The run-up to Christmas is always a fantastic time for online betting with punters spoilt for choice across a wide range of sports. This week we preview the League Cup, Darts World Championships, international cricket and the boxing from Saudi Arabia on Saturday.

Our traders have sifted through the major action of the week and have marked your card with a few key events and betting odds.

The below prices are indicative and may be subject to fluctuation

Please remember that unlike fixed odds betting, when spread betting losses can exceed deposits.

DARTS – PDC WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

There is only one place to start this betting preview in the run-up to Christmas and that is the Alexandra Palace in London. It is a great few weeks for darts betting punters who get to see plenty of matches between the world’s best arrowsmiths and we have already had our first major shock after young sensation Gian Van Veen was beaten at 1/20 (even going 1/1000 in play) by Man Lok Leung.

So far, the seeded players have avoided the ignominy of being despatched in the second round with former world champions Peter Wright and Michael Van Gerwen in action this week. MVG is currently the 10/3 favourite, with Luke Humphries at 7/2 and Gary Anderson the only other player at a single figure price of 9/1.

Aside from that we have plenty of darts spread betting options on all the matches, but also tournament total specials where you can place spread bets on Total 180s and Total 170 Checkouts Squared.

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FOOTBALL – EFL CUP MATCHES

The football this week sees the quarter finals of the League Cup take place with three of those matches featuring odds-on shots. The only tie which doesn’t, sees 21/20 favourites Everton take on Fulham this evening at Goodison Park with the Tofess coming into the match off the back of some good performances.

Elsewhere, a Football League side will be guaranteed a semi-final spot with 3/4 favourites Middlesbrough travelling to Port Vale who reached this stage of the competition for the first time in their history. There is an interesting tie for football betting punters as Chelsea host Newcastle whilst the sole match on Wednesday sees Liverpool installed as 2/5 favourites in our match odds market for their clash with West Ham.

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BOXING – DAY OF RECKONING

Boxing betting punters are in for an entertaining night on Saturday as a smorgasbord of names fight in Riyadh with Lyndon Arthur’s world title attempt against Dmitry Bivol one to watch out for early on the card. Kyrgyz-born Bivol has a perfect record, but his best (and last) knockout came against Sullivan Barrera in 2018 and instead of taking the 1/33 on him to win there will be some interest about the 4/6 on a Bivol win by stoppage.

Daniel Dubois is a 1/3 shot to beat Jarrell Miller in one of the earlier fights whilst big puncher Deontay Wilder is 1/6 to beat former world champion Joseph Parker. Our boxing betting traders have the over/under round live at 6.5 in that particular fight.

Rounding off the card is Anthony Joshua who is 1/4 to beat the avoided Swede, Otto Wallin. Best known for giving Tyson Fury a real scare a few years ago, Wallin is not one to be taken lightly having beaten former cruiserweight champion Murat Gassiev via split decision a few months back.

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CRICKET – WEST INDIES v ENGLAND (4^TH T20)

A sublime run chase on Saturday saw England wrestle themselves back into the five-match T20 series with the West Indies and they need to be at their best again if they are to keep the series alive this evening.

In our cricket odds, the tourists are narrow 4/5 favourites with the West Indies available to back at even money. We also have two boosted bets with Jos Buttler 3/1 from 9/4 to top score for England whilst Andre Russell is 13/1 from 10/1 to do the same for the hosts.

In our cricket spread betting markets, the Phil Salt performance spread is 33-37, with the Welshman beating that spread in two of his three matches so far. After Saturday’s clash which saw sixes rain down all over the ground, there will be interest in our Total Sixes cricket spread betting market which is 16.7-18.2 whilst Sixes Squared comes in at 353-405.

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Please remember that unlike fixed odds betting, when spread betting losses can exceed deposits.