The Longshot: City form to give them edge tonight against Pep's old side
Ireland’s women gave a good account of themselves against the all-conquering US on Saturday evening, a late Lindsey Horan penalty wrapping up a 2-0 win for the hosts in Texas. It came at a cost for Team USA as striker Mallory Swanson’s knee injury after a tangle with Aoife Mannion tore a patella tendon and her World Cup hopes appear to be over.
SIX bogeys in his final round did for our Masters tip Patrick Cantlay. If we were to do some self-back-clapping we did mention the winner would more likely come from the top three in the betting and that though John Rahm would inevitably win at Augusta we claimed 7/1 was too short a price. He drifted out to 20/1 after an opening double glory on Thursday but by the time we logged on to a bookies he had recouped a birdie and was 10/1 and we decided to pass on it. Rahm is 9/1 to add the US Open or PGA now and 10/1 to capture the Open. Strangely, Rahm is back in action again this weekend at the RBC Heritage in South Carolina and is 9/1 to win there too.
The Masters winner would usually be too busy celebrating but the one USPGA schedule leans heavily on the top players to attend these now elevated events, so there will be a field as strong as last week turning up, minus the LIV golfers, of course.
Scottie Sheffler is 9/1 also, with Rory McIlroy, sure to bring some scar tissue over from his missed cut at the Masters, 14/1. Curiously, it is usually those who have had a bit of a nightmare at Augusta who perform better here a week later. Four out of the last seven winners missed the cut there. The Atlantic coast venue favours positioning over power and accuracy off the tee and into the green matters more than being overly hot with the putter. It might also be worth waiting until the finish of play on Saturday to make a bet on someone down the leaderboard as eight of the last 10 winners at have had a two-shot or greater deficit going into the final round. Cantlay has three top 10s in five years but he messed up while leading last year and proceeded to lose a playoff to Jordan Spieth after getting a dodgy lie in a bunker. I also wouldn’t tip him again after letting us down last week. Another player with three top 10s in the past five years (with two of them also top-five threes) is our own Shane Lowry who showed sparks of good form in Georgia. The windy weather can also be a factor on in Harbour Town, although the Offaly man said when the weather turned at Augusta that his much admired experience of poor conditions has waned somewhat since he has moved to Florida. Still, at 40/1 he is the value sticking out here.
It’s up to you, New York FEW New Yorkers give all that much thought to Leitrim, they say. The O’Rourke county’s trip Hudsonside for their Connacht Championship game didn’t knock Donald Trump off the news ticker. There was no collective trepidation sensed uptown as the Shannonsiders made their way to the Bronx.
The midlanders were defeated on penalties in Gaelic Park, with a handful of homegrown players helping the home side to their first ever football championship win (they did have a win over Derry in the 2006 Ulster Hurling Championship).
They face Sligo next — win that, and they’ll find themselves in a Connacht final and with it a place in the 16-team race for Sam. Do so, and they may get a ticker tape parade down Fifth Avenue. There might even be talk of splitting them into five boroughs because of their huge population advantage.
They only lost to Sligo by 1-16 to 0-15 last season and are 4/1 to overturn that result at Markievicz Park in two weeks. On the other side of the draw, Mayo are on a downward trajectory after defeat to Roscommon (40/1 for Sam), although they are a stubborn 7/1 to win the All-Ireland.
A WEEKEND of shocks continued in Cusack Park as Clare dumped Cork out of the Munster Championship for the first time since Martin Daly scored with the last kick of the game at the same venue in 1997.
The fact that they conceded 28 scoring opportunities to an attack that was relegated to Division 3 shows Cork were not at the races at all. They will now have to wait and hope that the less fancied teams do not progress elsewhere if they are earn three more championship games once the round robin begins in six weeks. Otherwise it’s the Tailteann Cup for John Cleary’s men who had seemed to be making a bit of progress. They are offered at 125/1 to turn their season around from this low point and go all the way.
There are no odds yet on them to win the Tailteann Cup. Cavan are 13/8 favourites for that. The Banner are 11/2, despite the likelihood they will beat Limerick (4/11) and secure a place in the final 16 by reaching the Munster final.
LIMERICK hurlers didn’t score for nine minutes on Sunday. It took them 17 minutes to register from play. They also had 20 wides in the league final. They won by 11 and could have had another 10. Cian Lynch’s return to full fitness was always going to make them more ominous after some thought they had slipped back last summer. Who can beat them? Anyone maybe, in a round robin, but not when they are facing elimination. Limerick will cruise to a fourth All-Ireland title in succession this year. The 4/6 offered in places is surely one of the safest places to pit a small sum this year. Going for five might bring different pressure, but is unlikely to trouble an imperious side this season.
LOWRY is good value at 40/1 but take a four-timer on the Champions League as well.
Home wins for Benfica, City and Real and a draw between Ac Milan and Naploi will you net you half that at 20/1
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