Spanish Super Cup Final

<p><span face="Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #161616; font-size: 2rem;">Spanish Super Cup Final: Benzema and Real Madrid will take Bilbao's crown</span></p><p><span face="Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 700;">Dan Fitch thinks that Real Madrid will win narrowly against the Spanish Super Cup holders Athletic Bilbao and is also backing Karim Benzema to get on the scoresheet.</span></p><h2 style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; color: #161616; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.5rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.25; margin: 0px 0px 0.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Real prevail in competitive El Clasico semi</strong></h2><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">Real Madrid came through a competitive <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">El Clasico</strong> to book their place in the final of the Spanish Super Cup.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">Many, included this writer, expected Madrid to make light work of their rivals <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Barcelona</strong>. Instead, beleaguered Barca put up a fight, twice coming from behind to take the game into extra time, before a winner from Federico Valverde sealed a 3-2 win.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">In-form forwards <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Vinicius Junior</strong> and Karim Benzema scored Real's first two goals. Benzema in particular was a constant menace and his goal was something that I did correctly predict for Wednesday's match. Not that there's was anything unpredictable about the French striker finding the net. Benzema now has 23 goals in 26 games across all competitions this season.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">Mariano Diaz and Gareth Bale were the only injured players unavailable to Carlo Ancelotti for the match against Barcelona. They will be joined on the sidelines by <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Dani Carvajal</strong>, who has tested positive for Covid.</span></p><h2 style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; color: #161616; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.5rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.25; margin: 0px 0px 0.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Cup specialists make another final</strong></h2><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">The Super Cup holders <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Athletic Bilbao</strong> have a chance to hold onto their crown, having beaten Atletico Madrid in the second semi-final.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">With appearances in the last two <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Copa del Rey</strong> finals and now two successive Super Cup finals, Bilbao are earning a reputation as specialists in knockout competitions. Due to their unique recruitment restrictions, success in La Liga is always going to be difficult, but Bilbao's defensive prowess makes them a difficult team to beat in cups.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">Despite being position in ninth place in La Liga, Bilbao have the third best defensive record in Spain, conceding only 17 goals in 21 games. They've only scored 20, yet were able to mount a comeback after going 1-0 down against Atletico, with Yeray Alvarez equalising before the substitute <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Nico Williams</strong> scored the winner in the 81st minute.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">Unai Nunez and Unai Vencedor were not named in <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Marcelino's</strong> 24-man squad, as they both have injuries.</span></p><h2 style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; color: #161616; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.5rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.25; margin: 0px 0px 0.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Bilbao not watertight over recent weeks</strong></h2><div><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">Real Madrid are the favourites at <b class="inline_odds" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border-radius: 4px; border: 0px; color: #161616; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 3px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" title="5/7"><span class="inline_odds__decimal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1.7</span></b>, with the draw at 4.1 and Athletic Bilbao at <b class="inline_odds" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border-radius: 4px; border: 0px; color: #161616; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 3px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" title="4/1"><span class="inline_odds__decimal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">5.2</span></b>.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">There's not much value in backing Real to win in 90 minutes at that price. Bilbao have proved how difficult they are to beat in one-off games and come into this match in good form.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">Athletic have only lost one of their last six games (W4 D1) and that was a narrow 2-1 defeat against Real Madrid just before Christmas. Though one would expect Bilbao to try and keep it tight, the goals have actually been flowing at both ends during those last six games.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">In the match against Madrid, all three goals were scored within ten minutes and with 17 goals being scored in total over Bilbao's last six games, that's an average of 2.83 goals per match. If backing a Madrid win, adding a caveat of there also being over 1.5 goals boosts the price to 2.05, while a Real Madrid win and over 2.5 goals sends the odds to <b class="inline_odds" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border-radius: 4px; border: 0px; color: #161616; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 3px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" title="8/5"><span class="inline_odds__decimal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">2.6</span></b>.</span></p><h2 style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; color: #161616; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.5rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.25; margin: 0px 0px 0.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">Benzema available at generous odds</span></h2><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">Benzema scored both goals in the 2-1 win for Real Madrid against Athletic in December. He also scored the winner against Bilbao at the Bernabeu earlier this season.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">In total, he's scored 17 goals in 26 games against Athletic. Benzema always seems available at much bigger prices than other elite strikers and in his current form, odds of <b class="inline_odds" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border-radius: 4px; border: 0px; color: #161616; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 3px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" title="6/5"><span class="inline_odds__decimal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">2.2</span></b> for him to find the net look generous.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhWpmC9aTa1MIAHdZdPiIpGcHz1UH1orKbIqP_HAgSDwHAcmuAUBjrLPjWfhH8158P_2lHeALcRdwUDF6RdZKZIJveLrxng4yY70o4Pcvzj_s2JudBY0XkEGg9sOPxaZ5L1Nd9RY-rklM/" style="background-color: white; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="538" data-original-width="956" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhWpmC9aTa1MIAHdZdPiIpGcHz1UH1orKbIqP_HAgSDwHAcmuAUBjrLPjWfhH8158P_2lHeALcRdwUDF6RdZKZIJveLrxng4yY70o4Pcvzj_s2JudBY0XkEGg9sOPxaZ5L1Nd9RY-rklM/w640-h360/image.png" width="640" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white;"><br /><br /></span></div><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><br /><p></p></strong></div>

Spanish Super Cup Final

Spanish Super Cup Final: Benzema and Real Madrid will take Bilbao's crown Dan Fitch thinks that Real Madrid will win narrowly against th...

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West Ham vs Leeds

<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #161616; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 2rem;">West Ham vs Leeds: Different competition, same result for Hammers</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 700;">For the second straight Sunday, Leeds travel to London to play West Ham. Ben Steele expects a similar outcome to last week's FA Cup tie...</span></p><h2 style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; color: #161616; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.5rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.25; margin: 0px 0px 0.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Expect goals as wingers flourish</strong></h2><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">In recent weeks the story around West Ham has been the sensational form of <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Jarrod Bowen</strong> and <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Manuel Lanzini</strong>, the two men have scored six of the team's last seven goals, and were both in the scoresheet as the Hammers knocked Leeds out of the FA Cup last week.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">Bowen was excellent in midweek, scoring both goals in their 2-0 win over Norwich City, and will fancy his chances against a Leeds side who have struggled to keep opponents out this term. In all competitions <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Marcelo Bielsa's</strong> side have kept three Premier League clean sheets, and have conceded 21 in their last seven games.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">While that record is perhaps a touch misleading, a 7-0 loss to Manchester City contributing a third of those goals, they have certainly had problems defensively. Fortunately for Bielsa, they have a prolific winner of their own to worry their hosts.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;"><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Raphinha</strong> has eight goals this season, six more than any teammate, and has been the subject of a number of admiring glances from the likes of Liverpool this season. The Brazilian started on the bench last week and Leeds struggled to consistently threaten, he will certainly return to the lineup on Sunday and will be relied upon to worry a West Ham side who have conceded the most goals of the top six.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">Leeds games are notoriously very open affairs and both Bowen and Raphinha are a huge threat to score, particularly on the break. A Bet Builder of both men to score anytime is very nicely priced @ 10.67.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;"><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></strong></span></p><h2 style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; color: #161616; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.5rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.25; margin: 0px 0px 0.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://www.betfair.com/sport/football/english-premier-league/west-ham-v-norwich/31154063" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border-bottom-color: rgb(255, 184, 12); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; color: #161616; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"></a>Cresswell returning adds set piece threat</strong></h2><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">West Ham's defence received a major boost on Wednesday night with fullback <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Aaron Cresswell</strong> returning from a spell on the sidelines. The 32-year-old had missed the last 10 games with a back injury and was well covered by <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Ben Johnson</strong> but while his impact on the defence is a great sign for <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">David Moyes</strong> his set piece delivery could arguably have a bigger impact.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="cresswell-west-ham.jpg" class="mt-image-center" height="720" src="https://betting.cdnppb.net/football/cresswell-west-ham.600x338.jpg" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; display: block; font: inherit; height: auto; margin: 0px auto 20px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;" width="1280" /></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">The likes of <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Bowen, Lanzini</strong> and <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Pablo Fornals</strong> have rotated corner and free kick duties but Cresswell will slot back in as the senior taker and with a number of aerials threats the Hammers will fancy their chances.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">Four different West Ham centre-backs have found the net this season, all from corners, and the addition of <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Tomas Soucek</strong> and <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Declan Rice</strong> provides two more excellent threats.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">Leeds have had their own set piece struggles this season too so it certainly looks as though Cresswell could make a difference. The fullback is <b class="inline_odds" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border-radius: 4px; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 3px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" title="11/4"><span class="inline_odds__decimal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">3.75</span></b> to have an assist anytime in the game and I think that is well worth a look.</span></p><h2 style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; color: #161616; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.5rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.25; margin: 0px 0px 0.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Moyes continues Leeds dominance</strong></h2><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">David Moyes holds a unique record against Leeds United, and Sunday afternoon could well see him extend that record. Across his whole career he is <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">unbeaten against the Yorkshire men</strong>, winning six of his seven matches and also boasts the best winning percentage among Premier League managers who have faced Leeds at least five times.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">Strangely, Moyes' opposite number has also struggled on his trips to the capital, picking up just the one win in eight trips to London so all signs certainly point towards a home win. <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">With the Hammers almost back to full strength</strong> and seemingly recovered from a December slump in form it could be a long day for Bielsa and his coaching staff.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">Leeds are without at least 11 members of the first team squad and are seemingly having to call up an ever increasing number of players from the youth team in order to fulfill a matchday squad. While these players are certainly capable and willing to work hard in Bielsa's high pressing system, <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">their inexperience certainly shows at times</strong>. I would expect Wes Ham, who have a number of wily operators throughout their team to put Leeds keeper <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Ilan Meslier</strong> under a lot of pressure at the London Stadium.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">West Ham to win and Over 2.5 goals <b class="inline_odds" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border-radius: 4px; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 3px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" title="11/10"><span class="inline_odds__decimal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">2.15</span></b> and unless Raphinha turns in a man of the match performance it is difficult to look past a West Ham win.</span></p>

West Ham vs Leeds

West Ham vs Leeds: Different competition, same result for Hammers For the second straight Sunday, Leeds travel to London to play West Ham. B...

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Liverpool v Brentford

<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #161616; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 2rem;">Liverpool v Brentford: Klopp's Reds to get back on winning trail</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 700;">Andrew Atherley says Liverpool can pierce Brentford's defence despite the absence of Mo Salah and Sadio Mane...</span></p><h2 style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; color: #161616; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.5rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.25; margin: 0px 0px 0.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">Liverpool look for top gear</span></h2><div><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;"><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Liverpool's</strong> season has stalled with a five-match winless run against Premier League opposition, although four of those have been draws and they have still performed to a reasonably high level.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">The latest draw was 0-0 at home to Arsenal in the first leg of their League Cup semi-final on Thursday night when <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Jurgen Klopp's</strong> side could not break through despite Arsenal playing three-quarters of the match with 10 men.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">It will be difficult for Liverpool to find top gear without <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Naby Keita</strong>, who are all at the Africa Cup of Nations.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">In addition Thiago, Harvey Elliott, Nat Phillips and Divock Origi are all out with injury.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">Klopp is likely to stick with the front three of <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Roberto Firmino, Takumi Minamino and Diogo Jota</strong> who started against Arsenal.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">Liverpool remain strong at the back with Alisson's goal protected by Virgil Van Dijk, Joel Matip, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson.</span></p><h2 style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; color: #161616; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.5rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.25; margin: 0px 0px 0.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">Brentford bid to bounce back</span></h2><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;"><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></strong></span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;"><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Brentford </strong>have established a foothold in mid-table in their first season in the Premier League, lying 13th with 23 points.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">That puts <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Thomas Frank's</strong> side well on course for safety just after the halfway point of their campaign, with a gap of 12 points back to the relegation zone.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">The Bees are coming off their worst result of the season, however, after last week's <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">4-1 defeat at Southampton</strong>.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;"><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Mads Bech Sorensen and Mathias Jensen</strong>, both left out of the starting XI then, look set to return, while Rico Henry is close to fitness after injury.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;"><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Frank Onyeka</strong> is at the Africa Cup of Nations, while David Raya, Josh Dasilva, Charlie Goode and Julian Jeanvier are sidelined.</span></p><h2 style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; color: #161616; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.5rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.25; margin: 0px 0px 0.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">The Salah-Mane question</span></h2><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">It is difficult to assess the <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">potential impact on Liverpool</strong> of Salah and Mane both being away at the Africa Cup of Nations, other than the plain observation that most teams would miss two strikers of their quality.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">Missing one is a fairly regular occurrence and it would be hard to argue that has a detrimental effect on Liverpool's performances, but the absence of both is rare and the impact is difficult to pin down.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">Their absences do not mean Liverpool will be unable to find a way to win, but perhaps that factor reduces their banker status. The hosts are <b class="inline_odds" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border-radius: 4px; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 3px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" title="30/100"><span class="inline_odds__decimal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1.3</span></b> to win.</span></p><blockquote style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; color: #161616; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.25rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0.75rem 1rem; quotes: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; hyphens: auto; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">It has to be noted that it has not taken attackers with the class of Salah and Mane to pierce the Brentford defence on the road. Burnley, Newcastle, Tottenham, Leeds, Brighton and Southampton have all scored at least twice against the Bees.</span></p></blockquote><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">Brentford rank 10th in the away table and have lost only four out of 10 on the road, which is a reasonable performance in their first Premier League season.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;"><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Their away form has been slipping</strong>, however, as their early record was W2 D2 L0 but it has been W0 D2 L4 since then and they have conceded at least two goals in each of those last six winless matches.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">As well as the absences of Salah and Mane, the other big source of optimism for Brentford is how they performed in the reverse fixture when Liverpool's key attackers were playing.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">Frank's side had notable success in targeting Liverpool's back post from wide areas, particularly against Alexander-Arnold, and came back from 2-1 and 3-2 down to force an <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">impressive 3-3 draw</strong>.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">It is questionable whether they will be able to create as many openings at Anfield and achieving parity will be difficult given their own shortcomings on the road in recent games.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">The expectation is that Liverpool will be able to match other recent hosts in registering at least two goals against Brentford.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">With Van Dijk at the heart of a strong defence, that would give them a decent chance of covering the Asian handicap off -1.5 at <b class="inline_odds" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border-radius: 4px; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 3px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" title="10/11"><span class="inline_odds__decimal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1.91</span></b>.</span></p><h2 style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; color: #161616; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.5rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.25; margin: 0px 0px 0.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">Goals high on both sides</span></h2><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;"><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></strong></span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;"><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Liverpool top the table for matches with over 2.5 goals</strong>, having had 15 out of 20 (75%) above that mark, including six out of nine at home (67%).</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">Two of the three under 2.5 goals at Anfield were Liverpool's first two home games of the season and their scoring rate has generally been on the rise.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">Klopp's side are the <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Premier League's second-highest scorers</strong> (52, only one goal fewer than Manchester City) and their matches average 3.50 per game (also second in the Premier League, this time just behind Leicester).</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">The question mark, again, is over their ability to maintain those figures without Salah and Mane.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">Brentford's away matches rank fairly high for goals, <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">averaging three per game</strong> even though there is an even split of under/over 2.5 goals.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">Goals tallies have been on the rise in their away games, with five of the last seven going over 2.5 goals and four of those also over 3.5.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">Goals hunters might be best to try over 3.5 goals at <b class="inline_odds" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border-radius: 4px; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 3px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" title="7/4"><span class="inline_odds__decimal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">2.74</span></b>.</span></p><h2 style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; color: #161616; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.5rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.25; margin: 0px 0px 0.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">Opta Stat</span></h2><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">Only one of the last 17 teams playing at Anfield in the Premier League for the first time have won (D5 L11), with Blackpool winning 2-1 in October 2010. 12 of those sides have failed to score, including each of the last three: Bournemouth (0-1), Huddersfield (0-3) and Brighton (0-4). Liverpool are <b class="inline_odds" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border-radius: 4px; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 3px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" title="1/1"><span class="inline_odds__decimal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">2.02</span></b> to win to nil.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggxe-tmjgxJgTzudMCiGbacg3FpCdZ9NCsWufGg4yGDdVTIRd-XT6xKUboPzukQcPmK6nGkU-2pWzClRGxycchZB796o0oIhPQr2w-snhObKVr-EiopJkjkoc93nlPfmF-BYVH_pNJiVw/" style="background-color: white; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggxe-tmjgxJgTzudMCiGbacg3FpCdZ9NCsWufGg4yGDdVTIRd-XT6xKUboPzukQcPmK6nGkU-2pWzClRGxycchZB796o0oIhPQr2w-snhObKVr-EiopJkjkoc93nlPfmF-BYVH_pNJiVw/s16000/image.png" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><br /><p></p></div>

Liverpool v Brentford

Liverpool v Brentford: Klopp's Reds to get back on winning trail Andrew Atherley says Liverpool can pierce Brentford's defence despi...

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Australian Open Tips

<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #161616; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 2rem;">Australian Open Tips: Nadal to profit amid Djokovic data disorder</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 700;">Sometimes extraneous events must be considered, writes Jack Houghton, who thinks Rafa Nadal can profit from Djokovic detention...</span></p><h2 style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; color: #161616; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.5rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.25; margin: 0px 0px 0.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Djokovic saga continues</strong></h2><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">At the time of writing, CNN is reporting that <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Novak Djokovic</strong> is staying in a pre-immigration detention facility in Melbourne awaiting a federal court hearing on Sunday. At the hearing, Djokovic will seek to overturn the decision of Australia's Immigration Minister, <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Alex Hawke</strong>, to revoke the tennis player's visa for a second time. Hawke has justified his decision, arguing that Djokovic's presence may increase "anti-vaccination sentiment".</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">As a story to feed 24-hour news junkies, the saga is a blessing. For tennis punters who take a data-led approach, the uncertainty is maddening.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;"><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></strong></span></p><h2 style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; color: #161616; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.5rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.25; margin: 0px 0px 0.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Maintaining data purity</strong></h2><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">One of the main advantages that number-crunching punters have over the Betfair-market masses is that they can filter out unhelpful "noise" from their decision making, instead <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">focusing on the fundamentals</strong> that drive the likely outcomes of most tennis matches.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">It's likely that avid tennis fan will follow with interest the latest <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">social-media gossip</strong> about their hero's alleged extra-marital affairs, financial mis-dealings, or glittering social life, allowing the "information" to influence the bets they make.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">The <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">data-led punter</strong>, meanwhile, recognises that the evidence of recent match play is the principal factor in assessing which bet to make, and that ignorance of other information is usually an advantage in what should be the cool-headed process of betting. On occasion - the data-led punter knows - the extraneous may affect an outcome, but over the long-term these things even out, and sticking to the fundamentals is what brings profit.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;"><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></strong></span></p><h2 style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; color: #161616; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.5rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.25; margin: 0px 0px 0.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">When the usually irrelevant should be considered</strong></h2><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">Less often, though, events outside the sporting arena become so significant that, whilst folk like me would like to retreat to a darkened room and surround ourselves with our beloved spreadsheets, we are instead <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">forced to recognise</strong> that not all the world can be reduced to numerical rows-and-columns, and take these events into consideration when making our betting decisions.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;"><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">An abundance of caution is required</strong>, though: our brains are primevally primed to value new information more highly, especially the salacious and provocative. A measured approach is required.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;"><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></strong></span></p><h2 style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; color: #161616; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.5rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.25; margin: 0px 0px 0.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">How do we take account of events?</strong></h2><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">As the story of Djokovic's detention broke and developed, the Serb's odds have drifted from a pre-tournament low of <b class="inline_odds" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border-radius: 4px; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 3px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" title="15/8"><span class="inline_odds__decimal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">2.92</span></b> to around <b class="inline_odds" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border-radius: 4px; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 3px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" title="5/2"><span class="inline_odds__decimal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">3.5</span></b>.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">On playing form, a drift is not justified. My ratings have Djokovic as <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the best player in the world</strong>, and nothing has happened on a tennis court in the last week to change that.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">However, as I argued prior to the US Open, statistics suggest that Djokovic's dominance is in the process of ending. Back then, I recommended punters lay him at <b class="inline_odds" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border-radius: 4px; border: 0px; color: #161616; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 3px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" title="5/6"><span class="inline_odds__decimal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1.87</span></b>. He went on to lose in the final in New York to <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Daniil Medvedev</strong>, and later in the season lost in the semi-finals of the Tour Finals to <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Alexander Zverev</strong>.</span></p><blockquote style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; color: #161616; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.25rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0.75rem 1rem; quotes: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">So, whilst Djokovic is still the "best" player in the world, that statement should be treated with caution.</span></blockquote><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">Much of his Elo rating is driven by past results. When taking a hard-court-only rating, he is no longer top. And where there was once a significant gap between the top three players in the world and the rest, <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">that gap no longer exists</strong>, meaning we can no longer chart - with relative certainty - any player's route to the latter stages: <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">early-round matches are likely to throw up far more "surprises" than usual.</strong></span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">Off-court shenanigans might not justify the <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Djokovic drift</strong>, then, but performance fundamentals do. His current detention merely adds to the picture that <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Djokovic is unlikely</strong> to add to his nine Australian Open titles.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;"><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></strong></span></p><h2 style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; color: #161616; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.5rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.25; margin: 0px 0px 0.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Nadal can profit from the uncertainty</strong></h2><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">But who to punt in his place?</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">Well, the argument that <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Medvedev </strong>(<b class="inline_odds" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border-radius: 4px; border: 0px; color: #161616; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 3px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" title="85/40"><span class="inline_odds__decimal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">3.10</span></b>) and <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Zverev </strong>(<b class="inline_odds" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border-radius: 4px; border: 0px; color: #161616; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 3px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" title="4/1"><span class="inline_odds__decimal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">5.10</span></b>) are now ready to replace the likes of Djokovic, <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Nadal </strong>(<b class="inline_odds" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border-radius: 4px; border: 0px; color: #161616; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 3px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" title="21/2"><span class="inline_odds__decimal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">11.50</span></b>) and Federer as the new greats of the game doesn't convince.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">The ratings suggest that their recent ascendancy has come about through Djokovic's decline, not an improvement in their play, and it is as likely that a new batch of professionals - <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Carlos Alcaraz</strong> (<b class="inline_odds" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border-radius: 4px; border: 0px; color: #161616; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 3px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" title="79/1"><span class="inline_odds__decimal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">80.00</span></b>), <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Jannik Sinner</strong> (<b class="inline_odds" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border-radius: 4px; border: 0px; color: #161616; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 3px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" title="54/1"><span class="inline_odds__decimal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">55.00</span></b>), <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Jenson Brooksby</strong>, <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Felix Auger Aliassime</strong> (<b class="inline_odds" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border-radius: 4px; border: 0px; color: #161616; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 3px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" title="89/1"><span class="inline_odds__decimal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">90.00</span></b>), and Dan Weston's outside pick, <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Alex De Minaur</strong> (<b class="inline_odds" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border-radius: 4px; border: 0px; color: #161616; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 3px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" title="629/1"><span class="inline_odds__decimal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">630.00</span></b>) - will assume the mantle of the world's best as it is that Medvedev and Zverev will.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">This Australian Open may come too soon in the careers of these young hopefuls, though, and while Medvedev and Zverev are the most likely winners, they do not represent value.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">An aging - but seemingly functioning - member of the old guard, however, does. Whilst <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Rafa Nadal's victory</strong> in a Melbourne warm-up tournament might tell us little about his form (he bashed about some lower-ranked players), he has a history of coming back from absence and injury to win the biggest tournaments, and made it to the final of the French Open only eight months ago.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">At around <b class="inline_odds" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border-radius: 4px; border: 0px; color: #161616; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 3px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" title="21/2"><span class="inline_odds__decimal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">11.50</span></b>, he's the value bet to benefit in a tournament where the data will likely not be the deciding factor.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia0Q9cDgDbgaG8E5L92ccFW5PQvk1N8wi9AiqEOYEgnFr2v0Fx2Hr6i4NvTB_nVQ9NzJubJMj37pwYWUo_qJHlMqTabltLzwcl89ZTmKDOIZzSBaMORi8S6C-PYgwrUSkdPePLo8T1fyg/" style="background-color: white; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="538" data-original-width="956" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia0Q9cDgDbgaG8E5L92ccFW5PQvk1N8wi9AiqEOYEgnFr2v0Fx2Hr6i4NvTB_nVQ9NzJubJMj37pwYWUo_qJHlMqTabltLzwcl89ZTmKDOIZzSBaMORi8S6C-PYgwrUSkdPePLo8T1fyg/w640-h360/image.png" width="640" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><br /><p></p>

Australian Open Tips

Australian Open Tips: Nadal to profit amid Djokovic data disorder Sometimes extraneous events must be considered, writes Jack Houghton, who ...

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Australian Open Women's Tips

<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #161616; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 2rem;">Australian Open Women's Tips: Happy to back Świątek after kind draw</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 700;">Dan Weston looks at the women's outright market after the draw was made and with market leaders Naomi Osaka and Ash Barty in the same quarter is liking the look of Iga Swiatek at a decent price...</span></p><h2 style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; color: #161616; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.5rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.25; margin: 0px 0px 0.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Osaka drifting after being drawn in same quarter as Barty</strong></h2><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">Prior to Thursday's draw, Ash Barty was priced at <b class="inline_odds" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border-radius: 4px; border: 0px; color: #161616; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 3px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" title="3/1"><span class="inline_odds__decimal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">4.0</span></b> with Naomi Osaka second favourite at <b class="inline_odds" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border-radius: 4px; border: 0px; color: #161616; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 3px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" title="6/1"><span class="inline_odds__decimal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">7.0</span></b> as the market leaders, but the <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">impact of the draw</strong> is clear. Both players were allocated the top quarter - a consequence of Osaka's drop down the rankings pushing her seeded status lower - and it's pretty unsurprising that the outright market has eased both players out over the last day or so.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">Barty is now fractionally bigger at <b class="inline_odds" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border-radius: 4px; border: 0px; color: #161616; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 3px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" title="16/5"><span class="inline_odds__decimal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">4.2</span></b>, with Osaka's price taking more of a hit, <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">drifting out</strong> to <b class="inline_odds" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border-radius: 4px; border: 0px; color: #161616; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 3px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" title="17/2"><span class="inline_odds__decimal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">9.4</span></b>. In fact, the duo are seeded to meet in the fourth round, so we know for sure that one of the two market leaders will be eliminated at that stage.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">Not only are Barty and Osaka in quarter one, but also one of the players we were keen to keep an eye on in the draw, Amanda Anisimova, features. The American would face Osaka in round three, should both players win their opening two matches. With Belinda Bencic and Ons Jabeur among others featuring in the opening bracket, this looks a <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">very tricky quarter</strong> indeed to progress from.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;"><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></strong></span></p><h2 style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; color: #161616; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.5rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.25; margin: 0px 0px 0.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Krejcikova in good form ahead of the tournament</strong></h2><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">Moving through the draw, quarter two sees current Sydney finalists Barbora Krejcikova and Paula Badosa feature, and they are joined by Victoria Azarenka, Cori Gauff and Adelaide finalist Madison Keys. The American, Keys, has seen a <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">welcome return to form</strong> in Australia after a tough year or two and faces fellow American Alison Riske in tomorrow's final.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">Krejcikova looks more than capable of progressing, with the best combined service/return points won percentage on hard court in the last 12 months in the quarter, and has a pretty acceptable opening few rounds against the veteran Andrea Petkovic, and then potentially Xiyu Wang and Jelena Ostapenko. There could well be worse <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">mid-tier options</strong> than the Czech at <b class="inline_odds" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border-radius: 4px; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 3px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" title="20/1"><span class="inline_odds__decimal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">21.00</span></b>, although it's pretty interesting to note that she's a pre-match underdog against Badosa for the Sydney final but shorter in the outrights than the Spaniard.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;"><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></strong></span></p><h2 style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; color: #161616; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.5rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.25; margin: 0px 0px 0.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Muguruza with edge over Halep in quarter three</strong></h2><div><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In quarter three, I do agree with the market that Garbine Muguruza has a <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">slight edge</strong> over Simona Halep, with my numbers also drawing the same conclusion. The young duo of Clara Tauson and Emma Raducanu have had some fitness issues of late, but if fully fit, would be a threat to the more established names, as will the likes of Elena Rybakina and Anett Kontaveit.</p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Spaniard, Muguruza, has a very kind opening few rounds with Alize Cornet likely to prove the biggest test, while Halep versus Raducanu could well be a <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">blockbuster round three clash</strong>. Muguruza ended 2021 with a title at the WTA Finals, but exited in Sydney this week against Kasatkina in her second match. However, in a tournament where many players can beat each other without causing any surprises, Muguruza does look the better option in the bracket.</p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3CbziFoCn8Izbv3rQMIu9lmhQSG763gqze4nwUb-H1H5Iy22b_1jJxrT8dbYtlVhjN0ZzAbRNgZOcHdaYxb3TQuk5X-dUP8NdFe21gn56-SUMMvQKa3_kyzEJYzkEIV9KzuVq0TPNWS8/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="538" data-original-width="956" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3CbziFoCn8Izbv3rQMIu9lmhQSG763gqze4nwUb-H1H5Iy22b_1jJxrT8dbYtlVhjN0ZzAbRNgZOcHdaYxb3TQuk5X-dUP8NdFe21gn56-SUMMvQKa3_kyzEJYzkEIV9KzuVq0TPNWS8/w640-h360/image.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></strong></p><h2 style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; color: #161616; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.5rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.25; margin: 0px 0px 0.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Swiatek a strong option after kind draw</strong></h2><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Finally, in my pre-draw preview, I noted that Iga Swiatek looked a strong option at <b class="inline_odds" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border-radius: 4px; border: 0px; color: #161616; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 3px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" title="20/1"><span class="inline_odds__decimal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">21.0</span></b>, and the Pole has shortened slightly to 16.5 following a pretty kind draw. She faces Brit Harriet Dart in her opener, with a potential third round test against Daria Kasatkina, and I have her rated as <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">third-best on tour</strong> for 12 month hard court numbers.</p><blockquote style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; color: #161616; font-family: Noto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.25rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; padding: 0.75rem 1rem; quotes: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Given that she's the best player by those metrics in the fourth quarter by some distance, I'm still pretty keen to keep Swiatek onside and she looks a very clear favourite to me in that bracket over the likes of Aryna Sabalenka, Angelique Kerber and Laylah Fernandez.</blockquote></strong></div>

Australian Open Women's Tips

Australian Open Women's Tips: Happy to back Świątek after kind draw Dan Weston looks at the women's outright market after the draw w...

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