Pablo Zabaleta believes that Manchester City s dramatic Premier League title win in 2012 will serve as a positive during this year s run-in.
City won their first Premier League crown two years ago at the Etihad Stadium when goals in injury time from Edin Dzeko and Sergio Aguero capped off a remarkable comeback against QPR.
A final-day 3-2 win saw City crowned champions on goal difference ahead of rivals Manchester United in one of the most thrilling title races of recent times.
Zabaleta reckons City are a stronger team for that experience and is hopeful it will stand them in good stead for this season s run-in.
I think we were talking about that (2011-12 title win) this week, said the Argentina international in quotes reported by the British media.
We know …
The Arizona Cardinals absolutely whooped the Tennessee Titans in Week 1, and they’ll now look to make it two in a row when they host the Minnesota Vikings at State Farm Stadium in Week 2.
While the Cardinals are flying high, Minnesota suffering a disappointing loss last Sunday and will be hoping to avoid an 0-2 start — albeit the Vikings will have to do it as an NFL betting underdog.
Will the Cards trounce another opponent? Find out in our Vikings vs. Cardinals picks and predictions for Sunday, September 19 with kickoff set for 4:05 p.m. ET.
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Thursday Night Football hasn’t exactly had stellar matchups for us of late — and Week 14’s game is again an NFL betting doozy as two of the NFL’s most confounding teams face off when the Minnesota Vikings host the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Steelers looked dead in the water when, by some divine miracle of a failed two-point conversion, upset the Baltimore Ravens last week, while the Vikings became the first squad to fall to the Detroit Lions this season.
With the Vikings laying three points, who is worth backing? Find out in our free NFL betting picks and predictions for Steelers vs. Vikings on Thursday, December 9.
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I feel like Paula Abdul dancing with a cartoon cat through six weeks of NFL picks and predictions. I take two steps forward. I take two steps back.
Don’t get that reference? Eh, Google it and blame me later for having “Opposites Attract” stuck in your head.
I followed a 3-0 ATS Week 5 with a winless 0-3 ATS Week 6 for my NFL Underdogs bets, leaving me with an 8-10 ATS record heading into my Week 7 NFL bets. My up-and-down start to 2022 reflects the outcomes of many NFL teams so far this season.
It’s been tough for anyone to string wins together, outside of a handful of clubs. Teams coming off a win are just 38-39 SU and 37-38-2 ATS and teams coming off a loss are posting a 40-37 SU count with a 37-36-4 ATS outcome.
And just like that, Week 5 of the NFL season is upon us, and it comes with an absolute avalanche of NFL betting trends — some new and some I’ll continue to go back to the well on as they continue to hit.
Being four weeks into a season has brought us to a place where league-wide trends are starting to even out a bit, as they tend to do. So far, NFL odds have seen favorites boast a minuscule edge over underdogs, with faves covering in 50.8% of games played. As far as totals go, the Under has hit at a 54.7% clip.
As always, avoid blindly backing trends when making your NFL picks. If you think one is actionable, try to find additional data to back it, and then fire away if you still like what you see.
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The Cincinnati Bengals host the Indianapolis Colts in Week 14 odds of NFL action on Sunday. The Bengals are 6-6 and will look to keep pursuing a playoff spot despite the loss of superstar quarterback Joe Burrow. Meanwhile, the Colts are 7-5 and just one game behind the banged-up Jaguars for first place in the AFC South.
NFL odds for this contest have flipped, with the Colts opening as 1.5-point road faves before jumping the fence to favor the Bengals at -2. Here are my best free NFL picks for Colts vs. Bengals on December 10.
Colts vs Bengals odds
Colts vs Bengals predictions
I’ve been on the Michael Pittman Jr. prop train all season and it’s been paying off. The Indianapolis Colts wide receiver is tied fo…
If this were the regular season, it might be the game of the week, but Philadelphia Eagles vs. Baltimore Ravens should still make for a fun preseason matchup.
The Ravens are known as the best preseason team, but will they be able to pull off a win without Lamar Jackson?
Don’t miss our Eagles vs. Ravens predictions and NFL picks for Friday, August 9.
Eagles vs Ravens prediction
My best betRavens moneyline (+100 at bet365)
My analysis
On paper, it might seem like the Philadelphia Eagles are the smarter play in this game. The Baltimore Ravens have already ruled Jackson out, while Philadelphia has yet to announce if Jalen Hurts will be playing in this one.
But Hurts hasn’t suited up for a preseason gam…
It was once dubbed the “vampire kangaroo” and accused of “feasting on Britain’s creaking infrastructure” after investing in companies such as Thames Water and avoiding tax through a legal but controversial web of subsidiaries in Luxembourg and the Cayman Islands. But Macquarie Group Limited is a growing influence on English football, underlined on one day last month by Leicester and Wolves extending sizeable loans with the Australian investment bank that are mortgaged against future TV earnings.
Now with a portfolio that also includes Bournemouth, Crystal Palace, Middlesbrough, Sheffield United, Southampton, Swansea City, Watford, West Brom and Wolves, a company estimated to manage almost £288bn worth of assets has emerged as the …
The Indiana Pacers are a pretty good team. They’ve been to the playoffs nine of the past 10 seasons, and they played .616 ball last season — a 50-win pace over a full 82-game season. They still finished 11 games behind the Bucks in the Central Division. Can a virtually unchanged Indiana roster challenge Milwaukee for the top spot in the Central? Perhaps the Bucks, even with Giannis Antetokounmpo signed to an extension, struggle to jell with a revamped lineup? Maybe? Something like that? Is there any way to manufacture some drama here? No? Okay. Seriously, the Central might be the dullest division in the NBA, not that divisions even mean that much anymore for anything other than scheduling purposes and the ability to split up responsibilities for season previews at a sports website. …
Chelsea are close to agreeing a deal to re-sign striker Romelu Lukaku from Internazionale. The clubs are in talks over an €115m (£97.5m) fee for the 28-year-old, who spent three years on Chelsea’s books from 2011.
PSG closing in on a deal for Lionel Messi after forward talks to PochettinoRead more
The Belgium international played a key role in Inter winning Serie A last season, scoring 24 goals and registering 11 assists. He pledged his future to them in June but has since been convinced by his former club’s offer.
Chelsea’s determination to sign him is understood to have persuaded the former Manchester United and Everton player that it is time for a new challenge.
Lukaku is set to …