it should be noted that they failed to score in either game against Northern Ireland and I struggle to see them troubling the scorers in this encounter.

At first glance, England to win at 3/10 may seem a little skinny but I do believe that their record and personnel support such a price. With that in mind, my initial view was to back England to win 2-0 as this has obliged in five of the aforementioned 24 matches.

Sadly, 9/2 is the best price available and not enough to tempt me so I will simply back England to win and under 3.5 goals at 5/6 with Coral. In Gareth Southgate’s first campaign as manager all five home matches saw such a bet come home and I expect him to make this six out of six on Friday evening.

Best Bets

England v Czech Republic – England to win and Under 3.5 Goals (5/6 Coral)

Premiership Rugby Preview – 7.45 pm kick off

Leicester will be looking to keep some good home momentum in the top flight going on Friday night. They welcome Northampton to Welford Road and the visiting Saints are still on the hunt for their first away victory of 2019 across any competition.

Leicester v Northampton odds*

Leicester 4/6
Northampton 11/10
Draw 20/1
* (betting odds was taken from *** on March 20th, 2019 at 11:11 pm)

Leicester v Northampton Preview

Leicester in good shape at Welford Road at the moment with a three-match winning streak in the Premiership going there. That’s been a good lift from them but they still head into the weekend only third from bottom. They could ease themselves well clear with a win in this one which would see them climb above the Saints.

The overall form of Leicester isn’t red hot at the moment as they have lost three of their last four played, home and away combined. But they are on a hot streak at Welford Road and are 4/6 odds-on favourites to get the win in this one* (betting odds taken from *** on March 20th, 2019 at 11:11 pm). They did take an away win at Twickenham against the Saints back in October in a Premiership meeting. They will be boosted by England internationals like Jonny May and Manu Tuilagi returning from Six Nations duty.

The Tigers are W2 L3 in their last five overall against Northampton. The Saints haven’t had a great time of things on the road at all. They have yet to win on their travels in any competition since the turn of the new year. That’s a poor return, but if they ever needed a big boost of confidence, they got on last Sunday.

The Saints defeated Saracens in the Premiership Rugby Cup Final, not allowing Saracens over for a try in the game. That was the first ever title for Northampton in the competition. Can they turn in into a bit of positive form on their Premiership travels? The Saints have won three of their last four in the Premiership.

Leicester v Northampton Prediction

The home form has to be the way to go in this Friday night clash at Welford Road. Northampton should have a bit of renewed confidence behind them after last week’s Cup triumph. Northampton to cover a +4 handicap looks a good fit* (betting odds taken from *** on March 20th, 2019 at 11:11 pm)

PRO PUNTER Dino Vita (@VitaDino) is delving in to the Scottish Championship in search of a winning NAP this weekend.

Dundee United v Alloa | Saturday 23rd March 2019, 15:00

My selection this weekend comes from the Scottish Championship as promotion-chasing Dundee United host rock-bottom side Alloa.

Dundee Utd gave themselves a small chance of catching top of the table Ross County by beating the league leaders in midweek and will hope to close the gap again by winning on Saturday.

United at home are strong side, winning eight of their 14 games this season. The Terrors have also won each of their last four games here.

Alloa prop up the division after a run of one win from their last six league games. The Wasps were most people’s favourites to be relegated and in recent weeks it’s beginning to look like it might happen now as the loss of form is a major concern.

I’m looking at the handicap market and Dundee United -1 (27/20 Ladbrokes) as I feel the gulf in class is quite big and when you add in the Tangerines’ home form, I’m hoping for a comfortable afternoon for the hosts.

Best Bets

Dundee United v Alloa – Dundee United -1 (27/20 Ladbrokes)

RUGBY betting analyst Christian Murray (@wncomwncobutt) shares his thoughts on Friday night's action.

The exciting, pulsating, and at times mesmeric Six Nations may be over but the rugby keeps on trucking this weekend with a packed card of Super Rugby, Premiership and Pro 14 match-ups.

Personally, I’m happy to see the Premiership and Pro 14 return as the start to the Super Rugby season has been a bit topsy-turvy to say the least, making accurate picks a bit of a lottery (see last week’s selection for proof).

Suffice to say I’m steering clear of the big Friday Super Rugby showdown between the Blues and Highlanders. Focusing on the home nation domestic games, I think I’ve unearthed a good value double.

Leicester Tigers v Northampton Saints | Friday 22nd March 2019, 19:45 | BT Sport

First up, it’s off to Welford Road for the East Midland derby between Leicester Tigers and Northampton Saints.

After a poor start to the season and three defeats in their last four matches, Leicester are now at risk of getting themselves embroiled in the relegation battle that’s ensuing between Newcastle and Worcester at the foot of the table. A team like Leicester should have one eye on the top four, but now find themselves keeping an eye over their shoulders. The Tigers are only nine points in credit to rock-bottom Newcastle.

It has been a frustrating season to say the least for Leicester – blighted by injuries and losing key players to England camp has made it difficult to build up momentum and consistency.

There are the main reasons why Leicester currently find themselves in the position they do. Well that, the Matt O’Connor farce and impact at the start of the season. So with good news from the treatment room and the fact that his England stars are returning unscathed and in good form, Geordan Murphy can afford himself to believe that maybe his and Leicester’s fortunes could be about to change.

Leicester need to start winning and soon in order to put some daylight between them and the bottom teams, whilst also resurrecting their outside chances of a play-off place.
Personally, I think that will start on Friday night.

Still currently awaiting team announcements, there’s no doubt that Geordan will recall all of the internationals back into the team. So expect to see Ben Youngs, Manu Tuilagi, George Ford, Jonny May, Ellis Genge and Dan Cole to play some if not all of the 80 for the Tigers.

Add to that the expected return from injury of influential centre Matt Toomua alongside other backs Gareth Owen, Sam Harrison, Ben White and forward Mike Fitzgerald and that’s a very strong 23 man squad. Strong enough to cause hardships for the likes of Saracens and Gloucester, let alone Northampton Saints.

Actually, the last time Leicester fielded such a strong match day squad was back in late December and early January when they put Gloucester, Saints and Harlequins to the sword in consecutive home matches.

Don’t be fooled by the Premiership Rugby Cup final result last week that saw Northampton win their first bit of silverware for over seven years. Saracens had been using the competition to give 1st XV game time and exposure to a lot of academy players. The final was treated no differently by Saracens, whereas Northampton picked pretty much a 1st XV.

We need to rewind to the game before against Bristol to find out why I think Northampton will struggle on Friday evening. For all their attacking endeavour they still look very vulnerable defensively. Bristol exposed them time and again in the first-half by winning the ball on their own terms, recycling quickly, running good lines and exposing soft shoulders on the outside which allowed them to offload repeatedly.

Once in behind the Northampton scramble defence really struggled to contain Bristol. As a result, Bristol were able to convert 85% of their first-half line breaks into tries.

Take Taqele Naiyaravoro the Northampton wing for example. Great going forward with ball in hand. Defensively however, all over the place. With Tuilagi and Toomua possibly at centre, expect several line breaks, some audacious offloads and several Leicester tries.

Edinburgh v Leinster | Friday 22nd March 2019, 19:35 | Premier Sports

Next we are north of the border and to Murrayfield where I think an out-of-sorts Edinburgh can upset the form book and spring a surprise on Leinster.

Edinburgh’s form during this Six Nations window has left them seven points adrift of third placed Ulster in the pool. Where some teams (Benetton and Connaught) have coped and profited with the international exodus of players, Edinburgh in comparison have been pretty abysmal.

Without their Scottish stars and a few injuries Edinburgh have really struggled to re-produce any of the form that saw them top their group in the European Cup and go seven matches unbeaten in both the Pro 14 and European Cup between December and Janiary.

We have seen abject performances against Southern Kings and Cardiff in recent weeks, lacking the continuity, passion and physicality usually associated with Richard Cockerill’s team.

I firmly believe that Cockerill knows his team is at critical juncture and these next two weeks could make or break Edinburgh’s season. Like last year, all the talk of progress and a good start could come to nothing if they lose the next two.

A loss against Leinster on Friday and results elsewhere could make it extremely difficult to make the play-offs in the Pro 14. A loss against Munster next week, will see them eliminated from the European Cup. Mr Cockerill has alluded to this in a recent newspaper article, admitting that four of the remaining Pro 14 games have to be won if they are to have any chance of getting back into the play-off picture.

Cockerill will also be glad that the returning cavalry of Scottish internationals will be fit and firing after the Calcutta Cup comeback last weekend. As the squad depth is a lot more limited than their opponents, the home boss won’t have the luxury to rest many bodies. So we can expect the likes of Darcy Graham, Ben Toolis, Hamish Watson and WP Nel all to start. Add to that the long-awaited return from injury of the superb John Barclay (his first game since signing) and the back row looks very strong.

Leinster, on the other hand, have already secured their place in the play-offs and I believe that selection for this game will prove that they have their sights fixed firmly on next week’s all-Irish quarter-final European Cup clash with Ulster.

In all likelihood the returning Irish internationals with the exception of maybe Sean O Brian and Sean Cronin will be rested for the trip to Murrayfield. The team will consist mainly of second string players, but then again, it has for the majority of the season and they’ve been too good for most teams.

However, on this occasion I feel that Edinburgh have more on the line here and that will probably play out in the approach and intensity the two teams bring. Cockerill will have his players up for this as he knows that a win keeps the play off ambitions alive and give some much needed confidence for the European tie next weekend.

Best Bets

Leicester Tigers v Northampton Saints

Edinburgh v Leinster

Leicester Tigers and Edinburgh -2 handicap double (9/5 SpreadEx)

Last night’s DraftKings NHL DFS Picks had their ups and downs and were right on the profit line in a lot of double up cash contests, even sneaking into profit territory in some.

Our three-man Maple Leafs stack had a solid night, especially Auston Matthews as he tallied a goal and an assist to go along with seven shots on goal in a win over the Sabres. Andreas Johnsson added an assist and three shots of his own, but unfortunately we couldn’t extract much value out of the minimum-priced Ozhiganov who registered just a single shot on goal.

Our second three-man stack also got notable contributions from two players but little contribution from the third. Elias Pettersson tallied a pair of assists and two shots on goal while Brock Boeser scored a goal on two shots. Josh Leivo was held to only two shots on goal in this one. This stack disappointed a little bit as the Canucks scored seven goals in last night’s win, but we had just three points on those seven goals as the top line did most of the damage.

Our Sabres mini-stack was led by Jack Eichel who tallied an assist and three shots on goal while the low-cost Marco Scandella registered a shot and a block.

Finally, the lineup was given a big boost by goaltender Connor Hellebuyck as he posted a 29-save shutout, the first of his season, in a 3-0 win over the lowly Ducks.

It was a solid lineup, but let’s turn our attention to tonight’s big 12-game slate as I am throwing out a GPP-aimed lineup for this one.

C – Mikael Backlund (CGY) – $5,600 vs. OTT

I am going to largely spread the wealth throughout the lineup tonight while I will dodge the Flames’ top line in hopes of lowering ownership in a fantastic home matchup against the Ottawa Senators. Just 24 hours after allowing seven goals in Vancouver, the defensively-challenged Senators will have an enormous task on their hands as they take on a Calgary Flames team that leads the league with 4.25 goals per game on home ice. As mentioned yesterday, the Senators are by far the NHL’s worst road defense as they now allow 4.38 goals per game on the road this season after that effort in Vancouver last night. Backlund will center the Flames’ second line tonight as well as the second power play unit. What I like most about him tonight is that he has tallied 13 goals and 32 points in 34 home games compared to just six goals and 13 points in 35 road games. As a mid-priced player, the opportunities will be there for Backlund in this one tonight.

C – Dylan Strome (CHI) – $5,200 vs. PHI

The Blackhawks should be able to get some more offense going tonight as they will welcome the Philadelphia Flyers to town tonight. Chicago is pushing desperately for a playoff spot and they have been carried by some big offensive performances of late as they rank eighth in overall offense with 3.35 goals per game this season and also eighth with a slightly increased 3.42 goals per game at home on the campaign. The change of scenery from Arizona to Chicago could not possibly be going any better for Strome who has tallied 14 goals and 44 points in 48 games with the Blackhawks after notching just three goals and six points with Arizona prior to the trade. Strome is centering the Blackhawks’ second line while he is also skating on the top power play unit alongside the best offensive players Chicago has to offer. Against the league’s 25th-ranked road defense, Strome will get his looks tonight.

W – Matthew Tkachuk (CGY) – $7,100 vs. OTT

Tkachuk is enjoying a massive season for the Flames and has done some serious damage on home ice this season as well. Entering tonight’s contest, the gritty winger has notched 33 goals and 74 points in 73 games on the campaign to go along with 189 shots on goal. His production on home ice as been out of this world as he has tallied 25 goals and 52 points in just 36 home games on the campaign. Tkachuk is also entering this one tonight scorching hot as he has scored seven goals and four helpers for 11 points over his last five games. No, there are no typos there. I like the fact that we will get Tkachuk playing alongside Backlund at even strength on that Flames’ second line, but we also get Tkachuk skating on the Flames’ top power play unit where he has notched 11 goals and 24 points on the season. He might see some ownership tonight, but he fits nicely into this stack against the league-worst Sens tonight.

W – Alex DeBrincat (CHI) – $6,700 vs. PHI

I actually expected DeBrincat to be more expensive on this slate tonight as he is turning into one of the very best goal-scorers this league has to offer. DeBrincat enters tonight’s contest with 38 goals on the season while adding 33 helpers for 71 points in 72 games. He has already blown past last year’s impressive rookie totals of 28 goals and 52 points in 10 fewer games this season. DeBrincat was a teammate and linemate of Strome’s dating back to their junior days as member of the OHL’s Erie Otters, and now they have been reunited on the Blackhawks where they have teamed up to do some serious damage since Strome came aboard. He’s notched two goals and four helpers over his last six games, but with how often this guy shoots (198 shots on the season) and his spot on the second line and top power play unit, I’m looking for a big night from the young sniper in this matchup tonight.

W – Jake DeBrusk (BOS) – $4,900 vs. NJ

The Boston Bruins struggled to score on the road for much of the season this year, but they have picked that pace up to the tune of 12 goals over their last three road games, good for four per game. They are also coming off a 5-0 beatdown of the defensively-stout Islanders at on the road, so they should certainly be riding plenty of confidence into this one tonight. DeBrusk has really picked up his goal-scoring pace himself over the last few weeks as he has notched nine goals over his last 12 games. He’s also chipped in seven helpers in that time, giving him 16 points over his last 12 games. Like the Bruins, DeBrusk has performed better at home, however he still has 10 goals and 14 points in 28 road games on the season. I like the fact he gives us exposure to the Bruins’ dangerous top power play unit tonight as he kicks off a mini-stack against the league’s 29th-ranked defense tonight.

D – T.J. Brodie (CGY) – $3,500 vs. OTT

We will complete this three-man Flames stack tonight with the addition of Brodie who should see less ownership than his teammate Mark Giordano on that Flames blueline. Brodie is a fairly quiet but steady point producer as he’s tallied eight goals and 32 points on the season across 72 games. Now, he doesn’t shoot the puck much at all with just 91 shots on the season, however the matchup tonight is fantastic at this price considering Brodie sees almost 22 minutes of ice time per game. While he’s recorded a solid point total on the season, Brodie went 11 straight games without a point until he tallied an assist in a win over the Blue Jackets on Tuesday. That is an excellent sign as Brodie is set to go on a little run after such a lengthy drought. He will skate on the second power play unit alongside Backlund while he forms a three-man stack with Tkachuk has well at even strength play.

D – Brent Seabrook (CHI) – $5,100 vs. PHI

I couldn’t afford Erik Gustafsson to get us a three-man power play stack for the Blackhawks tonight, but Seabrook brings some quality upside to the table as well. While his best point-producing days are behind him, Seabrook has still chipped in on offense with five goals and 25 points in 68 games this season. That said, what I like here is Seabrook’s peripheral numbers as he has also fired 148 shots on goal for the season to go along with a whopping 152 blocked shots as well. As a little boost, Seabrook gives us exposure to the Blackhawks’ second power play unit where he has scored two goals and nine points on the campaign. Having exposure to both power play units is important tonight as the Flyers rank 25th in road penalty killing at 78.6% this season. Very excited to see what this Blackhawks stack can do for us tonight.

G – Jordan Binnington (STL) – $7,900 vs. DET

Confirmed as tonight’s starter for the Blues, I love the upside we can get here with Binnington in a favorable home matchup against the Red Wings. Binnington’s story has been well documented this season as he came from the AHL and has carried the Blues into a playoff spot and that miraculous season should continue tonight. He enters play tonight with a 1.78 GAA and .930 Sv% across 23 starts and 25 appearances this season. While he’s been a little better on the road, we can’t argue with his 1.97 GAA and .921 Sv% across 10 home starts and 12 home appearances on the campaign. Binnington owns just a .905 Sv% for the month of March, but has allowed just three goals over his last two games and owns a .948 Sv% over that time. The Blues are listed as massive -350 favorites in this one tonight, so we should certainly be getting a win and possibly more at a more than reasonable price tonight.

UTIL – Charlie Coyle (BOS) – $3,900 vs. NJ

We will complete this lineup as well as our Bruins mini-stack with Charlie Coyle as I will look for him to have his first breakout game with the Bruins in a solid road matchup with the Devils. After scoring 10 goals and 28 points with the Wild in 60 games, Coyle has scuffled to the tune of one goal and one assist in 12 games with his new club in Boston.  Coyle shoots the puck often enough to score as he has just a 3.8% shooting percentage with Boston thanks to one goal on 26 shots in 12 games. It’s going to come for the former first-round pick as Coyle scored his only goal with the Bruins last Thursday, but also has 12 shots over his last three games including seven on Tuesday against the Islanders. Coyle will get a nice chance to produce tonight as he will skate with DeBrusk and David Krejci on the Bruins’ second line while he will give us exposure to the Bruins’ second line as well this evening.

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