By Wellsaint
January 10 2003

After a Christmas and New Year break, Wellsaint returns to point out the potential profit plundering possibilities for his reader. This week, as a special offer, comes with EXTRA EXCITING money making opportunities!! Possibly.... WELLSAINT'S GUIDE TO THE HEINEKEN CUP ROUND 5 POOL MATCHES

A very brief summary of the weekend's prospects. In some cases there are effectively dead matches where neither side can qualify. These are usually best avoided for betting purposes. Only Skybet have issued handicap lines for all games – so, with the exception of Friday’s games, I will be using Skybet’s handicap. In the case of the Friday games, I will provide the range of handicaps available.

Pool One

Calvasino v Leicester - Leicester should win this easily – the line of 28 points is probably close to the mark.

Neath v Beziers - Neath to win by a score, most probably dead match, the line is 7, and this is another no bet.

Pool Two

Gloucester v Viadana - Gloucester easily. But do you want to give up 58 points in this weather? I’ll pass.

Perpignan v Munster - Munster to win this by a score, the line has Munster giving up three. This is my first selection of the weekend.

Pool Three

Llanelli v Bourgoin – Llanelli should win by at least twelve; handicap lines are 8 to 11 points, so Llanelli a confident choice.

Sale v Glasgow - Effectively a dead match, Sale are quoted as 8 to 14 point favs. Glasgow receiving the points is my call, but I’ll not be playing.

Pool Four

Montferrand v Bristol - Dead match, Montferrand to win by twelve I think, handicap line is 14, no thanks.

Leinster v Swansea - Leinster by a country mile; quoted as 27-30 point favs. The weather puts me off from betting this.

Pool Five

Toulouse v Newport - Toulouse by twenty or more; handicap line is 24; on the balance of things, if I had to choose between betting this game, Gloucester’s or Leinster’s, I’d choose this every time. A reasonable rather than outstanding bet.

Edinburgh v London Irish - dead game, Edinburgh receiving 2 to 7 points; too many imponderables. Edinburgh the handicap choice, if pushed.

Pool Six

Cardiff v Ulster - hardest game to call. Ulster need it more,
therefore Ulster by five; however the handicap line is four, another no play.

Saints v Biarritz - Time to stand up and be counted; I think Saints by eight, handicap line is six. On the basis that this could define the season, Saints giving up six is a fair rather than outstanding bet.

Best bet of the weekend

Llanelli –8 Bet: - Ten point win single

Next best

Munster –3 Bet: - Seven point win single

Others

Toulouse –24 Bet: - Five point win single

Saints –6 Bet: - Five point win single


Recommended bet:

Two trebles: Llanelli –8, Munster –3 as bankers with Toulouse –24 and with Saints –6; both three point win singles.

And now for something (almost) completely different.

Turning away from rugby, the American Football Playoffs continue, and here is an OUTSTANDING betting proposition for you: New York Jets to win the AFC, 5/1 at Ladbrokes. They will have to beat Oakland away, and then Pittsburgh or Tennessee away, but this team are on a roll and are HOT. The reason I say back them for the AFC rather than to win the Superbowl is that at the relative prices this represents the better bet. It could also be argued that the one team the Jets may not beat is the Philadelphia Eagles, who I expect to win the NFC, making a Philadelphia Eagles – New York Jets final.

On the weekend’s handicap lists, I recommend the following:

Tennessee – 4.5 vs Pittsburgh
Philadelphia – 6.5 vs Atlanta
Tampa Bay –6.5 vs San Francisco
New York Jets +5.5 vs Oakland

Bet the above in: Four three point trebles and one three point accumulator.


Enjoy the action this weekend, good luck with your bets, and COME ON YOU SAINTS!

Got to go now, LOM has promised me some French lessons. It’s the least a mother can do……….