Bear Traps & E. Honda need to be overcome on PGA Tour

This week in the golf we're going to be looking at the Honda Classic on the PGA National Championship course at Palm Beach Gardens in Florida, it's statistically one of the very toughest courses around & we want to be on the side of the better players in this one. Last week at the Accenture Match Play we came close to some nice pickups before Hunter Mahan stood in our way & picked off 50/1 shot Matt Kuchar one round before we'd have been paid out on each way terms & then beat our fancy for the win, Rory McIlroy in the final. Both players did trade at much shorter prices than their respective starting prices though & that is often a great tactic in golf due to its long format, if you do have access to Betfair we have to advise making the most of being able to lay off your bets to guarantee a nice profit especially with any longshots. As ever if you aren't already following us on Twitter @LikeBuyingMoney please do! If you already have a Twitter account just click the follow button above & if you don't have one then get one set up - it's great fun & you'll keep up to date with our latest posts.

(Now Tiger's putting is in question - it's crazy times in the golf world)

When looking at any tournament at the moment the question that is asked is will this be the tournament that Tiger Woods can finally gain a win in? We don't think the answer will be yes here as this is a rare tournament that Tiger has never picked up over his career & while his swing seems to be recovering from the problems he's had with it his incredible putting seems to have degraded somewhat & that always was where he was right at the head of the pack, we aren't interested at all at odds of 12/1.

(Lee Westwood's one of the world's best golfers & he can show it here)

At a similar price to Tiger though we were very impressed with Lee Westwood last week as he looked in determined mood & great form before being taken out by McIlroy in the semifinal. Westwood has always been one of the very best ball strikers around but too often his putting hasn't been up to scratch with him seeming to consider it a totally different part of the game, he's been putting better & feeling more positive about it & that will stand him in good stead here. Lee's short game will need to be great to overcome the Bear Trap that is holes 15-17, two par 3's & a par 4 that the field played to more than a stroke over par between them in last year's tourney. Westwood has only won twice on the PGA Tour but he's previously done more work on the European tour & he'll want to get used to winning if he's going to eventually land a major after finishing 2nd or 3rd in all four of the big ones, at 10/1 Westwood is the man to back.

(Keegan Bradley will be looking to build on his impressive start to the season with a win)

At slightly bigger odds but still 5th favourite at 28/1 Keegan Bradley is in red hot form & last year's shock US PGA Championship winner cannot be ignored. Bradley has been a revelation since joining from the Nationwide tour in 2010 winning twice including that US PGA Championship to become only the third golfer to win a major on debut. He looks to have overtaken the likes of Anthony Kim & Rickie Fowler as the hottest young US golfer around & has played great already this year only just failing to win a couple of weeks ago at the Northern Trust Open where he lost out in a three man playoff to Bill Haas. Another positive is that Bradley seems to be at his best on tough courses & he's said so himself, this is pretty much one of the hardest around so backing him at 28/1 each way with five places on offer is a sound investment.

Selections:
Lee Westwood to win Honda Classic at 10/1 (general)
Keegan Bradley each way at 28/1 (Stan James & Bet 365) 5 places at 1/4 odds

Table Toppers to show why they're the best

This midweek sees international friendlies which means there are no Premier League or Championship games but we tend to think the best value is often to be found in the lower leagues anyway & have come up with a couple of bets that look like offering great value. As ever you can follow us on Twitter @LikeBuyingMoney & we'll keep you up to date with our latest blog posts & talk about punting & sports in general - just click the follow button above.

(Michael Morrison - Charlton's dominating centre half)

At this stage of the season the league tables don't tend to lie with the cream rising to the top & the poorer teams battling to get out of the relegation spots & in League One we get to see first place Charlton Athletic take on Chesterfield who are propping up the rest of the teams with just 27 points in comparison to the Addicks 72. Chesterfield are at home which gives them a little protection but if this were a Premier League game with Man City taking on Wigan at the DW odds of Evens for City would be unimaginable but that's exactly what you can get on Chris Powell's far superior Charlton side. Charlton had been having one of their more difficult periods of the season with three draws & a win from four games but bounced back from that minor dip in form with an impressively professional 2-0 win against resolute Stevenage on Saturday & they've won 11 of 16 away games so far. Chesterfield meanwhile have been dire to say the least & went from 17th September until 21st January without a league win but have since managed three including here against Sheffield Wednesday, Wednesday really aren't great away from home though & Charlton should have too many guns going forwards with the quality of Bradley Wright-Phillips & Johnnie Jackson & the league's most watertight defence. Backing Charlton at Evens with Boylesports & Coral is one of the best bets we've seen all year & has to be taken advantage of.

(Alan Connell can bag another as Swindon take on Burton at the fortress that is the County Ground)

We'll keep the bets simple this Tuesday by backing League Two's leaders Swindon Town who can show their great home form by beating Burton Albion at the County Ground. Swindon have got stronger as the season has gone on  have won their last 9 league games in a row, scoring 20 & conceding 6, they've also conceded just 8 goals at home all season whilst scoring a league high 33 at home. Burton have conceded the joint most away goals with 31 in 16 & whilst they score plenty on their travels they won't find it easy to breach Swindon's back line. Swindon have too many weapons in goalscorers like Alan Connell, Mehdi Kerrouche & exciting young winger Matt Ritchie & they will look to pile on the pressure & goals in front of their happy fans. Swindon aren't a big price but 4/9 for a team that have won 12 of 15 at home against inferior opposition looks like value to us & should be backed, you'd have to be drunk to be on the Brewers' side in this one.

Selections:
Charlton Athletic to beat Chesterfield at Evens (Coral & Boylesports)
Swindon Town to beat Burton Albion at 4/9 (various)

Back the double on the above to return £28.90 from a £10 bet

Notts County's New Manager Syndrome can continue

Another weekend of football action is upon us & we're hoping to carry our recent form through for a football tipping title push after three of three up last weekend & then a nice midweek pairing coming up trumps to make it a nice period of winners. We might be getting ambitious though as our picks today include an 18/1 chance to break a 100% home record but fortune favours the brave & all that. As ever you can follow us on Twitter @LikeBuyingMoney by clicking the follow button above & we'll let you know about our latest posts & answer any questions you may have, good luck!

(Can Notts County's new man in charge Keith Curle continue his winning start?)

In League One, Notts County entertain Chesterfield United at Meadow Lane. Notts County are 10th just five points off the play-off places whilst Chesterfield are 23rd & in a relegation battle. Keith Curle, new manager of the Magpies, won his first game in charge on Wednesday night against one of the league's real form sides in Stevenage & their current form is good with three wins in their last four & only one defeat in their last six league games - at home this season they have won eight out of 15 games & only been beaten twice. Opposition Chesterfield have struggled all season especially on the road where they have suffered ten defeats in their 16 away matches, only once in these games have they stopped the opposition scoring and they have conceded on average over two goals per game. Notts County can prove too strong for a struggling Chesterfield side at a best price of 10/11 with Coral.

(Loanee Alex Macdonald has 3 in 3 for Plymouth)

In League Two, Plymouth Argyle host Dagenham & Redbridge at Home Park, Plymouth are in 21st position & Dagenham are rock bottom so three points for either side will be huge. The Pilgrims have had a tough season off the pitch so far but seem to be putting together a run of points of late & last weekend they won away at Accrington Stanley 4-0, in their last six league matches they have won two, drawn three & suffered only one defeat. At home Plymouth are unbeaten in their last four matches; beating Burton & drawing against promotion hopefuls Crawley Town & Southend United as well as Barnet. Visitors Dagenham have suffered five defeats in their last six league games & their latest game saw them thrashed 5-0 by Cheltenham Town, on the road they have lost ten of their fourteen games; conceding 25 goals in the process. We expect Plymouth to continue their recent good form at the expense of Dagenham at a best price of 11/10 with Boylesports.

(We might be relying on Paul Robinson having a good game v City - oh dear)

Manchester City take on Blackburn Rovers at the Etihad where they have won all 12 games that they've played in the league so far this season, it therefore might seem fanciful to think that Blackburn a team just two points off of the bottom of the league could come here & end that streak but there are reasons to believe they're a value bet in this one. City haven't dropped points in the league at home but a 1-0 loss to Liverpool in the Carling Cup here last month has made them realise they aren't impervious & their form since Christmas hasn't been quite up to the very high standards they set before. Of course now Yaya & Kolo Toure are back from the Africa Cup of Nations that gives the home side a boost as will the outstanding Carlos Tevez if & when he makes his return & that may see them get back to some high quality play that has been missing in games against West Brom, Sunderland, Liverpool, Everton & Villa since 25th December. For the most part City have still got the results needed & that's seen them stay two points clear in the title race but Blackburn are a team capable of causing an upset as seen when winning 3-2 at Old Trafford. Rovers score goals & plenty of them with 37 in 25 so far but they've also conceded more than any other side & with Chris Samba likely to leave soon he won't be involved & they've missed the departed Phil Jones too. At the other end of the pitch for Rovers Yakubu offers obvious quality as does Junior Hoilett & Gamst Pedersen & they'll look to give City's defence problems. Blackburn have had a two week rest since last playing whereas City have impressively taken care of Porto over two legs in the Europa League, that means they have momentum but Blackburn will be resolute & rested here & Steve Kean has had time to develop a plan to shock the league leaders. Of course the most likely result is a City win & if they score early it could be a rout, but as we saw against United Blackburn have the physical game to unsettle classier sides & at a huge 18/1 are worth taking a risk on to win here.

Selections:
Notts County to beat Chesterfield United at 10/11 (Coral)
Plymouth Argyle to beat Dagenham & Redbridge at 11/10 (Boylesports)
Blackburn Rovers to beat Manchester City at 18/1 (BetVictor)

@likebuyingmoney Twitter followers’ tips week 17

After week 15 our followers were making a £24.77 loss after another reasonable week, could they keep it up in week 16? Here's a reminder of what was tipped up last week and a roundup of the results:

Follower	Selection	Result
@ShanePollard16	Sunderland DNB	Sunderland beat Arsenal 2-0 in the FA Cup (DNB @ 6/5) WINNER
@Douglie9	Motherwell and Ross County	Motherwell won but Ross County failed to beat Ayr LOSER
@LeeHooper1	Mickelson at 9-4 in running (Northern Trust Open)	Mickleson failed in a three way play-off LOSER
@Jugador84	Ipswich Cardiff to produce goals over 2.5	Ipswich won easily 3-0 against promotion chasing Cardiff (over 2.5 @ 10/11) WINNER
@Jugador84	Chopra to score anytime	Chopra registered against his old club (anytime @ 13/8) WINNER
@rigger60	Stoke, Torquay & Southampton	Two winners but Torquay loss at home to Bradford LOSER
@JKTwinkle	Bolton and Stoke	Both Premiership sides beat lower league opposition in the FA Cup (double @ 9/2) WINNER
@Ricabii	Memphis Grizzlies -4 and Cleveland Cavaliers +9.5 double	Grizzlies only won by 1 point & Cavaliers lost by 24 points LOSER
@bowmani19	Torquay, Norwich, Sheffield Utd, Swindon & Ross Co	A mixed bag with two wins, two defeats & one draw LOSER

Our followers’ turned a profit in Week 16 & reduced their overall current loss to -£21.34, from £1 stakes.

Detailed below are the selections for the weekend of the 25^th / 26^th February:

@plankorama fancies 1.5+ accas again, all 9 prem games @ 7s, Brighton + Burnley + Coventry + Portsmouth + Watford matches @ 4s & combine both if feeling brave @ 28's! Can safely say Richard needs goals galore this weekend!

@Jugador84 after two winning selections last week says it would be rude not to have a #bestbet in the cup final, both to score #likebuyingmoney come on you bluebirds. Both teams to score is the best price of 11/8 with William Hill.

@BateM86 Leeds to beat Pompey. Injuries and departures leaves squad thin. Low morale. Warnock factor. BP 7/5. Double with Stevenage. Charlton rocking in recent weeks and riding luck. Stevenage big price at 11/4 for a good away side. A double on the two away sides pays spot on 8/1.

@dickpundit likes Sunderland at 3.2 away at WBA. Sunderland picked up form, WBA terrible home record. Can Sunderland continue their good form at the expense of an inconsistent WBA side?

@isldonk21 goes for Sunderland / Newcastle...double pays 4.7/1. Sunderland travel to WBA whilst Newcastle host Wolves.

@GHorsfall the lower league expert tips Hereford's Tom Barkhuizen to score 2 or more at Bradford, 25/1.

@Douglie9 not had much joy so far! Looking for a bit more value. Torquay and Hartlepool. Torquay (19/10) travel to Gillingham & Hartlepool (13/8) are away to Wycombe. The double pays just over 13/2.

@ShanePollard16 keeps it simple with Fulham to win away at QPR 2/1.

@silverter40 picks an accumulator of Man City, Liverpool, Newcastle, Birmingham & Leeds at 9/1.

@grays67lufc MK Dons finally got back on track last week and should have too much experience for Bournemouth take 6/4.

@grays67lufc also picks BTS... Watford/Southampton... Doncaster/Peterborough... Middlesborough/Reading... take the 4/1 all day long.

@grays67lufc final selection is Burley v Millwall +2.5 goals around 6/5 or 2.18.

@Ricabii is back with football this week and he's going for an EPL trixie of Newcastle, Fulham & Sunderland. Ric does inform us that a treble on the three sides pays 12.93/1 at William Hill.

@rigger60 tips a treble of Huddersfield to beat Exeter, Swindon to beat Accrington & Newcastle to beat Wolves. The treble pays 2.8/1. 

Thanks again to all those who submitted their suggestions, we'll round up the results at the beginning of next week’s post.

To enter next week please send a tweet and include #likebuyingmoney with your best bet.