March 2019
DIRTY DERBY
North London and Merseyside set to live up to ‘Dirty Derby’ hype
Friday 1st March, 2019 – With a weekend of fiery derbies upon us Sporting Index has predicted that north London and Merseyside should be prepared for plenty of yellows and potentially one red card in their respective outings.
With five yellow cards dished out the last time the sides met, this Merseyside derby is expected to live up to its heated reputation. And Saturday’s north London derby could rack up something similar, with 11 yellows and a red being brandished in the last two encounters.
With 10 points awarded per booking and 25 points for a red card, Sporting Index have priced total points at 48 for the Merseyside derby – meaning two yellow cards and one red card could be the outcome of Sunday’s enticing encounter, and the north London derby has been predicted slightly higher at 49 points.
Jan Vertonghen saw red at the Emirates in December, with six other players receiving cautions from referee Mike Dean. Should a red card be brandished in the north London derby, Sporting Index predicts it will come late in the game – 83rd minute.
Toffee Ramiro Funes Mori was the last player to be given his marching orders in the Merseyside derby, back in 2015/16, but the fixture certainly hasn’t been short of yellows in recent years. The Sporting Index traders think a red card could come slightly later in the Merseyside derby, and have pencilled in the 84th minute for an early bath.
Neville Burdock, head of trading at Sporting Index, said: “It’s quite the weekend of Premier League football and there aren’t many fixtures as highly-anticipated as the north London and Merseyside derbies. The fierce, long-standing rivalries and impassioned displays on the pitch will undoubtedly make for fascinating viewing.
“Our traders predict that Spurs’ run-in with the Gunners will claim the ‘Dirty Derby’ crown, as a fixture characteristically laced with drama. The Merseyside derby is anticipated to be almost as hot though, with Liverpool going into the weekend with just a one-point cushion at the top that Everton would no-doubt rejoice in doing damage to.“
BREXIT
363 MPs set to spurn Theresa May’s Brexit deal
Tuesday 12th March 2019 – Theresa May’s Brexit deal will be rejected by 363 MPs today, according to spread betting firm Sporting Index.
The under-fire Prime Minister faces a second vote in the House of Commons later today and the traders at Sporting Index believe May will inevitably face more disappointment, predicting ‘ayes’ to be at 275.
Following late night talks with European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker around changes to the deal – mainly the Irish backstop – the Prime Minister will claim she has delivered what Parliament have asked her to do, but the spread betting experts claim she is set to be vetoed for a second time.
Theresa May was left frustrated in January when her first deal was rejected by 432 MPs, with only 202 giving their approval. However today’s vote could still see a majority of MPs voice their disgruntlement which may see significant Brexit uncertainty in the coming weeks, as the March 29th deadline looms.
Ed Fulton, political trading spokesman for Sporting Index, said: ““Theresa May has been to hell and back with Brexit, and it looks almost certain that MPs will spurn her second deal, but she could have more on her side this time around.“
“That said, it will still mark a defeat in the Commons, and it could be back to the drawing board for the Conservative leader. With time ticking away until 29th March, the pressure continues to build before a deal is agreed – or the UK will need to face up to the reality of a no-deal Brexit.“
BREXIT
500 MPs set to swerve no–deal Brexit
Wednesday 13th March, 2019 – A total of 500 MPs are expected to shun a no-deal Brexit in Parliament this evening, according to spread betting firm Sporting Index.
391 MPs rejected Theresa May’s second deal in the House of Commons yesterday, and that will be followed with strong support to press ahead with a Brexit deal before the looming nodeal date of 29th March.
The Prime Minister herself has confirmed that the Conservative party will be allowed a free vote, while she will also vote to block a no-deal Brexit on the same day that Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn made further calls for politicians to abandon her ‘dead’ EU departure plan
Ed Fulton, political trading spokesman for Sporting Index, said: ““It’s been a whirlwind week so far for British politics, and we’re expecting overwhelming support from MPs to swerve the no-deal Brexit, a notion which will be backed by Theresa May herself.
“We predict ayes for tonight’s proposal to be as high as 500 – which should pave the way for a third vote sometime in the next few weeks before the deadline of 29th March.
SAWGRASS TPC
Water at Sawgrass’ 17th expected to claim 54 balls
Thursday 14th March, 2019 – The infamous 137–yard 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass will claim 54 balls during this year’s Players Championship, according to the traders from leading spread–betting firm Sporting Index.
After 54 balls fell victim to water on the 17th at last year’s tournament, the spread betting experts think the same amount could end up in the drink this time around too.
In the last decade, golfers have hit the water 416 times at the famous par 3, but given the tournament has reverted to being hosted in March after 12 consecutive events were played in May, weather conditions could prove to be slightly trickier and result in more balls finding the drink.
A total of 69 shots found the water in 2017 – the second most in the tournament’s history – with 93 being the highest amount in 2007 and 28 the lowest amount in 2014.
Ed Fulton, trading spokesman for Sporting Index, said: “There’s no hole in golf quite like the 17th at Sawgrass, and many golfers have fallen victim to the surrounding water there at previous Players Championship tournaments.
“The weather looks good in Florida, and if the wind holds off then that could help the pros. That said, given how tricky it is to negotiate the 17th, we predict the same amount of balls could hit the water as last year, when 54 sunk without trace.“”
CHELTENHAM
Female jockeys expected to muscle in on Festival winners in 2020
Wednesday 20th March, 2019 – After a landmark year for female jockeys at the 2019 Cheltenham Festival, Sporting Index expect female–ridden winners to become the norm at National Hunt racing’s number one fixture
We saw no less than four successes for female riders over the four days and the spread betting experts are pricing the ladies to follow up with another two winners next year.
The annual tussle between British and Irish trainers in the Prestbury Cup ended in a stalemate and Sporting Index expect next year’s battle to go all the way to the wire as well, with the Irish priced to land 14 of the races once again.
Sporting Index are less sure on whether the same champions will be back to retain their crowns, though, with the index on repeat championship winners showing just one may make a successful defence.
Neville Burdock, head of trading at Sporting Index, said: ‘With the likes of Rachael Blackmore and Bryony Frost riding as well as anyone in racing at the moment, we’re expecting them to return to Cheltenham with a good book of rides and bring the female jockeys tally up to at least two.”
ENGLAND
Punters have more reason to celebrate emphatic wins over Czech Republic and Montenegro for Three Lions
Tuesday 26th March, 2019 – England’s 5-0 and 5-1 wins over Czech Republic and Montenegro respectively have left Sporting Index shelling out £100,000.
Much to the delight of goal minutes buyers, Gareth Southgate’s men followed up Friday’s expensive rout against the Czech Republic at Wembley with another goal glut in Podgorica, which hit the spread betting firm hard.
Raheem Sterling goal minutes was a particularly sore loss after traders had priced the market at 21 in the match against the Czechs, but his hat-trick in front of England’s home fans meant the market ended up at 154, meaning buyers received 133 times their stake.
The same market for the City attacker was available at 23 for the Montenegro match, so his 81st minute strike drew further gasps from the trading floor and brought the total losses on Sterling alone to £20,000.
Neville Burdock, head of trading at Sporting Index, said: “It was a bittersweet feeling to see England make it two wins from two in the European qualifying campaign. The emphatic victories unfortunately hit us for £100,000, with Raheem Sterling goal minutes in isolation costing us more than £20,000.“
FULHAM
Fulham set to equal unwelcome clean sheet record
Friday 29th March, 2019 – Relegation-doomed Fulham are set to secure just one more clean sheet, according to spread betting firm Sporting Index which would see the west London side equal the record for least clean sheets secured in one Premier League season.
Ahead of their match against title chasers Manchester City this weekend, the Cottagers have only kept two clean sheets all season – the least of all teams in England’s top flight.
Should they only gain one more shutout, they will join Birmingham, Derby County, Norwich and Blackburn Rovers in the list of sides to record just three clean sheets in one season. Failing to keep any more clean sheets will see them create a new and unwelcome record.
Scott Parker’s side, who sacked Slavisa Jokanovic and Claudio Ranieri earlier this season, have conceded 70 goals this season, the most of any team in the league. This has led the traders at Sporting Index to predict they will ship another 14 goals before the season is out.
With Fulham resigned to facing the drop, the spread betting firm also expect the Whites to pick up just seven points between now and the end of the campaign.
Neville Burdock, Head of Trading at Sporting Index, said: “Despite spending around £100m on new additions following their return to the Premier League, Fulham have endured a horrid season and it looks like they’ll be heading straight back down to the Championship.
“Their main problems have come in defence, and only keeping two clean sheets in 31 matches so far this season speaks volumes. Should they fail to keep any more clean sheets, they’ll create a new record by becoming the first team in the Premier League to keep less than three shutouts in a season.
“We predict that they’ll keep just one clean sheet between now and the last day of the season to avoid that unwanted record, but it’s unlikely to come this Saturday when they face title chasers Manchester City.
BREXIT
320 MPs set to snub Brexit motion
Friday 29th March, 2019 – Theresa May’s motion on the EU withdrawal agreement will be batted away by 320 MPs in Parliament today, according to spread betting firm Sporting Index.
The Prime Minister’s two Brexit deals prior to this one were rejected, with 432 MPs voting no in January and 391 nays following that earlier this month.
Now, on the day that Britain was to officially break away from the EU, another of May’s withdrawal agreements will be knocked back, with a no deal Brexit looking more and more likely unless another amended deal is allowed.
With many MPs expected to abstain from voting, Sporting Index’s traders predict there will be 260 aye votes.
The Conservative leader had agreed to step down if MPs backed her proposal, but the rejection could mean the PM resides in No.10 Downing Street for a while longer.
Ed Fulton, political trading spokesman for Sporting Index, said: ““While there have been key amends made to Theresa May’s Brexit deal this time around, we don’t envisage there being enough movement for the next motion to pass in Parliament.
“Opposition from inside the Tory party, as well as Labour and most crucially the DUP, means that the PM is likely to be frustrated for a third time – and we predict 320 MPs will reject this round of the breakaway motion.