A-League Round 9 - Melbourne City v Melbourne Victory (Saturday 7:50pm AEDT)
This promises to be another epic chapter in the Melbourne Derby but I am predicting that Kevin Muscat's side will get the last laugh here.
Victory come into this off the back of six straight wins and have been playing really attractive football. They are the hottest team in the competition and have won three straight games against their bitter rivals at AAMI Park.
Another aspect playing in their favour is that the past four Derbies have been won by the away team, as was the case earlier in the year when City won 2-1 at Marvel Stadium.
So Victory ($2.25) are my tip in this one and if you want a bit more value, the 2-1 Correct Score ($8) looks appealing. That has been the score in five of the past six Derbies.
Tip: Melbourne Victory to defeat Melbourne City at $2.25
Tip: Melbourne Victory to win 2-1 at $8
NFL Week 16 - Los Angeles Chargers v Baltimore Ravens (Sunday 12:20pm AEDT)
The Los Angeles Chargers recorded one of the most pulsating victories last week and with the possibility of gaining the top seed in the American Football Conference available, they will be determined to defeat the Baltimore Ravens at the StubHub Centre on Sunday morning.
Trailing 28-14 with less than four minutes remaining, the Chargers stunned the Kansas City Chiefs 29-28 on the road. Adding to the enormity of the turnaround was that quarterback Philip Rivers threw two interceptions for only the second time in a game this season and running back Melvin Gordon was missing for the third straight game with a knee injury. The Chargers - who have won 10 of their last 11 - and the Chiefs are both 11-3 and duelling for the AFC West division title with two games left.
Following three straight defeats and an injury to Joe Flacco, Lamar Jackson became the starting quarterback for the Ravens and they have won four of their last five games. Despite not throwing for more than 180 yards in any of his starts, Jackson has been a threat in the running game with an average of 85 rushing yards per game.
However, the Ravens' wins with Jackson at quarterback have come against teams with losing records. Their one loss was away to the Chiefs, and with the Chargers in terrific form and expected to regain Gordon, they appear too well rounded for Baltimore, who could struggle if they fail to establish Jackson as a duel running-passing threat.
Tip: The Los Angeles Chargers to defeat Baltimore by five points or more at $1.90
NFL Week 16 - Seattle Seahawks v Kansas City Chiefs (Monday 12:20pm AEDT)
After suffering an upset loss last week, the Seattle Seahawks can ill-afford another defeat when they entertain the high-octane Kansas City Chiefs at CenturyLink Field on Monday afternoon.
The Seahawks had won four straight - including a 43-16 home thrashing of the San Francisco 49ers in Week 13 - before heading to San Francisco for the return clash. A combination of the home triumph, plus this upcoming fixture against the Chiefs, may have resulted in the Seahawks taking the 49ers lightly. Even though quarterback Russell Wilson threw two touchdown passes and running back Chris Carson ran for 119 yards and a touchdown, the Seahawks fell 26-23 in overtime.
Even though Kansas City currently possesses an 11-3 record, question marks have appeared in the last month. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes is still playing at an MVP calibre level, but there has been an adjustment on offence with running back Kareem Hunt no longer a Chief. The 14-point lead that evaporated late in the 29-28 home loss to the Los Angeles Chargers is also troubling for a defence that has allowed an average of 35 points per game in their last four contests.
The Chiefs are the highest scoring team this season, but the concern for this fixture is that they allow over 125 rushing yards per game and are facing the Seahawks who have averaged over 154 rushing yards per contest in 2018. If Seattle establishes the run and controls the clock, that could be enough to quell the NFL's most potent offence.