Five stats to help you bet on the Confederations Cup Final

USA/Brazil, Sunday 7.30pm, BBC Three, Best Odds, Free Bets

The reaction of the American media to their national side ending Spain’s 35-game unbeaten streak may have been unbearable but it would have been just as bad - if not worse - over here if England had done it. The USA have brought excitement to this pretty meaningless tournament over the past week and after watching Brazil stumble past South Africa last night in the other semi-final, they will fancy their chances of winning it. The bookies don’t though and some of the trends make it easy to see why:

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1. Brazil have won 14 of their 15 matches against USA (one after extra-time). The USA’s one win over the holders came in the 1998 Gold Cup Final, with former Everton winger Predrag “Preki” Radosavljevic scoring the winner.

2. USA haven’t scored against Brazil in three previous Confederations Cup meetings, with Dunga’s side beating them 1-0 in 1999 and 2003 and winning 3-0 against them last Thursday.

Posted: June 26th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Everything you need to know about the 2009 FA Cup Final

Chelsea/Everton, Saturday 3pm, ITV1, £25 no loss Bet

The Big Four had a 12 year period of uninterrupted FA Cup dominance until Portsmouth gatecrashed the party last year and it’s been left to Everton to ensure that the crown doesn’t return to one of the Premier League’s elite. Check out the Big Match Wizard we have produced with Betfair to find out about Ashley Cole’s unprecedented FA Cup record, Chelsea’s fantastic defensive record when Alex plays, Louis Saha’s habit of scoring against the Blues and loads more. The stats have persuaded us to back Everton to win 1-0 with Saha grabbing the winner but take a look now to help you decide.

Posted: May 26th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

68 statistics about this year’s Champions League final

Barcelona/Manchester Utd, Weds 7.45pm, ITV1, £25 no loss Bet

It’s the ultimate Champions League Final as the two winners of the best two leagues in Europe face off in Rome. Check out the interactive wizard that we have produced with Betfair which features 68 statistics about the match.

Posted: May 26th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Athletic Bilbao are 7.2 to end Barcelona’s treble bid tonight

Bilbao/Barcelona, Copa del Rey Final, 9pm, Free Bets, Best Odds

There couldn’t be a more fitting final - the two most successful teams in the competition’s history vying to become the first to win it 25 times (if you count 1902 as a Bilbao triumph). King Juan Carlos might not be looking forward to it quite as enthusiastically though given the prospect of thousands of Catalan and Basque fans jeering both him and the Spanish national anthem.

Barcelona are missing Rafael Marquez, Eric Abidal, Andres Iniesta and Thierry Henry and are struggling with fatigue ahead of their 12th match in 40 days. Here’s why Athletic Bilbao are worth backing at 7.2 with Betfair:

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» Bilbao are hitting form at the right time having won three and drawn one of their last five, killing off any danger of a relegation battle.

» They also have a massive fitness advantage having played four games less than Barcelona since the start of April.

Posted: May 13th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | 1 Comment

Five reasons why Tottenham could retain the Carling Cup

Man Utd/Spurs, Sunday 3pm, Sky Sports 1, Free Bets, Best Odds

We’re not pretending for a second that you spend your whole month’s wages betting on a Tottenham triumph but here are five reasons why a Manchester United victory isn’t the sure thing that many are suggesting:

1. Tottenham have a brilliant record against the Big Four and have only lost one of their seven meetings with them this season - the 2-1 FA Cup loss to Manchester United when they played their “mish-mash” side.

2. And Spurs have already got past the other three Big Four sides in this competition over the last fourteen months - beating Arsenal in last season’s semi-finals, Chelsea in the final and Liverpool in this year’s fourth round.

3. Both sides have contested six Carling Cup finals but Tottenham have a 67% win rate in them compared to Manchester United’s 33%. Spurs have triumphed on four occasions, with United lifting the cup just twice.

Posted: February 27th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

It’s X Factor final time!

chickendinner picks out some of its favourite novelty bets

It’s the X Factor final tomorrow and if you’re not too enamoured by any of the finalists then there are plenty of fun novelty bets you can make to ensure you enjoy your Saturday evening in front of the telly. Here are some of our favourites:

» First person to cry during the final: Alexandra (2/1), anyone in JLS (9/4), Cheryl (5/2), Eoghan (6/1), Louis (8/1), Dannii (10/1), Simon (40/1) and Dermot (50/1) with Paddy Power

» Eoghan to break down in tears mid-song - 8/1 with Paddy Power

» All four judges not to be seen giving a standing ovation at least once - 16/1 with Sky Bet

» Eoghan to sing Puppy Love in the final - 33/1 with Paddy Power

» A finalist to accidentally fall over on stage - 33/1 with Sky Bet

chickendinner bonus - Watch Harry Hill’s X Factor style big build-up video for Louis Walsh after the jump:

Posted: December 12th, 2008 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment