The latest Goodforthegame newsletter penned by @BrentGraham with best bets for the weekend 14th to 16th August
I had to concede last weekend to the bookies, but it was certainly a weekend of fine margins. Had the Bulls managed to finish off their comeback against the Pumas, I would have finished ahead but it was not to be but there is no use wondering what might of been - we go again!
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There was rugby on Tuesday night, with the Sharks hosting the All Blacks in terrible conditions. Sharks under 12.5 points arrived for me, while I know plenty of other punters were on under 65.5 total points and New Zealand handicaps ranging from -34.5 to -38.5, all of which also landed.
The Handicap
I've been getting lots of messages about The Handicap, and it will definitely be back next week ahead of the start of the Greatest Rivalry Test series.
I must admit I've enjoyed having a break from the show, not so much from the show itself, but from everything that goes into putting it together and organising guests. I am also giving some thought to how we take the show forward.
The weekend ahead
There's plenty of sport on this weekend, and I've just seen a post on the forum from Southpaw about the European Athletics Championships taking place tonight. I'm assuming it will be live on SuperSport, and you can keep an eye on the thread here in case he pops in with any more bets over the weekend.
Currie Cup
We have four Currie Cup matches to look forward to this weekend, starting this afternoon (15h00) at the Wits Stadium, where the Lions host Boland. We then head to Kimberley for Griquas v Sharks at 17h05.
Tomorrow we have the Pumas at home to the Stormers, before the Bulls take on the Cheetahs on Sunday.
There's been money for the Lions this week, with the handicap moving from -9.5 to -14.5, which is where I handicapped the game.
I was well out on the Griquas v Sharks game, though. I went Griquas -7.5, while the market currently sits at -17.5.
All my Currie Cup bets will be posted in the blog. I'm on the overs in both of today's games, although I see the line has moved considerably since I took over 60.5 in Lions v Boland, with 64.5 now on offer.
The Greatest Rugby Rivalry
We're just one week away from the start of the Test series, and the All Blacks face a Bulls side at Loftus tomorrow.
It's encouraging to see the Bulls have named what is pretty close to a URC-strength team. The handicap has come in slightly from early quotes of Bulls +30.5 to +28.5, also on the back of news that a couple of Springboks have returned from Argentina and will be released off the bench.
I'll be posting my final selections for this game in the preview – click here for the Bulls v New Zealand preview
There's also Australia at home to Japan in Townsville tomorrow. After the sides played out a 67-point thriller in humid conditions in Osaka last week, I must say I'm liking the look of the points markets in what should be excellent conditions.
The total points line is 60.5, and although Australia are resting a couple of players, my preference is for them to reach the 40-point mark.
The price has come in a little since I did the preview, but the line remains the same, and I'm going to put up Australia over 39.5 points as my best bet of the weekend.
BET: 3 units (1–5) – Australia over 39.5 points at 0.87/1 with World Sports Betting.
Weekend Treble
I'm waiting for the points lines in Saturday and Sunday's Currie Cup games before getting heavily involved, but for now I've thrown together the following treble at 13.44/1:
- Griquas v Sharks – Over 63.5 points at 0.93/1
- Stormers to beat the Pumas at 3/1
- Arsenal v Manchester City – Over 2.5 goals at 0.87/1
BET: 0.5 unit (1–5) – The above treble at 13.44/1 with World Sports Betting.
Highlights On Goodforthegame
There's plenty more to check out on Goodforthegame this weekend:
- Kaizer Chiefs v Mamelodi Sundowns in the big Betway Premiership clash.
- Chris keeps an eye on the EFL Championship, with a look at the opening round as well as the promotion odds.
- UFC 330 takes place in the early hours of Sunday morning South African time, and the preview is powered by World Sports Betting. I might even get up early to watch my personal favourite, Mackenzie Dern, in action.
- Horse racing fans can stay close to the forum thread and check out the Racing Hub Chris has put together, including which horses are taking a drop in class and which have been running against weaker opposition.
Rest in Peace, Kirky
In closing, I was given some sad news this week when I received an email from the wife of one of our long-time forum regulars and newsletter subscribers, Kirky.
Kirky's posts were well known for their sense of humour, and I had the pleasure of having a few WhatsApp conversations with him over the years – there is one video he sent me around 5 years ago that still makes me chuckle.
As The Vann said in tribute on the forum post: “may all your future bets be winning bets, Kirky.”
Rest in peace, mate.
Have a good weekend, everyone, but don't go too hard, because next weekend promises to be a belter.
Cheers
BG
