cricket betting in ukFrance vs Morocco prediction, odds, betting tips and best bets for World Cup 2022 semifinal
Defending champions against underdog challenger, a true David vs. Goliath meeting as France, the 2018 title holders take on Morocco, the first African nation to ever reach the World Cup semifinals.
Les Bleus managed to squeak by a tough challenge from England thanks to Harry Kane’s late missed penalty, but they’ll have a very different challenge on their hands up next.
Morocco sport a patchwork squad, beset with injuries, but the Atlas Lions have banded together to sport exceptional and surprising depth. They are boosted by a quasi-home field advantage, as their fans have flocked to Qatar in droves to create a stunning atmosphere.
Will France move to the precipice of a World Cup double, or will Morocco graduate from history-maker to true title contender?
MORE: Morocco’s run to the World Cup semifinals is no fluke
Once again, Morocco face long underdog odds. That has not fazed them to this point, as Morocco have been at least 3/1 underdogs in every single positive result they’ve achieved so far.
They have also been extremely defensive, and thus the odds suggest they will struggle to find the back of the net, yet that didn’t stop them from hitting Portugal on the counter. France, for all their offensive firepower, still can’t overwhelm the organization of Morocco’s defense which swings the under in heavy favor.
Odds via BetMGM?(USA), Sports Interaction?(Canada), SkyBet (UK), and Ladbrokes (Australia).
BetMGM
Sports
Interaction
SkyBet
Ladbrokes
France win
-190
1.51
1/2
8/15
Draw
+270
3.75
3/1
11/4
Morocco win
+650
6.60
6/1
13/2
Both teams
to score Y / N
+130?/ -185
2.29 / 1.48
5/4, 4/7
27/20, 8/15
Over / Under
2.5 goals
+115?/ -165
2.21 / 1.62
6/5, 8/13
5/4, 3/5
France -0.5
-210
1.52
—
—
Morocco +0.5
+145
2.49
—
—
France advance
-450
1.24
1/5
2/9
Morocco advance
+310
3.65
10/3
3/1
Injury news
The pre-tournament absences of?Paul Pogba,?N’Golo Kante, Mike Maignan,?Christopher Nkunuk,?Presnel Kimpembe, and?Karim Benzema?haven’t proven nearly as meaningful as previously believed. Olivier Giroud?has replaced Benzema as prime goalscorer with aplomb, while?Theo Hernandez?has stepped in for his stricken brother?Lucas Hernandez?at left-back well after the latter’s torn ACL in the group stage opener.
Morocco have a number of issues on the injury front. The most concerning is to captain?Romain Saiss, who was reportedly carrying an injury into the Portugal game and had to be stretchered off in the second half.?Noussair Mazraoui?and?Naif Aguerd?both missed the Portugal match with injuries of their own. However, Morocco’s strength has been in their surprising depth.?Yahia Attiyat Allah?filled the massive shoes of Mazraoui’s absence admirably, while?Badr Banoune?came on for Saiss and held the line.
Players missing for France vs Morocco due to disciplinary suspension
Nation
Player suspended
Type
Card 2
France
NONE
—
—
Morocco
Walid Cheddira
Red Card (YC x2)
?
MORE: Full injury tracker for all 32 teams at the 2022 FIFA World Cup
Antoine Griezmann has created the most chances (17) of any player at the 2022 World Cup, and has the highest expected assists (2.94 xA). The next closest player on the expected assists chart is Jamal Musiala at 1.86.
Achraf Hakimi has attempted the most tackles (19) of any player at the World Cup, and has the second-most successful tackles (15). His full-back teammate Noussair Mazraoui has 13 tackles and eight successful, putting him sixth and seventh respectively.
No team has made back-to-back World Cup finals since Brazil in 1994 and 1998, while no team has repeated as World Cup champion since Brazil in 1958 and 1962. No consecutive World Cup finals in history have ever featured the same two teams.
Date:?Wednesday, December 14
Kickoff Time:?2:00 pm ET / 7:00 pm GMT / 6:00 am AEDT (Thu, Dec. 15)
Location:?Al Bayt Stadium
Official:?Cesar Ramos (Mexico)
Moneyline lean:?France (-185)
Against the spread lean:?France?-0.5 (-200)
Score prediction:?France 1-0 Morocco
It is going to be brutally difficult for France to break Morocco down, that much is clear.
Despite many of us doubting Morocco’s ability to keep Portugal off the board, the African nation only went and blanked their European foes across 90 minutes despite a host of injuries to key players. Therefore, we’re no longer doubting the ability of this quasi-home team to perform.
It will take a Herculean effort to get past Morocco’s organization and structure, but this is no green squad France possess. While Portugal and Spain deployed young, inexperienced sides against Morocco who struggled to adapt in a pressure situation, France will know exactly how to attack their opponents.
At the risk of doubting Morocco a third time, it’s tough to imagine the Atlas Lions advancing to the World Cup final. An early goal will be key for France here, as the longer they go without scoring, the more panic will set in and the more Morocco will grow in belief.
Pick:?Half with most goals: 2H
Odds:?+100 (BetMGM)
This bet just keeps getting better and better as the World Cup goes on, and yet the odds remain the same throughout. France especially have been a team that promotes second-half scoring, as every game but their opener against Australia has featured more goals in the second half. Most recently, we saw France coast through the first half against England, conceding long stretches of harmless possession.
Morocco have swung slightly towards the first half as they defend with ferocity after the break, but they’ve also benefitted from opposing teams failing to convert chances. They have conceded right about 2.20 xG in both halves, but opponents have finished at a rate below 1.0 xGOT on both.
This should be a much more exciting game after the break.
Pick:?Score band: 1-0, 2-0, or 3-0
Odds:?+140 (BetMGM)
Pick:?Score band: 2-1, 3-1, or 4-1
Odds:?+400 (BetMGM)
Up until now, Morocco have done sensationally to expose other teams’ weaknesses, particularly in the mental aspect of the game. The Atlas Lions are spectacular at grinding their opponent down until there’s only frustration left.
France are a different breed. Les Bleus have taken punches from Australia, Denmark, Tunisia, and England only to bounce back from each, whether in that particular match or the next one. This France team always gets back up.
For this prop bet, we’re taking separate bets (not parlayed together) on two different bands of three correct scores. This hedges our knowledge that Morocco?can?score against a team like France that plays an open style of attacking football. Portugal does similarly, and Youssef En-Nesyri made them pay. Still, France should find a way through Morocco and come out on top. The only way this pair of bets fails to return a profit is if either France fail to win in 90 minutes, or they concede more than once to Morocco. Either would represent a colossal upset.
Pick:?Kylian Mbappe to score a goal assisted by Antoine Griezmann
Odds:?+700 (FanDuel)
Kylian Mbappe is the best player in the world right now, and Antoine Griezmann has been the best chance creator in the World Cup. You don’t have to overthink this one. But if you want more, here you go.
Since he went across the entire Euro 2020 tournament without scoring, Mbappe has not gone consecutive international appearances without scoring. He has bagged 16 goals in those 16 games, including multiple goals on four occasions, with two of those in this World Cup. He failed to score against England, with Aurelien Tchouameni and Olivier Giroud doing the damage.
Meanwhile, Griezmann is serving up goals on a platter this World Cup. He has the most chances created (17), while his tournament-leading 2.83 expected assists is more than 1 full xA higher than?anyone else. Of Mbappe’s five goals so far, he’s had one assist from Griezmann, and at 7/1 odds, you’d better believe there’s value in this duo striking again.
MORE: Watch every World Cup match live with fuboTV (U.S.-only free trial)
This second semifinal clash will be played at the Al Bayt Stadium. Here’s how you can watch all the action in some of the major global territories.
Date
Time
TV Channel
Streaming
USA
Wed, Dec. 14
14:00 ET
Fox,
Telemundo
fuboTV,
Fox Sports site/app,
Telemundo Deportes site/app,
Peacock
Canada
Wed, Dec. 14
14:00 ET
TSN 1, CTV, RDS?(French)
TSN site/app, CTV website,
RDS app
UK
Wed, Dec. 14
19:00?GMT
BBC One
BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website
Australia
Thu, Dec. 15
06:00 AEDT
SBS
SBS On Demand
India
Thu, Dec. 15
00:30?IST
Sports 18
JioTV
Hong Kong
Thu, Dec. 15
03:00?HKT
Now TV (Ch. 616, 618),?ViuTV
Now TV
Malaysia
Thu, Dec. 15
03:00 MYT
RTM TV2, Astro FIFA World Cup 1
Astro GO, RTMKlik
Singapore
Thu, Dec. 15
03:00 SGT
Channel 5, StarHub TV FIFA World Cup, Singtel FIFA World Cup 141
Singtel TV GO, CAST,
StarHub TV+, MeWatch
New Zealand
Thu, Dec. 15
08:00?NZDT
Sky Sport 7?beIN Sports
Sky Go, Sky Sport NOW
cricket betting in ukGambling Commission Strategy Manager Job in Birmingham, England
Strategy Manager (x2)
Birmingham, West Midlands (with hybrid working)
Can you think strategically and ‘join the dots’ across a complex landscape to see the bigger picture? Do you enjoy identifying new and improved ways of doing things? Are you passionate about strategic engagement and understanding how regulation can benefit society?
As a Strategy Manager at the Gambling Commission, you’ll have a real opportunity to influence our strategic direction, helping us regulate effectively. If you’re interested in trying out new approaches, and up for answering unusual and bold questions, then join us as we deliver on our vision and develop our next strategic plan.
You’ll contribute to the work of the Strategy team who support the Commission’s Executive Team and Board to ensure a clear strategy is in place. You’ll play an important role in developing ways to monitor the implementation and impact of key activities and projects. You’ll also help to identify strategic risks, opportunities to improve how gambling is regulated and provide advice on our recommended responses.
We’ll also be looking for you to display your intellectual curiosity and proactivity – seeking the answer to ‘so what does this mean?’ and pre-empting solutions. You’ll be comfortable at navigating ambiguity, and you’ll have developed relationship building and influencing skills working with colleagues and stakeholders. A strong teammate, you’ll enjoy our fast-paced and changing environment!
Your Role
As a Strategy Manager, you’ll help to develop and communicate the Commission’s strategic direction, identifying links between other work across the Commission and helping to measure the collective impact produced.
Your role will also involve:
Evaluating and analysing external reports and assessments to identify gaps and areas for improvement in our approach to regulation.
Providing advice and guidance related to your areas of responsibility and building strong working relationships to reach solutions that support the delivery of the Gambling Commission’s Corporate Strategy
Maintaining an up-to-date awareness and knowledge of subject areas you are working on, including conducting appropriate research of legislation, policy, corporate governance or other requirements that may impact on the delivery of objectives.
Contributing to external stakeholder engagement, building and maintaining relationships in order to monitor developments and influence positive change in relation to our strategy and underlying priorities, policies and best practice. Some of our external stakeholders include other regulatory bodies and our sponsor department DCMS.
We are looking for applicants with the following skills and experience:
Strong analytical skills with experience of analysing complex information and communicating your findings
Experience of producing high-quality briefing, advice notes, position papers and other reports or publications for internal and external audiences.
Experience of developing effective stakeholder engagement both internally and externally.
Experience of working collaboratively on cross-organisational or cross-departmental projects.
Ability to prioritise work, self-motivate and proactively manage a workload to agreed timelines.
Ability to be innovative in formulating recommendations and solutions and not be constrained by existing frameworks or processes
Ability to contribute to the achievement of the Commission’s strategy offering feedback and ideas for continuous improvement, motivating other employees to contribute ideas and feedback.
If you meet our criteria above, we look forward to receiving an application from you. Please apply for the role on our careers website before our closing date on 8 January 2023. Interviews are expected to take place mid-late January.
The Benefits
Salary of c￡35,000 per annum
Civil service pension, with an employer contribution rate of 27.1%
Flexible working
Hybrid working, specific guidelines are to be agreed with line manager
26 days holiday, rising to 29 days following two years’ service with the option to buy up to five days extra annual leave
Joining us means joining a dynamic, high-profile sector and being at the cutting edge of regulation, where the work you do has a real impact on people’s lives.
It also means joining an organisation that is inclusive, respects work-life balance and is completely dedicated to helping you achieve your full potential. Whether that’s through flexible working, really understanding how you work best or exposing you to real opportunities to challenge yourself, if you’re passionate about making your mark on the industry and on society, then we will help you do that.
About Us
The Gambling Commission licences and regulates the gambling industry and the National Lottery. Our work aims to prevent crime, protect children and vulnerable people and ensure the gambling industry is run fairly and openly. We work with the legal system, the public health system, community groups and the industry itself to understand how we can protect both the interests of those who choose to gamble and of wider society.
PLEASE NOTE: incomplete applications will be discounted from short-listing. Please ensure your application is fully completed and submitted before logging out of your account.
We reserve the right to change the closing date depending on the number of responses received. Please submit your application as soon as possible to ensure it is considered in the selection process.
cricket betting in ukGary Lineker’s son banks thousands of pounds with sensational World Cup final bet
Gary Lineker's son George banked ￡4,276 pounds after winning big on an incredibly-specific bet during Sunday's insane World Cup final.
Argentina emerged victorious at the Duhail Stadium against France to lift their third World Cup after Lionel Messi led them to victory. In a pulsating match that swung one way than the other, it needed penalties to separate the two sides after finishing 3-3.
The South American side raced into a two-goal lead before Kylian Mbappe turned on the style when he struck twice within 100 seconds to send the match to extra-time. Messi scored his second before Mbappe completed his hat-trick but France missed two penalties to hand victory to the Albiceleste.
READ MORE: Diego Maradona's old home hosts incredible house party as Argentina win World Cup
It truly was a bonkers clash that could never have been predicted – except George Lineker, it appears, who had a cheeky flutter on the match when he put ￡20 on a ridiculous seven-fold.
At 170/1, he correctly predicted the following – Messi to score anytime in the match, Mbappe to score any time in the match, Argentina to lift the trophy, full-time score will be 2-2, Argentina to win on penalties, over one card in the match, over five corners in the match.
With a 25 per cent winnings boost, it took the total returns to ￡4,276.60 – a lovely little boost over Christmas for George. Reacting on Twitter, the 31-year-old said: "If anyone deserves to win a bet, I think it’s me. Thank you all."
Dad Gary replied, saying: "You may have destroyed your reputation as the world's worst gambler". Even Piers Morgan chimed in, saying: "Haha.. you were due one. Congrats mate."
They were not the only ones with George's bet going viral over social media for his Nostradamus-esque call, with one Twitter user replying: "Insane!! Spot on."
Another said: "That’s a belter." And a third wrote back: "Seriously, how do people do this?" While a more bitter tweeted posted: "More proof that the game was scripted. He clearly got to read it before kick off."
Either way, the former England striker's son must have given up on his bet with around 15 minutes left on the clock before Mbappe decided to do ol' Georgey a favour. In the space of 100 seconds, he scored twice to send the match to extra-time and add a few pounds in Lineker's pocket.
We suspect if he ever catches the French sensation in the pub, the very least he could do is offer him a pint.
Argentina had plenty of neutral fans but it would be fair to say that the Lineker household had more reason to cheer when Gonzalo Montiel netted the winning penalty in the shootout. And the Mbappe double must have felt like a gift from God after a shoddy first opening 45 minutes from the French.
Didier Deschamps was so furious that he even gave an interview midway through the break while it appeared that he must have lost his cool as he emerged for the second-half bandaged up.
READ NEXT:
Argentina ace Paulo Dybala is dating bisexual singer who opened for Ariana Grande
Lionel Messi told he's 'already settled' Cristiano Ronaldo GOAT debate at World Cup
Meet the gorgeous Argentina WAG who designs luxury bikinis and is also an architect
cricket betting in ukGuide to Online Cricket Betting and Casino Sites in the UK
According to the Statista site, online gambling is one of the 10 most growing industries in 2022 – 2023 with an annual rate of close to 15%. Certainly, this percentage is very high considering that the shipping industry across the world, the backbone of global trade, will achieve a growth of 12.1%! If you watch a cricket match in any of the lower-followed or high-profile leagues, you’ll find ads from sports betting sites filling the stadiums. If you browse any website on the internet you will find it full of ads for gambling brands. So you have multiple motives to try these games to win, enjoy weekend nights, have fun, or challenge your friends. However, you may lack the basic info you need to start playing, so on this page, we will provide you with all the details you need to have an enjoyable gaming experience at trusted online cricket betting sites outside GamStop.
It may sound like a banal question at first, but on closer inspection, the answer is not so obvious. Gambling is a dictum, but it also has a very specific meaning. What is meant is primarily that winning depends largely on chance and not on the skill of the player. While this does not mean that the skill of the player does not also have an influence, the element of chance in gambling is very high. In this case, the skills lie more in the fact that the player can assess the probabilities and random moments well in order to play bets at the appropriate places.
Gambling works with bets that are multiplied in case of a win. Probabilities play a big part in this. The rule of thumb is the more improbable an event, the higher the profit can be. The RTP (payout ratio) also decides what percentage of the income, e.g. from a slot machine, is paid back and should therefore not be ignored.
As the name suggests, an online casino can be found on the Internet and is therefore different from the local gambling halls and land based casinos that have a classic tradition. There are definitely providers who have casinos in cities as well as operate online casinos. Basically, the offers are structured similarly.
There are table games and slot machines, but online they no longer have any mechanical components. The games in the online casino are purely programmed software. In principle, you can play at any time and any place, as long as the internet is available and playing is legal in your own country.
The meaning of the casino’s presence outside the GamStop is that it simply does not have a British Gaming Commission license! It is therefore able to provide its services to self-excluded players using GamStop, GamBan or any other self-exclusion program. Certainly, this casino can offer its games to players who are not self-excluded. When you compare the UK based sites to casinos outside GamStop, you will find that the first group excel with a lot of great features including offering multiple bonuses to players, a rich gaming package, and the ability to play on smartphones and tablets efficiently.
The live casino is a special form of online gambling game and is usually part of it, while pure software is used in regular casino games, the live casino is played via video transmission at real tables. This gives a more realistic casino feel and is mostly used for table games like blackjack and roulette. Since live casinos are generally related to the normal ones, you do not need to register separately.
If you feel like gambling, the Internet is the place to go. There are numerous online casinos where you can register with. The selection is so large and sometimes unmanageable that it is worth getting an overview first. Therefore, it is important that you rely on trusted review sites in order to be able to choose the best casino outside GamStop!
Even if online casinos are gambling, the choice should not be. There are fixed criteria that can be used to compare the many different non GamStop casinos. Such a casino comparison is based on different tests and parameters. These include the odds, the range of games, the payment methods, customer service, the user-friendliness of the site, the bonus programmes, security and also experiences. Based on the individual ratings, you can get a good overview of the market and where it might be worth registering.
Even if the non GamStop online casinos can be used at any time and in principle from any place with an Internet connection, it is not always easy to register. First, the offer must be legal in the country. As a rule, however, registrations will not work anyway if there are country restrictions. In addition, you must meet certain requirements yourself.
In the UK and most other countries, you must be at least 18 years old. Then you can register. Your own data including payment options are given. The account must then be verified with an ID document (e.g. ID card). After that, you can start playing.
Basically, gambling is allowed in the UK. However, this does not mean that anyone can offer gambling at will, or simply that anyone can gamble as they wish. Must be 18 or older to play. Providers must have licenses that are specified by the UKGC. The offer is only legal with state licensing and can then be used accordingly without hesitation. However, all players can freely sign up and play at offshore gambling sites. Under the Free Trade Act, all British players can choose and play any overseas site with complete freedom.
A casino bonus is generally spoken of when a provider has a specific promotion in its program. This means that you can get free spins, for example, but also general bonus credit that can be used in the online casino. There are often offers especially for new customers, which of course also have the purpose of advertising, but can actually also offer an advantage. Existing customers can also often enjoy bonus promotions.
The welcome bonus is a promotion in an online casino without GamStop that is specifically aimed at new customers only. If you register in an online casino, there is usually a bonus to tap. In most cases, this consists of an increase in the first deposit. For example, you deposit 200 and get another 200 with the 100% bonus. This should make the first steps easier. However, it should be noted that no new customer bonus can simply be paid out and that there are often certain bonus provisions. Also, no welcome bonus can be used if you already have an account with the provider.
cricket betting in ukHillside (Shared Services) Limited DevOps Automation Engineer Job in Stoke
A DevOps Automation Engineer who will take responsibility for providing technical direction for the ongoing development of automation infrastructure.
DevOps supports the Software Development function and will deal with the compilation and delivery of bespoke applications from Software Configuration Management (SCM) through to release into Production. This is a set of responsibilities made increasingly complex due to the different platforms and solutions that the products are written in.
The team is responsible for Test Environment Management, Release Management and ownership of the Regulatory Versioning application. The support and maintenance of the appropriate source control and orchestration cricket betting in ukHillside (Shared Services) Limited DevOps Automation Engineer Job in Stoke tools/applications also fits within DevOps accountability.
This role is eligible for inclusion in the Company’s hybrid working from home policy.