The winner of the scoop6 a fortnight ago failed to win the £2.5 million bonus fund last week after selection Big Fella Thanks only finished third in the Racing Post Chase.



The punter who wishes to remain anonymous still donated some of his win fund winnings to the Royal British Legion along with totesport who donated a further £10k to the charity.So with Cheltenham two weeks away, there’s still a chance to play the scoop6 on Saturday and stand a chance to play for this bumber bonus fund next weekend.



Saturday 28th February



totescoop6 races:
Leg1 - Doncaster 1.50
Leg2 - Newbury 2.35
Leg3 - Kempton 2.50
Leg4 - Newbury 3.10
Leg5 - Doncaster 3.25
Leg6 - Newbury 3.45



Win Fund Rollover £201,125



Bonus Fund Rollover £2,842,120



To place your scoop6 bet click here.

There are four games each day split across this weekend in the Premier League and with Manchester United playing in the Carling Cup versus Tottenham Sunday it gives the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea and Villa the chance to close the gap.

First off on Saturday sees Everton host West Brom at Goodison Park. The injuries are wracking up for David Moyes men and after losing Mikel Arteta last weekend he’s really down to the bare bones for the visit of West Brom. Fortunately for him, West Brom have only one away win all season and that was way back in September versus Boro. Everton are five unbeaten at home and won the return fixture 3-1 at the Hawthorns earlier in the season. It looks like a home banker to us and you can scoop up the 4/9 available at totesport. West Brom are an 11/2 shot to pull off an unlikely win and the draw is 11/4. You can bet on the this game live in-running at totesport.

The first of the 3pm kick-offs see Arsenal try to break their goalscoring duck against London neighbours Fulham at the Emirates. Arsenal have drawn their last two at home and are winless in four now, with three no less ending goaless. Robin Van Persie scored the only goal in the Champions League versus Roma midweek, although the young gunners still missed a host of chances. Fulham have no away wins to their name in the Premier League this season but have drawn six times, including good results away to Liverpool and Villa. Arsenal should win and the 2/5 at totesport re-iterates this fact. Fulham are 13/2 with another yet another draw for the gunners available at 11/4.

Chelsea look for back to back wins at home against Wigan at 3pm on Saturday. It’s actually been the home form that has hindered Chelsea’s title challenge this season and they drew here versus Hull last time out in the Premier League. Two wins from two from new Manager Guus Hiddink suggests brighter times are ahead and in visitors Wigan they are playing a team who they’ve beaten in every Premier League encounter between the two clubs. Wigan are struggling for form with only four points from a possible eighteen but have drawn their last four on the road. Goals seem to be the problem with only one goal in eight Premier League matches and that was a Mido penalty. Chelsea should continue their winning record against wigan and are 1/4 to do so with totesport. Wigan are a 10/1 shot with the draw available at 7/2.

In the last of Saturday’s games, Liverpool look to close the gap on Man United with a trip to Middlesborough. Liverpool won rather fortuitously in the return fixture back in August with two goals in the last five minutes snatching a 2-1 win. The Reds have only won two of their last six matches in the league and this won’t be plain sailing. Boro sit second bottom and have only three home wins to their name this season. Gareth Southgate’s men haven’t scored in five Premier League matches and only have one goal in nine in the league. They have drawn their last two at home though versus two other north-west teams in the shape of Wigan and Blackburn and the midweek win over West Ham in the FA Cup will have given them encouragement. Boro are a lively 7/2 to upset the form here with Liverpool 4/6 with totesport. The draw could be the pick at 12/5 though if Rafa Benitez’s team fail to shake off the exploits of their midweek trip to Madrid.

The first of two 12.30pm kick offs on Sunday sees Hull looking to bounce back from their league defeat on Monday against Spurs as they welcome Blackburn Rovers to the KC Stadium. Hull are in freefall having not won in their last ten Premier League games, five of which were at home. That’s left them with only two points from a possible eighteen, but Phil Brown will be hopeful of getting something out of his former boss Sam Allardyce on Sunday. Rovers have not won in four and lost midweek against Coventry in the FA Cup. Being two points from safety might not make the FA Cup a priority for Big Sam but the loss will have done nothing to help the confidence of the team. Hull are made slight favourites with totesport at 11/8 with Blackburn a 13/8 shot. The draw looks the pick to me though at 11/5 offers the best value.

West Ham host a Manchester City side with only one away win to their name in the league this season. City did draw last time out away against Liverpool last weekend but after their UEFA Cup exploits on Thursday they’re easy to oppose here. West Ham aren’t withoput their troubles either, 9th in the league but have no win in three in the league, four including Wednesday’s dissapointing loss to Boro in the FA Cup. West Ham lost 3-0 to City in the the return fixture at Eastlands but go into this match slight favourites at 11/8, opposed to the 13/8 about City’s chances. The draw is a 11/5 shot with totesport.

Sunday’s live match sees Bolton host Newcastle at 1pm. It’s 12th against 15th with only two points seperating the teams so there’s all to play for in escaping the relegation zone. Bolton have won their last two games at home and Newcastle only have two away wins all season, coming against Portsmouth and West Brom. Continuing the theme of ‘two’, that’s the number of Newcastle wins at the Reebok in the last eight attempts. The Geordies are a 9/4 chance here to get a rare win, with Bolton evens with totesport. There hasn’t been a draw between these two in the north west during the last ten years so it might be one to avoid, currently priced at 9/4. You can bet on the this game live in-running at totesport.

Finally, Villa host Stoke at 3pm on Sunday afternoon. Villa can now concentrate all efforts into qualifying for the Champions League after being knocked out of the UEFA Cup on Thursday. The loss to Chelsea last weekend ended a thirteen match unbeaten run, but at home they only have five wins from thirteen all season. They’ve not won at Villa Park since the 10th Jan versus West Brom so it’ll be squeaky bum time for the fans as Stoke make the short trip down the M6. Stoke haven’t got an away win to their name all season but with seven stalemates shows their no mugs, a 0-0 at Anfield included. With this in mind, the 2/5 available with totesport looks a little skinny, with the 11/4 for the draw making most appeal. Stoke are a 13/2 shot to break their duck away from the Britannia. Totesport will be betting live in-running on all of the weekend’s live matches.

Click here for all football betting

The WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship is dominated by the return to action of world number one and the best player ever Tiger Woods. That’s right, Tiger is back, just in time as he bids to get a few tournaments under his belt pre-US Masters in April. The betting is affected because of this but it’s also worth remembering that this is match-play, which suits some players better than ever.

So Tiger has been installed as 5/1 favourite with totesport to retain the crown he won this time last year. There’s two ways of looking at this price, it could be deemed big, as a fit on form Tiger on a course he plays well would usually be a lot shorter than this going into a tournament. But, it could be deemed short, due to the length of absence from the course, with the potential for him to be a little ring rusty. This argument is slightly tempered by the fact he won the US Open on one leg last year, but surely there’s question marks over whether Tiger can manage walking the potential six rounds of golf in five days it’ll take for him to win it. With this in mind, he’s best left watched this week (although I also said this about Phil Mickelson last week!).

Tiger’s the number one seed and plays in the Bobby Jones section of the draw. If he’s not going to win it who else has claims from that quarter of the draw? Geoff Ogilvy shines out at you like a beacon, having lost in the final here two years ago, he’s shown some fine form so far in 2009 with a win at the Mercedes-Benz Championship in Hawaii back in January. Providing Tiger’s not firing on all cylinders he has the game to make it through this quarter of the draw and at 20/1 with totesport has a lively chance.

Just a quick word on Rory McIlroy who plays in his first WGC Matchplay. McIlroy is a 40/1 chance and this is his first reappearance since his debut win on tour at the Dubai Desert Classic a few weeks ago. He’ll come on for that win and would love to see him play Woods in a potential third round match up.

In the Ben Hogan quarter, heavyweights Vijay Singh, Ernie Els, Phil Mickelson and Lee Westwood compete. Vijay has made a slow recovery from injury and although has a solid record here in the last couple of years (fourth round in 2008) he can be dismissed here. Els is having a very poor start to 2009 and will need a significant return to form to get past his first round opponent Soren Hansen who played well at the Ryder Cup. There form is reflected in the odds with the pair 50/1 and 45/1 respectively and they suggest there’s better options elsewhere.

Westwood is a 33/1 shot and hasn’t been able to plant four successive good rounds together so far this season. He’s not made it past the second round in his last two visits either and can be left alone to progress from this quarter.

I wrote off Phil Mickelson last week and I was made to eat my words, but it’s not going to be a case of once bitten twice shy on this occasion. Phil may have found some form but his record on this course is no great shakes in the match-play, not making it past the second round in the last two attempts. He’s also not won in the singles on Ryder Cup Sunday since 1999 losing his last four matches since then, so you’d be better off investing elsewhere than the 16/1 you can get here.

So where does that leave you from the Ben Hogan quarter? Well Luke Donald (33/1) has played well in the last couple of weeks and has faired well on his two Ryder Cup appearances. Steve Stricker is a 55/1 shot and has two top three finishes to his name in 2009. He made it to the third round last year and actually won the tournament way back in 2001, albeit on a different course. Angel Cabrera knocked both of these players out last year on his way to his fourth round exit. The big Argentinian plays Mickelson in the first round this week but re-discovered some form at the weekend finishing tied 13th at the Northern Trust Open. Cabrera has the length and flamboyance to upset anyone in a match-play situation and is unbeaten in two Presidents Cup singles matches.

The Gary Player quarter sees 20/1 shot Sergio Garcia have the best chance of progressing. He may come up against a second round tough opponent in the shape of Ian Poulter (50/1) but comes here fresh playing in his favourite format. Paul Casey also looks a good shout at 25/1. he’s in excellent form this season and has a superb matchplay record with a win in the World Matchplay Championship at Wentworth back at 2006 and a strong Ryder Cup record. His third and fourth round exits here in the last two years also suggest there’s more to follow.

The Sam Snead quarter looks possibly the weakest on paper of the four, with only Padraig Harrington in the world top five. The Irishman has been blowing hot and cold in 2009 and looks opposable at 35/1 with totesport. Henrik Stenson is probably my main pick for the tournament and is available to back at 16/1. the Swede has been very consistent in 2009 with two top three finishes in the last month and won this tournament two years ago. He followed that up by getting beat in the semi final against Tiger no less so has the course and tournament form to really mount a challenge again in 2009.

Anthony Kim is the next highest ranked player in this section and if he can recreate his Ryder Cup form could well be a force at 16/1 second favourite with totesport. He looks to be too inconsistent so far in 2009 though and I’d be surprised to see him string six good rounds together here.

It’s a pretty difficult task to pick the winner out of this lot and there’s also the likes of Retief Goosen (40/1), Camilo Villegas (28/1), Adam Scott (28/1), Robert Karlsson (33/1), Davis Love III (40/1) and Justin Leonard (100/1)who haven’t even got a mention but all have strong claims.

There’s match betting to get stuck into each-day if you prefer and totesport with be betting in running throughout the live coverage.

For all your golf betting this week visit totesport.

As you may well be aware of by now the scoop6 win fund was won last weekend by a single Internet punter.  They wished to remain nameless (good thinking) but have made the amazing decision that if they win the bonus race on Saturday they’ll dedicate all the winnings to the Royal British Legion.  The punter won £669,465.30 last Saturday when he correctly picked the six winners of the totescoop6.  This means he has a chance to win the bonus fund on Saturday, a staggering £2,755,923!

It really warms the cockles to think that someone could be so generous, especially in the current climate, so here’s big good luck to him on Saturday from us!

The bonus race has been announced and it’s the Racing Post Trophy from Kempton.  It’s always a good betting race and this year in no different, plus the added spice of someone going for £2.7 million if he picks the winner!  Favourite is the recently picked Pricewise of the Grand national in the Racing Post, Big Fella Thanks and if that’s where the bonus money goes it’s sure to be an aptly named horse if he obliges.

Saturday’s totescoop6 races:

Leg 1, Kempton  - 1.30pm
Leg 2, Newcastle - 2.20pm
Leg 3, Chepstow - 2.45pm
Leg 4, Kempton  - 3.10pm*
Leg 5, Newcastle - 3.30pm
Leg 6, Kempton  - 3.45pm

*Bonus race - Racing Post Chase

You can win the scoop6, simply pick the six winners of the above races for as little as a £2 stake.

To place your scoop6 bet click here.

Plenty of Premier League teams will have had a little holiday while the FA Cup took priority last weekend.  There’s some intriguing contests over the next few days and plenty of football betting opportunities to get stuck into.

Possibly the tie of the weekend is up first at Villa Park on Saturday lunchtime with Chelsea the visitors.  Not only is this new Chelsea boss Guss Hiddink’s first game in charge in the league, but it’s also versus a Villa side who have currently ousted them from third place!  Aston Villa are second only behind Manchester United in the form books having taken sixteen points from their last possible eighteen.  However, a blip in the Cup last weekend which saw them lose convincingly to Everton at Goodison and only a hard fought home draw in the UEFA Cup midweek suggests they may have finally hit a rocky patch.  Regular readers will know I’ve been predicting the wheels to come off Villa’s season for a good few weeks now and they’ll definitely be feeling the pressure ahead of this match with Chelsea who have only lost twice away this season.  Add this to the ‘Guus’ factor and I can see another defeat on the cards for Martin O’Neill’s troops.  You can back Chelsea with totesport at 13/10, with the draw a 9/4 shot.  Villa backers can pile into the 17/10 available if they wish!

It’s another game at the Emirates on Saturday where the home team should win.  However they have drawn far too many games this season (8) and they host a Sunderland team on a run of three games without defeat.  In that same period Arsenal have churned out three draws, two of which were goalless and the other reliant on a 90th minute equaliser from Robin Van Persie.  Goals have been hard to come by for the Gunners but with Eduardo’s cameo on Monday night against Cardiff they should have enough fire power here.  The odds suggest this as well with Arsenal a home banker at 4/11 with totesport.  You can back Sunderland or the draw at 13/2 and 3/1 respectively.

West Ham look to get back on track after defeat at home to Manchester United last time somewhat spoiled their unbeaten run.  This run has seen them not lose on the road in their last six and won’t hold any fear travelling to the Reebok Stadium on Saturday.  Bolton on the other hand only have one win to their name in their last six outings, albeit their last game at home versus a Spurs team with a bad away record.  So all going well, West Ham could continue this run here and continue what has turned out to be an excellent season.  The Hammers are a rather generous 17/10 with totesport, with Bolton deemed favourites at 13/10 and the draw a 9/4 chance.

Middlesbrough are currently struggling in the Premier League and it’s no surprise to see why.  Win-less now in thirteen matches now you have to go all the way back to their last win away at Aston Villa of all places!  They only have three home wins all season, against Spurs, Stoke and Manchester City and there’s no coincidence that all three teamsn have a woeful record on the road.  They’ve gone four games without scoring in the league but if they do have one glimmer of hope it’s the fact that they could do the double over Saturday’s opponents Wigan.  Boro won the reverse fixture at the JJB after nicking it late on through Jerome Aliadiere and are a 7/5 shot here, opposed to the 8/5 you can get on the away side at totesport.  The draw is 11/5 and might just be the pick, after all Wigan have drawn their last three matches.

There will be six-pointers a plenty as we gain pace towards the end of the season, but the three points up for grabs for Stoke at home to Portsmouth should be the dangled carrot they need as a home win will see them go level on points with Saturday’s opponents.  Stoke owe their league position to their home form, with 21 of their 24 points all earned at the Britannia.  On the flip-side, Pompey have only two away wins to their name all season and you have to go all the way back to November for that against Sunderland.  Stoke are a 13/10 favourite with totesport for another home three points here, whereas Pompey are a 17/10 shot.  The draw is available at 9/4.

Saturday’s live evening kick-off sees Manchester United host Blackburn Rovers at Old Trafford.  There’s not really much we can say about United, other than it looks as if they will be very difficult to be caught now they’ve gone five points clear at the top of the Premier League.  Sam Allardyce comes here after his first league defeat since arriving at Ewood and he actually has a couple of Premier league wins at Old Trafford from his days at Bolton.  It’s going to be a big ask though as the betting reflects, United at 2/9 shot and Blackburn as big as 9/1 with totesport.  The draw is 4/1.

There’s a live double header on the Sunday and first up it’s Fulham versus West Brom at Craven Cottage.  Fulham have slipped slightly after their great start to the season but could be excused with a recent run of tough fixtures.  As always Fulham are a tough proposition at Home, with fourteen points taken from a possible eighteen in their last six matches at the Cottage.  Compare that to West Brom’s away record which is hopeless at best you have yourself another home banker.  Fulham are a very generous 8/11 with totesport, with West Brom 10/3 and the draw 9/4.

Sandwiched in between the two live games sees Liverpool desperately try to hang onto the tailcoats of Manchester United as they host Man City at 3pm.  This should be another home win as City have one of the worst away records in the division, just won win way back in September versus Sunderland.  They do however have match winners in abundance and they could just rise to the occasion at Anfield, where Liverpool have been struggling to put teams away.  Just two wins at home in their last six suggests that there will be some tension in the air on Sunday and you can capitalise by backing the draw at 12/5 with totesport.  If you don’t want to sit on the fence, you can back Liverpool or Man City at 4/7 and 9/2 respectively.

The second live game on Sunday sees Newcastle host Everton at St James’s Park.  With Joe Kinnear in a hospital bed, it’s coaches Chris Hughton and Colin Calderwood’s job to get Newcastle out of the mire.  Newcastle currently sit thirteenth in the league but just three points from the relegation zone.  A win away at West Brom last time out gave them a much needed boost but it won’t be as easy this weekend versus Everton.   That saying you have to go all the way back to October 2000 for the last away win for Everton over the Geordies.  Everton are slight favourites with totesport at 7/5 whilst you can back Newcastle at 8/5 with totesport.  The draw is 11/5.

The Monday night game sees Spurs (13/10) travel to Hull (17/10).  Spurs rested their whole team thereabouts for the game in the Ukraine on Thursday night so shouldn’t really be using that as an excuse.  In theory Harry Redknapp’s team will be playing their hearts out for a place in next Sunday’s Carling Cup Final.  However, theory tells us that Spurs should be about ten places higher in the league and Hull have a team spirit that will make it difficult for these southern fancy dans.  Hull are struggling though in the league and at home, now winless in four.  Spurs have lost their last four games on the road so the draw looks the best bet, at 9/4 with totesport.

Totesport will be betting live in-running on all of the weekend’s live matches.

Click here for all football betting

After last week’s marathon AT & T Pro Am which eventually lost a round to the weather, it’s good to get back to some ‘proper’ golf at the at the Riviera Country Club with the Northern Trust Open (formerly the Nissan Open).

Phil Mickelson once again heads the betting at 14/1 with totesport, despite his very poor form so far in 2009.  Another poor return at Pebble Beach last week suggests this run is a little more than a blip, so it’ll be interesting to see how he handles a course where he has won and finished second in the last two years.

Mike Weir is a man in form, with a second and a third in his last three tournaments.  The Canadian is a 16/1 shot with totesport although you have to go all the way back to 2004 for some real course form, although he did win it!

Last weeks tips Jim Furyk and Vijay Singh have slipped in the betting to 28/1 and 25/1 respectively from before last weeks tournament.  Neither players took to their first action for a while particularly well, with the big man from Fiji missing the cut.  They say Vijay plays better the more he plays so it could be a good time to back him here, although again, he has no real course form to speak of in recent visits.

Luke Donald has caught the eye of a few punters, with ball striking a key to playing the Riviera Club well he’s on the shortlist for many.  After a week off he comes here fresh and has course form in the shape of a 12th and 3rd in his last three visits.

Robert Allenby catches the eye with third and seventh placed finishes in his previous two visits.  He’s been lightly raced so far in 2009 but a 15th place finish in the Abu Dhabi Championship and a 3rd in the Aussie Masters he’s in good touch.  At 33/1 he might worth a dabble each-way with totesport.

Another player who hasn’t seen much of the course in 2009 is Justin Rose.  The young Englishman had been in the doldrums through much of 2008 and his prices have lengthened in the tournaments he’s played this year.  He’s a whopping 50/1 here this week and after taking a couple of weeks off after finishing second to Rory McIlroy in Dubai he comes here in good nick.  There are question marks over his course form but playing well he could make a mockery of that 50/1 price.

There are value claims for a few other players on the European Tour players here as conditions are set to be cool and blowy.  Graeme McDowell has had a quiet start to the year but at 80/1 could represent some value if conditions suit.  Another over priced player is Indian Jeev Milka Singh, a 100/1 shot with totesport.  Singh has two top twenty finishes in his last two tournaments, both in the ultra competitive ‘Dubai Swing’ and although has no course form to speak of could well be over-priced here.

For all your golf betting this week visit totesport.

The Race to Dubai continues this week moving down to Australia for the Johnnie Walker Classic.  After last weeks surprise winner in the shape of American Anthony Kang, there’s another open looking field here with plenty of scope for a big priced winner.

The tournament returns to the Vines Resort and Country Club in Perth, Australia for the first time since 2006, so course form is a little harder to come by.  Four names dominate the betting, with Paul Casey, Anthony Kim and Camilo Villegas heading the field at 10/1 and Lee Westwood next best at 18/1.  Of the four, it’s probably Westwood who offers the best value at that price, although only Casey played here three years ago, finishing fifteenth.

Westwood has made a steady start to 2009 with only two starts and two modest finishes to his name in Qatar and Dubai in January.  His eyes are on a much bigger prize this year as he bids to get his first major under his belt after going close in 2008 and although being the best value of this quartet heading the betting on top form he might be best watched this week.

Casey was a 25/1 shot when winning the Abu Dhabi back in January against a tougher field than this and followed it up a fortnight later with a tied fourth place finish at the Dubai Desert Classic, so it’s no surprise to see him battling for favourtism here and of the four he probably offers the best chance of victory.

Anthony Kim shot a dreadful fist round 78 in Malaysia last week which added fuel to the critics fire by claiming he was only there for the huge appearance fee laid out.  However, after a second round 65 he made the cut by the skin of his teeth and went on to shoot a final round 68 finishing a respectable 33rd.  However, Kim looks too inconsistent at the moment and doesn’t yet have the maturity to travel far and wide picking up wins abroad like Tiger, so best left here.

Camilo Villegas hasn’t travelled well either so far in his short career, with a modest 24th place finish when invited by host Sergio Garcia in last year’s Castello Masters and a 20th spot finish in the first Race to Dubai ranking tournament, the HSBC Championship in Shanghai back in November.  A couple of top ten finishes on the US Tour in 2009 show that he does has some form though and could be one to watch out for if his putter is hot this week.

Looking further down the betting, Richard Green catches the eye at 20/1 with totesport.  The left handed Aussie finished tied third the last time the tournament was played at the Vines and has had some decent performances on tour so far in 2009.  His best performance of the year so far came last time out at the Dubai Desert Classic where he finished tied 11th after carding a below par final round of 73 which saw him slip out of the places.  He has however shot -22 under par for his three tournaments this year so is scoring well and on home soil could spring a surprise here.

It’s a pit of a shot in the dark as Ian Poulter has not been seen on the course so far this year, but playing near his best he could make a mockery of his 28/1 price with totesport and has course form, finishing tied sixth here three years ago.

The leader-board was dominated with Aussies last time the tournament was played her in Perth so I’ve picked out a couple at bigger prices here to consider.  Perth born Brett Rumford is a 50/1 shot, he’s had four solid tournaments in 2009 in tougher fields than this and has three tour wins to his name.  He also has some course form having finished 55th after dropping seven shots in his final round. 

Finally, a quick word for old timer Peter Senior.  He may have some miles on the clock but has an excellent record down under.  He finished tied eleventh in his only tournament in the Race to Dubai this season in the Australian Masters and has a victory to his name on the Vines course way back in 1993 in the Heineken Classic and finished tied 21st back here in 2006.  A multiple winner down under, in Europe and on the Asian Tour he knows how to put it in the hole and I wouldn’t be surprised if he places here this week and at 70/1 with totesport is definitely worth an each-way bet.

For all your golf betting this week visit totesport.

The totescoop6 bonus was not won last week, which means you stand a chance to win if you can pick six winners from the following races:

Leg1, Ascot - 1.40pm

Leg2 Haydock - 1.55pm

Leg3, Uttoxeter - 2.20pm

Leg4, Uttoxeter - 2.50pm

Leg 5, Haydock - 3.25pm

Leg6, Wincanton - 3.40pm

The win fund rollover currently stands at £358,195 before Saturday’s pool, with the bonus fund a staggering record of £2,622,522!

You can get your scoop6 bets on at totesport for as little as a £2 stake, with all the races likely to be televised, how better to spend a February afternoon than in front of the fire watching the races, standing a chance to scoop up to £4 million!

To place your scoop6 bet click here.

There’s been much debate since the inception of the Premier League and the recent domination of English clubs in the Champions League that the FA Cup has lost its ‘magic’. Looking at the fixture list at the FA Cup 5th round stage this weekend you can see why. Okay, the draw didn’t do the competition any favours but even the ‘all Premiership’ affairs will see teams have other things on their mind, whether it be title or champions league aspirations or simply avoiding the drop. That saying, there’s plenty of competitive matches from a betting perspective and we’ve put together some pointers on this weekend’s live games, all of which you can bet in-play with totesport.

There’s no real surprise that the TV cameras have rocked up at Swansea for their home tie with Fulham on Saturday lunchtime. The Swans are having a splendid season in the Championship, currently sitting seventh, just two points out of the play-offs but with a game in hand.

Robert Martinez has got his team playing some attractive stuff and although constantly criticised for having more style than substance they’re currently unbeaten in their last fifteen matches, including their away day win at Portsmouth in the last round.

This unbeaten run began with a staggering eight consecutive draws and with only one home defeat in the league this season they definitely offer a threat to a Fulham side without an away win in the Premiership. Their form in the cup away from Craven Cottage fairs slightly better having knocked out Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough in the 3rd round and came through 4-2 away at Kettering in round three.

There’s no recent form between the two teams to take into account but I’ve talked myself into siding with the Championship team at 7/5, with the draw next best at 23/10. Fulham backers can get 15/8 with totesport. Kick off is 12.45pm live on ITV1.

Saturday’s evening kick off will give Guus Hiddink his first taste of English football as he takes his new Chelsea side around London on the M25 to play Watford at Vicarage Road. Unlike the compelling form line that made Swansea an appealing bet versus Premiership opposition the same can’t be said of Watford, languishing third bottom in the Championship and with league survival definitely in the forefront of their minds.

That saying, their home for isn’t that bad, only five defeats and in manager Brendan Rogers, they have some insider knowledge of their Premier league opponents, having currently been the Blues youth team coach under Jose Mourinho and Avram Grant.

These factors aside, there’ll be plenty of the Chelsea players with a point to prove to the new manager and they should be strong enough here. Chelsea are 4/11 with Watford an 8/1 chance and the draw 7/2, all with totesport. You can bet live in-running with totesport on this televised match, kick-off is 17.30 and it’s live on Setanta Sports.

Sunday’s 14.30 offering is the only all Premiership tie this weekend, with Everton hosting Aston Villa at Goodison Park. After David Moyes eventually won their war of attrition against Merseyside rivals Liverpool in round four, they now face another tough tie in the shape of a Villa side that have won ten of their thirteen away matches this season, including their last seven on the trot.

The two sides met at Goodison right back near the beginning of this astonishing run and Villa prevailed 3-2 that day due to a last gasp Ashley Young winner.

Neither of these teams have the biggest squad in the division and even if they wanted to rest players they probably couldn’t make wholesale changes. With this in mind it’ll be another close game, with totesport making the home team 7/5 slight favourites against Villa’s 15/8. The draw is 23/10 and you can bet live in running throughout. KO is 14.30 and live on Setanta Sports.

In a repeat of the Carling Cup semi-final Derby would snap your hands off to take the 1-0 win at Pride Park again on Sunday afternoon.

Things have brightened up for Derby and their new manager Nigel Clough. After a tough start to his managerial career with the club they’ve now won three on the bounce including an impressive away win against arch-rivals Forest in the last round. This was made even more impressive considering they found themselves two goals down within twenty minutes but a spirited comeback saw them take the tie 3-2. Equally impressive was their 3-0 away win down in Plymouth last weekend, a victory that has propelled them up to the dizzying heights of sixteenth in the Championship!

However good the Derby revival, you simply cannot back against United in current form. Eight wins on the bounce in the Premier League and thirteen without conceding means the team for the east-midlands have it all do to here.

United are a short priced favourite for this one at 2/5 with totesport and you can back Derby and tor the draw at 15/2 or 10/3 respectively with totesport. KO is at 16.30 on Sunday and it’s live on ITV1.

Finally, a quick mention of the one remaining 4th round tie to be played on Monday night. Arsenal host Cardiff in the fourth round replay after snow prevented the original tie from being played a ten days ago. Arsenal are a 2/5 shot here unsurprisingly but with injury to Emmanuel Adebayor the Gunners have been lacking firepower, so Cardiff, unbeaten since November might be worth a sneaky bet at 15/2. The draw is 10/3 and remember if that’s the outcome there will be extra time and penalties. KO is a 19.45 on Monday night and is live on Setanta Sports.

Totesport will be betting live in-running on all of the weekend’s live matches.

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There’s a much more competitive look to the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am on the US PGA Tour this week. It’s still early in the season and there have been some big price winners and wide open markets offering up some excellent golf betting opportunities, but this week’s field in California looks very tasty.

Padraig Harrington has stayed on in the US for another week and after a good final round in the Buick last week (finishing 24th) and a first time fifth in Dubai a few weeks previously he’s coming in to some nice form. Remember, this is a Pro-am and it suits some players better than others, with rounds often taking up to six hours to complete, patience is the key and Harrington has this in abundance. Add to this the the Irishman playing with friend and dual Dunhill Links winning team-mate JP McManus he has claims here at best price 16/1 with totesport.

My own personal favourite is big VJ Singh. After four weeks on the treatment table the Fijian has had some rare time off from the golf course. Those who suggest the more he plays the better he is will be avoiding him this week but the 14/1 with totesport is too good to be true for the player who finished seventh, eleventh and second in the last three years (lost in a play-off to Steve Lowery in 2008).

If it’s course form your after, Mike Weir has an excellent record in this tournament. In eleven visits the Canadian has six top ten finishes, including a second and a third in 2005, 2006 respectively. The Canadian’s a shortish 16/1 here with totesport but also has a third place finish in this season’s other Pro-Am, the Bob Hope three weeks ago.

Further down the betting there’s a couple more with course form to consider. Davis Love III is a two time winner here, plus a fourth in 2007. He’s been amongst the birdies of late as well this year with a third place finish in the Mercedes Championships last month and a decent return (35th) last week in the Buick. Love is a 25/1 shot with totesport.

A name you might not be so familiar with is John Mallinger. The 29 year old Californian hasn’t set the record books alight but it could be argued he reserves his best form for this event, finishing third on the last two occasions. He’s only made one cut in four starts this year finishing 25th in the Bob Hope, another Pro-am and at 50/1 with totesport he could be worth a nibble each-way.

Finally, it’s worth pointing out that Jim Furyk makes his seasonal debut this week. Jim had an average 2008 by his standard without a tour victory to his name all year, but first time out this year its anyone’s guess how he’ll perform. At 20/1 with totesport it might be worth a dabble.

Totesport are betting live in-running on all televised golf.

For all your golf betting this week visit totesport.