April 2019
TOTTENHAM’S NEW STADIUM
33rd minute predicted for first goal in new Tottenham stadium
Wednesday 3rd April, 2019 – The wait could finally be over &ndash the first Premier League goal at Tottenham’s new White Hart Lane stadium will arrive in the 33rd minute, according to spread betting firm Sporting Index.
After more than a four–year wait, Tottenham welcome Crystal Palace to their new £1 billion stadium for their first competitive match tonight, and the traders at Sporting Index expect the arena to be christened with a first half goal.
The spread betting experts also think tonight’s fixture could provide a goal glut, with total goal minutes predicted to finish at 157.
Neville Burdock, head of trading at Sporting Index, said: “Tottenham will be delighted to move into their new stadium after the seemingly never-ending delay, but finally we’ll see Mauricio Pochettino’s men grace the new White Hart Lane tonight, where we predict the roof will be raised with a 33rd minute goal.“
GRAND NATIONAL
15 finishers to fight it out for Grand National
Friday 5th April 2019 – Spread betting firm Sporting Index believes just 15 horses will cross the finishing line in this year’s Randox Health Grand National, bang on the post millennial average but three more than the 12 who made it past the post last year.
Earlier in the week, the leading sports spread betting firm priced the number of finishers at 17, but plenty of rain has hit Aintree over the last 24 hours and that should make things harder for the 40 runners.
Earlier in the week, the leading sports spread betting firm priced the number of finishers at 17, but plenty of rain has hit Aintree over the last 24 hours and that should make things harder for the 40 runners.
The 2001 Grand National proved to be the toughest since the turn of the millennium, with just four horses completing on heavy ground, while 2005 saw the most finishers in recent memory, 21.
Sporting Index have also priced up the winning distance at six lengths, some stretch further than last year’s head that separated Tiger Roll and Pleasant Company, the winning SP at 22/1 and a first-to-last total margin of 130 lengths.
National gamble Tiger Roll fits the bill for a number of the firm’s markets. The Winning Age is priced in line with the favourite at nine, while Days Since Last Run is carefully predicted at 38 given Tiger Roll was last seen at Cheltenham in March.
Neville Burdock, Head of Trading at Sporting Index, said: “Tiger Roll looks like he’ll take all the beating on paper but given this is the Grand National you really can’t be that sure. For starters, we’re expecting just 15 horses to finish the race and his hope of repeating Red Rum’s back-to-back heroics could end up as another hard-luck story.“
ENGLAND IN EUROPE
Two English teams set for Champions League semi-finals
Tuesday 9th April, 2019 – Spread betting firm Sporting Index predict that two English teams will be in the semi-finals of the Champions League, and expect 12 goals to be scored by Premier League clubs in the quarter-finals of Europe’s elite tournament.
For the first time in a decade, England will have four teams represented in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, and the all-English tie between Tottenham and Manchester City is arguably the pick of the bunch.
With Liverpool facing Porto and Manchester United taking on Barcelona in the last eight, the spread betting experts predict only two of England’s Champions League clubs will qualify.
Man City, Man Utd, Spurs and Liverpool scored a combined 20 goals in the last-sixteen but, with semi-final places at stake, Sporting Index believe only 12 goals will be scored by English teams in this round.
Neville Burdock, Head of Trading at Sporting Index, said: “Four Premier League teams competing in the quarter-finals of the Champions League highlights the strength of English football right now, and an all-English tie means that at least one English team is guaranteed to be in the semi-finals.
“We predict that just one of Liverpool or Manchester United will join either Manchester City or Tottenham in the next round, but it won’t be easy with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side up against Barcelona and Jurgen Klopp’s men taking on Porto.
“Goals scored by the English sides in the tournament in this round is likely to be less than last round’s 20 – we think a total of 12 will be netted by the remaining Premier League sides.
MASTERS
The Masters: -11 needed to win Green Jacket
Thursday 11th April, 2019 – 11 under par is the score that will be required to take this year’s Masters at Augusta National, according to the traders from leading spread-betting firm Sporting Index.
The spread-betting experts have crunched the numbers ahead of the first Major of the year, and believe the Georgia course will play pretty tough with just 16 players finishing under par after Sunday’s final round – 11 fewer than last year.
Sporting Index also predict this year’s cut will come at four over par and that the best single round score over the four days will be a seven under par 65, a score that was equaled or bettered six times in the 2018 tournament.
Meanwhile, the infamous Amen Corner looks set to take no prisoners, with 56 balls expected to find the drink over the four days’ play, while the treacherous par-3 12thhole, famous for ruining Jordan Spieth’s Green Jacket bid in 2016, is predicted to swallow the largest proportion with 22.
Neville Burdock, Head of Trading at Sporting Index, said: “The first Major of the year is upon us and what a four days we have in store! Augusta is beautiful on the eye but we’re expecting it could play pretty challenging this year and 11 under par is what we predict the winner will need to score to take home the Green Jacket.
“Augusta perhaps played slightly easier in 2018 than it usually does, with 27 players finishing under par and we think fewer will be in the red numbers this time around at 21.“”
BOXING - KHAN V CRAWFORD
Crawford Khan claim eighth round KO
Thursday 18th April, 2019 – Amir Khan will come up short in his WBO title fight against champion Terence Crawford this weekend, according to, Sporting Index, with the spread betting firm predicting the fight to end after eight rounds.
Terence Crawford has held the WBO welterweight title since defeating Jeff Horn in June 2018, and the bout against Khan will be his second defence of the belt.
Crawford, dubbed ‘Hunter’ by boxing fans, has also been described as the world’s second best pound-for-pound fighter by The Ring, and Sporting Index traders think he will have too much for Bolton-born brawler Khan on Saturday.
The boxing experts have totted up the numbers and expect the fight to go 23 minutes before the American disposes of Khan – who is yet to lose a fight in the welterweight division.
Neville Burdock, head of trading at Sporting Index, said: ‘Amir Khan has never backed down from a challenge, but we think the test against Terence Crawford will be one step too far for the former WBA champion.”
“Crawford is undefeated in all of his 34 fights, and while King Khan hasn’t lost in this division either, he arguably hasn’t faced a boxer as accomplished as the American before.”
“We predict Crawford will let Khan dictate the pace of the fight, before upping his game and retaining his title in the eighth round.“”
EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS CUP
Nine penalties, 38 turnovers, and 20 tackles – Champions Cup semi-finals in numbers
Friday 19th April, 2019 – Leinster and Toulouse will share five tries between them in their European Champions Cup semi-final, according to spread betting firm Sporting Index, outscoring the four expected in Saracens v Munster.
With European semi-finals notoriously cagey affairs, Sporting Index’s traders expect to see more penalties converted than tries at the Ricoh Arena, whilst also predicting that the two ties will see a combined 38 turnovers.
No player will match Jonny Gray’s Herculean effort of 43 tackles against Leinster a week ago, with the traders expecting the top tackler this weekend to make 22.
Sporting Index also expect the total distance of the finalists’ home stadium to Newcastle, the location of the showpiece finale, to be 625 miles – indicating a Saracens v Leinster final to be the most likely scenario.
Neville Burdock, head of trading at Sporting Index, said: “The Champions Cup semi-finals are the pinnacle of club rugby union, and we expect close games in both fixtures.
“Saracens and Leinster have both been at this stage recently, and Toulouse and Munster are stacked with history and talent. It should be an exceptional set of fixtures, and with nine tries and 81 points expected, it’s set to be a thrilling weekend for the neutrals.“
ROYAL BABY WEIGHT
Royal baby to tip the scales to 7lbs 8oz.
Tuesday 23rd April, 2019 – With the Duchess of Sussex due to give birth any day now, spread betting firm Sporting Index has predicted the royal baby will weigh in at 7lbs 8oz.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are expecting their first child in a matter of days, and the traders at Sporting Index think the new-born will weigh in lighter than cousin Prince Louis, who tipped the scales to 8lbs 7oz in April last year.
Prince George arrived in 2013 at 8lbs 6oz, while his sister Princes Charlotte came in slightly lighter at 8lbs 3oz in May 2015.
Should Sporting Index’s predictions be accurate, the infant will be heavier than when father Prince Harry was born in 1983 – the Duke of Sussex came in at just 6lbs 14oz.
Neville Burdock, Head of Trading at Sporting Index, said: “The nation has gone into baby frenzy once again with the Duchess of Sussex set to give birth any day now, and we predict the new-born will arrive at 7lbs 8oz.
“That means we could be welcoming one of the lightest royal babies in some time, given Prince George, Princes Charlotte and Prince Louis all tipped the scales over 8lbs in recent years.“
MANCHESTER DERBY
Manchester set for dirty derby
Wednesday 24th April, 2019 – As Manchester prepares itself for an enthralling derby at Old Trafford tonight,Sporting Index has predicted that it will be a busy night for referee Andre Marriner.
With 10 points awarded per booking and 25 points for a red card, Sporting Index have priced total points at 50 for tonight’s match.
Pep Guardiola and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer have had a war of words over the latter’s comments on City’s tendency to ‘kick’ their opponents, which has added extra spice to tonight’s game.
The past five Manchester derbies have produced 23 yellows and one red card, with last season’s 3-2 win for Manchester United seeing six City and three United players booked.
Tonight’s referee Marriner has brandished a total of 76 yellow and three red cards this season in the 30 matches he has officiated, booking seven United players in three matches and three City players in six matches.
The last red card in this fixture came in April 2017 when Marouane Fellaini was given his marching orders for headbutting Sergio Aguero in a 0-0 draw at the Etihad.
Neville Burdock, head of trading at Sporting Index, said: “Tonight is a huge match for both teams, which could mean that emotions run high from kick-off, and based on recent Manchester derbies, we think there could be around four or five bookings at Old Trafford tonight.“
LONDON MARATHON
McAndrew set to beat stars to London Marathon finish line
Friday 26th April, 2019 – English glamour model Nell McAndrew will finish first of the celebrities running the London Marathon, according to spread betting firm,Sporting Index.
McAndrew, who is an accomplished athlete and has recorded a marathon personal best in two hours, 54 minutes and 39 seconds, is set to complete the 26-mile race in three hours and 14 minutes if the Sporting Index traders predictions are correct.
Retired tennis ace Amelie Mauresmo, the 2006 Wimbledon champion, will be behind McAndrew according to the number crunchers at Sporting Index, who expect her to finish in three hours and 27 minutes.
Comedian Ed Gamble, a regular star on Mock the Week, has been tipped to finish in three hours and 29 minutes, with former Rugby League star Jamie Peacock in three hours 38 minutes and TV presenter Kirsty Gallacher in three hours 50 minutes.
Virgin Radio UK host Chris Evans completed last year’s London Marathon in five hours and 12 minutes, but is expected to go one better this year by crossing the finish line in four hours and 55 minutes.
Neville Burdock, head of trading at Sporting Index, said: “There’s a strong list of celebrities running this year’s London Marathon, and we predict keen runner Nell McAndrew will come out on top of the star-studded pile.
“The glamour model is an experienced marathon runner, and we think she’ll finish in an impressive three hours and 14 minutes. Hot on her heels will be French tennis coach Amelie Mauresmo in three hours and 27 minutes, while Ed Gamble and Kirsty Gallacher are both likely to put in sub-four hour performances.
“Spare a thought for Eastenders actor Adam Woodyatt, who admitted to stopping for an ice cream during last year’s race. Our traders predict the soap star will take over six hours from start to finish – so I’m sure he’ll be out to prove us wrong!.“