A second poor week on the trot again with last week's predictions! Only three correct leading to a loss of £4.50 and taking the blog's profits down to £21 since it began.
The isolated successes were led by England's rugby triumph over Australia in what was one of the best performances seen at Twickenham by England in a few years. The only other correct predictions were the predictable success of David Haye retaining his world boxing title against Audley Harrison and Spurs finding some league form in the Barclays Premiership to defeat Blackburn.
This week the Autumn rugby internationals continue, premier league football has a full schedule and to round of my predictions I am once again dipping into a couple of US sports - NASCAR and American Football.
Starting with the rugby there are some fairly poor odds available on outright results and so I am going for some spreads on the wins. Firstly, Wales take on Fiji at the Millennium stadium this evening and my prediction is a home win by more than 13 points. At Twickenham, a relatively unchanged and unscathed side after last weeks heroics see England host Samoa and I'm going for the English by between 21 and 30 points to win. In Dublin the Irish host the All Blacks who were imperious in their defeat of the Scots at Murrayfield last weekend and I can't see beyond them winning all of their matches against the home nations and am therefore predicting a win for the New Zealanders by more than 13 points.
The Barclays Premiership is now a third of the way complete and whilst most of the top teams are where would be expected there has been no stand-out team this season. Chelsea sit on top of the league and after their blistering start they have stumbled to a number of losses recently, Manchester United may be unbeaten but they have become draw specialists, particularly away from home, Arsenal look genuine title contenders one week and then lose at home the next, Manchester City neither look like a team nor confident in their ability to be an attacking force, Spurs can't keep a clean sheet and Liverpool's mini-renaissance was ended last weekend and now they have to perform without captain Gerrard for a few weeks.
Therefore making predictions has become more guesswork based than ever but it won't stop me. The big match is the North London derby at the Emirates and whilst my head says an Arsenal win and heart a Spurs triumph I am going to settle on a draw. Blackpool have surprised many this season with their attacking brand of football and whilst they haven't been great at home I'm predicting them to beat Wolves, Manchester United should beat Wigan at Old Trafford and in perhaps the most intriguing match Manchester City travel to their former managers new charges at Fulham, a game I think has draw written all over it and more pressure building on Mancini.
In the US it is the final race of the NASCAR season with three drivers in with a shout of the title. Having followed most of the season when possible (shame Sky no longer have live coverage), it is tough to call but in the last few races Denny Hamlin seems to have got the measure of Jimmie Johnson and I am going for Hamlin to win the title (if not the race).
Finally, even though my American Football predictions have been pretty rubbish in the past I will make up the numbers with a couple more this week. Firstly I am predicting the Packers to triumph at the Vikings and secondly going for the 49ers to defeat the visiting Buccaneers.
In summary the predictions are as follows:
Rugby Union Autumn Internationals
Wales to defeat Fiji by more than 13 points at 4/9
England to beat Samoa by between 21 and 30 points at 9/4
All Blacks to triumph over Ireland by more than 13 points at 8/13
Barclays Premiership Football
Arsenal to draw with Spurs at 16/5
Blackpool to beat Wolves at 8/5
Manchester United to defeat Wigan at 1/4
Fulham to draw with Manchester City at 23/10
NASCAR
Denny Hamlin to win championship at 8/13
American Football
Packers to win at the Vikings at 10/17
49ers to defeat the Buccaneers at 6/11
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