Gr88 news week 30 news

Jul 26,2014

Jul 26,2014

Whitecaps v Dallas – Major League Soccer

Toronto v Sporting KC – MLS

Jul 26,2014

Jul 25,2014

2014 Atlanta Open Semi Finals

2014 Hungarian Grand Prix – Race Winner

Jul 25,2014

Jul 25,2014

2014 Baku Cup Quarter Finals

2014 Gstaad Open Quarter Finals

Jul 24,2014

Jul 24,2014

Real Salt Lake v Montreal Impact – MLS

2014 Gstaad Open Second Round – July 24th

Jul 24,2014

Jul 23,2014

2014 Baku Cup Second Round – July 24th

San Jose v Chicago – Major League Soccer

Jul 23,2014

Jul 23,2014

San Lorenzo v Bolivar – Copa Libertadores

St Pats v Legia Warszawa – Champions League

Jul 23,2014

Jul 22,2014

2014 Nanchang Open Second Round – July 23rd

Celtic v KR Reykjavik – Champions League

Jul 22,2014

Jul 22,2014

Debrecen v Cliftonville – Champions League

2014 Gstaad Open Round One – July 22nd

2014 Baku Cup Second Round – July 24th 1

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Today’s action in Azerbaijan sees a continuation of the 2014 Baku Cup second round as the final quarter final spots are filled. Our tennis expert previews the two biggest games in Cirstea v Voegele and Soler-Espinosa v Svitolina.

Sorana Cirstea v Voegele: 1.55 – 2.38

Stefanie

The fifth ever meeting of the Romanian and Swiss players ranked 29th and 72nd in the world sees the victor in all four previous clashes the favourite to continue her exceptional form in this 2014 Baku Cup second round match and book a place in the quarter finals against Shahar Peer.

Can Sorana Cirstea live up to her prematch favourites billing and go 5-0 up against Voegele? This is the first hard court meeting between these two players since 2012 following 7-5, 6-3 and 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 wins for the Romanian in Limoges and Monterrey in 2011 and the following year. Their last clash came at Wimbledon in 2013 as the world 29 claimed a tightly fought 7-5, 7-6 win, and Voegele is certainly starting to push her all the way but will this 2014 Baku Cup second round match be the time that she claims her first victory against this familiar foe?

The Swiss player sitting 72nd in the WTA rankings has already seen off one Romanian in Azerbaijan as she defeated Alexandra Cadantu 6-1, 6-4 in round one, but the top seed here is likely to be more difficult of a challenge. Cirstea saw off Tunisian Ons Jabeur 6-3, 6-3 to reach this 2014 Baku Cup second round match today and with her record against Voegele in the past our man in the know can see her progressing to the last eight stage. He does see the Swiss player pushing her all the way, but he believes the top seed has enough to edge this match reasonably comfortably.

Our GR88est Cirstea v Voegele bet is back Cirstea -2.5 games @ 1.77 in the GR88 Sportsbook!

Silvia Soler-Espinosa v Elina Svitolina: 2.90 – 1.40 It’s Spain v Ukraine in this second of the two 2014 Baku Cup second round clashes that our tennis expert is previewing today as the world numbers 73 and 37 meet for the first time in their careers. It is Svitolina who is favoured to progress to a quarter final match with Pauline Parmentier as she is the second seed at the tournament and defeated Shahar Peer in last year’s final to lift the 2013 Baku Cup. Can she continue her defence with victory today?

The Ukrainian started her defence well with a comfortable 6-2, 6-4 win over Uzbekistani Nigina Abduraimova and following her winning run here last year she will be supremely confident for this 2014 Baku Cup second round match. Soler-Espinosa saw off Danka Kovinic of Montenegro 6-2, 6-4 in round one also and she will fancy her chances, but our man in the know believes that with her being the defending champion it will be Svitolina that progresses to the final eight stage today. He also sees the world number 37 winning the match in a reasonably quick timeframe too and is betting accordingly.

Our GR88est Soler-Espinosa v Svitolina bet is back -20.5 games @ 1.91 with GR88.com.

St Pats v Legia Warszawa – Champions League 1

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This evening sees the second leg of the St Pats v Legia Warszawa tie in the Champions League second qualifying round. The Irish side did well in Poland last week, but can they finish off the job at the Tallaght Stadium tonight?

The second leg of this St Pats v Legia Warszawa tie is finely poised as the sides move from last week’s location of the Pepsi Arena in the Polish capital to the capital of Ireland as we will find out who makes the third qualifying round of the Champions League at Dublin’s Tallaght Arena. The Irish side came within moments of a memorable victory last week as they took a 38th minute lead as Christy Fagan opened the scoring, but after a heroic performance by goalkeeper Brendan Clarke in the second half the home team in the first leg secured an injury time leveller to ensure they are still in this St Pats v Legia Warszawa tie. Which side will build on last week and eliminate the other side tonight?

GR88.com believe that it’ll be the Polish side that have travelled to Dublin for tonight’s second leg that will use their experience to see off St Pats tonight as they make Legia Warszawa the favourites to win this evening.

The GR88.com St Pats v Legia Warszawa betting odds are as follows.

St Pats v Legia Warszawa Betting Odds:

St. Patricks Athletic to win – 4.50 Draw – 3.45 Legia Warszawa to win – 1.75 St Pats will be massively boosted by their performance in Poland last week that saw them come so close to beating the vastly more experienced side in European competition and they will be looking to take the positives from that match for tonight’s game. They will be gutted by the concession of that late goal, but having had 100% accuracy at the Pepsi Arena as each of their seven attempts on goal hit the target they will fancy their chances at finding the net again tonight to put it up to the Polish champions. As well as this accuracy in front of goal St Pats will be boosted by the fact that they have won all of their last seven home matches in all competition before tonight’s St Pats v Legia Warszawa game and they have scored 25 goals in this time. Although they are playing away from their usual home stadium of Richmond Park as they travel a short distance across Dublin to the Tallaght Stadium, they will be confident of keeping up the performance level as the home side this evening after last week.

Legia Warszawa will be hurting that they did not claim the win in front of their home fans last week as they controlled much of the match as they had 64% possession and managed 17 attempts on goal. However, they were nowhere near as effective as their Irish opposition at challenging the goalkeeper as there were just three attempts on target. The side that are managed by former Manchester United and Blackburn Rovers defender Henning Berg will aim to use their vast experience in Europe and clear ability, having claimed the last two Polish league titles, to improve their shooting statistics tonight and book their place in the third qualifying round of the Champions League for the second season running.

Our Champions League expert feels that the GR88.com St Pats v Legia Warszawa betting odds are correct as the Polish champions have the better team of these two sides. However, with St Pats 20 matches into their domestic season already they are the more match fit and are sharper in the field of play. The shots on target stats from the first leg show this and our man in the know can certainly see the home side building from last week and getting amongst the goals at the Tallaght Stadium tonight. Legia Warszawa will be the same and will be desperate to progress so our football expert sees the value on this St Pats v Legia Warszawa game being on goals being scored tonight.

Our GR88est St Pats v Legia Warszawa bet is back both sides to score @ 1.91 in the GR88 Sportsbook!

2014 Gstaad Open Second Round – July 24th 1

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Day four in Switzerland sees action from the 2014 Gstaad Open second round matches and our tennis expert previews the biggest pair of games in Troicki v Golubev and Struff v Verdasco. Where is he betting on today’s meetings?

Viktor Troicki v Andrey Golubev: 1.57 – 2.32 After seeing off Dominic Thiem in the first round to book his place in this 2014 Gstaad Open second round Viktor Troicki continues his comeback from a year long ban for missing a mandatory drugs test with a first ever match against Andrey Golubev. The two players come into this match ranked 847th and 59th in the world, but with the Serbian Troicki having once sat 12th in the ATP rankings these rankings offer very little to go on. However, as this is just his second match back on the ATP Tour how will cope with playing at a competitive level again after so long off?

Golubev had a more difficult time of the two players to book his 2014 Gstaad Open second round berth as he needed three sets to overcome Spaniard Inigo Cervantes as he came from a set down to win 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 in a nail biting finish the clash. Both players are likely to be rested for this match today having had yesterday off and, as a result of this, our tennis expert feels that Troicki, who is the more naturally talented tennis player, is deserving of being the favourite for this first ever meeting of these two players. As such, our man in the know is backing Troicki to edge this 2014 Gstaad Open second round clash today.

Our GR88est Troicki v Golubev bet is back Troicki -2.5 games @ 1.87 with GR88.com.

Jan-Lennard Struff v Fernando Verdasco: 3.30 – 1.32 The second of the 2014 Gstaad Open second round matches that our man in the know is casting his expert eye over sees the second ever meeting of Jan-Lennard Struff and Fernando Verdasco – the players sitting 78th and 38th in the ATP rankings. Their only previous meeting came a year ago on the clay of Bastad in 2013 and it was the Spaniard in Verdasco who eased to victory in the last 16 stage with a 6-1, 7-5 scoreline. He will fancy his chances of beating the German again after a first round bye as the fourth seed, but will Struff’s first round experience at this tournament see him progress?

Struff progressed to this 2014 Gstaad Open second round match following the retirement of Austrian Andreas Haider-Maurer with Struff holding a 6-2, 1-0 advantage and he will be confident that his curtailed first round game will see him bring the fight to the fourth seed here in Switzerland. He will also be boosted by the fact that this win was his first win on clay in three attempts since Wimbledon, but with Verdasco reaching the semi finals at Bastad this year and the second round in Hamburg our tennis expert is confident of a comfortable win for the Spaniard today.

Our GR88est Struff v Verdasco bet is back Verdasco to win in straight sets @ 1.84 in the GR88 Sportsbook!

2014 Atlanta Open Semi Finals Sports Sports,, Tennis Tennis

Posted by Antony on Saturday, July 26 1

We’re down to the final four players at the BB&T Open in Georgia today as the 2014 Atlanta Open semi finals as the John Isner v Jack Sock and Dudi Sela v Benjamin Becker matches play on the hard courts. Who’ll make the final?

John Isner v Jack Sock: 1.51 – 2.50 The first of the two 2014 Atlanta Open semi finals matches playing this evening sees the fifth ever meeting of the two home favourites in the world numbers 12 and 72 who are North Carolina and Nebraska natives. The two Americans go head to head for the third time in 2014 following Isner’s 6-4, 6-3 victory on the clay in Nice, France prior to the French Open before Sock upset the odds on the grass of The Hall of Fame Championship at Newport earlier this month for his first win against Isner with a 6-4, 7-6 win.

The scoreline between the two players stands at 3-1 in total, but can Isner make it 4-1 or will Sock claim back to back wins to make it 3-2 in this 2014 Atlanta Open semi finals clash?

As the top seed here in Atlanta, Isner has needed to play just two matches to make it to the 2014 Atlanta Open semi finals having received a first round bye. He struggled to defeat Robby Ginepri in round two as the match ended 4-6, 7-6, 7-5, but the world number 12 found his rhythm in the quarter finals as he saw off Marinko Matosevic 7-6, 6-4 to progress in another close game. Sock has played an extra game than the top seed to reach these 2014 Atlanta Open semi finals yet he, unlike Isner, has not dropped a set on his run to the final four. He defeated Alejandro Gonzalez, Michael Venus and Lukas Lacko and after his win in Newport he will fancy his chances at victory today.

Our man in the know believes that these 2014 Atlanta Open semi finals betting odds are correct in that Isner will progress to the final to defend the 2013 title, but he feels that Sock will push him all the way and he is backing this match to go the distance.

Our GR88est Isner v Sock bet is back three sets in the match @ 2.24 with GR88.com.

Dudi Sela v Benjamin Becker: 2.00 – 1.76 Dudi Sela, the world number 94, and Benjamin Becker, who sits 66th in the ATP rankings, clash for the third time in this 2014 Atlanta Open semi finals clash as they both look to take another step towards taking their first title of the year. Becker did reach the final of the tournament in s-Hertogenbosch last month and he has won both of their previous meetings on the ATP Tour – as well as two matches on the Challenger Tour – so will he be able to continue his impressive form against the Israeli today?

Becker has been the more impressive of these two players in the tournament so far with three straight sets wins over Matthew Ebdon, seventh seed Yen-Hsun Lu and Thiemo de Bakker, who defeated the second seed Kevin Anderson. Sela has found it tougher going to reach this 2014 Atlanta Open semi finals with him dropping a set to Vasek Pospisil, the fourth seed, after straight sets victories over Donald Young and ninth seed Sam Querrey. Our tennis expert feels that this match will not be as close as the odds suggest and he is backing cannot see anything but a comfortable victory for the German in this 2014 Atlanta Open semi finals clash.

Our GR88est Sela v Becker bet is back Becker to win @ 1.76 in the GR88 Sportsbook!

San Jose v Chicago – Major League Soccer 0

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There is just a single match being played in the MLS tonight with the San Jose v Chicago clash at the Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara. The hosts are in poor form at the moment, but can they turn that around tonight on home soil?

Tonight’s San Jose v Chicago match at the Buck Shaw Stadium sees a clash of the sides sitting bottom of the Western Conference and eighth of ten teams in the Eastern Conference respectively. Despite this poor conference positions things are salvageable for both teams as the San Jose Earthquakes are just six points behind Chivas USA with two games in hand so victory in both these games would leave them just four points off the playoffs, while the Chicago Fire are just three points away from the top five spot and a place in the end of season championships. Both teams will be desperate to win this San Jose v Chicago match tonight, but who’ll take the points?

GR88.com see this match ending as a home win for the Earthquakes as they look to go three home matches against the Fire unbeaten. The GR88.com San Jose v Chicago betting odds are as follows.

San Jose v Chicago Betting Odds:

San Jose Earthquakes to win – 2.08 Draw – 2.98 Chicago Fire to win – 3.05 The Earthquakes do not come into this match in good form having suffered four losses and one draw in their last five MLS matches to leave them propping up the Western Conference. This set of results has seen them fail to win since June 1st and they have just two goals to their name in this time, although both of these have come in their last two matches as they were beaten by DC United and draw with New York Red Bulls. They may not be scoring goals, but they have the ability to change this run around as they have conceded just six times in these five games and have conceded just 19 in 17 matches, which is the third lowest in the entire MLS. However, their average of one goal per game is causing them problems and they need to return to the form that saw them score five in two matches at home in May. They have since scored just one goal in three home defeats, but with this San Jose v Chicago match be a turning point for the Earthquakes?

The Fire bring a four match unbeaten run in the league into tonight’s San Jose v Chicago clash since suffering a 3-2 home loss to the Seattle Sounders at the start of June and they will be buoyed by these results. They may have drawn three of these four matches in which they are unbeaten, but they are collecting points and have games in hand on the other side’s battling for a place in the playoffs in the Eastern Conference. Victory this evening will see them into the top five and with them having lost just once in their last eight away league games our football expert feels they are deserving of being closer to their hosts in the GR88.com San Jose v Chicago betting odds.

Head to head at the Buck Shaw Stadium these two sides are inseparable as the six San Jose v Chicago meetings at this Santa Clara based arena has seen two home wins, two away wins and two draws since 2005.

The last time these sides played a San Jose v Chicago match was 2012 and we saw a 1-1 draw and with both sides scoring and conceding, albeit in very small amounts, our man in the know would not be surprised to see a repeat of this result. However, he could also see one of the teams snatching a winner and, as such, he is covering all the bases on the goals market as his top San Jose v Chicago pick.

Our GR88est San Jose v Chicago bet is back 2/3 goals in the match @ 1.95 with GR88.com.

San Lorenzo v Bolivar – Copa Libertadores 1

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While European football is still emerging from its summer slumber we’re at the closing stages in South America. Who’ll take the advantage in the first leg of the San Lorenzo v Bolivar Copa Libertadores semi finals tie tonight?

Last night saw Paraguayan club Nacional Asuncíon take a step towards the Copa Libertadores final with a 2-0 victory over Uruguayan side Defensor Sporting, and now tonight we have a clash of Argentina v Bolivia in this San Lorenzo v Bolivar meeting in Buenos Aires.

Both of these teams have not played a competitive match since the end of May, but with the possibility of reaching the final of the South American equivalent of the Champions League available for both sides, you can be sure that the teams involved in this San Lorenzo v Bolivar match tonight will be desperate to bring an advantage to La Paz next week.

GR88.com believe that it will be the Argentine side that secures victory this evening and travels to the Bolivian capital with something to hold onto as they look to secure their first ever Copa Libertadores final berth. The GR88.com San Lorenzo v Bolivar betting odds are as follows.

San Lorenzo v Bolivar Betting Odds:

San Lorenzo to win – 1.42 Draw – 3.60 Bolivar to win – 7.80 San Lorenzo qualified for the Copa Libertadores having claimed victory in the league tournament in the first half of 2013 in Argentina and they have looked impressive in this South America wide competition since. They were involved in a tough group with Unión Española, Independiente del Valle and Botafogo that saw them reach the knockout stages with better goal difference of a single goal ahead of Independiente. The last 16 stage saw them defeat Brazilian side Grêmio on penalties before seeing off another Brazilian team in Cruzeiro 2-1 on aggregate in the quarter finals to book their place in this San Lorenzo v Bolivar semi final clash. They have not scored well with just nine goals scored in ten matches, but they will be hoping to use their excellent defensive base, which has seen them concede just seven in ten, to secure an advantage for the second leg of this tie next week.

As the 2013 Bolivian Clausura champions Bolivar secured their place in this 2014 Copa Libertadores by defeating Oriente Petrolero in a penalty shootout in December 2012 and despite it being more than 18 months later they are still in with an excellent chance of booking their place in the final at the start of August. They topped their group as they won three and drew two of six matches against León, Flamengo and Emelec before being drawn with León in the last 16 stage. The Bolivians edged their way past the Mexicans on away goals to make the quarter finals, where they secured a 2-1 win over Argentine side Lanús and now they will be confident of seeing off another team from Argentina to make the final in this San Lorenzo v Bolivar game, but can they start with victory in the first leg?

The two sides have never faced each other before but with Bolivar having the better goalscoring record, at 13 in ten games, while the home team in tonight’s San Lorenzo v Bolivar match having the better defensive record our South American football expert believes that we could see a very close match tonight. San Lorenzo have won four of five home Copa Libertadores matches this season and their only draw was the only time that they failed to keep a clean sheet. Bolivar have won just one of their five away games, although they did draw three of the other four, and with the host’s excellent defensive record our man in the know feels that the Bolivians will struggle tonight. However, he does not see them being defeated by many goals so they will have plenty to play for next week in the second leg of this San Lorenzo v Bolivar tie.

Our GR88est San Lorenzo v Bolivar bet is back San Lorenzo to win by at least two goals (San Lorenzo -1) @ 1.73 in the GR88 Sportsbook!

2014 Baku Cup Quarter Finals Sports Sports,, Tennis Tennis

on Friday, July 25 1

Today’s WTA tennis action in Azerbaijan sees the four matches from the 2014 Baku Cup quarter finals being played. Our tennis expert previews the biggest two games in Mladenovic v Schiavone and Voegele v Peer.

Where’s he betting?

Kristina Mladenovic v Francesca Schiavone: 1.87 – 1.88 The world numbers 81 and 75 meet for the second time in their careers in this 2014 Baku Cup quarter finals match today as they both look to secure a place in the semi finals of the tournament tomorrow against the winner of the Pauline Parmentier v Elina Svitolina match. Their only previous meeting on the WTA Tour came last week when 21 year old Mladenovic saw off the challenge of the 2010 French Open champion 13 years her senior in Istanbul also at the quarter final stage. That match ended 3-6, 6-3 7-5 to the young French player, now can she repeat that performance and progress from this 2014 Baku Cup quarter finals match?

She has not had the easiest run to the final eight stage having gone to a decider in both clashes played so far as Heather Watson and Donna Vekic were beaten 6-2, 3-6, 6-0 and 2-6, 6-3, 6-0 in the first and second rounds. Schiavone has seen things be a lot more comfortable for her as she defeated fourth seed Kurumi Nara 6-2, 6-2 before eliminating Julia Glushko 6-2, 7-6 to move into this 2014 Baku Cup quarter finals clash with Mladenovic where she will be looking for some quick revenge after last week in Turkey. She may get it too as our tennis expert feels that this match will be as close as the GR88.com match odds suggest and with it promising to be a close match out man in the know is backing this game to go the distance.

Our GR88est Mladenovic v Schiavone bet is back +21.5 games @ 1.79 in the GR88 Sportsbook!

Stefanie Voegele v Shahar Peer: 1.49 – 2.56 The player that eliminated the top seed in the last round and the beaten finalist from last year here in Azerbaijan meet for the first time in their careers in this Stefanie Voegele v Shahar Peer match in the 2014 Baku Cup quarter finals today. Both players will feel that they can secure victory today as they face each other for the first time following some impressive performances here at the Baku Cup, but who will be celebrating with a place in the final four stage?

Voegele upset the odds yesterday to book her place in the 2014 Baku Cup quarter finals with an astonishing 6-1, 6-1 defeat of the top seed Sorana Cirstea following a 6-1, 6-4 victory over another Romanian Alexandra Cadantu in the first round. She has had things easier than Peer who dropped a set in a 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 win over Vesna Dolonc in the second round. Prior to that the Israeli had defeated sixth seed Yvonne Meusburger 6-2, 6-4 to see the Austrian defeated the first round.

Peer has the experience of reaching the final here in Azerbaijan following a match against Elina Svitolina last year and this will surely help her today, but our tennis expert feels that the world number 90 will struggle against the Swiss player sitting 72nd in the WTA rankings as she is showing some exceptional form so far this week to reach these 2014 Baku Cup quarter finals. As a result of this, he is backing Voegele to just edge this match and book her place in tomorrow’s semi finals.

Our GR88est Voegele v Peer bet is back Voegele to win in straight sets @ 2.14 with GR88.com.

Toronto v Sporting KC – MLS Like

There are three matches playing in the MLS this evening and the first of this trio happens at BMO Field with Toronto v Sporting KC. The teams sit third and first in the Eastern Conference, but who’ll win this top of table clash?

Although the two sides involved in this Toronto v Sporting KC clash at BMO Stadium tonight are separated by two places and nine points this match could be vital in deciding who will top the Eastern Conference. Toronto have played three fewer matches than Sporting KC before this evening’s game and should they manage to take all three points they will be just six points behind the league leaders with a possible nine points available in their games in hand. Can they win this match and end a three game winless streak against Sporting KC? GR88.com do not believe so as they favourite an away win at the BMO Stadium this evening in what promises to a tight and closely contested match in Canada. The GR88.com Toronto v Sporting KC betting odds are as follows.

Toronto v Sporting KC Betting Odds:

Toronto to win – 2.68 Draw – 3.00 Sporting KC to win – 2.30 The home team in this evening’s Toronto v Sporting KC match bring a fine recent record of form into the game as they have suffered just a single defeat in their last ten games, and bring a three match unbeaten run into tonight’s game. They have collected 17 points from these ten matches having won four, drawn five and lost only to DC United having been beaten 2-1 on home soil at the start of July. However, they do have a 4-2 home win over Houston as well as a 1-1 draw at home with the Vancouver Whitecaps and a 2-2 away draw in Houston to their name in this time too. Their home record has seen win four and draw one of their last six home games as they scored 12 goals and conceded seven. Can they keep up their goalscoring record in this evening’s Toronto v Sporting KC game and take all three points to close on the top of the table?

Although Toronto are in great form before tonight’s top of the table clash in the Eastern Conference, their guests at the BMO Stadium are even better right now as they have won five of their last six MLS matches and have 16 points from these six games as they moved past DC United to the top of the conference. While they have not lost a match since the start of June only one of their six games on this unbeaten run has seen them win by more than one goal and all of the last five have either been a draw or a single goal win. Their away form has seen four straight wins after back to back defeats at the end of May and start of June and they have scored seven goals and conceded just two in this run. Will tonight’s Toronto v Sporting KC match see the Kansas City side continue this exemplary form?

In general matches between these two teams tend to be closer fought contests and five of the last six meetings, including all of the last three, have seen the teams be separated by no more than a single goal. At the BMO Stadium in Toronto v Sporting KC clashes it has been six years and seven matches since a side won by more than one goal and with the teams serving up a 2-2 draw earlier this season our man in the know feels that this game will once again be tight. However, he does see both sides getting on the scoresheet and he feels that the value on this Toronto v Sporting KC match comes on the goals market, so he is betting accordingly.

Our GR88est Toronto v Sporting KC bet is back +2.5 goals @ 1.96 in the GR88 Sportsbook!

2014 Gstaad Open Round One – July 22nd 1

The second day of action in Switzerland sees a continuation of the 2014 Gstaad Open round one schedule and our tennis expert previews the biggest matches, with Robin Haase and Gilles Simon on court. Will they both progress?

Aleksandr Nedovyesov Haase: 2.80 – 1.43

v

Robin

The first of the 2014 Gstaad Open round one matches that our tennis expert is casting his trained eye over is the second ever meeting of the players ranked 99th and 51st in the world. Their only previous meeting came earlier this year and it was the more lowly ranked Nedovyesov from Kazakhstan that claimed the victory on the clay courts in Casablanca with a 7-6, 6-4, now can he repeat that feat on the Swiss clay of this 2014 Gstaad Open round one clash today?

Nedovyesov warmed up for this tournament following a first round elimination at Wimbledon in the Netherlands with a lower tier event and he reached the quarter finals of that tournament before falling to David Goffin. This is his best performance on this surface this year having only progressed past the first round on clay three further times in this year, with two of those being the win over Haase and a triumph in round one of the French Open. He did not pass the second round, but can he manage to at least equal that today in this 2014 Gstaad Open round one match?

Haase has been hit and miss on clay this year as he has at times put in some great runs, with the quarter finals in Buenos Aires and the semi finals in Bucharest the highlights, while he has exited a number of other tournaments at the first round. He has progressed to round two on numerous occasions also and appears to be more consistent than his Kazakhstani opponent today and is deserving of being the favourite to progress.

However, our tennis expert does not see this being an easy win for the Dutch world number 51 and he can see this match stretching on.

Our GR88est Nedovyesov v Haase bet is back +21.5 games in this 2014 Gstaad Open round one match @ 1.72 with GR88.com.

Gilles Simon v Pablo Andujar: 1.55 – 2.38 This 2014 Gstaad Open round one match sees a clash of France v Spain as the world numbers 36 and 71 meet for the third time on the ATP Tour. Their record stands at one win each from the previous two meetings as Simon claimed a straight sets win on the hard court of the 2009 Australian Open before Andujar hit back on the clay of Nice last year with a 6-4, 7-5 win. Will the Spaniard who trails Simon by 35 ranking places be able to upset the odds once again and progress to the second round?

Simon brings a fine record into this 2014 Gstaad Open round one match having avoided a first round defeat at any competition since the Monte Carlo Masters in April. He has since reached at least the second round of all the clay court tournaments he has entered and reached the last eight in Bucharest and the semi finals at Nice.

He reached round three at Hamburg last week and will fancy his chances today.

Andujar was also at Hamburg last week looking to atone for a first round loss in Bastad in Sweden and he did so by moving all the way to the quarter final stages, where he was beaten by world number seven David Ferrer. However, he showed that he has plenty of clay court form and he’ll want to build on that this week. He is the outsider to win and our tennis expert feels that this is another 2014 Gstaad Open round one match that will be close and could go all the way as Andujar pushes the world number 36 to his limits.

Our GR88est Simon v Andujar bet is back +22 games @ 2.00 in the GR88 Sportsbook!

2014 Gstaad Open Quarter Finals

We’re down to the final eight players in Switzerland and today’s tennis action comes from the 2014 Gstaad Open quarter finals. Our tennis expert previews the Monaco v Bellucci and Youzhny v Haase matches on court today.

Juan Monaco v Thomaz Bellucci: 1.66 – 2.14 The first of the two 2014 Gstaad Open quarter finals that our tennis expert is previewing today sees the fourth ever clash of the players ranked 105th and 93rd in the world as they battle each other for a place in the semi finals here in Switzerland. Of the two players it is Bellucci that leads their personal scorecard having won two of the previous three matches, including winning their only clash since 2010 as he won on home soil in Rio de Janeiro earlier this year.

The Brazilian recorded a fine 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory in his homeland, now can he repeat that feat in this 2014 Gstaad Open quarter finals clash today?

Bellucci has been in fine form so far to reach the 2014 Gstaad Open quarter finals as he defeated qualifier Gerald Melzer 6-3, 6-4 and fifth seed Federico Delbonis 6-4, 6-4 to book his place in the last eight stage of this competition. Monaco has found it tougher going with a 6-4, 7-5 win over Romanian Victor Hanescu before upsetting the odds to see off third seed Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 while dropping his first set of the tournament. Our man in the know believes that the odds with GR88.com for this 2014 Gstaad Open quarter finals match are correct in that this clash will be a close one, but he feels that Bellucci is the more likely to take the victory today.

Our GR88est Monaco v Bellucci bet is back Bellucci +2 games @ 1.85 with GR88.com.

Mikhail Youzhny v Robin Haase: 1.38 – 2.98 The first and seventh seeds in this week’s Swiss tennis tournament clash for the seventh time in their careers in this 2014 Gstaad Open quarter finals match today with both Youzhny and Haase looking to book their places in the semi finals tomorrow. Of the two players it will be Youzhny who is the more confident as he has won five of the previous six meetings between the two, including winning the final of this tournament last year. However, Haase did claim his maiden victory against the Russian earlier this year in Bucharest and he will be hopeful of back to back victories in this match. Can he defeat the top seed today?

Haase has not had it easy reaching this 2014 Gstaad Open quarter finals clash as he has dropped sets against both Aleksandr Nedovyesov and Henri Laaksonen in the first and second rounds. He will need to prevent dropping a set in this match as Youzhny, who has won his only match of the tournament against Kenny De Schepper 6-3, 6-4 following a first round bye, will seize upon any mistakes. Our tennis expert feels that Youzhny is the man to beat in this 2014 Gstaad Open quarter finals match and he is backing the Russian to see off the Dutchman in a comfortable fashion.

Our GR88est Youzhny v Haase bet is back Youzhny -3.5 games @ 1.81 in the GR88 Sportsbook!

Whitecaps v Dallas – Major League Soccer Share

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The final match from the trio of MLS games playing this evening sees the clash of the Vancouver Whitecaps v Dallas at BC Place Stadium. The Whitecaps can move into the playoffs with victory, but can they win this match tonight?

This Western Conference clash pits the sides sitting sixth and fourth together at the BC Place Stadium tonight as they both to take all three points to bolster their chances of making the end of season playoffs. Vancouver sit sixth before kickoff knowing that a win will see them leap LA Galaxy and Dallas to move fourth and level with Colorado, while an away win in this Whitecaps v Dallas game could see them ahead of Real Salt Lake and second in the table.

It’s all to play for in the Western Conference, so who’ll maximise their chances with victory tonight?

GR88.com believe that this Whitecaps v Dallas match is heading for a home win as they make Vancouver the odds on favourites for victory, but can they live up to this pre-match billing? The GR88.com Whitecaps v Dallas betting odds are as follows.

Vancouver Whitecaps v Dallas Betting Odds:

Vancouver Whitecaps to win – 1.92 Draw – 3.15 FC Dallas to win – 3.40 Vancouver do not bring the best of form into this Whitecaps v Dallas match having managed to win just one of their last seven MLS games. They may have lost just two of these seven games – and these two losses are their only defeats since April, a run of 13 matches – but their biggest problem has been that they have drawn too many games lately. They have four draws in these seven matches, including 1-1′s with Toronto and Real Salt Lake in their last two clashes, but will they be able to find a winner tonight? Their home form does not provide any concrete answers as they have won two, lost two and drawn three of their last seven in front of their own fans as they scored ten and conceded 11. The hosts of this Whitecaps v Dallas game will feel it is a must win, but can they close out the match tonight?

Dallas are riding the crest of a wave at the moment as they have emerged from an eight game winless streak that saw them lose six and draw two matches between the end of April and start of June to win three and draw two of their last five. The 11 points collected during this time have seen them into the top four in the league and within striking distance of second place. They have scored 11 goals in these five games as only Columbus Crew shut them out in a 0-0 draw while conceding just five goals so they will hope that this fine form continues North of the border this evening. However, their away form in the league does not make for comforting reading for Dallas fans as they have lost four and drawn three of their last seven away games as a 4-1 win at Houston at the start of April is their only road victory all season. Can they use their fine form in recent times to make this Whitecaps v Dallas just their second away win of the year?

The recent head to head record between these two sides would suggest that the away side have a great chance at winning this Whitecaps v Dallas match as they have won four and drawn one of their last five meetings, including beating Vancouver 3-1 in their last clash on home soil at the end of last season. The games at BC Place Stadium over the years have two Dallas wins, one Whitecaps victory and the last match saw a 2-2 draw with the Whitecaps needing two late goals to secure a point. Our man in the know feels that this will be a close game as, despite their fine recent form, Dallas are not so good on the road, but he does see goals between the sides and is backing there to be multiple goals scored by both teams in this Whitecaps v Dallas game.

Our GR88est Vancouver Whitecaps v Dallas bet is back four or more goals on the Three Goals No Bet market @ 2.22 with GR88.com.

Celtic v KR Reykjavik – Champions League 1

Celtic welcome the Icelandic champions to Murrayfield for the second leg of their second qualifying round of the Champions League tie. The hosts lead the Celtic v KR Reykjavik tie 1-0, but can they progress with a win tonight?

Although the Scottish champions were dominant in the first leg of their Celtic v KR Reykjavik tie in Iceland last week as they struck the bar twice, once in each half of the game, had 75% of possession and had 25 more shots than their hosts they managed only to secure victory in the match in the last six minutes of the match as 21 year old midfielder Callum McGregor netted his first goal for the club. Celtic bring an advantage to Murrayfield this evening – with them at the home of Scottish rugby due to Celtic Park being used for the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games – and they will be confident of a repeat of last week’s performance to see them cruise through to the third qualifying round of the Champions League. Can they perform better in front of goal though?

GR88.com believe so as they make the hosts in this Celtic v KR Reykjavik match tonight the big favourites to secure victory and eliminate the Icelandic champions. The GR88.com Celtic v KR Reykjavik betting odds are as follows.

Celtic v KR Reykjavik Betting Odds:

Celtic to win – 1.12 Draw – 7.60 KR Reykjavik to win – 20.00 While tonight’s Celtic v KR Reykjavik match may be only the second competitive match of the season for the Scottish champions they certainly showed their abilities all around the park last week in Iceland as they dominated all of the attacking statistics. They had three times as much of the ball as KR as well as taking 28 strikes at goal and claiming 11 corners. They were only let down by their finishing, but with one competitive game under their belts and a friendly match against Dynamo Dresden to their name in the last week they will sure that they can bag more goals this evening to see them progress comfortably.

KR are 12 games into their domestic season coming into this match and they sit third in the table, yet despite having played many more competitive games in recent times they showed none of the form that saw them top of the Icelandic Úrvalsdeild last season in the first leg of this Celtic v KR Reykjavik tie. They managed just three shots in the 90 minutes on home soil and just a single shot landed on target. They have managed just three wins in their last six games in domestic competition, so now will they fare at Murrayfield this evening against a far superior side?

As the GR88.com Celtic v KR Reykjavik betting odds suggest this match is for Celtic to lose and if they can perform as well as last week and bring some scoring ability today then there is a great chance of a landslide win for the home team tonight. Our football expert cannot see anything but an easy win for Celtic and his money is on a big win for the Scottish champions this evening.

Our GR88est Celtic v KR Reykjavik bet is back Celtic to win by at least three goals (Celtic -2.25) @ 1.94 in the GR88 Sportsbook!

Debrecen v Cliftonville – Champions League

Tonight sees the start of the second leg matches from the second qualifying round for the 2014/15 Champions League and our football expert previews the finely poised Debrecen v Cliftonville match at the Nagyerdei Stadion.

The second leg of this Debrecen v Cliftonville clash in the second qualifying round of the Champions League is finely poised following a heroic performance from the Northern Irish side on home soil at the Solitude Stadium last week to deny victory for the Hungarian champions. The visitors were expected to cruise to victory in Northern Ireland last Tuesday night but a supreme defensive display saw the hosts emerge with something to play for in this second leg tonight. Can Cliftonville snatch a goal to see Debrecen needing two to win this evening?

GR88.com do not believe so as they make the home side in this Debrecen v Cliftonville match tonight the overwhelming favourites to secure victory in the first Champions League match to be played at the newly refurbished Nagyerdei Stadion. The GR88.com Debrecen v Cliftonville betting odds are as follows.

Debrecen v Cliftonville Betting Odds:

Debrecen to win – 1.25 Draw – 5.50 Cliftonville to win – 11.50 Despite being the massive favourites to progress to the third qualifying round of the Champions League by winning the second leg of this Debrecen v Cliftonville tie tonight, the home team in Hungary this evening have not had the easiest starts to the season so far. The first leg of this tie last week was their second match of the season and they have now failed to find the net in both of these. The first match was the Hungarian Super Cup against Újpest and after a scoreless 120 minutes Debrecen were beaten on penalties. Should tonight fail to see any goals after the 90 minutes of normal time and then extra time we will see penalties and you can be sure that Debrecen will be looking to avoid this at all costs.

The Debrecen manager Elemer Kondas has already stated that Debrecen will be fast out of the blocks tonight to find some early goals to kill off the spirited Northern Irish side following an impressive 90 minutes last week. Cliftonville will be aware of this and will have worked on continuing their defensive form from last week in Hungary this evening. Their aim will be to keep tight, sit deep and then hit the home team on the break in an attempt to secure a precious away goal. Their last away game in Europe saw them beaten 2-0 at Celtic following a 3-0 home loss, but there is much more to play for in this Debrecen v Cliftonville tie this evening so will we see a shock result?

After their fine showing at home last week the Northern Irish side will be sure to play to these strengths again tonight in the second leg of this Debrecen v Cliftonville tie. As such, our football expert feels that Debrecen do not offer much value in this match, especially to win by at least two goals @ 1.81, and he feels the value is to be found on a lack of goals as the away team shut up shop.

Our GR88est Debrecen v Cliftonville bet is back -2.5 goals @ 2.10 with GR88.com.

2014 Hungarian Grand Prix – Race Winner 1

This weekend sees the second successive race of the Formula One season as the Hungaroring hosts the 2014 Hungarian Grand Prix. The Mercedes are expected to dominate proceedings again, but will it be Hamilton or Rosberg to win?

Last weekend saw Nico Rosberg bounce back from the disappointment of his first retirement of the season at Silverstone and the British Grand Prix with a victory on home soil as he put in a dominant display at the 2014 German Grand Prix at the Hockenheimring. The result was never really in doubt following a brake disk explosion for Lewis Hamilton in qualifying seeing him crash out and damage his gearbox to the extent he needed to change it, meaning he started 20th on the grid. A fine performance followed from the 2008 world champion as he finished third, but it was Rosberg who drove away at the front early on and was never seen again as he took the chequered flag and extended his world championship lead to 14 points over his team-mate. Will he be able to do the same at the 2014 Hungarian Grand Prix this weekend?

GR88.com do not believe so as they favour Hamilton to be the driver doing the bouncing back this weekend and they foresee the Briton being the first across the finishing line at the 2014 Hungarian Grand Prix and taking the 25 points for victory. The GR88.com 2014 Hungarian Grand Prix betting odds are as follows.

2014 Hungarian Grand Prix Betting Odds:

Historically this race has been one of the strongest circuits on the F1 calendar for Lewis Hamilton as he has taken the chequered flag on four occasions since 2007. He has won both of the last two races around the Hungaroring and he will once again fancy his chances at victory for this year’s 2014 Hungarian Grand Prix too.

The Mercedes car is sure to suit the Hungaroring as they have the best aerodynamic package of all the cars on the grid and while there are very few straights on this tight and twisty circuit the power and torque of their engine will see them fastest down the start/finish straight and have the ability to pick up the pace quickest out of the slow corners.

Our F1 expert cannot see anyone but a Mercedes winning this 2014 Hungarian Grand Prix, but will it be Hamilton or Rosberg that takes the chequered flag? This track is certainly one of Hamilton’s best tracks following four victories in seven appearances here and while Rosberg is usually the one who performs better on the slower, tighter and more corner filled circuits, such as Monaco where he won earlier this year, our F1 expert believes that Hamilton is the deserving favourite for victory in the 2014 Hungarian Grand Prix this weekend.

However, should there be an issue with one or both of the Mercedes cars or drivers on Sunday afternoon who will be in the prime position to take the race win? After a horrible start to the season the Red Bull cars, driven

by Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo, have edged their way to the front of the grid in recent times. They are down on straight line speed but are still excellent in the corners making them almost perfect for this 2014 Hungarian Grand Prix. Either of these drivers could take advantage of any issues for Rosberg and Hamilton, although our F1 expert believes that it would most likely be Ricciardo who is best placed having had the better luck of the two drivers this season in the Red Bull garage.

If not Red Bull then the mightily impressive Williams team could be there to pick up the pieces too and our man in the know could see Valtteri Bottas collecting his first win after a third and two second places in his last three races should the Mercedes run into issues. Felipe Massa could also capitalise, but he, like Vettel, has been on the end of some rotten luck in 2014 so our F1 expert would pick the young Finn of the two Williams drivers.

If there were to be an issue for the Silver Arrows at the 2014 Hungarian Grand Prix it would be close between Ricciardo and Bottas for the win and could go either way – with the Australian favoured by our expert after his win in Canada earlier this season – but our F1 expert cannot see past Lewis Hamilton taking the chequered flag this Sunday afternoon.

Our GR88est 2014 Hungarian Grand Prix bet is back Lewis Hamilton to win @ 1.77 with GR88.com.

Real Salt Lake v Montreal Impact – MLS

This evening’s only match in the MLS sees the clash of the sides sitting third in the Western Conference and bottom of the Eastern Conference in this Real Salt Lake v Montreal Impact match. Who’ll emerge victorious tonight?

With this Real Salt Lake v Montreal Impact match at the Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah seeing the clash of two sides who are having very different seasons in 2014 the home team supporters and players will be confident of victory tonight. Real Salt Lake have collected more than double the points of their guests tonight as they sit in the playoffs and just behind FC Dallas in second place, while Montreal are five points adrift at the bottom of the Eastern Conference and desperately need to win this match if they are to avoid finishing bottom of the MLS. Do GR88.com believe that the away team can take the points in this Real Salt Lake v Montreal Impact match?

The odds makers do not see this happening as their Real Salt Lake v Montreal Impact match odds suggest that this game tonight will end in a reasonably comfortable home victory. The GR88.com Real Salt Lake v Montreal Impact betting odds are as follows.

Real Salt Lake v Montreal Impact Betting Odds:

Real Salt Lake to win – 1.61 Draw – 3.45 Montreal Impact to win – 4.60 Despite the fact that tonight’s home team come into this match having collected 29 points from their 19 MLS matches this season and sit third in the Western Conference they do not bring the best of forms into tonight’s Real Salt Lake v Montreal Impact clash. They have won just one of their last eight matches in the league and they have lost four of the other seven games in this run as they are averaging less than a point a game. They are struggling for goals right now as these eight games have seen them score just six goals while they have conceded double that amount in the same matches. They have been much better at home this season with just one loss in nine matches at the Rio Tinto Stadium and they have beaten New England Revolution 2-1 and drawn 1-1 with the Vancouver Whitecaps in their last two games. Will their lack of goals cost them in this Real Salt Lake v Montreal Impact match or can they bring their fine home form out once again this evening?

Montreal know that they need to start winning games as they have collected just 14 points in 18 games this season and their record before tonight sees them having lost all of their last three. Following a 1-0 loss to Chivas USA at the start of July they have lost 2-1 to Sporting KC and Columbus Crew as they have failed to collect a point all month long and with them having lost six and drawn three of nine away games this season our man in the know feels that they are unlikely to change this form around in tonight’s Real Salt Lake v Montreal Impact game.

The clash of these two sides will be just the third time that the teams have ever met following a 1-0 home win for Real Salt Lake in 2012 and a 3-2 victory for Montreal Impact on home soil last year as they came from 2-1 down with ten minutes to go to take all three points. Our man in the know feels that the GR88.com Real Salt Lake v Montreal Impact betting odds for this game are correct and that the hosts will take win this evening.

Although Montreal have not won on the road this season they will still push Real Salt Lake all the way and our man in expecting a narrow win for the home side tonight.

Our GR88est Real Salt Lake v Montreal Impact bet is back Real Salt Lake to win and -2.5 goals @ 3.75 in the GR88 Sportsbook!

2014 Nanchang Open Second Round – July 23rd

The WTA tennis action continues unabated in China today as the 2014 Nanchang Open second round of matches begins today. Our tennis expert previews the biggest clashes of the day on the Far Eastern hard courts. Where is he betting?

Shuai Peng v Ilona Kremen: 1.11 – 7.60 The first of the pair of 2014 Nanchang Open second round matches that our tennis expert is previewing from today’s day three schedule in China sees the first ever meeting of the players ranked 50th and 252nd in the WTA rankings. It is the more highly ranked Shuai Peng that is favoured to see off the Belarusian and reach the quarter finals of her home tournament as she looks to improve her hard court game before the start of the US Open in just over one month’s time. She moved from the first round into this 2014 Nanchang Open second round with ease as she defeated fellow Chinese player Xinyun Han 6-1, 6-3 now can she progress further into this event?

Kremen had a fantastic start to her tournament here in China as she saw off Japanese world number 307 Mari Tanaka 6-1, 6-1 to move into round two and although this win will have given her a massive confidence boost can she upset the odds to see off Peng? She has won just one match all year against a player inside the top 100 in the world and with Peng having reached the final of her last tournament in China on a hard court at Shenzhen earlier this year our tennis expert can see this 2014 Nanchang Open second round match easily going the way of the world number 50.

Our GR88est Peng v Kremen bet is back Peng -6.5 games @ 1.82 with GR88.com.

Noppawan Lertcheewakarn v Qiang Wang: 3.25 – 1.33 This 2014 Nanchang Open second round clash sees a meeting of Thailand and China as the players ranked 213th and 181st in the world meet for the first time in their careers having successfully navigated the first round of this tournament. Lertcheewakarn defeated home favourite Hao Chen Tang 6-2, 6-4 in round one, while Wang saw off seventh seed Ying-Ying Duan 6-4, 7-6 to book her place in the second round of this competition, but which of these two players will make the final eight stage to face the winner of the Peng v Kremen match?

Wang has had some fine results on the ITF Tour this year so far with tournament victories in New Delhi, Kurume and Tianjin already secured. New Delhi and Tianjin saw Wang take victories on the same surface as this 2014 Nanchang Open second round match will be played and after upsetting the odds against the world number 169 in the opening match she will be confident today. Lertcheewakarn has just one final appearance in the ITF to her name this season as she was beaten by Zarina Diyas in Quanzhou in March and despite her fine win in the first round here in Nanchang our tennis expert cannot see anything but a comfortable victory in this match for Qiang Wang.

Our GR88est Lertcheewakarn v Wang bet is back Wang – 4.5 games @ 1.81 GR88 in the Sportsbook!