Another weekend means we have a new opportunity to find some value in some of the weekend’s biggest sporting events. This weekend the list we have covers four different codes in total, as we took a deep dive into plenty different options.
Meaning no matter what sport you are into, we likely have you have something up your ally in this edition.
With that said, why not get under way with the pinnacle of cricket, as the first ball of the 2025/26 Ashes will be bowled come Friday afternoon.
Outside of Steve Smith being one of the best of all time, their is a reason why I like this part of the Super Boost so much, and its’s because of the specific nature of his career. Smith is good anywhere in the world, but on home soil he is a level above, averaging 58 runs when playing in Australia.
What also stands out about his record is how much better he is in the first innings compared with the second dig. Throughout his career, Smith averages just under 70 with the bat during his first stint at the crease, which is almost double his second innings average, so with this bet being first innings specific I like his chances.
Regarding Mitchell Starc, it feels like he always gets up for the big moments and manages to take massive wickets at the right time. Even in recent memory, while the two leaders of the attack have felt like Hazlewood and Cummins, the left armer still gets the job done in the long format. With those two out for this one, the keys are handed over to Starc as the spearhead of the attack, I expect him to make the most of the first crack he gets with the ball.
The Premier League is back in action this weekend, and the first game after the international break will see Enzo Maresca and Chelsea travel to play Burnley in the early hours of Sunday morning.
The Blues have had an up and down season by their standards, but based on the lack of consistency around the league, they currently find themselves placed third on the table. This weekend is a great chance for them to collect three points away from home against the kind of team they have been dropping points to in the early going.
In this one, I could see plenty of goals finding the back of the net, as the away side and favourites Chelsea are currently at the top of the league in terms of expected goals, and by some margin. While Burnley have one of the worst defenses in the league, this should see Chelsea generate some quality chances. However, it is not just Chelsea who are a threat to score, as Burnley have been able to exceed their expected goals, showing a clinical nature when they get a half-chance.
Essentially, all these stats just boil down to me thinking that over 2.5 goals is good value to welcome back the Premier League.
In an article where I provided a predicted All Blacks side for this weekend, it was centred around this game against Wales being somewhat of a palate cleanser for both the team and the fanbase.
That’s because Welsh rugby has really taken a turn for the worse over the past few years, and they should be ripe for the picking even for an All Blacks side coming off a poor performance in Twickenham.
Being the last test of the year, the All Blacks have an opportunity to put a much lesser side to the sword this weekend and ensure that both they and fans around the nation enter the off-season and New Year period with something to hold onto from the campaign.
This is why, even though they will be in front of 70,000 amped-up Welsh rugby fans, I think the All Blacks could get the job done in style this weekend, which means the value for me is for them to cover the alternate spread above.
We head to our first American football bet for the weekend, and that game is between two powerhouse collegiate programs, the Oregon Ducks and the USC Trojans. The Ducks have become a modern day blue-chip side that, with all the funding behind them and a great head coach, have become a perennial top-five team in the nation. USC are more of an old-school historic program that has come and gone as a top team, but under Lincoln Riley’s tutelage, they seem to be heading that way once again.
Both sides this season find themselves in the College Football Playoff race, with Oregon’s odds looking a lot healthier than USC’s, but the side from Los Angeles certainly has a puncher’s chance.
That’s why I think, with all the talent on display, this should be a well-fought battle. Even with Oregon playing in front of their home crowd in Eugene and likely being a more well-rounded team, there should be a good opportunity for USC to keep this one close and prevent it from being a blowout.
A huge game in the NFL playoff landscape sees the darlings of the AFC, the Colts taking on a floundering Chiefs side, who find themselves sitting at .500. The game is set to take place at the famous Arrowhead Stadium, and no doubt the Chiefs Kingdom will be out in full force to support their team in one of the biggest matches of the year.
Regarding the Colts, they started off as a historically strong offensive unit, as Shane Steichen found ways to get the best out of Daniel Jones, and he has Jonathan Taylor looking like an MVP candidate. However, in recent weeks, Jones has started to look closer to the version we saw in New York, and the team has had a heavy reliance on the run game.
I would expect Steve Spagnuolo to key into that fact and ensure that if the Colts are going to beat them, it will be through Daniel Jones rather than on the ground with Jonathan Taylor. Throw in the fact that the Chiefs still have one of the best quarterbacks of all time steering the ship, and with their backs against the wall, I expect them to come out on top.
