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Marcelo snubs Leicester City and joins Olympiacos

September 4, 2022 No Comments

Former Real Madrid left-back Marcelo has joined the Greek club, Olympiacos, after being linked with a deadline day move to Leicester City. The highly-decorated Brazilian left Real Madrid as a free agent at the end of last season after a trophy-laden spell at the club. Reports linked several clubs with a move for him and Leicester reportedly wanted to add him to their squad before the window shut. However, the full-back has now moved to the Greek Super League where he is expected to continue for at least a season, Matchplug understands. Marcelo is one of the world’s most recognised full-backs and he was in stunning form for Madrid and the Brazilian national team for over a decade. He would now look to add some more trophies to his name at Olympiacos, where he would be teammates with former Arsenal man, Sokratis.

Crystal Palace prepared to pay £20million for Gallagher

September 4, 2022 No Comments

Crystal Palace is refusing to give up on signing Conor Gallagher from Chelsea even though the Blues rejected their offers for his signature this summer. The midfielder spent last season on loan at Selhurst Park and he was one of the best players in his position in the Premier League. His form for the Eagles even earned him a place in the England national team and he will be keen to feature at the World Cup. Chelsea refused to sell him this summer despite interest from Palace and Everton and they expect him to become a key member of their squad. The midfielder will, however, face competition from several players to play at Stamford Bridge and Palace would be waiting to pounce and sign him. Matchplug understands that they will offer £20million – plus add-ons for his signature in the January transfer window if he does not cement a place in the Chelsea first team in this first half of the campaign. The midfielder might love the idea of moving to Patrick Vieira’s side after enjoying his time with them last season.

MLB Predictions – Cubs vs. Cardinals Game Preview

September 3, 2022 No Comments

MLB Predictions Chicago Cubs vs. St. Louis Cardinals Over/Under: 7.5 Odds: Cardinals –205, Cubs +172 Time: 7:15 PM ET MLB Predictions The Chicago Cubs are traveling to face off with the St. Louis Cardinals. This next article of MLB Predictions feature two completely different squads. Drew Smyly is getting the go-ahead for the Chicago Cubs in this game. Smyly has pitched to a 5-7 record so far this year along with a strong 3.24 ERA to back it up. He was on a three-game winning streak before losing the last two games that he’s made an appearance on the mound. However, neither of those can be attributed to poor pitching, he went for a combined 13.0 innings and allowed just one run in those losses. The Cubs as a team got shut out in both of those. Smyly has had some stellar games, but the batting just hasn’t been there at all. On the other end, Adam Wainwright is starting for the Cardinals. Wainwright is 9-9 on the season while also piling on a 3.09 ERA. That ERA is actually the 20th best for a pitcher in the league. He’s pitched against the Cubs three times this season, garnering a 2-1 record in that stretch. During those matchups, he’s pitched 20.0 innings has allowed just four runs. One of those games was even a shutout in seven innings. MLB Picks Today 10-6 The Cardinals and Cubs have played against one another a lot this year. St. Louis has won 10 out of the 16 of their total matchups this season. Not only that, but they’ve won six out of their past eight games against the Cubs coming into this one. St. Louis is currently the favorite for this game and they’ve proven to be the better squad this season. Their last game against one another could be a perfect indication of how this upcoming matchup could go. The Cardinals smoked them, shutting them out to the tune of an 8-0 game. Wainwright and Smyly have each put together wonderful performances throughout the year but have lost games they should have won. Much of that is due to inconsistent batting. Chicago has hit the 24th most runs in the league this season compared to the Cardinals ranking third in the same category. Simply put, St. Louis has been more consistent and is coming off a dominant win over Chicago. It’s hard to see them dropping this one. When it comes to the over/under for this game, the over looks like an excellent choice. The Cardinals have been phenomenal lately, with so many powerful batters lining up to launch away homers. That’s paid off when it comes to their record as they are making a huge push down the stretch of the year. Meanwhile, Chicago has consistently had trouble scoring, which is evident by the fact they have just the 24th highest runs count. If you’re looking to bet on this, the over looks hot. Final Pick: Cardinals -205 Over/Under Choice: Over 7.5 If you’re looking for more content, click here!

Austin Meadows Speaks Out Regarding Mental Health

September 3, 2022 No Comments

Austin Meadows, the Detroit Tigers outfielder, has announced that he will not be returning to the diamond this year as he prioritizes mental health. Meadows had been getting in extra work these past few months as he continues to work his way back from an Achilles injury. Meadows recently came out and said this, “What I have told very few people is that I also have been struggling with my mental health in a way that has extended my time away from the game that I love so much. I’ve been dealing with this privately with a great team of professionals. But I need to continue to put in the hard work off the field towards feeling mentally healthy.” He continued by mentioning that he has been back in the team clubhouse lately, and wants to stick around for the rest of this season. The only problem is that he just isn’t ready to get himself back onto the field yet, but he has made it clear that the teammates and professionals around him are helping him push through this difficult time. Manager A.J. Hinch said this regarding Meadow’s announcement, “He wanted to share with everyone what he’s going through. I commend him for doing it. I’m very proud of him. It’s not easy in this sport, as an athlete, as a competitor, to admit when you need help outside the normal scope of baseball. We’ll offer him all the support we can, and we have been. It’s tough to hear, but I very much feel good about the path ahead. He’s on a great path, surrounded by a lot of great people. He’s got a ton of support, and his statement speaks for itself.” Austin Meadows Has Suffered A Rough Stretch Tigers was previously on the Tampa Bay Rays before he got traded to the Tigers before the end of Spring Training. He was flipped over in exchange for infielder Isaac Paredes. Meadows blasted away 33 home runs in 2019 for the Rays. Followed by another 27 home runs for the organization last year. The injuries have just begun piling up for him over the years. Meadows picked up a non-COVID illness back in May. This started an entire cycle. When he was coming in and out of the rotation because of it, he fell onto the injured list with vertigo a few weeks later. Shortly after that, he was once again sick. This time on the COVID-19 list. Then finally, he was working at Triple-A Toledo during a rehab assignment. This was when his Achilles started to flare up on both of his feet. Meadows wasn’t pressured into this decision to speak up about his mental health, it was entirely his choice. This isn’t the first athlete in professional sports to come out and speak about the important of mental health. Something everybody should be paying attention to. It’s good to hear that Meadows is getting the help and attention that he needs. Hopefully we will be able to see him on the field again shortly. Click here for more content from us!

MLB Predictions – Blue Jays vs. Pirates Game Preview

September 3, 2022 No Comments

MLB Predictions Toronto Blue Jays vs. Pittsburgh Pirates Over/Under: 8 Odds: Blue Jays –172, Pirates +144 Time: 6:35 PM ET MLB Predictions MLB predictions are back once more. This time we head down to watch the Toronto Blue Jays and the Pittsburgh Pirates. We will be seeing the Blue Jays start Trevor Richards for this game. Richards hasn’t been declared the winning pitcher much, appearing in 51.2 innings and holding onto a 3-1 total record on the season. During this time span, Richards has been able to post a 4.53 ERA and 66 total strikeouts. Lately, Richards hasn’t been able to help pull Toronto out of tough situations. He had seen the Blue Jays lose seven straight games before helping them win three out of their past five. It’s an interesting start for Toronto, but as a team they’ve been able to get the job done against the Pirates. Flipping over to the Pirates, they are starting Roansy Contreras on the mound. Contreras is 4-4 on the year behind a solid 3.57 ERA. We haven’t seen him make an appearance for Pittsburgh since August 28th, but it was a 5-0 shutout win over the Philadelphia Phillies. He pitched 5.0 innings and allowed just three hits and zero runs. Similar to Richards getting the start for the Blue Jays, Contreras is an interesting pick to get the start. MLB Picks Today Throughout this entire season, the Blue Jays have only played the Pirates once. That game actually happened to be their most recent game. Toronto took advantage of that game from start to finish, ending the night with a solid 4-0 shutout victory. It’s not a surprise to see the Blue Jays get hit with the favorite label for this game. Toronto has won 10 out of their last 15 games overall coming into this one as they attempt to make an American League Wild Card spot. To make matters worse for the Pirates, they are just 2-8 against playoff contenders since the date August 22nd. They’ve lost series to teams such as the Milwaukee Brewers, Philadelphia Phillies and the Atlanta Braves. This was also the Pirates 82nd loss of the year. Yes, you heard that correctly. They are even on pace to break triple digits at this point. If you’re currently looking to place a bet on the winner of this game, the Blue Jays offer tremendous value and have proven to be the much better team. Not just as of late, but throughout this entire season as well. The current over/under for this game is set at eight runs. The Blue Jays have been excellent at scoring runs this year, while the Pirates haven’t been the most consistent in that department. Throw on two wildcard pitchers and we have ourselves an incredibly tough choice here. If you’re looking to bet on this, I would say that the under might be the safer option. These two teams just scored four total runs in their last matchup against one another. Even if Toronto has a great night, Pittsburgh might get blanked again. Final Pick: Blue Jays -172 Over/Under Choice: Under 8 If you’re looking for more content, click here!

MLB Predictions – Astros vs. Angels Game Preview

September 2, 2022 No Comments

MLB Predictions Houston Astros vs. Los Angeles Angels Over/Under: 8 Odds: Astros –162, Angels +136 Time: 9:38 PM ET MLB Predictions MLB predictions are back again and this time we have the Houston Astros taking on the Los Angeles Angels. Houston is coming into this game on a three-game winning streak, with an 11-win lead over the second place Seattle Mariners in the American League West standings. Meanwhile, the Angels are coming off of a huge win against the New York Yankees but remain a long 14-game deficit away from an AL Wild Card spot. It’s been announced that Houston is going to be starting Lance McCullers on the mound for this matchup. McCullers hasn’t been out on the field much this season due to spending a long amount of time on the IL list. However, he’s worked up to a 1-1 record and a stellar 1.69 ERA in the games that he’s been healthy for. Over the course of his last couple of games, he’s allowed just three runs in 16 total innings pitched. I think it’s safe to say that Houston is in good hands ahead of this game with the Angels. Although, he could be due for some type of regression in the near future. On the other hand, the Angels are opting to start Reid Detmers in this game. Detmers is 5-4 on the season with a 3.47 ERA to go with it. Throughout the last 28 and a half innings he’s pitched, he’s allowed just eight runs compared to picking up 38 strikeouts. Detmers, just like McCullers, has been starting to get hot as of late. The Angels could be in a good position similar to the Astros if Detmers doesn’t lose any momentum ahead of this contest. MLB Picks Today These two teams have gone up against each other a handful of times this year. So far, the Astros have won nine out of their 13 total games against one another. Not to mention that the majority of these matchups have wound up being on the higher scoring side of things. The Astros are currently favored to win this game which isn’t much of a surprise. Houston has been an excellent team the entire year, with a phenomenal pitching rotation. McCullers might have missed a lot of time throughout the season, but there is no doubt that he can still pitch at the top of his game. For example, he’s gone at least five innings in his last three starts on the mound. Not to mention that the Angels haven’t been able to capitalize off of strong pitching this year. Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout have done all that they can for them, there just always seems to be something missing on this roster. Sometimes the pitching excels, other times they can’t register a hit to keep it close. They are far too up and down while the Astros are consistently good across the board. The over/under for this game is currently listed at eight. Seven of their matchups against one another have seen the final score go over eight total runs. There is nothing to suggest that this game isn’t going to score at least eight runs when putting that into consideration. Both Detmers and McCullers have been great as of late, though regression is expected at some point for at least one of them. With the batting power that each squad possesses, the hits should be coming around often. Final Pick: Houston Astros -162 Over/Under Choice: Over 8 If you’re looking for more content, click here!

Spencer Strider Makes Braves History On The Mound

September 2, 2022 No Comments

Spencer Strider has just made history. The Atlanta Braves pitcher has officially done something that’s never been done before since the franchise has been created. Strider got the start against the Colorado Rockies on Thursday as the two teams battled it out in Truist Park. Throughout the night, Strider was consistently shutting down batters. The Braves went on to win 3-0 here and Strider threw 16 strikeouts. To put into perspective of how difficult this has been to accomplish, nobody in Braves history has been able to accomplish this dating back to the year 1893 when the mound was moved back. Mind you, this is the most by a Braves pitcher in a nine-inning game. John Smoltz held onto the previous record for years with 15. Warren Spahn picked up a whopping 18 strikeouts back in 1952 but then again, that matchup went 15 long innings. What’s funny about this entire record-breaking moment was that Strider had no idea he accomplished what he did. This is what he had to say after the game, “I lost track after five. I came out of the game and Kyle Wright was telling me something about John Smoltz or whatever. And I had no idea what he was talking about. It didn’t make any sense. And then somebody else said something and I just kind of looked cross-eyed at them and they were like, you know what just happened? It was neat. It was very cool for them to tell me that.” Strider Was Phenomenal For Atlanta The efficiency he was pitching at on this night made the performance even better. He allowed just two hits throughout the entire night and didn’t walk a single batter. During this game, he threw only 106 pitches, with 79 of those being called strikes. What’s even scarier is that he only utilized two pitches to get to this point as well, the fastball and the slider. The first-year pitcher only had one small bump on the night for this game. That happened to come in the eighth inning. He allowed a double to Michael Toglia followed by another reach by Elias Diaz on an error. Strider didn’t let it get too far out of hand though by striking out the following two batters. Outside of this minor bump in the road, Strider was lights out the entire night and was the main reason that the Braves came out of this matchup with a win over the Rockies. It’s shocking to see a first-year pitcher step up to the challenge and break franchise records just like this one. Strider also had this to say, “It’s pretty wild. The guys who’ve thrown in this organization, it’s a long, incredible list.” That’s a very factual statement. Maybe if Strider continues to improve, we could see him get listed among the all-time greats in a long list of Atlanta pitchers. Then again, we have quite a long distance left to go before we can reach that point in time. Click here to find more of our content!

Arsenal offers £20m for Douglas Luiz

September 1, 2022 No Comments

Arsenal has offered £20m plus add-ons to Aston Villa to sign Douglas Luiz on transfer deadline day. The Brazilian midfielder has entered the last year of his current deal at the struggling Steven Gerard side and he wants to leave. The Villans have been speaking to his entourage and have proposed a new deal to the former Manchester City man. However, he has now penned a new contract yet and Matchplug understands he is interested in the switch to the Emirates. Arsenal has started this season well after winning five of their five league games to remain the only Premier League club with a 100% record so far. However, they have lost Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny to injury and they know they must replace them to stand a good chance of maintaining their bright start to this season.

Liverpool close to signing Arthur

September 1, 2022 No Comments

Liverpool is close to sealing a deadline day switch for Juventus midfielder, Arthur Melo, after struggling in this transfer window. The Reds had finished their transfer business early and hoped that was enough for them to carry on the season. However, they have been plagued by injury, especially in midfield and they have been struggling at this start of the term. Their manager, Jurgen Klopp, initially insisted they will not sign a new player, however, they have now been forced to make a U-turn and will now sign Arthur. Matchplug understands the midfielder will join them from Juve on a season-long loan deal as he also attempts to revive his career. He has struggled in Italy since he moved to Juve and this move offers him a unique chance to show he can still play football.

How Online Betting Transformed Sports

September 1, 2022 No Comments

How has online betting transformed sports?Sports betting has undergone a great growth in the last few years, and most of this credit shouldgo to its online branch. Matter of fact, this industry has been able to spread its arm so far you’llrarely see a football team that didn’t have a sportsbook logo on their jersey.The sports industry is among the world’s most thrilling industries, and part of its grip is becausepeople have for the longest time enjoyed watching and playing sports. Although it has been animportant part of the world for ages, it managed to recently reach new levels, thanks to onlinebetting.The introduction of online sports betting to the scene is transforming sports and how fans engagewith it. This influence has had both positive and negative effects, which we have sampled in thisarticle. Keep reading to find out the whole thing. The Positives:These are some of the positive ways online betting changed sports:Progressing The Gambling Industry’s GrowthOnline sports betting has become quite popular, and has been on an ascending trend, withanalysts predicting the global sports betting market size to grow up to 10% till 2028, racking in$140 billion worldwide.Part of this growth can be linked to the several US states that legalized sports betting. A researchby the American Gaming Association states that sports betting grew 63% in the US, with morethan 18 million Americans betting on the NFL.In Europe as well, 41% of all the online gambling revenues were from sports betting. Going bythis data, the online sports betting market has huge potential. Its growth has had a positive effecton the gambling industry in terms of generating profits. Convenient BettingOnline betting has provided many ways to bet on sports easily. Bettors can place more than onesports bet in minutes, without them having to visit a local bookmaker. Online betting also saves players the time and money they’ll spend in a bookie’s store. Insteadthey could just take up their phones, tablets, and laptops, and do everything they would havetraveled to do. Timely UpdatesThe widespread nature of online betting thanks to the internet, has made it so that small gamesand tournaments can reach people globally. It has also enabled them to find sports news thatcover every league and tournaments, worldwide.No matter what you wish to know, whether it is a prominent league or a lesser known one, youcan find it on one of the Internet’s numerous news sites. What’s even better is that these siteshave in-built translators that help you read the updates in any language you prefer. Gamification of sportsNasdaq experts reckon that the growth of online sports betting, may be because of thegamification of sports. Gamification transformed the interaction people have with a sports match,by including gaming elements.Live betting is one good example of sports’ gamification, and it has been used by most onlinesportsbooks. Live betting or in-play wagering, changes the experience people get from justwatching a game, to actively participating and connecting better with the event.Gamification can also be noted in online betting communities. Gamblers talk to each other onforums and discuss their predictions trying to find value or gain an edge on bookmakers. Bonuses and PromotionsThe bonuses and promotions you’ll get from online sports betting sites, put to shame the onesyou would get from local sportsbooks which are just a handful of betting specials they offeroccasionally.Betting online offers you the opportunity of making thousands of dollars in bonus cash, all due tothe incredible bonuses and other promotions these online sports betting websites provide. Thisway you bet on sports and still earn a sizable amount in bonuses.The welcome bonus offered by sportsbooks is the most lucrative gift online sportsbooks givetheir punters. Bonuses differ amongst betting websites, with each one trying to outdo the otherby offering higher and better deals than the rest to attract customers. By signing up with an online betting site with good bonus deals and promotions, especially welcome bonus, you coulddo a lot by simply signing up and depositing money.On the other hand, we’ll give you the chance to earn bonus cash through other bonuses andpromotions like reduced juice deals or promotions revolving around you betting on an unpopularsporting tournament. EsportsBetting over the internet didn’t just make the sports industry more accessible, it also led to thedevelopment of a new type of sport, which is eSports. This sport happens solely online, whichmeans the people who compete in it, do so from different parts of the world, uniting virtually fora common goal, to play. Expanding Revenues For LeaguesIn the United States, the spread of betting legalization is set to bring in significant revenues intothe pockets of major sports leagues. Experts say that American sports might earn more than $4billion through advertising, sponsorships, and increased viewership.In English football, betting sponsorships brought in more than $140 million in the past years,with a close second being Spain at $70 million. But, the American society is more accepting ofthe gamification of sports.In England, new figures show that gambling sponsorships will be split in half from 15.3% –8.1%. Some people foretell a collective ban on gambling sponsorships. While these are allspeculations, many clubs with sportsbook companies as their main sponsors, are worried.Market movements showing that online sports betting has come to stay, making it strange thatsports leagues and clubs would be deprived of better sponsorship deals. Variety Of SportsOnline betting offers bettors a more extensive variety of sports they can bet on and types of betsthey can place, than they would get from brick and mortar sportsbooks. This also means thatplayers can place all their bets in one place.Most online sports betting sites provide you a more extensive selection than what you’ll find in aland-based sportsbook. Sportsbooks typically carry bets on sports like soccer and football, online sports betting sites offer you something rare like fantasy sports. Online also accepts bettingaction on esports. Betting advertisingAdvertising impacted the growth of sports betting, and also changed sports. You cannot watch aSunday Match on TV, without seeing multiple ADS from every type of bookie. This also goesfor when you read about your favorite athletes

Marcelo snubs Leicester City and joins Olympiacos

Crystal Palace prepared to pay £20million for Gallagher

MLB Predictions – Cubs vs. Cardinals Game Preview

Austin Meadows Speaks Out Regarding Mental Health

MLB Predictions – Blue Jays vs. Pirates Game Preview

MLB Predictions – Astros vs. Angels Game Preview

Spencer Strider Makes Braves History On The Mound

Arsenal offers £20m for Douglas Luiz

Liverpool close to signing Arthur

How Online Betting Transformed Sports

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