Knee surgery to end Bynum's Season

Andrew Bynum will have surgery on both knees in a bid to rescue a career that may not necessarily be with the Philadelphia 76ers.

The 25-year-old center has not played for the Sixers all season and can become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the campaign.

"After many months of rehabilitation and consulting with numerous doctors, Andrew and the doctors treating him determined that this is the best course of action at this point," said Sixers general manager, Tony DiLeo, to the NBA betting news.

"We will continue to monitor and evaluate his status moving forward."

Bynum was obtained during a four-team trade seven months ago that cost the Sixers Andre Iguodala, Nikola Vucevic, Maurice Harkless and a protected first-round draft pick.

Bynum is making $16.5million this season, which is the final year of a contract he signed with the LA Lakers, but the Sixers will have to decide in the summer whether he is worth the risk of a new deal.

In mid-September, Bynum hurt his right knee when he was preparing for training camp and it was initially estimated that he would be fit enough for the season’s start in October.

However, the injury took longer than anticipated to heal and Bynum then hurt his left knee while bowling in mid-November.

Bynum averaged career highs in points (18.7) and rebounds (11.8) last season with the Lakers, appearing in 60 of LA’s 66 games, and also made his first All-Star team, starting for the West.

He was the NBA's third-leading rebounder and 20th-leading scorer in 2011-12, while also ranking sixth in the league with 1.93 blocked shots per game.

Bynum said earlier this month: ''I think being healthy is more important than everything else. If I am healthy, I'll get a deal.''

Wales v England – Six Nations Betting Tips

England have the chance of winning their first Grand Slam and Triple Crown since 2003 against Wales this weekend, with the Welsh equally capable of claiming the 2013 Six nations title with a victory themselves at the Millennium Stadium.

Cardiff will be awash with noise and expectation from both sets of supporters and the game is set to go down as a Six Nations classic with plenty of opportunities to win money for smart punters on Betfair.

The first is really quite simple: who will win? Well, England have made a habit of eking out results this Championship without really performing to the top level and against a revived Wales may find it tough to keep out Lee Halfpenny and co.

However, with Owen Farrell expected to return to fly-half and locks Geoff Parling, Joe Launchbury and Courtney Lawes all in line to make comebacks following last week’s injury haul, Stuart Lancaster’s men should have enough to keep the Welsh at bay while kicking to Grand Slam glory.

Trends on the price of the winning margin, however, suggest this game will be tight. Wales are slight favourites on Betfair to win with a +2.5-point advantage, meaning England must kick more efficiently than their opponents if punters are to come out on top in this market.

As for first point scorers, the odds are locked together but fans should side with England to break the deadlock early on.

For although Wales have opened the scoring in two of their four Six Nations games (against lowly Scotland and Italy), England have scored at least three minutes into every game so far.

Early leads have been their greatest threat this year and have won games they may otherwise have soundly lost. If England point first again on Saturday there may be no stopping Lancaster’s side from securing the Grand Slam – an achievement none thought possible until a certain New Zealand encounter last autumn.

Irish Saint Stakes his Triumph Hurdle Claim

The Paul Nicholls-trained Irish Saint did his JCB Triumph Hurdle claims no harm at all with a brave success at Kempton in the Grade 2 Adonis Juvenile Hurdle, battling on bravely to just get the better of the useful Vasco du Ronceray by half-a-length, writes Elliot Slater.

Generally a 33/1 shot in the Cheltenham Ante post betting for the juvenile hurdling crown at the Festival on March 15 prior to his Kempton success, Ruby Walsh’s mount was slashed to a top price of 16/1 after getting the better of a tough battle with the Nicky Henderson-trained runner-up, having been giving a waiting ride, looking as though he had plenty to do as they turned for home.

To his credit the gelded son of Saint Des Saint really dug deep to outrun Vasco Du Ronceray who remains a 25/1 shot for the Triumph Hurdle.

Particularly pleasing for connections will have been the fact that the winner demonstrated he is capable of showing his form on a decent surface and isn’t just a mudlark, having won two of this three previous career starts on a deep surface.

The winner of a listed hurdle at Auteuil on his debut in September, Irish Saint made a winning start for the Nicholls team at Kempton in December when slamming McVicar by 18 lengths, before running well in defeat when second to the classy Henderson-trained Rolling Star at Cheltenham at the end of January, the winner currently being one of three 5/1 co-favourites for the Triumph Hurdle and paid a big compliment by the Adonis Hurdle success of the runner-up.

Surely worth taking his chance now at Cheltenham in the feature contest, Irish Saint seems versatile as regards ground and tactics, and has the right attitude having knuckled down well on all starts when coming under pressure. He looks a very interesting Triumph Hurdle contender.

Race fans have an exciting few months coming up with Cheltenham and the big race at Aintree. Check out the Grand National 2013 betting for the latest from the feature contest.