Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery has vented at the injustice of his failure to win the 2013 Ballon d Or, claiming he did not have the support of his own country.

Ribery finished third with 23.36 per cent of the vote, behind Cristiano Ronaldo (27.99 per cent) and Lionel Messi (24.72 per cent), despite having won the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal, Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup with Bayern that year.

The prize was voted for by a journalist from each FIFA member federation, along with the coach and captain of the national men s team.

And former France international Ribery believes a lack of support in his homeland cost him the honour.

The Ballon d Or was difficult, he told Canal Football Club. It was incomprehensible.

I won all the…

The result of this game doesn’t really feel like it’s up for debate. The Houston Texans are 14.5-point underdogs and only the Lions are on a longer losing streak. Meanwhile, the Rams sit 6-1 and only two teams have outscored them on the season entering Week 8.

There’s still plenty to wager on for this game, so make sure that you read our NFL picks and predictions for the Los Angeles Rams vs. Houston Texans on Sunday, October 31.

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Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. After having their heart ripped out three times by the Chiefs in the AFC Divisional Round, the Buffalo Bills appear stronger heading into the 2022 NFL season.

Buffalo made targeted personnel moves during the offseason, patching holes and fortifying its biggest weakness from the year before — moves that many say were acts of panic and not careful planning for the future.

Whatever the cause, the Bills jumped up the Super Bowl futures board this offseason and enter 2022 as Big Game favorites, which also brings a lofty season win total and sizable spreads. These expectations are warranted for the best two-way team in the NFL.

We circle the wagons and take out the tables for our Buffalo Bills NFL bett…

Every NFL bettor should know how to make their own power rankings. Having your own rankings helps you to stay focused on the big picture view of the league. They also help you create your own point spreads for any matchup in the league.

Almost all oddsmakers and professional bettors keep their own power rankings, and anyone who wants to be a smarter NFL bettor should as well. 

The 0-100 method is the easiest way for most sports bettors to create their own power rankings. And it’s how I created my NFL power rankings, which I make in late July and then update each Tuesday of the season. Here’s how to get started.

Making your own NFL power rankings

Start by taking out a piece of paper and drawing a 0-100 scale on it. On the scale,…

Finding the best value on NFL odds has become just a little bit easier, as most sportsbooks routinely offer odds boosts and betting promotions on select betting markets.

These promotions are specially curated offers, which range from sportsbook to sportsbook, that can offer users enhanced prices on NFL player props, sides, totals, and NFL futures, popular parlays, or entice users a create an account at a new sportsbook.

Sometimes you get a 25% better value on a superstar to score a touchdown, or a chance to get more value on your favorite bet of the week — regardless of the offer, these promotions frequently provide bettors with a chance to extra value for their NFL Week 10 predictions. 

However, these betting boosts are often time-sensitive,…

The Super Bowl is the biggest sports betting event in North America and turning a profit isn’t just about what you bet but when you bet it. Super Bowl odds represent a huge opportunity for savvy bettors because of how much the public can sway lines.

That creates value in either going against the line movement closer to kickoff or getting ahead of that line movement by locking in your NFL picks earlier in the week.

Here are the five best NFL odds markets to bet early in the week before Super Bowl 58 between the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs.

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The Cleveland Browns head to the nation’s capital to face off against the red-hot Washington Commanders on Sunday.

Washington has reeled off three straight wins with Jayden Daniels leading the way, and my Browns vs. Commanders predictions are backing the sensational rookie again. Here are my best NFL picks for this Week 5 clash on October 6.

Browns vs Commanders prediction

My best betJayden Daniels Over 9.5 rush attempts (+110 at BetMGM)

My analysis

The Washington Commanders lead the league in offensive EPA and success rate by wide margins and have punted just once over their last three games. That historic level of play simply isn’t sustainable — especially with a rookie quarterback at the helm.

That said…

There is a brazen directness to Angeliño that is equally evident when he speaks as when he plays. On the field, he tears up the left flank with pace and precision, the full-back who also happens to be RB Leipzig’s second highest scorer this season. Off it, he speaks with a blunt and often brutal honesty: no punches pulled, no hidden agendas, just calling it as he sees it. Both feel equally refreshing.

Perhaps time alone has allowed him to focus his thoughts. Holed up on his own in his Leipzig home, cut adrift from his family back home in Galicia, the 24-year-old has spent much of his pandemic-enforced downtime watching box sets and pacing the floors. His partner returned to Spain with his young son, whom he misses terribly. “When you li…

Croatia won 1-0 against Moldova at the coastal town of Rijeka on Saturday in their first warm-up match ahead of next month s Euro 2008 finals.

Croatian captain Niko Kovac scored the goal in the 30th minute, shooting home after Ivan Rakitic headed the ball on to him from the right.

The game lacked a competitive edge as both coaches were clearly trying out different combinations of players on the run-up to the June 7 to 29 championships.

Croatian coach Slaven Bilic is still searching for his top strike duo after Eduardo da Silva was injured, and tried Ivic Olic and Igor Budan in the first half, and Ivan Klasnic and Nikola Kalinic after the break.

Arsenal striker da Silva suffered a compound fracture of his left leg in an horrific tackle by Birmingham d…

Tottenham striker Harry Kane is among the five latest players to be named on the 30-man Ballon d Or shortlist, along with Eden Hazard and Antoine Griezmann.

Real Madrid playmaker Isco and Chelsea midfielder N Golo Kante have also been revealed as nominees for France Football s prize.

Kane scored 41 goals in all competitions for Spurs last season before winning the Golden Boot at the World Cup with six strikes in England s run to the semi-finals.

Chelsea and Belgium star Hazard is included after impressing for club and country throughout the last year, while Griezmann, a Europa League and World Cup winner with Atletico Madrid and France respectively, is one of the favourites for the award.

Kante was also part of France s victorious side in Russia, while Is…