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Guest post written by our reader and friend from Romania, Viorel Craciun, also writing at the romanian website Vechea Poveste (The Old Story).

Looking at the new MotoGP rules, we can say that bad things are happening, because some of the teams are getting some important benefits. The reason why Dorna (the owner of MotoGP) is doing this is to level the values between riders and increase the spectacle. But they are forgetting one thing: the law should be the same for everyone. Anyway, here are the old and new rules that apply in 2014-2015 season.

Shortly, from 2014, former CRT class transforms in “Open Class”, while the prototypes will be reclassified as the new “Factory Class”. So, teams not directly entered by one of the major manufacturers as a factory team or satellite outfit, will be categorized in the so-called “Open class” (the former CRT class). Whilst all factory teams will have to use the spec Magneti Marelli hardware with their own software, the “Open class”, regardless of its mechanical make-up, will run the spec hardware as well as software. From a mechanical standpoint, the “Open class” in 2014 will consists of full-blown prototypes (with Magneti Marelli software), prototype chassis with factory-spec engines, as well as heavily tuned production engines in prototype chassis.

Basically, the maximum engine displacement permitted on a MotoGP bike is 1000 cc with a maximum of four cylinders and maximum bore of 81 mm – 2-stroke engines are not allowed. A maximum of 5 engines may be used by each permanent contracted rider for all the scheduled races of the season. But, starting this season the “Open Class” bikes will be allowed to use 12 motors. Another important difference between the two sides is in how much fuel a team can use. So, the capacity of the tank rises to 24 liters for “Open Class”, while the capacity of the “Factory Class” bikes remains on 20 liters.

Now here is the latest special rule, which s stated only in favor of the Ducatti team. A manufacturer who has not achieved a win in dry conditions in the previous year (a manufacturer, meaning… Ducatti), or a new manufacturer entering the championship, could enter under the “Factory class” option with all the concessions available to the “Open class”; these benefits will be reduced in case of a determined number of podiums or wins.

2014 MotoGP specifications

Using these advantages, Aleix Espargaro managed to run the qualification session, until he nervously crushed and get back where he belongs, in the tale of the group.

Now, getting to the point it must be said from the beginning that a bet on the first race of the season involves a great risk. So it’s wiser to choose one low stake risky bet instead of putting a high stake on an apparently sure bet. What does that mean? That means not betting on favorites, but on the outsiders.

In tonight’s COMMERCIAL BANK GRAND PRIX OF QATAR, the favorite is the World Champion Marc Marquez, with 2.25 odds to win. Marquez bounced back from a broken leg just six weeks ago to claim the first pole position of 2014 at Losail, but after the session he declared: “I don’t have full power in my leg so I have to use more arms and this is quite hard over long distance.” Indeed, he hardly put his broken leg on the floor. So, thinking that he demonstrated a surprising maturity for its age on the previous season, I presume Marquez not to force and to wait for the next race (over 3 weeks!) to show his complete qualities. Of course, there is a slightly chance that he’s bluffing, but we can’t rely on this when we bet on real money, can we?

Well, if Marquez won’t win, the who will? Lorenzo and Rossi are obviously out of form and their bikes are not in order, as Lorenzo himself said it the past days. So, we will eliminate them from our analysis. We have to watch the qualification order and go back to the new Dorna rules. Second seed is Alvaro Bautista (Honda, odds 9.00), third is Bradley Smith (Yamaha 17.00) and forth is Andrea Dovizioso (Ducatti, odds 21.00). The odds on the Italian, who rides a “Factory class” bike using the benefits of the “Open class,” are very generous and, thinking of the fact that Dovizioso is an experimented, talented, hard to pass over rider, I guess it’s worth to place a bet on him. One low stake on his victory or one higher on he to be placed (1, 2, 3, odds 4.40). The same words go to Alvaro Bautista (1, 2, 3, odds 2.50), whose manner of piloting put his client Honda bike on the second place of the qualification session, but I prefer Dovi instead because his almost double price. It’s risking time, what the hell?

Now, for those who follow the moto competitions, here’s another tip: you bet on the other classes, where the rules are the same as in the previous session and the riders are well known.

On Moto 2 Class, Esteve Rabat is the big favorite (odds 2.10) after Pol Espargaro and Scott Redding moved on to MotoGP. He is mature and consistent.

On Moto 3 Class, you can choose Alex Marquez, second placed on qualification session, after his teammate Alex Rins (odds 3.00). The younger brother of Marc Marques is in constant progress and the bets on him are valuable: 4.50 on victory, 1.57 on 1, 2, 3 position.

Note: the whole theory may be equaled to zero if it’s raining on Sunday at Losail Circuit.

PREDICTIONS (all odds by Bet365).

Pick: Andrea Dovizioso to be placed @ 4.50
Stake: 4

Pick: Andrea Dovizioso to win the race @ 21.00
Stake: 1

Pick: Esteve Rabat to win the race @ 2.1
Stake: 7

Pick: Alex Marquez to be placed @ 1.57
Stake: 10

Pick: Alex Marquez to win the race @ 4.5
Stake: 2

Combo: Alvaro Bautista-Espargaro Aleix 1 (1.72), Andreea Dovizioso-Bradley Smith (1,90), Alex Marquez-Jack Miller (1.83)

As we speak, Federer is leading South African Kevin Anderson 4-3 in the first set with no breaks of serve. I will publish this article even if he will end up losing this match (which I expect to be a tough one), though I might change the current title of “Why will Roger Federer win Indian Wells 2014” :).

After a resurgence in form, backed up by the Dubai title last week, Roger so far got past Paul Henri Mathieu, Dmitry Tursunov and Tommy Haas without losing a set. What makes him a favourite to lift the 2014 Indian Wells at outright odds as high as 3.66 right now at Betfair?

Roger Federer

• There`s no doubt that Federer is back in form and that was obvious even in the Australian Open, despite the bad loss to rival Nadal
• Roger is serving great, a big indicative that his game is working.
• The movement is the best I have ever seen from Federer.
• Unforced errors are kept at a minimum and bakhand is stable
• I`m seeing some amazing shotmaking right now from him against Anderson, a really tough opponent, as Roger is easily neutralizing his devastating serve. This really looks like vintage Federer – motivated, error-free and accurately offensive. Plus amazing numbers at the net.

Opponents

• If he gets past Anderson (6-5 in the first, no breaks) he will meet Dolgopolov and than the likes of Djokovic / Benneteau / Isner / Gulbis
• Dolgopolov will never trouble Federer in a big stakes match, no matter how good his form is. He is the same type of player like Roger, so he does not have the weapons to surprise him tactically. Quality will make the difference, and “the Dog” is the most inconsistent between the two. Dolgopolov will keep it close for one set due to insane shotmaking, but he`ll fade away as nobody can keep hitting winners down the line the whole match
• Isner is way too out of form to be considered a threat (he himself stated that he is not 100% fit) and Federer loves big-servers
• Gulbis can always be a problem if he finds his absolute best level but he lacks experience and consistency. Like Dolgopolov, he can`t surprise Federer tactically. It would be one of the most ilogical upsets in decades if Gulbis were to win his first Masters against Federer in the final.
• Benneteau is a non-factor. He can win a set against the best if he finds his best level, but he`ll probably get beat by Djokovic in the quarters anyway. Another guy who plays similar tennis to Federer, so he can`t really find answers against the swiss.
• Djokovic is Federer`s favorite opponent from the so called “Top 4”. Fed holds the matchup against the Serb and he just beat him at Dubai one week ago. The serbian is playing really bad tennis right now for his standards with unforced errors and no length on his shots. For whatever reason, he`s far from his best at the moment, but he might get to the final due to lack of opposition. If Roger mantains his solid serve, stable backhand and low number of unforced errors, there`s now way Djokovic with his current form can find a way to overturn the match-up. It should end up similar to that 6-0 7-6 Cincinnati final 2 years ago.

In the meantime, Federer has dismantled Anderson with 7-5 6-1, despite (and ruining) my pick on Anderson covering the spread. Scratch that 3.66 odds noted in the beginning of the article, as the price is bound to be much lower right now, though Nole will probably remain the guy to beat accoring to the bookies. Lower odds are still worth it though – my call is that Roger will go on and win this one. He holds the matchup edge against all the players left in the tournament, and Djokovic is the only one who proved he can overcome it. However, Novak to be considered a favorite is laughable with his current form, he`s just not hitting the ball hard and long enough, he is making errors and he is pretty far away from his usual level of play – not lastly, as, I said, in a final with Federer he would have to overcome the styles of play which are not suiting him, which is highly unlikely considering the current form of the two. Don`t get me wrong, Novak is still a beast, but he`s not in top form and he does not look like he`s improving his level – he can`t take half measures against an in-form and offensive Federer.

Update:

Whatever odds over 3.00 you can find, my input is that it is worth 10 units. I`d say Unibet has gone insane, but I guess they will lower that 3.60 sooner rather than later.

Lastly, I also want to give a thumbs up to our partners at betting-tipsters who are aggregating, daily, the best picks on the web and have been with us since the beginning. Cheers guys!

The 2014 season in ATP tennis might just be the most interesting in years, with the rivalry between Nadal and Djokovic, the questionmarks that loom over Federer’s sky, with Murray back from injury or the re-emergence of Juan Martin Del Potro. Having this in mind, the Australian Open 2014 is set to be one of the most fascinating tournaments in the last few seasons, as the questions over who might win it all are all over the place. We`ll take a look at the top guys’ chances and odds to lift the trophy, as well as predicting the dark horses who could have a word to say in the latter stages of the tournament.

So far, Del Potro and Gasquet have bowed out of the tournament. The traditional top 4 of Djokovic, Nadal, Federer and Murray have been impecable in the first two rounds, winning all their matches in 3 sets. So, what can we expect from the top guys as the Australian Open progresses, and what are their advantages and disadvantages? And what are their odds for a triumph? Of course, make sure to place your bets only with trusted bookmakers.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC (outright winner – 1.75 @ Unibet)

Advantages:
• Most in-form player of the moment
• Australian Open is his favorite Grand Slam
• Very easy draw with Wawrinka and Berdych the biggest (and only) threats until the finals
• Has the slight matchup advantage over Nadal

Disadvantages:
• Does not react well to the extreme heat
• Coaching change always presents a risk, especially short-term

Betdistrict prediction: Winner

RAFAEL NADAL (outright winner 3.60 @ Unibet)

Advantages:
• The best player overall last season
• 30 match winning streak on hard courts last season
• Already won a tournament at Doha this year
• With Del Potro knocked out, he escaped a nightmare clash in the quarterfinals
• Less pressure with no points to defend from last year

Disadvantages:
• Will potentially meet Murray or Federer in the semifinals
• Slight matchup disadvantage with Djokovic
• Lost some form late last season

Betdistrict prediction: final, loses to Djokovic in 5 sets

ROGER FEDERER (outright winner – 18.00 @ Unibet)

Advantages:
• Can still beat anybody if he plays his best tennis
• Showed an improvement in form late last season

Disadvantages:
• Had his worst season in a decade last year
• Nightmare potential draw with Tsonga in 4th round, Murray in quarters and Nadal in semis
• Lost to Hewitt in Brisbane final

• Huge matchup disadvantage in a potential semifinal with Nadal

Betdistrict prediction: semifinals, loses to Nadal in 3 sets

ANDY MURRAY (outright winner – 8.00 @ Unibet)

Advantages:
• No pressure
• Excellent form prior to injury

Disadvantages:
• Lost to Mayer in Doha 2nd round
• Just came back after 3 months (with surgery)
• Nightmare potential draw with Federer in quarters and Nadal in semis

Betdistrict prediction: quarterfinalist, loses to Federer in 4 sets

The dark horses in this tournament are not hard to predict, with Thomas Berdych, David Ferrer, Stanislas Wawrinka Jo Wilfried Tsonga and Milos Raonic being the front runners (and only runners in fact) to produce an upset. However, it is really hard to see any of those getting past the semifinals against the formidable Nadal and Djokovic. Ferrer would have the best chance of paper but his form is shaky. Berdych and Wawrinka seem to be the most dangerous, but can any of those realistically hope to get past Djokovic? Probably not. All in all, my tip for dark horse of the tournament is the Czech, who could have some very nice betting value in the next few matches, especially in a potential quarterfinal with Ferrer.

THOMAS BERDYCH (outright winner – 50.00 @ Unibet)

Advantages:
• Blistering form in the Australian Open so far
• Likes the surface
• Improved in Grand Slams recently
• Approachable draw with Anderson and Mayer/Ferrer in the way of a potential Djokovic semifinal

Disadvantages:
• Does not have the quality of the top 4 yet
• Can sometimes melt under pressure
• Beating Djokovic in the semis seems next to impossible with the 2-15 H2H

Betdistrict prediction: semifinals, loses to Djokovic in 3 sets

Overall Djokovic is the clear cut favorite here and I reckon he should be able to take this. However, the odds are very poor and the tipping value lies on Nadal`s 3.60 @ Unibet outright winner odds.

Photo sources: Espn.com

Basketball is surely one of the most popular sports for betting at the moment, with big money being invested across the world, from the NBA or the Euroleague to the Philippines or the Australian leagues. As a punter, it is always a good idea to get as much insight over a sport as you possibly can, as statistics and numbers can only do the job until a certain point.

With this in mind and looking to get further edge over the bookies, Betdistrict approached a professional player to provide useful insight over the particularities of basketball and shed some light over how the sport is played, how the players act and think on the court. Of course, we`ll keep the guy anonymous, as there is no point in causing him any potential problems – after all, we`re a betting website, so pretty much gangsters in the public eye :). That is why we`ll also keep the interview more “casual”, with little reference to match fixing and more accent on the sports’ particularities and the players’ mindset. What I can tell you is that the interview is with an active point guard with national team history and with a solid career in the first two levels of a particular European league. We`ll call him “V”. Enjoy!

Rostick: Can you share with us some insides of a basketball game, unknown details that can make the difference in a match?

V: I can tell you that coaching is underrated and is a huge aspect of the game: the quick decisions that the coach makes in the match are often the difference between winning and losing. Coach`s gameplan in relation to the matchup and the chemistry between the staff and the players are key in basketball.

What would you say are the most important factors in deciding a winner?

Leaving aside the obvious quality factor (team tradition, budget and so on), short term form and match`up are the most important. But home court advantage can also count a lot depending on the teams.

On the court, do you have knowledge about the betting lines, like handicaps and under/overs? For example, do you ever think “man, let`s cover this spread”?

I can speak for myself: if I can win by 40, I`ll go for it. We generally know the odds … I remember a game in which a team with very low odds decided to purposely lose in order to get a worse playoff spot (and an easier playoff opponent).

I think our readers will be interested in what goes on in your mind when they`re praying for that final run to cover the spread. If the winner is virtually decided, is there any motivation for you to win by 20 instead of 10 (or lose by 10 instead of 20)?

Like I told you at the previous question, for me there is motivation. Players usually fight with the same energy until the end, but of course in the end it all depends on the character of every individual and also the morale of the team.

Generally speaking, would you say outsiders are more profitable to bet on?

I can`t really say since I do not really bet aside for a few bucks now and then for fun.

Do you have knowledge about fixed matches in the leagues you activated?

I`ll answer short: Yes!

Do you think fixed matches are also common in the NBA or Euroleague?

My input is that there are fixed matches even at the highest levels. If there are fixed matches at lower levels, I can`t see why it couldn`t happen even in the NBA or top European competitions, where of course the big money is.

Any other suggestions that could help punters take the right decision when betting?

I`d say instinct is very important when all is said and done.

A prediction for the NBA final this year?

Prediction is too much said, but I`d like to see Indiana, Miami, Oklahoma or New York (wishful thinking) there.

Thanks for the interview mate and best of luck

Thank you too, good luck.

While online betting is a safe, secure and regulated enviroment nowadays, there have always been (and will always be) reports about punters having their money ‘stolen’ by certain sportsbooks circling the betting forums and websites. Some of you may have already experienced being ‘cheated’ by the bookies. This article aims to shed some insight about account security and punter responsibility.

While I am not trying to defend the Bookmakers, I have rarely seen a situation in which a sportsbook was truly legally responsible for a ripoff, and even then the testimonies of the victims were questionable. Let me repeat myself: legally, not morally. In about 10 years of online betting, I have never experienced a single problem in my betting activity, aside from some small bonus issues in my early days and some limitations here and there. All this while with certain sportsbooks I was / I am betting big, also being a winning punter. While I am not trying to make myself an example, and nor do I feel that my personal experience is an irrefutable standard, I think that I am in a position to accurately depict how things work.

Firstly, you should know that the bookies have the legal right to suspend accounts and the funds associated with them. That being said, let`s see which are the usual motives for account suspensions / closure and fund blocking and how can you avoid any problems.

1. Duplicate accounts (more than 1 account per person) and bonus abuse (claiming more bonuses on different accounts).

What to do? Obviously, don`t do it. But it can also sometimes be an honest mistake. Make sure to contact the bookmaker if you feel you might have opened an account with them in the past. Ask if this is the case, and if so to either suspend your old account (so you can open a new one) or reactivate it so you can use it without opening a new one.

2. Browsing your account from different computers / IP`s

What to do? There`s no problem if you browse your account from different Ip`s that were not used by anyone else. But if you access your account, let`s say, from a friend`s phone, who also has his own account at that respective bookmaker, make sure to send an e-mail informing the sportsbook about the situation. When I was playing at Betfair from work, I notified them about this, thinking that someone in the network might also have an account with them. They thanked me and confirmed that this could have been a case of suspected fraud in certain circumstances. I like to think that this kind of approach kept me out of trouble.

3. Fraud suspicion

What to do? If, by a bookies or payment system`s mistake, you end up with more money in your account, either withdraw the money immediately and say good bye to that certain sportsbook forever (hoping they don`t take legal action – which they most likely won`t), or inform them about the mistake.

4. Real fraud

Obviously, you can expect the worst if you knowingly try to embezzle or cheat.

5. Be cautious with smaller bookies (update added July 2017)

If you are betting at smaller bookmakers, avoid hedging your bets (ex: betting on both competitors), and avoid betting large sums of money on low level events like tennis ITF’s – especially live and if you find unusually high odds at that particular bookmaker. Of course, you shouldn`t be force to take this precautions, but it`s better to stay on the safe side and don`t give bookies the chance to interpret the T&C’s in their favor – and potentially block your funds.

I agree that many times the actions taken by the bookies are not morally correct, and punters often state that “they shouldn`t do that, even if its in the Terms and Conditions”. That may be true, but it is every punter`s responsibility to take care of his/hers money. It`s like getting hit by a car on the crosswalk on the yellow light. Morally, it`s the driver’s fault, and arguably even legally. However, that really doesn`t make a difference for you, as it is your life or physical integrity that has to suffer. Dying with justice in your hands is of little to no comfort.

Bottom line: it`s your money, you owe it to yourself to take any possible action to protect it. Read the terms and conditions, discuss with the bookies when you feel you may have done something even remotely wrong and you should be completely safe with your funds and account security. Believe it or not, no bookmaker will jeopardise their brand and long-term image by stealing a couple of bucks. This also applies, for example, to welcome bonuses / promotions. Make sure to know exactly what kind of rollover requirements a bonus has, or you might end up howling that the bookies ripped you off, and no one will hear you.

Of course, make sure to open accounts with trusted sportsbooks, either established companies or bookies recommended by someone you have faith in. You can visit our trusted bookmakers list, as these are carefully reviewed sportsbooks and we will also try to assist you in every possible problem you might have, if you register through Betdistrict.

If by some chance you will find yourself cheated by a bookmaker, you can find help or take legal action at websites like Gpwa.org or at the Comision that regulates the bookmaker in question (like Gamblingcomission.gov.uk or Alderney). However, I have to say that you will rarely come up with a favorable decision. You can also contact us, and we`ll try to help you if we can, we`ll see if something can be done.