THE BETDAQ PUNTER returns with his usual mix of looking back on the highs and lows of his betting week on BETDAQ and looking forward to this weekend.
Now for this weekend with bets on the horses, football and basketball.
But firstly, how did last week fare?
Friday
The best laid plans of mice and men went badly astray this afternoon with my new all singing all dancing horse racing “system” making a complete fool of me with three selections giving up a loser (Chartreux, second at 11/10) and two non runners so all a storm in a teacup for starters. With no returns from the horses I had to rely on the French footie for a profit of some kind (any kind!), but once again it just wasn’t to be. Lille v Sochaux was the match I could get to watch on the internet but at odds of 1.36 for the home team this was no get rich quick scheme. Bored as I was, I had a bet regardless, but luckily for me it wasn’t a big one as from 3-0 up, they conceded three goals in the last eleven minutes and no I did not have the common sense to get out at 1.05 as it just wasn’t worth it for such small stakes.
Saturday
My punting diet is over! Yes I was supposed to only bet on the two horses (both from my trainers in form, both out with the washing), but that just wasn’t enough on a greedy kind of day so a few more bets just had to be struck. I know I rarely back my beloved Everton but they were looking for their 20th consecutive win against Fulham (I think that’s what they said), but being a chicken I laid Fulham instead at BETDAQ odds of 7.3 thus having the draw on my side. At those odds my stakes were small I confess but the result was never really in any doubt, and I made a profit at last on a Saturday afternoon and awaited the Basketball in the evening. Sticking to my win double as mentioned last week, I actually managed to better the odds (thank you once again BETDAQ layers), of 1.85 and 1.75 to see them both win (well, I fell asleep to be fair), to collect a nice 3.2375 points and I may take a lot more interest in the sport now I know it can make me some extra income that is!
Sunday
With the racing appalling I settled down to do two things if at all possible – have a few basketball bets (I have the bug), and re define my trainers in form list while I had a few extra spare minutes. The new “stars” on my list from Monday onwards will be Alan King, Mrs L Wadham, Tom George, and James Ewart – that’s the kiss of death on all their runners then! As for the football, I stand by my logic of backing Manchester United as they look for the highest points total, and although I speak from a financially biased viewpoint, an offside goal for Arsenal and Sagna remaining on the pitch when he should have been sent off certainly did not help my cause, but such is life I suppose – or it has been lately!
Monday
Personal outrage! I have been sent on a course by work, which means all my bets will need to reply on tea breaks, toilet breaks, and lunchtimes, plus my tablet smuggled everywhere with me – thank goodness for mobile internet is what I say! Too many runners from the racing list for my liking so I gave that a miss (turns out to be the wisest decision of the week so far, and I settled on a double on the shortest forecast horses on the day which turned out to be Twelve Roses over hurdles at Towcester plus Steventon Star on the flat at Lingfield. Sadly, no one told the hurdler he was expected to win as a second place at BETDAQ odds of 1.5 left me out of pocket (even if it was only by a neck), and looking to focus on other sports (the other horse did win but odds of 1.15 – do me a favour|). Basketball is pretty high on my list at present (if only because I can make a few pounds out of them) and tonight is no exception so bets on the Brooklyn Nets (1.45), Atlanta Hawks (1.85), and Oklahoma City Thunder (1.85) were all put on as singles as my confidence is not high enough to even consider too many multiples just yet! As Meatloaf once said, two out of three ain’t bad, with Oklahoma the only loser and plenty of fun plus a small profit on the day, though it did keep me up rather late and I will struggle to get up tomorrow morning.
Tuesday
With another day at work it wasn’t only my batteries that needed recharging as I made sure my phone and tablet were both topped up as I fancied a bit more basketball added to a football bet today – as well as a touch on the horses hopefully. After the way the trainers horses ran yesterday I bottled it today and went for a short priced double again, this time taking the 1.55 on BETDAQ about World Record ahead of the 2.30pm at Lingfield, and 2.1 about Brampour in the 6.15pm at Worcester. Add the LA Clippers overnight at 1.47 and the Denver Nuggets at 1.35 for the hoops, and a little on Real Madrid to beat Dortmund (BETDAQ odds of 1.55) and all my bets were placed nice and early, and I can sit down and “enjoy” my training course. Naturally, one of the two horses lost (Brampour was last of the finishers, beaten about a furlong), Real won easily and landed my largest bet, though one out of two on the basketball want enough to make a profit and all in all I made a small loss on the day.
Wednesday
Ascot put on a classy looking card which makes such a change for midweek and that advantage just had to be taken. Recorded to watch when I go home, bets on Anticipated (BETDAQ odds of 3.3), Chat (3.7), and an each way on Chandlery (21.0 the win. 5.2 the place) were enough for me plus plenty at 1.83 for Barcelona to win the football and three more basketball bets (New York Nicks 1.25, Indiana Pacers 1.33, and Oklahoma City Thunder 1.22), and I could finally go back to discussing spreadsheets! The results went my way to start with and Anticipated duly obliged, though Chat was stone cold last, and then Chandlery ran a stinker (last as well), though thanks to those nice BETDAQ layers I lost precious little on the “gee gees” in the end. Barcelona looked a good thing but that reminds me how little I know – did I miss something, or were they the best team of the last decade, who would have thought they would lose at home, and you have to wonder what the odds on a 7-0 aggregate scoreline would have been? Add two out of three losers on the basketball (which I discovered at breakfast, so not a good start to Thursday!) and it certainly wasn’t a day for favourite backers, though tomorrow is another day.
Thursday
Quantity over quality for the racing today and time to bring out “Masterplan B” and follow all the favourites in the handicaps, altering stakes accordingly and stopping at a winner. That won’t be easy but I like a challenge so its I-Phone time as I can get away with using that quietly enough between assignments, and I can only hope it works out worthwhile? Having identified twenty three races I did make the profit I was after but only because the first selection won (odds of 3.2 on BETDAQ) when Honest Strike took the opener at Lingfield and being a good boy (sometimes!), I stopped there and went on to the football. A quick bet on Chelsea (1.55) and Benfica (1.5) in the double will do for me, and I even reduced my stake to make sure I ended the week with a profit, regardless of the outcome. Naturally, with a reduced stake they both won for a good result personally and more money for me to lose over the weekend!
Conclusions:
Bet of the week – Basketball Saturday night and a winning double. Hoops are my new saviour!
Disaster of the week – Losing odds-on doubles on the horses, how can such obvious “winners” get turned over so regularly?
Something for the weekend:
I have been doing a lot of reading with the 2000 and 1000 Guineas coming up from Newmarket this weekend, but the more I take in the more confused I seem to get! Dawn Approach is a worthy favourite based on his juvenile form but Richard Hughes seems so bullish about Toronado that I simply can’t resist a little bet. He was overheard at the London Racing Club and quoted as saying “Toronado will win the Guineas……” so what more can I want, if a top top jockey points me to a 3.65 shot (BETDAQ of course), how can I possibly ignore such sound advice? If we assume he is the sage of all things racing then we also ought to back What A Name at 5.7 on BETDAQ for the 1000 Guineas as she is also his “tip”, though please don’t shoot the messenger if he has it all wrong!
The football is winding down for the season and there have certainly been some strange results of late, but I will still have a bet on Aston Villa to win at Norwich with the 3.1 on BETDAQ looking outstanding value. Although still flirting with relegation they showed what they could do against Sunderland last week (winning 6-1), and with that confidence booster they could well finish the season in style against a home team who are struggling to find the net too often this season.
Basketball still catches my eye (possibly because I cant sleep!), so a few small bets in the small hours of Saturday morning may not go amiss? Odds on is the name of the game when you don’t really understand the sport in any depth (that would be me then), so Knicks and Grizzlies it is – fingers crossed for a good weekend everyone!
This week’s suggested bets (all prices with BETDAQ and correct at the time of writing):
Horse racing Saturday
1pt Win Toronado 2000 Guineas Newmarket at odds of 3.65
Horse racing Sunday
1pt Win What A Name 1000 Guineas Newmarket Saturday at odds of 5.7
Weekend Football
Saturday
1pt win Aston Villa away to Norwich at odds of 3.1
Basketball Friday Night/Saturday morning (NBA)
1pt win each
New York Knicks to beat the Boston Celtics at odds around 1.9
Memphis Grizzlies to beat the Los Angeles Clippers at odds around 1.45
Did you know that as well as checking the realtime prices on BETDAQ below – you can also log into your account and place your bets directly into BETDAQ from BETDAQ TIPS.
