This weekend sees the climax of the Premier League football season and the Heineken Cup final in Rugby Union as well as golf's World Matchplay, a continuation of Rugby League's Challenge Cup not forgetting that the F1 Grand Prix circus is now firmly encamped in Europe at Barcelona.
Last weekend saw a better number of predictions with six correct but still resulted in a £1 loss for the weekend taking profits on the blog down to just £2. Yet again it was the unpredictability of the Premier League which was my downfall and if honest I don't hold out much hope for this weekend as five teams battle to avoid the remaining two relegation places with those teams points, goal difference and goals scored being evenly matched!
My first prediction of the week is for my own sport of Rugby Union as the Heineken Cup Final takes place this afternoon between Leinster and Northampton. The Irish team are justifiably favourites when you look at both their form and the world class international backs that they have in the team including perhaps the best player of the Millennium so far in Brian O'Driscoll. However, Northampton who were perhaps unlucky to lose their Aviva Premiership semi-final last weekend at Leicester, particularly as they should have only been playing 14 men for the majority of the game, have come together as a team this season and have some classy match winners of their own, not least the England pairing of Ashton and Foden. Therefore my prediction is for the East Midlanders to win a tight game.
Manchester may have had a successful weekend for both it's football clubs last weekend as United won the Premier League and their City neighbours won the FA Cup, but this weekend all eyes are on the relegation battle which is closer than I can ever remember. West Ham will be playing Championship football next season after throwing away a winning position at fellow strugglers Wigan last week and this week there are five clubs who battling to avoid being the two clubs to join them.
Blackpool undoubtedly have the toughest task as they travel to League champions Manchester United and I'm predicting the home side to win almost certainly condemning the Tangerines to relegation after just one entertaining season in the top flight. Wigan travel to Stoke in a game that I think may be a draw which may be just enough to stay up as I think Birmingham who have been in freefall for the last couple of months travel to Tottenham who will want to seal fifth place and European football next season. Finally, Wolves and Blackburn meet at Molineux and with both teams having beaten the 40 point mark would have hoped to have been safe before this weekend but depending on other results one of them can go down. My prediction is for Wolves to win but I think Blackburn may just survive though I wouldn't be disappointed if they did get relegated following what appears to have been an unwarranted sacking of their manager Sam Allardyce halve way through the season.
All I do know is that it will be an extraordinary couple of hours of football tomorrow afternoon and there will be many very nervous supporters in Lancashire and the West Midlands!
Golf's World Matchplay has been underway for a couple of days and is also looking difficult to predict but my forecast for this is for Englishman Luke Donald to triumph.
The Challenge Cup in Rugby League continues this weekend and the top teams are now meeting each other. My two predictions are for away wins with Castleford at Wakefield and Wigan at Bradford.
Finally, the qulaifying for the Spanish Grand Prix is about to get underway in Barcelona it is difficult to see past a Red Bull win. Whilst Vettel has been imperious through the season so far, his teammate Webber has been improving and I think it may be Vettel's turn for some bad luck this weekend so I'm predicting the Australian to win with Hamilton to get his McLaren into the top three.
My summary of predictions is therefore as follows:
Heineken Cup Rugby
Northampton to beat Leinster at 14/5
Barclays Premier League
Manchester United to beat Blackpool at 4/7
Stoke to draw with Wigan at 13/5
Spurs to beat Birmingham at 4/7
Wolves to beat Blackburn at 6/5
World Matchplay Golf
Luke Donald to win at 9/2
Rugby League Challenge Cup
Castleford to beat Wakefield at 11/17
Wigan to beat Bradford at 1/10
Spanish F1 Grand Prix
Webber to win at 7/2
Hamilton to podium at 18/19
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