Weekend Football Picks 2014 (March 29-31)

The Premier League title race looks very much like one between three teams after the results of the last week, although Arsenal could force themselves right back into things with a win over Manchester City this weekend.

Personally I think it is going to be incredibly tough for Arsenal to raise themselves from the couple of heavy setbacks they have taken in the last week and Manchester City are off an impressive and fairly comfortable win over Manchester United last Tuesday night.

Talking about Manchester United- just what in the hell are the people who have hired a plane to carry a 'Moyes Out' banner thinking? There are some pathetic displays from fans who can't handle a few setbacks, but this is about as small time as it comes.

It's a distraction that we simply don't need at Old Trafford as United try their best to get some positives going ahead of the big game against Bayern Munich this weekend and I have absolutely no sympathy with the idiots who thought this idea up.

At the end of the day, Manchester United have always been proud of the way they have a unique way of supporting their club, but more and more I see the other side of the fan-base that can't seem to help but act the way other new-age fans do. It started a few years ago with the Soccer AM 'who are ya' chants which then died out but replaced with other cringe-worthy things, especially the half-half scarves that were prevalent again in the Liverpool and Manchester City games.

Hopefully United are winning 4-0 by the time the stupid idea flies overhead and makes these people feel that much more foolish as they simply don't represent the majority of those who will be inside the stadium and supporting the team on Saturday morning.

The month of March has been pretty good for the picks and hopefully this weekend can complete it in a positive way. The Premier League continues producing big games as Arsenal take on Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur visit Liverpool and then it is on to the European Quarter Finals.

Manchester United v Aston Villa Pick: A season full of disappointment had another one on Tuesday night as Manchester United were beaten fairly comprehensively by rivals Manchester City, a result made all the worse considering it was only ten days after Liverpool had left Old Trafford with the exact same scoreline.

The side have had a few days to think about that result, but it hasn't been the Manchester United of old that responded to disappointing results with big performances in their next game. With Bayern Munich to come on Tuesday, David Moyes has to find the right balance in his selection to make sure Manchester United win this game and have a semblance of confidence going into that big game, but also making sure key figures are physically ready to play.

Aston Villa will not make it easy for Manchester United as their style of play will suit playing a team that will be expected to push forward. That has shown in their recent 2-2 draw at Liverpool, while Villa have also scored goals at Arsenal (in a win) and Chelsea (in a loss) and Old Trafford won't hold too many fears for any visiting side after the season we have seen so far.

The pace of Gabby Agbonlahor and Christian Benteke will certainly keep the United defence on their toes as that has been a particular weakness for them, and even set pieces have caused some panic in the defensive area.

However, I do think the home team are going to earn a win in the game, albeit in nervy circumstances and I don't think Manchester United come away with a clean sheet. Teams like Liverpool and Manchester City will have much more control of a game at Old Trafford than someone like Aston Villa, and I think United can get more attacking joy in this fixture as long as David Moyes plays Juan Mata centrally.

Nothing has come easy for Manchester United this season, but I think they take the three points in this game after both teams have hit the back of the net.

Crystal Palace v Chelsea Pick: Like Manchester United, Chelsea have an important Champions League game coming up this week and that means Jose Mourinho will likely rotate players for this game and has to find the right selections to earn an important three points.

He might not believe Chelsea are favourites to win the Premier League, but Mourinho will also know the importance of winning this game and shifting the pressure onto Manchester City and Liverpool who visit Arsenal and host Tottenham Hotspur respectively later in the weekend.

At this stage of the season, nerves and experience play as big a part as talent when it comes to getting results, particularly against a side like Crystal Palace who are fighting for their lives and preparing for this game alone.

However, a lack of goals has to be a real concern for Tony Pulis even if Palace could have a big impact at both ends of the table in the coming weeks as they host Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City before the end of the season. It is those games that will concern the fans considering there are only 3 points between Crystal Palace and the bottom three, especially if the home side can't find the goals to win games.

Crystal Palace have been beaten by both Manchester United and Southampton at home in the last four weeks and they have failed to score against any of the 6 teams they have played here that are in the current top 9 of the League. The side have also lost 5 of those 6 games and Chelsea can certainly reverse a recent poor away record and win here too.

I think Chelsea are likely to win with a clean sheet too as that is where Jose Mourinho will focus to make sure the three points are earned and to give him a chance to rest attacking players for the game with PSG this Wednesday. It has taken late goals in their last 3 away games in the Premier League to prevent the clean sheet for Chelsea, but Crystal Palace may struggle to find the unpredictability in attack to breach them this weekend.

Stoke City v Hull City Pick: As well as Hull City played on Wednesday night in their 2-1 loss at West Ham United with their ten men, I do wonder how much of a physical toll that would have taken on the squad ahead of this difficult game at Stoke City.

It makes it that much harder that the home team have really picked up form over the last couple of months and have become a team that is winning a lot of games at home. The likes of Manchester United and Arsenal have been defeated here and Mark Hughes really has Stoke playing some very good football.

You can't really under-estimate the character that Hull City have shown this season though, and they did win back to back away games in the Premier League before Wednesday, while they have shown a little more going forward in their recent away games.

In saying that, I think it is going to be a real test for Steve Bruce to get the required energy levels for a game at the Brittania Stadium and the effort they put into Wednesday night may be hard to replicate. With the goals that Stoke City have found in recent weeks, I think their price is a little too big to continue their good form and I will back them to win this game.

Arsenal v Manchester City Pick: Everyone in the media and a lot of the fans seem to be down on Arsenal at the moment and that makes this game incredibly important for the home side. That isn't down to them being in a realistic Premier League title challenge, but to make sure they don't give Everton anything more than they have at the moment in the race for the Champions League places, especially with a visit to Goodison Park to come next weekend.

The problem is I don't know how Arsenal can raise their game for this one after being comprehensively beaten at Stamford Bridge and then struggling to deal with a Swansea team that is far short of what Manchester City bring to the table.

While the Arsenal form has taken a plunge, Manchester City seem to have refocused after back to back defeats in the FA Cup and Champions League which has left the club with the Premier League as the sole competition they are in for the remainder of the season. They were impressive at Manchester United in a comfortable win, while the return of a player as capable as Sergio Aguero will provide another attacking edge.

Even with that in mind, there seems to be a lot of people piling into the Manchester City price which is making them a shorter favourite than they were at Old Trafford and I don't think that is an accurate reflection of this game.

However, City are certainly playing well enough to win their 3rd game in their last 4 visits to the Emirates Stadium although I would be surprised if one goal would be enough to win here this season. Arsenal generally do find a goal at home, but Manchester City have shown some of their early season form in recent games and have the threat going forward to expose a home team missing key players in defence and midfield.

Instead of backing Manchester City to win at short odds, I'll take the smaller price on them scoring at least twice in the game. They have scored at least two goals in 6 of their last 7 away games in the Premier League and the return of Aguero would give them another attacking boost, while the price is only a little shorter than that for them winning this game.

Both Bayern Munich and Swansea have scored twice in recent games at the Emirates Stadium, while Liverpool created another chances to score double that amount so City grabbing at least two goals is my pick.


Fulham v Everton Pick: You have to respect the upturn in form that Everton have produced in the last few weeks, but the majority of those wins have come at home and I don't think I would feel terribly comfortable in backing them at odds on at the moment.

That is even taking into consideration the horrible performances that Fulham have put in for much of the season, but they did win their last home game against Newcastle United and are desperate for points.

Neither side can really afford to drop points in this game and so I expect both managers to set attacking line ups as the draw does no one any favours. Both teams are also going to have that edge about them as the nerves of relegation go up against the nerves of trying to crack a Champions League place.

For a few weeks, Everton could have got away with flying under the radar, but their chances of earning a top four berth have been talked up over the last few days and that will bring its own pressure on this game. People will be expecting Everton to win and I look forward to seeing how they deal with it, while Fulham may be in a last chance saloon situation depending on results on Saturday.

Either way, I like the chances of goals in the game with Everton likely to create chances and Fulham only failing to score in one home Premier League game in the last eleven months. They may have earned a clean sheet in their last game, but that has also been an exception for much of the season for Fulham and both teams should score at least once.

With the points being that important, I would be surprised if either team 'settles' for a point in normal circumstances so I expect the attacking football to pay off in a game resulting in at least three goals scored.

MY PICKS: Both Teams to Score and Manchester United to Win @ 3.30 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)

Chelsea Win to Nil @ 2.15 Ladbrokes (2 Units)

Stoke City @ 2.25 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Manchester City Over 1.5 Team Goals @ 1.92 Coral (2 Units)
Fulham-Everton Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.80 Pinnacle (2 Units)

March Update: 23-20, + 11.54 Units (74 Units Staked, + 15.59% Yield)

February Final: 12-28, - 16.74 Units (61 Units Staked, - 27.44% Yield)
January Final: 17-24, - 3.18 Units (62 Units Staked, - 5.13% Yield)
December Final: 19-16-2, + 13.34 Units (66 Units Staked, + 20.21% Yield)
November Final: 17-19-1, + 0.50 Units (56 Units Staked, + 0.09% Yield)
October Final: 20-16-1, + 12.94 Units (51 Units Staked, + 25.37% Yield)
September Final: 13-12, + 1.24 Units (39 Units Staked, + 3.18% Yield)
August Final: 13-26, - 12.13 Units (54 Units Staked, - 22.46% Yield)

Season 2013/14: 111-131-3, - 4.03 Units (389 Units Staked, - 1.04% Yield)
Season 2012/13: + 4.42 Units (415 Units Staked, + 1.07% Yield)

Miami Tennis Picks 2014 (March 27th)

Yesterday was a frustrating day for the picks not because they went 2-2 for the day, but Roger Federer was beaten in his Quarter Final and means I am down to my final two players in the outright picks I made at the start of the event.

I have absolutely no idea what happened to Federer during the match against Kei Nishikori, but I have read his comments about being disappointed with his serve and that shot letting him down after being so strong over the last month.

The fact of the matter is Federer was a set and a break up, twice, but couldn't put away Nishikori despite my feeling that the latter may have been physically and mentally exhausted after his three set win over David Ferrer.

From the end of the first set to the conclusion of the match, the Federer serve seemed to disappear, but he will look at this week as one that could have produced so much more. He will be improving in the Rankings this week though and that is important as we get set to enter the clay court season and particularly when we get to Wimbledon where Federer will certainly feel he has one of the better chances to add to his Grand Slam career tally.


Novak Djokovic will be the strong favourite to win the men's Masters tournament after seeing off Andy Murray with the aid of a controversial point at the end of the first set. That seemingly played havoc on Murray's mind as he failed to make the second set competitive and now the Serb will be the one people will expect to win back to back Masters tournaments following his win in Indian Wells.

I am still hopeful that Rafael Nadal can win his first title in Miami having been a three time Finalist before, but the Spaniard does have the tougher tests ahead of him from here on out.


I also still have Serena Williams on my side and she must have hardened as the favourite to win the women's Premier Event and take her first title since before the Australian Open.


Serena Williams - 5.5 games v Maria Sharapova: The last two times Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova have played, the matches have been more competitive on the scoreboard than usual but a lot of that has to do with the way the Russian has saved critical break points.

Unfortunately for Sharapova, she is likely going to need to fend off plenty more in this match which is clearly one that excites Serena Williams and that is not a good thing for her opponent.

Williams was very complimentary of Sharapova in her press conference a couple of days ago, but there is a clear dislike between the players and the American likes to embarrass Sharapova where she can.

She was serving much better in her last two matches and that doesn't bode well for Sharapova... I think Williams will create the chances to win this match fairly comfortably and I will back her to take this match with a 63, 63 win.


Na Li - 3.5 games v Dominika Cibulkova: Na Li has played pretty efficiently this week and I think it will be tough for Dominika Cibulkova to perhaps rally against an opponent that matches up very well against her.

Yesterday, Cibulkova fended off match points to beat Agnieszka Radwanska in the Quarter Final and had to win the match in three long sets.

It was poor serving that kept Cibulkova in real trouble as she was broken in 8 of her first 9 service games and any kind of similar performance today will see Li win comfortably.

This has been a good match up for Li as she has more power and the better serve of the two players, while also producing the consistent tennis that is enough to take away the speed and movement of Cibulkova. They played a three set match in the last tournament in Indian Wells, but that was down to a sloppy second set from Li and I expect this one to be a little more straight-forward.


Tomas Berdych - 3.5 games v Alexandr Dolgopolov: I have to say I am liking the change in attitude that Alexandr Dolgopolov is bringing to the court at the moment, but I am still yet to discover if he can handle the amount of tennis he has been playing in the last month.

Dolgopolov has reached a Final in Buenos Aires, a Semi Final in Acapulco and Indian Wells and now the Quarter Final here in Miami.

He is not someone that is used to this kind of consistent success and I think he will be pressured to breaking point by Tomas Berdych who has been in very good form in 2014 bar his early exit at Indian Wells.

Berdych should keep the pressure on Dolgopolov with his serve and I think he is returning serve a little more aggressively to keep his opponent off balance. I respect how well Dolgopolov has been playing, but Berdych is feeling confident and I think he finds the 76, 63 win in this Quarter Final.

MY PICKS: Serena Williams - 5.5 Games @ 2.00 Sky Bet (2 Units)
Na Li - 3.5 Games @ 1.83 Sporting Bet (2 Units)
Tomas Berdych - 3.5 Games @ 1.85 Pinnacle (2 Units)

Miami Update: 13-8, + 7.76 Units (42 Units Staked, + 18.48% Yield)

Miami Tennis Picks 2014 (March 26th)

The rain was supposed to really disrupt the schedule in Miami on Tuesday, but the tournament hasn't missed a beat and we have reached the Quarter Finals in both the Masters and the Premier Event that is being played here at the same time.

In fact, the Semi Final in one half of the women's draw was also set between Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams, a match that should be intriguing simply because of the two characters involved and the obvious distaste they have for each other. Sharapova would be the first to tell you that this cannot be considered a rivalry unless she starts winning matches, but I am hoping this isn't the week she snaps her poor run against Serena having backed the latter to win the tournament.


The Quarter Finals in the men's draw were also rounded off yesterday and I am very glad to see the form that both Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have been showing this week with both in my staking plan for the week.

However, the most intriguing match we will have the opportunity to see has to be the one between Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, the first time they have met since playing in the Final of Wimbledon last summer.

It will be important for Murray to show where he is with his form after a disappointing opening to 2014 as he recovers from his back surgery, but the defending Champion has played very well here in Miami. Djokovic is Djokovic and will pose a test of Murray's credentials and I think this match is going to be a lot of fun to watch and one to really take note of for both players.


Stanislas Wawrinka was defeated before the Quarter Final and perhaps shows again that he is currently occupying a 'false' position in the World Rankings at Number 3, while it also indicates he could be in for a slump following the success of winning a maiden Grand Slam title in Australia in January.

However, I don't think a loss to Alexandr Dolgopolov is as disappointing as it would have been even three months ago as the Ukrainian is perhaps in the best consistent form he has shown on the Tour. After reaching the Semi Final in Indian Wells, it could have been easy for Dolgopolov to perhaps pat himself on the back for too long that he faltered in Miami, but a Quarter Final here will see him again move up the Rankings and perhaps get into a more realistic position.

The talent he possesses suggests he should be a mainstay in the top 20 in the World Rankings and Dolgopolov should move into that position after this event.


For the third day in a row, the picks have returned a positive gain from the matches played and that continues improving the margin from this tournament too. With five days left at Crandon Park, this will be a good week as long as the outright picks also come through so hopefully there will be another positive margin added to what is already a decent season total at this point of 2014.


Dominika Cibulkova v Agnieszka Radwanska: Since the crushing double-bagel defeat to Agnieszka Radwanska in Sydney in January 2013, Dominika Cibulkova has won 2 of the last 3 matches between these players and I think she can add to that run.

After seeing bits and pieces of the Premier Event Final in Indian Wells, there was no way I expected Radwanska to reach the Quarter Final in Miami, let alone even compete at one point. However, the draw was pretty kind to the Pole and I think this is the kind of match that could perhaps highlight any injury concerns she may have.

Cibulkova has the power off the ground to be able to hit through Radwanska and she has shown a new confidence in 2014 which has improved the consistency that the diminutive Slovakian has been playing with.

That is the key to the match- Cibulkova is mentally in a very good place to hit the lines and I also think she is full of the belief that is so important at this level. It might need three sets to get this done, but I like Cibulkova to come through and reach the Semi Final here.


Na Li - 3.5 games v Caroline Wozniacki: In my outright preview for the tournament in Indian Wells, I mentioned that Caroline Wozniacki had been showing signs of a player that could be on the road back up the Rankings after dropping off the scene a little when falling from the World Number 1 spot.

I've never been a fan of Wozniacki who I felt was given a pass compared with someone like Dinara Safina, especially as the latter had more form of a Number 1 player in comparison with the Dane.

Wozniacki has shown some strong form to this point this week, but someone like Na Li should have enough power in her shots to at least force Wozniacki back. Consistency is the key for the World Number 2 if she is to win this game as Li is guilty of throwing away games and matches with a rash of unforced errors, but otherwise there is a lot to like in backing her.

The court in Miami has played surprisingly faster than I expected at times and the ball seems to be bouncing through effectively enough for Li to have plenty of success and I think she can dominate Wozniacki's serve to the extent of recording a 75, 63 win.


Andy Murray + 3.5 games v Novak Djokovic: Andy Murray hasn't been at his best in 2014, but there were signs in the last week that perhaps an improvement is coming. However, facing someone as good as Novak Djokovic is always going to be a big test to see where a player stands with their game and I expect this Quarter Final to be no different.

There were a few doubts in the minds of the experts as to where Djokovic was with his game before winning at Indian Wells, but he is not playing the solid tennis that he was a couple of years ago and I can't imagine him winning this one comfortably.

Murray matches up well with Djokovic and their matches are usually fairly close affairs and I do wonder how much the latter has in the tank after winning the Masters event in Indian Wells.

It has the hallmarks of a three set match, but I also think Murray is perhaps getting one too many games head-start in this one.


Roger Federer - 4.5 games v Kei Nishikori: Roger Federer continued his impressive form as he crushed Richard Gasquet in the Fourth Round and I feel he is going to be too good for Kei Nishikori who had to come through a long, gruelling match yesterday.

I have sometimes been a little critical of Nishikori's fitness issues and I have no idea how he is going to have recovered from the match with David Ferrer and be able to make this a really competitive match against an in-form Federer.

The Japanese star looked shattered at the end of the third set yesterday and even a little more than 24 hours rest may not be good enough.

With Federer playing as aggressively and consistently as he has been in 2014, I think he will find the breaks of serve to come through with a 63, 63 win.

MY PICKS: Dominika Cibulkova @ 1.83 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Na Li - 3.5 Games @ 1.83 William Hill (2 Units)
Andy Murray + 3.5 Games @ 2.05 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Roger Federer - 4.5 Games @ 1.85 Pinnacle (2 Units)

Miami Update: 11-6, + 8.44 Units (34 Units Staked, + 24.82% Yield)

Midweek Football Picks 2014 (March 25-26)

The games continue to come thick and fast, but more weekends like the one we just seen would bankrupt the layers after 19 of the 20 strongest favourites through Europe all came through as winners.

It was bliss for the casual fan with the top teams all producing wins, including last minute goals for Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur at odds on... While most will have been celebrating this week, I would urge caution that there is bound to be a week when all the favourites fail to win their games, especially with the pressure of the end of the season beginning to weigh heavy on the shoulders.


There should be a fascinating end to the top flights in Spain and England after the results this weekend and it may now come down to which of the teams can hold their nerves best in the big games. In England, there does seem to be more competition that will produce the surprise results compared with Spain where the big three teams look head and shoulders above the rest of the Division.

In Spain, that means there is a different type of pressure with none of the teams being able to afford dropped points, but a lot is pointing the Barcelona v Atletico Madrid game that ends the season as being a potential title decider.

The Premier League will be no less fascinating as Manchester City and Chelsea both have to visit Liverpool, while the former also has trips to Manchester United and Arsenal this week.

All in all, I expect fireworks down the stretch in both those Divisions.


This midweek has a full schedule of games from the Primera Division and a few 'catch up' games in the Premier League, including the huge Manchester derby which rarely fails to produce fireworks.


Arsenal v Swansea Pick: The 6-0 thumping at the hands of Chelsea will have left Arsene Wenger heartbroken and you could tell from his press conference that he had been extremely let down by his team who just failed to turn up for a huge game.

For the third time this season, Arsenal were crushed at the hands of a title rival and it will take something special for them to pick themselves up and get back in the race for the Premier League. A top four spot is the best they can really hope for now unless the three teams ahead of them all collapse at the same time and Arsenal have to avoid slipping up here to give the teams below them a sniff of the Champions League places.

However, they are dealing with a number of injuries coming into the game and that may make it more difficult to see off a Swansea team that have found goals away from home in recent weeks.

Swansea created plenty of chances at Everton, but were poor defensively in their 3-2 loss at the weekend, but it does also mean they have scored in 5 straight away games in all competitions. That includes at Liverpool and Napoli so Garry Monk will be insisting to his side that they can cause troubles for an Arsenal team that will also be missing Laurent Koscielny as well as a number of midfield players.

It also has to be noted that Arsenal have conceded in their last 4 games at the Emirates Stadium and there will be a feeling that Swansea may be able to cause a surprise in this one. Personally, I think Arsene Wenger has helped his side recover from devastating defeats already this season that the home side sneak the win, but I can't back them to do so at short odds.

Instead, I have a feeling that both teams will have the chance to score in this one and will back that to happen.


Manchester United v Manchester City Pick: The Manchester derby is a big occasion for both teams as Manchester United look to show they have finally turned a corner in a difficult season, while Manchester City will look to put some more pressure on the two teams above them in the Premier League table.

It could also be important for Manchester City to show themselves that they can get through this daunting run of fixtures that will see the side stop off at Old Trafford, the Emirates Stadium and Anfield in the next three weeks. If City can win this game, they will move on with confidence of securing the necessary points at Arsenal and Liverpool, but a defeat may place a real seed of doubt in their player's minds and make those two games incredibly difficult to win.

Being out of all the other competitions will only help Manuel Pellegrini focus on the task at hand now and I do think this is going to be an incredibly difficult game for Manchester United, despite the improved results in the last seven days.

If you're being critical, the wins over Olympiacos and West Ham United are not really setting a benchmark for taking on a team of the calibre of Manchester City, especially if Manchester United play as they did against Liverpool.

There was a lack of grit in that game and I think Michael Carrick will be given a much tougher examination by this Manchester City side than he was at Upton Park if he has to remain in one of the centre half positions.

In saying that, I thought United played with a real attacking fluidity in the game at West Ham and I think it only highlights my thought that David Moyes had to pick either Wayne Rooney or Robin Van Persie and allow Juan Mata to play in a more natural position. The absence of Van Persie has forced Moyes' hand and I do think they can get at a Manchester City team that can be vulnerable to being attacked.

However, even in the absence of Sergio Aguero, Manchester City should have a lot of success when they have the ball at their own feet and the likes of Yaya Toure, David Silva and Samir Nasri should exploit the space they have as well as having the pace to cause panic in the United defence.

Manchester City have won 4 of the last 5 Premier League games against Manchester United and have also won on their last 2 visits to Old Trafford. Both teams have also usually troubled the scoreboard with 5 of the last 6 Premier League games seeing both score as well as the last  5 games at Old Trafford and the best value may be backing the away team to win this one after both teams score, although I would love United to prove me wrong.


Newcastle United v Everton Pick: This looks an extremely difficult game from which to pick a winner considering the poor away form Everton have shown in recent weeks and Newcastle United finding a couple of late winners at home to earn back to back wins.

The layers believe Everton are the more likely winners and that is probably a correct assessment, but I can't back them after they have lost 4 straight away games in all competitions and haven't won an away game in the Premier League since before Christmas.

The only aspect of this game that seems to have been prevalent in both teams recent form is the chance of there being a late goal in this one. Newcastle have scored late goals in their last 2 home games to earn the three points, but it also has to be pointed out that there have been goals scored in the last 10 minutes of their last 6 games at St James' Park.

Everton have also scored or conceded a goal in the last 10 minutes of their last 5 games including in their last 2 away games at Chelsea and Arsenal.

With all that in mind, I think there is a chance that both teams are pushing for goals with this game going down to the final quarter of the match and there is every chance there will be another late goal in this fixture, as there was when the teams met at Goodison Park.


Liverpool v Sunderland Pick: There really isn't a lot to say about Liverpool at the moment as they are simply blowing teams away with their attacking prowess and it is hard to imagine how Sunderland are going to be able to slow them down, especially at Anfield.

Here a few numbers: Liverpool have scored at least three goals in 6 straight Premier League games, while they have scored at least four goals in their last 3 games at Anfield and their last three wins have all come by three goal margins.

That makes it incredibly tough for Sunderland to try and keep up considering Steven Fletcher and Fabio Borini won't be taking part in this game and you can forgive Gus Poyet for perhaps already be looking ahead to the West Ham United game on Monday night.

However, with 10 games left to play, Sunderland can't afford to let any games slip by and there will be a definite concern when it comes to goal difference which may prove to be critical when it is all said and done in May.

I expect Poyet to put together a solid defensive scheme for Sunderland, but they have looked a tired squad at times in recent weeks and may have an extremely difficult time dealing with Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge. These two players will use their pace to stretch the away team and I can only see them helping the home team secure another three points and likely in very straight-forward fashion.


West Ham United v Hull City Pick: As bad as West Ham United looked in attack on Saturday, Sam Allardyce is very good at getting his team to raise their levels in games they should be winning and I expect a much stronger performance in this game.

Before the loss to Manchester United, West Ham had won 3 in a row at home against the likes of Norwich City and Swansea and I think they have enough in their squad to find the goals to win this game.

I don't under-estimate what Hull City bring to the table as they are a solid team who play as a real team and they have shown they are feeling confident with away wins at Sunderland and Cardiff City.

However, I do wonder if the players just take a breath in this game having secured an important three points on Saturday against West Brom and perhaps thoughts have turned to the FA Cup Semi Final against Sheffield United in two and a half weeks from now. Steve Bruce will guard against complacency, but it can be human nature at times and I think I will have a small interest in West Ham winning this game at a decent price.

MY PICKS: Arsenal-Swansea Both Teams to Score @ 1.92 William Hill (2 Units)
Both Teams to Score and Manchester City to Win @ 4.00 William Hill (1 Unit)
Newcastle-Everton Time of Last Goal After 73rd Minute @ 1.92 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Liverpool - 2.25 Asian Handicap @ 2.05 Pinnacle (2 Units)
West Ham United @ 2.40 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

March Update: 20-18, + 9.46 Units (66 Units Staked, + 14.33% Yield)

February Final: 12-28, - 16.74 Units (61 Units Staked, - 27.44% Yield)
January Final: 17-24, - 3.18 Units (62 Units Staked, - 5.13% Yield)
December Final: 19-16-2, + 13.34 Units (66 Units Staked, + 20.21% Yield)
November Final: 17-19-1, + 0.50 Units (56 Units Staked, + 0.09% Yield)
October Final: 20-16-1, + 12.94 Units (51 Units Staked, + 25.37% Yield)
September Final: 13-12, + 1.24 Units (39 Units Staked, + 3.18% Yield)
August Final: 13-26, - 12.13 Units (54 Units Staked, - 22.46% Yield)

Season 2013/14: 111-131-3, - 4.03 Units (389 Units Staked, - 1.04% Yield)
Season 2012/13: + 4.42 Units (415 Units Staked, + 1.07% Yield)

Miami Tennis Picks 2014 (March 25th)

This is the time of the week when you begin to notice whether it is going to be a really positive tournament for the picks, or whether it might be one of the more difficult weeks. Thankfully, the daily picks are beginning to move in a positive direction and I still have three of the four outright picks I made running.

While Serena Williams is likely to have hardened as the favourite in the women's tournament, the likes of Novak Djokovic, Tomas Berdych and Andy Murray pose plenty of issues for the two outright picks I have in the men's tournament.

With a bit of luck, this could be the second Masters/Premier Event in a row that produces positive results and keeps the 2014 season ticking along nicely ahead of the clay court season which will be beginning in two weeks following the Davis Cup ties to be played in the first week of April.


David Ferrer - 2.5 games v Kei Nishikori: I wanted to take a watching brief with David Ferrer for the first couple of matches here after the injury he suffered in Acapulco that meant the Spaniard could not play at Indian Wells.

The tournament in Miami will hold a good memory for Ferrer as he reached the Final here twelve months ago and was extremely close to winning that event in a tough, grind it out Final against Andy Murray.

The match up with Kei Nishikori is one that should keep Ferrer in a decent rhythm and I think he has a little more mental toughness which has been shown in their last two matches.

I know a lot of people are high on Nishikori's potential, but personally I am not that big a fan of his game and I think Ferrer comes through this Fourth Round match with a 64, 64 win.


Andy Murray - 3.5 games v Jo-Wilfried Tsonga: Andy Murray may still be trying to work his way back to top form in 2014, but I think he has every chance of beating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga who has also been struggling in recent weeks.

I have noticed that Tsonga seems to have lost quite a bit of weight, perhaps working hard on his movement through the off-season to try and bridge the gap to the very best players on the Tour. It also seems to have taken something away from him off the ground though and the Frenchman might be there for the taking at this stage of his bid to improve.

Of course, you can't under-estimate someone who serves as big as Tsonga can, especially as Murray has been erratic when it comes to protecting his own serve.

However, I think there will be too much consistency on the Brit's side of the court and that should be enough to come through 76, 63.


Maria Sharapova v Petra Kvitova: This looks like one of the more competitive Quarter Final matches in the WTA Premier Event and I think Maria Sharapova is going to get the better of Petra Kvitova.

It was an impressive last two sets from Kvitova in double-bagelling Ana Ivanovic in the last Round, but she is erratic and someone with the mental strength of Maria Sharapova should be able to take her on.

The serve is a problem for Sharapova as she is struggling for consistency off that wing, but I do believe she is going to have a little too much determination and will find a way to win the match.

Sharapova has won 4 of their 5 previous matches too, but she may need three sets to book her place in the Semi Final.


Serena Williams - 5.5 games v Angelique Kerber: Serena Williams missed Indian Wells two weeks ago, but it hasn't been the perfect start to 2014 with defeats at the Australian Open and Dubai in surprising situations.

Williams hasn't been at her most convincing this week either, although she did have her best performance of the week in her Fourth Round win and I think she has too much in her game for Angerlique Kerber.

I actually like Kerber as a player as she has the shot-making in her arsenal, but can also defend pretty well on the court, but I think Williams will be able to hit through her in this Quarter Final.

Kerber has been crushed the last two times she has faced Williams since a surprise win over the American in Cincinnati and I think there are times when the German goes through long stretches where she makes too many mistakes. That is critical against someone as good as Williams and should lead to another fairly routine win for the Number 1 player in the world.

MY PICKS: David Ferrer - 2.5 Games @ 1.90 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Andy Murray - 3.5 Games @ 2.00 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Maria Sharapova @ 1.75 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Serena Williams - 5.5 Games @ 1.90 Pinnacle (2 Units)

Miami Update: 8-5, + 5.14 Units (26 Units Staked, + 19.77% Yield)

Miami Tennis Picks 2014 (March 24th)

It was a much better Sunday with both picks made from the day coming in, although Roger Federer looked like he was going to miss his chance to record a comfortable enough win to cover the spread on the day.

Federer was dominant in his win over Thiemo de Bakker and had plenty of opportunities to break serve through the contest, while continuing to serve effectively and that also means well for the outright pick I made on the Swiss man winning in Miami this week. The main threats of Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray also made it through to the Fourth Round, but they are on a collision course to face one another before Roger Federer, although I don't think the latter is overlooking Richard Gasquet in the next Round.


Monday will see the likes of Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams take to the court as they continue their own attempt to win the title here and there is plenty more tennis to be played on this day as the last hard court tournament before the clay court season continues.


Milos Raonic - 3.5 games v Guillermo Garcia-Lopez: One of those players that is likely to be looking forward to the coming couple of months is Guillermo Garcia-Lopez who will feel more comfortable back on the clay courts.

He has done well to reach the Third Round here in Miami, but I think the run will come to an end at the hands of the big-serving Canadian Milos Raonic.

I rarely back Raonic to cover games such as these because his return game doesn't really suggest he will earn a lot of breaks of serve, but I did notice he was standing in a more aggressive position on return in Indian Wells and that may give him more opportunities against the serve he will see in this match.

With Raonic's own serve putting scoreboard pressure on Garcia-Lopez, I think he will find a break in each set to record a 64, 64 win and book a place in the Fourth Round.


Stanislas Wawrinka - 4.5 games v Edouard Roger-Vasselin: It might be a slight concern for his fans when Stanislas Wawrinka admitted it has been a struggle to get motivated since winning the Australian Open, but I actually believe he has played some decent tennis all season.

It can be tough for a player who has broken through to win a Grand Slam to pick up their form after doing so, but Wawrinka has all the tools to see off someone like Edouard Roger-Vasselin in this Third Round match.

He is serving pretty well and has heavy groundstrokes that should keep Roger-Vasselin on the backfoot and Wawrinka also crushed the Frenchman on his way to winning the title in Chennai in January. I like the attitude Roger-Vasselin brings to a court, but I think there is a talent differential between the players that may be hard to bridge.

The serve can be attacked and that is where I expect Wawrinka to find his way to a 63, 64 win in this Third Round match.


Tomas Berdych - 5.5 games v Joao Sousa: Tomas Berdych didn't have a great start to the week in Miami but, unlike at Indian Wells, he did avoid the upset loss in the Second Round and that should put in him a good place to have a decent week.

This Third Round match should be a good chance for Berdych to play himself into some form as Joao Sousa plays a very rhythmic style of play that shouldn't force the Czech player to think too much about what he has to do on the court.

Sousa doesn't have a huge serve and like a lot of players that love the clay courts, he will look to extend the cross court rallies but that should allow Berdych to find his own groove off the ground.

With the serve being a big difference between the players, I expect Berdych to prove too strong as the match progresses and results in a 64, 62 win for the higher Ranked player.


John Isner - 1.5 games v Nicolas Almagro: With the way these two players can roll through their service games, I would not be surprised if this isn't the longest match of the day by a considerable distance, especially if it is concluded in straight sets.

Nicolas Almagro has produced on the hard courts in the past, but he is having a slow start to the season as he recovers from an injury that ended 2013 prematurely and the Spaniard decided to miss out on Indian Wells.

Despite having a decent serve, Almagro has been a little erratic off the ground and that would produce big problems if he gives up a break in this match against someone like John Isner.

I think that could be the problem for Almagro in this match and I will look for Isner to square up their head to head and come through with a 76, 64 win.

MY PICKS: Milos Raonic - 3.5 Games @ 1.95 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Stanislas Wawrinka - 4.5 Games @ 1.95 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Tomas Berdych - 5.5 Games @ 1.92 Paddy Power (2 Units)
John Isner - 1.5 Games @ 2.05 Pinnacle (2 Units)

Miami Update: 5-4, + 1.3 Units (18 Units Staked, + 7.22% Yield)

Miami Tennis Picks 2014 (March 23rd)

On Saturday, the news broke in the Argentinian press that Juan Martin Del Potro is likely to be missing the rest of the season with the second wrist surgery he is about to undergo in the last four years.

It is a real shame for Del Potro who showed so much promise after winning the US Open 2009, especially as it took around eighteen months to two years to really get back to that form after the first wrist surgery. Of course he is trying to put a positive spin on things by suggesting he won't be wasting time on a diagnosis, but this looked a good time to really make another impact at Grand Slam level, as Stanislas Wawrinka  did at the Australian Open.

There is also the question mark about Del Potro and whether he will ever recover to the level he showed in 2009 when he looked to be the player most likely to break the dominance of the 'Big Four'. Recovering from a wrist injury for a tennis player to be the most difficult recovery and we have seen players fail to reach the levels they have performed at before those injuries.

I personally think it will be difficult for Del Potro to return as the force of old, but I hope to see him back on the Tour as soon as possible. He seems to be one of the nicer guys out there and I think it would be a disappointment if we don't get to see him at his best in big matches in the future.


I have to say I was very close to earning the win from the only pick I made from the matches on Saturday, but Maria Sharapova couldn't take her match points in the second set that would have allowed Lucie Safarova. It was a competitive match for the almost three hours they were out there, but Safarova should have covered with the 4.5 games head-start considering she had a double break in the second set, but had to settle for a tie-break win.

That hasn't helped the week total to this point, but I haven't made too many picks from the week so far so hopefully there is better luck to come in the days ahead.


Tommy Robredo - 1.5 games v Julien Benneteau: The hard courts may not be the favourite surface of Tommy Robredo, but he is certainly capable of playing on these types of courts, particularly the slower courts in Miami.

The match against Julien Benneteau presents a good chance to get through to the next Round after he already beat the Frenchman at the Australian Open earlier this season.

It will be hard work in the match as both have to really win points behind the serve and won't have a lot of cheap points, while there is every chance that the match will go the distance as both players can go off the boil at times.

After a testing couple of hours, I think Robredo will be the one that grinds out the win and he looks a decent price to do that in this match.


Roger Federer - 5.5 games v Thiemo de Bakker: Roger Federer has been in pretty strong form and has been talking up his feelings of waking up without pain for the last couple of weeks.

That has looked like being the main course of his poor 2013 season, but Federer has looked as good as he has for a few years in the opening months of 2014.

He dismissed Ivo Karlovic behind an ever-improving serve and the aggressive brand of tennis is paying off for the former World Number 1. While Thiemo de Bakker has a big serve himself, I can see Federer making enough balls back in play to find a couple of breaks of serve in one set in this match.

Unlike Karlovic, de Bakker likes to mix things from the back of the court and that will enable Federer to chip the ball into play and get involved in the extended rallies that I like him to win more often than not. With that in mind, a 64, 62 win for Federer doesn't look that out of place in this Third Round match.

MY PICKS: Tommy Robredo - 1.5 Games @ 1.83 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Roger Federer - 5.5 Games @ 1.92 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Miami Update: 3-4, - 2.20 Units (14 Units Staked, 

Miami Tennis Picks 2014 (March 22nd)

Yesterday proved to be the reverse of Thursday and means it has been a mixed start to the Miami tournament for the picks. It's not the end of the world, although I hope these picks from the matches to be played on Saturday can at least kick-start an event that has been a little slow compared to Indian Wells last week, although I can't put my finger on why that is the case.


It is also a surprise to me that with all the matches on offer on Saturday, it is only the one match that really appeals to me.


Lucie Safarova + 4.5 games v Maria Sharapova: Lucie Safarova has made a decent start on the Singles Tour in 2014 and I think she is being a touch under-rated to give Maria Sharapova some real problems in this Third Round match.

Since returning from Sochi, Sharapova has put in some understandably mixed performances and she has to raise her game by a couple of levels from her Second Round match. If she does that, Sharapova can certainly give Safarova plenty of problems, but the serve has been erratic and that makes this number of games look a tough one to cover.

Add the fact that Safarova is one of the more solid servers in recent weeks and I think she can put a lot of pressure on her higher Ranked opponent and I can see Safarova stealing a set.

It should remain competitive throughout and I just think the games are too high and perhaps more to do with Sharapova's name rather than her actual performances over the last month.

MY PICKS: Lucie Safarova + 4.5 Games @ 1.92 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Miami Update: 3-3, - 0.20 Units (12 Units Staked, - 1.67% Yield)

Weekend Football Picks 2014 (March 22-23)

It was the week in which the final eight teams in the Champions League and the Europa League were decided and the draw on Friday was no less intriguing.

For the first time, all eight Group winners in the Champions League made it through to the Quarter Finals and that meant there wasn't going to be an easy game to find for any team.

The draw proved as much, although both Real Madrid and Bayern Munich will probably be big favourites to see off Borussia Dortmund and Manchester United respectively.

For a Manchester United fan, this was arguably the second worst draw the team could have faced behind Real Madrid, especially with the way the season has developed to this point. On the face of things, Bayern Munich should have too much pace in wide areas and a large control of the ball from the midfield, whoever they pick in there.

However, the side are a little vulnerable at the back themselves and I still feel they are lacking the centre forward that Robert Lewandowski will provide them in the summer, although I won't be rushing to back Manchester United to knock them out either.

All I saying at this point is I don't think it will be a Mission Impossible for United, but it is definitely a Mission Extremely Difficult.


The remaining two ties are much closer to predict in my opinion and I can see Chelsea finding a way to beat Paris Saint-Germain with the second leg being back in London... The tie has all the hallmarks of an away goal win for Jose Mourinho and yet another Semi Final for a manager proven at this level.

Barcelona v Atletico Madrid is very intriguing and the teams have played tight games against one another all season and I imagine the tie to be the same. If Barcelona can take a lead into the second leg, I would expect they can grab a goal at the Vicente Calderon that could prove to be critical.


One more thing- when did UEFA stop doing the Semi Final draw along with the Quarter Finals as they had in previous years?


The Europa League draw also looks a pretty good one on paper, if only because it looks like providing a really good end to the tournament. The likes of Juventus and Benfica look a cut above the rest of the teams left, both of those falling out of the Champions League at the Group Stage, and that could be a good Final if the draw pans out the way it should.

Lyon won't be rolling over for Juventus, but they are not the team of old and I would fancy the Old Lady to see them off.


Enough about Europe for now as the final week of March provides three big games in the Premier League that may give us a better idea of the destination of the title this season. First off is Chelsea v Arsenal, but that will be followed by Manchester City visiting Old Trafford and the Emirates Stadium before April.


When it comes to making the picks, I am not a big fan of these weekends when the results seem 'obvious' in some games because football rarely goes exactly like you would expect. There does seem to be some mismatches with the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City facing relegation threatened teams, but the pressure at this stage of the season is another factor to deal with and hard to really place the importance of that.


Chelsea v Arsenal Pick: There is definitely no love lost between the managers, but this match means more than bragging rights as both Chelsea and Arsenal could take a step towards the Premier League title, while also damaging their opponents irreversibly at this late stage of the season.

It is especially the case for Arsenal in my opinion and I think Arsene Wenger would be satisfied with a draw from the game- unlike previous years under his management, I think this Arsenal team is resilient enough to repel the attack that they will see and I also think Wenger is more pragmatic in his approach and accepting of points earned.

Prior years would have perhaps seen Arsenal push forward too much and leave gaps for Chelsea to expose, but losing some of the midfielders they have will also give an edge to the home team. That is especially the case for a Chelsea team that have been playing very well at Stamford Bridge for much of the season and had a confidence boosting 2-0 win over Galatasaray in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

That also gives Chelsea enough time to prepare for this game and I think they can plug the gaps left by the suspensions of Ramires and Willian to enough of an extent to win this game. It is much more important for Chelsea to win the game and I can see them being a little more clinical than Tottenham Hotspur were when chances came their way last weekend against this Arsenal team.

Jose Mourinho did only win 1 of his 3 home games against Arsenal in his first stint as Chelsea manager and we saw his poor history at Villa Park return last weekend- however, I think the home side will have too much of the ball and find a way to secure three points that may effectively end the Arsenal title challenge.


Cardiff City v Liverpool Pick: Even the most passionate of Manchester United fans had to begrudgingly accept that Liverpool were far and away the better side at Old Trafford last weekend and most have also perhaps got a slight fear that the rivals from down the M62 are in a position to win their first League title in 24 years.

There is still plenty of time for twists and turns in the title race, but there is also no doubt that Liverpool are the in-form team in the Premier League that seems to be full of goals and it is hard to imagine Cardiff City being the team to slow them down.

Complacency is the biggest threat to Liverpool in this game because they have the pace and clinical finishing up top that should provide the goals to see off their hosts and earn another three points. With Sunderland to come during the week, there is also every chance that Liverpool could end the week in top spot in the League depending on the result from the Chelsea-Arsenal game to be played on Saturday lunchtime.

Cardiff City haven't been losing a lot of games at home with only 3 defeats in their last 7 at home in the Premier League, but they seem to drop their heads and lose quite comfortably when they are beaten. That is shown up by their last 4 home League defeats all coming by at least two goals and it will be interesting to see how they respond if they go behind in this one.

It seems obvious, and nothing is obvious when making picks for football games, but I can't see how Cardiff keep this close with the amount of goals Liverpool have been scoring. They have hit three goals in 4 of their last 5 away games in the Premier League, all wins, and both Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge create and score the chances they find.

I would love to be wrong and Liverpool fail to win here, but I can only see a comfortable away win on recent performances of both teams.


Everton v Swansea Pick: Another late goal helped Everton pick up a vital three points last weekend and there will be a real confidence that they can win another game in front of their own fans this weekend.

I think they are the right choice in the game, but the odds on quotes look very short considering how they have needed goals in the last ten minutes to beat West Ham United and Cardiff City. While Swansea haven't been winning games, they have shown a little more goal-scoring threat in recent games and that should be a concern for Roberto Martinez and his defence which could be missing Phil Jagielka again.

Swansea have now scored in 4 straight away games and Everton have conceded in 3 of their last 4 games at home so I think there is more than a slight chance that the away side contributes in this game.

However, I do believe Everton are going to have a little too much attacking threat and they have scored at least two goals in 6 of their last 7 home wins.

Together, that is enough for me to prefer backing Everton to win a game in which both sides score than the short odds for them to win this game.


Manchester City v Fulham Pick: Manuel Pellegrini doesn't strike me as a manager that looks beyond the immediate game in front of his team and that means I don't foresee him resting too many players in anticipation of the Manchester derby to be played on Tuesday. It is a big game for Manchester City after this one as they face away games at Manchester United and Arsenal in the course of a few days and that means they cannot afford to drop points in a game like this if they are to win the Premier League title.

The concern for City fans will be the slight downturn in terms of goals scored in recent games, but some of that may have been down to fatigue and now the team have had a full week to prepare for this game. It may be enough time for Sergio Aguero to return and all eyes are now focused on the final 11 League games Manchester City have to play.

Fulham showed they can be stubborn in their draw at Manchester United last month, but a lot of that was also down to the performance of the home team and I think it will be much tougher for them here.

They have shown extra determination under Felix Magath at times, but Fulham continue to have issues defensively and conceding three goals at Cardiff City doesn't bode well for their chances at this ground. The likes of Liverpool and Chelsea have also hit three past Fulham in recent games, both of those at Craven Cottage, and it will be a big ask for them to keep the scoreline respectable in my opinion.

Vincent Kompany is missing, but Manchester City showed defensive solidity in their win with ten men against Hull City last weekend and I think they prove to be too powerful in a comfortable home win. After that, Pellegrini is sure to turn his attention to the big game at Old Trafford which will be played on Tuesday evening.


West Ham United v Manchester United Pick: There is little doubt that David Moyes needs to take all the positives he can at the moment and overturning a 2-0 deficit in the Champions League is one of the few highs that Manchester United have experienced under his guidance during a tough first season without Sir Alex Ferguson.

Manchester United rode their luck at times with Olympiacos missing a couple of clear-cut opportunities to score what would have been a vital away goal, but many times you could also say the luck has not been with the side. It has also been a season of one step forward, two steps backwards for the new manager and he has to urge against complacency in what is usually a feisty affair in East London.

Sam Allardyce would have had a week to prepare for this game and West Ham United rarely roll over for too many teams at their own ground where the fans make it a lively occasion. The Hammers are also on a decent run of form at home and the return of Andy Carroll will give the Manchester United defenders something to think about without the presence of Nemanja Vidic.

However, it has been pace that Manchester United have been most susceptible to and I don't see a lot of that in the West Ham side, even though I am sure the players on the field will be up for the game and will make life extremely difficult.

At odds on, Manchester United are no price for me considering the turbulent nature of the season, but they have been stronger away from home as shown by the 8 wins they have achieved in the Premier League (2 more than at Old Trafford). Even if the away side were to pick up the three points, it is unlikely to be a straight-forward game and West Ham United won't be put away easily.

Both teams will want to get forward and it is unsurprising that this is a fixture that usually produces a fair few goals, including 8 in the two games at Upton Park last season. I won't be in the least bit surprised if this is another game that has at least three goals shared.

MY PICKS: Chelsea to Win @ 1.92 Ladbrokes (2 Units)
Liverpool - 1.5 Asian Handicap @ 2.05 Ladbrokes (2 Units)
Both Teams to Score and Everton to Win @ 3.50 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)
Manchester City - 2.25 Asian Handicap @ 1.95 Pinnacle (2 Units)
West Ham United-Manchester United Over 2.5 Goals @ 2.00 Pinnacle (2 Units)

March Update: 16-17, + 3.12 Units (57 Units Staked, + 5.47% Yield)

February Final: 12-28, - 16.74 Units (61 Units Staked, - 27.44% Yield)
January Final: 17-24, - 3.18 Units (62 Units Staked, - 5.13% Yield)
December Final: 19-16-2, + 13.34 Units (66 Units Staked, + 20.21% Yield)
November Final: 17-19-1, + 0.50 Units (56 Units Staked, + 0.09% Yield)
October Final: 20-16-1, + 12.94 Units (51 Units Staked, + 25.37% Yield)
September Final: 13-12, + 1.24 Units (39 Units Staked, + 3.18% Yield)
August Final: 13-26, - 12.13 Units (54 Units Staked, - 22.46% Yield)

Season 2013/14: 111-131-3, - 4.03 Units (389 Units Staked, - 1.04% Yield)
Season 2012/13: + 4.42 Units (415 Units Staked, + 1.07% Yield)

Miami Tennis Picks 2014 (March 21st)

It is time for the television cameras to pick up the action from the Miami Masters tournament after beginning to show the Premier Event yesterday and the event really feels like it is going to be underway now all the big names are ready to begin their title challenge.

That is no disrespect to the other players on the Tour, but every sport is really determined by the power of the star names and so it only really feels an event's status is linked with which names are involved in it.


The picks made a decent start to the tournament here with a 2-1 beginning on Thursday, although I was a little disappointed that Maria Sharapova couldn't quite cover the games in her win over Karumi Nara. With Serena Williams making a comfortable start to her week too, I am pretty satisfied with the beginning of the Miami event and hope that can be built on over the next nine days.


Roger Federer - 3.5 games v Ivo Karlovic: Fans of 'old school' tennis may enjoy this Second Round match as both Ivo Karlovic and Roger Federer are going to want to get into the net to finish off points, while the serve-volley tactic will be in full force.

I don't think you can doubt that Karlovic has dropped a touch of pace in his play and he is just that little bit slower getting up to the net which gives his opponents more chances to break serve these days than in his prime.

A more aggressive Roger Federer may also be able to take advantage of that half-step and this may be a slightly more comfortable win than the layers may imagine. If you take the last 9 sets played between these players, albeit over a five year period, Federer has won every one and surprisingly only 2 have needed a tie-break to separate them.

With the form that he has displayed to open 2014, I can see Roger Federer winning this one 63, 64 using his more attacking game to keep Karlovic on his toes.


Fernando Verdasco - 3.5 games v Thiemo de Bakker: Coming through the qualifiers here in Miami will make Thiemo de Bakker a dangerous opponent in this Second Round for Fernando Verdasco, but I still expect the higher Ranked player to show his class and move through.

As big a game as de Bakker has, he has generally enjoyed the slower clay courts a lot more than the hard courts, although the conditions in Miami are not the quickest we will see through the year. The problem for de Bakker is finding the consistency to beat someone as talented as Verdasco unless the latter decides to shoot himself in the foot.

We know Verdasco has a decent serve and heavy groundstrokes that can really work well on the hard courts, but he is also liable to going through stretches in a match where he forgets he is a Singles player too and getting the ball in the court becomes unbelievably difficult for him.

However, Verdasco showed more resiliency at Indian Wells when facing pressure points on serve and I can see him being too good for de Bakker with a 64, 64 win.


Alize Cornet - 1.5 games v Andrea Petkovic: An interesting Second Round match is in prospect between these two players, but I had Alize Cornet as a stronger favourite to win the match than what is being priced up.

Cornet has been playing at a more consistent level over the last twelve months and she has certainly shown more form than Andrea Petkovic, including beating her in three sets in Paris earlier this season.

The German is also coming off a disappointing couple of losses to Camila Giorgi while also struggling to reach the level she did before an injury derailed her career somewhat. Petkovic is dangerous when she puts her tennis together, but that is happening less and less these days and I like Cornet to come through, possibly in three sets.

MY PICKS: Roger Federer - 3.5 Games @ 2.00 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Fernando Verdasco - 3.5 Games @ 1.83 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Alize Cornet - 1.5 Games @ 1.90 Pinnacle (2 Units)

Miami Update: 2-1, + 2 Units (6 Units Staked, + 33% Yield)

Miami Tennis Picks 2014 (March 20th)

The second Masters/Premier Event of the season has already begun in Miami, but Thursday is when the big names in the women's game will kick of their bid to reach the Final here a week on Saturday. On Friday, it will be the men's Second Round that gets underway and I have made a couple of outright picks from the tournament which can be read here.


One piece of news that wouldn't have escaped the attention of most that follow tennis is the split between Andy Murray and Ivan Lendl, albeit a split that seems to be amicable from the outside. It was a surprise to me as their working partnership has produced the best results of Murray's career to date over the last two years and it wasn't something that had been 'about to happen' to those of us looking in from the outside.

What does it mean for Murray? I am not sure to be honest, but both men must have thought there was nothing more to be gained by having Lendl travelling with the team and I would also maybe question if the goals were perhaps not as aligned as they had been when the two got together in the first place.

Two years ago, it was made clear that Lendl had been brought in to help Murray get over the hump in Grand Slams and that has been achieved with the US Open in 2012 and, more importantly perhaps, winning Wimbledon last season. Since Wimbledon, Murray has struggled to get up to the levels required to win tournaments, albeit not helped with a back issue that required surgery, and maybe now was the time when the Brit decided he needed to perhaps change direction somewhat.

The split between Murray and Lendl wouldn't be enough for me to draw a line through Murray winning more Grand Slam titles, but his form since coming back from the surgery he had last autumn has not been good enough. That is especially the case if some more of the players that have been threatening a breakthrough on the Tour continue improving at their pace.

With the clay court season imminent, Murray will likely be looking for enough improvement to become a real threat at Wimbledon again, a tournament in which only a handful of players really have a chance of winning and it will be interesting to see the approach taken to the up coming season. We saw Murray miss great chunks of the clay season last year in a bid to keep his back from being an issue for Wimbledon and we may not see where his 2014 campaign is going until after the French Open.


After a strong showing at Indian Wells which improved the numbers for the season, I have taken a few days off from making any tennis picks and that included the first two days of the main draw in Miami. To be perfectly honest, a couple of matches stood out, but not enough for me and that was actually the main reason I avoided making any picks, except those in the outright markets. With the women's Second Round beginning today and the men's First Round concluded, this looks the right time to start the daily picks from this second hard court event during March.


Roberto Bautista-Agut - 3.5 games v Steve Johnson: For the second Masters tournament in succession, Roberto Bautista-Agut takes on Steve Johnson in the First Round and I have little to believe the result will be a lot different than the match in Indian Wells.

Bautista-Agut was a 63, 63 winner in that tournament and he has the consistency that can break down the game of someone like Johnson. The American certainly has some decent shot-making in his repertoire, but the lack of consistency can let him down and I expect Bautista-Agut to find a way to grind him down in this match.

I also think Bautista-Agut's serve is a touch under-rated as he wins a fairly high percentage when getting it in on these faster courts and I can just seem him wearing down his opponent in this one. Of course, Johnson may produce a better game plan than in Indian Wells and certainly make this a more competitive match, but I still believe it will be tough for him to play at a high enough level for long enough to win the contest.


Sam Querrey - 2.5 games v Sergiy Stakhovsky: It has been a rough couple of years for Sam Querrey as he has failed to kick on up the Rankings as much as he may have expected and has certainly been replaced as America's next potential Grand Slam Champion by John Isner. There have been little sign to suggest things are going to change in the next few months, especially with the clay court season about to begin, and his disappointing loss in the Davis Cup to James Ward sums up his performances of late.

Even being back on the hard courts hasn't proved to be a respite for a slumping Ranking, but I do think this First Round provides one of the limited chances to back Querrey to win and move through to the Second Round.

For as well as Sergiy Stakhovsky did in reaching the Semi Final in Irving last week, he hasn't had much of a hard court pedigree over the last couple of years to think he will have enough to beat Querrey in front of his own fans.

Stakhovsky can run through some service games, but he is always liable to make a few mistakes that enable opponents to break his serve and I feel Querrey can put just enough pressure on him to come through in a three set battle.


Maria Sharapova - 5.5 games v Karumi Nara: The serving really let Maria Sharapova down in her loss to Camila Giorgi at Indian Wells, but I think she can bounce back with a comfortable enough win over Karumi Nari in this Second Round match in Miami.

Someone like Giorgi is going to be a threat when a player is not on their game, because she hits the ball hard and a lot of the points are on her racquet. Even then, if Sharapova had played better behind serve, she would likely have won that match and I think the two matches in Indian Wells will at least have her in a better position for this event.

Karumi Nara is an improving player, but she has taken a couple of heavy losses to players that have similar power on their groundstrokes as someone like Sharapova and I think that may prove to be too much for the 22 year old to handle.

I can see the first set perhaps being a little more competitive before Sharapova pulls away behind her power for a 64, 62 win and a place in the Third Round.

MY PICKS: Roberto Bautista-Agut - 3.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Sam Querrey - 2.5 Games @ 2.00 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Maria Sharapova - 5.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Miami Tennis Outright Picks 2014 (March 17-30)

This is the part of the season where we see a quick turnaround from the first Masters/Premier Event to the second as the Tour moves from California to Florida. Indian Wells is usually the more 'surprising' event of the two and I expect Miami to have a more familiar feel come the end of the week.

It is another important event for the top players and the returning Serena Williams gives the WTA draw a real favourite after the Flavia Pennetta win last week in an open draw. Victoria Azarenka is not going to take part this week, but I believe Serena Williams is the player that really gives the women's draw legitimacy.


The men's draw has turned upside down this week too with the likes of Roger Federer and Andy Murray placed in Novak Djokovic's side of the draw instead of with Rafael Nadal like last week.


It should be another decent week of tennis, the last before the clay court season kicks off on the road to the French Open. The picks also had another nice week and keeps the season profit ticking along in the right direction.

WTA Premier Event Draw

As I said above, the return of Serena Williams has given the women's draw a real favourite and the way the names have come out suggests she is the right choice to win the tournament having done so twelve months ago.

My biggest concern for Williams is some of the stories suggesting all is not well in her personal relationship with Patrick Mouratoglou and that can have an effect on any player on the Tour when they are not comfortable off the court. It may also be the reason that Serena has failed to win the last two tournaments she has entered as she tries to match the high standards set in 2013.

When you look at the players in this half of the draw, some would perhaps make a case for the likes of Maria Sharapova, Ana Ivanovic, Flavia Pennetta, Petra Kvitova and Angelique Kerber but it would be a real surprise if any of those find themselves too good for Serena Williams before the Final.

Ivanovic may be in the best position to do so, but she is so inconsistent that it would take a brave person to pick the Serbian former World Number 1 to reach any potential Semi Final against Williams.

The other players are either returning from lay offs, have struggled for their own consistency or are coming off a long week to think they can beat a fresh Williams before the Final.

The bottom half of the draw is interesting, although I would run a line through Agnieszka Radwanska immediately after she was struggling with an injury by the end of the tournament in Indian Wells.

Venus Williams showed some real form in winning the tournament in Dubai and will have her backers, but she is in the same mini-section as the likes of Simona Halep and Dominika Cibulkova and the feeling for me is that the player coming out of it could have something taken out of their legs.

Eugenie Bouchard is an interesting player to keep an eye on, but I still want to see how she responds to her run in Australia and a new found attention on her game before I think of her as a potential winner at these Premier Events.

Na Li is another that has to perform much better than she did in Indian Wells despite reaching the Semi Final there and so someone like Jelena Jankovic could make an interesting choice to come out of the bottom section.

Jankovic has been playing well for the better part of twelve months now and has landed in a decent portion of the draw that could see her go deep into the tournament. She will likely have to close out a couple of tough matches to reach the Final, including a likely Quarter Final against the Australian Open Champion Li, but she can certainly surprise a few with a decent run again this week.

ATP Masters Draw

After a disappointing early exit at Indian Wells, Rafael Nadal has a few more questions to answer about his back and how healthy that is following the Australian Open. The World Number 1 himself refuses to answer those now and I think he will be very happy with the draw in Miami as he looks to win the tournament here for the first time.

Last week, Nadal had the likes of Andy Murray, Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka in his side of the draw, but the first two of those players won't be seen until the Final, while Wawrinka has admitted he isn't feeling great mentally.

Juan Martin Del Potro is still not over his wrist issues and while there is a chance that someone like Milos Raonic serves through Nadal, you have to like the Spaniard's chances this week to reach the Final here at least.

There are other dangers lower down in his half of the draw, but Nadal has a strong record against Tomas Berdych and might see Marin Cilic run out of gas by the time we reach the Semi Final despite how well the Croatian has been playing. John Isner is another obvious danger with the way he serves and having a strong run in Indian Wells that pushed him into the Top Ten of the World Rankings, but Nadal can certainly show his doubters that he is ready for a strong clay court campaign by displaying some of his best tennis here.

I can imagine there will be a few backers of Novak Djokovic looking for him to complete the Masters double here in Miami, but he has a brutal draw and that would really worry me- he will likely have to beat Ernests Gulbis, Andy Murray and Roger Federer in consecutive matches just to reach the Final and I am not convinced his confidence is fully restored just yet.

That could have been shown by his failure to serve out the match twice against John Isner in the Semi Final last week and also once in the Final against Roger Federer and there is a real chance that Djokovic is surprised before the Final.

Instead of worrying about his quarter of the draw, the top quarter looks like one that Roger Federer will enjoy, especially if he continues playing at the level that he has started 2014 in.

You can't tell how some of the older players will produce from week to week, but Federer is about as fit as they come even if he has lost a slight step in getting around the court. He was serving brilliantly to end the week at Indian Wells and his aggressive brand of tennis should be successful in Miami.

Federer's route to any potential Semi Final looks less fraught with danger than Djokovic's and I think he is playing well enough to see off Richard Gasquet and Grigor Dimitrov who are likely to be the big threats in his section. The former World Number 1 could then be picking the bones of whoever comes out of the Fourth Quarter and Federer has a strong chance of making his third Final in a row, although he is probably hoping that anyone but Rafael Nadal is waiting for him at that moment.

It sounds boring with some of the surprise Finalists we have seen already in 2014, but I went with the bigger priced outsiders last week and at the end of the day it is about finding the right Finalists/Winners. With the way the draw has gone down, I am backing the favourite from the WTA draw, but am using two players against the favourite in the ATP draw.

MY PICKS: Serena Williams @ 2.25 Ladbrokes (3 Units)

Jelena Jankovic @ 26.00 Sky Bet (0.5 Units E/W)

Rafael Nadal @ 3.75 Ladbrokes (2 Units)

Roger Federer @ 7.00 Paddy Power (1 Unit E/W)

Weekly Picks: 26-20, + 8.10 Units (92 Units Staked, + 8.8% Yield)
Outright Picks: 1-3, + 2 Units (7 Units Staked, + 28.57% Yield)

Season 2014: + 37.54 Units (463 Units Staked, + 8.11% Yield)

Season 2013: + 21.74 Units (1251.5 Units Staked, + 1.73% Yield)
Season 2012: + 49.21 Units (855 Units Staked, + 5.76% Yield)
Season 2011: + 82.02 Units

Midweek Football Picks 2014 (March 18-20)

It has been a miserable couple of days for all Manchester United fans and it means that the game on Wednesday night against Olympiacos has taken on a brand new level of importance for David Moyes if he really anticipates being the manager of this club for anything near the six year contract he was given last summer.


The week will finalise the final eight teams that will be contesting the Champions League and the Europa League this season and Friday will set the routes for the Finals to be played in Lisbon and Turin in the next couple of months.


It will be tense with the majority of these second legs having a lot more to play for than we saw a week ago in the first four Last 16 second legs in the Champions League, while the Europa League ties are mostly in the balance. That should mean a pretty good week of football to enjoy for the neutrals as well as the fans of those sides still involved in the competition.


Chelsea v Galatasaray Pick: Jose Mourinho was unimpressed with some of the refereeing decisions that cost his Chelsea side at Villa Park on Saturday, but the manager is known for quickly moving on and will get his team focused on the task at hand.

With a bit more clinical finishing in Istanbul, Chelsea could easily have had one foot in the next Round of the Champions League, but they had to eventually settle for a 1-1 draw and that makes Galatasaray a dangerous threat in the second leg.

The first thing that Mourinho will be drilling into his team is the clean sheet that will ensure Chelsea move through to the Quarter Final even if they fail to win this game at Stamford Bridge. They have looked good enough to achieve that goal in recent weeks as they have settled into their defensive shape, and that will also open up some gaps as Galatasaray will become a little more determined to get forward and score the one goal they definitely need in London.

With the likes of Didier Drogba and Wesley Sneijder in the line up, there should be a chance for goals for Galatasaray, but I don't think they are good enough to knock off this Chelsea team. If the Turks start chasing the game later on, there is every chance that Chelsea will also be able to score a killer goal on the break with the pace they have behind the lone attacker.

I think that is the more likely issue from the game and I can see Chelsea winning this by a couple of goals when the game is concluded.


Manchester United v Olympiacos Pick: While losing to your biggest rivals is always a disappointment, the lack of character displayed by Manchester United was perhaps the biggest complaint of the fans. They may have stayed behind the team during a terrible final 20 minutes at Old Trafford, but the cold light of day would have revealed how far below the required standard the team played.

This game now presents a huge test of the short David Moyes era at Old Trafford and the pressure on the manager in a defeat will be incredible, especially with the big matches continuing to come over the next week.

I personally don't have a lot of faith in Manchester United being able to overcome too many of the teams remaining in the Champions League, but I still think Olympiacos are there for the taking as they aren't a side that have impressed me greatly. In saying that, a draw in Benfica looks a very respectable score considering how well that side played against Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League and Olympiacos only had a narrow loss in Paris Saint-Germain too.

If Olympiacos score, it will be incredibly difficult for Manchester United to score the four goals that will be required of them to go through. They haven't created enough chances to see that happening, but I think the players are due a big performance and have reserved the majority of those for the Champions League.

Aside from the crushing wins over Bayer Leverkusen though, United haven't blown teams away and they will need to play one of their best matches of the season to overturn what looks an incredibly difficult scoreline from Athens. Can they do it? I certainly think there is enough in the side to beat this Olympiacos team comfortably, but the fact that one goal from the away side is going to make it tough for United to qualify.

I was tempted to pick United to qualify, but that price has shortened too much considering the form the team have shown and instead I will back the home side to give the fans something to cheer about with a win and possibly taking the tie to extra time.


Borussia Dortmund v Zenit St Petersburg Pick: With a 4-2 lead from the game in Russia, Borussia Dortmund are under little pressure and probably will be concentrating on not allowing Zenit St Petersburg to get back in the game. However, Jurgen Klopp expects his team to play in a certain way which will produce chances, but also give Zenit opportunities to score goals.

As poor as Borussia Dortmund's run has been at home in the last few months, Zenit St Petersburg will have to play a little more open than normal and that should give the home team enough chances to win this game comfortably. Before the defeat against Borussia Moechengladbach, Dortmund had won back to back home games while scoring 7 goals and keeping two clean sheets.

4 of their last 6 home wins in the Champions League have also seen Borussia Dortmund win by at least two goals and I think it will be tough for Zenit to prevent that happening here.

The side have been in poor form and are getting set to hear a new voice in the dressing room in the form of Andre Villas-Boas, while heavy losses at Atletico Madrid and Austria Vienna have every chance of being repeated.


Anzhi Makhachkala v AZ Alkmaar Pick: With a 1-0 lead from the First Leg, AZ Alkmaar will certainly feel they have an advantage they can hold on to against this Anzhi Makhachkala team that haven't scored a lot of goals at home all season.

Anzhi have only scored 3 goals in their last 10 games here in all competitions and they have only scored 2 goals in their last 5 home games in the Europa League so it may be a big ask for the Russian side to overturn this deficit in normal time.

There is no doubt that AZ Alkmaar will come here with a decent defensive shape as they have kept 2 clean sheets in their last 4 away games in the Europa League. The fact they have lost 4 of their last 6 away games in all competitions has to be a concern, but I can see this being a defensive game and I don't think the layers have fully appreciated that.

While they have priced the under 2.5 goals at a level I expected, I think there is a bit of value in picking the under 1.5 goals with the lack of home goals and the expectation that AZ Alkmaar won't come here with an open game in plan. There is a chance there could be extra time in this one, but I like goals to be in short supply in this Second Leg.


Benfica v Tottenham Hotspur Pick: It is not just a huge task for Tottenham Hotspur having lost the First Leg of this tie 1-3 at White Hart Lane, but Benfica have been very tough to play at the Stadium of Light and it looks a mountain for the English club to climb.

Benfica have now won 10 in a row at home in all competitions and have beaten teams of the standard of Paris Saint-Germain in front of their own fans already. Since that win over PSG, Benfica have won 9 in a row in all competitions and have kept clean sheets in each of those wins which will make it that much more difficult for Spurs to overturn this lead.

You have to expect Benfica will look to make themselves tough to beat first of all and having a lead of this nature does put them in a tough position whether to stick with what they have or twist. That is the biggest obstacle for the home team to overcome, but Tottenham Hotspur have a lot of defensive injuries and will likely offer Benfica some chances to score goals.

There is no doubt that Spurs have some attacking threat in their team, but they have failed to score in their last 3 away games in all competitions and backing Benfica to win to nil looks a big price.


Fiorentina v Juventus Pick: This is a really big game for both teams and I can't imagine either leaving too much on the field as they look to make it through to the Quarter Final where both will also feel they can go on and win the Europa League.

There are two theories in my mind for how this game will go- either Fiorentina will look to keep things tight knowing the goalless draw is in their favour and could potentially be caught late by a Juventus team that haven't failed to score in 5 away games.

The second theory is Fiorentina look for the goals that will see them put the pressure on Juventus with the belief that they are likely going to concede at some point to the Serie A leaders.

Personally I think there is the chance of this game producing the goals for an entertaining evening in Florence as neither team will have a lot to lose and gaps will begin to show in a Cup tie if either team has a lead going into the final twenty minutes. I am impressed with Juventus' three clean sheets in a row on their travels, but Fiorentina will point to their 4-2 home win over them earlier this season as proof they can pierce a defence if they need to.

Goals are going to be my call from this Second Leg in a game where a first half goal could certainly open the floodgates in a big Last 16 tie.


Napoli v Porto Pick: This is one of those ties that is in such a state of balance that any kind of goal could quickly shift the momentum.

Out of all the results you can gain in a European home leg, 1-0 puts a team in a very strange position as they can't really go away from home and sit on the lead. However, there is so much to gain by scoring one goal and that is what Porto will be thinking to themselves on their visit to Naples.

However, Napoli have been playing very well at home and have shown their quality in Europe when only just failing to make the Last 16 of the Champions League. On the other hand, Porto were poor in not making it out of a Group where the second place side needed just 6 points to move forward.

I also think Rafa Benitez has become very good at seeing off teams in Europe and that is shown by his pedigree over the last few years where he has seen his teams reach two Champions League Finals, winning one, and also winning the Europa League with Chelsea last season.

Benitez can be a touch too cautious to win League titles, but his methods have worked well in two legged ties and I think he will help Napoli win the game on the night, although it will be tough for them to qualify if Porto score. I would also be concerned if Napoli are leading 2-1 and chasing the game that Porto hit them on the counter-attack, but I think there is just a decent enough price on the home side to back Napoli to win.


Salzburg v Basel Pick: Salzburg have shown how well they can play in the Europa League as they have brought the confidence from their League form into the competition and there is a real belief that they are going to see off Basel in this Second Leg.

After all the chances they did have in the First Leg, Salzburg will feel they will be a little more clinical if those same chances land their way in this game. In the Europa League, Salzburg have scored at least two goals in all 5 home games, while they have hit three or more in 4 of those wins.

There is no doubt in my mind that Basel are a better team than they showed last week in the bits and pieces of the game I watched, but it is a big ask for them to come to an in-form team like Salzburg and snap their poor away record in the Europa League.

Basel may score in the game, but they could end up chasing it late on as Salzburg have the lead and I can see the Austrian team pulling away to book their place in the Europa League Quarter Final.

MY PICKS: Chelsea - 1.25 Asian Handicap @ 1.92 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Manchester United - 1.25 Asian Handicap @ 2.20 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Borussia Dortmund - 1.5 Asian Handicap @ 1.92 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Anzhi Makhachkala-AZ Alkmaar Under 1.5 Goals @ 3.10 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)
Benfica Win to Nil @ 2.88 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)
Fiorentina-Juventus Over 2.5 Goals @ 2.10 Bet Victor (1 Unit)
Napoli @ 1.95 Boyle Sports (1 Unit)
Salzburg - 1.25 Asian Handicap @ 2.00 Pinnacle (1 Unit)

March Update: 13-12, + 2.78 Units (46 Units Staked, + 6.04% Yield)

February Final: 12-28, - 16.74 Units (61 Units Staked, - 27.44% Yield)
January Final: 17-24, - 3.18 Units (62 Units Staked, - 5.13% Yield)
December Final: 19-16-2, + 13.34 Units (66 Units Staked, + 20.21% Yield)
November Final: 17-19-1, + 0.50 Units (56 Units Staked, + 0.09% Yield)
October Final: 20-16-1, + 12.94 Units (51 Units Staked, + 25.37% Yield)
September Final: 13-12, + 1.24 Units (39 Units Staked, + 3.18% Yield)
August Final: 13-26, - 12.13 Units (54 Units Staked, - 22.46% Yield)

Season 2013/14: 111-131-3, - 4.03 Units (389 Units Staked, - 1.04% Yield)
Season 2012/13: + 4.42 Units (415 Units Staked, + 1.07% Yield)