Tag Archives: sportsbiz

FA Cup QF Review: sanity restored as Spurs, Man City and Arsenal make SF

The FA Cup will bear witness to the strongest Semi Final lineup in recent memory as either Chelsea or Man Utd join Arsenal, Man City, and Spurs in the last four after a clean sweep by the giants of English football over the weekend.

Sanity was restored to the FA Cup after Arsenal, Man City, and Spurs booked their place in a Wembley Semi Final showpiece after stamping all over the dreams of the little man.

The love for this grandest of cup competitions has waned ever since football clubs became business ventures and the Champions League and Premier League became the only events worth fielding a full strength side.

But the 2017 FA Cup has breathed new life into the romanticism of the tournament you used to spend all day in front of the TV watching when you were a kid.

Champions League review: Brilliant Barcelona; Dortmund cruise

Lee Davy finishes off the week’s Champions League round-up with a sensational victory for Barcelona at the Nou Camp, and a stroll in the park for Borussia Dortmund in Germany.

The shock of Round of 16’s first leg ties had to be Barcelona’s tanning at the hands of Paris St Germain (PSG). The 4-0 loss sent shockwaves throughout world football. Luis Enrique was so tilted by the defeat he told the press he was stepping down at the end of the season. He should have slept on it.

No team had ever overturned a four-goal first leg deficit in the history of this great competition. But if anyone was going to break that record the way Jackie Chan breaks blocks of wood, it was Barcelona. Before the match, you could have gotten +3300 for Barcelona to win the Champions League; now they are the favourites.

Barcelona needed an early goal, and they got it thanks to a spot of six-yard pinball finished off by Luis Suarez. Barcelona was dominant and went in at half time 2-0 in front when an Andres Iniesta backheel ended up in the back of the net courtesy of a deflection from Layvin Kurzawa.

Cubs, Dodgers top betting board for MLB win totals for 2017 season

The Chicago Cubs rallied past the Los Angeles Dodgers to win the National League Championship Series last year and made their first World Series appearance since 1945, edging the Cleveland Indians in an epic seven-game showdown.

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

All three of those teams are expected to continue their dominance this season according to oddsmakers, who have already released MLB Over/Under Win Totals for 2017.

Defending World Series champion Chicago has the highest Win Total posted at 95.5, a number the team easily topped last season with an MLB-best 103-58 mark. The Cubs won the NL Central by 17.5 games and also had the highest run differential in baseball at +252.

Oakland Raiders punt on Bank of America to bankroll Vegas stadium

Since then, there have been multiple efforts to find investors for the stadium, most recently from Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones NFL Oakland Raiders have finally found someone to finance the development of its $1.9-billion stadium in Las Vegas.

Raiders owner Mark Davis reportedly told fellow NFL owners on Monday that Bank of America will back the 65,000-seat domed stadium, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, noting that the bank’s $650 million stake will be a loan and will not include an equity stake in the team or the stadium.

The Raiders have been seeking a new partner for the proposed stadium in Las Vegas after casino billionaire Sheldon Adelson backed out of his pledge to help build the stadium.

The initial plan was for Adelson to shell out $650 million toward the stadium’s construction while the Raiders will commit $500 million. The remaining $750 million would be funded by a 0.88-percentage-point increase in Clark County’s hotel room tax. Adelson, however, backed out of the project, followed by Goldman Sachs, putting the Raiders relocation plans on shaky ground.

EPL Week 27 Review: Chelsea beat West Ham at the Olympic Stadium

Chelsea’s boss Antonio Conte keeps an unsettled side as the Blues beat West Ham by 2-1 at the Olympic Stadium to move closer to a Premier League triumph.

Chelsea warmed up for their FA Cup quarter-final tie against Man Utd with another London derby victory, this time at the Olympic Stadium.

The Blues are majestic when it comes to taking on their neighbours from the smoke. Last nights, 2-1 win over West Ham was their 118th London derby victory, more than any other London team.

West Ham began the match with optimism in their pre-match cup of teas. Andy Carroll returned to the side after a month out with a dodgy groin, and they were aware the two previous times Chelsea had visited their new stadium they had beaten them on both occasions.

Gymnastics darling Biles is Dancing with the Stars Season 24 fave

The stage is set for 24th season of Dancing with the Stars.

In this season’s bag of superstars, they threw in a retired professional wrestler, a figure skater, and yes, another gymnast.

It is no surprise that America’s gymnastics darling Simone Biles has decided to try her luck on the dance floor, especially after her bff (best friends forever) and fellow gymnast Laurie Hernandez has taken home the coveted Mirrorball trophy just four months ago.

What are the odds of two gymnasts winning back to back in one of the most popular reality dancing showdown in the U.S.?

Officials mull lifting Japanese badminton star’s gambling ban

The indefinite ban on Japanese badminton star Kento Momota could be lifted sooner than expected.

The 22-year-old, who ranked second among the world’s best badminton players, missed the Rio Olympics last year after he admitted to spending time in casinos with another badminton player, 27-year-old Kenichi Tago.

The Nippon Badminton Association (NBA) banned Momota from playing “indefinitely,” while Tago was deregistered by the association—a more severe punishment due to his more gambling habit, according to authorities.

Late last year, officials believe Momota’s ban could be lifted as early as May 2017 since the badminton player had been working ‘diligently,’ ‘training with a great attitude,’ and applying himself in the charitable sector.

EPL Week 27 Review: Spurs and City close the gap on Chelsea

A full round-up of Week 27 of the English Premier League including Spurs coming out on top in an exciting encounter with Everton, Arsenal falling out of the top four for the first time this year, and Middlesbrough dropping into the bottom three after defeat at Stoke.

With Chelsea not playing until Monday night, Spurs closed the gap to seven points thanks to another couple of goals from Harry Kane. The England marksman scored one either side of half-time to cement his position as the Premier League’s top marksman with 19 goals. Kane has now scored 14 times in 12 league and cup games since the beginning of the year. It’s hard to believe he is only 23-years of age.

The man sitting second in those Premier League scoring charts is Romelu Lukaku, and it was the Belgian who gave Everton hope of a fightback when he scored his 18th Premier League goal with the clock running out of space to run. Lukaku is now Everton’s top Premier League scorer of all time with 61 goals.

But Lukaku’s strike didn’t give Everton the impetus they needed to take a draw from Fortress White Hart Lane. Instead, Dele Alli found space in the box to score off a Harry Winks free kick in injury time, and despite a late consolation goal from Enner Valencia Spurs held on to win their ninth consecutive home game.

Capitals atop Stanley Cup odds over Blackhawks, Wild, Penguins

The Washington Capitals are well on their way to winning the Presidents’ Trophy for the third time in eight years, but that will not mean a thing if they are not hoisting the Stanley Cup for the first time in franchise history.

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

The Capitals (42-13-7) are three points ahead of the Minnesota Wild (41-14-6) for the NHL’s best record right now, and they are listed as the +500 favorites (bet $100 to win $500) on the odds to win the Stanley Cup in June.

Washington also finished with a league-best 120 points last season but fell to the eventual league champion Pittsburgh Penguins (38-16-8) in a six-game second-round playoff series. The Penguins are seven points behind the Caps in the race for the Metropolitan Division title after losing 4-1 to the Chicago Blackhawks (40-18-5) on Wednesday.

EPL Week 27 Odds Analysis: Bomo blues; Leicester’s new lungs, and more

Lee Davy takes a look ahead of the weekend’s Premier League fixtures, including a dog panting tie between Spurs and Everton, a display of the big guns in Liverpool v Arsenal, and Leicester gets another chance to turn shame into a win at home to Hull

Manchester United v Bournemouth

Man Utd -425

Bournemouth +1100

NFL receives plan to keep Raiders in Oakland ahead of March meeting

Ronnie Lott’s group has finally made its move to keep the Raiders in Oakland.

Fortress Investment Group has sent the NFL and the Raiders a formal proposal to build a new stadium for the team, according to a Sports Business Daily report. An NFL spokesman confirmed the report to Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Jon Mark Saraceno, noting that the proposal included details for a 55,000-seat stadium, worth an estimated $1.3 billion, in Alameda County.

The Oakland City Council and the Alameda County Board of Supervisors voted in mid-December to support a plan to enter into an exclusive negotiating deal with Lott’s investment team to build a new stadium for the Raiders.

Fortress’s initial plan was accepted by the Oakland council with a 7-0 vote, while the county board voted 3-1. The league, however, rejected the proposal and asked the group to resubmit it with more information.

North Carolina, UCLA co-favorites on 2017 NCAA Tournament Odds

Despite coming off a 53-43 loss to the Virginia Cavaliers (20-9, 10-7 ACC) on Monday, the North Carolina Tar Heels (25-6, 13-4) remain in line for the top seed in their conference tournament, and they are also +600 co-favorites to win the 2017 NCAA Tournament along with the UCLA Bruins (26-3, 13-3 Pac-12).

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

A shocking 79-71 home loss by the previously unbeaten Gonzaga Bulldogs (29-1, 17-1 WCC) to the BYU Cougars (21-10, 12-6) on Saturday has once again proven that this year’s March Madness field looks like it will have more parity than ever before.

The Bulldogs (+750) were ranked No. 1 in the country and closed as 20.5-point favorites against the Cougars but fell to them at home for the third consecutive year.

EFL Review: Man Utd ‘lucky’ to win EFL title against Super Saints

Manchester United win their second cup competition in successive seasons after a smash and grab appearance at Wembley against superior Southampton.

One of the things that set Manchester United apart from their competitors during the Sir Alex Ferguson years was their ability to carve out a win when not playing well. When Ferguson left, so did that perseverance, grit, and skill. But I think it’s creeping back into the DNA of the side.

United’s English Football League (EFL) odyssey began at Northampton and ended against Southampton. It didn’t seem to matter where the compass pointed; United destroyed every team that stepped into their path.

The final was a different proposition. Exuberant, thanks to their two-week rest, Southampton went at United from the very first whistle and were easily the better side in this one-sided clash. Had Manolo Gabbiadini’s early goal not been incorrectly flagged for offside, the game might have had a different complexion.

Week 26 EPL review: King Kane; Silky Cesc, and Bournemouth the brick

Week 26 of the English Premier League sees Harry Kane scoring his third hat-trick of the season in a 4-0 win over Stoke, Cesc Fabregas putting in a fine performance in a 3-1 win over Swansea, and Bournemouth continues to act like a brick, losing against West Brom.

Chelsea took advantage of a barren weekend of Premier League fixtures by moving 10-points clear at the top thanks to a classy performance at home to Swansea City.

It was not a happy return to Stamford Bridge for Paul Clement and Claude Makelele, but something tells me the Swansea backroom staff didn’t have this one down as an away win.

Chelsea was on fire, and Cesc Fabregas was holding the Molotov Cocktail. The Spaniard was making his 300th appearance for the club and should have celebrated with the prize of the match ball.

Raiders find new financial backing for Vegas move

Despite Sheldon Adelson pulling out of his commitment to fund the Vegas stadium, Oakland Raiders’ move to the Sin City may still be a go.

According to Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole, the Raiders have “two banks ready to loan money” that will fill the $650 million hole that Adelson left when he withdrew from his pledge to help build a new stadium that would serve as the new home of the Raiders if their plans to relocation are approved by the other NFL owners.

Steve Sisolak, chairman of the Clark County Commission, confirmed the news, telling Fox 5 that two unnamed banks have committed to help build the $1.9 billion Las Vegas stadium.

The Raiders have already submitted paperwork with the NFL to move from Oakland to Las Vegas, but their move had stalled following the Adelson debacle. The casino magnate, who had been instrumental in luring the NFL team to the desert, claimed the Raiders froze him out of negotiations with the city for revenue sharing.

Raiders find new financial backing for Vegas move

Despite Sheldon Adelson pulling out of his commitment to fund the Vegas stadium, Oakland Raiders’ move to the Sin City may still be a go.

According to Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole, the Raiders have “two banks ready to loan money” that will fill the $650 million hole that Adelson left when he withdrew from his pledge to help build a new stadium that would serve as the new home of the Raiders if their plans to relocation are approved by the other NFL owners.

Steve Sisolak, chairman of the Clark County Commission, confirmed the news, telling Fox 5 that two unnamed banks have committed to help build the $1.9 billion Las Vegas stadium.

The Raiders have already submitted paperwork with the NFL to move from Oakland to Las Vegas, but their move had stalled following the Adelson debacle. The casino magnate, who had been instrumental in luring the NFL team to the desert, claimed the Raiders froze him out of negotiations with the city for revenue sharing.

Cubs, Red Sox listed as co-favorites on Odds to win 2017 World Series

The Chicago Cubs ended the longest drought in professional sports history last year when they claimed their first World Series title since 1908 in dramatic fashion over the Cleveland Indians, rallying back from a 3-1 deficit to win it on their opponent’s home field.

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

The National League’s Cubs are now +450 co-favorites to repeat as MLB champions, with the American League’s Boston Red Sox also at +450.

Chicago won the NL pennant for the first time since 1945 last year over the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are +1000 to win the 2017 World Series, tied with the Washington Nationals as the fourth choice behind the Cubs, Red Sox and Indians (+800).

Champions League Review: Goals galore as Atletico and Man City book wins

Atletico Madrid and Man City take two goal leads into their second legs after two cricket scores against Bayer Leverkusen and Monaco respectively.

Atletico Madrid remains on course to reach a third Champions League Final in the past four years after beating Bayer Leverkusen by 4-2 at the BayArena.

Last season’s runners-up went into the match as the +145 favourites to win the tie and opened the scoring with a peach of a goal from Saul Niguez who curled a left-foot shot past the Leverkusen keeper to score his fifth goal of the season.

The Frenchman Kevin Gameiro was a royal pain in the ass for the Germans all night, and it was his break, turn and set up that allowed Antoine Griezmann to send the Spaniards into the break with a two-goal lead scoring his 14th Champions League goal in the 25th minute.

NBA All-Star Weekend Odds: Slam Dunk Contest, Three-Point Contest

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

While the NBA Slam Dunk Contest has reduced its field since inception – limited to just four participants for the most part starting in 2002 – and seen the quality go down as well, the Three-Point Contest has remained a legitimate test of skill for those entering.

This year’s co-main events on NBA All-Star Saturday Night feature a couple of experienced favorites, and a bunch of other players looking to pull off the upset.

One could certainly argue that the Three-Point Contest is the more exciting of the two now because there are more NBA All-Stars participating in it than in the Slam Dunk Contest. Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors will defend his crown as the reigning Three-Point Contest champion, following in the footsteps of teammate Stephen Curry who won it in 2015.