The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 4 plus 4 letter word DEAD CERT
D
E
A
D
C
E
R
T
More clues leading to the result DEAD CERT
Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "that tipster recommends?" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case that tipster recommends? = dead cert.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.