Ajax thrilled Europe last season with their exciting brand of attacking football and almost delivered an incredible treble.
Erik ten Hag s side won the Eredivisie and the KNVB Beker while beating Real Madrid and Juventus en route to the Champions League semi-finals, where they were seconds away from seeing off Tottenham, too.
However, as expected, Ajax have seen their most impressive performers depart in the aftermath of a sensational campaign. Frenkie de Jong linked up with Barcelona as Juve signed Matthijs de Ligt.
It appears unlikely Ajax will be able to reach the same heights again in the coming season, but they have been able to spend in the transfer market after raking in more than €150million in fees for their young talents.
Reinforcements have a…
This is the pick of the Weekend s relegation battles, with it all to play for. Gianfranco Zola s men have home advantage but trail Wigan Athletic by two places and four points in the league, while Wigan will fancy their chances after a remarkable victory over Arsenal in their last game, in which they managed to overthrow a two goal deficit in the last ten minutes of the game to win 3-2.
Zola will find this a tough match, with rumours of his impending exit rife in the national papers. It is no secret that there has been animosity between him and the new owners, Gold and Sullivan. Unfortunately for Hammers fans, there are several notable absentees from the squad due to injury. This includes Hines, Nouble, Boa Morte, Dyer, Collison, Ilunga and Tomkins. Fortunately West Ham have a …
Leeds United overcame Birmingham City in a nine-goal thriller to move top of the Championship table as previous leaders West Brom suffered a shock home defeat to Middlesbrough on Sunday.
Marcelo Bielsa s Leeds benefited from an injury time own goal at St Andrew s, Wes Harding turning Luke Ayling s low cross into the net to settle a post-Christmas cracker.
The visitors had previously let slip a lead on three occasions during a see-saw contest, though by finding a late winner they leapfrog West Brom, who lost for just the second time in the league this season.
Fulham are up to third after a 1-0 triumph over Stoke City, with Brentford slipping back a spot in the standings after going down to Aiden O Brien s eighth-minute goal at in-form Millwall.
Nott…
For the first time since 2013, neither Lionel Messi nor Cristiano Ronaldo will feature in the Champions League final.
Messi s Barcelona capitulated at the hands of Liverpool on Tuesday, losing the semi-final second leg 4-0 to go down 4-3 on aggregate.
That shock result ended an astonishing run of dominance for the star duo when it comes to Europe s top club competition. Since 2013, one of Messi or Ronaldo were involved in five successive finals – with the latter winning three straight titles and four in total.
But Ronaldo, who left holders Real Madrid at the start of the season, saw his Juventus team crash out at the quarter-final stage to Ajax in the 2018-19 tournament.
Final whistle at Anfield. Liverpool qualify for the final.
(4-0, agg 4-3)
The Los Angeles Chargers have had this Week 8 matchup with the New England Patriots circled on the calendar for a while, after absorbing a 45-0 blasting at the hands of the Pats last December.
The NFL betting odds have the revengeful Bolts set as 5.5-point home chalk, coming off a bye week that followed a one-sided road loss at Baltimore. New England, on the other hand, has won two of its last three, including a 54-13 trouncing of the Jets last Sunday.
Check out our NFL free picks and predictions for Patriots at Chargers on October 31.
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The two teams expected to fight for the NFC North crown in 2022 will begin their seasons against one another, as Green Bay makes the short trip to Minnesota in Week 1.
The Packers and back-to-back MVP Aaron Rodgers are looking to defend their divisional crown but with major turnover around the quarterback, while Minnesota looks to give Justin Jefferson a situation worthy of his all-time talent.
Rodgers’ pass catchers and Minnesota’s third-year phenom share the spotlight in our NFL player prop picks for the Packers vs. Vikings.
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It’s the final week of the NFL preseason, which means meaningful football is only a couple of weeks away. But for players trying to make the final 53 on Aug. 29, this is one of their few opportunities left to show something.
The big storyline as the Los Angeles Chargers and San Francisco 49ers take the field at Levi’s Stadium on Friday night will be about how former No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance just hasn’t shown enough in his few opportunities.
After being demoted to third-string duties earlier this week, Lance is expected to play, paving the way for a North Dakota State quarterback duel between him and Chargers backup Easton Stick… neither of whom has been a world-beater this preseason.
Find out where my best bets lie in our N…
One of the NFL’s most heated rivalries will get a new chapter this evening when the Baltimore Ravens host the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday Night Football. These bitter AFC North adversaries last met in Week 2, when Lamar Jackson threw two touchdown passes and racked up 54 yards on the ground to lead Baltimore to a gritty 27-24 victory on the road. Both teams have since rattled off impressive four-game winning streaks and will be eager to assert their dominance tonight at M&T Bank Stadium.
While there are a number of different subscription-based TV channels and streaming services available to watch this game, did you know that you can also live stream Bengals vs. Ravens directly from legal sports betting sites?
Caesars, BetRivers, and Fanatics Sport…
Football fans will have twice as many ways to watch Super Bowl 58 on Sunday with live broadcast options courtesy of CBS and Nickelodeon. No, that isn’t a misprint. The channel famous for dousing celebrities with neon green slime will also be airing a kid-friendly version of the NFL’s championship game.
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If any matchup could snap the Cincinnati Bengals out of their early-season funk, today’s AFC North scrap against the Baltimore Ravens is a logical pick.
However, the numbers and the eye test suggest it’s a long shot. The Ravens are worthy favorites on the road here, and my Ravens vs. Bengals predictions see the visitors having the last laugh in what should be a high-scoring game.
I’m also locked in on the player prop markets, with Derrick Henry and Tee Higgins among my top NFL picks for this crucial October 6 contest.
Ravens vs Bengals predictions
- Ravens -2.5 (-110 at BetMGM)
- Over 48.5 (-110 at BetMG…