Manchester City´s Rodri taking title race hope from Liverpool´s 2018-19 collapse

Manchester City midfielder Rodri is not giving up on retaining the Premier League title after Sunday s 3-1 loss to Liverpool, highlighting the Reds inability to hold on to their lead last season.

A thrilling encounter at Anfield left Liverpool with a nine-point lead over City, their most likely long-term challengers.

Many feel City now have too much ground to make up if they are to retain their crown, but they found themselves in a similar situation last season.

Although Rodri was not at the club at the time, the Spain international is well aware of how City fought back from being seven points behind the Reds to lift the trophy for a second successive season in 2018-19.

When asked if defeat at Anfield ended City s Premier League chances, Rodri told report…

On this day in 2012: Michael Laudrup appointed Swansea boss

Michael Laudrup vowed that Swansea would continue to play their traditional passing game following his appointment as manager on this day in 2012.

The former Denmark international was named as successor to Brendan Rodgers, agreeing a two-year contract with the Premier League club.

Laudrup won five Spanish league titles with Barcelona and Real Madrid in the early 1990s, and the creative midfielder was one of the players of his generation.

“Everyone knows the style of football Swansea play, and it suits my way of thinking,” Laudrup told Swansea’s official website.

“It is going to be a new experience for me, and I am really looking forward to it. I have spoken to many people about Swansea and watched a number of their games on DVD – with many more …

Texans vs Dolphins Week 9 Picks and Predictions: South Beach Slogfest

Editor’s note: This preview was written before news was released that Miami QB Tua Tagovailoa would serve as the emergency backup due to a finger injury.

The Texans’ trip to Miami to face the Dolphins won’t get many neutrals salivating but it’s a crucial game for both teams. The Texans and Dolphins sit on 1-7 records and only the Lions have fewer wins. Now, they face each other with one team set to double their season win total.

If you’re betting on this game then ensure you read our NFL picks and predictions for the Houston Texans vs. Miami Dolphins.

Buccaneers vs Cowboys SNF Prop Bets: Pollard and Prescott Holding the Value

All eyes will be on the Dallas Cowboys and Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday night as these two hopeful division winners meet in Week 1 for the second straight season.

With all the talk about Tom Brady and the offensive line issues in Tampa, I’m looking at the Cowboys’ problems up front and how the possibility of Dak Prescott not having much time vs. this Tampa blitz could force Dallas to play behind the sticks.

I’m also looking at how Jerry Jones’ love for Ezekiel Elliott affects Tony Pollard. Here are my three best prop picks for Buccaneers vs. Cowboys. 

The Top 10 NFL Trends Every Bettor Needs to Know Before the Season Begins

While a lot of NFL betting trends are simply coincidental and need to be taken with a grain of salt, it’s undeniable that some teams simply excel or flat-out suck in specific situations. As bettors, it’s our responsibility to determine if there’s actual value in backing these trends and to track if the market is reacting to how teams are performing in these spots.

While many seasoned bettors scoff at betting trends, I view them as a good starting point for a handicap, with two very important caveats:1) They should never be backed blindly2) They should always be supported by statistics

While every season is different and old trends give way to new ones, here are a few longer-standing trends to consider as we enter the 2023 NFL season.

Vikings vs Broncos SNF Prop Bets: Dobbs Leads Viking Raid on Denver

Two of the hotter teams in the NFL meet tonight on Sunday Night Football, despite rough starts for both teams, as the 6-4 Minnesota Vikings take on the 4-5 Denver Broncos.  

The Week 11 odds favor the home team, as they look to get back to .500 in the standings. However, the Vikings have won five straight games and two straight with Joshua Dobbs at the helm.  

Find out what my NFL picks are for this SNF affair as I take a deep dive into the SNF odds.

You can also get a full game analysis with our Vikings vs. Broncos picks, and more great prop bets in our Russell Wilson props spotlight.  

Rashee Rice Odds and Super Bowl Props: Rice Finds Paydirt in Big Game

It was a rough year for Kansas City Chiefs receivers. 

As a group, the Chiefs receiving corps topped the NFL in dropped passes with 39 (a drop rate of 6.9%) despite having a Hall of Fame quarterback in Patrick Mahomes making throws.

Mahomes boasted the second-highest percentage of passes on target (82.2%) with the fifth-lowest rate of bad passes (13.3%), which meant those bobbled balls were the fault of his butter-fingered teammates.

Rookie wide receiver Rashee Rice wasn’t immune to those miscues, but he did prove his worth to Mahomes and quickly became one of his most reliable targets. In fact, Rice was almost as popular an option as TE Travis Kelce and finished just behind the star tight end in terms of receptions and receiving yards.

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Bengals vs Giants Early Picks, Predictions & Odds for SNF Week 6

Sunday Night Football features a non-conference clash when the Cincinnati Bengals travel to East Rutherford to face the New York Giants in Week 6.

Cincy sits at 1-4, and my early Bengals vs. Giants predictions expect New York to keep its foot on the visitor’s throat. Find out more in my NFL picks for this October 13 tilt.

Bengals vs Giants predictions

Early spread leanNew York Giants +3.5 (-115 at bet365)

My analysisDesperation has set in for the Cincinnati Bengals, but bettors shouldn’t factor it into their handicap of Sunday Night Football.

The Bengals have been here before — rallying from slow starts to make a mid-season push — but the half-point hook on the field goal seems unwarranted for a team 0-2…

France 1-0 Belgium: Vertonghen own goal sends Red Devils crashing out of Euro 2024

France edged into the quarter-finals of Euro 2024 with a 1-0 victory over Belgium thanks to a late Jan Vertonghen own goal.

Les Bleus struggles in attack continued in another flat display, but that did not matter as they got the all-important goal in the 85th minute to send them through.

Romelu Lukaku and Kevin De Bruyne both had chances for Belgium but failed to find a way past Mike Maignan, then Vertonghen diverted Randal Kolo Muani s strike into his own net to send the Red Devils out.

France will meet either Portugal or Slovenia in the last eight, while Belgium go home after a poor showing in Germany.

France secure their place in the last eight |

— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024)

Having struggled in attack through the group stage, bot…

Switzerland 2-0 Portugal: Euro 2016 winners slump to opening defeat

Fernando Santos suffered his first competitive defeat as Portugal coach, with the European champions beginning their 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign with a 2-0 loss to Group B rivals Switzerland, who ended the match with 10 men.

Since taking over from Paulo Bento in September 2014, Santos had navigated Portugal through 14 non-friendly matches without loss, winning Euro 2016 in the process, but that run came to an end at St Jakob-Park on Tuesday.

After a bright start the European champions fell behind in the 23rd minute when goalkeeper Rui Patricio pushed Ricardo Rodriguez s free-kick straight to Breel Embolo, who responded to being selected in place of the injured Xherdan Shaqiri by heading home his second international goal and first since October 2015.

It …