New Zealand were runners-up in the last Cricket World Cup and can get off to a flying start in this summer’s tournament when facing Sri Lanka in Wales. Their opponents revolutionised the ODI game when lifting this trophy in 1996 but are no longer the force of old and have slipped down the rankings.
Pakistan head into the ICC Cricket World Cup on a woeful run of form, but we’re backing them to come good when it matters against the West Indies. As befitting their Cornered Tigers nickname, Micky Arthur’s side tend to come out fighting on the big stage, lifting the Champions Trophy two years ago.
We’ve crunched the numbers from all One Day Internationals since the last World Cup to highlight the players, teams and venues that provide the surest guarantees of entertainment.
Anthony Joshua will be looking to make a big impression on his US debut when facing Andy Ruiz at Madison Square Garden in New York. The Londoner will defend his IBF, WBA and WBO heavyweight titles against Mexican-American Ruiz, a late stand-in after Jarrell Miller’s failed drugs test.
We’ve picked out our Premiership Rugby predictions ahead of Saturday’s play-off semi-finals and are looking at the handicap markets for a bit of value. Last season’s two finalists are red-hot favourite to reach the decider again, but will they be able to cover double-digit starts this term?
More than 40,000 fans are expected at Celtic Park on Saturday for the Pro 14 final between Glasgow and Leinster, so home advantage could play a big part. The Warriors will be roared on by a strong support, as they seek to lift this trophy for the second time, having previously prevailed in 2015.
We’ve got Super League predictions for all six matches at this year’s Magic Weekend and are hoping to land an 11/1-plus pay-out if they all prevail. Anfield will stage the latest renewal of British rugby league’s mid-season spectacular and every team will be keen to impress in Liverpool.
We’re kicking off our Cricket World Cup 2019 predictions by looking at each of the 10 teams competing, placed in order of our power rankings. The country that lifts the trophy at Lord’s on July 14 will receive a minimum of £3.1million in prize money, out of a total pot of £7.8m up for grabs.
Deontay Wilder will be looking to send a message out to Anthony Joshua when defending his WBC heavyweight title against Dominic Breazeale. Joshua retained his IBF belt by stopping Breazeale in the seventh round three years ago and we reckon Wilder will want to finish off the Californian sooner.
Leinster and Saracens have dominated the European Rugby Champions Cup in recent years and are set for a titanic tussle in this season’s final at St James’ Park. The Irish province are the holders of this trophy, while Sarries claimed outright glory in 2016 and 2017, so big-match experience is not an issue.
We’ve got Chester races tips for all seven contests on the third and final day of this year’s popular May Festival, including four events covered by ITV4. The £150,000 Chester Cup is Friday’s feature, but there are lots of other betting opportunities and we’ve got expert selections from PA Sport’s Anita Chambers.
Saul Canelo Alvarez is the box office star of this weekend’s middleweight unification bout with Daniel Jacobs and that can help him land a points victory. The Mexican, who boasts a massive following, puts his WBA and WBC belts on the line, while American Jacobs is the current IBF champion.
Amir Khan looks to have bitten off more than he can chew by challenging WBO welterweight champion Terence Crawford in New York this weekend. The big-punching American will enter the ring with a perfect 34-0 record in the paid ranks and has secured 25 of those victories inside the distance.
Ahead of the NBA play-offs this weekend, we’ve taken a look at every past season since the bracket was expanded to 16 teams in 1984 to reveal some interesting patterns. We’ve looked at which seeds tend to go deeper in the tournament and the likely source of any upsets to help you with your betting before the curtain goes up on Saturday.