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Irish Women’s Soccer : 2020 Fixture List

The nine-team league, which welcomes Athlone Town, Bohemians and Treaty United into the Women’s National League for the first time, will kick-off on Saturday, March 14.

Bohemians will welcome Athlone Town, Galway Women’s travel to Tolka Park to face Shelbourne and Wexford Youths host DLR Waves on the opening day.

Champions Peamount United will travel to Cork City a day later whilst Treaty United will play their first match a week later at home to Wexford Youths on Sunday, March 22.

 

Super League Basketball seasons draw nearer to the home stretch

Belfast Star will look to grasp their eighth consecutive win when they play host to Hula Hoops National Cup finalists, DBS Éanna.

Star will hope that the outstanding form of Delaney Blaylock will roll over into this contest, notching an astronomical 50-points in last week’s encounter with UCD Marian. However, Éanna will look to overcome the scoring power of Coach Adrian Fulton’s side wit hot-hand, Stefan Zecevic, who posted 20-points in their match with DCU Saints at the weekend.

Elsewhere in the Men’s Super League, Keane’s Supervalu Killorglin make the short journey to the Tralee Sports Complex to face Garvey’s Tralee Warriors. Killorglin handled their business against a struggling Abbey Seals Dublin Lions outfit at the weekend, with Rami Gahanem’s 26-points allowing the Kerry side to cruise to a 12-point victory. They’ll need a perfect performance to stand a chance against a red-hot Warriors side who dispatched of Moycullen last week by a substantial 18-points, having four different men in double-digit scoring.

Cup Champions, Griffith College Templeogue, will do battle with DCU Saints this Saturday also. Saints have had a fluctuating run of form, losing by 28-points to Éanna on Saturday after gliding past a strong UCD Marian crowd a week previous. Templeogue will hope that their run of form will continue, with usual suspects Lorcan Murphy (31), Neil Randolph (18) and Jason Killeen (16) leading the scoring in their victory over Maree last time out.

UCD Marian journey south to face bottom-side, Abbey Seals Dublin Lions at 17:30 this Saturday. Both camps will be looking to bounce back from the weekend, following defeats at the hands of Belfast Star and Killorglin respectively. James Gormley’s performance in the last game will offer hope to this Lions squad, dropping 22-points in that defeat.

Coughlan CandS Neptune will welcome Moycullen to their stadium Saturday evening in Cork. Moycullen will look to call a halt to their recent slide, dropping the last four games in a row. Neptune were unfortunate in their loss against Killester, seeing five different players post 15-points or more on the night. Player-coach Lehmon Colbert will hope for more of the same this weekend with both sides determined for a victory.

Galway side, Maree, will face up against the team a spot above them on the Super League ladder, Pyrobel Killester, when they take to Calasanctius College in the late game Saturday evening. Killester will hope the scoring of Kason Harrell (26) and Tomas Fernandez (26) will carry over into this mid-table matchup. Maree will look to put their last game behind them, with the match being essentially over as a contest before halftime against Templeogue.

 

In the Women’s Super League, Maree play host to Pyrobel Killester in what promises to be a close encounter. Killester could do the table-topping DCU Mercy a favour, by keeping the gap at six-points before they tip-off a day later. Maree will hope the form of Claire Rockall and Carly McClendon will shine through, in a win that would maintain their hounding pressure on DCU Mercy.

The league leaders make the typically testing journey to Cork’s Parochial Hall to face Singleton Supervalu Brunell in the only Sunday Super League game of the weekend. DCU took care of business last time out, largely thanks to the serial scoring of Meredith Burkhall (31) and Ashley Russell (28). Brunell’s Treyanna Clay will look to help break the winning run of DCU Mercy, with her scoring (29) carrying the Nellies over IT Carlow in the last game.

Ambassador UCC Glanmire set sail for Waterford where they’ll come up against mid-table Maxol WIT Wildcats. Glanmire rolled over the struggling Marble City Hawks with a scoreline of 82-39 in their last fixture. Top scorer, Shrita Parker (29) will be desperate to make an impact in an away game that could cause problems for the Cork side. Wildcats will hope to defend home-turf after losing at the hands of Liffey Celtics a week previous, Maria Palarino (17) was the top-scorer for the Waterford outfit during the defeat.

Marble City Hawks will be desperate to clinch their first victory on the year when they play IT Carlow at home. This matchup sees the two bottom teams face off in what could potentially be a relegation decider. A win for Hawks would see them leapfrog Carlow in the table, putting them level on points, with Hawks having the edge on points difference. A win for Carlow, spurred on by leading scorer, Kaitlyn Slagus, could be what they need to solidify them in next year’s Super League campaign.

In the Men’s Division One, Tradehouse Central Ballincollig once again look to strengthen their position at the top of the table, the Cork side playing host to EJ Sligo All-Stars. Sligo will travel in an attempt to hand Kieran O’Sullivan’s charges their first loss of the season and bring some of the trailing pack back into contention. They will take confidence in the outcome of the reverse of this fixture, Ballincollig scraping a two-point victory on their travels in November.
Scotts Lakers St Paul’s Killarney could get a firm grip on a second-place finish should they win at home to Fr Mathews, another Cork side sitting one win behind their neighbours. After a run of poor results in the new year, Mathews will look to feed on their momentum gained from a two-game win streak.
Having dropped more points last weekend, LYIT Donegal open the door for a number of teams to snatch the fourth place spot from them come the season’s end. Niall McDermott’s team will be determined to not let this happen when they make the trip to Portlaoise where Panthers await.
Limerick Celtics are one win better off than Donegal, and they can keep the teams higher up on their toes should they defeat McGowans Tolka Rovers at home.
IT Carlow and Limerick Sports Eagles will feel they are very much in the hunt for a playoff spot as they face Waterford Vikings and Ulster University Elks respectively.

Team Tom McCarthy’s St Marys could edge closer to securing a top spot in the Southern Conference in the Women’s Division One, the Castleisland side facing Griffith College Templeogue on the road this weekend. Portlaoise Panthers will look to keep the pressure on their opponentst at the top of the conference when they play NUIG Mystics in Galway. Mystics struggled against St Marys last weekend, so Panthers will be full of confidence when they make the journey west.
Elsewhere, UL Huskies seek to finish their campaign on a high by defeating Swords Thunder, both teams struggling in their respective conferences, while Phoenix Rockets and Tipperary Knights lock horns in Belfast.

Premier League Darts Cardiff – Review, Results and Table

It was night three of the Premier League darts, it was in Cardiff and we had the results, review and updated league table.

The big shock of the night was that Nathan Aspinall inflicted a first Unibet Premier League defeat of 2020 on Michael van Gerwen, while Gerwyn Price was held to a 6-6 draw by Daryl Gurney in the Welsh capital.

Having been at his imperious best in the opening two nights of action, five-time Premier League champion Van Gerwen was halted in his tracks by Aspinall who won 7-5 in front of a sell-out crowd at Motorpoint Arena.

Following a mixed start to his maiden campaign with a win and a loss in his opening two matches, Aspinall got off to a great start against the world number one as he pinned a 110 checkout on his way to a 4-2 lead.

Van Gerwen hit back with three successive legs to hit the front, only for Aspinall to stop the rot with a last dart double 18.

The 11th leg saw Van Gerwen hit some uncharacteristically low scores, and Aspinall took full advantage, hitting double top in each of the last two legs to rack up his third win in six attempts against the Dutchman.

“I feel like I’ve arrived in the Premier League now, it doesn’t get much better than beating the best player in the world on the Premier League stage,” a delighted Aspinall explained.

“I haven’t been at all happy with how I played in the first two weeks, which makes it an even better feeling to play well tonight.

“It was important for me to prove to everyone and myself that I can play well in the Premier League.

“I enjoyed every minute of it up there tonight and I think that’s when I’m at my best. The crowd were fantastic.

“I was disappointed with how I played against Michael at the World Championship so it was nice to get one back over him.”

Welsh number one Price was unable to deliver a win for his army of fans as he drew for the third consecutive week, this time against Gurney, who picked up his first point of the campaign.

A tight affair, in which both players missed a number of darts at double, saw the opening eight legs all go with throw before Price struck the first break to go 5-4 ahead.

Undeterred, Gurney won back-to-back legs to secure the draw, but Price held firm in the last leg to maintain his unbeaten start to the season.

“The crowd tonight were fantastic, I wish I could’ve won for them but it wasn’t to be,” said Price.

“Fair play to Daryl for hitting his doubles under pressure, he deserved something from the match.

“I’m not happy but I’ve picked up a point so it’s not all bad.

“Everyone is playing well against me lately but it’s time to start converting draws into wins.”

Price’s World Cup teammate Jonny Clayton suffered a baptism of fire on his Premier League debut, as Michael Smith produced the performance of the night to claim a 7-1 victory, ending his ten-match winless run in the Premier League.

Welsh number two Clayton, the highest-ranked of this year’s nine Challengers, took the opening leg but had no answer to a Smith onslaught, which saw the former Premier League runner-up average 105.51.

A 167 finish from Smith put daylight between the pair at 4-1 and three legs later he wrapped up victory with a 142 finish to taste victory in the Premier League for the first time since March.

“I’m over the moon to get my first win of the season, I can’t believe it’s been ten games since I last won in the Premier League,” said Smith.

“Jonny gave me a couple of legs at the start and the 167 really did change things.

“Once I got a lead I was telling myself not to make the same mistake as last week; I was really angry with myself that I threw that one away.”

Glen Durrant is the early leader in the standings after he made it two wins from three with an eye-catching 7-4 defeat of Gary Anderson.

Having salvaged a point against Fallon Sherrock on Night Two, Durrant was at his clinical best as he landed finishes of 107, 89 and 85 on his way to a 5-1 lead.

Two-time Premier League champion Anderson hit back with checkouts of 122 and 64, but Durrant maintained control of the contest to move to the table summit.

“I’m in a great place right now, I never thought I would be top of the Premier League at any point of my career,” Durrant admitted.

“To beat one of the all-time greats in Gary in front of this amazing crowd is an unbelievable feeling.

“I can’t say I enjoyed the Fallon game last week but tonight absolutely made up for it.

“I wish I was bullish and say ‘I’m going to finish in the top four’ but that’s not the person I am.

“I still just want to avoid being eliminated so that will be my focus until I achieve that goal.”

World Champion Peter Wright eventually found his way to a first victory of the campaign with a 7-5 defeat of Rob Cross, though Wright averaged over 20 points more than his opponent for much of the contest.

With Cross struggling to find his range on the trebles, Wright took advantage to race into a 3-0 lead thanks to a trio of 13-dart legs.

Former World Champion Cross fought back and took the match all the way to a 12th leg, but after the former World Champion failed to take out 126, Wright found a last dart double five to condemn Cross to his first loss of the season.

“I made it hard work for myself, and Rob is never going to give you a game,” said Wright.

“Rob is a fantastic player so I’m happy to get the win against him.

“I’m finding it hard work up there, I’m putting pressure on myself and I need to relax a little bit more.”

The 2020 Unibet Premier League continues with Night Four in Dublin on Thursday February 27 as Republic of Ireland’s World Cup runner-up William O’Connor stars as a Challenger against Van Gerwen, while table-topper Durrant meets Aspinall in the battle of the newcomers.

2020 Unibet Premier League Night Three
Thursday February 20
Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff
Peter Wright 7-5 Rob Cross
Michael Smith 7-1 Jonny Clayton
Nathan Aspinall 7-5 Michael van Gerwen
Daryl Gurney 6-6 Gerwyn Price
Glen Durrant 7-4 Gary Anderson

Night Four
Thursday February 27
3Arena, Dublin
Glen Durrant v Nathan Aspinall
Rob Cross v Gary Anderson
Daryl Gurney v Michael Smith
William O’Connor v Michael van Gerwen
Gerwyn Price v Peter Wright
Tickets: SOLD OUT

League Table after Night Three

P W D L +/- LWAT Pts
Glen Durrant 3 2 1 0 +7 7 5
Michael van Gerwen 3 2 0 1 +6 6 4
Nathan Aspinall 3 2 0 1 +4 8 4
Michael Smith 3 1 1 1 +2 3 3
Rob Cross 3 1 1 1 0 6 3
Gerwyn Price 3 0 3 0 0 6 3
Peter Wright 3 1 1 1 0 5 3
Gary Anderson 3 1 1 1 -1 5 3
Daryl Gurney 3 0 1 2 -8 3 1

Munster trio sign new deals

Munster trio Andrew Conway, Billy Holland and Jeremy Loughman have all signed new deals with the province.

Andrew Conway has signed a three year deal which will now see him at the club till at least July 2023. Conway has been super for the province since arriving from Leinster. He has made 142 appearances and has played on the wing and in the full back position. At 28 years of age he is third in the Munster roll of honour in terms of  top try scorers. He has scored 43 tries since making his debut against Zebre 7 years ago. Moreover, at International level Conway scored three tries in the 2019 World Cup in Japan.

Billy Holland has also put pen to paper on a new deal. Holland has signed a one year contract extension. The 34 year old has made 226 appearances for the club. Holland has been a stalwart for the club and is in his 13th season. He has made a super start to the season for the Red Army, starting in 12 out of 14 games.

Furthermore, Jeremy Loughman who plays as prop with the club has also signed a new contract. He has signed a two year deal. This will keep him at Thomond Park till June 2022. The 24 year old Kildare man made his debut in 2018 and has gone on to make 36 appearances for the province. He was selected as man of the match on debut against Ospreys in the Champions Cup.

Head coach Johann Van Graan was delighted with the news that the trio of players signed contracts. Commenting on this he said, “Retaining the services of Andrew, Billy and Jeremy is again great news for Munster Rugby and for our plans for the future”. He continued, “They are a quality trio, that all add huge value to our squad with their own individual skills and experience”.

Munster take on Zebre this Friday at 7.35pm at the Stade Giovanni Mari.

Six Nations: Wales name team to play France

Wales head coach Wayne Pivac has named his side to take on France at the Principality Stadium on Saturday at 4.45pm. The Six Nations battle between the sides is likely to go down to the wire. Be sure to check out the latest odds here in our latest article.

Pivac has opted to change two players from the team that started in the loss against Ireland at the Aviva Stadium. He has opted to include Gareth Davies, who replaces Tomos Williams at scrum half. Furthermore, Ross Moriarty also comes into the side. He replaces Aaron Wainwright. The front row once again will see Wyn Jones, Ken Owens and Dillion Lewis. In the second row the very experienced Alun Wyn Jones who captains the sides pairs up with Jake Ball. Ross Moriarty is named as flanker as already mentioned, he will be alongside the versatile Justin Tipuric and the powerful Taulupe Faletau.

Leigh Halfpenny starts at full back once again. George North and Josh Adams takes up positions on the wings. Nick Tompkins lines up in the centre alongside Hadleigh Parkes. Dan Biggar and Gareth Davies are named at number 10 and number 9 respectively. Speaking to the media about the upcoming game Pivac said, “Gareth was unavailable in round one and came off the bench last time out, so he is full of energy and we are looking forward to him bringing his game on Saturday”. He continued, “Saturday is going to be a packed Principality Stadium, we know the atmosphere will be electric, and it is set for a big day in Cardiff.”

Saturday’s game is massive for both sides. A win for France will mean they just have to beat Scotland and Ireland to win the Grand Slam. However, a win for Wales would certainly open things up further. History is certainly not in the French sides favour. In fact if you go back to the history books. The last time they won in Cardiff was in 2010 when they won 26-20. Tries from Palisson and Trinh Duc secured the win for Les Bleus.

Video : Goals of the Week from League of Ireland

The league of Ireland commenced last weekend and below we have a short video of the goals of the week.

The first goal is from Dundalk’s Dane Massey an unstoppable volley past Derry goalkeeper Nathan Garfield. Ciaran Kilduff’s goal is the second goal of the week, a scrappy goal but it makes the league’s goals of the week nonetheless. Karl O’Sullivan’s goal for Finn Harps also makes the list. His goal gave the Donegal based side a 1-0 win. Aaron Greene also hit the winner in the Dublin derby for Shamrock Rovers where they played Bohemians, the game ending 1-0, but in truth it should have never been played in dreadful conditions.

This weeks fixtures will see Derry welcome Finn Harps to the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium on Friday at 7.45pm. Furthermore, other games that take place on Friday include Shelbourne at home to Dundalk, Sligo having home advantage against St Pats, Waterford welcoming Bohemians to the RSC, while the tie of the weekend takes place at 8pm also on Friday with Shamrocks Rovers welcoming Cork City to Tallaght Stadium.

Action in the division one gets underway this weekend. Cabinteely will have home advantage against Bray, Athlone will travel to Galway, while Wexford Youths will also have home advantage against UCD, these games takes place on Friday at 7.45pm. On Saturday Cobh Ramblers welcome Drogheda to St Colman’s Park at 7pm, while Longford will play host to Shamrocks Rovers second string.

Come back next week where we will hopefully have some more goals of the week from the league Ireland to talk about !

Zebre v Munster: Preview, Team News and Betting

Zebre v Munster takes place on Friday at the Stadio Giovanni Mari with a 7.35pm kick off. A preview, team news and betting information is below. We will have live score updates to from the below link.

Click here for LIVE Score Updates 

Preview 

Zebre currently sit in 6th place in the table. Their history in the competition against Irish teams isn’t great considering win over an Irish side was Connacht back in 2018. They have former Munster and Leinster man Ian Nagle starting which is great to see. Mick Kearney also starts the former Leinster man is in the second row.

Munster come into the game on the back of a win over the Southern Kings last weekend, a big win at that 68-3. The performances of Mike Haley and Arno Botha really impressed. Botha grabbed three tries. Players like Tommy O’Donnell, Darren Sweetnam and Dan Goggin are on the bench. Munster have played Zebre 14 times winning all 14. They have accumulated 66 tries in those 14 games, compared to their opponents 17. The last meeting between the sides came in 2019 when Munster beat Zebre 31-12.

Team News

Zebre: Junior Laloifi, Paula Balekana, Jamie Elliott, Tommaso Boni (c), Pierre Bruno, Francois Brummer, Joshua Renton, Daniele Rimepelli, Massimo Ceciliani, Eduardo Bello, Mick Kearney, Ian Nagle, Maxime Mbandà, Jimmy Tuivaiti, Renato Giammarioli

Munster: Mike Haley, Calvin Nash, Sammy Arnold, Rory Scannell, Shane Daly, JJ Hanrahan, Craig Casey, James Cronin, Niall Scannell (c), John Ryan, Fineen Wycherley, Darren O’Shea, Arno Botha, Chris Cloete, Jack O’Sullivan.

Betting

Munster are 1/8 to win this game. Their opponents are 6/1 to cause an upset and come out on top on home soil. For me it’s about the handicap market here. Munster are in ruthless form and -16 looks a great bet considering they put 60+ points on the Kings. Arno Botha at 16/1 to get the first try looks a great bet considering the form he is in.  Zebre v Munster is live on Eir Sport 1.

Moments When Irish Sports Commentators Went Crazy

There’s no doubting the fact that Commentators can tend to get carried away sometimes! Whether it be negative or positive, you can’t help but feel like you’re involved in the occasion, with most of them being very memorable!

Last Weekend we saw Sky Sports commentator Martin Tyler in absolutely ecstatic form, when Manchester United new boy Anthony Martial scored on his debut against Liverpool at Old Trafford.

In light of this most recent event, what better way to jump on the bandwagon by glancing back to occasions when Irish commentators got pretty excited!

George Hamilton- Ireland V England World Cup 1990

With Ireland trailing by a goal thanks to a scrappy first half effort from Gary Lineker, things were beginning to get a little edgy entering the final twenty minutes.

However Kevin Sheedy came to the rescue with a 71st minute equaliser and by God George Hamilton was happy! His famous goal scoring catchphrase came to the fore once again when he ushered the words “Oh It’s There!”

Ryle Nugent- Ireland V Wales Six Nations 2009

Mr.Nugent is a quality broadcaster and always has the audience on the edge of their seats, with his unique style of commentary.

Ireland’s 2009 Grand Slam title is synonymous at this stage in Irish sporting folklore. But the words of Nugent during the live commentary in the closing stages against Wales, will also last a lifetime in the memory. Who could forget, “This must be it for Ronan O’Gara, Drop At Goal, Grand Slam At Stake!”

Brendan Hennessey- Mount Leinster Rangers Become Leinster Champions

Having worked with Newstalk and Premier Sports, Hennessey is probably best noted for his performances on local Radio with KCLR 96fm in the Carlow-Kilkenny region.

In 2013, Carlow based minnows Mount Leinster Rangers defied the odds by beating Wexford kingpins Oulart-The Ballagh in the Leinster Senior Club Hurling Final. To say Hennessey got excited would be an understatement and this clip definitively confirms it!

Ger Canning- Mayo V Dublin All-Ireland SFC Semi Final 2006

In a game which had many twists and turns, the onus fell on the shoulders of Mayo maestro Ciaran McDonald to send his side into the All Ireland Final.

McDonald didn’t disappoint and his late effort in Hill 16 heaped misery on the opposing Dublin side who lost out by the narrowest of margins’. Canning was at his brilliant best here and his commentary didn’t disappoint!

Marty Morrissey- Clare V Cork All Ireland SHC Final 2013

Marty Morrissey has worked with RTE for many years. His reporting and broadcasting skills are up there with the best of them and he has come out with many a memorable statement down through the years.

His finest moment came in 2013 however when his native Clare scored a last minute equaliser against Cork in the All Ireland Final. Two words which still has the nation in ribbons is “Holy Moses!”

More GAA News

Handicaps entries for the Cheltenham Festival 2020

The list of entries for the ten handicap races at the 2020 Cheltenham Festival has been announced.

The 10 handicaps at the four-day extravaganza, which takes place from Tuesday, 10 March through to Thursday, 13 March inclusive.
Tuesday, 10 March plays host to the £110,000 G3 Ultima Handicap Chase (3m 1f, 91 entries), in which Vinndication (Kim Bailey) heads the ante-post market most with most firms after an impressive comeback at Ascot just before Christmas.
Day one of The Festival comes to a close with the £70,000 Listed Northern Trust Company Novices’ Handicap Chase (2m 4f, 72 entries). Kim Bailey, who is based not far from Cheltenham at Andoversford, also has the market leader for this contest in Imperial Aura, who has finished second on his latest two outings, both of which came at the Home of Jump Racing.
There are a massive 148 entries for Wednesday’s £100,000 G3 Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle (2m 5f), in which Protektorat (Dan Skelton), who is part-owned by Sir Alex Ferguson, tops the ante-post market. The five-year-old was a Listed winner at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day and third in the G2 Ballymore Novice’ Hurdle on Festival Trials Day, 25 January. Last year’s winner William Henry (Nicky Henderson) is entered once again.

Also taking place on Wednesday is the £80,000 G3 Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (2m, 61 entries) for four-year-olds.
Day three, Thursday, 12 March features three handicaps, kicking off with the £100,000 G3 Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle (3m, 57 entries). Gordon Elliott has won the last two runnings and has seven entries in 2020, including last year’s winner Sire du Berlais.
The £110,000 G3 Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate Handicap Chase (2m 4.5f) has attracted 96 including 2019 scorer Siruh du Lac (Nick Williams) and Happy Diva (Kerry Lee), who scooped the G3 BetVictor Gold Cup at Cheltenham in November.
Thursday concludes with the £70,000 Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Amateur Riders’ Handicap Chase (3m 2f, 95 entries.)
The £100,000 G3 Randox Health County Handicap Hurdle (2m 1f, 99 entries) on Friday, 13 March has gone to trainer Dan Skelton for three of the past four years. Skelton’s four entries this year include previous winners Ch’tibello (2019) and Mohaayed (2018), as well as exciting novice West Cork and Sofia’s Rock.
Trainer Nicky Henderson has two entries, Theinval and Whatswrongwithyou, in the race named in memory of his father – the £110,000 G3 Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Challenge Cup Handicap Chase (2m, 53 entries).
The Festival concludes with the £70,000 Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle (2m 4f, 156 entries). David Pipe has yet to win the race named in honour of his father and has six entries this year.
Weights for all 10 handicaps at The Festival will be revealed on Wednesday, 26 February
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Guide to bet on Finnish Hockey

Ice hockey betting is pretty widespread across Europe and North America. It is particularly popular when it comes to KHL and NHL. 

Big tournaments take place on a regular basis. So, if you want to bet on Finnish hockey on vedonlyönti sivut or betting websites, you should know various things. In this guide, you are going to learn all the nitty-gritty. 

Understanding Team Set-Up to Bet on Hockey

The first step to learn about betting on Finnish hockey is to understand how the sport works. Just as basketball and soccer, the ultimate aim is to score more than the opposite team. A hockey match consists of two teams, and each of them contains 6 players, a goaltender and 5 skaters. 

The roaster size of a hockey team is 20 players. The big number inside the roster is because of the physical nature of the game, irrespective of the sport requiring only 6 players. There are many high contact situations in the game, and subsequently, every team is provided with unlimited substitutions throughout the match. 

Apart from the goalie, the team consists of three forwards and two defensemen. There is left, as well as a right defenseman. Right-wing, centre, and left-wing are the three forward positions. 

Types of Ice Hockey Bets

One of the best bets in Finnish hockey is the outright win wager. Putting stake on the outright winner is simply a bet on who you feel is going to win. These days there are no ties. Thus, to win on your stake, you choose to win the game outright. 

Another popular form of stake is the puck line. This is where the oddsmaker is going to assign a favourite on the basis of the formula of minus or plus one goal. Putting a stake over-under is one of the most known bet in ice-hockey. The oddsmaker is going to assess the total goals that have been scored by the two teams in the match. A majority of the time, the number is either 5.5 or 6. 

You will find the basic bets in a majority of the online betting websites. However, some are going to provide you with more in-depth market than the others. 

Things to Consider While Betting

There are certain things that you need to take into account when you stake on this. Let’s take a look at them. 

 

  • Consider the Heavy Favourites

 

It is a sport of parity. A majority of the titles are close, particularly NHL. Upsets, also in playoffs are quite common. Thus, you need to be careful about the large parlays. 

 

  • Take Note of the Lineup Changes

 

You should follow the lineup changes over the internet. There are many sites that will tell you about even a slight change in the lineup. This is important, particularly when it comes to the goaltenders. You should also take into account if the team is using a backup for the game. Knowing every little detail helps in preparing for the bet. 

 

  • Get to Know the Schedule

 

This is a gruelling sport and the ones playing it are human. Thus, they are going to get tired. In case a team is on a long trip, it is better to stay away from putting a stake on them in the later game it plays. Usually, home teams have a natural advantage. This is because it enables them to make the last changes that are the road teams have to put in their players over the ice first. Thereafter, the home coach is going to react to it as he deems fit. 

 

  • Look Around

 

You should definitely consider registering for a different sportsbook. Generally, the odds on the under-over are the same everywhere, the puck lines and the money lines might vary to a significant extent. 

Tips to Bet on Ice Hockey

If you are a fan of Finnish hockey, there are certain tips that you need to consider. When you seriously consider hockey betting, you need to formulate a strategy, and for that, you have to take a look at the tips given below. 

 

  • Bet When There Is Value

 

You should not waste money on the short and long bets that are not going to come off or back heavy options which will not give you anything if they win. 

 

  • Specialize

 

Ice hockey will provide you with several betting markets. You need to find out the market where you are going to be most successful. Thereafter, focus your stake on it. 

 

  • Keep a Record

 

It is necessary to maintain a record before the stake allows you to keep a track on your betting process to find where you have done well and in which stake markets you are the strongest. 

 

  • Do Your Research

 

The week that leads to the beginning of the new season is called the pre-season. This time, teams train heavily and are going to take part in friendly games. It is the ideal time to find out which teams seem like contenders and which teams are not. Doing this research is going to help in saving money and will keep you from losing your bets on ice hockey. Thus, you can secure great profits. 

Check Out Head-to-Head Matchups

Prior to betting on the result of the Finnish hockey, you should check out how the two teams are matching up head-to-head and how the previous games have ended. You should also consider the teams that have won the most. It is also necessary to check if one team is stronger or weaker in the recent meet. You might have been ready to support a team, but when you check the head-to-head, you might come to realize that it is the opponents who have the number. 

 

  • Check the Upsets

 

Due to the high rate injuries and bruising nature, it is impossible for a team to keep the best players playing on ice all throughout the season. There are a few key players who might be out of the game injured. Thus, even the best teams might become vulnerable. You should keep an eye on the primary hockey players. 

Markets You Сan Bet On

There is a puck line, moneyline, and over-under. However, there are other types of bets, too. You can make future bets which include the ongoing and the ever-changing odds for the winner of Stanley Cup. This is also applicable for World, KHL, and every league. Prior to the beginning of every NHL season, several bookmakers might post odds on the individual winners of the trophy. 

You will also find in-play betting. This can be anything. If you think that a specific player is going to score a goal in the game for Maple Leaf, you will see bookmakers who provide odds on that, as well as the goal market for almost all the top players on a squad. 

You should not forget that the shootout goals don’t matter for an individual’s betting purpose. However, you should put a stake when you think that a player is going to score on the shootout goal. 

Now that you have come to learn the most important aspects of betting on ice hockey, you should take advantage of the best odds on various sites.