Weekend Sports Tips: Real Madrid, Monaco GP and Leeds Rhinos are in
Published:
The sporting action continues apace with this weekend – with everything from top football to one of F1’s most iconic races, the Monaco Grand Prix. And that’s just for starters…
Ahead of the action, we’ve put our heads together to produce five top tips. So let’s kick off, starting with the Champions League final.
Real Madrid to Lift the Trophy @ 4/6
Saturday’s UCL showpiece in Kiev promises to be a cracker. Jurgen Klopp’s swashbuckling Liverpool face a clinical Real Madrid side looking for a third successive European grown.
While there’s no doubt the Reds are a top side, toppling Los Blancos is a huge ask. The Spanish giants have won three of the last four finals, with two of those ending 4-1. Add in the big-game pedigree of Cristiano Ronaldo, and they should have enough to prevail.
Podium Finish: Kimi Raikkonen @ 2/1
The Finn has enjoyed a strong start to the 2018 season, with three podium finishes in the opening five races. That included second place in Azerbaijan last month, with the 38-year-old less than 2.5 seconds behind winner Lewis Hamilton.
Raikkonen also returns to Monaco this weekend having impressed on this circuit 12 months ago. He finished second, seeing off the likes of Daniel Ricciardo and compatriot Valtteri Bottas in the process.
Exeter Chiefs @ 5/4
Saturday sees the Aviva Premiership Final, as Exeter Chiefs do battle with Saracens at Twickenham. And recent history suggests it’s the Chiefs who’ll be lifting the trophy, having won each of the last four head-to-heads.
Rob Baxter’s men have also been the strongest side throughout the campaign, finishing seven points above second-placed Sarries. Factor in Exeter’s 23-20 victory over Wasps in last year’s final, and it’s hard to see past them winning again.
Aston Villa v. Fulham – BTTS: No @ 4/5
With so much at stake, the Championship play-off final tends to be a pretty cagey affair. The last five finals have seen a combined total of five goals, with last season’s clash between Huddersfield Town and Reading ending 0-0.
In fact, just three of the last 15 Champ finals have seen both teams register. That trend looks likely to continue, with Steve Bruce’s Aston Villainvolved. Only one of their last seven games have seen more than one side score.
Leeds Rhinos +4 @ 8/13
Leeds Rhinos head to Perpignan to face a patchy Catalans Dragons side who currently sit 10th in Super League, having scored a league-worst 205 points.
The visitors will fancy their chances, having won each of the last two meetings – including a 30-24 triumph at Stade Gilbert Brutus in May 2017.
However, even if they are edged out, the Rhinos rarely lose heavily. Three of their previous five defeats in all competitions have come by a margin of two points or fewer.
All odds and markets correct as of the date of publishing
