Cassini Selections 2014-15

Cassini is back after spending the last few weeks in the hot California and Nevadan sunshine watching World Cup matches with his wife, daughter and daughter's beau, and losing money on the Craps tables of Las Vegas. Fun bets only though, so it was all good, but back to normal now and with the EPL fixtures out for next season, it's time to look forward to 2014-15, with the small matter of wrapping up the World Cup this weekend.

Despite a disappointing 2013-14 season for the Draws, several of you have asked for my plans for them and the Cassini Value Selections next season. I'm assuming that this interest isn't merely curiosity, but reflects an understanding that although the draws were in the red for the first time, there was an underlying reason, and other redeeming factors were:

• that the draws backed  unders were (very slightly) in the green
• the Bundeslayga selections were profitable
• and last but not least, the FTL champion Cassini Value Selections were very profitable

All this means that after much pondering, deliberation, cogitation, mulling, rumination, thought, consideration and prodding, I have decided that I will continue the service next season.

While the Draws part of the service was obviously disappointing, the reason is clear, and I have no reason to suppose that the decline in draws is part of a long-term trend, although the World Cup group stage results didn't do draw backers any favours. At least they returned in the knock-out phase with a vengeance with 50% of matches ending as draws. Now a season like that in Europe would be very nice.

I have updated the Prospectus for next season, as some of you have already noticed and acted upon, but the highlights are that for new subscribers, the cost will be the same as last year, a very reasonable £149 considering the total selections will likely be around 700.

For former subscribers, the cost will be £99, and for anyone who is an entrant in the 2014-15 Friendly Tipster League, the price will be reduced to £124.

For anyone signing up before the World Cup Final, there will be an early-bird special price of just £129. As I picked July 13th as the deadline a while back, and then never posted it, I'll actually switch the digits around and extend the early-bird price through the end of July.

Back to the World Cup and it's been 36 years since a UEFA member failed to finish third, with only one CONMEBOL country even featuring in the last 8 matches (Uruguay in 2010). There have been 17 third place matches, with just one needing extra-time. As has been commented on all over the place, Overs are traditional with just three finishing Under 2.5, and none since 1974. A care-free approach makes this a tricky game to predict. Host nations have featured in four matches, winning three, and Brazil have won two of their three appearances, while the Netherlands lost their one appearance in 1998 - to Croatia. On form, Brazil look rather short at their current 2.14 but the team line-ups may well be changed significantly from those seen in the meaningful games preceding this one.