It’s a bumber weekend of sport and our Cross-Sport mulitple he back. Today’s action includes:
- Racing from Ascot
- Premier League
- NRL Grand Final
- NFL @ London
- F1 Singapore GP
Soft Whisper (4.10 Ascot) – 2/1
SOFT WHISPER ran very flat last time, but it was noticed that he bled from the nose and I’m willing to forgive that run.
On his past runs he has an excellent chance in this. His win before Goodwood he beat Bounce The Blues by over a length. That rival franked the form last time winning a Group 3 at Doncaster. Soft Whisper can get back on track here and complete our Ascot double.
West Ham v Wolves – Under 2.5 Goals
It’s certainly been a forgettable season so far for West Ham, with the West London club amassing just four points from a possible 21 and sitting in the bottom three. The main issue for the side has been in front of goal, where they’ve scored just three times so far this season. Their defensive output has been fairly average but it’s not been enough to lift David Moyes’ side up the table and, with a tricky European campaign to undertake too, the Scotsman will need to get his team firing soon or it could be a worrying season for the Hammers.It’s been a similar story for Wolves, with the Midlands side also scoring just three times this season, although they have conceded two goals less than their opponents this weekend.
Diego Costa’s arrival should have some impact on Bruno Lage’s team but the Spanish striker will need to have an immediate impact for Wolves to come out of this game with a positive result.You’d think that something has to give for one, or both, of these sides at some point soon but this weekend doesn’t look to be the time for it to happen. Games featuring West Ham have averaged just 1.7 goals this season, a figure that only just eclipses excitement levels in Wolves games, where there have been an average of 1.4 goals per game, the lowest figure in the league. The under 2.5 goal line looks very enticing all things considered.
Under 38.5 Points (Penrith Panthers vs Parramatta Eels – NRL Grand Final) Sunday 10.30am – 10/11
It’s the big dance on Sunday morning in the NRL as the reigning Champions Penrith Panthers take on the Parramatta Eels in the Grand Final.
Both of these sides met in the first round of the play-offs with the Panther’s proving why they have been dominated the NRL over the past two seasons winning 27-8. There’s quality in every position and it is going to take something monumental from Brad Arthur’s Eels for them to prevent the back-to-back.
The handicap of -8.5 looks fair enough, and I can’t call it either way confidently. However, the Under 38.5 points play here looks solid. In the last 10 years 7/10 have been under this amount of points as games of this nature are largely dominated by tight defensive work. Team’s are focussed on not making mistakes and keeping it simple early, completing sets at a high percentage is a key strategy.
Add to this the fact that Penrith have the stingiest defence in the game, and the Eels have vastly improved this facet of their game in the past month also. This should mean a tight low scoring game – but nevertheless should be a pulsating affair with everything on the line.
Minnesota Vikings @ New Orleans Saints – Vikings -3 Handicap @Evens
American Football is often decided by fine margins and this has been true this season for these sides, with The Vikings (2-1) scoring just seven points more than The Saints (1-2) but holding a positive record of .667 compared to the .333 stat next to the New Orleans outfit. There is plenty of football to play however, and a win for New Orleans this weekend would see these two teams both averaging .500 after four games played.A win for The Saints doesn’t look likely though, with question marks over the fitness of Jameis Winston, Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara heading into the showcase event, something which won’t help the poor offensive output so far this season. The Black and Gold have only averaged 17 points per game this season and only managed three touchdowns across their last two games.The VIkings have beaten the -3 handicap in both of their victories this season, with their only loss coming against a rejuvenated looking Philadelphia Eagles side. With the likes of Justin Jefferson and Dalvin Cook within their ranks, coupled with a stuttering Saints side that have given up at least 20 points in all three games this season, Minnesota should be beating the handicap once again this weekend.
Race winner: Charles Leclerc (Singapore GP) Sunday, 1.30pm – 3/1
Verstappen could wrap up a second straight world title with five races to spare as Formula One returns to the streets of Singapore on Sunday. The Dutchman is threatening to rewrite the record books after a run of five consecutive victories have taken him to 11 for the season and well on course to eclipse the record for race wins by a single driver in one year (13). If Verstappen outscores Charles Leclerc by 22 points, Sergio Perez by 13 and George Russell by six on Sunday, he will clinch his second championship at the Marina Bay Circuit. It means He must win and hope Leclerc finishes no higher than ninth to even have a sniff, so keep that champagne on ice for the time being.Red Bull’s other issue is that Singapore represents Ferrari’s best opportunity between now and the season finale to halt Verstappen’s winning run. The narrow street circuit is one of the hardest on the calendar for overtaking and it means qualifying takes on even greater significance. We know Ferrari have got their act together over one lap this season, but all manner of issues on race day have contributed to their title challenge completely unravelling. If Leclerc can park his Ferrari at the front of the grid for Sunday’s race, which he has every chance of doing, you sense the Maranello team could finally deliver a positive result.