The beautiful game of football has enchanted fans for generations and is the most bet on UK sport.
But which betting sites do the best job of providing a complete experience for betting on the UK’s favourite sport?
Almost all football betting sites have an extensive range of markets and offer competitive odds across the board.
We’ve looked at the fine details on all the best football betting sites and ranked the top 10 based on the quality of their product, including a review of their standout features.
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Best Football Betting Sites UK
Ranking
Football betting site
Standout feature
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Rating
Welcome offer
#1
Bet365
In-play betting
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★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Bet £10 get £30 in free bets
#2
BOYLE Sports
Accumulators
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Bet £10 on mobile get £40 free bets
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#3
Betway
Free bets
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
£30 matched bet if first acca loses
#4
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Betfred
Betting app
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Bet £10 get £50 free bets
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#5
LiveScore Bet
Free to play games
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Bet £10 get £30 free bets
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#6
BetVictor
Specials
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
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N/A
#7
NetBet
Bet builders
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
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Bet £10 get £20 free bets
#8
Virgin Bet
Price boosts
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★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Bet £10 get £30 in free bets
#9
Unibet
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Live streaming
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Bet £10 get £30 free bets
#10
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talkSPORT BET
Premier League betting
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Get up to £40 in football free bets
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Top 10 Football Betting Sites: Ranked and Reviewed
1. Bet365
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Standout feature: In-play betting
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Bet365 are the standout football betting site in the business due to the quality of its all-around package.
No operator can match its extensive football betting markets and value for odds across the board.
As the official betting partner of the Champions League, you’ll find a range of special offers and the best Champions League odds on the market.
There is also an impressive range of promotions, including enhanced odds and acca boosts.
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Bet365 provides arguably the beset in-play betting platforms online, including live streaming and a lag-free betting experience. (The Independent)
New customers can claim a flexible welcome offer, accepting £5 deposits to unlock £15 in free bets or £10 deposits to secure £30 in free bets.
Specials features including live streaming, bet builders and impressive free to play games such as Scores 6 that offers a host of prizes.
Bet365 distinguishes itself among live betting sites by giving bettors access to a huge number of unique markets and very competitive odds along with live streams of games from Europe’s biggest leagues.
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There’s no noticeable lag on odds being updated or a bets being processed on either the desktop site or app; vital traits when betting in-play.
2. BOYLE Sports
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Standout feature: Accumulators
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Football punters loves an accumulator bet on football, and that’s why BOYLE Sports is ranked so highly on our list.
BOYLE Sports have become the top pick among accumulator betting sites courtesy of their Acca Rewards and Acca Loyalty promotions.
With Acca Loyalty, customers are awarded a £5 free acca every time they place five £5 accumulators. Meanwhile, Acca Rewards allows you to either boost or insure your acca bet, so long as it has three or more legs.
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BOYLE Sports Acca Rewards is one of the best accumulator promotions on the market (The Independent)
There’s plenty more to enjoy using BOYLE Sports. The BOYLE Sports sign-up offer provides a solid quantity of free bets, while there several outstanding promotions including price boosts, early payouts and specials.
3. Betway
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Standout feature: Free bets
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Betway is impressive as a football betting site and is known to hand out no deposit free bets to regular customers, usually to use as bet builders on big Premier League games or major sporting events.
Their football product is straightforward to use, and there are ample markets and competitive odds for all competitions and leagues, including Europa League odds all the way to the final.
Betway stands out as having one of the best free bet clubs. This loyalty programme gives punters the chance to claim a free football bet each week after staking £25 on trebles, accumulators or bet builders between Saturday and Friday.
Customers then unlock £10 in free bets in two £5 denominations to use on any football market.
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4. Betfred
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Standout feature: Betting app
Betfred’s football betting site is impressive, both in terms of odds and range of matches/markets along with a fine array of promotions, including free bets, bet boosts and acca boosts.
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New customers can claim £50 in free bets by signing up for Betfred, all of which can be wagered on football after signing up and placing a £10 bet online.
Betfred also has an excellent football betting app, offering speed and a top user interface. You’ll find no discernible lag on the app and an easy-to-navigate layout.
5. LiveScore Bet
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
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Standout feature: Free to play games
Although one of the new betting sites on the block, LiveScore Bet still matches the best football betting sites around with its complete product.
There are ample football betting markets to choose from and the odds stack up against the best in the business.
You’re never short of a promotion whether its price boosts, acca boosts, loyalty free bets or straightforward bet and get promotions.
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One of the best aspects of LiveScore Bet is its free to play game Squads.
Squads is one of the best free to play games offering free bets for LiveScore Bet customers online. (LiveScoreBet)
This promotion allocates customers a five-a-side squad of active Premier League players, who can earn free bets or cash up to £50 if they score on match day.
In our view, it’s one of the most entertaining and innovative features out there.
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However, after months of testing, we’ve never received any more than a £1 cash reward, so don’t expect too much from this free promo.
6. BetVictor
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Standout feature: Football Specials
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BetVictor are one of the most trusted football betting sites around. It’s name commands respect and bettors know they’re getting a reliable product with extensive betting markets, competitive football odds and a great array of promotions.
We like their outright specials that you’ll struggle to find elsewhere, including extensive manager markets, transfer odds and trophy multiples that’ll appeal to bettors looking for alternatives to betting.
BetVictor always has a host of special odds available for betting on next manager, transfer and team markets. (BetVictor)
Their Lucky Dip feature is fairly new and has caught the eye by offering outlandish odds on popular selections.
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There’s also a Loyalty Club with up to £25 in free bets on offer each week. Existing customers can opt in to the Loyalty Club and make five bets of at least £5 throughout the week to qualify for the bonus.
7. NetBet
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Standout feature: Bet builders
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NetBet are not one of the major betting brands associated with betting on football, but its overall product is very impressive. Their sportsbook is simple and effective, and has built a niche around its bet builder feature that is one of the best.
Bet builders have become increasingly popular on football betting sites and NetBet have embraced the concept.
Bet builders are available on a variety of sports, with bettors able to combine up to six legs from a single event. Users can also expect regular promotions in conjunction with bet builders to unlock free bets and more.
The NetBet sign-up offer credits new customers with £20 in free bets paid out in four £5 installments on a bet builder, acca, horse racing and UFC free bets.
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Punters can also earn free bet builder tokens via NetBet’s Wheel of Fortune promotion.
8. Virgin Bet
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Standout feature: Price boosts
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Virgin Bet are one of the rising stars among UK football betting sites, especially when it comes to price boosts.
The bookmaker comes out swinging with a variety of odds boosts across the Premier League, Champions League and Europa League among others, punters are never short of options with offers accessible on the front page of the site.
Virgin Bet routinely offer boosts for acca and bet builders, while users will find football bet boosts with great value prices across single, double, treble and accas across the weekly.
Virgin Bet also have a strong welcome offer for new customers, where users can scored £30 in free bets after signing up and betting £10 on the sportsbook.
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9. Unibet
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Standout feature: Live streaming
New Unibet customers who sign up can secure a bet £10 get £30 free bets to use on their football betting site.
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Unibet’s football product is uncomplicated and allows users to bet with ease. There are ample markets and competitive odds, with solid features too.
Unibet TV is where the action happens with over 40,000 live streams each year, many of which are football matches.
Unibet streams games from across the globe on their platform, including all the major European leagues such as LaLiga and the Bundesliga featuring Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
Most matches come with commentary so it’s just like watching a game on your television, only you have the option to use Unibet’s in-play betting service at the same time.
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10. talkSPORT BET
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Standout feature: Premier League markets
Although one of the newer betting sites around, talkSPORT BET still offers a solid betting product.
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There are a few bells and whistles, but it mainly focuses on providing a straightforward betting experience on the Premier League.
Premier League betting sites concentrate on English football’s top flight and few do that better than talkSPORT BET.
They regularly run Premier League-specific promotions, while punters can qualify for their Footie Rewards scheme, offering up to £10 in free bets each week, by betting on the EPL.
There’s also a free-to-play game called Footie 4 Play with up to £2,500 up for grabs for correctly predicting four Premier League scorelines.
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Best Football Betting Sites UK: How We Rate
Here are some of the key elements we look for when updating our rankings and reviews of football betting sites:
Regulation
All the best football betting sites on our list are regulated and licensed by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC).
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Gambling responsibly
Safe betting sites which follow responsible gambling practices and offer responsible gambling tools are given preference.
Customer experience
We look into the customer experience on football betting sites across various platforms, judging football betting sites for their layout, usability, loading speed and customer service.
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Payment options
Football punters require a diverse range of payment options beyond debit cards and those bookies that feature on the list of Apple Pay betting sites among others, are given preference.
Promotions
A valuable sign up offer is one thing but we want to see football betting sites that take care of existing customers with free bets, price boost, money back promotions and free to play games.
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Upcoming Football Matches
Live Football Matches On TV (February 26 – March 1)
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Competition
Channel
Thursday 26th February
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Stuttgart vs Celtic
5.45pm
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TNT Sports 2
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Thursday 26th February
Crystal Palace vs Zrinjski Mostar
8pm
Conference League
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TNT Sports 3
Thursday 26th February
Nottingham Forest vs Fenerbahce
8pm
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TNT Sports 1
Friday 27th February
Augsburg vs FC Koln
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7.30pm
Bundesliga
BBC iPlayer
Friday 27th February
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Harrogate Town vs Cheltenham Town
7.45pm
League Two
Sky Sports +
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Friday 27th February
Bristol City vs Watford
8pm
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Sky Sports Football
Friday 27th February
Wolves vs Aston Villa
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Sky Sports Main Event
Saturday 28th February
Leicester City vs Norwich
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12.30pm
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Sky Sports Main Event
Saturday 28th February
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Saturday 28th February
Borussia Dortmund vs Bayern Munich
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Saturday 28th February
Leeds United vs Manchester City
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Sky Sports Main Event
Saturday 28th February
Inter Milan vs Genoa
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Sunday 1st March
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Sky Sports Main Event
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Sunday 1st March
Brighton vs Nottingham Forest
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Sunday 1st March
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Sunday 1st March
Manchester United vs Crystal Palace
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Sunday 1st March
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Sunday 1st March
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Football Odds
Check out our detailed list of football odds pages below from all the major leagues and competitions from Europe and across the world.
Responsible Gambling on Football Betting Sites
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The most important thing to remember is to gamble responsibly. When betting on football, treat it as entertainment and always assume you’ll lose.
Only bet what you can afford to lose and don’t get too carried away by free bet or casino offers.
Make sure you use the responsible betting tools offered by gambling sites such as deposit limits, reality checks, loss limits, time outs and self-exclusion.
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If you have gambling-related concerns, seek independent help. There are several UK charities and institutions that offer support, advice and information:
We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
After a season of turmoil, at last some light at the end of the tunnel for West Ham.
Friday’s thumping 4-0 win over Wolves – their biggest of the season so far – lifted West Ham out of the Premier League relegation zone, and plunged London rivals Tottenham into it.
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Just three points now separate four teams in the battle to avoid the third relegation spot, with Wolves and Burnley both cut further adrift.
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West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo insisted there was still “a lot of work to do” – but enjoyed a “big step” towards safety after Taty Castellanos and Konstantinos Mavropanos both scored twice at London Stadium.
“We are happy, extremely happy,” he told Sky Sports. “All of us deserve this kind of evening, especially our fans.
“The London Stadium today was amazing, bouncing with energy and helping us in the hard parts.”
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But while West Ham fans were bouncing, Tottenham supporters watching at home were likely slumping further into their armchairs as each goal went in.
Spurs, who face Sunderland on Sunday in new boss Roberto de Zerbi’s first game in charge, are now in completely uncharted territory.
So what next?
A place Spurs have never been before
While Spurs have flirted with the bottom three for the past two seasons – even during their spectacular run to Europa League glory only 11 months ago – this is the first time they have actually occupied the relegation zone since 2015.
On that occasion, the league season was only one game old and Tottenham – then managed by Mauricio Pochettino – had lost their opener against Manchester United, but recovered to finish the campaign in third place.
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To find the last time Spurs were in the relegation zone past the midway point of a campaign, you have to go back to February 1998 – when they sat 18th after 24 games.
But after 31 matches? That has never happened in the Premier League era. This is another new low.
What will worry Spurs fans even more is that across 31 Premier League seasons, a team occupying 18th place after 31 matches has been relegated on 21 occasions.
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[BBC]
“When I look at the Tottenham team… where’s your match-winner? Who’s going to win you the game?” said ex-Spurs midfielder Jamie Redknapp on Sky Sports.
“When I look at Jarrod Bowen and Crysencio Summerville, they have moments – that’s the important thing.
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“And that’s now put almighty pressure on Tottenham Hotspur, who have to go and beat Sunderland in their next game. That’s not an easy fixture.
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“Anything can happen. There will still be twists and turns. West Ham have only got to lose their next game at Crystal Palace next week and they’re right back in it.
“It’s very difficult to predict. But you need calm heads and what West Ham did today – look a threat from set-pieces, a real threat from your best players – you give yourself a real chance.”
After their trip to the Stadium of Light, four of Tottenham’s six remaining games are against teams in the top half of the table. They still have to go to Aston Villa and Chelsea, both chasing Champions League football.
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But while the stats suggest 18th position is not the place to be after 31 games, not all the data is doom and gloom for Spurs.
Of the 17 times a team has been on 30 points after 31 games (Tottenham’s current tally), only six were relegated. It is something to cling on to.
Which other teams are battling for survival?
There are sure to be plenty more twists and turns in the final weeks of the season.
But, after their hard-fought and well-deserved win against Wolves, West Ham’s players can at least breathe a sigh of relief as attention turns to their relegation rivals – Leeds United, Nottingham Forest and Spurs – for the rest of the weekend.
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Up first are Forest, who host Champions League-chasing Aston Villa at 14:00 BST on Sunday, after a gruelling Europa League quarter-final first leg against Porto on Thursday.
Later in the day, Spurs, as mentioned, will have to inflict just a fourth home defeat of the season on an impressive Sunderland side if they are to move out of the relegation zone at the first time of asking.
Leeds – one point and two places above West Ham – round off the weekend’s fixtures on Monday when they travel to Manchester United.
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But it will not be easy against one of their fiercest rivals – Daniel Farke’s men have not won at Old Trafford in the league since 1981.
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A favourable weekend of fixtures for the Hammers then?
It is little wonder West Ham captain Jarrod Bowen admitted he would be keeping a close eye on the television over the weekend.
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“I’ve got three kids to entertain but I will keep an eye on the games,” added Bowen. “We have a bit of time before the game against Palace then go again.
“The spirit, the togetherness is so important in this situation. You can always have quality, but you need grit and desire and a will to win through the whole squad.
“The only thing we know as a club is to keep fighting and doing what we’re doing and take it into the next six games.”
Opta’s supercomputer still predicts that West Ham are more likely to finish in 18th than Tottenham [BBC]
Edwards sticking to ‘same message’ – but was this it for Wolves?
While those above them continue to battle it out for Premier League survival, it looks almost certain that Wolves’ race is run.
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Fifteen points from safety with just 18 points left to play for, their relegation could be confirmed as early as next Saturday if results go against them.
They have been made to pay for a dreadful first half of the season, failing to win any of their opening 19 games and picking up just three points in the process.
Defender Ladislav Krejci apologised to the fans after their defeat at London Stadium – “not just for this game but the situation in the table”.
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But manager Rob Edwards would not be drawn on whether it was a result that killed any remaining hope.
“For us it is the same message,” he told Sky Sports. We have to try to finish strong, respect every game and go for it.
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“We are all under the microscope and we have to make sure we perform.”
Galatasaray look to take a step closer to a fourth consecutive league title when they host a weaker Kocaelispor at the Rams Park Stadyumu on Sunday in the 29th round of the 2025-26 Super Lig campaign. The Lions have remained atop the league table for almost the entirety of the league season and now need a couple more wins to finish the job.
Galatasaray suffered a disappointing loss to third-placed Trabzonspor last weekend, but returned to winning ways on Wednesday with a comfortable 3-1 win over Goztepe, retaining their four-point cushion above Fenerbahce and Karadeniz Fırtınası.
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Okan Buruk’s side have clearly missed the presence of star striker Victor Osimhen, who is out injured with a broken arm, but will hope to continue their charge to match their own record for consecutive league titles (4).
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Kocaelispor, on the other hand, would have begun the season with the aim of securing survival in their first campaign back in the Turkish top flight since 2008-09, but have exceeded expectations, currently sitting in eighth place as they chase a top-half finish.
The visitors have only one win from their last six games following a goalless draw with Istanbul Basaksehir on Monday and will need to make major improvements when they visit a much better side.
Galatasaray vs Kocaelispor Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
The sides have met on 44 previous occasions going into the weekend. Galatasaray have won 27 of those games, and nine have ended in draws while Kocaelispor have won the remaining eight.
November’s meeting between the two teams marked the first edition of this fixture since the 2008-09 season and ended in a shock 1-0 win to Kocaelispor.
The hosts boast the best offensive and defensive records in the league this season, having scored 66 goals and conceded only 21 across 28 games played.
Kocaelispor hold the second-worst offensive record in the Turkish top flight this season, with only 23 goals scored after 28 games played.
The injured Victor Osimhen has contributed directly to 16 of Galatasaray’s 66 league goals this season in just 19 games.
Galatasaray vs Kocaelispor Prediction
With the odds strongly in favor of the Lions, Okan Buruk will be keen to see his side get revenge on the visitors after losing the reverse fixture and, hopefully, gain more ground in their title charge.
Körfez, meanwhile, can only hope to avoid a heavy defeat against a side with just two home league losses in the last four seasons.
Prediction: Galatasaray 3-1 Kocaelispor
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Galatasaray vs Kocaelispor Betting Tips
Tip 1 – Result: Galatasaray to win
Tip 2 – Goals- Over/under 2.5 – Over 2.5 goals (Four of the hosts’ last five games have produced more than 2.5 goals)
Campbelltown Sports Stadium will play host to Sunday’s
Round 6 NRL game between Wests Tigers and
Newcastle Knights. The game kicks off at 4:05 pm with Wests Tigers heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the Wests Tigers vs.
Newcastle Knights
game and give you our free tips and bets.
Newcastle has emerged as one of the early-season surprise packets, climbing into the top three through disciplined performances built on defence. The Knights have consistently restricted opponents, though they now face a Tigers side showing signs of attacking growth. Wests has improved with the ball in hand and will test Newcastle’s defensive resolve. With key players sidelined, the Knights’ ability to maintain structure will again be crucial. If the Tigers can lift their intensity, this shapes as a far more competitive contest than the ladder suggests.
Operations at the canteen inside the Sports Authority of India headquarters in Delhi have come to a partial halt. The cooking activities have been suspended amid what is being described as an LPG supply issue
Rajasthan Royals are unstoppable. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi proved one can better the best by playing another astonishing innings — a 26-ball 78 with seven sixes — to set up an easy six-wicket victory for Rajasthan Royals against defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL on Friday. While most 15-year-olds across the country were sweating over their 10th board exams results, this teenager from Bihar’s Samastipur spent the evening hitting a 15-ball fifty as a victory target of 202 was achieved by Royals in just 18 overs. With the win RR consolidated their top spot in the IPL points table.
Dhruv Jurel (81 not out off 43 balls), enjoying his best IPL season with the willow, played a number of graceful shots but when Sooryavanshi is on song, everyone else is compelled to become a bridesmaid or a bystander, getting a first-hand dosage of what brilliance looks like.
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Sooryavanshi continued to put the reputation of world famous international bowlers at stake with his amazing bat speed and timing. The chubby cheeked teenager had toyed with Jasprit Bumrah‘s ego in an earlier game and Friday was comeback man Jos Hazlewood’s turn to get butchered.
Hazlewood, a red ball doyen, bowled a perfect delivery close to his body cramping Sooryavanshi for room. To his horror, he found the young boy just heavily chopping the delivery for a boundary.
The next two deliveries were boundaries over mid-on and then he fetched the Aussie’s pace off delivery from outside the off-stump to dispatch into the square leg stands.
The best shot however was a snap hit — where he just whipped a yorker length delivery from seamer Abhinandan Singh into the gallery — just a bit wide of long-on.
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Every shot that he hit left the crowd yearning for more. Who could have possibly imagined that he took only 15 balls to score 74 of his 78 runs in fours (8) and sixes (7).
A wily bowler like Bhuvneshwar Kumar was treated with utter disdain as he added a staggering 108 runs for the second wicket in just 6.1 overs with Jurel. Even Jurel feasted on below-par Abhinandan, who had gone for 24 in one of his overs.
Critics are always sceptical about “second season blues” when it comes to newcomers but Sooryavanshi, just like his cricketing philosophy, is out there to change the popular perceptions.
His first season as a 14-year-old was an exceptional one. His second season, so far, has been magnificent.
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Just when people were saying that a strike rate of 200 was the industry norm, Sooryavanshi upped the bar and took it to 300. He is not just on a mission to rewrite the record books, but to change perceptions and throw conventional wisdom out of the stadium — along with his orbit-touching sixes.
He is not just knocking on the national T20 team door, he is in a mood to break it down.
Earlier, RCB skipper Rajat Patidar‘s 40-ball-63 and a cameo from Impact Sub Venkatesh Iyer took RCB to 201 for 8, even though they were 25 runs short of what should have been a par score.
But once Sooryavanshi started hitting, it seemed like the total was 50 below par score
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IPL 2026 | Delhi Capitals Wins By 6 Wickets Against Mumbai Indians: Redemption For Sameer Rizvi
The New Hampshire Fisher Cats, the Toronto Blue Jays’ Double-A affiliate, achieved a rare feat not seen in the post-expansion era.
Portland’s pitchers — New Hampshire’s opponent for a six-game series — combined for walks, wild pitches and hit batters, paving the way for the Fisher Cats to pull off the feat.
The Fisher Cats fell behind 2-0 early in Tuesday’s game against the Sea Dogs, the Eastern League affiliate of the Boston Red Sox.
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But New Hampshire scored its first eight runs in the second inning without recording a single base hit.
A Portland Sea Dogs cap during a game between the Erie SeaWolves and the Portland Sea Dogs at Hadlock Field in Portland, Maine, Sept. 5, 2025.(Ella Hannaford/Minor League Baseball)
The Fisher Cats exploded for 10 runs in the inning — nine with two outs — on just one hit and no errors, the final box score in New Hampshire’s 12-7 win showed. The feat was fueled by Portland pitchers issuing eight walks and hitting two batters. Sea Dogs pitchers also uncorked four wild pitches and allowed a sacrifice fly and the inning’s lone hit.
Sea Dogs president Geoff Iacuessa couldn’t believe what unfolded.
“I don’t ever remember seeing that here or any other game I’ve ever seen,” Iacuessa told Portland’s WGME Channel 13. “It was crazy. I thought maybe something was going on with the scoreboard, and then I checked the GameChanger, and it was correct.”
The rare moment happened amid frigid conditions that prompted the stadium’s ground crew to clear the playing grass and infield after heavy snow fell earlier in the day. Temperatures were just a few degrees above freezing at first pitch.
The inning unraveled quickly after a quiet start, when Portland starter Hayden Mullins issued two walks and uncorked a wild pitch despite striking out the side in the first. New Hampshire then broke through with a sacrifice fly.
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Hayden Mullins pitches for the Portland Sea Dogs during a game against the Harrisburg Senators at FNB Field in Harrisburg, Pa., Aug. 5, 2025.(Kyle Mace/Minor League Baseball)
Mullins eventually managed to record two outs, but then lost control, walking three straight to tie the game. Jorge Juan came on in relief but hit the first batter he faced with the bases loaded.
A wild pitch made it a 4-2 score, and a walk loaded the bases again for the Fisher Cats. Juan then hit a batter, making it 5-2, before firing another wild pitch to push the Sea Dogs deficit to four runs. Juan walked two more to push it to 7-2 before leaving the mound with a runner at each base again.
Cade Feeney took the hill next and finally stopped the leaking, but not before a wild pitch made it 8-2 and New Hampshire outfielder Ismael Munguia’s two-run single pushed the lead to 10-2.
Ismael Munguia of the New Hampshire Fisher Cats poses for a photo during the team’s photo day at Delta Dental Stadium in Manchester, N.H., March 30, 2026.(Michael Owens/MLB Photos)
Munguia represented his native Nicaragua in last month’s World Baseball Classic, appearing in four games.
Not even a team at the major league level has scored more than four runs in an inning without recording its first hit, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
MLB.com reports it has happened just 16 times in American League and National League history that a pitcher allowed five runs without surrendering a hit in 1⅔ innings or fewer.
The duo have matched up 99 times in their career, but they may only have two meetings left.
This will make 101 games against each other, the most among duelling No. 1 picks in league history. Without knowing if there will be a 102nd matchup, Ovechkin will enjoy these next two games.
“It’s history what we have, 20 years playing against each other,” Ovechkin said Friday. “We came into the league at the same time, and we’re still battling and we still have a good match.”
In 74 regular-season games between the two, Crosby holds the edge with a 43-27-4 record. It’s the same in the playoffs, as the Penguins have beaten the Capitals in three out of four series between the two stars.
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Playing against one another seems to bring out the best in each other. Ovechkin has 70 points (38 goals, 32 assists) in regular-season contests and 33 points (15 goals, 18 assists) in the postseason, while Crosby has 97 (35 goals, 62 assists) and 30 (13 goals, 17 assists).
“I think the whole situation around Ovi and Sid was kind of a big time,” Ovechkin said, “and even more, not pressure, but even more (you) think about it and get ready for it.
“It’s still the same since the first game when we played against each other. The fans are in, and you guys (the media) are in, and we take that energy and put it on the ice.”
Despite the constant comparisons, battles and headlines surrounding Ovechkin and Crosby over the year, the two have been able to separate their hockey battles from their personal relationship.
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“We became friends,” Ovechkin said. “I think we understand the battle is out there, but off the ice we can talk to each other, congratulate each other on that moment. So, it’s pretty good.”
This weekend’s games will also mean a lot to Ovechkin and the Capitals because they most likely need to win both in order to stay in the playoff chase. Washington sits five points behind the Ottawa Senators for the East’s final Wild Card spot.
A leading tipster has backed Patrick Mullins to complete back-to-back Grand National victories, though this time on a different mount.
Mullins, son of legendary trainer Willie, rode 33-1 outsider Nick Rockett to victory in 2025. The top amateur jockey had been expected to ride Nick Rockett again this year before switching to Grangeclare West earlier this week.
Nick Rockett has since been pulled out of the Aintree showpiece. Paddock expert Ken Pitterson, a regular contributor to ITV’s racing coverage, predicted Nick Rockett’s shock win 12 months ago.
Now he is tipping another Willie Mullins-trained horse, Grangeclare West, who is among the favourites for the race at 10-1. Pitterson said: “This year, I like the chances of Grangeclare West. He ran third in the race last year and again the way he’s been trained by Willie Mullins. It looks like he’s been gradually building him up.
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“I like the way he won the Bobbyjo Chase, which Nick Rockett won last year on the way to Aintree. The way he’s trained him, he’s getting him to peak at the right time.
“He’s got the same sort of profile as Nick Rockett and if you look back at his previous form, he’s a classy performer.
“He won a Grade 1 as a seven-year-old, so you know he’s got a bit of back class as well. He fits the criteria of a horse I’m looking for going into the National.”
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Regarding his second and third picks, Pitterson, who works for William Hill Racing Radio, is anticipating another of the favourites, Panic Attack, along with outsider Gerri Colombe, to put in strong performances.
He said: “I think Panic Attack is an interesting runner. She’s a mare in form and mares at this time of year can be dangerous.
“I love the way she performed when she won the two big races in November – the Paddy Power Gold Cup and the Coral Gold Cup. She’s done something which no other horse has done.
“She’s had a great campaign and the fact she’s a mare on form could be dangerous. You know what [trainer] Dan Skelton can do. The other one I’m interested in is a horse called Gerri Colombe. I saw him as a youngster and he’s just got that build.
“The way he jumps and travels he could be a Grand National horse. He’s not the quickest but he did win a Grade 1 as a younger horse.
“He’s had a few problems last year, he’s come back and again he’s won his last race at Down Royal and he comes in relatively fresh. He has the look of a horse to me who could figure in a Grand National.”
Last-minute Grand National 2026 tickets
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