Welcome to Saturday Bets of the Day, for Saturday December 7, as we wrap up up our best tips from across racing, football, boxing and cricket.
Racing
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Matt Brocklebank
There are some classy campaigners towards the head of the weights in the Becher Chase at Aintree but heavy-ground handicaps over three miles, two furlongs are always prone to throwing up the odd shock and Walk In The Mill rates a good alternative to those at the top of the betting. He’s a late-maturing type but was nicely progressive last season, reaching a mark of 141 after finishing third to Gold Present in a Listed event at Ascot 12 months ago, where Frodon was second and O O Seven fourth.
He pulled up in the Peter Marsh in January but possibly wasn’t himself that day as he didn’t run again, before reappearing at Cheltenham last month. That was a really pleasing comeback run as he stayed on late in the day to be third behind The Young Master and the handicapper has kindly dropped him 2lb. He loves testing ground, stays all day and, if able to brush up his jumping which was a bit erratic at Cheltenham, he looks poised to run a massive race at considerable odds.
David Ord
The trial for the Coral Welsh Grand National will be a gruelling affair on deep ground – but that will play to the strengths of David Pipe’s Ramses De Teillee. He caught the eye on his seasonal reappearance at Wincanton, finishing fifth behind Present Man in the Badger AlesChase at Wincanton, having running left in him after a mistake three out.
He’s twice a winner at this track – both on heavy ground which he revels in – and is now five pounds lower than running very creditably in the Ultima at Cheltenham in March. A big run is on the cards.
Football
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George Pitts
Arsenal have yet to lead at half time this season and will see this as the perfect opportunity to end that stat. They won this fixture 5-0 last season and this campaign are currently unbeaten in 20. Huddersfield have managed just one away clean sheet this season and just two in total in 2018.
Manchester City lead the corner charts this season, averaging seven per game. They had 19 in the course of their last two Premier League games. Chelsea average just over five per game.
Games at the Riverside against Derby, Rotherham, Nottingham Forest, Swansea, Bolton and West Brom all saw the hosts take eight or more corners and that's a strong line of attack for Boro.
He has committed the seconded highest amount of fouls in this Reading side and has four yellow cards already this season.
Boxing
Kell Brook v Michael Zerafa - Brook to win in rounds 5-8 at 15/8
Zerafa's defeats came up at middleweight, so he may be able to match Brook physically. However, he is unlikely to be any sort of a match for him technically and it shouldn't be long before Brook starts unloading the heavy artillery.
The underdog's experience of mixing it with bigger men should make him tougher than Brook's last opponent Rabchenko to break down and the favourite winning in rounds 5-8 makes more appeal at 15/8.
NFL
LA Rams to beat the Chicago Bears (-5 on the handicap) at 29/20
The Rams' attack is scary but they're going up against a fierce defence in the best match-up of the NFL on Sunday. They've got star running back Todd Gurley ripping up trees in almost every game, and crucially they've got Aaron Donald, they best and most disruptive defensive player in the league and he can be the difference in the Rams winning by six points at least.
Are three players this week have a combined 38 touchdowns so far this season, and all three are dual-threat running backs meaning they get action in the running and passing game, making them far more likely to find the end zone.