Around the Betting Planet: Giggs arrested over assault allegations

US sports betting news

Packers to take on 49ers in NFL Week 9

The Green Bay Packers, leaders of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division, travel to Santa Clara, California, to take on the San Francisco 49ers in week nine of the 2020 NFL season. Green Bay will hope to forget their previous loss to the Minnesota Vikings last weekend by finding their form once again. 

Matt LaFleur’s squad have won five of their fixtures this season, losing the other two. The Packers offense ranks 15th in the league, rushing a total of 902 yards so far in the season and converting 27 touchdowns. 

San Francisco’s offense ranks fifth in the league, rushing a total of 1,016 yards. The 49ers have also scored a total of 26 touchdowns and converted all but one of their field goals. 

The head coach of the 49ers, Kyle Shanahan, will be desperate to see his side win the fixture after losing four of their last eight games, most recently to the Seattle Seahawks. The 49ers walked away with a 37-20 win when these teams met in the playoffs last season, yet NFL betting sites have the Packers installed as firm favorites for this week’s clash. 

UK sports betting news 

Giggs to miss next three Wales games following arrest

The Football Association of Wales has announced that the head coach of the men’s national team, Ryan Giggs, will miss the next three fixtures in November. In his place, the team’s assistant coach, Robert Page, takes control of the Welsh squad. Wales are scheduled to play the USA, the Republic of Ireland, and Finland. 

The news comes after Giggs was arrested on suspicion of assaulting his girlfriend. The 46-year-old has mutually agreed to miss the upcoming matches to focus on these legal matters. Giggs’ representatives told journalists that he denies all the allegations against him and that the ex-Manchester United star is cooperating with law enforcement officers. 

The Welsh FA has also canceled the scheduled press conference where Giggs had planned to announce the latest squad for the forthcoming matches.  

Africa sports betting news

Kondogbia signs four-year deal with Atletico Madrid

Central African Republic international Geoffrey Kondogbia has officially joined La Liga outfit Atletico Madrid on a four-year contract. The fee for the midfielder remains undisclosed. He’s seen as a replacement for Thomas Partey, who left to join Arsenal earlier this year.

Although the transfer deadline has passed, the La Liga club were allowed an additional 30 days to replace their player due to Partey’s release clause being paid. 

Kondogbia has led an illustrious career so far, playing for Sevilla, Inter Milan, Monaco, and Valencia. The French-born international played five fixtures for his country of birth before changing his allegiances in 2018 to the Central African Republic. 

Kondogbia played for CAR in three qualifying fixtures ahead of the 2019 African Cup of Nations.

South America sports betting news

Chile announce squad ahead of FIBA AmeriCup 2022 qualifiers

Chile have officially announced their 12-player national basketball squad that will feature in the FIBA AmeriCup 2022 qualifiers. The competition starts on November 27 and ends November 30.

Drawn in Group A, Chile will face both Argentina and Venezuela on the court. Both fixtures are to be played in Argentina, with Group A and Group B playing their qualifying games in Buenos Aires. The competition follows a bubble format put in place by the FIBA to keep players safe amidst the global pandemic. 

The Chilean side will not include Felipe Haase, Sebastian Herrera, or Maxwell Lorca because of logistical complications. It remains to be seen whether Cristian Santander’s latest picks will manage to carry Chile into the competition’s final rounds.  

Australia sports betting news

Melbourne Stars get first back-to-back wins in WBBL

The Melbourne Stars beat the Adelaide Strikers to seal their first back-to-back wins in the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL). The Stars chased down the 154 runs scored by the Strikers, winning by seven wickets. 

The match took place at the Blacktown International Sportspark in Sydney. Stars opener Elyse Villani set the tone by reaching the boundary three times in the fourth over, while Meg Lanning starred with 69 off 58 balls. Adelaide’s Laura Wolvaardt also managed to put together a fantastic half-century, scoring 68 off 50 balls. 

New Zealand sports betting news

Rota named Kiwi Ferns captain ahead of Samoa clash

The New Zealand women’s national rugby league team announced the appointment of Krystal Rota as captain for the upcoming game against Samoa on Saturday. Rota made her Kiwi Ferns debut off the bench in their 2015 Anzac Test defeat to the Jillaroos.

Since then, Rota has been the captain of the Counties Manukau women’s squad for three years, leading them to their 11th competition title. She has also assumed the captain’s role for the Maori All-Stars team for the past two years. 

Rota shows all the leadership qualities needed to captain the side, and her experience and desire will give this New Zealand outfit a strong chance when they take on Fetu Samoa.