It was a battle of the leading men on Tuesday night when the Timberwolves took on the Pacers and it looks set to be the same come Saturday November 30 when Kevin Love squares up against Mavericks Guard Monta Ellis.

Love came out behind of Paul George on Monday night as Indiana moved to a 13-1 record, with George netting 26 points to Love’s 20. It will be a knock to the Timberwolves confidence in what was a master class from both George and George Hill who combined for over 50 points.

The Timberwolves have been scrapping away to no avail in recent games and will need to pick their selves up after another defeat against Northwest Division rivals Denver on Wednesday night, beginning at the AmericanAirlines Center at the weekend.

It’s been bandied around that the Timberwolves are a one-man team this season with Love’s performances being integral in decided Minnesota’s results. Hitting double-doubles on a regular basis, the Forward-Center is averaging 24.6 PPG whilst he has hit scores of post-25 five times in the last fortnight.

It promises to be an interesting matchup against Ellis, who has also been posting high scores, including a 37 point game versus the Rockets during a four game winning streak earlier this month. With an average of 23.5, the Guard will be encouraged by a weak defence that are currently conceding almost 100 points per outing.

However, their defence will be boosted by the signing of Sacramento Kings Forward Luc Mbah a Moute, in what is being seen as an important move in the Wolves season.

The teams met just a few weeks ago on November 8 in a thrilling encounter in Minneapolis with the home side running out 116-108 winners, with Love playing a star role. Scoring 32 and 15 rebounds, the 25-year-old will find it a lot more difficult to get the better of Ellis’ Mavericks having come off the back of potentially three straight defeats.

The Mavericks could also have been entering Saturday with a similar record if it wasn’t for a strong first quarter against GSW on Wednesday evening. Suffering back-to-back defeats against the Nuggets beforehand Dallas held on in the final quarter to seal the win ahead of a trip to Atlanta to take on a Hawks side who sit second in the Southeast Division.

Head-to-head it also suggests a close one. In recent years, neither side have been able to get the better of each other with the teams both taking two games each in their four last season. And it looks as though it could go a similar way. Perhaps going in slightly fresher, after what will have been a difficult night for the Mavericks on Friday, you would fancy the T-Wolves who will want to get their season back on track as they head closer to the New Year.

 

These sides met on just the 11^th November and line up against each other once again at the Quicken Loans Arena on Saturday November 30.

It’s been a mixed start for the Bulls, who ran out 96-81 winners last time round, and despite a solid win in Detroit on Wednesday, the side have suffered 4 straight defeats before then including an overtime loss to the struggling Utah Jazz on Monday evening. Tom Thibodeau’s men still however lie second in the Central Division and are up to third in the Eastern Conference.

The Bulls will no doubt be rocked by the announcement on Saturday that former MVP Point Guard will sit out the remainder of the season after suffering a torn meniscus in his right knee during their 98-95 loss in Portland. Rose had been instrumental in the Illinois team’s season and had been scoring close to 20 points regularly throughout November, and the team will be hoping it doesn’t affect them too much.

Similarly, the Cavs will also be looking to get back to winning ways and hope to take advantage of a Bulls who have yet to see red. Cleveland have had some difficult fixtures in the last few days with a heavy defeat to Spurs, which saw the Ohio based team record only a 30.8 percent shooting record. A tough game at Miami on Wednesday will also not help the Cavs who go into a game in Boston before the big game in the Central division on Saturday.

The last few season have seen the sides match up pretty evenly. An early season win for the Bulls will give them the belief they can turn their fortunes and avoid a possible sixth straight defeat, whilst a thrilling 101-98 victory for the Cavs late last season will also give them encouragement.

It’s a tie that could go either way. The mid-week games could be instrumental in taking confidence into Saturday, whilst a big performance from key men could also be the difference between winning and losing.

It’s been an interesting week or so for British Forward Luol Deng. He combined well with Carlos Boozer for 50 points between them on Monday evening, whilst a score of 22 on Sunday ended a poor few games which saw him only score 6 during a half an hour period in Denver. His highest score of the season came at the Pistons and the Bulls will certainly be hoping the number 9 can improve on that if they are going to claim victory on Saturday.

It’ll be an interesting game for those who like to bet on the NBA. Cleveland also have a man in form, who could be the deciding factor. Despite only a battling 15 points against a well-drilled Spurs defence, Kyrie Irving has regularly been scoring highly with an average of 21.4 as well as the second highest points total of the season with 41 against the Wizards just a few weeks ago.

 

It was only a couple of days ago LeBron James was named the most sylish athlete of the year by GQ, and on Saturday the Heat Forward will be looking to turn on the style against a Bobcats side who lie just inside the Eastern Conference play-off places.

Miami’s fine run of form has seen them win their last eight as they look to assert early season dominance on the rest of the conference. James, had his tail up on Monday evening against the Suns, shooting 35 points on only 14 shots as he lead his side to a 107-92 victory, whilst his 30 points in Charlotte just a few weeks ago helped his side demolish the Bobcats 97-81.

It was the 13^th time this season the Florida side have scored at least 100 and a rejuvinated Dwyane Wade also looked to be back to his best at the AmericanAirlines Arena. Scoring 21 and a season-high 12 assists, sitting out the last two games looks to have done him the world of good before they approach a busy period, starting with the Toronto Raptors on Friday.

The Bobcats however haven’t had it easy this week. Defeat on Monday to the Celtics highlighted a weakness in the middle periods for the side owned by Michael Jordan, going down 33-17 in the second quarter, and will begin to worry the North Carolinans, especially up against an on-song James. It was repeated again in their defeat to the Suns, going down 28-20 in the second, whilst in the reverse fixture just a few weeks ago Miami hit them late.

It will be an incredibly tough fixture for Charlotte, who also have also been convincingly beaten by the Pacers this week making it a two-game losing streak but Kemba Walker’s recent performances will buoy the Southeast division side.

To say the Point Guard’s season so far has been inconsistent is an understatement, but a good week for him has seen him pick up 28 points against the Celtics and an impressive 31 against the Nets. Walker has picked up post-25 scores a number of times this season but has been absent too often which is perhaps telling in the team’s nine losses this season.

A tie against the struggling Bucks at the Time Warner Cable Arena on Friday could boost the Bobcats’ confidence before a trip to Miami but they will need an awful lot of confidence to take down the Heat who are favourites to take the NBA Championship for a second year running.

Red Bull Drivers Have Different Motivation to Close F1 Season on Winning Note

There is no question that the Red Bull Racing team is the best in Formula One racing. They have wrapped up the Constructors title very early, and with the kind of money they spend, it is a very strong possibility that they are going to be a prime contender at the very least no matter who is behind the wheel. Next year they will make a move at one of its positions, but there is still a race left in the 2013 schedule. This one, the Brazilian Grand Prix, takes place at the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace, also known as Interlagos, located in São Paulo. It is slated for Sunday at Noon ET, and will be televised by NBC.

For F1 bettors, this becomes an extremely interesting proposition, as the Red Bull tandem splits up and presents each of these drivers with a very strong and very different motivation, adding some drama to an event that might otherwise not have any suspense at all, with both championships (the driver and constructor) already decided.

In the Formula One odds that are posted on this race at Bet365, there is no surprise as to who the favorite is. He’s the man who has now won nine straight races and is looking to equal two records on Sunday: Of course we’re talking about Sebastian Vettel. Here are the prices on the top dozen competitors:

Sebastian Vettel -350
Mark Webber +350
Romain Grosjean +1400
Lewis Hamilton +2200
Fernando Alonso +2800
Nico Rosberg +2800
Heikki Kovalainen +12500
Felipe Massa +20000
Nico Hulkenberg +25000
Jenson Button +30000
Sergio Perez +30000
Valtteri Bottas +50000

Vettel has own eight races in a row. If he can win on Sunday, he can equal the all-time record for most F1 wins in a row, which was set by one of the Italian-born legends of this sport. Alberto Ascari won nine straight races over the 1952 and 1953 seasons, and Vettel has a chance to accomplish this during a single campaign. And speaking of that, he also will have every opportunity to match the record for most Formula One wins in one season, which was set in 2004 by the legendary Michael Schumacher, who has just recently turned down an offer from Lotus for yet another comeback. Vettel, who is justifiably the -350 favorite at Bet365, would seem to have the inside track to grab a share of that record, but the biggest obstacle he faces may come out of his own garage, so to speak.

This Sunday not only marks the end for V8 engines (with a switch to the turbocharged V6 engines next season), it is also the end for Mark Webber, the 37-year-old Australian who says that he wants to retire from the F1 circuit because, in his words, “I’m on a little bit of a slippery slope right now.” Webber, who also drives for Red Bull, has had a continually rocky relationship with his more storied teammate almost from the outset, or at least that’s the way it has seemed. Webber, who’s been an F1 driver for eleven years, has complained on more than one occasion that his team has shown favoritism toward Vettel, and that the implication is that he was supposed to take a back seat between the duo. That doesn’t matter much right now, and you have to wonder whether there would be a tremendous sense of satisfaction for Webber if he were to win in his farewell, and prevent Vettel from making a bit more F1 history at the same time. It isn’t impossible, as he has won this race twice in the past. The people making the F1 odds at Bet365 obviously give him a chance, as he is the second favorite at +350.

The sentimental favorite here, as is always going to be the case in Brazil, is Felipe Massa, the Ferrari driver who will be making the big move over to the Williams team next year. Massa is also arguably the most accomplished driver in this field at Interlagos, winning twice (he and Webber are the only starters on Sunday who have won it more than once), grabbing three pole positions and leading for a total of 183 laps, which is third best in history (behind Schumacher and Alain Prost). So he could be a threat for the podium regardless of any other conditions. He is priced at +1200 to reach that podium in the F1 betting lines at Bet365.

Who else could be a threat to make some noise? Well, Jenson Button (+30000 to win) was last year’s champion, with Lewis Hamilton, who was his teammate last year, capturing the pole. Hamilton is at +2200 here, and hasn’t won a race yet in Brazil. Neither has Fernando Alonso, who is priced at +2800. After this race comes the “silly season,” and there are going to be a lot of drivers who are looking for a Formula One job for next season. Daniel Ricciardo, priced at +150000 to win the Brazilian Grand Prix, is not one of them, as he has signed a multi-year agreement to replace Webber with the Red Bull team, moving up from their “farm club,” Toro Rosso. But there are a lot of others who may feel they need to impress in order to get some attention for a 2014 ride. The lowest-priced driver among this group is Heikki Kovalainen, who is +12500 at Bet365 and will replace the injured Kimi Räikkönen, as he did in Austin, for Lotus F1.

Finish your Formula One season on a winning note by opening an account with the people at Bet365!

It’s been almost a year since Manny Pacquiao last taped up his gloves and passed through the ropes, but the boxing superstar returns to the ring to take on Brandon Rios in Macau, China on Saturday November 23.

Pacquiao hasn’t fought since his sixth round knockout defeat against Juan Manuel Marquez on December 8 2012 in Las Vegas, his second back-to-back loss. Looking to get back to the form that not too long ago saw him widely regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet, the 34-year-old will line up against the lead-fisted Rios at the Venetian Hotel in HBO’s latest big pay-per-view offering.

The Filipino fighter will be carrying the weight of a nation this weekend following the devastation of Typhoon Haiyan in his homeland, and will certainly want to give something back to the country in which he is worshiped. But it’s not been plain sailing for him in the build up. A  bust-up in the camp between trainer Freddie Roach and his own former assistant, who now works in the Rios camp, has added a new twist to the saga, whilst many already believe Pacquiao is way past his best.

Following the brutal knockout by Marquez and controversial points loss at the hands of Timothy Bradley, it’s been circulating that the Pac-Man has lost his cutting-edge and Rios may prove just too fast for the fighter who was once renowned for his lighting quick hands. The Fighting Pride of the Philippines however doesn’t believe this for a second and will no doubt still be dreaming of a showdown with his long-term rival Floyd Mayweather Jr.

His trainer Roach, still believes Manny has the hunger, but whether his age will see him through the 12 rounds, it’s unknown, especially being out of the ring for so long.

Brandon Rios, is also coming through the ropes on a loss. The first in his career and will have to consider his options carefully if he is to lose to an ageing Pacquiao. Heading over to the South-East Asia far from a fan favourite, the 27-year-old Texan believes he needs to win big if he’s going to claim victory.

He said, “I’ve got to go in there and beat him convincingly.

“If it’s a close fight, they could just give it to him.”

The Filipino is by far the most difficult opponent Rios has faced, but with nobody quite sure of how he’ll bounce back it could be the perfect time for Bam Bam to take him on and take a real prize scalp in what will be his biggest pay-day to date. His aggressive, come-forward orthodox style will trouble the Southpaw, and he boasts a 70% knockout ratio which may send to the 2000’s Fighter of the Decade to the canvas.

It would be a huge statement if he does. Pacquiao remains the favourite for Saturday night. Despite a vicious shot laying him out in his last outing, he still looked fit and should have the extra power of a fighter seven years his junior.

Rios relies on building pressure, and could struggle to get his powerful shots way should Manny rediscover his most devastating rhythm, meaning a second half stoppage could be the most likely outcome.

To place a bet on the fight, then US customers should head over to Bovada.lv who are offering the best odds on the fight. Sports fans in the rest of the world can bet on the fight with Bet365.

The final game of the weekend sees the Pistons travel to the Staples Center to take on a Lakers side that has once again had a slow start to their campaign. The Lakers struggled to find any form early in the 2012-13 season and with Kobe Bryant and twice league MVP Steve Nash still on the sidelines, it could once again be a tricky season for the 16-time NBA Champions.

Nash is out for two weeks with a nerve root irritation in his back and met with a specialist following their 113-90 home loss versus the Timberwolves last weekend. Approaching the end of his career, the 39-year-old has been riddled with injuries the last few years, missing the Lakers playoff campaign against the Spurs late last season and a host of other niggles that stem from a fractured fibula he picked up early last season. It looks as though it might be a long few seasons seeing out his contract in LA. He’s yet to complete 30 minutes for the side this season and is performing at a shadow of his former self.

And it gets worse for the LA side. An MRI scan on Tuesday revealed that 7 ft Spaniard Pau Gasol has been carrying a muscle strain in his left foot, a recurrence of the plantar fascia injury that kept him out of 20 games last year. However, the former Grizzlies forward has played through the strain but has struggled to find top form, making only 38.2% of his shots. The Lakers will be encouraged by his last outing though. Finishing with a game-high 25 points and 12 rebounds in their defeat to the Nuggets, they will be hoping the injury will have eased as they enter a crucial part of the season.

Standing 4^th in the Pacific Division, the Lakers have failed to record back-to-back victories so far this season and will look to remedy that when they meet Gasol’s former side on Friday and the big Pistons match-up on Sunday. And back-to-back victories are achievable. The Grizzlies have lost their last two outings, whilst the Pistons are in a major slump lying fifth in the Central standings and haven’t won in their last four.

Whilst it has been a tough run-in for the Motor City, they have had the Pacers, OKC, Portland and Golden State Warriors put in front of them in the last week and a half, and last recorded a win against the Celtics with their two star men playing a big game.

It appears only Center Andre Drummond and Point Guard Brandon Jennings are performing this season, with them both leading the individual leader boards as the Michigan team continue to slide down the rankings. And they could continue to slide, unless they can turn things around on Friday in Sacramento or against the Lakers at the Staples Center.

With both teams not in great form, and the Lakers injury list as long as Gasol’s arm-span, it could be a tie that goes either way. LA will have to be wary of Jennings in particular, who is averaging almost 20 points per game and could have good odds in the NBA betting on a double-double against a defence that, on average, is conceding 105 per game. But with the Pistons confidence at an all-time low, the Californian team should take full advantage in the last game of the week on November 17.

 

 

The Trail Blazers shot to the top of the North West division on Wednesday night in a tight game at the Moda Center, and will be looking to retain that position against a Raptors side who have been a mixed bag this season.

Portland have won six of their last seven and are the only side to beat the San Antonio Spurs this season. Victory against the Phoenix Suns has placed them second in the Western Conference, and one of the teams to beat in the NBA this season. Edging out the Suns 89-90 in a superb final quarter, the Trail Blazers’ Head Coach Terry Stotts made an inspired change bringing on Thomas Robinson who netted 15 points to go with eight rebounds in just 17 minutes.

And it’s not just Robinson who’s impressing for the Trail Blazers. The team from Oregon have plenty of options in their artillery with both Damian Lillard and team captain LaMarcus Aldridge averaging over 20 points per game, which could give them the edge on November 17.

Toronto are starting to fall into some form too. Big wins against the Memphis Grizzlies and Utah Jazz have propelled them into seventh in the Eastern Conference standings, but the Canadian team have failed when tested against the bigger sides. Defeats against the Pacers, Hawks and Heat have summed up the Raptors season so far, and it’s unlikely they will have the strength to compete with Portland. Up against the likes of LeBron James, the Raptors defence has struggled. James netted 35 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists whilst DeRozan also scored over 30 for the Hawks in their 95-102 win.

The team from Oregon are looking for their fifth straight win and it will be an interesting game come Sunday with both going into the weekend on the back of good wins. But with Portland looking to keep their noses ahead of OKC, who are likely to take a win on the road in Milwaukee, it will be a tough ask for Toronto, who have consistently failed to deliver against the top teams.

Brooklyn have one of the worst records in the NBA having lost all but two of their seven games, including an 86-107 loss against the equally struggling Sacramento Kings on Wednesday 13 November. And with another game against Western Conference play-off hopefuls before facing the Clippers, a win at the Staples Center could be a step too far for the New York side.

Shipping in an average of 101 points per game, the Nets have suffered defeat against fellow strugglers Cleveland and Washington this season, whilst recently the Pacers have also seen them off in their astonishing eight game unbeaten run.

The Clippers on the other hand are on the back of an impressive win against Durant’s City Thunder and is backed up by a three game unbeaten run which has also seen them down the Timberwolves at the Staples Center. Matching the Timberwolves pound-for-pound the Clippers took advantage during an impressive middle period on November 11, whilst  two days later a 30 point third quarter also saw off OKC. This should be an area the Los Angeles side target again, with the Nets finding it difficult to find their feet in the middle period, and with Chris Paul and Blake Griffin in supreme form the last few weeks, the Clippers should prove too much, especially in the second and third stages.

Paul has been flying all season. His 14 points and 16 assists in their win over Thunder at the Chesapeake Energy Arena, was the first time since Magic Johnson in 1990 to produce double figures in both categories in the first nine games.

They are comfortably in a play-off position in the Western Conference, and shouldn’t have any problems against a Nets side that have yet to win on the road.

However, the Nets’ season isn’t a total write-off, with the Knicks just ahead of them and the Celtics, who take up the final play-off position, only two wins away, a Brooklyn win will boost their hopes for the season dramatically, and give Jason Kidd’s men a fighting chance of glory.

It would be a huge task to turn their fortunes at the Clippers though, and with the Clippers being fully rested from Wednesday evening, the score could prove embarrassing for the Atlantic Division side.

It looks as though the result will only be going one way as the Jazz visit the Oakland based side that are sitting pretty in the Western play-offs.

It’s been a long struggle of Utah this season, having won only one from all nine of their games so far and have leaked over 300 points in their last three outings on the road. With problems both on the field and off it, the Salt Lake City side have waived veteran point guard Jamaal Tinsley after an average of only 1.1 per game and are still without Trey Burke who won’t have his right index finger re-evaluated until November 25.

Wednesday was a massive step into rectifying their poor form however, which saw them surpass 100 points for the first time this season. Against an equally poor Pelicans side, Jazz’s young guns finally started to make their mark in the NBA with Gordon Hayward putting in one of his finer performances in a Jazz shirt with 27 points and 10 assists, whilst Swiss 21-year old Enes Kanter had 21 points and 10 rebounds. Alongside Derrick Favors, who took a career-high five steaks, it could be the confidence boost the Jazz need following a torrid start which saw Kevin Durant teach them a lesson in the first game of the season.

The Warriors however have no such problems and have recently extended the contract of Center Andrew Bogut, who leads the side’s blocks per game average and has been instrumental in their season so far.

A tough game against OKC on Thursday, when they clung on to a one point victory in a tense final quarter may have a say in their performance at the EnergySolutions Arena, but with four wins in their last six, it shouldn’t play a huge part in a side who sit inside the play-offs performance. Wins against the Pistons, the Timberwolves and the 76ers in the early stages of the season have turned them into contenders, whilst Stephen Curry’s baskets and assists are leading the team to the playoffs for the second year running.

Despite what should be a comfortable victory for the Warriors, they will have to be wary. Utah’s young starlets will have their tails up following their first win of the season and look to replicate that feeling again against a team who will be coming off the back of a tough game hosting City Thunder. It could be the beginning of a streak for the Jazz, though that’s unlikely.

Long-standing welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre steps into the ring with challenger, former NCAA D-1 standout Johny Hendricks in the main event of UFC 167 this Saturday. Held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Hendricks will finally get his shot at the undisputed title after delivering some of the 170-pound division’s most savage knockouts in his MMA career.

Here are the current UFC betting odds from Bovada.lv:

 

Georges St-Pierre -232
Johny Hendricks +231
Hendricks is cast in the role of underdog for Saturday’s fight. The 30-year-old fighter has wasted no time establishing himself as one of MMA’s biggest names in the world. Despite his success and reputation, Hendricks has yet to achieve the task of dethroning a UFC superstar in the octagonal ring. This Saturday St-Pierre literally has a tough fight on his hands as Hendricks may pose the biggest threat to the MMA legend yet.
St-Pierre has had two fights since returning from his 16-month absence in November 2012. Since recovering from the knee injury that knocked him out of UFC, he has come back with a vengeance, defeating Carlos Condit and Nick Diaz. However, he has yet to meet fists with Hendricks.

 

That isn’t going to stop the 32-year-old champion though. Hailed as a classic, St-Pierre will be defending the undisputable title for an eighth consecutive time. Now back in full swing from his break at injury rehab, St-Pierre has the UFC odds on his side and will be fiercely proving that he is an unstoppable force to be reckoned with.
But this unstoppable force must first knock out the unmovable object that is Hendricks: and he has a roster of skills in his bag. The 15-1 record holder has ended three of his last six fights with a Knockout of the Night. Hendricks’ blend of wrestling ability and crippling blows means that the UFC 167 main event could be either man’s game.
Although missing out on the main event spot, many fans will be eagerly anticipating the light heavyweight battle between Rashad Evans and Chael Sonnen. The bout between these fan favourites would usually make the headline, but with the limelight on St-Pierre and Hendricks, they have had to make do with the co-main event position.
Their odds are as follows:
Chael Sonnen +166
Rashad Evans -175
Both of these MMA veterans have had to face up to difficult loses recently, leaving their chances for another future title shot hindered. On the fast track to claiming light heavyweight championship glory, Evans lost his last title fight against champion Jon Jones. He was then defeated once more in his follow-up fight with Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.
After defeating Dan Henderson in his last battle, a victory over Sonnen would be exactly what “Suga” needs to decisively prove to UFC officials that he is still championship material.
Evans isn’t the only one seeking redemption at UFC 167. Although winning his last fight against Mauricio Rua, Sonnen is seeing his opportunities run low. His latest win came off the back of two difficult losses against champions Anderson Silva and Jon Jones.
With fantastic submission abilities, he will be looking for a clear win over his comrade. But with a speed advantage and a similar skillset to boot, Evans might be throwing in this friendship for a much needed win.

 

 

 

Match Listings For UFC 167

Main Card – 10pm/7PM ETPT
Georges St-Pierre vs. Johny Hendricks
Rashad Evans vs. Chael Sonnen
Rory MacDonald vs. Robbie Lawler
Josh Koscheck vs. Tyron Woodley
Tim Elliot vs. Ali Bagautinov
Fox Sports 1 Prelims – 8pm/5pm ETPT
Donald Cerrone vs. Evan Dunham
Ed Herman vs. Thales Leites
Brian Ebersole vs. Rick Story
Erik Perez vs. Edwin Figueroa

 

Online Prelims – 6.30pm/3.30pm ETPT
Jason High vs. Anthony Lapsley
Will Campuzano vs. Sergio Pettis
Cody Donovan vs. Gian Villante