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Settle in. You’ve had a tough week.
The “guaranteed” sunshine of summer has gone and there’s absolutely no need to risk getting wet by going outside over the weekend. That’s our excuse anyway.
Get comfortable because a cracking couple of days of sport lie ahead and a few potential bets have caught our eye as we attempt to make your hard-earned stay on the sofa somewhat profitable.
Saturday 22 September
UFC Fight Night 117
Saitama Super Arena
03:00 on BT Sport 2 (Friday night into Saturday morning)
The Octagon will set up shop in Japan in one of mixed martial arts’ most iconic venues this weekend and there are several interesting fights on the card. However most intriguing of all will be the UFC debut of one of the scariest strikers on the planet, Gokhan Saki. Saki has a professional kickboxing record of 83-12, with 59 of his victories coming by way of KO/TKO. It’s safe to say that he’s going to have more in the stand-up department than most UFC light heavyweights will be able to contend with.
Did you know: Saki holds victories over some of the most feared kickboxers walking the planet. The 33-year-old has beaten Tyrone Spong, Melvin Manhoef and Ray Sefo in his time.
William Hill tip: Saki to win in the first round at 7/5
They cheer for Blood, then they shall have it #ufcjapan #ufc @ufc @UFCEurope saturday eu time, friday usa time. pic.twitter.com/eYEVAPWyw0
— Gökhan Saki (@gokhantherebel) September 21, 2017
Scottish Premiership: Rangers vs. Celtic
Ibrox
12:00 on Sky Sports Football
Old Firm baby! The season’s first of the fiercest derby in Britain gets underway this weekend and you know what that means… Cards. Loads and loads of cards. Some referees like to keep their cards in their pockets for as long as possible but that’s seldom the case when Rangers meet Celtic. Gers boss Pedro Caixinha has warned that the visitors will attempt to provoke the fiery Alfredo Morelos and you just know we’re going to see a lot of bookings at Ibrox.
Did you know: The referee in charge of this game, Craig Thomson, has issued six red cards in seven games this season.
William Hill tip: Time of first card – 1st to 15th minute at 11/8
Premier League: West Ham vs. Spurs
London Stadium
12:30 on Sky Sports Premier League
Spurs love an away day, having scored five in their two Premier League games away from Wembley this season while West Ham’s ship hasn’t quite been steadied to the point that you’d be confident picking them to provide an upset against their London rivals. Spurs should rebound from their stalemate against Swansea with vengeance this weekend.
Did you know: Harry Kane not only has the most shots in the Premier League this season but nobody has hit the woodwork more times than the Spurs front man. He gets himself in goalscoring positions and given that he failed to find the net last weekend, the law of averages is telling us he should remedy this against Slaven Bilic’s men.
William Hill tip: Spurs to win and Harry Kane to score a header at 5/1
WBO Heavyweight title: Joseph Parker vs. Hughie Fury
Manchester Arena
22:00 on YouTube
Joseph Parker is the favourite going into the second defence of his WBO heavyweight title but he shouldn’t take Hughie Fury lightly. Parker looked far from his best in his last outing, when he was brought to a decision by unheralded Romanian fighter Razvan Cojanu and, as we’ve seen from Tyson, the Fury style of fighting can be hard to come to terms with.
Did you know: Sir Alex Ferguson sent Hughie Fury a motivational letter ahead of his first world title shot and, as we’ve seen with the miracles performed at Manchester United, nobody inspires like the Scot.
William Hill tip: Hughie Fury to win on points at 7/4
Sunday 23 September
NFL: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Chicago Bears
Soldier Field
18:00 on RedZone on Sky Sports Mix
The Pittsburgh Steelers have looked incredible this season, going 2-0 and while it’s far too early to call them Super Bowl contenders, they could well continue to ride this wave of impressive performances into this weekend. Coach Mike Tomlin is eager for his team to force more turnovers and if they can manage that by putting early pressure on the Bears’ Mike Glennon, it could turn out to be a long evening for the home side.
Did you know: Last week the Steelers held the Minnesota Vikings to 237 total yards and sacked QB Case Keenum twice.
William Hill tip: Steelers -7 at 20/23
