Monte's Multiple / Jaymes Monte / 14 December 2009 /

Jaymes Monte picks out three selections from a midweek concoction of Premier League football, Ally Pally darts and cricket action from India.....

Bet 1: Football - English Premier League

This set of midweek fixtures really signals the beginning of the crucial Christmas period which can make or break a season for any club. Four games in the next two weeks will push squads to the limit and make both physical and mental fatigue a major factor.

We should also know a lot more about which teams will be fighting for their Premier League lives come the turn of the year and the game between Bolton and West Ham this Tuesday night could prove to be a massive pointer.

At the weekend Bolton put an end to Manchester City's delight at beating Chelsea whilst West Ham became another victim in Birmingham's unlikely charge up the table. Clearly both teams will now go into this game with greatly varying levels of confidence taken from those games, but West Ham do still have the advantage in the league table.

For me Bolton are prime contenders for relegation, despite their celebrated draw against Man City I don't think they offer enough on a regular enough basis. West Ham on the other hand have shown glimpses in recent weeks that they are beggining to get things right, having smashed five past Burnley then matched Man United for the first 45 minutes at Upton Park.

Kieron Dyer's return to the side is a huge boost to Gianfranco Zola and his men and I think there has to be some value in taking Bolton on at the short price of [2.4].

Selection: Lay Bolton to beat West Ham @ [2.4]

Bet 2: Darts - PDC World Championships

The Christmas period wouldn't quite feel the same without the PDC World Championships gracing our screens. Since its induction back in 1994 the tournament has gradually found its way onto the television monitors of more and more homes across the UK and it is now a highlight of the year which I for one greatly look forward to.

It all kicks off this Friday night with matches involving the great entertainer Wayne Mardle, former World Champion Dennis Priestley and the greatest player ever to throw a dart Phil Taylor.

It is the match involving the 1994 champion Dennis Priestley which interests me the most as a betting prospect. Any successful businessman will tell you that when money is involved you should push all sentiment to one side and let the head rule the heart, and that attitude should be applied here.

Unfortunately for the romantics amongst the darts world, Priestley has had his day in the sun and it is time to move on. His first round opponent this week is Kevin McDine who played well in the recent Grand Slam of Darts despite exiting the competition at the group stage. He has the game play to record what would be an unpopular victory at generous odds of [2.5].

Selection: Back McDine to beat Priestley @ [2.5]

Bet 3: Cricket - India v Sri Lanka, 1st ODI

In last week's multiple I suggested a back of Sri Lanka in the first of the two match Twenty20 series between these two sides, and they duly obliged. The series was then levelled in Mohali despite the Indians being set a target of 207 to win and attentions now turn to a five match ODI series.

The points that I made last week still remain for me and whilst the Indians remain sloppy in the field and loose with the ball in hand I have to oppose them when they are short priced favourites. Their batting line-up is undoubtedly one of the best in World cricket and whilst Virender Sehwag remains in such sparkling form they are capable of chasing down big targets.

However, too often they are forced to rely on their batting prowess to get them out of trouble and with Muttiah Muralithara and Ajantha Mendis both available for selection again that may not be such a reliable fall back here. The bigger odds of [2.3] available on Sri Lanka make them the only team that I could back in this encounter.

Selection: Back Sri Lanka to beat India @ [2.3], 1st ODI

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