Remo Stars Favourites For League Title After back-to-back campaigns finishing as runners-up, Remo Stars are the favourites at all of the best online betting sites to finally win their first NPFL title this season, but the job is not done yet, with the team needing three more wins from their remaining five games.  The Sky Blue Stars have been in tremendous form this season, particularly on their home patch. Remo are one of only three teams yet to taste defeat at home this season, and their 47 points in 17 games is the best tally of any team in the division this season.  Additionally, Daniel Ogunmodede’s side have scored 43 goals this season, which is the second-most in the top flight, and have conceded just 25, which ranks third behind Rivers United (23) and Enugu Rangers (24).  While there have been plenty of positives from Remo Stars’ performance this season, the one area they will be looking to improve next term will be their away record, having only taken 15 points from a possible 48 to date – although that is just one fewer than Rivers’ league-high of 16 points.  From here on, the Sky Blue Stars hold their destiny in their own hands, starting with this weekend’s trip to Adamasingba Stadium in Ibadan, where three points against the tricky Shooting Stars will see them take a step closer to lifting the league trophy.  Be sure to check out our football predictions for key stats in this encounter ahead of kickoff! Football predictions Rivers United, Abia Warriors Still in the Mix  While Remo Stars have a seven-point cushion in the league standings, they are certainly showing signs of nerves over the last few weeks, having failed to win any of their last three matches, losing one and drawing their last two.  Last weekend, the Sky Blue Stars failed to overcome 17th-placed Katsina United at home, and that followed a 2-2 draw against already relegated Lobi Stars a week earlier, when they had to come from two goals down in order to salvage a share of the spoils.  Indeed, Ogunmodede’s men are not making the run-in easy for themselves, and they are unlikely to be handed any favours this week when they travel to face Shooting Stars, whose midfielder Kabiru Tijani assured the media that his side will come out on top in this contest. He said:  “Dear Remo Stars, we are going to show you no mercy this week. We are not afraid of any team. We will get the three points — no way for the Sky Blue Armies. Our continental ticket hope is still alive. We will keep on fighting; we will never give up. We don’t fear any team.” The stage is now set for what could be a season-defining weekend, and you can live every moment of the action using our NPFL livescore tool right here on SportyTrader! Football predictions

The History of the Pataudi Trophy Cricket is a game of tradition, and over the years we have seen intense battles between some of the world’s greatest teams, from the West Indies during the 1970s and 80s, the all-conquering Aussies in the 1990s and early 00s, and India in more recent times.  To pay homage to the players and intense battles of the past, several series globally are now played for trophies that are named after former greats, such as the Sir Vivian Richards Trophy, which is contested between South Africa and the West Indies.  The Pataudi Trophy, named after the Pataudi family, came into existence in 2007 to commemorate 75 years of the India-England cricket bilateral ties. Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi remains the only man to have played for both India and England in Test matches, while his son, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, captained the Men in Blue in the 1960s and 70s.  Since the introduction of the Pataudi Trophy, England have held the trophy since 2011, while India won it in the first ever contest in 2007! However, despite the tradition behind the Pataudi Trophy, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has now taken the decision to retire the trophy, with the action expected to take effect ahead of India’s tour to England in June this year – a decision that has not gone down well with former India great Sunil Gavaskar.  Check out the best online betting sites for cricket, including the ongoing Indian Premier League! Cricket predictions Gavaskar Slams ECB Over Pataudi Trophy Decision  Indian players who have had trophies named after them include Saurav Ganguly, the Ganguly-Duroy Trophy, which is contested between India and neighbouring Bangladesh, while the Border-Gavaskar Trophy is a tribute to Sunil Gavaskar and Allan Border, two of the greatest-ever players for India and Australia, respectively.  The Border-Gavaskar Trophy is arguably the fiercest rivalry in Test cricket today, with many feeling that it has surpassed the Ashes. As such, it is perhaps understandable that Gavaskar had something to say about the ECB’s decision to retire the Pataudi Trophy this year.  Writing in his column for Sportstar, the former India captain blasted the decision, saying:  « This is the first time one has heard of a trophy named after individual players being retired. It shows a total lack of sensitivity to the contribution made by the Pataudis to cricket in both England and India. » Gavaskar went on to concede that it is the ECB’s right to retire or rename the trophy, but followed up by urging current cricketers from India to decline the option of lending their names to new trophies, indicating that is could tarnish their legacy, as he feels the most recent decision will do to the Pataudi family.  The five-match Test series between England and India will get underway on June 20  in Leeds before moving on the Birmingham, Lord’s, Manchester and The Oval, and we will be covering all the action with our cricket predictions right here on SportyTrader! ...

CSK’s 180+ Chase Drought Continues Chennai Super Kings fans have been put through the wringer this season, having seen their team triumph against their arch-nemesis and fellow five-time champions, Mumbai Indians, at the start of the competition, before tumbling to the foot of the table with five defeats on the bounce.  Following the victory over Mumbai, the Super Kings’ next four matches saw them batting second, and each of those games ended in defeat. Against RCB, Chennai only managed 146/8 chasing 196, while against Rajasthan, they came up six runs short of the 182-run target.  Match 17 of the 2025 IPL was a historic one, as DC secured victory over CSK in Chennai for the first time in 15 years, with the Men in Yellow only scoring 158/5 in response to 183/6, and while they did better against Punjab, getting to 201/5, they were chasing 219/6, meaning the match still ended in defeat.  While MS Dhoni and co finally got back to winning ways batting second against the Lucknow Super Giants this past Monday, they were chasing a modest total of 166/7, and even then, only managed to get over the line with three balls to spare.  With those results, the Chennai Super Kings have now failed to chase down a target of 180+ runs since 2018, when they beat the Sunrisers Hyderabad – a staggering statistic when considering they have won the IPL three times between 2018 and 2024! Chennai have the IPL’s El-Clasico on the horizon, and our experts will be providing their in-depth MI vs. CSK prediction early this weekend.  IPL predictions Can 17-Year-Old Sensation Help Save CSK’s Season? While Noor Ahmad and Khaleel Ahmed have been in great form with the ball for the Super Kings this season, the team’s batting lineup has largely failed to shine. As it stands, no CSK batsman currently ranks inside the top 15 run-scorers in the competition to date. The five-time champions were dealt a major blow in that regard over the last weekend, with India international Ruturaj Gaikwad pulling out of the squad for the remainder of the competition due to an elbow injury sustained against RR on March 30.  As a result, Stephen Fleming has opted to call up highly-rated 17-year-old batter Ayush Mhatre as an injury replacement for Gaikwad, who had only scored a mere six runs in his two innings following the injury.  Mhatre went unsold at the IPL mega auction last year but was on the radar of CSK’s scouts after an impressive trial campaign before the season began. The teenager shone at the Vijay Hazare Trophy with 458 runs and followed up with 471 in the Ranji Trophy, scoring three centuries along the way.  There’s plenty of cricket on the schedule over the coming months, so be sure to keep an eye on our cricket predictions for more match news and key stats! IPL predictions

Rugby Premier League Format & Draft In recent years, the demand for professional sports teams has risen exponentially, and as a result, we have seen franchise-based leagues boom, spanning the most popular sports like football and cricket to more niche ones like skiing and pickleball.  In 2024, the Indian Premier League was the most watched cricket league globally, while other events such as the UFC, LIV Golf, Baller League and the Pro Kabaddi League have taken the world by storm, attracting some of the best athletes in their respective sports.  This year, we are set to see the launch of what is expected to be the future of sevens rugby – the Rugby Premier League! RPL was founded in 2024 by Rugby India, and in December last year, the organisation secured a 10-year partnership with GMR Sports to launch the league in 2025. It has now been confirmed that the official dates for the brand new tournament will be between June 1-15.  The league will feature six teams battling across a 34-match schedule at the Mumbai Football Arena. Each franchise team is allowed 13 players, five of whom must be local Indian players, while a maximum of five international players and three bridge players are allowed. The format of the competition includes: The competition will run over 15 days Weekdays will feature two games per night Weekends will feature three games per night The pool stage will be played on a double-round-robin format  There will be two semi-finals, a bronze medal match and a one-off final All participating teams in the RPL will play a maximum of 10 games during the pool stage and two playoff matches across the 15-day tournament. Teams that finish with the most points during the pool stage move on to the knockout rounds.  Don’t forget to check out our rugby prediction prior to the start of the RPL 2025 season.  Rugby predictions Rugby Premier League Teams & Players Earlier this month, the RPL announced the six teams that will feature in the inaugural edition of the competition. These are:  Bengaluru Bravehearts Chennai Bulls, Delhi Redz Hyderabad Heroes Kalinga Black Tigers  Mumbai Dreamers Similar to the IPL and PKL in India, the Rugby Premier League includes a player auction, which allows teams to enter a bidding war to purchase the players they would like as part of their team, both locally and abroad.  While the RPL is nowhere close to offering the riches that we saw at the IPL auction last year, there are still several international stars set to feature in the inaugural season, including the likes of Perry Baker, Rosko Specman, Scott Curry, Luciano Gonzalez and Akuila Rokolisoa. Additionally, the competition will feature some of the most renowned rugby coaches globally, such as Ben Gollings (former Fiji 7s head coach), Tomias Cama (New Zealand 7s head coach) and Mike Friday (former USA 7s head coach), among others.  Anticipation is building for the kickoff of the Rugby Premier League on June 1, and you can ...

Ervine, Williams Return to Zimbabwe Squad The Zimbabwe national cricket team landed in Dhaka on Tuesday evening ahead of a two-Test series against Bangladesh over the coming weeks. The first match will be played in Sylhet starting on April 20 before heading to Chittagong for match two on April 28, and our cricket predictions will be available throughout the series.  This marks an important moment for the African nation that has endured turmoil behind the scenes for several years – they are now set to feature in their first match in the subcontinent since 2020, when they played a one-off Test against the Tigers in Mirpur.  Ahead of their arrival, the Chevrons announced the 15 players that would make the trip to Asia, and there were several big calls made, perhaps none more so than the return of all-rounder Sean Williams, who has made a full recovery from the back injury that kept him sidelined in recent times.  Skipper Craig Ervine is also back in the touring squad after missing the trip to Ireland in February, while other notable call-ups include that of Tafadzwa Tsiga and Wellington Masakadza, both of whom have not played for the national team in over two years.  A debut has been handed to promising spinner Vincent Masekesa, and Nicholas Welch keeps his place after impressing in Ireland. Joylord Gumbie, Takudzwanashe Kaitano and Newman Nyamhuri are the trio that missed out on the final cut made by head coach Justin Sammons.  Zimbabwe Test Squad vs. Bangladesh:  Craig Ervine (C), Brian Bennett, Jonathan Campbell, Ben Curran, Trevor Gwandu, Wesley Madhevere, Wellington Masakadza, Vincent Masekesa, Nyasha Mayavo, Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava, Victor Nyauchi, Tafadzwa Tsiga, Nicholas Welch, Sean Williams.  Cricket predictions Experienced Campaigners To Bolster Bangladesh Lineup Bangladesh have also made a few notable changes to their squad for the upcoming series, headlined by the return of skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto, who was forced to miss the team’s ICC Test Championship tour to the West Indies in December last year.  Another experienced head set to make his return after sitting out the trip to the Caribbean is wicketkeeper batsman Mushfiqur Rahim, while young fast bowler Tanzim Hasan Sakib could make his Test debut after impressing in the white-ball formats.  The most notable exclusion for the Tigers in this series is that of paceman Taskin Ahmed, who is on the road to recovery from an injury to his left Achilles tendon.  Bangladesh Test Squad vs. Zimbabwe:  Najmul Hossain Shanto (C), Jaker Ali Anik, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Shadman Islam, Syed Khaled Ahmed, Zakir Hasan, Hasan Mahmud, Mominul Haque, Nahid Rana, Mushfiqur Rahim, Nayeem Hasan, Mahidul Islam Bhuiyan Ankon, Taijul Islam, Mehidy Hasan Miraz.  We are also covering every match at the ongoing Indian Premier League, so be sure to take a look at our IPL predictions, which will be available for the entire season.  Cricket predictions

Sunrisers Hyderabad Tops the List After joining the Indian Premier League back in 2013, the Sunrisers Hyderabad quickly developed a reputation as one of the best bowling attacks around, renowned for their ability to defend low totals thanks to impressive death bowling.  However, as the years have passed, we have seen a change in SRH’s major strength, with the side now possessing one of the fiercest batting lineups in the game. Much of that shift was led by David Warner, who won the Orange Cap three times in the space of five years between 2015 and 2019.  Last season, the Sunrisers produced arguably the most incredible batting display seen in the IPL, scoring 287/3 against RCB – the highest innings total in the competition’s history. This year, SRH almost did it again but came up one run short of their record, this time against Rajasthan in their first match of the tournament.  That match against the Royals also marked the current record for the most runs scored in the powerplay this season, with the Hyderabad outfit smashing 94/1 in the first six overs, led by Ishan Kishan, who went on to post the first century of IPL 18.  SRH now hold three of the top five powerplay scores in the history of the IPL! Unfortunately for Pat Cummins’s side, they were unable to build on that sensational start to the competition, losing four of their next five games. They are set to face Mumbai on Wednesday, so be sure to take a look at our MI vs. SRH prediction ahead of the toss.  To date, the Kolkata Knight Riders managed the second highest runs tally in powerplays in 2025, scoring 90/1 against the Lucknow Super Giants, while at the opposite end of the table, the Chennai Super Kings currently hold the lowest total – 30/3 against the Royal Challengers Bangalore.  Highest Powerplay Scores in 2025 Highest All-Time Powerplay Scores  IPL Predictions What is the Most Runs a Batsman Has Scored in a Powerplay As shown above, the highest all-time score in a powerplay came last year when the Sunrisers faced Delhi. In that same match, we saw an unbelievable innings from Travis Head, who scored a whopping 84 runs in just 26 balls at a dizzying strike rate of 400.  However, Head’s tremendous innings against DC is not the best of all time – that honour belongs to Suresh Raina. The former CSK batsman smashed 87 off a mere 25 deliveries against Punjab at the Wankhede Stadium in the 2014 season. Only seven of the 25 balls Raina faced did not go to the boundary! Outside of the top two in this category, Jake Fraser McGurk comes in third place with 78 runs against Mumbai last season, Adam Gilchrist is fourth with 74 runs against Delhi back in 2009, and Faf du Plessis rounds out the top five, with 64 runs versus the Titans, also in 2024.   Check out our cricket predictions for more key stats and trends throughout the remainder ...

Deportrio – Alan Shearer, Gary Lineker and Micah Richards When you think English football, few names come to mind quicker than the Premier League’s all-time highest goal-scorer Alan Shearer. Add to that England’s all-time top goalscorer in World Cups, Gary Lineker, and former Man City and Aston Villa man Micah Richards, and you have the management team of Deportrio.  The hosts of the podcast The Rest Is Football have made a sensational start to the season, currently leading the league standings after four weeks. Given their popularity, it’s unsurprising that Deportrio have been able to call upon some big names in Bakary Sako and Marvin Sordell, while former Citizen Joleon Lescott has also featured as a wildcard this season.  Yanited – Angry Ginge  For those who watched or were in attendance for week four of Baller League UK, you would likely have noticed the famous colours of Newton Heath with the Manchester bee logo strewn across the Copper Box Arena. Indeed, those are the colours of ‘Yanited’, managed by one of the most notable faces on the internet over the last year – Angry Ginge.  With over 1.5m subscribers, Angry Ginge is one of the fastest-growing YouTubers on the planet and is known for his unwavering support for Manchester United, which has already quite visibly made him a fan favourite. Alongside him is Tottenham Hotspur academy coach Samuel Cox, and together they have built an unbeaten side that features former Fulham defender Michael Hector.  Santan FC – Dave Only in Baller League UK will you see the likes of Alan Shearer having to go up against a rap star. David Orobosa Michael Omoregie, better known as just Dave, is one of the UK’s biggest rappers and actors, and he is also doing a splendid job at managing Santan FC, who are currently in fourth place in the league standings. Dave and Santan FC have focused their efforts on giving former pro players as well as up-and-comers a chance to put their names up in lights and possibly attract the attention of big clubs. Among the more notable players are Erick Kenko, who played for Fulham youths, while Nile Ranger, a former Newcastle United striker, has been called up as a wildcard.  VZN FC – Tobi Brown The first of two Sidemen in the League is Tobi Brown, who manages VZN FC. Given the popularity of the Sidemen across the globe, it’s unsurprising that TBJZL also has a massive fan base, which includes over two million subscribers on YouTube, and so far, he has been doing an excellent job alongside head coach Elijah Brown, with the team in third place after four weeks.  VZN FC’s roster includes the likes of former Liverpudlian Jerome Sinclair, former Arsenal and Aston Villa man Henri Lansbury, as well as Montel McKenzie, who rose to fame on the well-known TV series Love Island. The team has now won three in a row and are starting to look like genuine contenders for the inaugural league title.  MVPs ...