Monte's Multiple / Jaymes Monte / 07 April 2009 /

Oscar Wilde once famously wrote "We're all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars." What he failed to add is that the stars are looking back having a right old laugh at some of us.

From the Multiples betting gutter, looking at the stars, come this week's selections...

Bet One: Football - The Championship
Away from the glitz and glamour of the Champions League this week the race for the Premier League is heading into overdrive.
Cardiff currently occupy sixth place and have games in hand on the teams either side of them in the table. They can really cement their play-off credentials with positive results in those two fixtures. However, the first comes in the shape of a tricky tie against Derby County on Wednesday night.
The bare statistics show The Bluebirds have an extremely impressive home record which reads only three losses out of 20 all season. But the reality is a little less inspiring of late. If it wasn't for injury time penalties it would read just one point from a possible nine. Ross McCormack strikes from the spot earned them a draw against Swansea and all three points against Watford either side of a 3-0 defeat to Sheffield United.
The Rams are growing in confidence under new manager Nigel Clough and are becoming increasingly hard to beat. They have lost just two of their last 11 games and drawn four of their previous six. I strongly fancy them to continue that good run of form against a Cardiff side who are looking progressively more fatigued as their fixtures pile up.
Selection: Lay Cardiff @ [1.9]


Bet Two: Darts - Premier League
Results pretty much went to form in last week's Premier League, with the first three matches going the way of the odds-on favourite before outsider Mervyn King took the final match.
Although he got no reward in terms of points, the performance of the night undoubtedly came from Jelle Klaasen. The Dutchman took 'The Power' all the way to the 14th and final leg, winning legs against the throw twice late on to draw level and outscoring the defending champion in the 180 department.
This week he comes up against Wayne Mardle, a player who I have had a rant about on these pages numerous times before. However, some credit should be given to the fact that he is trying to step up his game by taking on a new throwing technique. It may save his career at the top in the long run, but in the short run he's looking even more out of his depth in the Premier League.
A demolishing from an out of form Terry Jenkins last Thursday was followed by a first round defeat on Saturday and a second round exit on Sunday in PDC pro tour events. Klaasen is finding his feet in the league and can compound Mardle's misery with a victory.
Back Jelle Klaasen @ [2.0]


Bet Three: Cricket - South Africa v Australia - 3rd ODI
One a piece in this five match series with both matches going to the respective winners with relative ease. Australia winning the first by seven wickets and South Africa the second by 141 runs.
The third match up between the two takes us to Cape Town and a ground where South Africa have only lost three of 26 ODI matches since 1992. The latest matchup between the two sides on this ground was back in 2006, South Africa victorious by a landslide margin of 196 runs, with a certain SM Pollock recording figures of 4-9.
The second ODI saw the emergence onto the international scene of a man who is hotly tipped to take Pollock's mantle. Nineteen-year-old Wayne Parnell took four wickets for just 25 runs in a partnership with Dale Steyn which reduced the tourists to 40-6 at one stage.
Momentum can be a big factor in cricket and South Africa certainly have that in their favour going into the third ODI, their exemplary record in Cape Town will also be a major factor here.
Back South Africa @ [1.96]

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