Spectators will be treated to a feast of top quality sport this week, and a great deal of tension too as the golf and T20 cricket seasons reach their exciting conclusions. A $10m jackpot is on offer for the 125 players who have qualified for the FedEx Cup playoffs, and the road to glory begins in New Jersey with the Barclays. Meanwhile at Edgbaston the T20 Blast reaches its denouement with the always entertaining Finals Day. Holders Birmingham Bears take on the Northants Steelbacks while Hampshire take on the Lancashire Lightning, with the two victorious semi-finalists facing off in the final to take home the T20 trophy.
While some things end, some begin again, and some seem to go on forever. The former certainly applies to Shane Mosley, who comes out of retirement for the second time to take on Ricardo Mayorga, two years his junior at 41 years of age, in California. While Mosley’s career rises from the Ashes, Phil Taylor refuses to fade from darts’ top table. The Stoke thrower looks to win his fourth World Series of Darts title in a row with victory at the Auckland Darts Masters. There is rarely a dead cert in betting, but there are tips that carry a lot more weight than others – read on for four of those such tips.
- The Barclays – Jason Day to win (10/1 at Coral)
- Auckland Darts Masters – Phil Taylor to win (9/4 at Betfred)
- T20 Blast Finals Day – Hampshire to win (5/2 at Sky Bet)
- Shane Mosley v Ricardo Mayorga – Shane Mosley to win by KO, TKO or Disqualification (2/1 at Bet365)
The Barclays – 27th to 30th August
The most lucrative event on the PGA Tour kicks off this week as Plainfield Country Club in Edison, New Jersey hosts the Barclays, the first of four FedEx Cup playoffs. Competitors will be aware of the necessity of winning one of the four Playoff tournaments, as every winner since the FedEx Cup’s induction in 2007 has won at least one, though interestingly only Vijay Singh in 2008 has won the Barclays and gone on to win the FedEx Cup itself. With a $10m prize for winning overall, the field will be vying frantically for the 2500 FedEx points on offer at Plainfield this week.
Jordan Spieth is the tour de force in world golf at the moment, while the impressive Brooks Koepka, Justin Rose and Bubba Watson are also well-fancied but it is Jason Day, now a fully-fledged Major winner, who catches the eye. When Jason Day is in form, the rest of the field should be very wary of the Australian. Day cantered to the USPGA title to secure his second title in his last three outings and has rested since then to prepare for the FedEx playoffs. Day leads the PGA Tour in birdie scores or better and comes into the Barclays second in the FedEx rankings – he is a birdie machine, and the 10/1 offered by Coral on Day winning at Plainfield is very kind indeed.
- Jason Day to win – 10/1 at Coral
Auckland Darts Masters – 28th to 30th August
The Darts World Series continues this week in New Zealand as the world’s top darts stars take on the best of the local crop for the Auckland Darts Masters crown. In Sydney, just as it was in Perth, it was the Phil Taylor show. The Power surged through the competition, thrashing Adrian Lewis 10-3 in the final to pick up his second successive Sydney title. It was not that victory that made the headlines, however. In the semi-final, Taylor threw a perfect nine-dart leg in his 10-7 success over Peter Wright – the first ever televised nine-darter in Australia. Now Taylor and co turn their attention to Auckland, as New Zealand hosts a Darts World Series tournament for the first time.
Form and common sense imply that if you want free money, you will visit Betfred right now and put as much money as you can spare on Phil Taylor to win in Auckland. There is always the chance Taylor could be usurped by Van Gerwen, Lewis or any of the world class players taking part this week, but right now the Stoke thrower looks unstoppable. Taylor has won three World Series titles in a row, and at a canter. With 20 wins from 20 matches played on Australian soil, Taylor appears to be some sort of antipodean darting god, and a bet on him at 9/4 to continue his hot streak in New Zealand seems the most sensible bet of the week.
- Phil Taylor to win – 9/4 at Betfred
T20 Blast Finals Day – 29th August
And then there were four. Eighteen teams began the T20 Blast in May hoping to reach Finals Day at Edgbaston, but 130 matches later only holders Birmingham Bears, Northants Steelbacks, Lancashire Lightning and Hampshire remain. The former two take each other on in the first semi-final of the day, with Lancashire and Hampshire doing battle immediately afterwards. All four sides have reached the final once in the last four years, with Lancashire the only side having been unable to win the title. The Bears are the favourites to retain their crown, but all four sides are in with a decent shout.
Hampshire, arguably, have the easiest draw as they take on a Lancashire side who squeezed into fourth place in the North Group and only beat Kent on least wickets lost in the quarter final. In James Vince Hampshire have the joint-top scoring English batsman in the competition, and the captain’s runs will be vital to the cause. Jimmy Adams provides excellent foil, while Michael Carberry and Owais Shah bring vital experience and power with the bat. Fidel Edwards and Yasir Arafat lead a potent bowling attack that should take plenty of wickets on what should be a green Edgbaston track, and given Hampshire’s track record in T20 competitions – winners twice in the last five years – they are well worth backing. Sky Bet will offer you 5/2 to do just that.
- Hampshire to win – 5/2 at Sky Bet
Shane Mosley v Ricardo Mayorga – 30th August
Sunday morning’s clash between Shane Mosley and Ricardo Mayorga has not been short of controversy before it begins in Inglewood, California. In fact, it is not even clear if the bout will take place due to legal wrangling, with Mayorga’s promoter Don King casting doubt on Mosley’s ability to fight. King has not found any corroborating opinions but many are questioning the 43-year-old’s decision to fight, with Ricky Hatton chief amongst them. The storm away from the ring adds real spice to a fight that did not really need it – Mosley and Mayorga do not like it, and both will be looking forward to proving what they can do in California. Hopefully there will be a fight to watch.
Neither fighter is in their pomp any longer, with Mosley returning from retirement for the second time after a TKO defeat to Anthony Mundine in 2013. Mayorga has not been in action either, with his last bout coming in 2014 against Allen Medina and lasting just over a minute. However Mosley, once 38 bouts unbeaten, has the more impressive record – 49-9-1 to Mayorga’s 31-8-1 – and has defeated the Nicaraguan before, a 12th round KO victory in 2008. Neither look fit to last the distance this time and will look for the KO, and Mayorga’s lack of agility in the ring will make him a sitting duck. Mayorga may have bragged that he would make Mosley wash his dishes, but 2/1 at Bet365 says the American cleans up in California. If the fight happens, that is.
- Shane Mosley to win by KO, TKO or Disqualification – 2/1 at Bet365