The big man can’t wait for a huge week of Champions League football and racing at the Dublin Racing Festival!
It’s a huge week in the sporting world with the final gameweek of the Champions League league phase taking place on Wednesday night.
There’s also more Premier League action to get stuck into and the big man has discussed outright markets in Europe and England.
The Dublin Racing Festival also takes centre stage this weekend at Leopardstown as the countdown to Cheltenham continues.
Take it away Paddy!
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
Champions League finale
THIS is the night when you need to be nimble to make sure you don’t miss the key moments in the Champions League.
TV companies around the world have faced the challenge of squeezing 36 teams all onto our TV screens in one league table since the group stage was expanded.
Now they have the challenge of bringing us drama from 18 matches that are all kicking off at 8pm!
This is a night that may make the red button option explode, but it’s going to be great fun trying to follow matches that could throw up so many big stories across the continent.
The top eight teams when the final whistles sound tonight will be through to the last 16 without the need to contest a play-off round.
Arsenal are guaranteed a top two finish after winning all seven of their group stage matches and Liverpool will join them by qualifying if they get a win against Qarabag at Anfield.
Arne Slot’s side appear to be better suited to the Champions League than the Premier League and we are offering tidy odds on Mohamed Salah and Florian Wirtz getting two or more shots on target tonight.
Liverpool are a good price to win 2-0 tonight and if you fancy the Reds to banish their domestic blues and land a seventh European Cup, that’s on offer too.
Tottenham boss Thomas Frank is clinging on to his job and the axe may fall if his side lose in Germany against Eintracht Frankfurt.
A draw might be enough to secure Spurs a top eight finish, with Xavi Simons a big price to score the opening goal for Frank’s side.
Newcastle’s trip to take on defending champions Paris Saint-Germain is one of the stand-out matches of the evening, with it being a winner-takes-all clash for a top-eight spot.
PSG have struggled to replicate the stunning form that fired them to Champions League glory last season and if the Toon pull off a famous away win, Eddie Howe’s side will be through and spared two extra matches to add to an already hectic schedule.
Manchester City’s hopes of automatic progress to the knock-out phase is far from certain after their shock defeat against Bodo/Glimt in the last round of fixtures, but a win for Pep Guardiola’s side against Galatasaray may be enough to secure a route straight through.
Erling Haaland has gone off the boil, but he is a nice price to snap back into form by scoring first tonight.
Champions League outright betting
THE Champions League final in Budapest at the end of May will be the dream target for all the teams in action tonight and we’ve served up some tasty odds to get you excited about what lies ahead.
Arsenal are our favourites to go all the way and lift the big one for the first time in their history, with Bayern Munich next in the betting.
This feels like a season when everything is possible, with defending champions Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona and Real Madrid at unusually lengthy odds.
Some big hitters are desperate to get wins tonight after difficult group stage results and we have boosted the odds on a treble of Liverpool beating Qarabag, PSG seeing off Newcastle and Atletico Madrid winning against Bodo/Glimt.
If you fancy Spurs to beat Eintracht Frankfurt, Italian side Atalanta to defeat Union Saint-Gilloise and Man City to see off Galatasaray, that’s been boosted too.
Cheltenham Countdown continues
BY now, I’m sure you will all have watched the latest episode of our Cheltenham Countdown podcast on the Paddy Power Racing YouTube channel.
But just in case there are one or two of you who haven’t, I’m here to fill in the gaps for you!
Ruby Walsh and Rory Delargy were back to deliver their pearls of wisdom in our ‘Mares Special’ and in the Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Hurdle, one name is rising to the top.
“I think this will be a cracking contest and I think Spindleberry is the most likely winner for me,” said Ruby of the second favourite, currently behind favourite Dinoblue.
DRF drama guaranteed
WE are counting down to an epic weekend of action at Leopardstown and my column on Saturday will be packed with odds and tips, but let’s fire the starting gun today.
The Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup is the marquee race, and all eyes will be on the favourite Galopin Des Champs as he looks to fine-tune ahead of his latest assault on the Gold Cup at Cheltenham in March.
Fact To File and the aforementioned Spindleberry are also in the mix, so listen to Friday’s edition of the From The Horse’s Mouth podcast to get all the latest news ahead of what should be a day to remember.
Premier League title race back on?
ARSENAL appeared to be running away with the Premier League title earlier this month, but their defeat against Manchester United last Sunday changed everything.
The Gunners were massive odds-on favourites to lift the trophy prior to that shock setback, but we have eased them in after that setback.
Man City are still in the mix and Aston Villa’s odds have been sliced.
United’s interim manager Michael Carrick has made a huge impact after wins against Man City and Arsenal in his first two matches and he is now the favourite to get the job permanently.
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
READ MORETap here for PP.com’s latest football oddsThe Paddy Power Guide To Safer Gambling – Everything You Need To Know