Monthly Archives: February 2020

EPL Gameweek #27 preview: London shootout sees Lampard and Mourinho reunited

With Liverpool running away with the title and Norwich city looking increasingly doomed, the remainder of the English Premier League season looks to be focused on two specific areas of flux within the league table.

Firstly, there are the Champions League places to sort out. Traditionally, the top four teams in each season’s English Premier League qualify for the Champions League next season. However, with UEFA threatening expulsion from Europe in its entirety for Manchester City due to their breaking of Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations, it could be that fifth place qualifies that team for Europe’s greatest club competition. While the question of why it should be another British team when a club from the EPL has broken the rules is anyone’s guess, but it’s looking likely and that brings other clubs into contention for qualification.

Secondly, relegation from the EPL will hit three teams very hard and while Norwich look doomed, sitting as they are seven points from safety with only 12 games remaining, there are three points separating the five teams above them. Any two of those five teams could drop, with the financial, structural and emotional impact of relegation looming large over those teams at this time. Let’s take a look as some teams who will be looking to keep their heads above water or aim for the top five.

Chelsea vs. Tottenham Hotspur (Saturday 22nd February, 12.30pm GMT kick-off)           

UFC Fight Night Auckland betting preview

Last Saturday, the UFC staged a Fight Night card outside Albuquerque. This week, it shifts about 7,000 miles around the globe to New Zealand for a Fight Night card headlined by a lightweight non-title bout between Paul Felder and Dan Hooker. The main card from Spark Arena in Auckland, easily the biggest city in the country, will begin at 7 p.m. ET – or Sunday at 1 p.m. local time.

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

It’s the third time the UFC has staged a card in Auckland, last in June 2017 when heavyweights Mark Hunt and Derrick Lewis headlined. The organization generally puts at least one native on every card when outside the United States, and the 30-year-old Hooker (19-8) is from Auckland. He is ranked No. 7 in the lightweight division, which is ruled with an iron fist by unbeaten Khabib Nurmagomedov.

“The Hangman” is likely a long way from getting a title shot, if he ever does, but is on a two-fight winning streak. He last fought on October 5, 2019, at UFC 243 and beat former title contender Al Iaquinta by unanimous decision. That was unusual in that it was only the second decision victory in Hooker’s career. He wins a majority of the time (53 percent) by knockout or TKO. He has only gone the distance twice in his 19 professional wins. Hooker is a -150 favorite here in his first main event, which also means potentially going five rounds for the first time.

UFC Fight Night Auckland betting preview

Last Saturday, the UFC staged a Fight Night card outside Albuquerque. This week, it shifts about 7,000 miles around the globe to New Zealand for a Fight Night card headlined by a lightweight non-title bout between Paul Felder and Dan Hooker. The main card from Spark Arena in Auckland, easily the biggest city in the country, will begin at 7 p.m. ET – or Sunday at 1 p.m. local time.

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

It’s the third time the UFC has staged a card in Auckland, last in June 2017 when heavyweights Mark Hunt and Derrick Lewis headlined. The organization generally puts at least one native on every card when outside the United States, and the 30-year-old Hooker (19-8) is from Auckland. He is ranked No. 7 in the lightweight division, which is ruled with an iron fist by unbeaten Khabib Nurmagomedov.

“The Hangman” is likely a long way from getting a title shot, if he ever does, but is on a two-fight winning streak. He last fought on October 5, 2019, at UFC 243 and beat former title contender Al Iaquinta by unanimous decision. That was unusual in that it was only the second decision victory in Hooker’s career. He wins a majority of the time (53 percent) by knockout or TKO. He has only gone the distance twice in his 19 professional wins. Hooker is a -150 favorite here in his first main event, which also means potentially going five rounds for the first time.