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  • Weekend Longshots: Moura To Blast One, Hull In Goal Fest, Montes To Beat Shields And More

Weekend longshots: Moura to blast one, Hull in goal-fest, Montes to beat Shields and more

Tottenham's Lucas Moura celebrates against Aston Villa

Planet Sport previews the longshot odds for this weekend, including some Premier League and Football League action, the MMA return of Claressa Shields and the showdown between Herring and Stevenson.

Another weekend, another set of longshots.

We've got the old band back together and our Planet Sport experts are ready more than ever to provide some betting tips that could give your wallets a much-needed shot in the arm this weekend. You can thank us later...

(All text odds correct at time of publication, the odds in the pretty blue boxes are bang up-to-date)

Lucas Moura to ruin West Ham's day from long range

Scott Allen (Planet Sport editor)

After tipping Angelo Ogbonna to score against Everton in last week's longshots at 14/1, I'm feeling incredibly pompous and believe I can do it again this week.

This is easily one of West Ham's biggest days of the season, Spurs fans pretend they are not that bothered, but we all know they are.

It will be the usual blood and thunder affair, with plenty of goals and bookings. West Ham will believe they have a very good chance of winning this and recent form suggests they can. Spurs are improving slowly but I doubt Eric Dier will really want to go toe-to-toe with the Europa League-rested Michail Antonio.

Despite the optimistic mood around the London Stadium, West Ham are certainly due to ship a freak long-range goal at some point in the coming weeks. That's just the West Ham way.

Lucas Moura had a long-range shot off target against Newcastle, and also hit the woodwork with a header from a corner in the same game. So I've pompously merged these two elements and have come up with Moura to score from outside the area at 14/1.

Let's hope it doesn't actually happen. Irons!!!

Back a Hull load of goals at Luton

Paul Okey (Planet Sport writer)

It's funny how as a soccer fan, pessimism takes over as you get older (or should that be fatalism).

In my younger days I put a fairly regular bet on Hull to win 4-0 at home despite them struggling in the bottom tier - and it actually came off against Hartlepool.

Last season, however, as the Tigers swept all before them in League One, I was more likely to be seen trying to spot the matches they would trip up in. Even the season before I had a sizeable bet on them to be relegated as they sat just outside the Championship play-off places - one that came in at a canter as it happens.

On Saturday, however, I am going to try and channel my younger self by optimistically putting my faith in Grant McCann's side.

For despite their lack of points and goals - Hull have scored just nine goals in 13 league games - I am backing their forwards to hit their stride at Luton.
Chances were created and spurned once again against Peterborough in midweek, with Josh Magennis' horrendous penalty miss the standout. But for their profligacy, the Tigers would be much higher in the table, as their eighth place in the Championship's expected goals table underlines.

A visit to Kenilworth Road looks like it could be the final chance for McCann to convince he can cut it at this level, and that also goes for his preferred front three of Mallik Wilkes, Magennis and Keane Lewis-Potter. A Luton side that has shipped two or more goals on six occasions this season could prove the perfect hosts.

But while I have optimism the goals will finally start flowing for Hull, I haven't entirely banished my negative side and I'm also expecting their defence to continue leaking soft goals too.
Luton were involved in a 2-2 draw with Derby in midweek and put five past Coventry just over three weeks ago and I think there will be even more goals in this one. Backing over 5.5 goals is my pick.
It's the perfect centre ground, the pessimism of middle age combined with the optimism of youth.
We'll still miss our next penalty, mind.

Shakur Stevenson to make a statement

Photo credit: Top Rank

Joe Hewlett (Planet Sport writer)

This fight is being considered a genuine 50/50 by some, despite Jamel Herring being an underdog to retain his WBO junior lightweight title.
Herring's previous fight saw him retire British legend Carl Frampton, defeating him inside six rounds in an impressive performance. However, it was not the same Frampton at the peak of his powers, defeating the likes of Scott Quigg and Leo Santa Cruz.

Herring will need to be at his most aggressive to dismantle Stevenson but those type of tactics could play into Shakur Stevenson's hands. With youth on his side and Top Rank having high hopes of creating a new superstar, Stevenson has more than enough in the locker to win.

Should Herring tire as the fight goes, then Stevenson will smell blood in the water. Check out our full betting preview for the fight here.

Evin Lewis to give it the big heave-ho in T20 World Cup

Andy Schooler (Planet Sport writer)

A player to seriously consider in the T20 run scorer markets is West Indies' renowned hitter Evin Lewis.
The West Indian opener's career strike rate in T20Is is second only to Glenn Maxwell, the Australian who is a finisher and bats further down. Since the start of 2020, his strike rate of 167.2 is the best in the international game by some distance.
Lewis has also impressed in franchise cricket, holding the second highest strike-rate in the 2021 IPL, while he finished runner-up in the Caribbean Premier League run charts earlier this year, amassing a whopping 38 sixes - 13 more than his nearest rival.

Maybe I'll live to regret it, but my preference for backing Lewis would be in a 'most sixes' or, better still, 'best strike rate' market. However, he's still good value in the top runs scorers too.

Upset on the cards for Shields

Joe Hewlett (Planet Sport writer)

There is no doubt Claressa Shields is the Pound for Pound best when it comes to female boxing.

The quickest fighter to win world titles in three weight classes (10), it's rather sad to see her competing in MMA due to being paid small purses in her specialist sport.

Shields won her first MMA fight this summer, defeating Britteny Elkin via TKO in round three and is now facing Mexico's Abigail Montes. Her opponent is undefeated from two bouts although her two wins were against novices - one making her debut and the other with a record of 1-0.

While it is a fight that should favour Shields - as she pretty much hand-picked her next bout - she is still stepping into the unknown as an MMA fighter.

The only skills we know Shields has for definite is her punching power while Montes has displayed - at least on paper - that she has the more technical ability with her most recent win being via ground and pound. There's something in the air with this one...

Cool Mix in with an each-way shout at Cheltenham

Nigel Ridgway (Planet Sport racing writer)

Cloth Cap is unlikely to be fully wound up on his first run back since pulling up in the Grand National, with the Aintree race surely top of his agenda for this term.

Besides he's giving plenty of weight to his inferior rivals and Cool Mix, who is getting a whopping 26lb, has the form in the book to suggest he can take advantage.

He was last seen running a mighty race to finish fifth of the 22 runners in the Scottish National, while his previous third in the Rehearsal Chase at Newcastle can be marked up further as his rider lost an iron and took a while to get it back.
While he's done all his winning at trips up to 2m4f, those two runs prove he categorically stays this 3m1f trip and it's doubtful his trainer Ian Williams will have left much to work on, given this is a valuable prize and he's no spring chicken at nine.

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