Last weekend turned out to be another profitable one on the prediction front with seven from ten correct forecasts providing a £4 profit and taking overall profits for the blog to £37.
The main successes were three from four premier league football predictions as well as identifying the Superbowl finalists from the Championship finals.
This weekend the main highlight for most Scots if not most Brits will be Andy Murray's attempt to win his first Grand Slam from his third such final and second consecutive in the Australian Open. Standing in his was is Novak Djokovic the Serb who won the title in 2008. In his previous two Grand Slam final appearances Murray has had to face the might of Roger Federer and the fact that he has avoided the Swiss as well as World Number 1 Rafael Nadal I think may be just the luck he needs to break his duck and am therefore predicting a win for the Scotsman.
The women's final features Belgian Kim Clijsters against the first Chinese woman (or man) to make a Grand Slam singles final Li Na. In this match I am going with experience and predicting a Clijsters win.
In English football the FA Cup fourth round will be the highlight of the weekend and I have made predictions for four of the games. There are a number of all premier league clashes this weekend and in the first of them at Everton I am predicting a win for Chelsea who appear to have found some form of late. In Birmingham Aston Villa host Blackburn and I'm going for a home win in this game, with my final all premiership prediction being the game at Craven Cottage where Fulham host Spurs and in this game I'm going for the away team - something to do with the ones in the year makes me think they could all the way!
My final FA Cup prediction is the game at Watford flying high in the Championship who host Brighton who are atop of the league below, and because of the league positions I'm going for a Watford win.
In Rugby Union the LV Cup continues and features the first game between English professional teams in Abu Dhabi when Wasps play Harlequins. Most of the top teams will be short of full strength as with the six nations only a week away their best players are with their respective national squads and this makes making predictions fairly difficult. However, for the London derby taking place in the Emirate I'm predicting a Quins win and for the game in Sale who host the Dragons, a team that has today suspended their head coach Paul Turner, I'm predicting a win for the team from the North West of England.
Back to Australia and the ODI cricket continues in Brisbane on Sunday. England can still salvage the series by winning all the remaining matches between the two sides and as such I think they will win on Sunday building on their success from Adelaide earlier in the week.
My final prediction takes us to American Football and the Pro-Bowl between teams representing the AFC and NFC conferences. Of course both teams will be shorn of players who will be playing in next week's Superbowl and again difficult to predict but I'm going for a win by the NFC.
In summary the predictions are as follows:
Australian Open Tennis
Murray to win the men's title at 11/8
Clijsters to win the women's title at 4/11
FA Cup Football
Chelsea to defeat Everton at 11/10
Aston Villa to beat Blackburn at 5/6
Spurs to win at Fulham at 7/5
Watford to beat Brighton at 10/11
LV Cup Rugby
Harlequins to beat Wasps at 10/11
Sale to defeat the Dragons at 1/4
ODI Cricket
England to beat Australia in Brisbane at Evens
American Football Pro-Bowl
NFC to triumph over the AFC at 8/9
Friday, 28 January 2011
Friday, 21 January 2011
NFL Championship Deciders & Last Heineken Cup Pool Games
A good result last weekend with seven correct predictions resulting in a £5 profit for the week and taking total profits to £33. The only slight disappointment was not predicting the spate of draws in the Premier League with all four games on Sunday ending in stalemate.
This week the predictions include the AFC and NFC Championship games which will identify the Superbowl participants, the last round of Heineken Cup games where a number of pools have already been decided, Barclays Premier League football and the third ODI cricket match between England and Australia.
My NFL predictions are for the Packers to defeat the Bears in Chicago and win the NFC Championship and for the Steelers to defeat the Jets in Pittsburgh for the AFC Championship.
In the Heineken Cup this year has again shown the benefit of home advantage and as such two of my three predictions are following that rule. I am therefore predicting Saracens to triumph over Clermont Auvergne, thereby denying the French team a best runner-up slot and for Ospreys to defeat Toulon who have already won the group and will probably not send out their A team. Northampton have also won their group and to ensure a home draw for the quarter finals I'm predicting that they will defeat Castres who cannot progress any further in this season's competition.
The Barclays Premier League continues this weekend and is still close at the top though it is probably a bit fanciful for Spurs to think they are in contention for top spot this season which I think will be fought out between the two Manchester sides as well as Arsenal. It is also tight at the bottom with West Ham still propping up the league but close enough to the clubs above them to be able to fashion an escape by May. I thought Liverpool would get their first win for Kenny Dalglish last week but that didn't happen so I'm chasing that result again when Liverpool visit Wolves. Arsenal should cruise to a comfortable win over Wigan at the Emirates and my other predictions are for draws at Everton who host West Ham and at Aston Villa who cannot play as badly against Manchester City as they did a few weeks ago and should be able to hold the Eastlands club.
Finally, England have started poorly in their ODI series against Australia but with the casualty list that is building up for the hosts I'm predicting England to gain their first win of the series in Sydney on Sunday.
In summary the predictions are as follows:
NFL
Packers to win the NFC Championship at 8/15
Steelers to win the AFC Championship at 8/15
Heineken Cup Rugby
Saracens to beat Clermont Auvergne at 1/2
Ospreys to defeat Toulon at 1/2
Northampton to win in Castres at 11/17
Barclays Premier League Football
Liverpool to win at Wolves at 25/19
Arsenal to defeat Wigan at 2/9
Everton to draw with West Ham at 10/3
Aston Villa to draw with Manchester City at 12/5
ODI Cricket
England to beat Australia in third match of series at 19/17
This week the predictions include the AFC and NFC Championship games which will identify the Superbowl participants, the last round of Heineken Cup games where a number of pools have already been decided, Barclays Premier League football and the third ODI cricket match between England and Australia.
My NFL predictions are for the Packers to defeat the Bears in Chicago and win the NFC Championship and for the Steelers to defeat the Jets in Pittsburgh for the AFC Championship.
In the Heineken Cup this year has again shown the benefit of home advantage and as such two of my three predictions are following that rule. I am therefore predicting Saracens to triumph over Clermont Auvergne, thereby denying the French team a best runner-up slot and for Ospreys to defeat Toulon who have already won the group and will probably not send out their A team. Northampton have also won their group and to ensure a home draw for the quarter finals I'm predicting that they will defeat Castres who cannot progress any further in this season's competition.
The Barclays Premier League continues this weekend and is still close at the top though it is probably a bit fanciful for Spurs to think they are in contention for top spot this season which I think will be fought out between the two Manchester sides as well as Arsenal. It is also tight at the bottom with West Ham still propping up the league but close enough to the clubs above them to be able to fashion an escape by May. I thought Liverpool would get their first win for Kenny Dalglish last week but that didn't happen so I'm chasing that result again when Liverpool visit Wolves. Arsenal should cruise to a comfortable win over Wigan at the Emirates and my other predictions are for draws at Everton who host West Ham and at Aston Villa who cannot play as badly against Manchester City as they did a few weeks ago and should be able to hold the Eastlands club.
Finally, England have started poorly in their ODI series against Australia but with the casualty list that is building up for the hosts I'm predicting England to gain their first win of the series in Sydney on Sunday.
In summary the predictions are as follows:
NFL
Packers to win the NFC Championship at 8/15
Steelers to win the AFC Championship at 8/15
Heineken Cup Rugby
Saracens to beat Clermont Auvergne at 1/2
Ospreys to defeat Toulon at 1/2
Northampton to win in Castres at 11/17
Barclays Premier League Football
Liverpool to win at Wolves at 25/19
Arsenal to defeat Wigan at 2/9
Everton to draw with West Ham at 10/3
Aston Villa to draw with Manchester City at 12/5
ODI Cricket
England to beat Australia in third match of series at 19/17
Thursday, 20 January 2011
Shunt - A Book Review
This week I have finished reading a biography of James Hunt - Shunt by Tom Rubython.
Whilst not the best sports biography that I have read it is well worth reading as it provides a comprehensive background to his life. For me James Hunt was the first F1 driver that I remember winning the World Championship and then was used to his co-commentary with Murray Walker from the 1980s through to his sudden death in 1993.
From my knowledge of James Hunt until I read the book I knew that he was a playboy and was very much part of the glamorous world of Formula 1 during the 1970s and I also felt that he had "lucked" into his World Championship win in 1976 due to the horrendous crash suffered by Niki Lauda at the Nurburgring that season. However, having read the book I now believe that he was fully deserving of his title and that it was a shame that he was never really in contention for a second title even with the three wins he achieved the following season, and this was partly due to his early retirement from the sport which was brought about because of the dangers all apparent in Motor Racing during his heyday. The death of his friend Ronnie Peterson in the 1978 Italian Grand Prix was the catalyst that he needed to make that decision.
What did become apparent from reading the book was that if Hunt was given the equipment he would always get the best from it and the number of wins and pole positions that he achieved in 1976 and 1977 go to confirm this. The main challenge that he faced was that in the late 1970s Formula 1 was very competitive with plenty of drivers and teams capable of winning Grand Prix, technology (particularly aerodynamics) were becoming far more significant in the development of cars and from the leadership of Bernie Ecclestone the whole sport was starting to become far more professional and moving away from it's more Corinthian beginnings.
All of these issues are covered in some detail in the book which is why it is a must read for any Formula 1 fan whatever you may think of Hunt himself.
As for Hunt as a person for most of the book he does not endear himself to the reader because of his hedonistic excesses for much of his life but by the end of the book and therefore his life he appeared to have grown up, and the fact that he was not just acquainted with but was popular with so many of the "Great and the Good" of F1 it does suggest he was a very charming and personable man - good friends included Bernie Ecclestone, Prof. Sid Watkins, Stirling Moss, Jackie Stewart, Ayrton Senna and Niki Lauda.
It is really for the reader to make their own decisions as to whether he was a spoilt brat or was actually a genuinely likable human being but want cannot be questioned is his undoubted talents as a racing driver.
The book itself is generally well researched and written but frustratingly there are a few typing errors particularly when it comes to numbers and dates which can make it feel a bit confusing at times - my impression is that it was rushed into print without the editing process being properly completed - but that is a minor point. The author in the headline of his preface suggests the book is "A nonfiction book that reads like a novel', a description that I disagree with however unbelievable some of the antics Hunt got up to may appear to some. If as a reader you want to read such a sports biography I suggest Sex, Lies and Handlebar Tape by Paul Howard which chronicles the life of Jacques Anquetil who was the first man to win five Tours France, a book I reviewed about 18 months ago (http://stanonsport.blogspot.com/2009/07/sex-lies-and-handlebar-tape-book-review.html).
So in summary for anyone interested in James Hunt or Formula 1 in the 1970s this is a must read book.
The book is published by Myrtle in the UK.
Whilst not the best sports biography that I have read it is well worth reading as it provides a comprehensive background to his life. For me James Hunt was the first F1 driver that I remember winning the World Championship and then was used to his co-commentary with Murray Walker from the 1980s through to his sudden death in 1993.
From my knowledge of James Hunt until I read the book I knew that he was a playboy and was very much part of the glamorous world of Formula 1 during the 1970s and I also felt that he had "lucked" into his World Championship win in 1976 due to the horrendous crash suffered by Niki Lauda at the Nurburgring that season. However, having read the book I now believe that he was fully deserving of his title and that it was a shame that he was never really in contention for a second title even with the three wins he achieved the following season, and this was partly due to his early retirement from the sport which was brought about because of the dangers all apparent in Motor Racing during his heyday. The death of his friend Ronnie Peterson in the 1978 Italian Grand Prix was the catalyst that he needed to make that decision.
What did become apparent from reading the book was that if Hunt was given the equipment he would always get the best from it and the number of wins and pole positions that he achieved in 1976 and 1977 go to confirm this. The main challenge that he faced was that in the late 1970s Formula 1 was very competitive with plenty of drivers and teams capable of winning Grand Prix, technology (particularly aerodynamics) were becoming far more significant in the development of cars and from the leadership of Bernie Ecclestone the whole sport was starting to become far more professional and moving away from it's more Corinthian beginnings.
All of these issues are covered in some detail in the book which is why it is a must read for any Formula 1 fan whatever you may think of Hunt himself.
As for Hunt as a person for most of the book he does not endear himself to the reader because of his hedonistic excesses for much of his life but by the end of the book and therefore his life he appeared to have grown up, and the fact that he was not just acquainted with but was popular with so many of the "Great and the Good" of F1 it does suggest he was a very charming and personable man - good friends included Bernie Ecclestone, Prof. Sid Watkins, Stirling Moss, Jackie Stewart, Ayrton Senna and Niki Lauda.
It is really for the reader to make their own decisions as to whether he was a spoilt brat or was actually a genuinely likable human being but want cannot be questioned is his undoubted talents as a racing driver.
The book itself is generally well researched and written but frustratingly there are a few typing errors particularly when it comes to numbers and dates which can make it feel a bit confusing at times - my impression is that it was rushed into print without the editing process being properly completed - but that is a minor point. The author in the headline of his preface suggests the book is "A nonfiction book that reads like a novel', a description that I disagree with however unbelievable some of the antics Hunt got up to may appear to some. If as a reader you want to read such a sports biography I suggest Sex, Lies and Handlebar Tape by Paul Howard which chronicles the life of Jacques Anquetil who was the first man to win five Tours France, a book I reviewed about 18 months ago (http://stanonsport.blogspot.com/2009/07/sex-lies-and-handlebar-tape-book-review.html).
So in summary for anyone interested in James Hunt or Formula 1 in the 1970s this is a must read book.
The book is published by Myrtle in the UK.
Saturday, 15 January 2011
Derbies & Top of The Table Clashes
I can't believe this is my 200th post!! Last week's predictions were fairly average as I correctly forecast five from ten correct results leading to a 50p profit for the week and taking total profits to £28.
This week is a similar range of sports being covered but with the football reverting back to the Barclays Premier League and the rugby being the fifth round of Heineken Cup games.
In the premier league there are a host of local derbies this weekend as well as the opportunity for Manchester City to go top of the table. My first prediction is for Manchester City to do just that by beating Wolves today. In the derbies tomorrow I'm predicting a draw in the second city between Birmingham and Aston Villa, a win for Wearside over Tyneside with Sunderland to defeat Newcastle and Kenny Dalglish to get his first win since his return as Liverpool Manager by beating Everton. Potentially the best match of the weekend should be in North London where Spurs host currently unbeaten and table toppers Manchester United and in this game I'm hedging my bets and going for a draw.
This weekend will go a long way towards deciding the quarter finalists in the Heineken Cup and my three predictions are for Leicester to win at Llannelli, the Ospreys to defeat London Irish who have been on a very poor run of form lately and finally in what should be a super match Toulon to beat Munster.
The playoffs in the NFL are well underway and there was a cracking match last week as the Jets narrowly defeated the Colts in the last couple of seconds of the game and I think all the matches will be close again this weekend. My two predictions are for the Steelers to see off the challenge from the Ravens and the Packers to triumph in Atlanta at the Falcons.
In summary the predictions are as follows:
Premier League Football
Manchester City to beat Wolves at 7/19
Birmingham to draw with Aston Villa at 12/5
Sunderland to defeat Newcastle at 11/10
Liverpool to beat Everton at 13/10
Spurs to draw with Manchester United at 12/5
Heineken Cup Rugby
Leicester to win at the Scarlets at 1/2
Ospreys to win at London Irish at 7/11
Toulon to defeat Munster at 3/5
NFL Playoffs
Steelers to beat the Ravens at 10/17
Packers to win at the Falcons at 11/10
This week is a similar range of sports being covered but with the football reverting back to the Barclays Premier League and the rugby being the fifth round of Heineken Cup games.
In the premier league there are a host of local derbies this weekend as well as the opportunity for Manchester City to go top of the table. My first prediction is for Manchester City to do just that by beating Wolves today. In the derbies tomorrow I'm predicting a draw in the second city between Birmingham and Aston Villa, a win for Wearside over Tyneside with Sunderland to defeat Newcastle and Kenny Dalglish to get his first win since his return as Liverpool Manager by beating Everton. Potentially the best match of the weekend should be in North London where Spurs host currently unbeaten and table toppers Manchester United and in this game I'm hedging my bets and going for a draw.
This weekend will go a long way towards deciding the quarter finalists in the Heineken Cup and my three predictions are for Leicester to win at Llannelli, the Ospreys to defeat London Irish who have been on a very poor run of form lately and finally in what should be a super match Toulon to beat Munster.
The playoffs in the NFL are well underway and there was a cracking match last week as the Jets narrowly defeated the Colts in the last couple of seconds of the game and I think all the matches will be close again this weekend. My two predictions are for the Steelers to see off the challenge from the Ravens and the Packers to triumph in Atlanta at the Falcons.
In summary the predictions are as follows:
Premier League Football
Manchester City to beat Wolves at 7/19
Birmingham to draw with Aston Villa at 12/5
Sunderland to defeat Newcastle at 11/10
Liverpool to beat Everton at 13/10
Spurs to draw with Manchester United at 12/5
Heineken Cup Rugby
Leicester to win at the Scarlets at 1/2
Ospreys to win at London Irish at 7/11
Toulon to defeat Munster at 3/5
NFL Playoffs
Steelers to beat the Ravens at 10/17
Packers to win at the Falcons at 11/10
Friday, 7 January 2011
FA Cup & More Predictions
2011 has started well for England's cricketers having sealed the Ashes series win in Sydney, with a host of records being broken and also ensuring that my first predictions of the year started with a profit. The England win was one of six correct predictions from the last week of sport and resulted in a profit of £1 on the week and taking overall profit to £27.50.
This week predictions will be based on FA Cup football which hits the third round stage and the entry of teams from the Premier League and Championship, Aviva Premiership rugby and the NFL which has now reached the play-off stage.
In my FA Cup predictions all of the fixtures I have chosen include at least one premiership side, and most with opponents from the Championship. Arsenal take on Leeds at the Emirates and whilst the North Londoners have struggled at home to former Championship teams this season I think they will win this one as Leeds concentrate on a return to the top tier of English football. Championship leaders travel to Blackburn who had a good win over Liverpool earlier in the week but I think this will be a draw. Wolves who had a massive win over Chelsea on Wednesday travel to Yorkshire to take on Doncaster and I'm forecasting a win for the Premiership team.
Sunday's encounters include a big North West derby as Manchester United the premiership leaders host Liverpool and in this match I'm predicting the form team will win. United's main rivals and City neighbours travel to Leicester managed by former City and England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson and because his departure left a bitter taste he will have his team up for this game and I'm predicting a draw.
In the Aviva Premiership there were some strange results last week, but I'm predicting more normality this weekend with a trio of home wins as Leicester in second place entertain leaders Northampton, Saracens entertain London Irish who are on a long losing streak and Sale travel to Newcastle with both teams needing a victory.
The regular NFL season was completed last weekend and this weekend plays host to the wildcard play-off games. My two predictions are for the Colts who entertain the Jets to win and the Packers who travel to the Eagles to also triumph.
In summary the predictions are as follows:
FA Cup Third Round
Arsenal to defeat Leeds at 4/11
Blackburn to draw with QPR at 28/11
Doncaster to lose to Wolves at 7/4
Manchester United to beat Liverpool at 8/13
Leicester to draw with Manchester City 3/1
Aviva Premiership Rugby
Newcastle to defeat Sale at 7/11
Leicester to beat Northampton 4/9
Saracens to beat London Irish 2/5
NFL Playoffs
Colts to beat the Jets at 14/19
Packers to win at the Eagles at 5/4
This week predictions will be based on FA Cup football which hits the third round stage and the entry of teams from the Premier League and Championship, Aviva Premiership rugby and the NFL which has now reached the play-off stage.
In my FA Cup predictions all of the fixtures I have chosen include at least one premiership side, and most with opponents from the Championship. Arsenal take on Leeds at the Emirates and whilst the North Londoners have struggled at home to former Championship teams this season I think they will win this one as Leeds concentrate on a return to the top tier of English football. Championship leaders travel to Blackburn who had a good win over Liverpool earlier in the week but I think this will be a draw. Wolves who had a massive win over Chelsea on Wednesday travel to Yorkshire to take on Doncaster and I'm forecasting a win for the Premiership team.
Sunday's encounters include a big North West derby as Manchester United the premiership leaders host Liverpool and in this match I'm predicting the form team will win. United's main rivals and City neighbours travel to Leicester managed by former City and England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson and because his departure left a bitter taste he will have his team up for this game and I'm predicting a draw.
In the Aviva Premiership there were some strange results last week, but I'm predicting more normality this weekend with a trio of home wins as Leicester in second place entertain leaders Northampton, Saracens entertain London Irish who are on a long losing streak and Sale travel to Newcastle with both teams needing a victory.
The regular NFL season was completed last weekend and this weekend plays host to the wildcard play-off games. My two predictions are for the Colts who entertain the Jets to win and the Packers who travel to the Eagles to also triumph.
In summary the predictions are as follows:
FA Cup Third Round
Arsenal to defeat Leeds at 4/11
Blackburn to draw with QPR at 28/11
Doncaster to lose to Wolves at 7/4
Manchester United to beat Liverpool at 8/13
Leicester to draw with Manchester City 3/1
Aviva Premiership Rugby
Newcastle to defeat Sale at 7/11
Leicester to beat Northampton 4/9
Saracens to beat London Irish 2/5
NFL Playoffs
Colts to beat the Jets at 14/19
Packers to win at the Eagles at 5/4
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