http://freebetbookmaker.com/free-bets/news_blog en gareth.cartman@gmail.com Copyright 2012 2012-04-27T19:54:43+00:00 http://freebetbookmaker.com/free-bets/content/news_blog/what_to_bet_on_this_weekend_bookies_odds_for_28_29_april/ http://freebetbookmaker.com/free-bets/content/news_blog/what_to_bet_on_this_weekend_bookies_odds_for_28_29_april/#When:19:54:43Z No such thing as “a good thing”, but statistically, Everton’s 10 consecutive home wins over Fulham makes them “a good thing”... that, and other odds for your weekend betting.No such thing as “a good thing”, but statistically, Everton’s 10 consecutive home wins over Fulham makes them “a good thing”... or at least, as close to one as you’ll get this weekend. Fulham’s record at Goodison absolutely stinks, and Everton have done OK at Craven Cottage of late, too. With their four goals at Old Trafford providing a much-needed boost, Everton are the ones to take in the Premiership this weekend. Let’s cap it all off with a Norwich win over Liverpool, shall we? Ash over at In The Stands reckons Norwich are the best team of rubbish players he’s ever seen. However, that Grant Holt is some player and I’d just love it - LOVE IT - if Norwich beat Liverpool tomorrow. As I’ve got a tenner on it. Now then, a couple of weeks ago, I was backing West End Rocker at Aintree, and I’m probably not going to make the same mistake in the Bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown. Never back a faller, they say. Le Beau Bai pulled out of the Grand National so he’s probably in the right condition for a soft ground slog here - you can get 7/1 with Bet365 themselves. Other good bets include Rare Bob and Tidal Bay. In the Major League Baseball - Friday night for us - we’re taking the Yankees to beat the Detroit Tigers. Now, with Verlander on the mound, you would usually back the Tigers, but his starts are seemingly ending in defeat for the Tigers who are 2-5 in the last seven - that’s won two, lost five for those not familiar with Baseball speak. You’d back the Yankees at Yankee stadium, and you can get evens with Paddy Power. The Angels take their rotten record to the Cleveland Indians, and you can get excellent odds against the Indians, making them a value pick at 5/4. They might be out of nick, but a return to form isn’t beyond them, especially at those odds. Snooker, and we’re still not backing anyone, although Stephen Maguire is due a big tournament win at some point in his career. He seems to be playing well enough to be in the reckoning here, but as we said last week - wait your time out on this one. Back to the football, and it’s high time to look at those end-of-season oddities. For example, sides that have already been relegated tend to start winning games. So Wolves at Swansea might give you good value - Swansea struggle to score, and Wolves - well, they’re shit. However, they’re freed from the responsibilities of trying to avoid relegation, which might spark them into action. Equally, if you’ve got the time to analyse Serie A in Italy (I haven’t) - try to find games between teams who have nothing to play for. Equally, teams who both benefit from a draw. I’m not saying Italians are crooked. I’m implying it. 2012-04-27T19:54:43+00:00 http://freebetbookmaker.com/free-bets/content/news_blog/comparing_the_bookies_bonus_market/ http://freebetbookmaker.com/free-bets/content/news_blog/comparing_the_bookies_bonus_market/#When:21:09:01Z This guest post by Paul Delaney looks at the bookies bonus market - and how bookmakers are trying to get you to sign up…This is a guest post from Paul Delaney at Online Betting Bonuses The many free betting offers that can be found on the internet today signal an increase in the competition between online bookmakers to attract new clients to their websites. Over the past few years online betting has exploded, becoming the multi-million pound business that it is today, and the many free betting packages that are being offered are a sure sign of its growing popularity. Betting bonuses have been a part of the online gambling scene for many years and of course they act as a way of giving customers a better value for money. But as the competition has become more fierce, so have the offers, and the majority of online bookies are all now offering some sort of free package. But when it comes down to it, free betting bonuses and not entirely free in as much as you will have to first register with an online bookie, then spend some money up front by depositing a certain amount of money into your account in advance of laying on any wagers. The bookie will then double the size of your deposit by putting a duplicate amount into your account. The ceiling of your deposit is normally set at about £200, but it is a genuine offer, and one which basically means that you are betting for half price! You won’t actually be able to draw on your free bonus amount until you have exhausted your original deposit, but that’s simply the way that the bookies operate. When it comes down to it however, you do still get your free betting bonus – it’s a genuine offer! But as with any offers made over the internet, you do need to check them out before you part with your hard earned cash. Most of the online bookies are for real, as are their free betting bonus(es) schemes, but there are the odd rogues out there too. One of the best ways of checking out whether or not the deal is genuine, is to go to one of the online betting comparison review sites. The bookies listed on these sites (which will include all of the major players), are usually 100% genuine. So find a review site, compare the online betting market place. 2012-04-24T21:09:01+00:00 http://freebetbookmaker.com/free-bets/content/news_blog/chelsea_and_liverpool_to_meet_in_fa_cup_final/ http://freebetbookmaker.com/free-bets/content/news_blog/chelsea_and_liverpool_to_meet_in_fa_cup_final/#When:21:04:06Z Liverpool and Chelsea meet in the FA Cup Final - and despite the odd kick-off time (Thanks, FA), it’s one to watch. Here’s a preview from David at Bookies for Sports.This is a guest post from David at Bookies For Sports For the first time, Liverpool will play Chelsea in the FA Cup Final. The two sides developed a huge rivalry in the last decade which was fuelled on the back of a number of encounters in the Champions League. With Liverpool not in the tournament for a number of years, the rivalry has faded somewhat but it is still strong and both sides will be desperate to win the trophy. At the moment, Bookies For Sports has Chelsea ahead as slight favorites. Liverpool has already won a trophy this year – taking the Carling Cup on penalties. It has been a very inconsistent year for the Reds and a win here, their first FA Cup triumph since 2006 will make the year more palatable. Chelsea have had a better season despite the firing of manager Andre Villas-Boas. Chelsea has loved this competition in recent years winning it in 2007, 2009 and 2010. Chelsea are favorites for the final. Their path to the final was pretty simple having beaten Portsmouth, QPR, Birmingham City, Leicester and Tottenham.  Liverpool beat Oldham before taking out Manchester United in the fourth round. From there they disposed of Brighton & Hove Albion, Stoke and Everton. Chelsea has a star-studded squad. The likes of Raul Meireles, Didier Drogba, Juan Mata and Florent Malouda will keep the Liverpool defence busy.  Liverpool also have a quality squad and Luiz Suarez, Andy Carroll, Craig Bellamy and Dirk Kuyt are able to hold their own. Both sides have out of sorts strikers. For Liverpool, it’s Carroll who was signed from Newcastle and has been a total waste of money. Chelsea signed Fernando Torres who hasn’t been scoring goals for them like he did previously. While people query the relevance of the FA Cup in today’s time, it is still a fantastic competition. With very few chances to win trophies, teams need to grasp every opportunity they can to win one. Liverpool against Chelsea is the old against the new. Expect this showpiece clash to be a fiercely contested affair. One can only hope that unlike recent big games, it isn’t marred by poor refereeing. 2012-04-24T21:04:06+00:00 http://freebetbookmaker.com/free-bets/content/news_blog/what_to_bet_on_today_bookies_odds_for_25th_april1/ http://freebetbookmaker.com/free-bets/content/news_blog/what_to_bet_on_today_bookies_odds_for_25th_april1/#When:19:15:58Z So it’s Punchestown Gold Cup day, and we’ve also got a Champs League semi-final on the telly, too. Oh, the snooker’s on too. Now and then.Now, I haven’t been able to see much of the snooker, as it’s barely ever on TV. It’s a far cry from the days when it was always on and people were complaining about two weeks of ‘the bloody snooker’ - now you have to go online or watch it on the red button, and who does that eh? Who does that? That said, it’s as wide open as it ever was and we don’t advocate betting on it, really. Maguire, Higgins, Trump - even miserable Ronnie, they could all win it. Go each-way if you can, to reach the semi-final, and make a judgement when you get to the final four. We’re taking the Paddy Power offer of cashback if your horse finishes second to Quel Esprit in the Punchestown Gold Cup, and taking Rubi Light to win. Rubi Light will enjoy the going more than Quel Esprit, in our humble opinion, which is why he’s the pick of the bunch - along, perhaps with Captain Chris - when there’s a cash back offer. Bayern Munich take on Real Madrid today, and you’ll only get 8/15 on Real. Which is perhaps the only result - and it’s not fantastic value, is it. Better value is Lazio at Novara Calcio, they’re 3/4 away from home, but the best bet is probably the draw at 23/10 with most bookies. Why? Because Novara Calcio have a habit of drawing at home. That’s all. There’s loads of tennis today, including Ana Ivanovic (aww, she used to be good you know), Caroline Wozniacki (she always wins when it doesn’t matter) and Bernard Tomic, who’s kind of up-and-coming and you can get 2.2 against him on Betfair as well as a £25 risk-free bet - cash back if you don’t win. And while we’re on it - if you ARE going to bet on the snooker, do so at Totesport and you’ll get a free £5 bet to start you off with - it’s a free bet no deposit so you don’t have to give them your bank card details for this fiver. Great offer, and worth it if you want to be covered! 2012-04-24T19:15:58+00:00 http://freebetbookmaker.com/free-bets/content/news_blog/what_to_bet_on_this_weekend_bookies_odds_for_21_22_april/ http://freebetbookmaker.com/free-bets/content/news_blog/what_to_bet_on_this_weekend_bookies_odds_for_21_22_april/#When:07:29:45Z It’s the Grand National again! Except this time, it’s in Scotland - and there’s the start of the Snooker, too, with some great offers. Here’s what you can bet on this weekend…Well, hello. Sport seems to be kicking in again - the Scottish Grand National takes place this afternoon with Merigo a really strong pick against some quite young and inexperienced opposition. I say young and inexperienced, they’re still quite good. Harry the Viking will likely go off as favourite, and Portrait King is attracting a lot of interest. Still, Merigo is 8lb better off than he was in the same race last year, and he’s won here before, so 15/2 is a good price with Paddy Power. They’re paying out 1/4 the odds over the first five places, which is generous - so if you want an each-way bet, Fruity O’Rooney, who did so well at Cheltenham in March, has a fine chance. It’s the World Snooker Championships, and while it doesn’t quite capture the imagination in quite the way it did when Higgins, White et al were in their prime, it’s great that this Championship is wide open. Betfred are offering a range of insurance bets - so for example, if Judd Trump wins, you’ll get your cash back on singles. If your pick goes out in the first round to a deciding frame,  you’ll get your money back too. Equally, a 147 means you’ll get paid out as tournament winner, regardless of what happens afterwards. Happy days. Betfred, of course, sponsor the tournament. Our pick? Well, Snooker’s always been a tough one to bet on, but Mark Selby is great value at 10/1, and Mark Williams is equally good value at 20/1 if you can get him to at least reach the semi finals, which he often does. For some reason, the Grand Prix is going ahead in Bahrain, which just proves that money matters more than ethics, so bollocks to them. In the football, you can’t miss Manchester City at Wolves, which is a horrible 1/4 - but then again, Wolves have taken hapless to a whole new level this season, so putting on £4 to win a £1 is akin to walking down the street and finding a pound coin at your feet. Nice. Villa vs Sunderland has the look of a bore draw about it, which is good value at 23/10, while Bolton can take advantage of a downturn in Swansea’s fortunes at 11/10. QPR need it more than Spurs, or at least they’re playing like they do, and if you want a home side with long odds today, they will give you 11/4. Spurs are doing well at messing their season up, so a defeat here would really set the cat amongst the pigeons. Some bankers include Ajax at home to Groningen in Holland, and you can see Reading celebrating in style by beating Crystal Palace. 2/5 for the both of them. In the baseball, evens for the Yankees at the Boston Red Sox, after having won comfortably last night, is generous. Doubront is on the mound for the Red Sox, and he’s started nicely unlike the other pitchers. But the Sox are in all sorts of trouble - you’d back them to sort it out eventually, given the quality they have in depth, but right now - they’re rubbish. Equally, the Washington Nationals have got superstar pitcher Stephen Strasburg on the mound and we’d take them to beat the Marlins again. Got any other tips or bets that you’re on this weekend? Let us know below! 2012-04-21T07:29:45+00:00 http://freebetbookmaker.com/free-bets/content/news_blog/bahrain_grand_national_and_the_ipl_how_much_do_you_want_the_money/ http://freebetbookmaker.com/free-bets/content/news_blog/bahrain_grand_national_and_the_ipl_how_much_do_you_want_the_money/#When:07:39:51Z Prepare for a righteous rant. This weekend, the Bahrain Grand Prix appears set to go ahead. Last weekend, we killed two horses for our gambling pleasure, and the IPL continues to wreck real cricket at the altar of cash. Is this what we’ve come to?Prepare for a righteous rant. This weekend, the Bahrain Grand Prix appears set to go ahead. Last weekend, we killed two horses for our gambling pleasure, and the IPL continues to wreck real cricket at the altar of cash. Is this what we’ve come to? So how much do you want the money? Go on, Formula 1, Bernie Ecclestone and the like. I’ll make it quite clear that Formula 1 has no place in my affections, but I’m not one to deny petrolheads the pleasure of watching fast cars go round a track for a couple of hours. In fact, I’m sure if I were to devote some time to it, I’d get in to it too. But how much do you want that money? It must be “quite a lot” because you’re prepared to risk drivers’ lives so that you can make a pile of cash racing round a track in a country where, frankly, you shouldn’t be racing. So make a stand. Lose some money and say “no, we won’t race here because the country is ruled by bad people”. Say it. Make a difference for once in your lives. Really, how much do you need the cash? The Bahraini forces go around killing their own people. If David Cameron were to crack down on Northerners, for example, going in to Salford to crack down on rebellious youths, and authorising the use of murder, would you support him? Would you still go ahead with the British Grand Prix, despite the threat of Northerners throwing petrol bombs at your drivers? Sorry to trivialise it, but Formula 1 is trivial compared to a dictatorship that kills its own people. And Aintree - how much do we want our £1 bet to win? Did you have a pound on Synchronised? Honestly, we love the Grand National and we love our horse racing, but every year, to see horses have to go round a fence because they’re putting another horse down the other side of it… well, does it make us feel guilty? It’s clear that the new safety regulations they brought in failed. And what of next year? Sorry, but we may have to forego our favourite race and find another pastime if horses are dying for our pleasure. I thought we’d moved on from Roman times. We don’t need the money so much that we’ll watch horses die, do we? So, sort it out, Aintree. And the IPL - while not exactly supporting regimes that murder their own people, and while cricketers don’t exactly die during the process, the game of cricket is slowly dying as a result of this ridiculous charade. Number one, Test cricket has been relegated to two-test series because this rubbish spectacle generates a bit more cash. Number two, the technique of our younger players is more aligned to this cash-generating shit, and less so towards the real game of cricket. I’m all for cricket moving on, but the IPL moves it backwards. I’m glad that viewing figures are down, and hope that it’s the beginning of the end, but the authorities will find another way of making money out of it - perhaps reducing it to ten overs per side. Ten10 anyone? And while I"m on my righteous rant, I had to give up my Sky subscription a few months ago - well, I’m not MADE of money, and there are other things in life that you have to pay for, so watching cricket is now a luxury worth about £30 a month. Ridiculous. Now, I’d pay a few pounds a month for a subscription to watch county cricket online. Just like you can watch Major League Baseball online these days - and it doesn’t cost a bomb. Have a free match for everyone so that at least someone in this country can watch cricket without having to be minted in the first place. Only a few people now get to watch cricket on TV now, and what does that mean for future generations of cricketers? They’re probably watching the Formula 1 race while drivers get pelted with petrol bombs. Cash in. Rant over, but if you watch, you’re partially responsible. 2012-04-20T07:39:51+00:00 http://freebetbookmaker.com/free-bets/content/news_blog/what_to_bet_on_today_bookies_odds_for_20th_april/ http://freebetbookmaker.com/free-bets/content/news_blog/what_to_bet_on_today_bookies_odds_for_20th_april/#When:19:18:25Z Friday 20th April, and we’ve got a few football matches, a rugby match, but most of all, a weekend of proper betting to look forward to…So, have you got money on the cricket matches ending as a draw yet? I personally made sure I backed several of them to a draw, so at least the rain will make someone happy. Even if it’s raining its arse off at an empty ground, it’s still more interesting than the IPL. If you want to argue with me on that count, go for it. I ain’t listening. Today’s looking quiet, as we’ve got a busy weekend ahead of us, but there’s still some action to look forward to. First of all, bottom club Newcastle have it all to do in the rugby union, and they take on Saracens at home. Saracens, however, have some terrific away results under their belt this season, with wins at Bath, Leicester, London Irish, Sale and Wasps. They should be able to turn over this weak Newcastle side, with 6 points to spare and you’ll get 10/11 with Paddy Power. There’s potential value to be had in Germany, with struggling - yet improving Wolfsburg travelling to Mainz, and they’re 11/4 - have a look at Vitibet for the stats and delve right in there. It’s all free, and I love it. If you’re into the Belgian Second Division, Vitibet is recommending that you back Red Star Waasland - who have won 13 of their last 16 home games, scoring over 2 goals per game in the process. They’re taking on SK Sint Niklaas who are shipping at least two goals per game away from home, having won just three games in 16. Come on, Red Star! Over in the MLB, it’s Yankees at Red Sox, and the Sox are in no mood to enjoy the celebrations - 100 years at Fenway Park - but so far, they’ve been appalling. Bobby Valentine may have taken the useless Mets to the postseason, but so far, not so good and the players don’t like him much. Yes, I’m a Sox fan, so I declare my interest right here. I have no interest in seeing the detested Yanks win at Fenway, and perhaps - just perhaps - the Red Sox will overturn the form book and do what they did to the Yanks so regularly last season - i.e. win. It’s not one I’d bet on, though. The team to back at the moment is the Washington Nationals - and we haven’t said that very often in recent years. The Nationals have slowly accumulated some real talent, from Jayson Werth to the young pitcher Strasburg. They host the Miami Marlins on Friday, and are worth a little tipple. Finally, casting our eyes to the weekend, I mentioned elsewhere here in my French election betting blog, that the polls have been pointing to a narrow Sarkozy lead in the first round, but for Hollande to trounce him in the run-in. If you want to follow those polls (they have been wrong in the past in France), and say Sarko to win the first half, Hollande to win the second, Paddy Power are offering odds of 11/4. I’ll be back tomorrow with a look at the weekend betting. In the meantime, come on Red Sox, sort it out for chrissakes. 2012-04-19T19:18:25+00:00 http://freebetbookmaker.com/free-bets/content/news_blog/betting_on_the_french_election_and_bookmaker_odds/ http://freebetbookmaker.com/free-bets/content/news_blog/betting_on_the_french_election_and_bookmaker_odds/#When:12:15:26Z France is getting ready to vote in the first round of their Presidential election, and all the money has gone on one man - Francois Hollande. The unpopular Nicolas Sarkozy appears to be on the way out…France is getting ready to vote in the first round of their Presidential election, and all the money has gone on one man - Francois Hollande. The unpopular Nicolas Sarkozy appears to be on the way out… But here’s the problem - everyone had money on Lionel Jospin when Chirac was re-elected for a second term, except me. I had money on a Chirac - Le Pen run-off. However, this time, I think the Socialist candidate has enough of the left-wing vote to squeeze through in order to face Sarkozy in a second round two weeks later which he is bound to win handsomely. So 1/8 on Hollande is probably about right. The problem 12 years ago was that the left wing had split its vote to such an extent that, despite having a sizeable chunk of the vote, it was across several candidates, most of whom were saying the same thing. However, that’s French politics for you - the French are known to be obstinate voters who vote with their heart in the first round and their head in the second. That’s why it’s quite possible that laying Francois Hollande on Betfair is an option. He’s 1/50 to reach the second round - if a Jospin-type situation happened, layers would be in the money. As I say, not as likely as it was 12 years ago, and even Segolene Royale reached the second round. And she was rubbish. It wouldn’t surprise me if Jean-Luc Melenchon reached third place in the first-round poll, though. Everyone seems to believe it will be Marine Le Pen, but 5/4 against the left-wing rabble-rouser is tempting. He’s been attracting votes from all over the place and has been up to around 15% in the polls. As rebel voters go to the polls with their heart on their sleeves, he could benefit. For those looking for the best value bet, then, the split on the left could benefit Nicolas Sarkozy - as it did Chirac back in 2000. Therefore, Paddy Power are offering 11/4 against Sarkozy winning the first round, as many polls have him doing, but Hollande winning overall. This is extraordinarily generous given that the polls have been predicting this for weeks. 2012-04-19T12:15:26+00:00 http://freebetbookmaker.com/free-bets/content/news_blog/what_to_bet_on_today_bookies_odds_for_19th_april/ http://freebetbookmaker.com/free-bets/content/news_blog/what_to_bet_on_today_bookies_odds_for_19th_april/#When:18:45:39Z On Thursday, our attention turns to the Europa League, which is more interesting for the absence of the two Manchester clubs. Atletico Madrid take on Valencia and Sporting Lisbon take on the conquerors of Manchester United, Atletico Bilbao.On Thursday, our attention turns to the Europa League, which is more interesting for the absence of the two Manchester clubs. Atletico Madrid take on Valencia and Sporting Lisbon take on the conquerors of Manchester United, Atletico Bilbao. It’s a mark of how much of a mystery this tournament is that the bookmakers are giving you odds against all four sides. They don’t know, and to be honest, neither do we, really. It’s hard to separate them and draws could be on the cards as all four sides tighten up a little. 9/4 is about right for both, and you’ll get that with Paddy Power and Bet365. If we cross over to the Americas, there’s absolutely no chance (surely) that The Strongest will beat Santos - and while Santos are 1/6, it’s a banker and a half. We love The Strongest, though. If we were going to start our own football team, we’d probably call ourselves The Best or something like that. Eventually we’d have to live up to our name. On a more serious note, DC United are at home to Montreal Impact - another stupid team name, there. Impact have been shit away from home, having lost all five games, so it pays to back the home side, wherever they go. Yes, that will turn around at some point, but you’d expect DC United to put them away. In the MLB, the Angels have CJ Wilson pitching at home to the Oakland Athletics, and you’d take him to stretch his winning run to three. The Angels have had a tricky start to the season but they’re showing signs of getting it together, especially when CJ Wilson is on the mound. You’re likely not to get fantastic odds, but 8/15 is about right for this one. The A’s are a team in transition - permanent transition - and are not fancied at the Angels. Darts is on today, and you’re looking at relatively long odds for Phil Taylor - he takes on Adrian Lewis, who is a tasty 4/1 to beat The Power. Simon Whitlock is also an excellent 13/10 against the erratic Raymond Van Barneveld. Barnie gets a lot of support, but he’s not one you can trust with your money. Oh, and don’t bother betting on the county cricket as it’s just going to rain forever. Drought, my arse. 2012-04-18T18:45:39+00:00 http://freebetbookmaker.com/free-bets/content/news_blog/what_to_bet_on_today_bookies_odds_for_18th_april/ http://freebetbookmaker.com/free-bets/content/news_blog/what_to_bet_on_today_bookies_odds_for_18th_april/#When:19:17:21Z A new regular feature on Free Bet Bookmaker - a look at what to bet on each day. Today, we’ve got the Champs League taking up most of our attention - but some intriguing MLB action, too…Chelsea take on Barcelona today, and while everyone thinks Barcelona are the best side in the world, I’m a little bored of them. Yeah, Messi’s a God, yadiyadiya, but get round the back of them (Mascherano at centre half?) and they’re there for the taking. Surely. The draw is the best value bet at 14/5, but you can get almost evens against Barcelona if that’s your bag. Chelsea, if you’re interested, are 7/2 with most bookmakers. Paddy Power are offering money back if Ronaldo or Messi score the last goals in their respective matches this week. And this came in from Blue Square - forgive the caps: IF MESSI SCORES 2 OR MORE GOALS, BLUE SQUARE WILL REFUND ALL LOSING 1st GOALSCORER, CORRECT SCORE, HT/FT & PLAYER SPECIAL BETS AS FREE BETS FOR THE 2nd LEG! In Major League Baseball, two fixtures stand out - the excellent Texas Rangers travel to the disorganised Boston Red Sox in a match that anyone can win (but Boston might not), while the bet of the day appears to be on the Cubs, who travel to the Miami Marlins’ new ballpark with their star man Matt Garza pitching. The Marlins are still a developing team, as are the Cubs, and you’ll get at least 6/4 against the Cubs. Cliff Lee is owed a win, and the Phillies are still in San Francisco - Matt Cain will be pitching for the Giants, but the legend that is Lee is good value for the visiting side. Cricket, and nobody cares about the Indian Premier League, so let’s not talk about it. So, onto the Monte Carlo Masters Tennis in, you’ve guessed it, Monte Carlo, and the obvious double of the day is Nadal and Djokovic both to win their matches. However, they’re both 1/100 so it’s not worth your time. There’s better value in Tsonga, who is 4/7 to win his game. Tennis gets on my nerves cos frankly, it’s all about a handful of players, and most matches are walkovers. They shouldn’t even bother with the walkover matches, which are embarrassing. Everyone should fight for the right to play Nadal, Djokovic or Federer. Including Andy Murray, as he annoys us. Betting news - there’s a £5 free bet no deposit - Totesport have joined the no deposit revolution and they’re giving away a free fiver. Ace. 2012-04-17T19:17:21+00:00 http://freebetbookmaker.com/free-bets/content/news_blog/free_bet_bookmakers_grand_national_preview_2012/ http://freebetbookmaker.com/free-bets/content/news_blog/free_bet_bookmakers_grand_national_preview_2012/#When:14:34:35Z A process of elimination - based on trends - puts a cross through most of the field this year, leaving us with Rare Bob - a 40/1 shot. So which trends do we chuck out? Free Bet Bookmaker’s 2012 Grand National Preview favours West End Rocker, Cappa Bleu, Rare Bob, Killyglen, and a couple of others - plus some great each-way shots.Selecting this year's winner of the Aintree Grand National is very much a process of elimination. In fact, the more you eliminate, the more you begin to think that at least one of the trends that we use to pick winners has to be broken this year. In fact, by pure application of trends, you're left with a couple of 50/1 shots - are we really looking at a long-odds winner? It's certainly worth an each-way on the two horses that pop up consistently each time you look at trends - I know that Rare Bob was a disappointment back in December at Aintree, when he finished 5th from 6 finishers, 60 lengths behind the winner, West End Rocker. However, on the plus side, he's a stayer and connections have tilted him at this race with the right preparation. The fact that he's seen the National fences is a plus, so he has to be considered for an each-way bet at the very least. Here's the list, anyway - and scroll down below the runners and riders for our ultimate preview... Horse Odds FBB Rating FBB "Final Say" Bet Synchronised 15/2 **** It will be tough for Synchronised, probably too tough, given that Red Rum was the last horse to carry this much weight around the Grand National Course, and Gold Cup winners generally don't win the National. Not worth 15/2, but a good each-way if the odds were longer. £20 free with Paddy Power Ballabriggs 14/1 **** 11st9lb is a lot of weight for anyone. Ballabriggs was our easiest pick for many years last year, but this year he'll be good each-way money. The last three last year all carried over 11st, so a place is on the cards for Ballabriggs. £200 free with Bet365 Weird Al 50/1 ** Tough, this - 11st8lb is proof that he's been caught by the handicapper for some decent finishes - a 3rd to Kauto Star at Haydock, and was nowhere in the Hennessy off the same mark. £25 second bet free from Blue Square Neptune Collonges 33/1 *** A lovely horse and an exquisite jumper, but he never seems to fit the National. We'd love to see him pull something off, and 33/1 is good for the each-way pickers. £20 free with Boyle Sports Calgary Bay 33/1 ** An early faller last season, but jumping is not so suspect - it's stamina that's under question. £20 free with Paddy Power Alfa Beat 50/1 **** Surprisingly over-priced in my view - this is a horse that has two Kerry National victories, has bags of stamina, and has already seen the fences, falling in the Topham despite a decent race. Things may be different here so cannot be ignored for a place pick. £200 free with Bet365 Planet of Sound 40/1 ** Has had breathing problems, and there remain questions over his stamina - but... a recent second in the Hennessy and some good finishes can't rule him out completely, but maybe not in the same class as the rest. £25 second bet free from Blue Square Black Apalachi 50/1 **** A National campaigner who, at the age of 13, may have seen better days. However - he's a brilliant each-way pick because he knows his way round the course. Denis O'Regan picked him ahead of younger horses, so a really good each-way chance. £20 free with Boyle Sports Deep Purple 100/1 *** Another one you can't ignore for an each-way chance as his stamina has surprised many - even his trainer. If the ground goes good and the rain holds off, he may have a good each-way shot. £20 free with Paddy Power Junior 14/1 **** Aimed at the National with the right sort of preparation, he's now under the tutelage of David Pipe and is on an upward curve. He won last year's Kim Muir at Cheltenham by an absolute mile, which is why he's so fancied here. Different race, though, and different fences, so not as fancied as others. £200 free with Bet365 Chicago Grey 16/1 **** Stamina - and plenty of it - can this grey be that rare thing? A grey National winner... out of sorts this season, though, and will really need to step up in class to win this. £25 second bet free from Blue Square Tatenen 100/1 * You want a National winner to have form (and at least one win) over 3 miles. So you can discount Tatenen. £20 free with Boyle Sports Seabass 22/1 *** Seabass has caught the eye lately, winning a handicap chase at Leopardstown, and has a 3 mile victory in point-to-points. However, stamina is still a question mark - not a negative, just an unknown. £20 free with Paddy Power Shakalakaboomboom 20/1 **** When connections worry about a trip being too short for a horse, you have to consider him for the National. We can't be sure he's ready for it this year, but we can't entirely rule out Shakalakaboomboom, who will be getting plenty of pin-sticker attention. Improving quickly, has class on his side, as well as Nicky Henderson's stable. If not this year, then definitely next year. £200 free with Bet365 West End Rocker 14/1 ***** Our tip earlier this week, but we're having second thoughts as he hasn't run since late last year. Equally, he's 12lb up on the mark that saw him crush his Becher's Chase opposition. That said, he was going nicely last year before being brought down unluckily, and he has every chance in this wide-open National - so yes, he hasn't run much, but he's fresh, he's got stamina, and despite the firming ground, he's still an excellent pick. £25 second bet free from Blue Square According to Pete 33/1 *** The ground might no longer be soft enough for him, but he's in great form and therefore cannot be ignored. He's a hardened horse with plenty of stamina, the only worry is that the fences will be just too much for him this Saturday. £20 free with Boyle Sports On His Own 16/1 **** The Ruby Walsh effect has seen On His Own's odds take a tumble from what would have been realistic odds of 30/1 or so. At eight years old, he may be too inexperienced for this race, but then again - Ruby Walsh in the saddle will add a year or so. He's got a great future, and has some impressive victories under his belt already. Same stable as Hedgehunter, and they know what it takes to win - so cannot be discounted. £20 free with Paddy Power Always Right 33/1 **** Third in last year's Scottish National brought Always Right to everyone's attention, and he'll compete well at Aintree given his profile. One of the best each-way bets out there, should be in the mix. £200 free with Bet365 Cappa Bleu 16/1 ***** As the ground hardens a little, Cappa Bleu comes more and more into the reckoning. He ran a brilliant third to Le Beau Bai in the mud of the welsh national, and he's from the same stable as State of Play, who gets round every year. They know a thing or two, and the bookies are running scared of this one. Well weighted, and one at the top of the shortlist. £25 risk-free with Blue Square Rare Bob 50/1 *** A poor performance in the Becher's has to be taken into consideration here - however, contrast that with a fourth in the Irish National as well as decent runs in the John Smiths Handicaps of 2010 and 2011, and you have a conundrum. Rare Bob could be a rare thing, but it's hard to back a horse that was beaten by 60 lengths over these fences. £20 free with Boyle Sports Organisedconfusion 28/1 ** Irish National winners have a great record, but lady jockeys sadly don't. Still, if anyone's going to do it, Nina Carberry certainly can, but age is against Organisedconfusion - seven year olds very rarely win Nationals, and he needs more experience under his belt. One to watch for the next couple of years, though. £20 free with Paddy Power Treacle 20/1 ** Third place in the Hennessy, when believed to be a rank outsider, brought Treacle to the attention of the bookmakers, and connections have always said he's a National horse in the making. He's 11 now so it's now or never, and there's nothing to say he's not a good each-way bet. We just don't have much evidence that he'll take on the National fences with such ease. £200 free with Bet365 The Midnight Club 40/1 **** A blunder last year was recovered by Ruby Walsh, and Midnight Club went on to finish a respectable sixth. Since then, he's gone on to earn some excellent places and comes back to Aintree without the spotlight of favouritism that he received last year. 40/1 for a horse that came sixth last year - after a blunder - is an absolute steal. Jumping may be an issue based on last year, but he got round, finished the race, and can certainly do better this year. £25 risk-free with Blue Square Mon Mome 66/1 *** Always respect past winners, and always respect past finishers. Mon Mome was both. After a surprise win at 100/1, he finished again last year, and while this may represent his last opportunity to do so, a place is not out of the reckoning for Mon Mome. Still a good horse, with plenty left in the engine - just probably not a winner. £20 free with Boyle Sports Arbor Supreme 100/1 ** A faller last year, and his star has waned somewhat after many thought he was a potential winner last year. Won't mind the ground, and he's been primed for this race with the perfect preparation. Connections are clearly hopeful, but it's hope more than anything. £20 free with Paddy Power Sunnyhillboy 25/1 **** Winner of the Kim Muir at Cheltenham, in some style - but is that enough? We like Sunnyhillboy, and 25/1 is great for a place bet. This is a step up in class, distance and also difficulty - but why not. He's good, potentially very good, and well weighted. £200 free with Bet365 Killyglen 16/1 **** Ran a decent race last year before coming down at the fourth from home - so this year, his pedigree and stamina have put him among the second tier of favourites. He's got every chance in 2012, having plenty of stamina, good form, a sight of the Aintree fences before - no doubt that he'll run a good race. £25 second bet free from Blue Square Quiscover Fontaine 50/1 ** We usually avoid French-bred horses - but Mon Mome proved an exception. The handicapper has dropped him in weight so he's nicely weighted, nicely rated and nicely positioned for those who are looking for a long-shot place. 50/1 is as good as you'll get. £20 free with Boyle Sports Tharawaat 150/1 * Would be a shock if this one got further than 3 miles. £20 free with Paddy Power Becauseicouldntsee 20/1 *** Likes to be prominent, and keep an eye on the odds because he's got stamina and a year's extra experience since falling last year at the second fence. Another one potentially worth an each-way shout (there are too many, aren't there...) £200 free with Bet365 State of Play 50/1 *** The old campaigner keeps on going - three places in three years. Can he make it a fourth? There's nothing to suggest that he can't other than age, and the fact that others are catching up on him. His time has probably come and gone, unfortunately. £25 second bet free from Blue Square Swing Bill 100/1 * Will find it difficult. End of story. £20 free with Boyle Sports Postmaster 150/1 * See above. £20 free with Paddy Power Giles Cross 16/1 **** Strange to see him so low in the weights after his National trial victory, and other sterling showings. There's every chance that Giles Cross will be involved in the mix at the end. More rain would have helped his cause, but two Welsh National places mark him out as a National type of horse. Every chance, and must be considered. £200 free with Bet365 Midnight Haze 80/1 * Let's hope he has fun, at least. £25 second bet free from Blue Square Vic Venturi 100/1 * Squeezed in at the bottom of the weights - but two Nationals and he's only cleared a handful of fences, so it hasn't worked for him so far. 100/1 is long, though, and he's found himself bang in form of late - and has recorded classy victories over the National fences in the past (Becher's anyone?) If you're looking for a real outside each-wayer, Vic might be your one. £20 free with Boyle Sports In Compliance 150/1 * Needs a step up in class and stamina if he's going to compete. £20 free with Paddy Power Viking Blond 100/1 * See above. Same goes for Viking Blond. £200 free with Bet365 Hello Bud 100/1 * Hello Bud is getting on now, and it would be fantastic to see him get something out of the Grand National. It's just too little too late I'm afraid. £25 second bet free from Blue Square Neptune Equester 150/1 * A trainer in form but he's trying his luck here. Right at the bottom of the weights with 9-9 on his back, he has been primed for this race, he's just not got the class of all the other horses, unfortunately. Would be a fairytale victory. £20 free with Boyle Sports Sunnyhillboy won the Kim Muir at Cheltenham, and won it with some style. He's another who, at long odds, meets the trends - the problem is that he doesn't seem to match the quality of higher weighted horses. That said, the length of the race is something of a leveller, and he stands another each-way chance. We still like the look of West End Rocker, although his lack of racing is a worry. In fact, the extra 12lb that the handicapper has strapped on his back is another worry, but then his win in the Becher's was indicative of the fact that he was ahead of the handicapper in that instance, and made a mockery of it. Another worry is that he has the odd bad race in him - with some poor performances mixed in with great ones. It takes a bit of faith, but a horse that is well weighted, with a victory over these fences has to be respected. Chicago Grey also gets a look-in, despite being... grey. I don't believe that greys don't win Nationals - I just believe they don't enter it very often. He looks to have the right profile and the right preparation for the National, and comes here almost flying under the radar, what with the AP McCoy / Ruby Walsh gamble going on. Well worth a pop. Cappa Bleu is another that we can throw in with the same description - he looks like he's going to have a good race, and bookies have been cutting his odds all week, despite him not having run in the last 50 days. Let's add the lightly weighted Giles Cross to that list of horses who haven't run in the last 50 days and would have to break that trend. His recent win in the National trial, as well as some good places, puts him in a good position. A faller last year, yet still a course winner, is the Irish Killyglen, who would have to break the trend of not having won a major race with a large field. I'm inclined not to hold that against him because of the quality of some of the opposition he has beaten in the past. He comes here with good preparation, just question marks over his ability to handle a race this large. Question marks remain over On His Own, too, but the Ruby Walsh gamblers will have their money on him anyway. He looks to have stamina and jumping problems, but then again - he's got such a good jockey on board, he could get round and get round well. Remember last year, Walsh had to adjust Midnight Club after a horrific jump - he got round in 6th. And I'll add to all of this that Synchronised and Ballabriggs would both have to carry round record weights if they were to win the National, and that would be a super-equine effort. Something's got to give - otherwise Rare Bob really could win the Grand National. So many questions, so few answers... here's our top 6 as we see it: West End Rocker Cappa Bleu Chicago Grey Rare Bob Killyglen Ballabriggs 2012-04-13T14:34:35+00:00 http://freebetbookmaker.com/free-bets/content/news_blog/bookies_cutting_cappa_bleu_west_end_rocker_and_shakalakaboomboom/ http://freebetbookmaker.com/free-bets/content/news_blog/bookies_cutting_cappa_bleu_west_end_rocker_and_shakalakaboomboom/#When:18:28:37Z In the run-up to the Grand National, we look at three horses the bookies have got their eyes on - West End Rocker (so far, our pick), Cappa Bleu and Shakalakaboomboom.A lot of money is going to be placed on the Grand National this Saturday - about £250m apparently - which is ridiculous considering that most people just stick a pin in the list and say they’ll back the first thing they see. It’s nuts. And when people say ‘the Grand National is a lottery’ they’re talking rubbish. It’s not. We bang on and on about the trends paying off almost every year, and we’re sticking with the percentages, thank you. The bookies are having to follow the traditional AP McCoy punt, which is all about Synchronised, the Gold Cup winner. I’ll give him this - Synchronised was a good Gold Cup winner. Not a great, and he mostly won because Kauto Star had to withdraw part way through the race, and Long Run has been on the slide ever since he won the Gold Cup a year ago. What’s more, Gold Cup winners don’t do the National. It takes a certain preparation to win the Grand National - along with the right weight - and Synchronised hasn’t had it. National winners are usually fresh, and aimed straight at the race itself - not as an after-thought. So the bookies are looking at three horses, all movers this week in the betting. We told you about West End Rocker last week, and what with the pissing rain the NorthWest has had over the last few days - and the rain forecast to come - we’re looking at soft ground, good to soft at best. Alan King has said that he wants rain, but only to hold up the other horses - West End Rocker can carve up this course in any ground short of firm. What’s so good about him? Well, he’s aimed at this race, he’s got the racing weight, he’s ten years old (perfect), he’s a course winner and was unlucky in last year’s race after going really well until Becher’s, and he’s got the win over 3m, which is essential for a National winner. No wonder the bookies are running scared - I got 18/1 (Betfair) but you’re only going to get 14/1 at the moment. Still - it’s not to be sniffed at, especially for an each-way bet. Cappa Bleu might not like the ground if it keeps raining like it has been doing - but his odds are now down to 14/1. Paul Moloney has taken the ride on Cappa Bleu and fancies his chances. Having finished gamely in third in the Welsh National, connections have been talking up his chances at Aintree for some time - what he doesn’t have is proven experience over the National fences, but he comes here having recovered from several setbacks over the last few years. He’s from the same owners as State of Play - who has finished placed in each of the last three Nationals - so they know a thing or two about this race. I’m not putting the bank on Cappa Bleu, but like the bookies, I’m wary of a horse that has been tilted at the National, with form over distance. Shakalakaboomboom is one for the pin-stickers. An 8-year-old who has seen the National fences (he ran the Topham last year) and has been constantly improving - sometimes surprisingly so - he’s more than just a silly name. It was a win at the Punchestown Festival that first brought him to peoples’ attention, and he carried that form into the December Cheltenham meeting. What we like most about him was that the Topham was too short! Brilliant, he sounds like our kind of horse. Chances are that the soft ground might prove too much for him, but it can be a leveller. He’s also a little experienced - another year of racing would make him a strong favourite in 2013, but he really cannot be discounted. It would be fantastic for Nicky Henderson, too, and would cap a brilliant season for him. 2012-04-10T18:28:37+00:00 http://freebetbookmaker.com/free-bets/content/news_blog/grand_national_why_west_end_rocker_is_a_great_pick_at_16_1/ http://freebetbookmaker.com/free-bets/content/news_blog/grand_national_why_west_end_rocker_is_a_great_pick_at_16_1/#When:18:00:54Z It’s a little too early for us to bring out our full preview of the 2012 Grand National, but already, one horse has caught our eye. West End Rocker seems to meet all of the criteria for a Grand National winner, and we were saying that right here last year about a certain horse called Ballabriggs…Let’s get the gloating out of the way, shall we? Last year, we made a pretty penny on Ballabriggs, so certain were we that he was going to win the Grand National. Why? Because he was the one that seemed to meet all of the criteria. So looking at this year’s cast, poor old Ballabriggs has been saddled with so much weight, he has about as much of a chance as Synchronised. I.e. not much. That’s why we’re looking at West End Rocker, an out and out stayer who looked to be going really well last year until he was brought down at Becher’s Brook. Past form over the National fences counts for a lot, and West End Rocker has it - he went out on the National course in December’s Becher Chase and absolutely hammered everyone including Niche Market, winning by 22 lengths. What was even more impressive about that win was that he seemed to have even more in the tank - so the step up to the National distance won’t be a problem. It would be a first for Alan King, who has never won a National and has barely ever featured in it, to be honest. But he doesn’t like to put horses in when they don’t have a chance, and last year he sincerely believed West End Rocker did. He sent the horse out at Warwick for the Classic Chase, and he ate up the field. As always, we’re looking for our national winner following certain trends - 8 to 12 year olds feature prominently, but it’s the 9 and 10 year olds who usually win it. A handicap rating of 135 or above tells us that it’s usually the better horses that win this, and weight matters - 11st5lb was the heaviest of recent years, but most winners end up carrying less than 11st. Proof of stamina is required - so a win over 3 miles is a pre-requisite, and we’re generally looking for freshness. Horses that are aimed at the National usually win it - horses that are aimed at Cheltenham don’t come out of it too well. He’s fresh, which is an advantage - and Alan King has on his hands a potential Grand National winner here. 16/1 is the best you’ll get at the moment - and hopefully people will keep piling their money on AP McCoy, so those odds hold firm. 2012-04-05T18:00:54+00:00 http://freebetbookmaker.com/free-bets/content/news_blog/gold_cup_preview_kauto_long_run_and_burton_port/ http://freebetbookmaker.com/free-bets/content/news_blog/gold_cup_preview_kauto_long_run_and_burton_port/#When:20:37:26Z All this talk about Kauto Star and Long Run is getting rather distracting. It’s no Kauto vs Denman, that’s for sure, but these two are dominating all the pre-race talk. Which means we’re forgetting about Burton Port….. read on in our preview.Claim a free bet on the Gold Cup worth £20 with just a £10 bet - money-back specials all day on Friday It’s Kauto Star vs Long Run if you believe the hype, and yes, it probably is. They’re the best two we’ve got, and it would be just magic if Kauto Star were to win the Gold Cup as a 12-year-old. Long Run, logically, should win it - he should overturn the form between the two this season, partly because Kauto Star has that niggling doubt from a recent run-out. But is Long Run still as good as he was last year? He’s started to look lazy, but maybe the Cheltenham roar will rouse his spirits. There’s every chance that this may be one Gold Cup too many for Kauto Star, and if we’re to believe the trends, then only a previous winner can overturn the pattern that 6 to 9 year olds win this race. And all of this hype is taking us away from the rest of the field, and we’re looking at Burton Port, who came a close second to Long Run in the Denman Chase last month. It was a brave finish, and you got the impression that there’s more to come from Nicky Henderson’s other entry. With Long Run not having the season people had expected of him, and Kauto Star getting on a little bit, Burton Port has a better chance than people have been giving him credit. The only doubt we have is over Burton Port’s jumping credentials - while not necessarily much of a faller, he does have a habit of hitting the fences and having to work a little extra to get back into contention - but get back into contention he usually does. This Gold Cup could be the making of him, and you can get 15/2 for the win, but a safer bet would be the 15/8 place bet. In other races, we like Boston Bob a lot, and he’s going in the Albert Bartlett at 2:40. He’s got the stamina as his maiden race showed, and three wins this season put him right at the top of the betting. He’s worth favouritism, and he’s worth a penny or two. If you follow my personal account on Twitter (@clevergareth), then you’ll know that I went big on Sunnyhillboy, so woohoo for me, and another former National horse, Cloudy Lane, is going in the 4:00 Foxhunter Chase this Friday. National finishers always get a tick from me, and I’ve always liked Cloudy Lane - he’s no shoo-in - the race is wide-open, but he’s going to get a few pounds each-way from me. Money back if your horse comes second to the SP favourite in 3 races tomorrow with Paddy Power 2012-03-15T20:37:26+00:00 http://freebetbookmaker.com/free-bets/content/news_blog/cheltenham_trends_2012_day_four/ http://freebetbookmaker.com/free-bets/content/news_blog/cheltenham_trends_2012_day_four/#When:15:00:24Z It’s Gold Cup Day, and a day where the bookmakers generally have it about right. However, if you’ve caught up on the Cheltenham trends from the last ten years, you will perhaps have uncovered a long-odds chance for the fourth day.It’s day four and by now, you’re either onto your twentieth bookmaker account, or you’re so rich you can’t be arsed betting any more, it’s for plebs. But it’s Gold Cup day and Kauto Star’s almost certain to go! Wahey! He’s already beaten Long Run twice this season and a third time would make Cheltenham the noisiest place in the land. What? It already is? It would be celebrated massively, though, and quite rightly. The JCB Triumph Hurdle Winners of their previous race feature prominently, especially if that race was within the last 45 days. At most 6 starts over hurdles is another pattern, and most winners have flat experience. We’re looking for a horse that was sired by a group 1 winner, so check out parentage if you’re stuck. The bookmakers, once more, have got a good idea of who’s going to win the JCB, with the first four in the betting taking almost all of the spoils. A graded hurdle victory helps, as does a win in the Adonis Juvenile Novices’ Hurdle. In fact, any Novices’ Hurdle win is good, especially at Newbury. Get a Cheltenham free bet on this race The Vincent O’Brien County Hurdle Five year olds have a good record here, especially if they’re trained in Ireland, and especially if they’re trained by Paul Nicholls. Six and seven year olds can’t be discounted. With a weight of at least 10-10, and a rating in the 130s, we’re looking for relatively new hurdlers - first or second season - with at least three starts this season. A place in the BoyleSports Hurdle or the Betfair Handicap Hurdle will also give you an indication here - but this is a tricky race to predict, so you might have to Dutch it. Get a Cheltenham free bet on this race The Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle Five, six and seven year olds dominate again, and we’re after a horse that’s won a graded hurdle, as well as a top 2 finish in his last start. Stamina will count so a win over 2m 5 furlongs counts for a lot, and a course winner will have an immediate advantage. Once more, this is a race for the bookmakers, with the winner coming in more often than not at under 10/1. None of the winners of this race had any flat experience, and you should take a second look at Jonjo O’Neill’s entries. Get a Cheltenham free bet on this race The Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup Most of us will be lumping on Kauto Star, but let’s look at the trends anyway because they are pretty consistent. We’re looking for the bookmakers for inspiration - and their top 3 in the market generally always win it. Oh, the favourite usually does, too. A win over three miles is essential, as is a Grade 1 victory. In fact, a top-3 finish at last year’s festival will also help. The top two in the King George often come out top, and a top 2 finish last time out also helps. Age-wise, it’s 6 to 9 year olds who win the Gold Cup, and they’re generally bred in Ireland or France. Every winner of the last ten years had run in 2 to 5 chases in the season, and all horses but one had run 6 to 11 career chases. That one? Kauto Star. So, really, it’s the favourites, trained in Britain, with only previous winners being able to break the trends. Get a Cheltenham free bet on this race The Christie’s Foxhunter Chase Challenge Cup If under 6 or over 10, qualify them out, and we’re looking for a hosre that has been placed in the last 35 days. Longer odds horses tend to come out top in this race, which is run directly after the Gold Cup at the same course and distance. It’s a far cry from the quality of the previous race, but it does require stamina - horses that have won over three miles get added to your shortlist, and those that have won a class 3 chase get an extra tick. Again, Paul Nicholls has a good record here. Get a Cheltenham free bet on this race The Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase Challenge Cup A Grade 3 Handicap chase closes the festival, and the bookies have got it right most years, despite last year’s 40/1 aberration. The top winning weight was 11st, so look for lower than that, and look for ratings under 134. A top 3 finish within the last 45 days is a good start, and we’re looking for Cheltenham form - a win or a place will do. In fact, a run in last year’s equivalent gets your horse an extra little tick. Irish-trained horses have a decent record, and a place in either the Carey Group or the Red Rum Handicap Chase will help big time. Not an easy race, but if you stick to the lower end of the market, you’ll be able to shorten that list down considerably. Get a Cheltenham free bet on this race 2012-03-10T15:00:24+00:00 http://freebetbookmaker.com/free-bets/content/news_blog/cheltenham_trends_2012_day_three/ http://freebetbookmaker.com/free-bets/content/news_blog/cheltenham_trends_2012_day_three/#When:14:58:57Z Day three, and by this time, the hangover’s really kicking in. Still, there’s the World Hurdle with Big Buck’s and some long odds victories often take place today. If you’re caught up on your Cheltenham trends, you might well have found them already.Day 3, and we don’t really have enough trends to analyse the first race of the day, so it’s straight to the second race, the Pertemps Final. Pertemps Final Handicap Hurdle Long-odds fanciers take note - the Pertemps Final has been won by horses of 10/1 or longer over the last ten years, and very often, the horse did not win last time out. In many cases, it wasn’t even placed. With a recent run within the last 50 days, and a weight lower than 10-10, it’s 6 to 9 year olds who tend to do well, and we’re looking for those with some stamina - a win over 3 miles is a pre-requisite. This is actually a poor cousin of the World Hurdle, so many of the horses here will be poor cousins of the World Hurdle, at least in theory. Ratings as low as 129 can win it. Get a Cheltenham free bet on this race The Ryanair Chase If running true to its name, the Ryanair Chase would be charging the jockeys for the privilege of a seat. It’s a decent race nowadays with some quality horses who have previous Cheltenham form, so for such a young race, it’s grown in stature quickly. The Irish and the French have dominated, winning every race since its induction in 2005, but then again - every horse is either Irish or French. Well, almost. Course and distance does help here - every winner of the Ryanair Chase had won at Cheltenham, and five of them over this distance. All previous winners had won a Grade 1, 2 or 3 race, and a place in either the Paddy Power or December Gold Cup is a good indicator. Again, it’s stamina that matters - a win over 2miles 5 furlongs is essential. If quality and stamina count so much, then it’s little surprise that the bookies have got a good handle on the Ryanair. All but one winner since its inception have been from the top three of the markets, at 6/1 or lower. Only Alberta’s Run in 2010 broke that rule, coming in at 14/1. Favourites, however, haven’t struck lucky, so look at second and third in the markets and you may already have your winner. King George runners have a good record, as do winners of the Spinal Research or Paddy Power. Indeed, last year’s places are also a guide. Finally, look at ratings (RPR) of 152 and above, and you probably have your horse. Get a Cheltenham free bet on this race The Ladbrokes World Hurdle Everyone’s trying to avoid Big Buck’s, as he looks to win the World Hurdle for the fourth time. This could make him the best staying hurdler of all time, which would make it a historic World Hurdle. History is on his side, as the only 9 year olds to have won it were previous winners. Six to eight year olds usually have it sewn up. Finally, we’ve found a race where the Irish don’t do too well. The French have won 6 of the last 10 races, despite having just 30% of the total number of runners, which is astonishing. They get plenty of places, too, so if you’re going each-way, go French-bred. Course and distance wins are handy, and wins over 3 miles are proof that they can handle this test. A Grade 1 hurdle again, is essential, preferably within the season, and Cheltenham experience really does count. Every winner in the last ten years had been either first or second in EVERY hurdles race that season, with between 8 and 23 starts over hurdles in total, and at most four races that particular season. Bookmakers know what’s going on, and the longest price we’ve seen in the last ten years was ten years ago, 8/1. This is a race that’s all about the classiest horse in the field. Surprises rarely happen here. Some other races to look out for: The Long Distance and the Long Walk Hurdle - find your winner there. Get a Cheltenham free bet on this race The Byrne Group Plate Back down to Grade 3 here, and a shorter race at 2 miles 5 furlongs. That’s the only short thing about it - the last ten winners all came in at 12/1 or longer, including some shockers at 66/1, 25/1, dare I go on? Favourites are handy for a place, but that’s all. So - if the French win, they’re generally between 5 and 8, but if the Brits or the Irish win, they’re generally between 8 and 11 years old. The maximum weight for any winner in the last ten years is 10-9. You have to look for jockeys who are claiming an allowance in this one - they have an amazingly good record considering the small number entering. If you find one, look at the other trends and see if he fits the bill. We need some stamina, so a distance victory is a pre-requisite, and we need a little bit of class - so a place in a Graded chase will do. Some kind of Cheltenham form would be nice - a win or a place, and we’re looking for Nicky Henderson and Venetia Williams-trained horses too. Two races to look at for your winner: The Murphy Group Plate and the William Hill Home of Betting Handicap Chase. Any horse that was placed should be on your shortlist, if they meet the other trends. Equally, a start in the last 40 days, and preferably a place, will shorten down your list even further. Get a Cheltenham free bet on this race Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup A handicap race for amateurs, that provides some long-odds victories for 8 or 9 year olds carrying 10-10 or greater. The top weight has won two of the last three renewals of the Kim Muir, making it one for the heavy boys. What we’re looking for is a horse that has been recently placed over 3 miles or greater, in a class 3 or better handicap chase over fences. Unlike the previous race, jockeys with a claim have a poor record, so try to avoid them. A win over three miles is a pre-requisite, so check for stamina. Get a Cheltenham free bet on this race 2012-03-10T14:58:57+00:00 http://freebetbookmaker.com/free-bets/content/news_blog/cheltenham_trends_2012_day_two/ http://freebetbookmaker.com/free-bets/content/news_blog/cheltenham_trends_2012_day_two/#When:09:09:24Z Day two of the Cheltenham Festival, and let’s have a look at the trends that can help us shorten our shortlists even further, and help us increase our chances of winning.Day 2, and an amateurs race kicks off the second day of the Cheltenham festival, and we’re looking for some Cheltenham trends to improve our chances when betting. The Diamond Jubilee National Hunt Novices’ Chase Well, where do we start? Changes to the rules in 2010 meant that better horses started to enter this race, and that skews our trends a little. However, we do know that every winner of this race had run between four and eight races since August, and all but one had been first or second in a 3 mile chase or longer. A run in the last 50 days is almost a pre-requisite trend, and strangely, a good record at Newbury is a good indicator. Favourites don’t have a great record, just 2 in 10, and we’ve had winners of up to 33/1 in the last ten years. Equally, look for a horse that hasn’t run flat races. 7 and 8 year olds tend to do well, and another peculiar trend that won’t necessarily educate you pre-race is that the winners have almost always been held towards the back during the race. Good ground might turn that trend on its head, though. Get a Cheltenham free bet on this race The Neptune Investment Management Novices Hurdle A slightly longer race than the Supreme Novices, this has been a minefield for gamblers. The British have a terrible record, so look for the Irish and the French 5 and 6 year-olds, especially those who had run up to 6 hurdles races in the season, never finishing outside the top two. You’re looking for evidence of stamina, with a win over 2m and 4 furlongs, and evidence of quality - so a win in a grade 1 or 2 hurdle. Just like in the Arkle, you’re looking to the bookmakers to provide you with a guide to shortening your field down. The first five in the betting have totally dominated this race, and again, just like in the Arkle, the favourites suffer. 12/1 appears to be the maximum over the last ten years. Get a Cheltenham free bet on this race The RSA Chase We like this race because it’s a fantastic indicator of future glory. Stamina counts here, as it is run over 3 miles, and we’re also looking for a seven year old. Guess what, it’s the Irish and the French who win this - well, OK, mostly the Irish. Previous winners have gone on to win the King George and the Gold Cup, so we’re looking for real quality. A top two finish last time out with a rating of 136 or higher is essential, and a run in the last 50 days is also required. Look for evidence of stamina, so a win over 2 miles and 5 furlongs, with evidence of quality - a place in a grade 1 or 2 chase will suffice. In fact, in chases, don’t pick a horse that has been outside the top 3 in any race. Like we say - this one is relatively easy to shorten down - Irish, with stamina, with a bit of quality. Get a Cheltenham free bet on this race The Sportingbet.com Queen Mother Champion Chase Yawn - the French and the Irish, yadiyadiya. Then again, most horses in the Queen Mother are French or Irish, so it’s hardly unusual that the Irish took all four places last year. That most common of Cheltenham trends, the win last time out, is essential, and lightly raced horses tend to do better. A maximum of four races all season will do. A grade 1 win is a pre-requisite, and being a course winner helps. Five to seven year olds have a good record, but Irish eight-year-olds do well, and we’re also looking for a horse at a certain stage in his racing career - 2nd or 3rd season of chasing. Previous winners came from the Arkle or the previous season’s Queen Mother, and the Tingle Creek race is another indicator of potential here. Paul Nicholls has a great record in this race. Get a Cheltenham free bet on this race The Coral Cup A Grade 3 race run over 2 miles 5 furlongs, and trends will help you here because it’s never easy to pick the winner of this one. The bookies haven’t got a good handle on this race - the odds of recent winners don’t provide any sort of guide although favourites don’t tend to win. Look for a 5 to 7 year old horse with a minimum weight of 10-10, who won last time out. At least one win in the season is required, and evidence of some stamina is required with a win over 2 miles earned by all previous winners. We’re looking for a horse in his second season of hurdling, so no more than 4 handicap hurdles appears to be a general trend across all of our last ten winners. Get a Cheltenham free bet on this race The Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle Four-year-olds win this race because - well - because it’s a race for four-year-olds. Easy trend, that one, and doesn’t shorten down your field much. However, it appears that a minimum weight of 11 stone is required, and French or Irish horses have dominated the seven years of the Juvenile Handicap. Breeding counts - look for quality parentage, and then look for ratings of over 124. Again, a win last time out is a pre-requisite (Cheltenham’s favourite trend), and a good record at Taunton and Sandown appears to point towards a winner here. Another trend is form on the flat. Get a Cheltenham free bet on this race 2012-03-10T09:09:24+00:00 http://freebetbookmaker.com/free-bets/content/news_blog/cheltenham_trends_day_one/ http://freebetbookmaker.com/free-bets/content/news_blog/cheltenham_trends_day_one/#When:08:35:19Z Day one of the Cheltenham festival, and those famous trends are carted out again. Don’t be a pin-sticker, shorten down the field with our look at the trends of the past ten years, and increase your chances of actually winning something this year. Ready?Well it’s Cheltenham time again, and that means it’s time to get yourself a Cheltenham free bet and make the most of your money – how do we pick a winner at Cheltenham? Well – it’s less difficult than you think. We look at the past years’ trends, and we apply them to the field. In the first of our Cheltenham previews, we look at Day One (well, we had to start somewhere), and some of the past trends that could alert us to this year’s winners. The Stan James Supreme Novices’ Hurdle The Irish tend to like this race, although they’ve run out of luck the last couple of years.  Still, 8 out of 13 winners have been trained in Ireland. So what are we looking for? Well, 9 of the last ten winners of this race had run in the last 45 days, and 8 had won last time out. In fact, in all hurdles races across the season, 9 out of the last ten winners had been placed third or better. So we’re looking for a class horse who hasn’t been out of the places all season. 9 of 10 had actually won at least half of their races over hurdles. If they’ve been placed in a Grade 1 hurdle, then even better, and the Royal Bond and the Deloitte Novice are the two races to look at when you’re trying to pick a winner. Any bumper race victory is also a good sign. Price-wise, trends are for longer-priced horses, with favourites winning just 30 out of 10.  The last seven favourites have all suffered defeat, so it may pay to lay. Our picks: Montbazon to get the better of Steps To Freedom, just, and Cinders and Ashes, who looks like an excellent contender. Get a free bet on this raceThe Racing Post Arkle Trophy Very few shocks come in the Arkle, and the betting markets are perhaps your first port of call when shortening your list. 9/1 seems to be the maximum for the last ten years, and the top five of the betting call the shots.  However, the favourites don’t have a great record – just 1 in the last ten years. Indeed, the Irish and the French have dominated recent years – yes, the French, who should never be underestimated. So, you’re looking for a seven or an eight year-old Irish or French-bred horse, who has won a Grade 1 hurdle, and a Grade 1 or Grade 2 chase. A rating of over 140 is beneficial, and if the horse has already won at Cheltenham, then give him another tick. A good record is also required – first or second in all races appears to be a common pattern when looking at past winners of the Arkle. A maximum of 5 chases throughout the season seems to be the maximum. The Supreme Novices race from the previous years is a decent guide to this race, and let’s not ignore the Irish Arkle. Our picks: Al Ferof will have to break the trend of only finishing in the top two all season - but he’s last year’s Supreme Novice winner and that run up the hill stands him in good stead against Spinter Sacre, who is many peoples’ lay of the day. Good, but how good? Get a free bet on this race The JLT Specialty Handicap Chase A grade 3 race here,  and this favours both 7 and 8 year olds, although you can’t outright dismiss 9 and 10 year olds. You can, however, count out the 11-year-olds who don’t have a good record at all. A top 3 finish last time out is essential, as is a win over 3 miles. Equally, we’re looking for the quality of those wins – a Grade 3 will suffice, but if better than that, give your horse another extra tick. The official ratings are also a guide here, with ratings around 140 to 143 seeming to hit the mark more often than not. Also look for horses who have hit their maximum rating in their previous race, as this appears to be a very common pattern. A maximum weight of 10-13 is also a guide to follow,  as any horse carrying more than that has failed. Price-wise, we’re looking at 10/1 or shorter, and if the horse is Irish, bump him up your shortlist. They have a cracking record in this race. Our picks: Hold On Julio looks to have the profile we like for this race, and we may discount the weight issue thanks to the good ground. Quantitativeeasing may find that weight a little too much to carry in the end, and if we’re looking for a bit more value, Our Mick is a good pick at 10/1. I like the look of Fruity O’Rooney as an each-way shot - he’s 20/1 Get a free bet on this race Stan James Champion Hurdle The feature race of the day, and a chance for Hurricane Fly to retain his crown – he’d be the first since Hardy Eustace, and he’d be a very short-priced winner. It’s the 6 to 9 year olds who dominate this one. Ten year olds can be discounted as their record over the last ten years is rotten. Once more, the most common Cheltenham trend appears – they have to have won their last race. 8 out of the last 10 did, and all of them had run in the last 50 days, with an average of 4 races over the season and a minimum of ten lifetime races over hurdles. A Grade 1 hurdle is also almost a pre-requisite, with 8 out of 10 claiming one before this race. One exception was Rooster Booster. Indeed, we’re looking for a horse at a certain stage in their racing career – second,  third and fourth year of hurdling, in fact. A previous win at Cheltenham is useful, and a place over hurdles at the previous year’s festival is also a pre-requisite. A good guide to this race is the Punchestown Champion Hurdle or the Fighting Fifth, and again, that means the Irish tend to dominate. Our picks: Hurricane Fly, all the way - with Binocular chasing home, and an each-wayer on Celestial Halo for fun Get a free bet on this race Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Steeplechase Enda Bolger dominates this race completely, despite a couple of slip-ups in recent years.  The top three in the betting also dominate this race, which indicates that the bookies have a grip on this. So, what are we looking for? A win over 3 miles, and a win last time out (within the last 40 days), and at least 10 runs over fences. We’re also looking for a horse who had won in November or December Cross Country Chases, and had also run at last year’s Festival. 8 to 10 year olds have a great record since 2005 when the race was brought in, and if you’re looking for other indicators, the Hogan Memorial Cross Country Chase is a good one to analyse. Sizing Australia has a good chance once more against an ageing Garde Champetre, but it’s Scotsirish who catches the eye here for Willie Mullins. This could really suit. 2012-03-10T08:35:19+00:00 http://freebetbookmaker.com/free-bets/content/news_blog/giles_cross_wins_grand_national_trial_at_haydock/ http://freebetbookmaker.com/free-bets/content/news_blog/giles_cross_wins_grand_national_trial_at_haydock/#When:10:23:56Z Giles Cross has become the first favourite to win the Grand National trial at Haydock, beating Le Beau Bai in the process.For the first time in ten years, the favourite has won the Grand National Trial. Giles Cross, a 4-1 shot, beat Welsh National winner Le Beau Bai into third place with an excellent outing that saw his Grand National odds reduced to 20/1. Neptune Collonges was held back into second place as Giles Cross put in a strong performance. However, jockey Denis O’Regan said that despite the favourable weight allocated to him already for the Aintree outing, he may not run: “I would love to ride him at the National”, said Regan, “but it depends whether the ground would suit him.” Last year’s National Winner, Ballabriggs, meanwhile, has been allocated 11st9lb for the 2012 National, effectively putting him out of the running. 2012-02-19T10:23:56+00:00 http://freebetbookmaker.com/free-bets/content/news_blog/the_sack_race_watch_dalglishs_odds/ http://freebetbookmaker.com/free-bets/content/news_blog/the_sack_race_watch_dalglishs_odds/#When:10:03:57Z It seems a given that Steve Kean will win the sack race, and the bookies are offering 8/15 at the moment. But look further down the list and one name stands out - Kenny Dalglish.Steve Kean appears a dead cert to be given the sack at any time - so 8/15 is probably a good reflection of that, and it would be longer were it not for the hapless Bolton and the sinking star that is Owen Coyle. These are two managers in the firing line, but Coyle is the more surprising of the two. Feted by all for his time at Burnley, ambitious for his desire to move to a more established club, yet hamstrung by departures that he has not replaced, Coyle should really be given time to sort Bolton out. After all, this season is not really his fault, it’s been coming for a while. Kean, however, has no excuses. He has some money, more than other clubs in the Premier League, and he has the nucleus of a half-decent team. That’s why Blackburn Rovers fans are o his back, albeit extremely so. So while Coyle is 3/1, Kean is odds-on, you have to look further down the list for a surprise - and it’s worth watching the odds of big spender Kenny Dalglish, who is surely starting to raise the ire of his American owners after spending big on the likes of Carroll and Downing only to discover that Newcastle and Aston Villa players only get you as high as… well, Newcastle or Aston Villa. It’s a cruel world out there, and John Henry, while he is a patient and undoubtedly shrewd man, will not stand for anything less than Champions League qualification. He’s not going to get it this year, and without spending big again, he probably won’t get it next year - so is Dalglish the man? At 66/1 for the sack, the bookies think he still is, but those odds will start to take a tumble the more it appears Liverpool won’t get Champions League qualification. With Kean and Coyle gone, I’d wager that the bookies will offer around 20/1 for Dalglish in a few months’ time, if Liverpool’s form does not pick up. That’s still brilliant, and worth taking. Otherwise, you could go for Mick McCarthy, whose continued employment at Wolves is a mystery to all but himself, or Andre Villas-Boas, whose owners would be both foolish and in-keeping with form were they to fire him so soon. Get the latest sack race odds from Paddy Power, and get yourself a Paddy Power free bet worth £20 when you deposit £10. 2011-12-28T10:03:57+00:00 http://freebetbookmaker.com/free-bets/content/news_blog/kauto_star_cut_to_3_1_but_long_run_still_best_money_for_king_george/ http://freebetbookmaker.com/free-bets/content/news_blog/kauto_star_cut_to_3_1_but_long_run_still_best_money_for_king_george/#When:16:52:42Z Kauto Star has been cut to 3/1 for Boxing Day’s King George at Kempton, but Long Run is still the best bet for your money - especially when you take emotion out of the equation.Whether Kauto Star is worth the odds or not is questionable - his legions of followers have ensured that he is the talk of the betting before Monday’s big race at Kempton. Big money has been piled on Kauto Star ahead of the King George, but then again, big money gets piled on England ahead of a major football tournament. Not that this money is completely blind, however - like a punt on England to win the World Cup for example. No, Kauto Star looked back to his very best beating Long Run at Haydock last month, and while we cannot discount that as a “freak” win, it is likely that Long Run will be improved on that performance for the big race while Kauto Star will find it hard to maintain that standard at the age of 11. That should make Long Run a solid chance at 5/4, quite generous odds given the relative paucity of the opposition. We know little about Captain Chris and Somersby at this distance, and while it is clear that Master Minded has been prepped like mad for this race, he’s another one entering the unknown. Master Minded is now available at 13/2, which is a leap of faith - but you can get evens that he will finish ahead of Kauto Star, which is a tempter. That’s with Betfred, if you’re interested. Other free bets that are available include the Paddy Power Free Bet which doubles your money, or the very simple yet effective £10 free bet from Totesport who have kept Long Run at 11/8. 2011-12-24T16:52:42+00:00 http://freebetbookmaker.com/free-bets/content/news_blog/best_bets_for_the_weekend/ http://freebetbookmaker.com/free-bets/content/news_blog/best_bets_for_the_weekend/#When:20:30:00Z Well well - it’s Strictly Come Dancing - the Final. And we had two out of three predicted at the start of the series. There’s that - and a whole bunch of sporting bets worth a punt…So we had it almost right - Jason Donovan and Harry Judd are there, and Harry is the huge favourite at 1/4 with most bookmakers - but they’re joined by Chelsee Healey, a girl we originally dismissed - and don’t lie, you all did - as a walking chav-boob. How wrong we were. She’s great and we’re really hoping she wins, especially as she’s 5/2 at the moment and has become hugely popular. This could be a weekend to lay the favourite… Jason Donovan, however, can forget it. He’s far to earnest, far too… professional. In the Premiership, Newcastle are a bizarrely short 8/13 to beat Swansea at home on Saturday. There must be something up there - I’d have had them at least 1/2 so if you’re accumulating, then this is a good pick to start with. Everton’s goal problems continue - and will do until they shake off Bill ‘I have no money’ Kenwright - so a draw at home to Norwich will actually be quite a good result for them. Sad, isn’t it, to think that a draw at home to Norwich may be considered a good result. It isn’t. But if you’re having a punt, 13/5 for the toffees to continue mis-firing is good money. I’m intrigued by Tottenham vs Sunderland - it’s perhaps not a great one to bet on, with Spurs coming off the back of a European match and Sunderland on a high with the appointment of a manager who thinks tactics are something other than very small sweets that you get in newsagents. The also-rans in the Premiership should be very worried that Sunderland now have both the nous and the cash to compete for a European place. Looking ahead to the King George XI on Boxing Day, Long Run is the deserved favourite at 6/4, but Captain Chris is the big mover in the market - going from 16/1 in to 7/1 with most bookmakers. One to watch, but it will be very hard, even for Kauto Star, to beat Long Run in the biggie. The Paddy Power free bet is still on offer if you want it - bet £10 and you’ll get £20. 2011-12-15T20:30:00+00:00 http://freebetbookmaker.com/free-bets/content/news_blog/situational_betting_a_system_that_works/ http://freebetbookmaker.com/free-bets/content/news_blog/situational_betting_a_system_that_works/#When:12:53:56Z We don’t do much betting here at Free Bet Bookmaker. A strange thing to admit, but here’s one strategy we do use that helps us take advantage of situations others may not have noticed.People always ask me about betting systems, and the fact is that most of them are complete cobblers. Either that, or they’re so complicated that the average joe on the street has no idea how to handle these mathematical calculations. What we use here at Free Bet Bookmaker is a system that we’ve concocted ourselves. It doesn’t involve much maths, it doesn't even involve taking advantage of bookies offers, it just involves a little thought, and a lot of patience. What you’ll find in sport is that there are patterns. Everywhere. Some people call them quirks, but they’re not – there are endless reasons for these patterns that keep appearing over and over. We’ve done a very corporate thing, and created a quadrant, with low and high reward on one axis, and low and high risk on the other. What we do with this little quadrant is we start populating it with “situations”. An example of a situation could be: Football: Home side with good home form vs Away side with poor away form This situation is clearly low risk, low reward – the odds will be short, and unless there are other mitigating factors, it should be regarded as a ‘banker’. So, if we use a website like vitibet.com, we can start to pick out teams all around the world whose home form is good, who are playing at home against a side whose away form is poor. Football: Away side has won last 5 visits to the home side The information is out there, so go and get it before you place your bets. You’ll be able to start mining the data to find out which away sides are regularly picking up points – perhaps against form and status. Quirks like this happen in every sport, and you can expect high reward from these relatively low-risk bets. The question is, to what extent are you willing to risk your money against the bookmaker? Football: New manager steps in for first game at a struggling club Very often, struggling teams don’t just struggle because they’re rubbish – they struggle because their morale is low. Or because their manager is rubbish. Or both. Either way, a new manager often provides a lift to a struggling team, which results in at least one – sometimes several – games that go against form. In fact, some experts claim it can take up to 5 games before normal service is resumed, and the side continues to struggle. This would be of medium risk, but high reward, as bookmakers rarely base their judgement on an unknown quantum such as morale. Other quirks can be found – it’s really up to you. Whether it’s patterns such as a centre-forward regularly scoring against a particular club, or red cards appearing whenever two teams meet, there is money to be made from developing an understanding of common trends and backing them – you will stay one step ahead of the bookies! Baseball: Number 1 pitcher vs Number 3 pitcher Baseball is one of the most over-analysed sports in the world. The Americans do tend to overkill their statistics, and it’s a little-known fact that most baseball statisticians have never watched a game. They study the statistics for the love of it. Strange people. That said, their research has enabled a levelling-out of the playing field that few would have imagined possible, leading to the Moneyball exploits of the Oakland Athletics, and later, the Boston Red Sox under Theo Epstein. That’s why you should always look into Baseball stats before making an educated decision – and who is pitching is a good place to start. Usually, you’ll find the top two pitchers going up against each other, but every now and again, you’ll see a club’s number one pitcher facing someone of infinitely less stature. Low risk, medium return – especially if you find an unfancied club. There are a host of other pitching stats out there, such as a pitcher’s record against left-handed batters, which you can use to your advantage. Find the situation, mark it down on your quadrant, and load your betting appropriately. Horse racing – this horse can’t keep winning Over the years, I’ve tracked winning streaks, and they almost always come to an end one way or another. With the exception of exceptional horses such as Sea The Stars and Frankel, most horses will have a run of form that brings their odds tumbling down. This is especially true over shorter distances, where horses run more often. Laying them at the right time is up to you, but the bookies are always trying to minimise their risk by shortening the odds against an in-form horse. Find the quirk, and find the event that fits. Fill up your quadrant as you go along, finding the patterns and waiting for the event that fits. You could set yourself up some Google alerts, use a service like vitibet.com or just take a keen interest in one particular team and bet on them alone. Whatever situations you fit into your quadrant, it will help you decide which bets to take on, and how to reduce your potential losses in certain periods. You can give yourself a selection of bankers and match them against some higher risk bets. No maths involved – just common-sense and patience. Try it out with the Paddy Power free bet which doubles your first stake. Good luck to you! 2011-11-21T12:53:56+00:00 http://freebetbookmaker.com/free-bets/content/news_blog/strictly_come_dancing_odds_and_betting_our_preview/ http://freebetbookmaker.com/free-bets/content/news_blog/strictly_come_dancing_odds_and_betting_our_preview/#When:13:15:08Z Strictly starts again tomorrow, and while the so-called celebs have been buffing up their fake tans, we’ve been looking at the odds for victory…Well, last year we had our money on Matt Baker and we weren't that far off the mark. This year's batch of fake-tans and also-rans is a curious mixture, and the smart money is going on Harry Judd, who apparently plays an instrument in a band or something like that. He's got a funny hairdo so he's probably young and popular. We like Holly Valance, but then again, we would, and we hate Robbie Savage because he's a tit. We'd have to say that the ones most likely to get through are Harry Judd, Holly Valance, Jason Donovan and perhaps Lulu, while those most likely to get thrown out early on are Edwina Currie and Rory Bremner, both of whom are already starting to grate and it hasn't even started. Holly Valance is great odds at 5/4 to be the top female - there ain't all that much competition and nobody really cares about Alex Jones, do they? The Dads will be enjoying that bit, and no doubt wondering what to make of the walking boob-chav Chelsee Healey, who's 13/2 to be top female. She won't be. FBB says: Back Holly Valance as top female at 5/4 with Paddy Power (find out more about the Paddy Power free bet) 2011-09-30T13:15:08+00:00 http://freebetbookmaker.com/free-bets/content/news_blog/free_bet_bookmakers_prix_de_larc_preview_2011/ http://freebetbookmaker.com/free-bets/content/news_blog/free_bet_bookmakers_prix_de_larc_preview_2011/#When:19:40:51Z It’s a strange Arc to pick a winner from, this. Percentage-pickers have been swayed of late from the tried and trusted methods to the “best horse wins” method - but there’s no best horse as such, and no three-year-old colt churning up the French racing scene. So what to do? Here’s our preview for the 2011 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.What an odd year. Traditionally, Prix de l’Arc punters (like me) have played the percentages, but the last few years have overturned our trends and resulted in one golden rule: back the best horse. We all knew that Sea the Stars was going to win the Arc, and if it weren’t for that disappointing mid-season run, Workforce would also have been a certainty for everyone. Zarkava was the best filly we’ve seen for decades, and rightly won the race, almost at a canter. Dylan Thomas was equally proof that the Arc has now grown in stature, having won as a 4-year-old, and the race has become the World Championship of flat racing. So, the old theorem that it is always three-year-olds trained in France, preferably Prix de Niel winners, doesn’t hold as strong as it used to. Indeed, in this Arc, what have we got to go on? A handful of three-year-olds at most, the best of them a filly, and the Niel winner might not like the ground. The best horse? Sarafina’s good but is no Zarkava, plus she’s a year older – when was the last time a four-year-old filly won the Arc? Urban Sea in 1993 if you’re interested. Before that, 1983, so not such a regular occurrence. She came third last year, which is no embarrassment, but has she improved as a four-year-old? Quite possibly, but such improvements are incremental at best. Not the best favourite we’ve had for the Arc, and that favouritism is indicative of the reduced quality of the field. Workforce may be losing his shine, but remains a danger. Then again, when was the last time a four-year-old came back to retain the Arc? If you’re interested, 1978 – Alleged ridden by Lester Piggott. It doesn’t happen often, but this is one horse you might back to repeat the feat. History’s against him, though, and the fast ground will hurry others along. Equally, if you thought last year’s win was impressive, it was the slowest since 1991, which tells you more than you need to know about the field. So You Think would be the first five-year-old since 1988 to win the race (Tony Bin if you’re interested), and only Aiden O’Brien’s second-ever Arc victory. Just like the Derby, O’Brien’s record stinks when it comes to the big races. He’s put six into this race, and while So You Think has impeccable credentials otherwise, history is against him. The Japanese have brought over two horses – Hiruno d’Amour and Nakayama Festa – and those of you who remember the year Rail Link won may remember the massive gamble that went on another Japanese Horse. The PMU were quoting 1.1 such was the punt from the enormous contingent at Longchamp that day (I remember the squeeze on the concourse). It didn’t happen that year, nor has it ever happened, and it won’t happen this year. Of course, this may mean that Longchamp is pumped full of Japanese race-goers and the PMU odds will be grossly skewed as a result – keep an eye on them, preferably through ZeTurf (100 euros of free bets, too), and you may find better value for the horse you like. People are putting money on Snow Fairy, but that only goes to show how dumb some people can be when it comes to picking horses. Frankie Dettori taking the ride is no indication of quality – he’s just desperate for a ride. If a four-year-old is going to win the Arc, it has to be a top-drawer four-year-old, preferably with some experience of Longchamp and its long, long straight. Having Dettori in the saddle doesn’t change a thing. So – make what you will of the following – it’s a wide-open race, as befits the best race in the horse racing calendar – but we have an inkling that in the absence of a real star, a three-year-old might win the Arc this year. After all, despite the recent overhaul of our trends, 7 of the last 8 winners have been three-year-olds. That’s an impressive strike rate. What have we got? Reliable Man is our yardstick – he won the Prix Niel, and found the ground a little too hard in the Grand Prix de Paris. That’s what scares us – because otherwise he fits the profile rather too well. That one defeat is an indicator that the fast pace of this Arc (and it’s probably not going to rain) will do for him. The Niel was good to soft – the Arc could even be good to firm. While he cannot be discounted, he may actually not even race, so watch the weather. Galikova won the Prix Vermeille (an Arc trial) and is currently single figures with most bookmakers. While all eyes are on a four-year-old filly, it could be a three-year-old filly who shines through. Out of the brilliant Galileo and half-sister to Goldikova, she has perhaps the most solid claims of all the three-year-olds and has clearly been on a collision course with the Arc since the start of the season. It’s a long season, remember, and preparation counts as much as any factor. If Meandre goes, then he’d be my pick. Right age, course & distance victory, French-trained – and that C&D win in the Grand Prix de Paris was the yardstick by which we should measure this particular Arc. Decent pace, and similar ground. He’s another who appears to have been prepared just for the Arc – and given the ground, he should be able to reverse the Prix Niel in which he finished behind Reliable Man. Indeed, he didn’t even seem that pressed on trials day on the good-to-soft, so that result has its compensating factors. Equally, he’s trained in France by a man whose Arc credentials are as good as anyone’s – Andre Fabre. British bookies will be hands-off so your best odds may be here in the UK. That’s not to say that Meandre – or Galikova – are champion horses, but this isn’t a quality Arc, it’s a competitive one, and in that case, we’re falling back on our percentages. Those percentages may have been eroded by money and the subsequent raising of the stakes, but this race will be fast and tough, so will suit the fresher, better prepared horses. FBB says: Meandre from Galikova, Workforce & Sarafina. 2011-09-28T19:40:51+00:00 http://freebetbookmaker.com/free-bets/content/news_blog/what_to_do_with_the_structure_of_county_cricket/ http://freebetbookmaker.com/free-bets/content/news_blog/what_to_do_with_the_structure_of_county_cricket/#When:11:24:21Z Does anyone really know what’s going on in County Cricket anymore? Four-day, one-day, how many overs? Let’s solve it ourselves, shall we?As at the end of every summer, the structure of county cricket – which formats are to be played and when – is the subject of heated debate. While the solutions proposed vary, they all aim to answer one simple issue: nobody understands the structure anymore. This is fair. For those who can afford Sky Sports, switching on in the evening to find a 40-over match is usually a surprise. Very often, you would have no idea when these games are being played, and why, or for what trophy. The future of county cricket depends not so much on the counties themselves, but on the paying crowds – and there are increasingly few people going to watch cricket, even Twenty20. The constant meddling with the game left us with a one-day final at Lord’s with just 16,500 spectators – the lowest we’ve seen since the 1960s. While wary that I’m wearing rose-tinted glasses, the idea of Sunday cricket was one that resonated with myself and many others. Every Sunday, the teams playing in a three or four-day game on surrounding dates would play a 40-over match. I have great memories of seeing Neil Fairbrother knock Glamorgan around the park at Blackpool on a sunny Sunday afternoon – and I have forever since associated summer afternoons with one-day cricket. The trouble with the county game today is that you never quite know what’s happening and when. There’s a Twenty20 tournament, yes. And it takes place over a few weeks in summer, yes. And there’s a really long finals day which goes on until the wee hours. However, some Saturdays there’s a one-day match, and on Sunday there might be a four-day game. In fact, a four-day game could start on any day of the week, and does anyone know how many overs we’re playing these days in the one-day tournaments? Are they in leagues? Or is it knock-out? Not got a clue. Here’s what we’d do to the county game, if they were mad enough to give us control: 1)      Four-day county games take place from Monday to Thursday Let’s admit it, the longer form of the game needs a kick up the backside. In our previous article on county cricket, we advocated a number of things, such as taking the game around the smaller grounds, extending the leagues to include the Minor Counties, and even disbanding the counties altogether. However, let’s start simple – four-day games start on Monday and go through to Thursday. All the time. No messing around with it, let’s just keep it simple. And none of this day/night rubbish either. There’s an audience of county cricket and they’re generally retired. That’s not to say they’re not the right audience – they probably are. They have the time, they’re appreciative of the game, and when I’m retired, I’m going to watch a lot of county cricket. Don’t go chasing the youngsters here, do it elsewhere. 2)      Fridays and Saturdays are for Twenty20 The counties need to make money, so while I have little time for the 20 over format myself, Twenty20 is a cash cow. What the counties are beginning to realise is that too much is too much. Crowds are down, interest is waning. Therefore, have a Twenty20 competition that runs all season, but only on Fridays and/or Saturdays. There is enormous marketing potential in Twenty20, but we have to realise that the IPL cannot be reproduced in the UK. The IPL is a mirror of the English Premier League. Cricket, over here at least, does not have the glamour or the glitz. It is, however, fun, and that should be reflected. Put the games on at the times when the average Twenty20 fan is available, and make people associate Friday and Saturday with this form of cricket. 3)      Sundays are for 50-over cricket Let’s stop playing 40 overs, 60 overs or any other form of the game. If we want to produce quality one-day internationals over the long-term, let’s produce a 50-over league that people actually want to support and follow regularly. Having one-day games held randomly on midweek days throughout the season, some of them day-night and others not, is proving counter-productive. Equally, keeping Sunday clear for 50-over cricket is not a proposition made entirely through rose-tinted glasses. The Sunday leagues were popular, and there is a larger audience when compared to, say, a Thursday evening. If the counties need to balance generating revenue with generating a world-class Test team, they need to look not just at which formats are most popular, but how those formats are consumed by the people who continue to pay for their very existence. By maintaining an association between each format and the day of the week, it becomes quite clear what’s happening and when; there’s a structure that people can easily understand, and before you know it, Friday is Twenty20 day, and the crowds will come flocking back. 2011-09-18T11:24:21+00:00 http://freebetbookmaker.com/free-bets/content/news_blog/pink_balls_wont_save_county_cricket_but_our_three-point_plan_might/ http://freebetbookmaker.com/free-bets/content/news_blog/pink_balls_wont_save_county_cricket_but_our_three-point_plan_might/#When:17:33:55Z County cricket needs money, and it needs larger audiences. So here’s Free Bet Bookmaker’s three-point plan to sorting it out - and it doesn’t involve any pink balls. Anywhere.A little bit of cricket history is taking place this week, and it’s taking place in what is effectively a dead rubber. The first day/night 4-day county match between Kent and Glamorgan represents a potential turning point for county cricket – and maybe first class cricket in general – but will it have any effect? Probably not. The 500 hardy souls who turned up may or may not have turned up at 10am. Indeed, the effect is hard to measure, with the game being played at a blustery tail-end to the county season with little left to play for. What the ECB is looking at in this case is the viability of the format from the players’ point of view – does the pink ball work? Does the change in light conditions half-way through the day affect the match result? What it won’t do is change interest in county cricket, which is more often than not played in front of swathes of empty seats and handfuls of cricket lovers. This is not to dismiss the importance of country cricket, it is the very foundation for the future of Test cricket in England, and needs to be handled with care. Experimenting with day/night cricket with a pink ball is fine, but the financial benefits for the counties will probably be minimal, and unless test cricket mirrors the new format, it will start to produce players who may struggle to pick up the swinging red ball in the morning. So what can be done to help the counties a) survive, b) continue to produce quality test match players and c) stimulate more interest in the county game? We here at Free Bet Bookmaker have taken time out of looking at free bets for once, and we have a three-point plan for the ECB, and they won’t appreciate all of it: 1) Take county cricket out of the larger grounds and play more cricket at the so-called “secondary grounds”. Counties make the bulk of their revenue from one-day and Twenty20 cricket these days – which is fun, but it’s a means to an end. Test-hosting counties such as Lancashire, Hampshire and Warwickshire can pack larger audiences into their main grounds, but need to take the county cricket out and about in order to keep it alive. Every time I’ve seen a county game at a smaller ground such as Blackpool or Basingstoke, the stands have been packed, and the crowd entertained. The players must surely appreciate having an audience for once, the local clubs and the counties themselves will benefit from extra revenue, and interest in the county game would take off if the counties visited more often. There’s nothing more depressing than playing in front of empty seats, and counties must accept that their main audience for the longer form of the game is retired people – after all, they have more spare time. Equally, by taking the game on the road, there is opportunity to grow the fan-base, work more with local schools and stimulate interest in areas beyond their main catchment. Keep the one-dayers and Twenty20 games at the main grounds, and use county cricket to showcase the county. Win-win, you might say. 2) Stream the games live on the internet Major League Baseball is light years ahead of cricket from an online viewpoint, offering a wide range of subscription packages, highlights, iPhone and iPad apps – everything and anything that can keep people engaged with the game. Every day you can watch a free game on mlb.com and watch the highlights from each game. The ECB website gives you a few scores and some highlights, but what about live streaming? If they can’t get a deal with a TV channel to broadcast county cricket, how about simple live streaming from a county ground. Indeed, extend this to live streaming of every game for a monthly fee, and not only does the ECB have a money-spinner, you’re offering people a further chance to get involved in county cricket. It’s a simple maxim – offer something for free, offer extended packages, get more engagement with the brand. 3) Go beyond the counties Two options here, one more controversial than the other. Let’s go for the controversial option first. 3a) Rename the counties as towns / cities Now, the re-naming of the counties for one-day cricket purposes irks me somewhat. At least in the US, where this practice is the norm, the names are almost always linked to the city’s history or location, many of the UK sides have renamed themselves for corporate or, well, nonsensical reasons. Lancashire Lightning? Yorkshire Carnegie? Where’s the pride? Where’s the local connection? My first suggestion is that we move away from the rather dated concept of counties, and towards the more familiar association that we have with towns and cities. It would be an upheaval from a conceptual viewpoint – but its impact would be mainly cosmetic. How’s about Manchester vs Birmingham? Canterbury vs Cardiff? Call them what you want, but the association people have with their towns and cities is far more emotional and far wider-reaching than counties whose boundaries are constantly changing (and irrelevant), and whose only remaining reference point appears to be the cricket team. People have long since moved from the country to the city – just ask any Londoner what county they’re in and you’d probably receive a puzzled frown in response. 3b) Expand the county game to include the Minor Counties We have two divisions now, but how about four divisions, including the Minor Counties? Get them involved and expand the reach of county cricket, introducing promotion and relegation between all four divisions. County cricket does appear, from the outside, to be a cabal – an organised racket and entirely self-promoting. Therefore, introducing the minor counties would be difficult, and would be a kick up the posterior – but one that they need. The last county to be “accepted” was Durham, and look at the positive impact they have had in the game, winning the title and producing a succession of brilliant young players for the Test team. The likes of Cheshire, Devon and Berkshire have plenty of potential cricket fans who pay to visit neighbouring counties, and plenty of potential cricketers. Expanding the reach of country cricket can only be beneficial to the wider game. Yes, it may mean that some counties would drop into obscurity, but the current system blocks the potential of these so-called “minor” counties, and effectively excludes not just the players but the fans within. It’s a three-point plan that will no doubt never be implemented, but the important thing to remember is that the counties themselves do not matter as much as the game of cricket itself, and the ultimate aim of producing a quality Test match side. They might argue that they are cricket itself, but their continued existence as it stands is little to do with what is best for cricket, but what is best for the counties. County cricket has gone a long way to providing England with better players, and has contributed significantly to England’s new status of number 1 test team in the world. What we now need to do is build on that; secure the future of county cricket, and secure a future interest in the game. That means bringing in extra revenue, and that cannot be achieved playing at empty grounds which must cost more to run than they bring in with ticket receipts. Smaller grounds, lower costs and increased gates can only result in a more engaging, more vibrant county scene. Streaming games online for free is a no-brainer, and is the one part of this three-point plan that the ECB could implement without too much fuss. The income from subscriptions may be minor, but it is income nonetheless, and can be driven straight back into the game. It would bring people closer to the game, and stimulate more interest. Expanding beyond the counties itself is, from a business point of view, another no-brainer. The best will always be the best – the rest should be given the opportunity to succeed. A huge percentage of the country has no access to county cricket because of the self-interested nature of the game. It’s a closed shop. Why should people in Berkshire only have a minor counties team? Why should the whole of Devon have to follow Somerset? If Durham can be introduced – and thrive – then offer the opportunity to everyone. Win, and you get in. Lose, and you get out. Changing from counties to towns and cities is, at best, going to be ignored, and let’s not even mention franchise models. However, if county cricket is to have more relevance in the modern era, the ECB needs to accept that the only reason people still mention counties is because of the cricket clubs. It’s time to move on and be more relevant to the audience, and it’s the audience who should matter most, not the county clubs. Convincing the counties of that would be difficult. So, credit to the ECB for trying day/night cricket and the pink ball. It might catch on; it might not, but they’re looking in the wrong place to solve the wrong problems. 2011-09-15T17:33:55+00:00 http://freebetbookmaker.com/free-bets/content/news_blog/meandre_a_good_pick_for_the_prix_de_larc_as_pour_moi_bows_out/ http://freebetbookmaker.com/free-bets/content/news_blog/meandre_a_good_pick_for_the_prix_de_larc_as_pour_moi_bows_out/#When:07:23:50Z Alain Royer Dupre has just lost Pour Moi to injury, but he has a great back-up - the Grand Prix de Paris winner, Meandre. We also look at Vadamar, a potential entry worth 50/1.It doesn’t look like the best renewal of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in history, but it does look like one of the more open. In recent years, new patterns have emerged that would have played right into the hands of Andre Fabre and his Derby winner Pour Moi. Fabre, a man of impeccable Arc pedigree, had primed Pour Moi perfectly until the horse sustained an injury that meant he was immediately retired to stud. Now, we’re forced to look a little further down the field, and one horse appears to be flying under the radar. We had a quick look at Vadamar for the Derby, and it’s fair to say that he didn’t exactly like the racecourse. That’s fair enough, it’s not the easiest, and certainly bears no comparison to the carpet-esque Longchamp. Trainer Alain Royer-Dupre then claimed that Vadamar was below his best having run a good race in the Prix Greffulhe, at Saint-Cloud, and now Vadamar is being prepped for the Arc with an entry in the Prix Niel. For the uninitiated, the Prix Niel is the Arc trial – and a stunning percentage of Niel winners become Arc winners. This is because of the late-season nature of the Arc: some trainers spend much of the season targeting the race and ensuring the horse is in peak condition, while other trainers have a number of targets throughout the year. In the past, this is what has harmed Derby winners – e.g. High Chapparal. For the initiated, three-year-old colts have been the percentage card over the last 15/20 years. True, recent Arcs have been taken by the classiest horses in the field, but percentages are always useful. This doesn’t give us much, so Vadamar is a very tempting each-way bet at the moment, and those odds of 50/1 with Victor Chandler won’t last long if - as predicted - he does enter. The old adage that the Arc is always won by 3-year-old French-trained Colts will be tested once more this year. As Zarkava, Dylan Thomas, Sea The Stars and Workforce all showed, it need not be the case if you have the quality, and only quality – or the lack of a decent French contender – can break the trend. Therefore, while the jury is out on Vadamar as an outright contender for the Arc, our favourite is Sarafina, a 4-year-old filly who is clearly not in the same class as Zarkava. Third in last year’s Arc, she won the Grand Prix de Saint Cloud, not necessarily an Arc benchmark, but it was a good performance nonetheless. She’ll go off in the Prix Foy on Arc trials day, and her favouritism will rely on that performance. Andre Fabre will have to rely on Meandre, a 7/1 shot with many bookmakers, but that’s no bad thing. He has Longchamp form and won the Grand Prix de Paris there in stunning fashion. In fact, this season, he's got a very good Arc profile, never being out of the front two, and having already held off the likes of Aiden O'Brien's Seville in big races. That makes Meandre a good pick in a relatively average field - that is, if Workforce doesn't reproduce last year's performance, which very rarely happens in the Arc - as Hurricane Run will attest. 2011-09-02T07:23:50+00:00 http://freebetbookmaker.com/free-bets/content/news_blog/this_weekends_football_tips_03_09/ http://freebetbookmaker.com/free-bets/content/news_blog/this_weekends_football_tips_03_09/#When:07:07:25Z It’s an international weekend (yawn) but a good time to back the away sides where odds are a little more generous. Here’s some tips, and some suggestions for non-league betting this weekend.Oh damn those internationals. Just when you started to take an interest in the Premier League again, we take a break for some meaningless games between badly matched sides. However, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t betting opportunities out there, and none better than the odds of 11/8 being offered against Montenegro, who travel to the Millenium Stadium to take on Wales. It’s lunacy to offer anything higher than evens to ANY side playing Wales, even the Faero Islands Under-19 side. I’ve never been able to fathom why Wales has been so crap at football for so long, especially that they’ve had so many God-given talents in their side. Neville Southall, Kevin Ratcliffe, Ryan Giggs. Well, OK, three God-given talents, and not all at the same time. But you get my point. It’s as if being born Welsh is a punishment to a footballer. Montenegro will travel there knowing that they’re facing one of the world’s worst sides and are an absolute steal at 11/8 with Blue Square. The rest of the international games are supposedly foregone conclusions, so you’re best looking at the away sides, especially France, Croatia and Sweden – and maybe even England. That little quartet – should they all win – would net you £33 for a £10 bet with a Paddy Power free bet of £20 to come. There’s still some football going on down in the lower leagues, and it’s Forest Green Rovers who catch the eye. Not often you say that, but they’re taking on Grimsby this Saturday and that’s a good chance to build on a half-decent start to the season. Grimsby find themselves in the bottom four and things aren’t looking good. The same can be said for the incredibly leaky Alfreton Town defence. They travel to Gateshead, and stand very little chance of keeping a clean sheet. Gateshead will be chasing promotion this season. Alfreton won’t. 2011-09-02T07:07:25+00:00 http://freebetbookmaker.com/free-bets/content/news_blog/todays_best_bets/ http://freebetbookmaker.com/free-bets/content/news_blog/todays_best_bets/#When:10:43:33Z Not a great weekend for Premiership followers, but there are some cracking bets out there today - and some good value.For a free bet on today's football, try the Blue Square free bet which gives you £40 today and £40 over the next four weeks. Everton to win at Blackburn Blind faith might be my downfall here, so feel free to ignore this tip if you like, but Blackburn are a team on a downer at the moment, and Everton are a team who need a result as much as anyone. This will be a welcome trip away from Goodison Park for an Everton side all too clearly feeling the pressure from their home fans. Equally, the away fans will pack Ewood Park out, and will make it feel like a proper home game. Hopefully David Moyes will have realised that the side he put out last week was imbalanced, but more than likely, he'll go 4-5-1, and that could suit today's game. Something tells me that this will suit the Toffees. Beacon Lodge to win the Betfair Celebration Mile at Goodwood All the money appears to be going on Poet's Voice, but he's unraced for 5 months and that raises doubts, especially at Goodwood. I like the look of Beacon Lodge, a 9/2 shot who is shooting up in peoples' estimation after a couple of decent places behind short-odds favourites. Emerald Commander will enjoy it if there's any rain, and Dubawi Gold is a little out of sorts for my liking. Beacon Lodge however, will appreciate this trip, is bang in form, and is improving. A nice little bet at 9/2. Seattle, Washington and Kansas to win in the MLS If you're finding the Premiership a little random, then have a go on the MLS. It often runs to form, and there's the distinction that many sides have to travel a long way for away games, giving the home side a distinct advantage. We're looking at three home wins today - Washington to beat Portland, Seattle Sounders to beat Columbus Crew and Kansas to beat Dallas. All three away sides have had their troubles away from home - especially Portland, who have lost 8 of their 12 away games and won only one. Washington's home record isn't great, but against a side like Portland, they have the opportunity to improve on that rather average record. Dallas are 4-4-4 away from home, and travel to Kansas, who are 6-4-1 at home. It's a long way from home, and a tough place to go for an away victory. Three good matches to bet on, and you can get 11/10 against Kansas with most bookies. Best free bets for today We've already mentioned the Blue Square free bet, but the 12bet free bet is competitive at £25 matched, and they offer a huge range of football odds. Two risk-free bets for you, then - try the Getwin free bet which is worth £20 - or the Betclic free bet which is worth £30. If you lose either of those bets, you'll get your money back, which you can withdraw and then walk away if you want. Or place it on something else. Either way, there's no risk to you. 2011-08-27T10:43:33+00:00