TODAY'S EMAIL .............

SATURDAY JUNE 13TH

Very interesting day in prospect tomorrow, when the UEFA European U21 Championships and Confederations Cup both get underway and hopefully, Andy Roddick is in the Queen's final.

QUEEN'S CLUB TENNIS

SEMI-FINALS

ANDY RODDICK - JAMES BLAKE

ANDY MURRAY - JUAN CARLOS FERRERO

We were very close to a big pay day on the tennis yesterday, but after we had landed bets at odds of 3.60 and 1.91 on the Roddick-Karlovic match, Mikhail Youzhny let both us and himself down badly. He led 5-2 in the opening set tie break and never really recovered from losing four straight points and handing the initiative to Blake. However, a small profit on the tennis and Chile in the football, made it a successful day overall.

I feel that Roddick and Murray have been priced plenty short enough today, with the British player as low as 1.06 in places. They will both probably win, but there is bound to be a blip somewhere along the line for one or both. We are already on Roddick outright and there seems no point in any further involvement in his match, the 26 yo American has yet to drop a set, but did lose their only previous meeting on the surface, here in 2006, so doubtless a little revenge over his Davis Cup partner, will also be on his mind, along with a place in the final. No bet for me though.

Murray has played well this week, but no one has really extended him and in interviews he has made it clear, without offending anybody, that he sees this as little more than a warm up for Wimbledon. It is a shame that his opponent has not chosen to play more on the surface over the years, this is his first ever visit to Queen's and it is obvious he is comfortable on grass. He has two 4th round and one quarter-final appearance at Wimbledon to his name, twice losing closely to Roger Federer.

JCF is a former world number one, but had not won on tour since 2003, before winning in Casablanca this year, that has clearly given him a boost, he has looked confident here and happy in post match interviews. He has had a rough time with sickness and injury over the last five years or so, but those problems look behind him and he also seems less distracted by off the court activities. His Hotel, Tournament and Academy are now all up and running and do not require his daily imput, he seems focused on his game and the benefits are clear to see. I think it would be a major ask for him to win, but see no reason why he cannot keep things close and he looks a good bet, getting a 4.5 game handicap start, if he can take RF to two tie breaks at Wimbledon and to within six games over three sets, he can do likewise against Murray. The Brit has yet to drop a set, but four of them were won by exactly two games and 6-4 6-4 would do nicely.

5 points Ferrero +4.5 games 2.31 Pinnacle..... similar odds available on the exchanges.

SWEDEN ... SUPERETTAN

ANGELHOLMS FF- SYRIANSKA FC

One swallow. or seven "overs" do not a summer make, but we have been discussing the increase in goals in certain Scandinavia leagues in mid season, for the last couple of years and successfully dipped our toe in the water on Monday, when we landed a nice "over" double in Superettan. The last seven games played in this division have all produced three or more goals and the four matches today, are certainly worth a second look in this aspect.

This match looks the most promising to me, the two have been producing above the league average of 2.58 goals, with a mean of 2.82 and 2.73 respectively this season. Angelholms are "over" in 12 from 15 starts, Syrianska likewise in 9 from 13.

6 points "over" 2.5 goals 1.88 asian line.

USA ... MLS

LA GALAXY - REAL SALT LAKE

Galaxy did us a big favour last weekend, when collecting all three points in Toronto. They are now unbeaten in ten starts, although that does include eight draws. The win in Ontario, on the artificial surface which had given them great cause for concern in the past,should give them a major psychological boost and I expect that to be apparent today. There are normally goals when these two meet, with the last six h2h meetings ending over, with five producing four or more and four ending by the exact 2-2 scoreline, including the reverse fixture early last month.

It is not impossible that we could see another today in this most draw friendly of leagues, where almost 38% of all games have ended in stalemates this season. I am going to incude this correct score in my staking plan for the game, but will make my main bet the home win.

Real have gone seven starts without a win and have collected only one point and a single goal, from six road starts. However, they have shown clear signs of improvement in recent starts and scored in their last two games, I expect them to get on the scoreboard this evening. They will be without the suspended Robbie Russell.

LAG remain without star player Landon Donovan, who is in South Africa with the US national team, he has been missing for a couple of weeks in any case due to World Cup involvement and Edson Buddle has stepped into his shoes, with a goal in each of the last two starts, so this is not a major concern. He also scored a third in a midweek friendly start and seems likely to lead the line tonight, he looks good at odds of 3.0 in the anytime goalscorer market.

6.5 points LA Galaxy -1/2 ball 2.11 asian line.

0.5 points LAG to win 3-2 correct score 34.0 William Hill.

1 point 2-2 draw correct score 17.0 William Hill.

3 points Edson Buddle to score at anytime 3.0 Bet 365.

Good Luck.

SATURDAY PLANS ..............

I have just sent out today's newsletter in which I have previewed three events, given a number of selections, some at very attractive odds.

Actually, today I am going to do things a little differently and will reproduce the email in full on the blog, later this morning, so please check back.

Good Luck.

QUEEN'S CLUB TENNIS ....

JAMES BLAKE - MIKHAIL YOUZHNY

James Blake is a former finalist here, losing to Lleyton Hewitt in 2006, after a fine win over Andy Roddick in the semis.

Surprisingly, after that he choose to play Halle instead in both 07 and 08 and I am not 100% convinced how happy he is playing in England.

He has never got beyond the third round at Wimbledon and the media give him a bit of a grilling, with constant reference to the fact that he has a British mother. I have seen quite a lot of him this week and it really is the same old story, consistently, inconsistent. He is almost unplayable for a few games and then seems to lose concentration and games slip away very quickly.

I think this will be close today, the two have never met in an ATP event, but have faced each other in two close Davis Cup ties. Youzhny has taken a while to get going this year and has really only hit form on clay, with 10 of his 17 wins before this event coming on the dirt. At least that enabled him to find his touch and on his day he is a formidable grass court player. He has five times made the fourth round at Wimbledon, losing to the eventual winner twice and another two times to the ultimate runner up.

The Russian has had a good career, but maybe not reached the heights expected. Many excellant judges, including Roger Federer consider Youzhny as good as anyone on tour on the practice courts and hopefully one day we will see him carry that form right the way through a big tournament. I make this game a bit of a toss up, between two evenly match shotmakers, with Youzhny's big backhand taking on Blake's flat forehand monster, at the odds offered, the Russian has to be backed and also a little on the "over".

6 points Youzhny to win 2.375 Stan James/ Exchanges.

5 points "over" 22.5 games 1.80 Bet 365 .

Good Luck.

TGIF ..............

Big weekend ahead and I have started as I mean to go on, by sending subscribers to the email service five selections for today. Hopefully, it will be possible for me to post a couple of these on the blog, so please check back.

We are in the middle of a recession, but no one has bothered to tell new Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, who was previously in charge between 2000-2006. Despite his club being hundreds of millions in debt, he is building a new team of Los Galacticos and has apparently spent another £80m, signing Ronaldo to play alongside the now cheap looking, at a mere £56m, Kaka .

Of course, Real could do with a few defenders, but defensive players don't win votes and that is not the Real way, you can be sure that if there is more big money spent and it is likely, it will continue to be on attacking players. Little will change at the back next season I would guess, with Iker Casillas remaining not only the best, but one of the busiest goalkeepers in the World !

Good Luck.

QUEEN'S CLUB TENNIS ....

ANDY RODDICK - LLEYTON HEWITT

NICOLAS MAHUT- IVO KARLOVIC

We are already on Roddick outright and today could be tough, with both players looking for a record breaking fifth win at the venue. It is hard to recall now, that Hewitt was dominant on the surface for a couple of years and to be honest,it seems like a lifetime ago. His best years are almost a decade back , last year was the first that he did not win a tournament in ten years and he ended 2008, by having surgery on his hip. He is clearly in the twilight of his career and not many fellow pros will mourn his eventual passing, as the Aussie is often discribed as being friendless on tour.

Hewitt has played 12 tournaments in 2009 and only got past the third round twice, losing to Roddick in the 4th round in Memphis and winning in Houston, however, that was a pretty poor event, played on US clay and the Australian didn't meet a top 50 ranked player and only one above 86. He really struggles to deal with the modern power game and despite trying to "bulk up", nothing has really worked in that regard, maybe he needs some tips from his sister, who is a now a bodybuilder, after trying her luck on the WTA (see photograph and the family resemblance).

I expect Roddick to progress today and will take a little on him to do so in straight sets. The number two seed has won the last three h2h meetings and also their only previous meeting on grass, which came here in 2004. Roddick has worked very hard on his fitness over the winter and has attempted to get back (successfully) to the weight he was when winning the 2003 US Open, this was the first demand put on Roddick by his current coach Larry Stefanki and the 26yo has shown great determination to do so and the benefits are there for all to see. We discussed his current form on Monday, so no point in going over all ground. First set will doubtless be tough, Hewitt still fights like a Jack Russell terrier, but once that is in the bag, it should be plain sailing.

5 points Roddick to win 2-0 in sets 1.83 + general quote.... bigger on the exchanges.

I think we have a fantastic bet in the Mahut-Karlovic match........ the rest of the post is restricted to subscribers the the email service..............

Good Luck.

FAROES LOOKING TO CLIMB UP FOOTBALL PYRAMID .....

FAROE ISLANDS-SERBIA

I really like the hosts getting a two goal start. Serbia will have to score three in order for us to lose this bet and I feel that is unlikely, despite the Isanders still being regarded in some quarters as "whipping boys".

The Faroes have tightened up considerably this campaign, drew 1-1 here with Austria and lost by the minimum margin to Romania, both games were 0-0 at the break. They lost 2-0 in the reverse fixture in Belgrade but the first goal took 30 minutes to come and was from a defensive error, the second not until the final two minutes of the game, their other away start was a 1-0 loss in Lithuania.

Former Irish boss Brian Kerr has taken charge of the team and has spent quite a bit of time with the players over his two month period at the helm, he will ceratinly have them well organised at the back. They will take great heart from the U21 team beating Russia last night and I feel that Serbia, who are missing Vidic, Jankovic and Stankovic, the trio have 150 caps between them, will be happy to just record the win and preserve their lead at the top of the table.

Also going to suggest a little on the double result ,given that the Faroes have not conceded until after the break in the previous two home group games and it will provide some very nice "cover", if they can once again go in level at half time.

Weather update: Quite high winds are forecast for later in the day (surprise, surprise), which will obviously favour the Islanders.

7 points Faroe Islands +2 goals 2.07 asian line.

2 points draw half time-Serbia full time 5.50 general quote..... a little 5.70 on the exchanges.

Good Luck.

WEDNESDAY .........

Very interesting day today and I have previewed four matches for subscribers, giving five selections. Confidence is high that we will continue the good recent run and I have unearthed some very nice priced "gems". I will post a couple of these on the blog later in the day.

There is a Tube strike in London, which is going to make it very difficult for football fans trying to get to Wembley, any of you that have been to the national stadium will know what I mean. Actually getting there might not be too bad, as you have all day to make the journey, getting home again will be next to impossible ! So expect only the most committed, or those willing to sit in the car park for two hours afterwards to make the trip, despite 70,000 tickets having been sold ! The joys of being a football fan in England !

The "off" season continues to get shorter, next week the fixture lists are revealed and my beloved Brentford report back for pre season training 1n just 18 days time !

Good Luck.

GOALS NOW COME IN CANNES !

INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLY

BOSNIA HERZOGOVINA- OMAN

This game is taking place in Cannes, France . Bosnia have played two warm up games this month, so should be fully tuned up for today and will name their strongest available squad, although several players are missing through injury. This is a very ambitious group, who are hopeful of qualifying for the finals of a major tournament for the first time in their history and are treating this seriously as a build cup for the World Cup games later in the year. They pose a terrific offensive threat and have scored 18 goals in their last five WC qualification games, including four in Belgium and seven at home to Estonia. They should win today against an Oman team that do well in familiar surroundings, but who struggle outside of their region. I am torn between backing B&H, who are rated 50 places higher in FIFA's world rankings, or taking the "over".

After a lot of deliberation, I have decided on the later. The favourites struggle to keep a clean sheet at the best of times and being without keeper Hasgic and key defender Nadarevic is hardly going to help in this regard. A few goals, plenty of entertainment for the locals, a win for Bosnia and everyone will leave reasonably happy.

5.5 points "over" 2.75 goals asian line.... currently 2.14.

Good Luck.

SUPER TUESDAY ..........

Super Tuesday ? Well I certainly hope so and if it is half as good as Monday, when all three football bets won and produced just shy of 20 points profit, then we will probably all be satisfied.

It is strange, but some of the most unlikely looking days turn out to be the most profitable.

Kaka has completed his move to Real Madrid for a reported £56m, we have discussed before my thoughts on Brazilian players over the age of 25-26, very few show any improvement over what should be the golden age of most footballers. Kaka might prove the exception, as he was something of a late starter due to injury, but it still seems like an awful lot of money for a 27 yo, especially for a club already debt laden. Only time will tell.

The EPL and the NBA, probably the two biggest sports leagues in the world, are looking at ways to form a marketing and commercial alliance to help them both expand into new international markets. Guess that both have an eye on Asia, which is the largest untapped market in the world and rumours are rife of Chinese investors looking to buy into a couple of NBA teams. Think that will not go down too well in the US, where they take much better care of their product. Soon we will reach the stage where every team in the EPL is owned by foreign investors and squads are almost completely made up of overseas players. This cannot be good for the long term future of the game and supporters will be left feeling more and more isolated from their national sport, attendances are already showing signs of decline in the top flight.

Back later.

GOALS IN PROSPECT ..........

SWEDEN SUPERETTAN

TROLLHATTAN- ANGELHOLM

SYRIANSKA - GIF SUNDSVALL

We touched upon Swedish football recently and the expectation of more goals, especially in Superettan through the mid summer months. This is something I have made good money from in past seasons and whilst we might still be a little early in the campaign, I do want to dip our toes back into the water today. There were four matches played in this division yesterday, all produced four or more goals, at an average of 4.75 per game.

The Syrianska-GIF fixture looks promising, hosts are averaging 3.2 goals for their home starts and will be looking for the three points that would take them into the promotion zone. GIF are averaging 3.2 on the road, so both teams are well above the league average of 2.57 (2.47 before yesterday) and the vistors will also move into sixth and promotion contention, with a win.

The other match is less obvious, Angelhom's road starts are producing a very healthy 3.6 goals per game, but the home side just 1.4 here and they have only scored four goals all season, including not at all in their last five. However, I think that they will be more adventurous tonight, they now find themselves in the drop zone and because of the mini-break, will not play at home again until July 5th. Three points could take them above four teams and give them some much needed breating space.

5.5 points Syrianska "over" 2.5 goals 2.08 asian line

2.5 points double Syrianska "over" 2.5 goals 2.08/ Trollhattan "over" 2.5 goals 2.13 asian line.

Good Luck.

TOULON U21 TOURNAMENT .....

FRANCE - CHILE

Both of these have qualified for the semi -finals, however, I suspect that each would like to avoid Argentina, who await the group runner-up, with the winners set to play the UAE. France need all three points to progress as group winners, any other result would see Chile take that honour.

Regardless of exact age, it seems that the South Americans in this age group are more advanced, they are "blooded" sooner and look more complete players. Chile have quite an experienced squad, they were beaten finalists in the tournament last year, are keen to go one better and would like to take the easier route, avoiding their neighbours. France have not overly impressed me so far, they have struggled to create much and needed an injury time goal to see off Qatar, which came as a surprise, as they had run out of ideas at that stage and adopted a hit and hope approach. Chile have scored four unanswered goals in their two games and look to pose the greater threat.I think that they are a great price getting the half goal start and that France have been priced so short, based purely on previous record in this event and home advantage, which I feel is limited in any case, with matches palyed in front of tiny crowds.

6 points Chile +1/2 ball 1.85 asian line.

Good Luck.

THE GREEN GREEN GRASS OF QUEEN'S ..........

ATP TOUR

QUEEN'S CLUB OUTRIGHT

ANDY RODDICK

It is difficult to make the transition from clay to grass, but Rafa broke the mould last year by winning both the French Open and Queen's in consecutive weeks and then going on to take the Wimbledon title. However, for others clay is just something you play on until the grass and hardcourt tournaments restart and Andy Roddick falls firmly into that category. Having said that, he played well at Roland Garros, recording three straight set wins and reaching the last 16 for the first time in his career.

2009 has seen a rejuventated Roddick, who is 30-7 for the year, five of those losses came against Federer (three times), Nadal and Murray and another on clay .The British player is the only one of the top 4 competing at Queens, no Brit has ever won the tournament and Murray is on the other side of the draw in any case, so we can worry about him on Sunday if necessary.

Roddick has a tremendous record here, since losing in the first round on his debut, he has played six times, winning four and losing in the semis on the other two occasions, giving him a 26-3 record. His draw does have a few "toughies" hidden away, but he is in his best form for a couple of years, on the opposite side of the draw to Murray ,loves everything about the place and is happy in London, so we have enough on "our" side to chance a little outright.

6 points Roddick 4.33 outright Bet 365/ Ladbrokes ..... similar odds on the exchanges.

Good Luck.

FRENCH OPEN TENNIS ..........

Just a few words about the Roland Garros final which has the potential to develop into a classic. I also sent subscribers a couple of other previews including a very strong football selection and a confident pick at odds of 14.0 +.

MEN'S FINAL

ROGER FEDERER - ROBIN SODERLING

Federer is a true champion and knows how to win and lose with equal good grace. It is a sign of what esteem he is held in, that whilst we all like to cheer for the underdog, almost everyone wants Fed-ex to win this and the career Grand Slam, in what would be his 14th major victory, bringing him level all time with Pete Sampras.

RF wants this desperately and it maybe be very difficult, for even such a great champion to recover, if he fails to claim the crown this afternoon. I think he will win, but also that all the pressure is on him and am sure he will be very nervous. In an interview yesterday he admitted that it was a long time since he had felt so uneasy before a big final.

Soderling has played incredibly well for two weeks, at his absolute peak, he has nothing to lose and although it will be him against Federer and 15,000 Parisians, I do feel that he is not the type to freeze and that he will push the favourite all the way.

I am taking the Swiss superstar to succeed, but with the loss of a set or two.

5 points Federer to win 3-1 sets 3.60 exchanges.

1.5 points Federer to win 3-2 sets 6.80 exchanges.

Good Luck.

SUNDAY .............

Uruguay's failure against Brazil took the cream off the cake for blog readers, after Kuznetsova's win earlier in the day, still a very nice profit of course, but a disappointing finish to a great day.

Subscribers did a little better as the four football previews sent yesterday showed a profit, so they got to keep all their gain from the tennis.

Actually, we got the best of the action with Uruguay, having backed them +1/4 ball 1.84, pre kick off they were trading as low as 1.94 level ball, so there was a profit there for the taking if you so wished.

The Kuznetsova odds were just wrong, very few players win a Grand Slam, until they do so, to even consider backing someone at circa 1.35, especially one who clearly suffers with nerves like Dinara Safina is pure madness ! I felt very sorry for Safina, despite being clearly distraught, she used every ounce of remaining energy to hold it together post match and conducted herself with great dignity, hopefully, big bro Marat was around to give her a hug afterwards. Lets hope that she takes one soon, but remember, that is now three major finals and she has yet to win a set.

The last seven days have been very good with winners at 5.0, 3.25, 2.13 etc and hopefully, I have found another gem (or two) today. Still finalising my selections for today, but think I have found something at very juicy double digit (10.0+) odds.

Back Later.

WORLD CUP QUALIFICATION .....

URUGUAY-BRAZIL

Hosts are my idea of the best bet of the day, I would have been even more confident if they were not without Diego Lugano and Christian Rodriguez, but still think they match up very well with this Brazil side and expect them to collect, at the very least , a point. Uruguay have never lost an official match to the visitors on home soil and are determined to hold on to that proud record. They currently sit in 5th place in the table, which would earn them a playoff spot, but sitting just two points off Argentina who are in fourth and with a healthy three point gap to the 6th placed team, they can afford to really go for it tonight, especially as they missed out via the playoff route in 2006.

Offensively they pose a big threat with Suarez and Forlan a pairing which would trouble most defences and they will take great heart from the reverse fixture which they eventually lost 2-1 in Sao Paulo. They led for 35 minutes that night and incredibly, outshot their hosts 11-2 !

This will be probably be very physical, Brazil can "mix it" with the best of them and would be happy to come away with another draw, they are 5-6-1 in qualification. To be able to bet a strong home side with a handicap start, when the visitors are happy with a point and who might already have half an eye on the midweek home meeting with group leaders Paraguay , is far too good an opportunity to pass up. Brazil have won just four of their last 15 World Cup qualification road games.

7 points Uruguay +1/4 ball 1.84 asian line.

Good Luck.

SATURDAY MORNING

Derry City and Shamrock Rovers both obliged last night and after a very poor month or so by my normal standards, we appear to be firmly back on track with an excellent last six days.

I have sent subscribers previews of four football matches today and will do my best to post something from that list on the blog later today.

Visitors to Roland Garros got very good value for money yesterday, viewing ten sets of superb men's semi-final action. We were close to a Soderling-del Potro final and anyone that tipped that pre tournament is the person to lead us out of this financial crisis and should immediately be moved into "number ten". However, Roger Federer found a way into his fourth consecutive French Open final and with no Rafa to face this time, will surely earn the final piece of his Grand Slam jigsaw, he will certainly have the crowd on his side, as del Potro was facing not jus Fed-ex, but also 15,000 Parisians.

I have already put up a bet (see below) for the Women's final and win or lose, still think that Kuznetsova is vastly over priced for all the reasons previously outlined. The treatment that she received during the Stosur game was only for a blister and nothing to do with the ankle "injury" she appeared to suffer in the match with Serena, which is not a cause for concern. Both players have had two days to prepare and I do not think that there will be any excuses on either side.

Having said that, neither is the greatest closer of a match and nerves will certainly play a part today. Safina was a set and 3-2 with a break up in the semis, against a clearly inferior player, yet still got very jittery, which included hitting one serve which bounced only half way up her own side of the court ! Quite how she will handle things today, especially at the business end, is anyone's guess.

Back later.

FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL .....

IRISH PREMIER DIVISION

CORK CITY- SHAMROCK ROVERS

SLIGO - DERRY CITY

I will have to make this quick, as I am very short of time having spent too long at the opticians, my eyes are shot after spending too much time on the computer !

I am siding with the two visiting teams this evening, that is never a bad thing in the Irish Premier, where home advantage seems minimal and this season 59% of games have ended in a draw or away win.

Shamrock Rovers are my strongest bet, they currently lie three points behind Cork and having closed the gap considerably in recent weeks, by virtue of an unbeaten run of five games, whilst Cork have lost their last two, will be loathe to let the gap increase again. Only Sean Webb is unavailable for Rovers, two others will face late tests, but are both expected to be fine.

Injuries have hit Cork hard recently and tonight the situation has got worse, Gamble, Mezeckis, O'Neill, Duggan and Lordan are all out, through injury or suspension. H2h record also gives us good reason for optimism, with four of the last seven meetings here ending all square.

Derry are up into third and sit one point behind Cork and four adrift of Bohemians, given that we expect the first named to struggle and with Bohemians facing a never easy trip to St Patricks, this is a great chance to make up some ground. They have been strong on the road all season with a 4-2-1 record, which includes three 3-0 wins, in such a tight league, those are inpressive stats and only leaders Bohs have scored more goals. They have not conceded in three visits here and Sligo are struggling to find any consistency, especially in the goal scoring department, failing to score in three of their last six at home.

This could be a big few weeks for Derry, after tonight they play the bottom three in consecutive weeks and will be eyeing up a push at top spot, if they can first get the three points at the Showgrounds.

6.5 points Shamrock Rovers +1/2 1.95 asian line

5.5 points Derry City -1/2 ball 2.10 + general quote.

Good Luck.

IT WAS A PRETTY FUNNY MOMENT BUT.....

Deep in the fourth set, with the Roland Garros semi-final between Robin Soderling and Fernando Gonzales on a knife edge, the Chilean hotly disputed a call, for what seemed like minutes, including berating both umpire and line judge, who was also wearing glasses which strangely made it more amusing ! At the conclusion, Gonzales made it very clear what he fought of the decision by sitting on court and removing the mark with his backside !

It was funny, but it did his opponent, who went on to lose the next two games and the set no favours and how can it go unpunished when players are pulled up for throwing a racquet, which is an instant and unpremeditated reaction. Somehow that just seems wrong.

I will be back shortly with a couple of brief previews for today's football.

US MLS ...........

DC UNITED - NEW YORK RED BULLS

I expect United to put in a big title challenge this season and a return to their form of 2006 and 2007, when they finished first in the East and won the MLS Supporters' Shield. Last year they missed out on the playoffs totally, but I think that much of that was because they were competing in far too many competitions and the number of games finally caught up with them, although they did win the US Open Cup.

This time round they have been playing well, but perhaps not collecting the number of points they have deserved. They have a 3-7-2 record, so far too many draws and arrive here on the back of only their second defeat of the season at New England. A game that was perhaps something of a microcosm of their season, they dominated the first half, hit the post twice, took the lead, missed any number of chances and then let things slip after the break. The game was heading towards another stalemate, before New England were awarded a hotly disputed injury time penalty. I watched the highlights this morning and maybe one referee in 25 would have awarded the spot kick, unfortunately for DC, he was the one in charge of this game !

That loss hurt United and they are eager to bounce back today against one of their favourite opponents. The Red Bulls are holding up the rest of the East and have been dire on the road, failing to score a single goal in five starts, collecting just one point. The clubs have already met twice this season, DC winning the reverse league fixture 3-2 in New York and despite fielding a weakened team, taking a US Open cup game 5-3 at RFK Stadium, just a few weeks ago. They raced into a 4-0 lead inside 30 minutes that night, before going into cruise mode, I do not expect it to be so easy this evening, but do feel that United will win.

Three points will see them close to within two of Chicago Fire, whom they host in their next start, at the top of the East and that will nicely set up the second half of the season. They are creating plenty of chances, only Ben Olsen is on the injury list and with a little more good fortune up front, should score enough to hand the short handed Red Bulls another road loss.

6.5 points DC United -3/4 ball 2.13 asian line.

Good Luck.

FRENCH OPEN TENNIS ....

SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA

I was very impressed with Kuznetsova yesterday and not just because she did us a big favour, she mixed her game up well and is one of the very few players on tour that can trade blows with Serena Williams and not come up short in the power department. She also moves very well and is incredibly quick around the court, Svetlana comes from a family of athletes, it is in her genes and shows !

Today she meets Samantha Stosur who is in her first ever Grand Slam semi-final, that she has made one at all is a major surprise, that it has come in Paris, is little short of miraculous. She only has a winning record on the surface because of her run this year at RG. I do not expect her to put up too much opposition, her high bouncing kick serve will not be so much of a weapon today and I will take a little on the Russian winning in double quick time, but am far more interested in the outright odds.

It seems very likely that she will meet the world number one, Dinara Safina in the final, which will be their third on clay this season. Kuznetsova winning in straight sets in Stuttgart, Safina doing likewise in Rome. Lifetime they have met seven times on dirt and SK leads 4-3, but Safina did take the spoils here last year in the semi-finals, I am not overly concerned by that, as "our" girl is playing much better now, but then to be fair,so too is her opponent.

However, lets look at Kuznetsova's record in Paris, in 2004 she had match points in the 4th round against eventual winner Myskina, in 2005 an identical story, 4th round match points against eventual champion Justine Henin. Almost got there in 2006 losing in the final to Henin, who at that time , was virtually unbeatable on the surface. In 2007 she lost in the quarters to last year's winner Ana Ivanovic and in 08 as already discussed, to Safina in the semis. She only loses to champions and without Henin around, she could easily be looking for her third and not first, Roland Garros title.

Of course, I accept that Safina has very simlar, some would say better claims and it would be hard to dispute that and also that after losing in two Grand Slam finals, that she is now due to win one. But her outright odds looking very skinny (sub 1.80), she has a tougher semi final game today too IMO and I would be very happy with 3.25 for Kuznetsova come the final, where I could only make Safina the narrowest of favourites at best. I think it is key that SK already has a "biggie" (US Open) in the bag in a final were nerves seem certain to play a part.

4.5 points Kuznetsova to win 2-0 sets v Stosur circa 1.85+ on the exchanges... 1.87 for small money.

8 points Kuznetsova outright 3.20 + on the exchanges .... 3.25 for small money is available.

Good Luck.

WEDNESDAY ......

SENT TO SUBSCRIBERS EARLY THIS MORNING

TOULON U21 TOURNAMENT

ARGENTINA - NETHERLANDS

The tournament gets underway today and we can probably expect a cautious opening in this game, with Egypt and UAE the other two countries in Group A, the two "bigger" name footballing nations, at least in world terms, will probably both fancy their chances to progress. That is one reason to side with the Netherlands who are getting a handicap start, but quite how Argentina have been made favourites at all, is a bit of a surprise and tough to understand. I fully accept that the South American side probably have a few gems in their squad and five of them are already signed to European sides, Ever Banega and Diego Perotti are two of the older and more experienced/known names, but this an incredibly young U21 side. 15 of the 20 were born in 1991 or 1992, four are barely 17 years old and this really looks like boys against men.

All of the Netherlands squad were born in either 88 or 89, all play their football in their native country and compared to Argentina are vastly experienced. Many of them are at least semi-regulars for their club teams, making ten or more starts this season, the Vitesse pair of van Wolfswinkel and Buttner have played 55 games between them ! This squad is therefore familiar with each other, has grown up together and 20-21yo players with ten + starts in the top flight are by no means a youth team, which is basically what their opponents are, regardless of ability.

I feel that the Dutch players will know a little too much and getting a start, they look a decent bet.

7 points Netherlands +1/4 ball 1.86 asian line.... NOW LEVEL BALL 1.77 !

Good Luck.

FRENCH OPEN TENNIS .......

MARIA SHARAPOVA- DOMINICA CIBULKOVA

These two have nothing to lose, both came to Paris with low expectations and are very happy to be in a quarter final. It is unknown ground for Cibulkova and for Sharapova, who has never been entirely happy on the surface, a bonus ahead of her main summer targets. I expect both to go for it, they have met twice before, both meetings were on clay and very close, with the more experienced Russian eventually winning through. She has been taken to three sets in every round here so far , playing 104 games, to reach the same stage tournament favourite Dinara Safina has been taken to just 53 !

Cibulkova looked very jolly in her post match interview, after seeing off Agnes Szavay comfortably on Sunday, she knows what to expect from Sharapova and is not the type to be overawed by the occasion. Despite being two years younger, she has played some 50% more matches on the surface than her opponent over the last few years and will know that she has to keep Sharapova moving. The russian's long legs can cover a lot of ground, but she changes direction about as quickly as the Titanic, another long day at the office is in store for her.

6 points "over" 22.5 games 1.83 + general quote.... 1.92 Pinnacle Sports.

Good Luck.

MONDAY UPDATE ..............

Steve Stricker won the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial (what a mouthful) in a three man play off, an incredibly exciting way for "our" man to win.

The Napoli game was not quite so fulfilling, to take "over" three goals and see the home team race into a 3-0 after 19 minutes makes you feel very smug. To watch another 71 minutes of scoreless football, is about as frustrating as football gets !

There you go, the highs and lows of gambling in one day !

Good Luck.

US PGA TOUR ...........

CROWNE PLAZA INVITATIONAL COLONIAL

This tournament is interestingly poised:

-17 Tim Clark

-15 Steve Marino

-15 Jason Day

-15 Steve Stricker

-13 Vijay Singh

-12 Justin Leonard

-12 Woody Austin

No golfer has won more money on the US Tour than Tim Clark, without winning a tournament. He has over $12m worth of earnings in the bank and has still not taken a single winner's cheque !

It will not surprise those of you that know my thinking about the mental side of golf, that until he records a victory, I would be very loathe to take him at such short odds (circa 2.50), a two stroke lead can disappear in the blink of an eye and I doubt that he slept very well last night. If he wins, he will probably go on an take another title almost immediately, which is the nature of these things, but until he does, we should look elsewhere.

Day and Marino are also without a win and I prefer Singh and Stricker. We discussed Vijay last week, to say that he is a prolific winner, would be a massive understatement and he is the player that everyone else will be looking for on the course. If he can start well and begin creeping up the leaderboard, I could see a lot of panic setting in at the top.

Stricker is a four time winner on tour, but is playing as well as at anytime in his career. He was leader after two rounds, setting a tournament record score for 36 holes, he slipped a little yesterday but I am not entirely sure that he was too bothered by that. He doesn't like to lead going into the final day, he has commented on this before and blew a big last day lead at the Bob Hope earlier this season. He is a fantastic ball striker and when he clicks, is capable of shooting very low scores. He is a proven weekend player when in contention, ranked in the top three for day 4 scoring in both 2006 and 2008 and I expect him to go close today.

5 points Stricker to win 4.50 + ...... 5.0 exchanges.

3 points Singh to win 9.50 Stan James.... 9.80 exchanges.

Good Luck.

ITALY........... SERIE A

NAPOLI -CHIEVO

I like the "over" here. Napoli really owe their fans a performance after a season which promised so much and I bought into the hype as much as anyone, has ended in utter disappointment. theyw ill want to send the supporters away for the summer with positive memories and with this being little more than a friendly, we will surely see goals. The hosts have scored and conceded in each of their last four starts. Chievo secured their future last week, in the "fixed" draw with Bologna and will doubtless welcome the chance to get back to their free scoring and open play, which saw them share four goals recently with both Genoa and Inter and six with Juve, where they really took the game to the Turin giants. I see no downside with this bet.

8 points "over" 3 goals 2.05 asian line.

BOLOGNA - CATANIA

Bologna will secure their Serie A status with a win, regardless of what happens elsewhere and will probably do so. If the news comes through that Torino are being trounced at Roma, the result here will be academic, but either way, they will be very keen to earn a goal, or two for top striker Marco Di Vaio, who is currently tied in the top scorer race with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who can be expected to notch one or two, with Inter hosting Atalanta. If you shop around Di Vaio will be a strong bet in the first goalscorer market, we discussed last week how these matches are often set up to help players in this position, but of course Bologna's survival must come first. Bet 365 offer 3.25 and payout each way on a unlimited number of places, which means we will get most of our stake back with a goal at anytime and that looks decent value.

6 points each way Di Vaio to score the first goal 3.25 1/3 odds a place Bet 365..... anything above 3.0 is acceptable.

Good Luck.

WE COULD BE IN FOR A LONG AFTERNOON AT WEMBLEY ...........

ENGLAND .....CUP FINAL

CHELSEA -EVERTON

I am not going to spend too long talking about this game, we all know the teams very well. The match will be played in very draining conditions , there is a little breeze around at present, but it is hot and sunny and in the Wembley cauldron the players will have to pace themselves. Both league meetings ended 0-0, in addition to which Everton held Manchester United 0-0 in the semi final and played a series of low scoring encounters with Liverpool earlier in the season, they are incredibly well coached and organised and a very tough team to break down. I think we might once again see this going the distance, but make the best bet, the 45 minute stalemate. Three of the last four finals have gone into extra time, the other was decided by a single goal.

6 points half time draw 2.375 general quote ... bigger in places.

1.5 points draw-draw double result (HT/FT) 5.50 general quote.

Good Luck.

NORTH OF THE BORDER ..............

SCOTTISH CUP FINAL

GLASGOW RANGERS - FALKIRK

Rangers are looking to complete their first cup and league double in six years after reclaiming the SPL title last weekend. They have stepped up a gear in recent weeks and took 25 points from a possible 27 to keep Celtic at bay. Falkirk had an emotional roller coaster of a day at Inverness last week, where victory preserved their SPL status, doubtless they celebrated at least as much as Rangers, probably more and can now enjoy their day in the limelight. They have underperformed against all the top six sides this season, collecting 82% of their meagre points tally against teams from the bottom half of the table.

I feel that the pressure is now off Rangers and that they can play without fear of Celtic breathing down their neck, they have an incredible record against Falkirk, winning all six meetings this season and all three last, by 7-2, 3-1 and 2-0 scorelines. It might be difficult for the underdogs to raise their game yet again and if the Gers take an early lead, they could easily run away with this. They will win and a two goal margin is the minimum I expect.

6.5 points Rangers -1.5 points 1.90 asian line.

Good Luck.

SPAIN .....LA LIGA ..........

DEPORTIVO LA CORUNA - BARCELONA

Barcelona travel without Messi, Alves, Milito, Iniesta, Puyol, Marques and a couple of others.

Obviously celebrations went on long into the night on Wednesday and again upon their return home. To play again just a couple of days later in a "meaningless" fixture is incredibly tough and to be honest, they need this game like another hole in their head. Hosts are very strong on home soil , where they are 10-5-3 and they have a very nice h2h record with the european champions here, winning six from ten starts. They started the season by beating last years champions Real and can end it by beating the newly crowned title holders. If any extra motivation was needed a win could also earn them a Europa League spot.

I like them very much to win this, but Barce do have a little to play for as they have an outside chance to become the all time high goalscorers in La Liga, if this has any appeal for them, this could develop into a very high scoring affair and we can take a little on a five goal plus thriller.

6.5 points Deportivo -1/2 ball 2.20 asian line.

2.5 points "over" 4.5 goals 4.70 exchanges.

Good Luck.

SATURDAY PLANS ....

I have a lot to pass on today and will be back later with previews of 3-4 matches, so please check back.

The FA Cup final looks set to be played in very draining conditions. The weather is hot and sunny in London and whilst there is a very nice breeze around at present, that is expected to die off come kick off time. Pitch temperatures will be much higher, the newly relaid surface is said to take a lot out of the players and fitness levels seem sure to be severely tested.

Back later.

NETHERLANDS PLAYOFFS..........

NAC - GRONINGEN

CAMBUUR-RODA JC

NAC beat Feyenoord twice and played well in the away leg, where they could adopt their favoured counter attacking style, which suits them so well. In the home tie, when they had to try and dictate the pace of the game, it was a very different story and they were outplayed. The presure is back on them tonight and the onus on NAC to attack, this should suit the visitors who have impressed in recent weeks, are set to be unchanged and have had the better of two earlier meetings in 2009. Winning at home in the league and sharing the spoils in a cup tie here in January. The league game win was only a couple of weeks ago, Groningen dominated and were value for far more than the 1-0 scoreline. At the outset of these playoffs they looked the best team and if they create half as many chances as Feyenoord did here, they will coast to victory.

5 points Groningen level ball 2.04 asian line.

I really think that Roda are up against it here. They are without three strikers in Matondo, Oper and van Torhout, with Cisse who would have probably led the front line on his own, now doubtful. In midfield, Vormer and De Jong are out and Delorge faces a late test. They will come to defend and hope that they can win the match in the second leg. Cambuur are a team with goals in them, will have fantastic home support and play on an artificial surface. All the advantages seem to be with the home team and we can back then getting a handicap start.

6.5 points Cambuur +1/4 ball 1.86 asian line.

Good Luck.

THURSDAY ......

Barcelona were worthy winners of the Champions League final, the whole team played well, with once again, Iniesta putting in an immense performance, what a twelve months he has had !

United had five decent chances in the first nine minutes, but after that barely a sniff and it is hard to win a football game when you can't get the ball !

Michel Platini got the result he wanted and looked very pleased with himself after the game, so much for the impartiality of UEFA !

Today is the busiest of the week so far (by a long way) and I have sent subscribers previews of five matches. I will put at least two of these on the blog later today, so please check back.

Good Luck.

TUESDAY ..........

With the Champions League final dominating the next couple of days, I have temporarily turned my attention to the French Open tennis and previewed two matches from there on today's email.

I have found two players to back at odds of circa 3.0 and 2.38, the first is facing an opponent, who has been struggling in training and was trounced by an opponent ranked outside the world top 300 in practice. This top ranked player is also about to change racquets and has been testing out new equipment, which has made it impossible for him to find any consistency in his game.

To be able to oppose him at such huge odds looks great value and shows you how profitable tennis betting can potentially be, if you do a little homework.

Returning to the Champions League final, as soon as the finalists were known, I put up a massive bet on United to win the cup, this was sent to subscribers on May 7th (reproduced below) and the odds were never going to last under the circumstances. Top quote is now 1.95.

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

MANCHESTER UNITED - BARCELONA

I have to put a big bet up on United, the oddsmakers have put them at odds against for the final and that is simply wrong. The best I can see leading up to the game is "pick em", so we should get on quick.

Barcelona are a great attacking force, but are very fragile at the back and will be further weakened in this department, by the suspension to both full backs, Daniel Alves and Eric Abidal. Rooney and Ronaldo would be licking their lips at the prospect of facing this first choice backline, let alone a patched up version.

Chelsea have shown United how to handle Barce's attacking threat and it is clear to me that the Catalan giants and Spanish teams in general, do not match up well with English teams in Europe, where they do not receive the same level of protection from the officials. In La Liga a hand on the shoulder is a yellow card and the number of red's shown is becoming farcical.

Anyway, very fine odds on United and they have to be taken for big stakes.

12 points Manchester United to win the cup 2.05 + ..... up to 2.12 available....... lots of liquidity @ 2.10.

Good Luck.

SUNDAY ...........

I sent this to subscribers early on Friday morning, obviously the value has gone in the anytime goalscorer selection, but the other bets are still attractively priced.

ITALY SERIE A

CAGLIARI- INTER MILAN

In Italy, the battle for Serie A top scorer ( capocannonieri) is always keenly followed and hard fought, clubs will do what they can to get one of their own this prestigeous award and try to set up the game accordingly. Please read the email post from this time last season (below in blue), to get an idea of what I mean.

Inter have already won the Scudetto and got most of the celebrations out of the way last week, they still have a home game to come next week, so can complete the party then, for now, they can concentrate on business, which is to help Zlatan Ibrahimovic win the capocannonieri.

Surprisingly, Di Vaio of Bologna leads with 23 goals, Zlatan has one less and Milito of Genoa 20, at present, we do not have to bother too much about the rest, although that might change before next weekend, when we might return to this market.

Cagliari have been involved in some high scoring matches recently, their last four have been "over" with an average of 4.75 goals, the only home fixture in that sequence was a 2-2 draw with Roma which I watched. It was end to end stuff and the scoreline could easily have been much higher. This really seems the ideal match up to engineer a goal or two for Zlatan.

There is nothing really "funny" about this, it just means that if there is a chance to score yourself, or to square the ball to the player in question, your team mates will not be too happy if you take the unselfish option. It goes without saying that Zlatan will be taking any penalties and free kicks around the area.

In a normal game, you would fancy him to score, under these circumstances it becomes must bet material.

So, Zlatan in the anytime goalscorer market is a given and the odds are win or lose, IMO, HUGE ! I will also take a decent bet on over 3 goals, at what looks juicy odds, I could very easily see this ending up 3-3 or something similar and to be honest, if Inter could lose 3-2 with "our" man scoring twice, I think they would settle for that.

Therefore, I will finish with a group of correct scores, obviously you need luck to hit one of these, but the 3-3 obliged last year and once again is overpriced under the circumstances.

More bookmakers will start quoting the goalscorer markets throughout today.

10 points Zlatan Ibrahimovic to score anytime 2.75 Bet 365 (NOW 1.83).... anything above 2.25 is backable .

8 points "over" 3 goals 2.05 asian line.

0.75 points Inter to win 3-2 correct score 34.0 general quote.

0.75 points Cagliari to win 3-2 correct score 41.0 general quote.

1.5 points 3-3 draw correct score 67.0 general quote.

SERIE A SAMPDORIA - JUVENTUS

I have three bets for this match, but make no excuses as, win or lose, they all offer fantastic value.This has been moved to saturday and, live on television, hopes will be high for an entertaining affair and I am certain, that it will be.

Two of Juve's favourite sons David Trezequet and Del Piero, along with Boriello of Genoa, are all level on 19 goals, in the race to become top scorer in Serie A. It is normal, in such matches, when clubs have no bigger motivation, for them to do what they can to get their players this prestigeous award. In Del Piero's case, they will bust a gut !

Trezequet has already won this once before and Del Piero, who is loved by all at the club, has not. I feel that the game will be set up/ played to give him every opportunity to score a couple of goals and put the pressure on Boriello, to do the same at Atalanta on Sunday.

Del Piero has been playing things down, but reading between the lines, this is something that he really wants. Surely this will be a high scoring affair and Sampdoria will want to get involved, the over 2.5 goals has been well backed in Italy this week and the asian line is likely to tumble later today. I have no qualms about taking over three goals there, as I see almost no downside to the wager.

Bet 365 have not done their homework here and offer silly prices, other companies might follow suit later in the day, but be quick, as odds will not last long.Juve have some defensive problems and the scoreline here could go very high 3-3. 4-4, 4-3 something similar, is not out of the question.

8 points Del Piero to score anytime 2.75 Bet 365.... 2.10 + is acceptable. WON

6 points over 3 goals asian line 2.01 ......... 2.075 Bet 365 WON

0.5 point 3-3 correct score 67.0 general quote 81.0 in places. WON !

Good Luck.

WEATHER WARNING !

There is a big yellow ball in the sky above London today and we are probably set for the hottest day of the year so far, which will make conditions very draining at Wembley for the playoff finals today and especially tomorrow, when temperatures are set to rise still further.

Hard to be sure exactly who this will favour, but both games, which look close on paper,could get very stretched in the second half and really open up. Just something to keep in mind if you are betting" in running".

Back later.

SCOTTISH SPL ...... ALL TO PLAY FOR ON THE FINAL WEEKEND .........

SCOTLAND SPL

INVERNESS CT- FALKIRK

I am not a great fan of ICT boss Terry Butcher, his short comings whilst at Brentford were all too apparent and his negative approach is not fun to watch. His team will survive another season in the SPL with a point, basement club Falkirk will save themselves and send Butcher's boys down in their place, with all three.

Falkirk have saved their best performances for the Cup this season and have a final against Rangers to look forward to, but this game is far more important. They have lost just once in six starts and at least know what they have to do, only a win will save them , ICT have the problem of whether to play for a draw or seek the cushion of a lead. Knowing Butcher, he will not be overly adventurous and I have to take the visitors getting the handicap start. They will be buoyed by a fine record here, winning 9 of 17 visits in the last decade, which included a cup win in early March. They also administered a 4-0 thumping in the reverse league fixture later that same month and travel with some confidence. They have proven themselves as a cup team and that is exactly what this has become. Some 1,000 + fans are expected to make the long trip north and the club have spent some of their cup windfall in providing free coach travel.

6 points Falkirk +1/4 ball 2.04 asian line.

Good Luck.