Bets Of The Week 24.01.2023

With another busy week of football including action from the EFL Cup semi-finals, FA Cup Fourth Round and final stages of the Australian Open tennis, we have picked out five bets of the week to watch out for for savvy punters.

The below prices are indicative and may be subject to fluctuation.

Please remember that unlike fixed odds betting, when spread betting losses can exceed deposits.

TENNIS - 2023 AUSTRALIAN OPEN - Shelton to stun the world?

In what has been a tournament full of surprises so far, at the time of writing one semi-finalist has booked their place thus far - Karen Khachanov - while Novak Djokovic still remains in the competition and in ominous form. Although seemingly hampered by a thigh injury, the Serb has not let that majorly effect him and has been generally as strong as ever in his hunt for a 22nd major and 10th Australian Open.

Djokovic faces probably his toughest test of the tournament in the quarter-final in Andrey Rublev, but if he gets through that then he will facing one of two unfavoured Americans - Tommy Paul or Ben Shelton.

Twenty-year-old Shelton has reached a Grand Slam quarter-final in just his second Grand Slam tournament and emerged as one of the most exciting talents in tennis today with a booming serve and athletic lefty game, and has made incredible strides over the last year as he has moved from a rank of 500 to potentially reaching the top 15 if he goes all the way and becomes the first male American Grand Slam winner since Andy Roddick in 2003.

Due to the element of the unknown and with no pressure on his shoulders, could Shelton do what seemed unthinkable just a week ago and go all the way?

You can view all of our latest markets and tennis specials here.

FOOTBALL - efl cup semi-finals - a rare chance for silverware?

There is no let-up in the Premier League action after the World Cup break and the matches are coming thick and fast. Teams are being forced to keep up or fall behind, and a title race seems to be calling for a resurgent Man Utd side who will be full of confidence after success in the Manchester Derby

SOUTHAMPTON V NEWCASTLE - TUESDAY 8PM

While Southampton are at real risk of relegation in the Premier League this season, they have found joy in the cup competitions - especially the EFL Cup - and managed to stun the favourites Man City in the previous round. They now face a two-legged test against high-flying Newcastle who will be hungry for a trophy to begin their new era.

The Magpies have dominated this matchup in recent times (7W, 3D, 1L) and their successes this season will mean they will be full of confidence in terms of getting through to the final. However, that isn't a foregone conclusion and they have lost their last two away matches playing Premier League opposition in this competition.

Soton are currently available at 17/4 on the fixed odds to get the win, with Newcastle at 3/4 and the draw 13/5. The Supremacy spread stands at Newcastle/Soton 0.7 - 0.9. We have also BOOSTED Both Teams To Score And Newcastle To Win from 3/1 to 18/5!

NOTTINGHAM FOREST V MAN UTD - WEDNESDAY 8PM

Man Utd's season has taken a slightly demoralising turn over the last week as two disappointing results (1-1 v Crystal Palace, 2-3 v Arsenal) have left them cut adrift of a title race and looking over their shoulder as they look to secure at least a top four place. Their focus will now turn to this cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest, which on paper looks like a very winnable tie as the Red Devils look for their first silverware since the Europa League in 2017.

Forest have won this cup four times, albeit not since the Brian Clough glory days, but will fancy their chances of at least giving themselves a chance of a place in the final with a home victory in the first leg. Former Red Devil Jesse Lingard is the only player to have scored in two of Forest’s four EFL Cup wins this season and has been lined up to return from injury against his old club. Meanwhile for Utd, Marcus Rashford has found the back of the net in all but one of his last nine competitive appearances. Will either man find the net here?

In terms of match odds, Forest are available at 17/4 to grab a win, with Utd at 7/10 and the draw at 14/5. Utd secured a comfortable 3-0 victory in the league not too long ago, and the same result can be backed here at 11/1.

FOOTBALL - FA CUP - WHO WILL WIN THE ARSENAL V CITY SHOWDOWN?

Friday sees a marquee matchup as the Premier League leaders Arsenal take on defending league Champions Man City in what promises to be an exciting and hotly-contested FA Cup Fourth Round fixture.

MAN CITY V ARSENAL - FRIDAY 8PM

Arsenal just keep winning and are now holding a fairly substantial advance in the Premier League title race. The focus switches to the FA Cup but the opposition may well be the team who are most likely to challenge them - or surpass them - in the league run-in. The fixture at the Etihad will see City as fairly substantial favourites to make use of their deeper squad, but it remains to be seen which personnel will be used by both Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta.

City have defeated the Gunners on all five of the previous five meetings, and as such will feel very confident of extending that run. Only one of those matches was a cup tie though, in the EFL Cup, but ended in a 4-1 win. Interestingly though, these sides met in the FA Cup (semi-finals) in the last H2H match that Arsenal were able to win (2-0). Can Arteta show the apprentice can beat the master and get one over on Guardiola in this one?

You can get a price of 10/3 on the match ending in a draw, which would mean a replay at the Emirates.

cricket - South africa v england - who will win the 1st odi?

And finally, there is One Day International cricket action as England take on South Africa in the 1st ODI, getting underway on Friday morning. While the last five meetings have seen South Africa have the edge (3W, 2L), England have won both of the last two meetings - by 9 wickets and 1 innings/85 runs respectively. They are favoured to make it three in a row here, and you can spread bet on Margin of Victory at England/SA 16 - 26.

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Note - Spread Betting losses can exceed deposit