Tennis Picks 2021 (February 27th)

There are a couple of days left at the four tournaments being played this week and I have been a little lazy in not finding the time to write out my analysis for the Tennis Picks being made.

With two days left I will hope to have at least one fuller thread, but for the Saturday selections you can see my Picks below.

I will add any selections from the ATP Cordoba Semi Finals to this thread on Saturday morning, and that is only if any hit the criteria I expect from them.

MY PICKS: Iga Swiatek - 4.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Alexander Bublik - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Roberto Bautista Agut - 4.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Weekend Football Picks and Fantasy Football 2021 (February 27-March 4)

This is a big week for Fantasy Football players in a strange season and that is largely down to the fact that the traditional Double GameWeeks have been replaced by two relatively early ones.

After a crazy Friday last week, I will get more into the Fantasy plays following the thoughts on the Weekend Football. I will update the thread with thoughts on the fixtures to be played during the week once the weekend results are in the books.

Manchester City v West Ham United Pick: At this stage of the season the biggest hope the rest of the Premier League may have is that the run of fixtures will sap some of the energy out of the Manchester City steam-train driving towards the title for the third time in four season.

With a 10 point gap between themselves and rivals Manchester United and with just 13 League games left to play, Manchester City look like they could be in a position to put the Premier League on the back-burner sooner rather than later. It will mean they can focus on trying to win at least another domestic treble and perhaps even finding a way to win the big one in the Champions League.

Making sure they can win the Premier League as soon as possible has to be the aim for Pep Guardiola and his team have progressed to the League Cup Final and FA Cup Quarter Final. A comfortable win in Budapest means Manchester City are in control of their Champions League Last 16 tie against Borussia Monchengladbach too and everything seems to be going perfectly for Pep Guardiola and his men.

The 19 wins in a row makes it hard to believe Manchester City are going to stumble any time soon and especially not when they continue to pile up the clean sheets. They have won 7 in a row at the Etihad Stadium without conceding a goal and I do think it will be a big challenge for West Ham United to change that trend here.

It might be surprising to read that considering West Ham United have moved up into 4th place in the Premier League table, but David Moyes has a tendency to be a little more cautious against the bigger clubs. His team have some pace and quality in the final third and they should pose a big threat from set pieces, but Manchester City have largely been able to cope with what teams have thrown at them this season and I think they will dominate the ball for long enough to keep their visitors at arm's length.

These teams drew 1-1 at the London Stadium earlier this season, but Manchester City have won 4 in a row at home against West Ham United. They have also kept clean sheets in back to back games against them at the Etihad Stadium, while West Ham United have created very little against Manchester City in the 2 games under David Moyes since he returned as manager of the club.

Changes are likely to be made by the home team following the Champions League win over Borussia Monchengladbach, but Manchester City should still be too strong for West Ham United. There will be one or two awkward moments through this fixture, but Manchester City can win another game with a clean sheet to boot.

West Brom v Brighton Pick: As we reach the end of February, this is a massive game at the bottom of the Premier League table for both West Brom and Brighton.

It would take something of a miracle for either Sheffield United or West Brom to get back into a position where they could avoid the drop, but both are still putting in a big effort. Sam Allardyce has not had the impact he would have liked, but his West Brom team have created the better chances in their last couple of games against Manchester United and Burnley even if they have had to settle for draws.

That is not good enough any more for West Brom and that means there is some pressure on them to take risks and earn the three points.

They will feel they can have some chances against a Brighton team who have conceded too many goals in games where they have not been giving up a lot of chances. That was plenty evident in the 1-2 home defeat to Crystal Palace on Monday night with the visitors scoring their only two shots on target and barely threatening to break the halfway line beyond those moments.

Graham Potter can take some positives out of the performance, but he will be looking for better results. That defeat has left Brighton just 4 points clear of the bottom three and so there has to be a response to seeing their 6 game unbeaten run in the Premier League come to an end.

Brighton did create a lot of good positions against Crystal Palace, but they continue to be a team that lacks composure in the final third. The final pass or shot has been letting them down, but Brighton are unbeaten in 3 away Premier League games and will feel they can create more opportunities against this West Brom team that have conceded 11 more home goals than the next most vulnerable defence in the top flight.

These teams shared a 1-1 result earlier this season and that is perhaps the most likely scoreline in this one too. However I do think the three points are invaluable for both West Brom and Brighton and so the managers are likely going to be taking some risk towards that and I think there is every chance we will see at least three goals shared out here.

If Brighton continue to play as effectively going forward you have to feel things will turn for them on the scoreboard too, while West Brom have created some decent chances in their recent games. An early goal could open this fixture up which means so much to the two teams and I will look for at least three goals to be shared out.

Leeds United v Aston Villa Pick: After the second half performance in securing a 3-0 win over Southampton, Leeds United fans will believe manager Marcelo Bielsa deserves an extension to his contract at the club. His current deal runs out this summer, but Bielsa has Leeds United on course for their best finish in the English Leagues since 2002 when they finished 5th in the Premier League.

A top half finish has to be the ambition for the players who have continued to give their all, although inconsistencies have blighted the season. There have been streaks of positive and negative results and in the last couple of months Leeds United have not been drawing too many games as they produce the ridiculous to the sublime.

More often than not the football has been pleasing on the eye, but defensively Leeds United can be got at and a team like Aston Villa will feel confident on the counter attack. It was fully evident in the 0-1 win at Southampton recently, but Aston Villa looked a little short of creativity without Jack Grealish last weekend.

It feels like he will be missing at least one more game and that poses problems for Aston Villa who have not been at their best since returning from the Covid-19 outbreak that forced two League postponements. The results haven't suffered too much, but the level of performance has and Aston Villa have been beyond fortunate to come away with clean sheets at Southampton and Brighton in their last 2 away games.

Both of those teams created plenty of chances against Aston Villa and Leeds United will feel they can follow suit even through the injuries they are dealing with. Losing Kalvin Phillips is a blow, but the injuries to Jamie Shackleton and Mateusz Klich has compounded the issue.

If Grealish is available I think that is a problem for Leeds United, but without the most influential player the visitors can turn to I do think the home team may edge to the points. Patrick Bamford and Raphinha bring plenty of attacking threat to the table and if Leeds United play at the level they have been, I anticipate they will create a fair few chances in this one too.

They have shown enough clinical finishing in the final third to believe Leeds United can edge to the points here against an Aston Villa team who have just lot their way a little bit of late. It won't be easy because the visitors are plenty confident thanks to their recent away successes, but Leeds United may still have a bit too much and earn the vital three points here.

Newcastle United v Wolves Pick: The late night Saturday offering from the Premier League may not be the most appealing game of the weekend for the neutral to enjoy with both Newcastle United and Wolves missing their first choice Number 9.

Callum Wilson and Raul Jimenez are both on the sidelines for Newcastle United and Wolves respectively and it has meant goals have been something of an issue for both clubs.

The form is certainly with Wolves who have won 3 of their last 4 Premier League games, while Newcastle United have been beaten in 3 of their last 4 League games. Defensively there have been questions against both teams, but I am not sure the other have the capabilities to completely expose the vulnerabilities and this feels like it could be a low-scoring fixture.

It has certainly been the case when Newcastle United and Wolves have met in the Premier League with the last 4 all ending 1-1 and the fixture before that ending 1-2 to Wolves thanks to a goal deep into injury time.

This fixture has all the hallmarks of another tight game, especially with how much it means to Newcastle United. Both teams have talented wingers that have the pace and quality to make the difference, but I don't think there will be much between them and you can't rule out another draw.

Any shared points will likely be the outcome of a low-scoring game, as the last 4 have been between these teams, and I think a moment of magic is going to be needed to separate them on the day. I don't think either team will be dominant in the final third, and both defences will feel they can come out on top in this late evening fixture.

Crystal Palace v Fulham Pick: This London derby is still an important fixture for both Crystal Palace and Fulham, but there may have been even more on the line of the former had not beaten rivals Brighton on Monday Night Football.

That win for Crystal Palace means they have maintained a 10 point gap to Fulham in the Premier League, but Roy Hodgson will want his team to back up the last result earned. They were not at their best that day and punished a wasteful Brighton, but Crystal Palace still look a little short of the quality in the final third to be feeling really comfortable with their current predicament.

Roy Hodgson won't change his system and I do think this is going to be a difficult test for Fulham, although Scott Parker's team have picked up their own level in recent weeks. Over the last month Fulham have earned 8 points from a possible 12 in the Premier League which has seen them get into touching distance of safety, but Parker will recognise that games like this are so important to whether Fulham can avoid the drop or not.

There is pressure on Fulham, but they look to be playing with some confidence and I think that is hard to ignore. In Josh Maja they look to have a focal point that can be relied upon, while Fulham have quality players that can make the difference.

We haven't seen enough of that over the last couple of months, but Fulham's wins over Everton and Sheffield United this past couple of weeks will really help the belief of the entire squad. Defensively Fulham have been solid and limiting the chances being given up, and I do think that gives them the edge in this derby game.

It won't be easy for Fulham who have drawn far too many games of late, but I think they can follow Burnley and that is securing a victory here. Crystal Palace can be very dangerous and the first goal is going to be huge in this fixture, but Fulham look to be playing with belief in their quality, even at this level, and I think they may have enough to secure a vital three points in their battle to avoid relegation.

Crystal Palace did earn a big win on Monday, but they can't really expect to win too many matches unless improving the level produced. Over the last month they have looked vulnerable, but fortune has smiled on them and I simply don't think they are doing enough in the final third without Wilfred Zaha to win this one.

Leicester City v Arsenal Pick: Both of these teams were involved in Europa League action on Thursday, but Leicester City have the benefit of at least being at home while Arsenal will be travelling back from Athens where they 'hosted' the Second Leg of their Last 32 tie.

Confidence will be with Arsenal having seen off Benfica 4-3 on aggregate on the same evening that Leicester City were beaten by Slavia Prague.

Brendan Rodgers admitted he was disappointed, but that the Europa League was the lowest of the priorities for the club that is chasing a top four Premier League finish and remain involved in the League Cup. His selection underlined the point with some key players rested, but Leicester City will really miss the presence of James Maddison if he is going to miss considerable time.

That takes away some of the creativity of the home team, but there is still plenty of quality in the squad and Leicester City have had the Indian sign over Arsenal in recent years. The travel that Arsenal have had to undertake could work against them as well as the lack of rotation that is being used, while the two clubs have been in differing form in the Premier League.

Leicester City have won 3 of their last 4 here in the Premier League, while Arsenal have lost back to back away League games. This will be a tough game for both teams having last played on Thursday, but I think Leicester City may have the slight edge and I think they will have a stronger first eleven than the one seen in the Europa League which makes the difference for them.

The first goal will be very important, but Leicester City can do enough to find that and keep the momentum going as they look to nail down a top four Premier League finish.

Tottenham Hotspur v Burnley Pick: Both teams will be desperate for the Premier League points on offer in this Sunday afternoon fixture as Tottenham Hotspur look to move towards the top four and Burnley look to move away from the bottom three. Both clubs had poor results last weekend, but Burnley seem to be much more firmly behind Sean Dyche than Tottenham Hotspur seem to be behind Jose Mourinho.

There is a clear difference in quality of player available to the two managers, but Tottenham Hotspur have been completely out of form in the League. Cup wins over lower League opposition or weak Europa League competition has not eased the pressure on Mourinho and particularly not after falling 9 points behind West Ham United following a defeat at the London Stadium last Sunday.

That looks a big gap to the top four now, but Jose Mourinho is refusing to prioritise one competition over another at this time. The Europa League may eventually become the best route back into the Champions League, but Tottenham Hotspur play two relegation threatened clubs over the next few days at a time when their top four rivals have some difficult looking fixtures to come.

Excuses won't be tolerated as Tottenham Hotspur look to continue what has been a dominance over Burnley in home games in recent years. Last season they hammered Burnley 5-0 here and the visitors are a team that have lacked consistency in the final third.

Burnley will look to make life difficult and will point to recent wins at Liverpool and Crystal Palace to underline what they are capable of, but Chelsea did manage to break them down and dominate. This is a team that do allow teams to come onto them and I would imagine Tottenham Hotspur have enough quality to secure the points like they did when hitting West Brom twice in a few minutes stretch in the second half of the last Premier League game here.

I don't think it will be easy and Tottenham Hotspur have not been as clinical as they would like when the chances have come their way. That was most evident in a 1-1 draw with Fulham last month, but I expect Spurs to do enough to secure the important result they need in what may be a tight game.

Two goals should be enough for Tottenham Hotspur to win this game before they turn their attention to the next Premier League game to be played during the week and a narrow home win looks most likely here.

Chelsea v Manchester United Pick: Games between the 'Big Six' have been a mixed bag in the 2020/21 season with the lack of intensity from the stands meaning a more tactical approach can be employed by the players. That intensity from fans can lead to mistakes or players perhaps doing things they are not supposed to, but I can see why so many have been tight, low-scoring games this campaign with only the Coaching hollering being heard.

Manchester United have been involved in a number of low-scoring games when facing the top teams in the Premier League. In 5 League games against Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City, 4 have ended in goalless draws when involving Manchester United and I think this is going to be another tight game.

Thomas Tuchel is a careful manager that will spend a lot of time drilling his players to perform in a certain manner and low-scoring games have been common since he arrived at Stamford Bridge. They have had wins over Tottenham Hotspur and Atletico Madrid, both by the same 0-1 scoreline, while Chelsea have been racking up the clean sheets under their new manager.

He won't want Chelsea to give anything away and I think the game plan will be to restrict the spaces for the likes of Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial to try and exploit with their speed. Bruno Fernandes can always provide a moment of magic, but Chelsea have been well organised and I am not sure they are going to play risky football as they look to manage the game.

Going forward there have been some positive moments from Chelsea, but they are still learning what Tuchel wants them to do. They can offer threats in different ways which will be a challenge for Manchester United to deal with, but Chelsea have not been creating a lot of chances and I do think this is likely to be another tight 'Big Six' fixture.

An early goal could change it all, but I think the two managers will likely start off cautiously and try and win the game once they are confident the defences are set.

Manchester United haven't defended badly in the bigger games they have played this season and I do think a point suits them a little more than Chelsea in this fixture. That could see Manchester United waiting a little longer to commit as they did against Liverpool and Arsenal in recent away games.

I can't really pick a winner with the first goal likely going to be absolutely massive on the day. It suggests we will see another low-scoring game here as both look to stifle the other and then bring their own attacking qualities to the fore.

Sheffield United v Liverpool Pick: If you were looking at the form guide for both of these teams from January 1st 2021, you would likely expect Sheffield United to be operating much higher up the Premier League table and have Liverpool struggling.

Instead it looks like Sheffield United are inevitably sliding towards the Championship with 3 Premier League defeats in a row ending their positive start to the year. There is no doubt that Liverpool are slumping, but with 13 Premier League games left they can still achieve some of their ambitions for the season and that is simply getting back into the Champions League.

It is hard to imagine how far they have fallen from winning the Premier League title last season, but Liverpool have been having difficulties overcoming injuries. The squad doesn't seem as happy and settled as you would think either and I do think changes are coming at Anfield, although how effective they are may depend on whether they are playing in the Champions League or not.

There is a 5 point gap to the top four, but the two teams immediately above them are playing the current top two this weekend. It should mean Liverpool have an opportunity and for all their poor run of results at home, this is a team that has found their best away from Anfield over the last month.

Liverpool have won at West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur, while also beating Leipzig on a neutral field, and even the 3-1 defeat to Leicester City was a harsh reflection on the actual game.

Confidence is in short supply within the squad, but there is still enough quality in the final third to believe Liverpool can get the better of Sheffield United. Even with the defensive injuries you can't make a serious case for the home team who have not created a lot of chances and have plenty of defensive problems of their own to manage.

That could be the difference with the added quality of the Liverpool attackers out-scoring their counterparts in the Sheffield United ranks.

The Blades have been beaten by the six clubs in and around Liverpool at Bramall Lane this season- only Tottenham Hotspur managed a win by more than a one goal margin, although Manchester United would have likely made that two clubs without conceding very late on in their 2-3 win here.

Sheffield United tend to be competitive, but all of Liverpool's away Premier League wins have come by two or more goal margins. They have been creating plenty of chances in their recent games away from Anfield, certainly more than they have been at home, and I think Liverpool may do enough to beat their opponents by a couple of goals as they look to get back on track in the Premier League.

Everton v Southampton Pick: This is going to be an important week for Everton if they have serious ambitions of playing Champions League Football- the side play two clubs in the bottom six before a big game against Chelsea, but those come in a short space of time and it is all about managing the squad.

There can't be too many excuses considering this is the first game Everton have played since the Merseyside derby win at Anfield ten days ago, but there has also been something of a mental block about playing at home.

For all of their recent away successes, Everton have lost 4 of their last 5 Premier League games at Goodison Park. Those have been mixed defeats too with a couple to teams in the top four, while the other two losses have come against teams in the bottom four.

Carlo Ancelotti does have a healthier squad to call upon than he has had in recent weeks, but he will want his team to begin with some intensity which has been missing against Newcastle United and Fulham. Both of those games ended in surprising 0-2 defeats here and more like that will end any chances of getting into the top four.

At least on Monday they are facing a team with perhaps as poor confidence as any in the Premier League at the moment. Southampton have kept themselves focused in the FA Cup ties played despite losing 7 of their last 8 Premier League games and they have been conceding too many goals for anyone's liking.

Away from home Southampton conceded at least three times for the third Premier League game in a row and they have not won any of 16 away games at Everton. 4 of the last 6 have ended 1-1 and that result would not really be a massive surprise in a season like this one, but my feeling is that Everton will ride the momentum out of the win at Anfield and do just enough to earn the three points.

Southampton have been struggling at both ends of the field and I think that shows up here to help Everton earn a vital home win.

Manchester City v Wolves Pick: The layers won't take any chances with Manchester City through the next few weeks and that means some short prices on a team that is doing enough to win games.

They have largely dominated matches, but Manchester City have scored fewer League goals than Manchester United this season. Some of that is down to the confidence they have on their defence to keep clean sheets, although West Ham United certainly gave the team a scare on Saturday.

Wolves have pace in the final third which could make them dangerous, while they will be a threat from set pieces too. Their wingers can earn plenty of free kicks in and around the area which is where they will want to try and expose Manchester City, but the majority of the play will be in the Wolves half.

Without Raul Jimenez you do wonder if Wolves have enough goals in the squad to earn a top half finish in the Premier League, although Nuno Espirito Santo has gotten his team to be a bit more defensively solid in recent games.

They haven't given up a lot of chances for teams, but this is a tough game for Wolves who will know Manchester City will want some revenge for the Premier League double the underdog produced over this opponent last season. Manchester City have already convincingly won at Molineux and I think they will be relatively comfortable in this fixture too.

The run of home clean sheets may have come to an end on Saturday, but Manchester City start a new sequence on Tuesday and I would expect them to be able to keep Wolves at arm's length in another victory.

Burnley v Leicester City Pick: Injuries have hurt the momentum of both Burnley and Leicester City, but both will be desperate to bounce back from heavy losses on Sunday to North London clubs.

The points on offer on Tuesday are vital to both Burnley and Leicester City and I think there will be plenty to motivate the two sets of players. However I do think the injuries in both squads brings some uncertainty to the table and it is very hard to really predict which may this game will go.

Leicester City have been very good away from home all season, but without James Maddison and Harvey Barnes I do think they lose a lot of their attacking threat. Injuries at the back mean Leicester City won't want to overcommit either and that can leave Jamie Vardy isolated at the top of the field.

Burnley have been pretty solid at the back and the performance at Tottenham Hotspur is not really what we come to expect from them. Their own injury issues can't be ignored, but they look to have more players coming back and they may just edge this one.

However neither team is creating a lot of chances at the moment and that could see the defences largely coming out on top. With the creativity missing in the away team and the struggles for goals Burnley have had all season, it would not be a massive surprise to see one of these teams fail to score.

The first goal will be massive in determining where the points go on Tuesday as Burnley and Leicester City look to take a big step towards achieving their ambitions for the season. It may take some time for one of these teams to find the right play to score that and the feeling is that one will earn a clean sheet in this game.

Sheffield United v Aston Villa Pick: Relegation may be inevitable for Sheffield United, but Chris Wilder will refuse to have his players down tools for the remaining two months of the season. This is all going to be about rebuilding the confidence for the return to the Championship, while the manager will be looking for his players to try and have a strong finish to the FA Cup run which has taken them through to the Quarter Final.

Those ambitions will be set by the manager, but the injuries are really hurting Sheffield United and they look like they will be without a number of key defenders. That has left them exposed at the back, even more so than earlier this season when they were struggling for clean sheets anyway, and it is hard for Sheffield United to match the quality of some of the teams in the Premier League.

They will give it a go against Aston Villa, but the lack of confidence coupled with those defensive problems means it is hard to look beyond an away win here.

Aston Villa have produced 3 clean sheets in a row away from home and they have won 2 of those games thanks to first half goals. Jack Grealish may be missing, but they were still threatening going forward against Leeds United this past weekend and this is a game in which Aston Villa should find enough spaces for their forward line to exploit.

Defensively they have found a way more often than not and I think Aston Villa can earn a narrow win here which will put them firmly in the mix when it comes to European places that will be handed out later this season.

Crystal Palace v Manchester United Pick: Very few chances have been created by Crystal Palace without Wilfred Zaha in the line up, but that hasn't prevented them from producing 4 points from back to back games against Brighton and Fulham.

They have ridden their luck somewhat considering the chances that teams have created against them and you would have to believe Manchester United will be more clinical if they get into the positions Brighton and Fulham have against Crystal Palace.

Unfortunately we have not seen the best of Manchester United consistently enough since ending a round of fixtures on top of the Premier League. Since that moment they have won 3 of 10 games in all competitions and even the 9 game unbeaten run in all competitions has seen Manchester United draw 6 times.

The latest was the goalless draw at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, although a point at Chelsea will be appreciated a lot more than a single point from this fixture. That means there is some pressure on Manchester United to produce an attacking performance and take the game to Crystal Palace even though 5 of the last 7 away Premier League games have ended in draws.

Only the draw at The Hawthorns will have really hurt the players though and I think the wins at Burnley and Fulham during that run will suggest Manchester United are good enough here. Barring defensive lapses, Manchester United should be able to restrict Crystal Palace's threat to set pieces.

That should see Manchester United create the chances to win this game and I think their strong recent record at Selhurst Park will be encouraging. Manchester United have scored plenty of goals here and I think they will have too much for Crystal Palace who were recently thumped 0-3 by Burnley.

Crystal Palace will play with grit and look to make life difficult for their visitors, but they put plenty into the goalless draw with Fulham. The squad is stretched as injuries have piled up and Manchester United can match their victory from last season when securing a 0-2 win here.

Fulham v Tottenham Hotspur Pick: Two London clubs will be searching for a big three points on Thursday and I think the draw doesn't really do a lot for either Fulham or Tottenham Hotspur.

One is pushing to avoid relegation, while the other is trying to close down the gap to the top four and that should mean plenty of attacking enterprise produced by both teams.

Fulham have competed much better over the last couple of months compared with their start to the Premier League season. A couple of important recent wins has seen them move into a position where they can climb out of the relegation zone with a victory on Thursday, but Fulham have largely come up short against the very best teams in the Premier League.

Since the turn of the calendar year, Fulham have lost to Chelsea, Manchester United and Leicester City in the Premier League at Craven Cottage. The latter two have ended fairly comfortably in favour of the top four chasing teams and Tottenham Hotspur do have the players to hurt Fulham here too.

However Tottenham Hotspur have been in really poor form away from home in the Premier League with 3 losses in a row at Brighton, Manchester City and West Ham United. They have given up some big chances for those clubs, and Fulham do have some decent attacking players that will feel they can exploit any defensive issues Tottenham Hotspur have yet to resolve.

On the other hand Tottenham Hotspur looked very good going forward as they ripped apart Burnley on Sunday and they should be able to create problems for Fulham.

An early goal will open this up, while Tottenham Hotspur will look to be a little more clinical in front of goal than they were in the 1-1 draw with Fulham a couple of months ago. Games between these clubs have tended to produce goals when they have met at Craven Cottage and I think at least three will be shared out here.

West Brom v Everton Pick: Sam Allardyce has not been happy that his time on the training ground to prepare for the home game with Newcastle United has been taken up by another Premier League fixture.

He has been irritated that a fixture scheduled for later this month has been moved forward when there looked to be ample time for place it somewhere else in the calendar. Now he has to focus his West Brom team on putting in an effort to take on Everton, while relegation rivals Newcastle United will be resting and recuperating.

West Brom are in a position where they can't afford to overlook any fixture, but they will be aware how important it is that they beat Newcastle United this weekend. It could take the focus from this Premier League game against an Everton team who have had a lot less time to prepare for the game than their opponents.

While West Brom were beating Brighton on Saturday afternoon, Everton won their last game on Monday evening and that could play a part in the direction this fixture takes. However Everton have tended to save their best for away games this season and I do think they will have enough in the final third to break down West Brom.

The home team were more than fortunate to beat Brighton and defensively there are still some questions to answer for them.

Everton can expose them here and back to back clean sheets will be encouraging for Carlo Ancelotti. His team were not at their best on Monday, but they looked threatening when they got forward and I think Everton will be able to earn the victory with a battling performance here.

Liverpool v Chelsea Pick: The Premier League title looks like it has developed into a one horse race, but there are plenty of contenders to fill up the top four places behind Manchester City.

Two of those meet in a very big Premier League game on Thursday as Liverpool and Chelsea face off at Anfield and the winning team will go into the weekend inside the top four. A draw would open the door for Everton or West Ham United to occupy that position, but both Chelsea and Liverpool know the importance of playing Champions League Football next season.

Both have beaten opponents on neutral fields to become favourites to progress to the Champions League Quarter Final, but winning that competition looks more difficult than earning a top four finish in the Premier League. That means at this stage of the season neither team can really afford to lose ground on those places and it should be an interesting blend to see Jurgen Klopp take on Thomas Tuchel.

Predicting how Liverpool set up is a lot easier than trying to second guess the latter, and I do think Chelsea have an opportunity here. Amazingly Liverpool have lost 4 home Premier League games in succession and confidence in the defence has been lost with injuries piling up, although Alisson is set to be involved.

His presence in goal will help, but Chelsea have looked pretty solid under Thomas Tuchel and they will believe their attacking players can expose the defensive problems Liverpool have been having. Keeping them out won't be easy, but Chelsea will feel they can at least restrict Liverpool like others have done over the last six weeks at Anfield and that may give them a very slight edge.

It won't be easy for either team and a tighter than expected game may develop as it did when Chelsea hosted Manchester United on Sunday. The Blues didn't really give up a lot of good chances in that game, but they are not creating a lot either, although this is a fixture in which they are facing a weaker Liverpool defence than has been seen since before Virgil Van Dijk's time at the club.

Most will be expecting a lot of goals, but I think it may be tighter than that.

I also think Chelsea shouldn't be such an underdog here having won at Tottenham Hotspur and travelling to a neutral field to beat Spanish League leaders Atletico Madrid. Liverpool have created chances, but teams have found it easy to get into good scoring positions against them too and I think Chelsea will likely do enough to avoid defeat.

It will be interesting to see if Chelsea have the confidence to win a big game here, but if they get in front all of the pressure will shift to Liverpool and a narrow away win would not be a massive surprise. Even a point would not be a bad result for Chelsea as they look to stay in touch with the top four places in the League and I think Thomas Tuchel will set his side up to at least avoid a defeat.

MY PICKS: Manchester City Win to Nil

West Brom-Brighton Over 2.5 Goals

Leeds United - 0.25 Asian Handicap

Newcastle Untied-Wolves Under 2.5 Goals

Fulham - 0.25 Asian Handicap

Leicester City 0 Asian Handicap

Tottenham Hotspur & Under 5 Goals

Chelsea-Manchester United Under 2.5 Goals

Liverpool - 1.25 Asian Handicap

Everton - 0.25 Asian Handicap

Manchester City Win to Nil

Burnley-Leicester City Both Teams to Score- NO

Aston Villa - 0.25 Asian Handicap

Manchester United - 1.25 Asian Handicap

Fulham-Tottenham Hotspur Over 2.5 Goals

Everton

Chelsea + 0.25 Asian Handicap

Fantasy Football GameWeek 26

Let me get the frustrations out of the way first.

Somehow a late meeting and a slight distraction meant I missed the deadline for GW25- usually that wouldn't matter, but I had already rolled over a transfer which means I have been left in a position where I may have to take two hits this week rather than the one I was considering.

The reasoning is simple with this being the biggest Double GameWeek left on the schedule as the Premier League looks to ensure they are able to complete the domestic season ahead of the Euro 2020 Finals which had been postponed one year. There is nothing to suggest the Euros won't be played and so the pressure is on to make sure teams are not left with too many games to be scheduled later in the season.

In normal times there would be the big Double GameWeeks later in the season as the League Cup Final would have been played in February and the FA Cup Quarter Finals would create more 'blanks' in the calendar. This year the League Cup Final is played in April and that has allowed the Premier League to move forward a number of matches that were originally scheduled for GameWeek 29 and place them in this week.

Fourteen teams play twice this week and I am 100% using my Bench Boost which means I may be able to take a couple of hits if it means shaping my team better. Losing eight points instead of four could be costly come the end of the season in terms of mini-Leagues and final Ranking places, but a strong GW25 has at least made it an easier decision to make.

My Free Hit is almost certainly going to be used in GW29 when four Premier League games are scheduled, while I will use my Wild Card between GW29 and GW31.

The Bench Boost will be used this week and I will then have the Triple Captain Chip remaining which can either be played when Manchester City have a DGW next week, or perhaps later in the season when there should be a couple of smaller DGWs set to be played.

I have long been preparing for this DGW and it does mean I have five players that are not on a Double- last week I wanted to move Aaron Cresswell on for a player who would be playing twice, but missing the deadline means I will have to take a hit to do that.

That is mainly because the two Free Transfers will be used to remove Alex McCarthy and Che Adams from the team- my final decision will be whether I want to remove one of the Leeds United players for any other who is playing twice this week with the focus being on the likes of Everton who could potentially have another DGW before the March internationals.

My feeling is that the Aston Villa vs Everton and Tottenham Hotspur vs Southampton games, the two confirmed postponed matches, will be played in April/May with the pressure off as only one of those four clubs is playing in Europe. Either Aston Villa or Everton will not be playing in the Premier League in GW32 when the FA Cup Semi Final matches are set to take place, but even that is not going to be a big issue with a free midweek to set those Premier League games that need to be re-arranged.

On paper you do have to feel the likes of Leicester City, Aston Villa, Everton and Tottenham Hotspur have the best doubles to go at, but there are going to be some surprising players that will make an impact on things as always seems to be the case.

I am going to be looking for the Bench Boost to help push me into a position where I close in on the top 100K in what has been an inconsistent season, while I am still chasing down players in mini-Leagues and feel this could be an important week towards those ambitions.

By hook or by crook I will not be missing the deadline this week, and I will have my final team on Twitter at the deadline on Saturday in a bid to improve on the 84 points that were produced in GW25.

I expect most people to play a Chip this week whether it is the Bench Boost, Free Hit or Triple Captain so there is an opportunity to make some serious moves in the Rankings over the next week.

Good luck to all... Except those I am directly competing with!

Boxing Picks 2021- Canelo Alvarez vs Avni Yildirim (February 27th)

The one aspect of Boxing which has never changed down the years is that it is a sport all about 'levels' and the feeling that Josh Kelly was biting off more than he could chew came to fruition in his defeat to David Avanesyan last Saturday.

The stand out amateur started well, but the experience of Avanesyan figured to make the difference and Adam Booth made the right decision to throw the towel in for his young fighter. I have no doubt that Josh Kelly can come again, much like David Haye did following an early loss in his career, but Kelly will have to deal with all of the criticism he is likely going to face in the coming weeks and months.

Rebuilding isn't easy, but at 26 years old I think there is time on Kelly's side although he won't be involved in the kind of fights he was expecting to in 2021. As long as he wants it, Josh Kelly can get back on the right road and I think he will, even if he has to begin with more learning fights.

After a couple of solid weekends of Boxing, this one is perhaps a little quieter now that the long awaited Herring-Frampton fight has been postponed around five weeks.

Canelo Alvarez may be the pound for pound superstar of Boxing, but this has to be the quietest build up to any fight he has taken part in for a number of years. It hasn't been that long since we last saw Canelo taking the Super Middleweight Title from Callum Smith and he has made it clear he wants to fight a number of times in 2021, but the mandatory defence against Avni Yildirim is expected to be nothing more than a slight hindrance for Canelo.

We are expecting to hear news that Canelo will be next facing Billy Joe Saunders in May and that could be announced as soon as the final bell is rung on Saturday night in Miami.

Before that we have a card in Italy on Friday evening and then a derby bout in New Zealand and my Picks for the Boxing this weekend can be read below.

Daniele Scardina vs Cesar Nunez

The Super Middleweight Division has produced some massive names over the last forty years and it is usually filled with tough fighters at the very top of the Division.

At the moment it is headed up by pound for pound star Canelo Alvarez, but for the likes of Daniele Scardina and Cesar Nunez this Friday is all about positioning themselves somewhere in the World Rankings where they could push for a World Title fight.

It won't be easy with Canelo making it clear he is targeting the other Champions in the Division in a bid to Unify and by the middle of May three of the four belts are going to be under control of one man. The winner of the expected Canelo vs Billy Joe Saunders fight will then push on to try and Unify against Caleb Plant later in the year so a World Title shot for either Scardina or Nunez will not come before the end of 2021.

Positioning is key though with the vacant European Super Middleweight Title on the line on Friday in Milan and you would think the winner can push towards the top of the Division. At some point belts will become loose as mandatory defences and voluntary decisions will see a short time Unified Champion have to drop some of the trinkets they will be carrying.

Daniele Scardina is unbeaten in eighteen fights and fourteen have ended inside the scheduled Rounds. The Italian has looked a little one paced at times as he steps up, but he is facing a veteran in Cesar Nunez who has lost twice when moving up the levels and both in stoppage defeats.

Those defeats have come at a higher level than this one, but even the European standard may be too much for Cesar Nunez and much will depend on how much he is willing to ship in this fight. Daniele Scardina has been able to hit hard enough to put opponents down, but we don't really know whether he is going to have the power to deal with the very best in this Division.

However this is not an opponent of World level and I do think Daniele Scardina will be looking to at least match the two other Boxers who have stopped Nunez. Vincent Feigenbutz went on and lost to Caleb Plant in a World Title bid after beating Cesar Nunez, while Edgar Berlanga continues to wipe out every opponent he has faced in a single Round with the Spaniard being no different.

Edgar Berlanga's power looks to be at World level, but I am not sure Daniele Scardina has the same. I do think the Italian has enough accumulative effect to at least wear down Cesar Nunez in this European Super Middleweight Title bout and I think Daniele Scardina will find a way to match the two other Boxers who have beaten the Spaniard by earning a win inside the scheduled Twelve Rounds scheduled.

Joseph Parker vs Junior Fa

Two Heavyweights from New Zealand have taken note of the global pandemic and, rather than waiting for bigger opportunities against opponents from outside of the country, they have decided to end a long-standing rivalry.

The bigger name is Joseph Parker who has been a World Champion and faced two of the top Heavyweights from the United Kingdom in Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte. He came up short in both, but Parker has a close win over Andy Ruiz Jr under his belt and there are some major opportunities that will open up for him in the coming months.

Most have spoken about potentially fighting Dereck Chisora back in the UK, but Parker cannot afford to overlook his unbeaten compatriot who has split four amateur bouts against the more recognisable name. Junior Fa might be 19-0, but this is a huge step up from his previous level of opponent, although those opportunities open to Parker will certainly fall to Fa if he is able to upset the odds.

We are only a fight removed since Junior Fa was about one punch away from being Knocked Out by a 44 year old Dominick Guinn and a Decision win over Devin Vargas won't have anyone worrying about this Heavyweight. Of course one punch can change the course of a career, just ask Andy Ruiz Jr, but Junior Fa will do well to withstand the punching power of Joseph Parker who has been more keen to let his hands go as he bids to return to the World level.

Three stoppage wins in a row since the narrow loss to Dillian Whyte have come against limited opposition, but I don't think this represents any kind of step up for Joseph Parker. I expect him to underline his status as the Number 1 Heavyweight in New Zealand with a dominating win and I expect Joseph Parker to have the punch power to put Junior Fa away over the scheduled Twelve Rounds.

Bigger fights will await for Parker and I think he is focused to end this rivalry which may just bring out the 'mongrel' that people have longed to see.

Zhilei Zhang vs Jerry Forrest

At 37 years old Zhilei Zhang is being put in the fast lane and I think he is a genuine option for either Tyson Fury or Anthony Joshua if they are not able to sign a contract to face each other next.

Zhilei Zhang has spoken about holding a major World Title fight in China where they would be able to fill a big Stadium and offer a huge site fee and I can see Eddie Hearn and Bob Arum looking at him as a potential Challenger to their big name Heavyweights.

You can see the appeal- he is a big man and unbeaten, while the Chinese are sure to get behind Zhang and so this is a big chance for the Boxer to underline that marketability on the Canelo Alvarez undercard in Miami.

Personally I think Zhang can look a little one-paced and I am not sure he offers much of a threat to either Fury or Joshua, but he has a chance to make something of a statement by becoming the second Boxer to halt Jerry Forrest inside the distance. The American doesn't have the deepest resume, but he has taken the likes of Michael Hunter, Jermaine Franklin and Carlos Takam to the cards, although the 32 year old has been on the wrong end of the cards each time.

The one stoppage defeat came against Gerald Washington and there is no one of note that Jerry Forrest has beaten so it feels like it should be a comfortable win for Zhilei Zhang.

Only one question should need to be answered and that is whether Ten Rounds are enough for Zhang to win this one with another stoppage. Seventeen of the twenty-two wins earned by Zhilei Zhang has been inside the distance, but it isn't that long ago that a veteran Andriy Rudenko was able to last to hear the final bell.

Some inside DAZN are speaking about the need for Zhang to really look impressive if he is going to get a crack at a truly big fight, but I am not sure that is the case. I think he just needs to keep winning and the money that could be generated in facing an unbeaten Chinese Heavyweight in his home country will not be lost on the promoters of the two Heavyweight Champions from the United Kingdom if they can't ink a deal to face one another.

Jerry Forrest looks to be slick enough to avoid being put down for good, but I think he may just struggle to cope with the size of Zhilei Zhang and my feeling is that it will be a relatively comfortable night on the cards for the favourite.

Canelo Alvarez vs Avni Yildirim

No one will be surprised by the confidence coming out of the Avni Yildirim team as their man gets the shot of his life to take on pound for pound and Super Middleweight King Canelo Alvarez in Miami.

This is a mandatory defence for Canelo as he looks to maintain the momentum and keep hold of the belts he won when dominating Callum Smith in December. Bigger fights are in the pipeline for Canelo, but he wants to Unify the Super Middleweight Division and that means he could not avoid taking this mandatory.

Most are expecting an announcement for the big May date that has become synonymous with Boxing and the feeling is that Eddie Hearn will bring in Billy Joe Saunders into the ring at the final bell as the next opponent in line for Canelo. That will see three of the four Super Middleweight belts on the line, but the Mexican will not take anything for granted as he looks to continue to build his legacy in the sport.

Canelo Alvarez is someone who works hard all the time so I expect to see the best of him and I simply don't believe 'Mr Robot' can have improved enough to take on an opponent of this level.

Avni Yildirim narrowly lost to Anthony Dirrell when fighting for the WBC Title in February 2019 and the feeling was the early Technical Decision went against the Turkish fighter when he looked to be on top of the fight. It meant the WBC put him down as the Number 1 contender for their famous green belt, but Yildirim has sat on the that spot ever since and I do think he is going to be undercooked for a fight of this magnitude.

There is only so much improvement that can be made in the gym to prepare for a challenge of the size that Canelo brings into the ring, while many in the UK won't have forgotten the blow out loss Avni Yildirim suffered against Chris Eubank Jr.

If he comes out aggressively you can only see Canelo ending this fight early and any other tactic will likely end in a comfortable defeat anyway. The feeling is that Yildirim's best chance is to try and catch Canelo early and see whether he can become the latest to be able to scream he 'shook up the world' in Miami a little over fifty-six years to the day when Muhammad Ali (then Cassius Clay) was able to beat Sonny Liston in the same city.

Unfortunately I can't see that happening with Canelo's sharpshooting capable of ending this fight very early and without any hindrance to the upcoming Unification fight with Billy Joe Saunders.

As he has stepped up his competition, Canelo Alvarez has been used to outpointing opponents on the cards more than forcing stoppages. This is simply not an opponent of the kind of level we have been used to seeing Canelo take on, and the feeling is that it will be more in line with his win over Rocky Fielding than Callum Smith and that is an early stoppage in favour of the pound for pound superstar.

The only way this goes differently in my opinion is if Avni Yildirim quickly decides he can't win and goes into survival mode which may see the fight go a little longer. Ultimately I think the Turkish fighter has one real game plan and that should open the body for Canelo Alvarez who can end this within the first Four Rounds.

MY PICKS: Daniele Scardina to Win by KO/TKO/Disqualification @ 2.05 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Joseph Parker to Win by KO/TKO/Disqualification @ 1.72 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Zhilei Zhang to Win by Decision/Technical Decision @ 2.30 Bet365 (2 Units)

Canelo Alvarez to Win Between 1-4 @ 1.91 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Boxing 2021: 3-7, - 4 Units (19 Units Staked, - 21.05% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2021 (February 26th)

After a difficult few days, the Tennis Picks returned a winning day on Thursday.

There is still considerable work to do to turn this week all the way around, but there was better fortune behind the selections after very little in the first few days at the tournaments being played. Even then I could have some complaints about the way Shelby Rogers managed to blow her match against Cori Gauff, but these things happen and I do think the general selection method is still one that is identifying the right plays.

Adjustments have to be made to stay in front of the plays, but I have managed to do that in the last few seasons and even a difficult start to the 2021 season is not one that is knocking the belief in those plays at this moment.

There are plenty of matches to be played on Friday, but I have only a couple of selections from those scheduled. I may have additional Tennis Picks from the ATP Cordoba event, but this looks a tough day with some close matches throughout the day.

MY PICKS: Peter Gojowyzck @ 2.00 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Facundo Bagnis - 2.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Thiago Monteiro - 4.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Diego Sebastian Schwartzman - 5.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 3-6, - 6.92 Units (18 Units Staked, - 38.44% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2021 (February 25th)

This has been a pretty poor opening to the week for the Tennis Picks at the tournaments being played, but it doesn't help when you have the days where the poor fortune is matched by the bad selections.

That has been the case so far with a couple of selections barely missing out, but those add up and I am looking for a better outcome for those through the remainder of the week.

Wednesday was a pretty busy day for me and that means I am solely focusing on the Tennis Picks which can be seen below. I should have a fuller thread through the remainder of the week's Tennis before we enter a new month filled with some big events to be played.

MY PICKS: Shelby Rogers - 3.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Iga Swiatek @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Thiago Monteiro - 3.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 1-5, - 8.34 Units (12 Units Staked, - 69.50% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2021 (February 24th)

With the Tour moving on to four different spots around the globe, it does feel like we are moving into a more natural progression having not heard of quarantine procedures at those events and with the Golden Swing and indoor hard court tournaments in Europe looking like they will go as planned.

We will also see the big events that are held in the Middle East get going with both the WTA and ATP Tours having stops in Qatar and Dubai over the next month. Those events have taken over the empty slot left over by the Indian Wells Masters tournament, but Miami is still going ahead with some fans in attendance and that should clear the way for the European clay court events in the lead up to the French Open which begins in late May.

The uncertainty does mean players will pick and choose their events in the lead to the Miami Masters, but that is always the case and some big names have been committed to tournaments over the next month. Both WTA events being played in Qatar and Dubai in back to back weeks look loaded with many of the top ten on the players list, while Roger Federer is also due to return to the courts in the coming weeks having committed to playing in the two ATP events scheduled to be played in Qatar and Dubai too.

There are some major Ranking points that are on offer before we go into the first Masters event of the 2021 season and ahead of the build up to the next Grand Slam of the season. It should motivate players who won't have to go through the same as they did in Australia and I think the vaccine rollout will certainly see the Tour restored to further normality the longer the year goes.

It is my hope that Wimbledon will have some fans able to attend too and I would certainly hope to be in a position where I could attend if tickets are re-released. That is something that will be clearer when the current United Kingdom lockdown plan develops over the coming weeks and months, but there is an all around more positive feel which has to be expanded to all aspects of our usual lives.

Naomi Osaka and Novak Djokovic won the Australian Open Women's and Men's titles respectively and I think it would be a bigger surprise if we don't see both in the Winner's enclosure again in a Grand Slam at some point in 2021.

The former looks to be the best hard court player in the world as far as the WTA goes, but Naomi Osaka will have something to prove when the Tour moves onto the clay and grass courts over the next several months, I would consider her to be amongst the favourites in terms of names, but that is the layers not taking chances and my personal Rankings will have Naomi Osaka some way down at both the French Open and Wimbledon.

She could change my mind with strong runs in the lead up events and benefiting from a kind draw, but I think Osaka will be a strong favourite at the US Open rather than at the next two Slams. That will open the door for other players to take home big titles and I do think the Women's draws have a sense of fascination about them being as open as they are.

It is not really the case in the Men's side of the draw despite the obvious improvements some of the younger players have made. At the moment you would have to say Novak Djokovic is favourite to win at Wimbledon and the US Open, while Rafael Nadal can win another French Open and will be hard to oppose, and that only raises thoughts about which of the 'Big Three' will go down as the Greatest of All Time.

At this stage I would be surprised if Roger Federer finishes with the most Grand Slams on the Men's side and I do think both Djokovic and Nadal won't just be targeting an ending to their career with the most Men's Singles Grand Slam titles, but will also believe they can overtake Margaret Court for the overall record.

Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer are both on 20 Grand Slam titles and Novak Djokovic is trailing them by two at 18, but both the Spaniard and the World Number 1 will feel they have more left in the tank. Both are looking more than capable of being at the business end of every Slam they play in at the moment and even the improvement shown by the likes of Dominic Thiem, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Daniil Medvedev hasn't quite closed the gap.

In a best of five set match both Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal will feel very good about their chances of beating those youngsters that are leading the new challengers and it honestly would not be a surprise if the end of 2021 sees Nadal moving to 21 Grand Slam titles and Djokovic holding 20.

I can only imagine what may have been for the 'Big Three' if they had played in an era without the other two, but I also think Men's Tennis has become such an attraction because of the battles between the top names. They may easily go down as the top three Men's players of all time even if they were to end their careers today, but the worry for the next crop of stars is the motivation, the fire and, most importantly, the quality of the Big Three has shown little sign of slippage.

There is no doubting how much I have enjoyed the return of Tennis with three Grand Slams played over the last six months, but the Australian Open was a more joyous occasion if only because we finally had some fans back in attendance.

The less said about the spectator who decided she would swear at Rafael Nadal the better, but the crowd for the Dominic Thiem win over Nicolas Kyrgios really added to the match. My only regret is that the fans were not able to witness Stefanos Tsitsipas' comeback against Nadal in the Quarter Final with the last four days not as topsy-turvy as some of those last eight matches were.

Ashleigh Barty could have done with the support in her own Quarter Final defeat, but it is encouraging to see fans back and I am looking forward to a time when fuller crowds will return.

It wasn't quite the tournament I would have wanted for the Tennis Picks, but Novak Djokovic's title win at least meant the Outright Picks returned a profit. The daily Picks were less successful at the end, but the Australian Open and US Opens tend to be my weaker events.

That's no excuse and the focus over the next month is getting this season back into the black after a relatively slow start. Last season we didn't have the same kind of clay court season as a normal Tour season brings, but I am looking forward to having some momentum to go into that part of the year.

The Tuesday Tennis Picks could have had a better start with one close defeat, one winner and one comfortable loss. It is early in a new week though and I have time to get things turned around, although I am also looking at making some small adjustments to get back to some consistency.

MY PICKS: Soon Woo Kwon - 3.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Sebastian Korda - 2.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Jannik Sinner - 3.5 Games @ 1.66 Bet365 (2 Units)

Season 2021: - 7.80 Units (195.5 Units Staked, - 3.99% Yield)

Weekly Update: 1-2, - 2.34 Units (6 Units Staked, - 39% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2021 (February 23rd)

The Australian Open is over and two dominating players have won the titles.

That is the first Grand Slam of the 2021 season in the books, but the Tours have already moved on with four tournaments taking place in different countries and continents around the world. A clay court Golden Swing has begun in South America and the early indoor tournaments that are usually played in Europe have also gotten going.

We do have two new events on the schedule this week compared to normal times, but there are plenty of decent names out there this week as players look to earn some decent Ranking points before the system resorts back to the one year Rankings rather than the two year spot we have now.

The Tennis Picks haven't had the best start to the 2021 season, but I will have a fuller thread for the Wednesday matches.

With First Round action to be played throughout the day from around the globe, I am going to place my picks in this thread.

MY PICKS: Yasutaka Uchiyama - 1.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Shelby Rogers - 3.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Andy Murray - 2.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Australian Open Tennis Day 14 Pick- Men's Final (February 21st)

A lot of people didn't think we would get here, but all credit has to be given to Tennis Australia for being able to put on the first Grand Slam of the 2021 season.

Others have helped, but it goes to show that authorities can manage the major sporting events that are set to take place in 2021 despite the continued havoc that Covid-19 is creating on communities around the globe. The Tennis Tour is probably one of the harder ones to manage with the tournaments that are set to be played in various countries through the course of the season, but there are positive signs that it can work, even if events have to be scheduled within one country for sustained periods.

On Saturday Naomi Osaka picked up a fourth Grand Slam title and you have to believe the world is at the feet of the 23 year old superstar. I would love to see an improvement on the clay and grass court events, but Osaka will be favourite going into any hard court tournament at the moment and she has the kind of ability that could see her win multiple more Slams through the years.

It wasn't as easy a win as the scoreboard would say with the pivotal tenth game of the first set changing the entire course of the match, but Naomi Osaka is a deserved Champion. I think Jennifer Brady will come again, although she won't enjoy the kind of draw she got in Melbourne on a regular basis in the Grand Slam events, but the Semi Final run at the US Open previously suggests the American can challenge for a Major.

Her game could be well suited to the grass courts later this year and I do think Women's Tennis is in a healthy place with a number of quality operators on the Tour already and with younger, fresher faces ready to deliver too.

The Tour will move on from Melbourne at the end of the Australian Open with a single WTA event being held in Adelaide and the ATP Tour having three events on three different continents beginning too.

There are some big names returning to main Tour level with Andy Murray back this week and Roger Federer close to his own return, while players are seemingly taking in more events than they may have in usual times. The Golden Swing in South America will begin, as will the early indoor hard court season in Europe, while the Middle East will soon have their annual big events hosting both the ATP and WTA Tour.

Before all that we have to decide the first Grand Slam of the season for the men and it looks about as good a Final as anyone could have hoped for.

Novak Djokovic will likely go in as a narrow favourite, but Daniil Medvedev may be playing as the best player in the world right now and this is a fascinating Final for us to look forward to.

My thoughts on that are below.

Novak Djokovic-Daniil Medvedev over 39.5 games: The eight time Australian Open Champion taking on arguably the hottest player on the ATP Tour looking for a first Grand Slam title anywhere is a perfect way to sign off at the Australian Open in 2021. The layers are not taking any chances with the odds with very little separating World Number 1 Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev in the markets.

There has never been much between the players in previous meetings with Novak Djokovic leading the head to head 4-3, but Daniil Medvedev having the confidence of winning three of the last four between them. That includes a very comfortable straight sets win at the ATP Finals which were won by Medvedev and the Russian player has heaped the pressure on Novak Djokovic ahead of the Final with his belief that the sense of expectation could weigh heavily on his opponent's shoulders.

A strong Semi Final win suggests Novak Djokovic is not suffering with any injury issues that have lingered from the Third Round win over Taylor Fritz, although I do think that is factoring into the price for the match. Picking a winner is not going to easy considering the form that Daniil Medvedev has been showing since the Paris Masters and I think the layers have got things right with the pick 'em prices being used.

This is a court that Novak Djokovic has loved playing on through his career, but Daniil Medvedev is well suited to the conditions and the only feeling I really have is that this is going to be a long match.

The World Number 1 has not looked his best in this tournament, but Novak Djokovic is coming off arguably his best performance at the Australian Open. It will offer encouragement, but the numbers definitely lean towards Daniil Medvedev's performances not only here in this event, but in Australia over the last month.

Both have been serving well, but it is the Medvedev return of serve which has really impressed the most and I think that could be crucial on the day.

Nothing will be handed to him, but in the last three matches between these players on the hard courts the numbers do slightly lean towards Daniil Medvedev. In those matches it is the Russian who has earned more break points than Novak Djokovic in two of the three, while the other saw them both produce eleven break points on the day, and I do think there are plenty of signs that suggest that we will have a new Grand Slam Champion.

Novak Djokovic did beat Daniil Medvedev in Australia at the ATP Cup last year, but that was another close match and I do think we are going to see at least four sets played in this Final.

With the returning ability of both players it would perhaps not be a major surprise if the total games line is a touch too high, especially as Djokovic has only held 76% of his service games against Medvedev in the last three hard court matches between them. At the same time Daniil Medvedev has held 84% of his own service games so he could be very difficult to peg back if getting in front, but it looks like a match that will come down to the fine margins.

Previous matches have suggested that this could be a match that needs five sets to cover the total line with the way both have been able to return. That is something that is something that is on the mind, but the conditions are pretty quick in Melbourne, even under the lights, and it may mean there has to be at least one tie-breaker played and that will put the match well on the way to covering this line as long as it goes four sets.

I think it is going to be an exceptional Final with the experience with Novak Djokovic, although I expect Daniil Medvedev to have learned a lot from his defeat to Rafael Nadal in the 2019 US Open Final when he came from 2-0 down to almost pull off the comeback.

There are likely to be twists and turns throughout the Final, but I think it will be tight and competitive and we can see the two players produce enough games to surpass this total games line set.

MY PICK: Novak Djokovic-Daniil Medvedev Over 39.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Australian Open 2021: 47-43, - 3.78 Units (180 Units Staked, - 2.10% Yield)

Boxing Picks 2021- David Avanesyan vs Josh Kelly (February 20th)

It was good to have Boxing back in the United Kingdom last weekend, but I was as irritated as Eddie Hearn with more poor scoring. These incidents are becoming more and more common in British fights and foreign fighters may choose to not risk big fights here in the future if things are not cleared up, and I am beginning to feel we are seeing worse Decisions here than in Germany, which has long had a bad reputation for an away fighter.

I thought Kiko Martinez had done enough to beat Zelfa Barrett, especially as the latter hadn't really got into any kind of rhythm until the late Rounds. Even if you gave him a couple of earlier Rounds for the better quality punches, it wasn't enough to offer up the kind of cards we saw last weekend and the only hope is that something will be done behind the scenes to straighten things up.

Either that or we can forget about the big World Title fights taking place here as often as we would like.

One fight that was expected to be decided inside the distance was the one between Josh Warrington and Mauricio Lara, but no could have predicted the shocking outcome we saw.

The unheralded Mexican Knocked Out Josh Warrington in the Ninth Round and has not only taken the unbeaten record of the latter, but Lara has ended the immediate hopes Warrington had in taking on the other top names in the Division. An immediate rematch has been accepted by Josh Warrington with the hope it will be in front of fans, but he will also have to show a lot more intensity than he did last week and look to show Mauricio Lara why he was considered the Number 1 Featherweight in the World.

I think that is the right decision by the Warrington team, but I was disappointed with the lack of decisions they made for him last week.

His team should really have pulled Josh Warrington out at the end of the Fourth Round after he was dropped heavily and still didn't look right when the bell signalled the end of that stanza. At some point the corner has to take the decision from the fighter, who will never want to quit, and I am surprised that a corner with a father in it didn't do that for Warrington last week.

Even the referee can be questioned- there is no way Lara would have been allowed to continue in the same state- and I think we won't see the same thing happening as the cards come thick and fast in the weeks ahead.

One bit of news that was disappointing to hear was the latest postponement of the Carl Frampton-Jamel Herring fight which was supposed to take place next weekend. There are a lot of rumours floating around as to why that has happened, but there is a hope it is a short re-schedule needed with the fight now expected to be moved to Dubai and taking place at the end of March.

Eddie Hearn suggested that could be the same day Dillian Whyte's rematch against Alexander Povetkin will be moved to depending on the location of the fight. If it is in the UK, Whyte needs to go through quarantining procedures having been training out in Portugal which would mean a short delay to the March 6th date that is currently in operation, but more news is likely to come in the days ahead.

There are a number of cards taking place on Saturday 20th February and some good looking fights out there.

Next weekend will be dominated by the return of Canelo Alvarez has he defends the Super Middleweight Title he took from Callum Smith in December, but this weekend we have two Mexicans meeting for a World Title in the Super Featherweight Division and that promises to be a barnstormer.

Onto my thoughts on the fights and cards to come this weekend.

Robbie Davies Jr vs Gabriel Valenzuela

After the stunning performance from one Mexican in London, another one arrives on Saturday looking to follow Mauricio Lara's lead.

This is a fight at a level below the one that was main eventing the card last week and Robbie Davies Jr is likely to be that much more focused after we all saw what happened to Josh Warrington.

I expect the favourite will be able to box his way to a decent Decision on the cards in this one, especially as Gabriel Valenzuela hasn't shown the same kind of pop as his compatriot. Like Mauricio Lara, there isn't a lot known about Valenzuela with the majority of his fights taking place in his home country, but you can count on some attributes.

You know Gabriel Valenzuela will be looking to use his power and aggression to grind down Robbie Davies Jr, but the 31 year old has shown plenty of Boxing ability to put the Rounds in the bag as long as he doesn't lose focus as Warrington seemed to do. He can be hurt and has been dropped, but in a scheduled Ten Rounder I think Robbie Davies Jr will play this one more cautiously than he may have done if Josh Warrington had wiped out Mauricio Lara last weekend.

It may pay off for the British fighter and I can see him showing off superior skills which catch the eye and help him pull off the Decision victory.

Florian Marku vs Rylan Charlton

There seems to be no love lost between two Welterweights who are coming in off different showings the last time they were out in the ring at the end of 2020.

Rylan Charlton had no expectation on his shoulders as he faced a 9-0 Joe Laws and that is despite the fact that 'The Pint Size Powerhouse' was also unbeaten going into the fight. Instead Charlton announced himself with a Three Round win over Laws having put him down in the First Round too.

He pushed for the fight with Florian Marku who had won seven fights in his professional career and five of those by stoppage. The noise being made saw him signed under the Matchroom banner, but Marku had to settle for a Draw against Jamie Stewart last time out and that despite putting his opponent down in the Second Round.

Florian Marku was not happy with the judges on the night, but he has vowed to make amends with a much more special performance as the chief support to the main event on Saturday.

Neither look like they will take a backward step and I do think there are going to be fireworks in this one- I am still not sure what Marku is about, but Rylan Charlton won't be hard to find and this is a good chance for one of these Boxers to look really good on the night and perhaps steal the show.

It would be surprised if this goes too much beyond the midway mark with the likely approach both of these fighters will take into the fight and there is enough power on display to avoid hearing the bell for the Eighth Round.

David Avanesyan vs Josh Kelly

It has been a long time coming, but we look to finally be getting the David Avanesyan vs Josh Kelly fight that was originally scheduled for two years ago. Back then all the suggestions from the Avanesyan camp was that Josh Kelly had 'bottled' it and there have been two further dates that have been ruled out by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Tests have been passed and all of the media commitments are now completed and we should get a crossroads fight that has all the makings of a top one.

Even before he turned professional, Josh Kelly has been considered one of the top prospects in Great Britain, but he has not impressed as much as some would have liked in the pro ranks. No one is going to doubt the talent the 26 year old possesses, but the controversial Draw with Ray Robinson in June 2019 shone a spotlight on some of the weaknesses that people believe Kelly has.

Some of that is a lack of an engine to put his best efforts in Round after Round and others believe he isn't willing to let his hands go as much as he should either. Josh Kelly is a pretty big looking Welterweight, but he has not been able to really stamp his authority on opponents and he will be fighting over Twelve Rounds for the first time.

Adam Booth has gone on record to say Josh Kelly is the most talented Boxer he has ever worked with, which is high praise on its own, but the game plan is going to have to be perfect to rip the European Title out of the hands of David Avanesyan who has operated at World level in his career.

A win for David Avanesyan would put him back in contention to have another shot in a loaded Division, and the two year wait to get his hands on Josh Kelly has clearly motivated the Champion. In that time he has two wins over the much talked about Kerman Lejarraga and both coming in Stoppages and the tactics seem pretty clear for the veteran in this one.

Namely that is to walk down Josh Kelly and try and drown the inexperienced younger man in the Championship Rounds and there is plenty to suggest David Avanesyan can do that. Last week we saw Zelfa Barrett getting a Decision operating on the back foot against Kiko Martinez, but David Avanesyan is at a much better stage of his career and he will feel he can pin down Kelly and test the resilience of the British fighter.

Some have questioned whether Josh Kelly has that resilience to last, but the 26 year old has been talking about a Stoppage of his own and I respect Adam Booth enough to believe he has seen something he feels his fighter can exploit. There could be some big fights ahead for Josh Kelly if he is able to find a way through the toughest test of his career to date, but I think this is going to be far from easy.

My feeling on the fight is that it will start off in the fashion the home fighter will want- I can see Josh Kelly using his length and strong amateur pedigree to pick up some early Rounds and keep the rampaging David Avanesyan from really getting to work.

However by around Round Four or Round Five I expect David Avanesyan to have begun to slow down the movement with early shots beginning to accumulate and slowing down Josh Kelly will mean bringing him closer to the kind of fight the Champion wants. There has been plenty of time for Josh Kelly to work on his craft and box to a plan for the full Twelve Rounds, but I do think David Avanesyan will force Kelly to resort to muscle memory and that means going back to some of the poorer habits he has sometimes displayed.

A close Decision on the cards in favour of the British fighter is perhaps the smart play, but my feeling for a while has been that David Avanesyan will find a way to produce a storm for Josh Kelly through the second half of the fight. The big question is how much punishment Josh Kelly is able to withstand, but David Avanesyan is likely going to leave it all on the line when he does get his opponent in trouble and a small interest in the Champion finding a late Stoppage has been my long-standing feeling on this bout.

David Haye had to suffer a defeat under Adam Booth before turning things around in his career and this will be far from the end for Josh Kelly even if he loses.

I think it will be a really interesting fight between the two and one I am looking forward to.

Miguel Berchelt vs Oscar Valdez

Any time two Mexicans get in the ring you know it is going to be a big, tough fight and those bouts are even better when they are being contested by what many consider to be the top two Super Featherweights in the world.

Miguel Berchelt and Oscar Valdez have a single loss between them and it is the unbeaten Challenger who will be the underdog. Oscar Valdez has come up from Featherweight and he was dropped in an Eliminator which is perhaps contributing to the prices for this WBC World Title tilt.

Adding to that is the performances of Miguel Berchelt who has looked very strong at the weight and who has Stopped his last six opponents. Only Miguel Roman was able to get into the second half of the fight and strong wins over Francisco Vargas and Jason Sosa show strong form from the Champion.

I do think it is going to be a very difficult fight for Oscar Valdez, although he is working with Eddy Reynoso and that camp is going to help produce the best version of the 30 year old. It makes me think there will be a strong plan in place for the naturally smaller Valdez, but I can't help but think there are too many miles on the clock and keeping Miguel Berchelt off through the full Twelve Rounds will be too much.

At some point you have to expect two Mexican warriors to stand in front of each other and I do think that is where Miguel Berchelt will display the clear edge in power.

For me the length of the fight is going to depend on how long Oscar Valdez can box to the plan and keep from getting involved in a firefight with a big puncher.

Ultimately I feel Miguel Berchelt will start earning considerable success in the middle of the scheduled Twelve Rounds and he will begin to wear down and slow down his challenger. It could just make it a little easier to begin to unload his big shots on Valdez and I think the extra power will be too much for the unbeaten fighter to cope with.

It would be a big surprise if this isn't a really good watch for the fans, but at the end of the night I expect the Champion to have extended his run of Knock Out wins and underline his spot as the top fighter at 130 pounds.

Otto Wallin vs Dominic Breazeale

A Heavyweight Fight which has snuck up on everyone sees two Boxers at a crossroads in their career having lost two the big three names of this era in the Division.

If he had a bigger name, I think Otto Wallin may have upset Tyson Fury when he fought the Lineal Champion in September 2019 having opened up two massive cuts on the Number 1 Heavyweight in the world. Put the two in the other's boots that nights and there is almost no way the referee would have allowed the fight to continue and Wallin has been speaking plenty about that night and the possibility of a rematch.

He was largely unheralded before the fight with Tyson Fury and so it is hard to really know what Otto Wallin is about. Since the defeat to Fury he has won his sole bout and that means the Swedish fighter has been largely inactive as he has hoped to be talked into a rematch rather than pushing to force that against the now WBC Heavyweight Champion.

Over the next several months there is nothing that Otto Wallin can do but improve his own World Ranking and hope he will be a viable option for whoever comes out of the rumoured two fight deal between Fury and Anthony Joshua. He certainly can't afford a loss to American Dominic Breazeale whose only two defeats have come against Joshua and Deontay Wilder, the latter wiping out Breazeale in the First Round.

We have not seen Dominic Breazeale since May 2019 and that inactivity has to be an issue for him with Otto Wallin at least having a single fight in 2020. It was the kind of Knock Out which can shorten careers massively and it will be interesting to see how much Breazeale has left in the tank as he looks to get his career back on track and perhaps force at least one more World Title bid.

The Heavyweight Division does have a void of real Challengers behind the big names in the Division and so for both of these Boxers there is a big opportunity to position themselves in a World Title shot over the next several months. They may have to wait, but the loser in this one is going to have a much more difficult road back.

Otto Wallin looked good against Tyson Fury, but still has questions to answer. The 6 foot 5 inch Southpaw looks to have the tools to be a problem in the Division, but he has to show he deserves to be talked about at the top of the Rankings and at least at the level behind the big three names. His resume is simply not that strong and it does feel a lot about what people feel Wallin can do in the Division is down to the one performance against Tyson Fury.

It was a huge performance, but sometimes you can see fighters 'over rated' because they did far better than most predicted in one bout and this is a serious test.

While I do think there is a real chance that Dominic Breazeale left something in the ring that night he was obliterated by Deontay Wilder, he has shown a durability and strength that can't be underestimated. The losses to two of the top three names in the Heavyweight Division will hurt, but Dominic Breazeale has shown toughness and resiliency in his career which has overcome some of the lack of finesse he has shown.

I think he is capable, but both will feel they can hurt the other in this fight which suggests we won't need the cards on the day. If Breazeale has lost some of his resiliency you can see Otto Wallin doing a job on a fighter that isn't hard to find, but I also think the American hits hard enough to be respected and won't stop throwing until this fight is over.

Both will feel they need the win at this stage of their career- while Otto Wallin may be the more well rounded Boxer, I think he has shown he can crack a bit and I would not be surprised if both are standing close together and throwing some bombs in this one. I think Dominic Breazeale is the more likely to want to get involved in a fight with Wallin likely to win wide on any Decision, but I also think his resistance may not be what it once was.

However with the punching power likely to still be there, I think this will be a Heavyweight contest that concludes before we get into the Championship Rounds. My feeling is that Otto Wallin has a lot less miles on the clock and will earn the victory, but I can't be confident in ruling out a returning Dominic Breazeale who has found a way to win fights whenever he has faced opponents outside of the very elite.

MY PICKS: Robbie Davies Jr to Win by Decision/Technical Decision @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Florian Marku-Rylan Charlton Under 9 Rounds @ 2.00 Sky Bet (2 Units)

David Avanesyan to Win Between 7-12 @ 6.50 Paddy Power (1 Unit)

Miguel Berchelt to Win Between 7-12 @ 3.25 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Otto Wallin-Dominic Breazeale Under 10 Rounds @ 1.83 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Boxing 2021: 2-3, + 1 Unit (10 Units Staked, + 10% Yield)