A new week means it is time for another early bird betting value article from us here at betcha. After last week’s change to the process, we are going to stick with the new approach.
That means once again we are doing a bit of forecasting, trying to predict a few early results while there are still some questions up in the air regarding the matchups, and squeezing out as much value as possible from the bets.
So, without further ado, it seems there is nothing left to do other than dive right into our early bird bets for the week.
After the Firebirds were rained out against Auckland, we are back once again to take a look at one of their games as they are set to face off with the Central Stags this week. When looking at the two sides, there is plenty of talent, especially in the batting department, which makes me think there could be a decent number of runs scored come Wednesday afternoon.
With that being the case, I am leaning into one of the highest profile players in the competition for this one. That, of course, is Wellington wicketkeeper batter Tom Blundell. With the Black Caps red ball season done, he will now focus on the domestic cricket scene with his hometown Firebirds.
To start his T20 season, Blundell was the pick of the batters for the Firebirds in the first game of the season, but has since been on a downward trend. With that being said, there is no doubt about the class Blundell brings when batting at this level, meaning his struggles should not continue for too long. So, give me Blundell over his runs prop in this one.
The next Premier League matchday is once again midweek, so for this to be an early bird we need to crack into this one early. In the Premier League, the value often sits with teams that have quality but are also very inconsistent, which certainly fits the criteria for this pick.
The team we are looking towards is Manchester United. They are a side who could go out on any day and beat any team in the league, but recent results suggest something is not quite right.
This week, they are taking on a Burnley side, which is a major boost for United due to just how poor Burnley have been this season. With their recent form also showing very little life, with only two points from their last five matches.
Regardless of whether this one is at home for Burnley or not, they are going to have to face a United side who will have plenty to fight for after all the pressure their manager has been under in recent weeks. If the players want to show any fight for him, I would expect them to pick up the win in this one.
College football semi-finals are next up on the slate, and one of the most intriguing matchups is between Miami and Ole Miss.
For Miami, they started the season red hot and looked like a side capable of reaching the National Championship, but after a few disappointing mid-season losses those dreams seemed to had faded. Ole Miss, on the other hand, have been a powerhouse for most of the year, but they had to deal with their trailblazing head coach, Lane Kiffin, leaving for the LSU head role prior to the playoffs.
In this matchup specifically, I like Miami on paper, with their defence being lights out, while the offence certainly has some talent as well. Ole Miss do have their star quarterback and running back tandem in Trinidad Chambliss and Kewan Lacy, but there are not many other superstars outside of them. When you add in the fact that the Lane Kiffin situation continues to linger, with several coaches staying at LSU rather than returning to Ole Miss, I think there may be too much turmoil for Ole Miss to overcome in this one against Miami.
