Weekly Articles "Road to Riches" by Rich 'Tighty' Prew
The Road to Riches: Weekend of 26th-27th June
Coming up this weekend
- Football, Euro2020 continues, the Round of 16 begins
- Horse Racing, On the flat at Chester, Doncaster, Lingfield, Newmarket, Windsor and York and on the all-weather at Newcastle.
- Cricket, T20I between England and Sri Lanka in Southampton and the Vitality T20 Blast continues
- Rugby Union, the Lions kick off the 2021 tour v Japan and the Gallagher Premiership final, Exeter Chiefs v Harlequins
- Formula One, the Styrian Grand Prix in Austria
- Golf, On the USPGA The Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit and the Irish Open on the European Tour.
- Tennis, Wimbledon starts on Monday
Free tip
Vitality T20 Blast Cricket
Middlesex v Glamorgan 2.30pm Sunday Radlett
Our tip was rained off last week and we have a change to go again on Sunday
Moving into the second half of the group games Middlesex have won 1 of their 6 games not including Friday night’s game at the Oval, Glamorgan have only won 2 of their first 8 games, two of those eight games being weather abandonments.
My interest in the game is in the Glamorgan top Batsman market. Marnus Labuschagne is a top class batsman across all formats, in a team that doesn’t have great batting strength Colin Ingram the South African aside. Labuschagne first signed for Glamorgan for the first part of the 2019 county season where he would churn out 1114 runs in 10 matches. Introduced to the Australian Test sideet in the same year he now has 1885 runs at an average of 60 and in 2019 eclipsed Smith Smith as the leading Test run-scorer in the world, and locked in the No. 3 spot in the midst of a prolific home summer that brought him four centuries in five matches against Pakistan and New Zealand including a double century at the SCG.
He has been in prolific form in this year’s competition:
93 runs off 56 ball in the first game
59 runs off 47 balls in the second
74 runs off 51 in third
22 runs off 19 balls, still second top scorer
13 off 20 first match v Middlesex
33 off 21 in the defeat to Gloucestershire
He should give us a great run for our money. Prices are not yet available, and time is getting on. I am putting an indicated price down
12 points Marnus Labuschagne Top Glamorgan batsman v Middlesex at 2/1+ (all being well)
In the Firing Line
After the recent series defeat by New Zealand, with India the next opponent in August things might not get much better for the England cricket team, who five months away from the Ashes series in Australia are under pressure especially Head Coach Chris Silverwood who is now in sole charge of selection now.
Some things have been out of Silverwood’s control, notably injuries to Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes but there is clearly culpability too in a year in which England have lost four of the eight Tests they have played, including four of the past five.
First amongst these is selection, such as leaving out Jack Leach/a spinner at Edgbaston after a strong series performance in India but in the bigger picture the “rest and rotation” policy denies the side continuity and England rarely pick their best available side, always with an eye on an upcoming tournament or the Ashes.
Silverwood bought into rest and rotation because he wants to expand the pool of players he can pick for the Ashes this winter, but the reverse might be true if players turn their back on Test cricket for franchise sides in shorter formats.
For this summer Silverwood has requested flat pitches where his team can work on a method of building big totals and the bowlers are challenged to find ways of taking wickets rather than relying on helpful conditions, ahead of the Ashes. This has removed at least the early season home advantage and is a risk if losses continue.
If this all helps England win the Ashes in Australia, then he will be vindicated. Writing today, that looks unlikely
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The detailed results page has been updated as have the spreadsheets with the detailed bets. They can be found by clicking RESULTS
If you bet £10 per point on every recommended bet since launch you would be winning + £42,703.40 All bets have an ROI +2.39%
A £4000 bank betting £10 a point on all selections would now be worth £46,703.40 a 1068% increase
The Road to Riches: Weekend of 19th-20th June
Coming up this weekend
- Football, Euro2020 continues including Portugal v Germany on Saturday
- Horse Racing, On the flat at Royal Ascot, Ayr, Haydock, Lingfield, Newmarket and Redcar and over the jumps at Perth
- Cricket, the Final of the World Test Championship between India and New Zealand at Southampton and the Vitality T20 Blast continues
- Formula One, the French Grand Prix
- Golf, On the USPGA The Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands and the BMW International Open on the European Tour.
- Tennis, Ahead of Wimbledon ATP Opens in Mallorca and Devonshire Lawns
Free tip
Vitality T20 Blast Cricket Somerset v Glamorgan Saturday 7pm Taunton
A week into this year’s competition. In the Southern Group, Somerset have won 1 of their first three games, losing the first two before beating Kent on Tuesday night, Glamorgan have only won 1 of their first four games.
My interest in the game is in the Glamorgan top Batsman market. Marnus Labuschagne is a top class batsman across all formats, in a team that doesn’t have great batting strength Colin Ingram the South African aside. Labuschagne first signed for Glamorgan for the first part of the 2019 county season where he would churn out 1114 runs in 10 matches. Introduced to the Australian Test sideet in the same year he now has 1885 runs at an average of 60 and in 2019 eclipsed Smith Smith as the leading Test run-scorer in the world, and locked in the No. 3 spot in the midst of a prolific home summer that brought him four centuries in five matches against Pakistan and New Zealand including a double century at the SCG.
He has been in prolific form in this year’s competition:
93 runs off 56 ball in the first game
59 runs off 47 balls in the second
74 runs off 51 in Monday night’s loss at the Oval
22 runs off 19 balls, still second top scorer
He should give us a great run for our money
12 points Marnus Labuschagne Top Glamorgan batsman v Somerset at 9/4 with William Hill and Sky Bet
Lions
The British & Irish Lions face playing all matches of this summer’s tour of South Africa behind closed doors following confirmation of the revised schedule. All eight of the Lions’ matches will take place in Gauteng and Cape Town with organisers planning for empty stadiums.
While the hope is Murrayfield will be about 25% full for the warm‑up Test against Japan, the absence of supporters on the tour would be a devastating blow. South Africa Rugby has been lobbying its government to allow crowds of up to 50% capacity and this month an official request was made to the country’s Covid-19 ministerial advisory committee but organisers are pressing ahead on the basis of empty stadiums.
When it was confirmed the tour would go ahead in March, SA Rugby warned of the “serious financial implications” of playing behind closed doors. The union is still hopeful the South African government will lift restrictions on crowds attending sporting events before the tour but if it does not supporters will not attend.
The estimated cost to the South African economy is £330m while the Lions will also take a considerable hit. It has been known for some time that Lions supporters would not be attending in their thousands but ticket holders are being refunded and fans have been told not to travel to the red-list country.
The schedule has been revised to limit the amount of travel and risk of disruption amid the pandemic. The Test series against the Springboks will begin in Cape Town before the second and third matches at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg. All three will kick off at 5pm UK time.
One of the tourists’ opponents has also changed with the Emirates Lions replacing the South Africa invitational team. They will be the Lions’ first opponents at Ellis Park in Johannesburg before they meet the Sharks in the same stadium four days later. They will then face the Bulls in Pretoria before heading to Cape Town for matches against South Africa A, the Stormers and the first Test.
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Stattobets write ups, analysis and bets are available to monthly subscribers.
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Betting Emporium results
The detailed results page has been updated as have the spreadsheets with the detailed bets. They can be found by clicking RESULTS
If you bet £10 per point on every recommended bet since launch you would be winning + £42,703.40 All bets have an ROI +2.39%
A £4000 bank betting £10 a point on all selections would now be worth £46,703.40 a 1068% increase
The Road to Riches: Weekend of 12-13th June
Coming up this weekend
- Football, The start of Euro2020 including England v Croatia on Sunday.
- Horse Racing, On the flat at Bath, Chester, Leicester, Sandown and York and over the jumps at Hexham and Worcester
- Cricket, the start of the Vitality T20 Blast this week
- Golf, next week the US Open at Torrey Pines.
- Tennis, The French Open finals and from Monday the Queens Championship
Royal Ascot
Get all the analysis by Neil Channing together of with details of all the bets we are having over the firve day festival next ween in our full package for £199 here
Neil has also written "What to expect, how it all works and what you get for your money" You can read it here
UEFA Euro Championships - 11th June - 11th July 2021
This is included in Stattobets monthly subs, cost £50 a month (cancel at any time) Read more about Stattobets subs here
All the ante-post write ups and bets are available now, incude groups, special bets, outrights, top scorer and Player of the tournament and write ups for the first games of the tournament
Stattobets record in 2021
January staked 705 profit +180.28 ROI +25.57%
February staked 800 profit +153.82 ROI +19.23%
March staked 525 profit + 201.21 ROI+ 38.32%
April staked 889 profit +371.18 ROI +41.75%
May staked 325 profit +114.25 ROI +35.15%
Free tip
This week the T20 Vitality Blast returned with a 14-match group-stage format with all the 18 First-Class Counties split into North and South Groups.
North Group: Birmingham Bears, Derbyshire Falcons, Durham, Lancashire Lightning, Leicestershire Foxes, Northamptonshire Steelbacks, Notts Outlaws, Worcestershire Rapids.
South Group: Essex Eagles, Glamorgan, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Kent Spitfires, Middlesex, Somerset, Surrey, Sussex Sharks.
Each county will therefore play seven matches at home, and seven matches away, with the top four counties in each group progressing to the quarter-finals.
The quarter-finals will be seeded with the higher-seeded team set to host their quarter-final. So, as an example, the top team in the North Group will host the fourth-ranked team from the South Group in the quarter-finals.
The four winners of the quarter-finals (24-27 August) progress to Finals Day. Finals Day will be staged at Edgbaston on 18 September.
The usual reminder that this is a high variance format and lots of teams will be in contention. I tend to focus on the lower end of the betting market looking for unfashionable and overlooked teams.
One such is Gloucestershire. They won the central group in the competition last year winning 7 of 10 games, thrashed Northants in the quarter final to reach finals day and lost in a reduced over semi-final.
Essentially the same team returns plus New Zealand wicket-keeper batsman Glenn Phillips. He holds the New Zealand record for the fastest T20I hundred, needing only 46 balls against West Indies and boosts an already strong batting line up whilst as it turns out covering for James Bracey behind the stumps too. At prices up to 16/1 they are decent value in a wide-open heat. A bit more luck than last year (albeit a finals day in mid-September introduces plenty of weather variance)
10 points each way (1/2 odds, 1,2) Gloucestershire to win the Vitality T20 Blast at 16/1 Skybet, 14/1 Bet365 and 12/1 generally
Brown Sugar
The Cleveland Browns, perennial basement dwellers are now one of the best teams in the NFL and a legitimate SuperBowl contender.
The Browns reached a low point when they finished with a 0-16 record in 2017, but their rebuild was already underway towards AFC contender. The Browns jumped to 7-8-1 in 2018 before stumbling to 6-10 in 2019 and then making a big leap in 2020 with an 11-5 regular season -- followed by a playoff win over the division-rival Steelers. It was their most wins and first playoff victory since 1994.
Cleveland will need to overcome Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Kansas City in order to reach Super Bowl LVI but there are grounds for optimism.
Firstly a productive and talented offense was the primary reason for the Browns' 2020 emergence. Cleveland's offensive line was top in the NFL by most objective measures last season, and all five starters will be back in 2021.
Cleveland also has a deep group of offensive skill position players. Odell Beckham Jnr. has missed significant action due to injuries in recent years, but the 28-year-old is still one of the league's best wide receivers when healthy. We saw that last season when he accounted for 391 yards and four TDs in six full games. Jarvis Landry returns as the slot man, too. The 28-year-old has never finished a season with fewer than 72 receptions and ranks third in the category since he was drafted in 2014.
Cleveland has built a roster with quality talent and depth at running back featuring Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. Fourteen offensive skill position players handled at least 70 snaps for the Browns last season, and all 14 of them remain on the 2021 roster.
At quarterback Baker Mayfield is entering a critical season of his career. The 2018 first overall pick has had his ups and downs, and Cleveland will need to decide whether or not he deserves a long-term contract extension. Mayfield will have no excuses this season, as he'll benefit from arguably the league's best supporting cast.
Mayfield has looked good in two of his first three NFL seasons. As far as rookie QBs go, he was outstanding in 2018. 2019 was a mess across the team. In 2020 Mayfield was arguably one of the league's most effective quarterbacks. Perhaps the biggest reason for optimism is the way he finished the 2020 season. In the team's final eight games (two during the playoffs) he threw 16 TDs and two Interceptions while averaging 270+ yards per game. Mayfield was already establishing himself as a capable NFL starter, but his finish to 2020 suggests he can be even more.
On defense the Browns cleaned house during the offseason. Of the team's top 10 players in terms of defensive snaps played last season, only two remain on the 2021 roster: stars Myles Garrett and Denzel Ward. Cleveland upgraded at nearly every position.
One of Cleveland's most impactful offseason moves was the addition of former first overall pick Jadeveon Clowney. Both Garrett and Clowney should expect to see fewer double-teams when on the field together.
Another strength for Cleveland is its overhauled secondary. Ward has emerged as one of the league's top corners and will be joined in the starting line-up by Troy Hill, who played 95% of the snaps for the Rams' elite 2020 defense. Hill has the ability to play the slot which opens the door for either first-round rookie Greg Newsome or 2019 second-round pick Greedy Williams to step in as the team's third corner.
Though the Browns made the playoffs last season, they finished third in the AFC North. That's notable for the 2021 schedule. The division-champion Steelers' unique games will be against the Bills, Titans and Seahawks, and the second-place Ravens' uniques are against the Dolphins, Colts and Rams. The Browns, meanwhile, draw the Patriots, Texans and Cardinals.
Top to bottom, the roster is one of the best in the NFL. The Browns are 16/1 to win the Superbowl, so there is something already baked into ante-post prices, but a season as a genuine contender awaits.
StattoBets Dave Monthly Subscription
Stattobets write ups, analysis and bets are available to monthly subscribers.
Monthly subs are £50 a month and can be cancelled at any time. You can sign up here.
Betting Emporium results
The detailed results page has been updated as have the spreadsheets with the detailed bets. They can be found by clicking RESULTS
If you bet £10 per point on every recommended bet since launch you would be winning + £42,703.40 All bets have an ROI +2.39%
A £4000 bank betting £10 a point on all selections would now be worth £46,703.40 a 1068% increase
The Road to Riches: Weekend of 5th-6th June
Thanks very much to Simon Williams for the weekly articles in my absence over the last month. Welcome back any time!
Coming up this weekend
- Football, England v Romania amongst a host of pre-Euros International Friendlies
- Horse Racing, On the flat at Chepstow, Doncaster, Epsom, Lingfield, Musselburgh and over the jumps at Hexham and Worcester
- Cricket, the first Test match between England and New Zealand continues at Lords
- Golf, next week the Palmetto Championship on the USPGA and the Scandinavian Mixed tournament on the European Tour.
- Tennis, The French Open continues
- Formula One, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku
UEFA Euro Championships - 11th June - 11th July 2021
This is included in Stattobets monthly subs, cost £50 a month (cancel at any time) Read more about Stattobets subs here
Dave writes
“The Euros, 'Euro 2020 (?!)' begins on the 11th June 2021, and after a couple of weeks to recharge my batteries, I'll (@Stattobets Dave) be back to cover all of the action.
I'd expect to put out a pre-tournament preview sometime towards the end of the first week in June a few days before things kick off. It obviously depends when firms publish their markets but I would be surprised if the majority of markets aren't priced up by the start of June.
After that, I'll be publishing regular previews with all the bets I fancy.”
Stattobets record in 2021
January staked 705 profit +180.28 ROI +25.57%
February staked 800 profit +153.82 ROI +19.23%
March staked 525 profit + 201.21 ROI+ 38.32%
April staked 889 profit +371.18 ROI +41.75%
May staked 325 profit +114.25 ROI +35.15%
Free tip
The Epsom Derby by Neil
Hundred Up
The England and Wales Cricket Board has invested nearly £100m to support the current domestic cricket structure since the start of the pandemic before the start of last season but meanwhile continues to make long term plans that put the future of that structure in doubt.
In a recent survey half of the 18 first class counties fear they won’t be playing the first-class game in a decade. Meanwhile cricket fans reported by a large majority that they won’t be attending one of the fixtures in The Hundred starting this summer.
The ECB is in the middle of a huge marketing campaign to support The Hundred. Meanwhile The Championship, the primary route for developing talent for Test cricket is mostly played at both ends of the season when the weather is poor and unreliable. At the start of the season big names are in the IPL, at the end they are often rested after an International summer.
If the Championship ultimately contracts because some counties feel they no longer have a commercial reason to play it, or if the ECB decides to reduce the number of counties participating in it, then the effect on Test cricket will be felt with a smaller pool of players to choose from.
The domestic 50 over game of the Royal London Cup is already marginalised, shunted around the schedule in differing formats and we could be on a path to the only professional cricket played in this country being the T20 or The Hundred.
The current World Test Championship has not captured the imagination, it is difficult to understand the ranking process for a start. In most Test playing countries little or no effort is made by the local boards to promote Test cricket.
The Hundred, which is not to be played on a county but a franchise basis, will be the thin edge of the wedge for the current first-class game, its supporters and perhaps ultimately the England test team.
StattoBets Dave Monthly Subscription
Stattobets write ups, analysis and bets are available to monthly subscribers.
Monthly subs are £50 a month and can be cancelled at any time. You can sign up here.
Betting Emporium results
The detailed results page has been updated as have the spreadsheets with the detailed bets. They can be found by clicking RESULTS
If you bet £10 per point on every recommended bet since launch you would be winning + £42,703.40 All bets have an ROI +2.39%
A £4000 bank betting £10 a point on all selections would now be worth £46,703.40 a 1068% increase
Road to Riches 28th May 2021 (with a guest write up) 'The Hassle of a HoF'
Whilst Rich 'Tighty' is convalescing one of our friends of BettingEmporium kindly volunteered a guest article that we have pleasure in publishing below.
The Hassle of a HoF
The Premier League isn’t usually slow to find ways to promote itself. As everyone knows, football began in 1992 and, so, it’s only right that there’s a record of the premier players in our premier league.
The eligibility rules for the new Hall of Fame are on the Premier League website:
“To be eligible for the 2021 Premier League Hall of Fame, players must have been retired by 1 August 2020 to be considered for induction. Only a player’s Premier League career is considered in their candidacy, not their performances in other competitions during the Premier League era.
Players must have made a minimum of 250 Premier League appearances unless they have achieved any of the following milestones:
- Made a minimum of 200 Premier League appearances for one Club
- Been selected to any of the Premier League Team of the Decade or 20-Year Anniversary teams
- Won a Premier League Golden Boot or Golden Glove
- Been voted as Premier League Player of the Season
- Won three Premier League titles
- Scored 100 Premier League goals or recorded 100 Premier League clean sheets (GK only)”
The league has started with the easy task of a first class, which saw eight people open the club: Alan Shearer, Thierry Henry, Eric Cantona, Roy Keane, David Beckham, Dennis Bergkamp, Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard. It will stay a fairly easy task to add inductees for a few years, with those players you’re currently thinking “surely he should be in?” about.
Then what?
Halls of Fame have varying levels of cachet, sport to sport. The big American sports offer the most indulgent brand of chest-beating reverence, and the established systems are instructive for our nascent version. In particular, one question is going to come up and it’ll most likely be where there will be controversy.
Do we reward the candles who burned brightest or those who burned longest? Does someone who played in the most competitive league in the world for much of its existence deserve credit for competing, delivering and lasting? Or should the poster boys of the league be the ones who were actually on posters?
In American Football, Frank Gore has gone third in the all-time rushing yards standings, with only Walter Payton and Emmitt Smith ahead of him. He’s ahead of a whole host of Hall of Famers and, after he retires, the debate will truly begin, because he has been an accumulator of yards, but never the best in his position for any significant time. Were he to be admitted to Canton, it would certainly not be without opposition.
Should Gareth Barry, with 653 PL appearances, be getting our equivalent of a gold jacket? Stewart Downing has the most crosses. Richard Dunne the most last man tackles. You get the idea. It’s hard to stay at the top in elite sport and there’s a case to be made that there’s room for the cavemen who sat on the riverbank and fished as well as the cavemen who fought sabre-tooth tigers with their bare hands.
When Petr Cech gets his nod, as he surely will, what of Joe Hart, who also has four Golden Gloves and was a key part of the first period of Man City’s dominance ten years ago, before his star fell? Perhaps we reward the ratio guy: Pepe Reina leads there, having kept clean sheets in 45.79% of his games. Edwin Van der Sar broke the all-time British league record for most consecutive scoreless minutes.
The Premier League has it easy for the next few years, while it admits Peter Schmeichel, Viera, David Silva, Terry, LeTissier, Rooney, Adams, Ronaldo and Scholes. There will come a point, though, when it catches up with the more established Halls of Fame and the debate of rackers-up versus gloried stars heats up. That, naturally, is when the engagement with the Hall of Fame will really kick in, as the unanimity of voice is replaced by a sneering cry of “how can you put Vidic in ahead of Milner?”
UEFA EUROS 2020 (11th June - 11th July 2021) - by Stattobets
The much awaited Euros start in less than a month and Dave' Statobets' will be covering them for Bettingemporium included in his monthly subs.
A message from Dave...
The Euros, 'Euro 2020 (?!)' begins on the 11th June 2021, and after a couple of weeks to recharge my batteries, I'll (@Stattobets Dave) be back to cover all of the action.
I'd expect to put out a pre-tournament preview sometime towards the end of the first week in June a few days before things kick off. It obviously depends when firms publish their markets but I would be surprised if the majority of markets aren't priced up by the start of June.
After that, I'll be publishing regular previews with all the bets I fancy. I'll try to look at all the games, but if the pickings are slim there may not be action in every game.
If you're subscribed, remember that Wimbledon takes places from the 28th June-11th July, so will be running at the same time, while the French Open is another event I'll be covering which begins sooner - kicking off on the 30th May.
Stattobets record in 2021
January staked 705 profit +180.28 ROI +25.57%
February staked 800 profit +153.82 ROI +19.23%
March staked 525 profit + 201.21 ROI+ 38.32%
April staked 889 profit +371.18 ROI +41.75%
May staked 325 profit +114.25 ROI+35.15%
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