James Caughlin, Author at Ladbrokes Blog

2024 Monaco Grand Prix Preview

23 May 2024 • James Caughlin

It is the most iconic race on the Formula 1 calendar from one of the most exclusive destinations in the world, the 2024 Monaco Grand Prix is all locked in for this weekend. The weekend promises plenty of glitz and glamour off the track, while those in attendance will be hoping for a little bit of drama on the track. With the massive growth in car size over the last two decades, it has somewhat minimised the potential for actual racing on the very narrow street circuit. However for the drivers there is still plenty of jeopardy with no margin…

2024 Emilia Romagna F1 Grand Prix Preview

16 May 2024 • James Caughlin

It took six Grands Prix but finally Max Verstappen got beaten by a rival in a race that he finished! Which is probably not good news for the field at this weekend’s Emilia Romagna F1 Grand Prix as the Dutchman will be out to atone for his rare second place. Verstappen is a near-unbackable $1.29 favourite at publish and that price will likely shorten if, as expected, he cruises onto pole position during qualifying. Regardless of how the race plays out though, it is a welcome return to Imola for the fourth running of this event after last year was…

Premier League Final Day Title Deciders

15 May 2024 • James Caughlin

Football traditionalists will tell you that a true home and away league season is the only “proper” way to crown a champion and there is nothing like a title race that comes down to the final day. With every match kicking off simultaneously, we have seen plenty of drama unfold as clubs face the ultimate pressure situation. This year will see the title come down to the final day for the tenth time in the Premier League era and it’s advantage Manchester City at the moment. Pep Guardiola’s men on the verge of a fourth consecutive league title if they…

2024 Miami F1 Grand Prix Preview

2 May 2024 • James Caughlin

Break out the sunscreen, the fancy sunglasses and the half buttoned shirt, we are off to Miami for the sixth race in the 2024 Formula 1 World Championship. This will be the third staging of the Miami Grand Prix and it, like most races over the last two years has been the domain of the Dutch maestro Max Verstappen as he is chasing his fifth win of the season. Given his success in the Florida sun over the last two years and Red Bull’s overall dominance in 2024, it is no surprise then to see Verstappen as the incredibly short…

The Biggest NFL Draft Shocks

29 Apr 2024 • James Caughlin

The annual extravaganza that is the NFL Draft took place last weekend in Detroit and every team goes into the event hoping to find the players that will put them over the top and guide them to a Super Bowl. However this is not some midday movie, more often than not things do not go to plan and it leads to some utterly bizarre moments. Whether it is players decided they do not want to go to the team that selects them, to surprising choices, something always seems to come up. We’ve dug through the NFL Draft archives to bring…

2024 NFL Draft Preview

24 Apr 2024 • James Caughlin

For some, the NFL Draft is the most exciting part of the offseason, the culmination of months of work with teams getting an injection of young talent to revitalise their team’s fortunes. For others, it’s a bunch of names getting read off cards for three days and a nice bit of offseason filler as we inch towards September. Either way, the 2024 NFL Draft will take place in Detroit this weekend and it’s shaping up to be a potentially pivotal few days for a number of teams. Here in the Ladbrokes War Room, we have done our homework, watched all…

2024 Chinese F1 Grand Prix Preview

18 Apr 2024 • James Caughlin

For the first time in five years, Formula 1 is heading to the Shanghai International Circuit and we are also in for the first Sprint Weekend of the 2024 World Championship. A fortnight after his win in Japan, Max Verstappen once again heads into this race as a clear favourite in the betting market and rightfully so, but his emergence as the dominant driver in F1 has coincided with the cancellation of this race. The Dutchman will be out to claim a win on one of the few tracks he has not been victorious at in his career and it…

Sport's Golden Oldies

17 Apr 2024 • James Caughlin

Who says Father Time is undefeated? Surfing legend Kelly Slater enjoyed a lengthy career in the sport, which sadly is set to come to an end. After getting knocked out of the Margaret River Pro, the 52-year-old appears to be preparing to walk away from the sport. "I couldn't quite pull a miracle off this week but… I pulled a few off over the years." 🙌An emotional Kelly Slater with a message to his family. 🐐LIVE on 7plus: https://t.co/w7medSIWz1 pic.twitter.com/0gh6xWSHSs— 7Sport (@7Sport) April 16, 2024 He won his first world title in 1992 as the youngest man to win the…

2024 Japanese F1 Grand Prix Preview

4 Apr 2024 • James Caughlin

After an eventful Australian Grand Prix, we are off to Suzuka in Japan for the fourth race of the 2024 Formula 1 World Championship. Many are expecting Max Verstappen to return to the top of the podium after his brakes decided to catch on fire three laps into the race in Melbourne and the Dutchman is $1.25 to make it three wins in a row at this venue. Formerly held in the monsoon season during late-September or early October, this race has ben moved a long way up in the calendar, but there is still a 40% chance of rain…

2024 Australian F1 Grand Prix Preview

21 Mar 2024 • James Caughlin

After a week in transit, the circus heads to Melbourne this weekend for the third event on the 2024 Formula 1 calendar. Following on from Max Verstappen’s dominant wins in the season opening Middle East events, the teams descend on the Albert Park street circuit for the latest edition of the Australian Grand Prix. In 2023 we saw one of the strangest finishes to a Formula 1 event, with a trio of red flags including two in the final three laps and the race ending under a safety car. What does this year’s event have in store? Find our best…