French Open Tennis Day 8 Picks 2025 (Sunday 1st June)

We are into the second week at the French Open and my thoughts on the Day 8 action can be read below.

Amanda Anisimova + 5.5 games v Aryna Sabalenka: The World Number 16 has made it through to the Fourth Round at the French Open as she has been Seeded to do, but there is still so much more to come from Amanda Anisimova. This is her career best World Ranking mark, but the focus is back on the tennis after some personal issues held her back and the American is definitely capable of cracking the top ten.

She is the underdog as expected in this Fourth Round match, but Amanda Anisimova has always given Aryna Sabalenka problems and actually holds a 5-2 head to head advantage. Backing up the match up advantages is the fact that Sabalenka has been Ranked Number 11 or higher in all of their previous matches and Amanda Anisimova's highest Ranking has been Number 32, yet it is the latter who has come out on top more often than not.

Their last meeting was at the Canadian Masters last year and Amanda Anisimova won that, while the former French Open Semi Finalist has also earned a win over Aryna Sabalenka right here in Paris.

She has been playing well through the first week of the tournament, although Amanda Anisimova showed little form in the build to the French Open. Early losses in Madrid and Rome would have hurt, even if the American was hugely competitive in those defeats, and the feeling is that she can push Aryna Sabalenka more than anyone has done previously at the French Open 2025.

The World Number 1 has played every bit like the favourite to win the title, and Aryna Sabalenka will take plenty of confidence from the fact she has dropped just ten games in three wins. However, this is an opponent who has caused Aryna Sabalenka plenty of difficulties in the matches on the Tour and it should be competitive at the very least.

Last year Aryna Sabalenka did crush Amanda Anisimova at the Australian Open, where the World Number 1 has a very strong record in recent years. That was also a Fourth Round match, but one that was played very soon after Anisimova's return to the main Tour as she held a Ranking outside of the top 400.

It is a match that is the outlier in their previous head to heads and the win later in the year in Toronto is just a reminder of how well Amanda Anisimova plays when seeing Aryna Sabalenka across the net.

MY PICKS: Amanda Anisimova + 5.5 Games

French Open Tennis Day 7 Picks 2025 (Saturday 31st May)

As mentioned previously, there are not likely to be any Picks from the French Open after a frustrating first week and it feels like that was a good decision after the results on Friday.

The two selections below is where I would target if I was still placing any units down, but it may be best to fade them on current form.

Alexander Bublik - 5.5 games v Henrique Rocha: Both of these players were perhaps thinking about their scheduling following the French Open when trailing Seeded players 2-0 in sets in the Second Round. To further that potential loss of focus is the fact that they had won a combined seven games across those four sets and there would not have been too many 'in play' backers of either Alexander Bublik or Henrique Rocha.

That has to be especially the case for Henrique Rocha, who had to battle through three Qualifiers to make the main draw in Paris but who had won just two of nine clay court matches prior to entering that Qualifying draw for the French Open. Only two of those matches had been played against top 100 Ranked opponents, which ended in relatively comfortable defeats, and the Portuguese player was in a desperate position in the last Round.

As stated, it has felt like a tournament in which really strange results have been occurring throughout the first week and Henrique Rocha's win in the Second Round has to be right up there with the strangest- he had shown nothing prior to the tournament to suggest he would be that competitive and then losing 6/2, 6/1 against a top 20 Seed should have ended all beiief.

With nothing to lose Henrique Rocha is potentially dangerous, but Alexander Bublik will be feeling confident after recovering to upset Alex De Minaur in the last Round.

He is an erratic player, which makes it hard to trust Alexander Bublik, and his form over the last twelve months has been pretty poor, which has resulted in the World Ranking dropping 45 places.

However, Alexander Bublik has at least shown some clay court form prior to the French Open- he reached the Fourth Round in Madrid and won a Challenger event, which were against opponents who are all Ranked higher than Henrique Rocha, at least prior to this event.

It would not be a major surprise if this does go at least four sets, but Alexander Bublik should still have the qualities to exert his strengths over Henrique Rocha and that can show up on the scoreboard. The tournament has been a funny one with not all numbers being backed up by the final tally on the board, but Bublik looks capable of moving into the second week behind a strong looking win.

Jack Draper - 1.5 sets v Joao Fonseca: There is a lot of hype around Joao Fonseca and there is little doubt that he is going to be a star on the Tour if he can steer clear of injuries and maintain his current progressive trajectory.

However, this is still early in his career and Joao Fonseca finished his preparation for the French Open with three straight losses on the clay courts. That has not stopped the layers asking for the Brazilian to perhaps cover lines higher than he should and they refuse to underestimate a player that will receive plenty of backing.

It can lead to some funny prices around Joao Fonseca matches and Jack Draper is capable of getting the better of this opponent for a second time this season.

A Final in Madrid and Quarter Final in Rome underlines the ability of Jack Draper on the clay and he had positive numbers last year too, despite the win-loss record being against him. The improvements being made by Draper has seen him become a real threat on all surfaces and the victory over Gael Monfils in the Second Round should be a reminder that he can come through hostile environments to win matches.

The fans are likely going to be behind the youngster making headlines, but Joao Fonseca has not been playing at his very best level on the clay in the lead to the French Open. Beating Hubert Hurkacz in the First Round is a positive performance and result, but Fonseca made hard work of the Second Round when set as a big favourite and he is still a work in progress when it comes to fulfilling all of the obvious potential he has.

Jack Draper has the edge in the serving and returning numbers on the clay courts, and that win in Indian Wells in March should give him confidence against this teenager. He might drop a set, but Draper should be strong enough to still get the better of Joao Fonseca and he can come through in four sets on his way to the second week at the second Grand Slam of the 2025 season.

MY PICKS: Alexander Bublik - 5.5 Games

Jack Draper - 1.5 Sets

French Open Tennis Day 6 Picks 2025 (Friday 30th May)

There are just some tournaments that seem to fly in the face of 'normal' and it really feels like something odd is happening at the French Open, especially through the first week of the tournament.

Regardless of how much the top players dominate a match, it is like the lower Ranked guys or underdogs have been given a boost in power and that they are able to play the big points that much better than those who have been picking up titles and operating in the higher echelons of the sport.

Case in point- Day 5 proved to be another awfully frustrating day in which nothing is seemingly as it should be.

Two massive favourites blew 2-0 lead to be downed in five sets (Alex De Minaur being one of those), while another, Arthur Fils, only just about hung on a fifth set decider having allowed his opponent to recover from two sets down as well.

Or how about two players winning 31 and 28 points more than their opponents, but going 1-1 in terms of covering the same line- Alexander Zverev managed a late break to do that, but Andrey Rublev crushed Adam Walton everywhere barring the scoreboard. While both struggled, Jannik Sinner won 29 more points than Richard Gasquet and covered his bigger line set, but for the Tennis Picks the 1-1 from those two players mentioned has added to the tournament following the 2024 Australian Open in finding a way to have losing selections when everything has pointed to the match ending on the winning side.

It has been the story of the French Open and it makes little sense to understand- the numbers, in this case, are not being backed up by the final scores and the frustration about that is setting in.

You can accept losing selections, that will happen over the course of a tournament and over the course of the year, but this has all of the hallmarks of what happened in Australia last year when the tournament just trended in a negative direction and against all sense or reason.

Over the last three or four days, there have been a number of matches that have drifted away from a strong position and that is not something that can continue to happen without thinking about shutting down the selections and clearing the mind for the grass court campaign and run through Wimbledon.

It was not only the 2-3 record, but what has really frustrated me over the last couple of days is the absolute hardship that any winner has had, and the shocking way some of the losers have come in.

To sum it up, Jack Draper's miss by a single game.

Not only did he have 22 Break Points compared with Gael Monfils, but in the fourth set those numbers were 13 and 3, but take a guess who struck first and who had to fight back and barely miss any covering opportunity?! It has been happening time and again in this tournament, and the fact is that he won 27 more points in the match and was still only able to win by a six game margin.

Ultimately that is just annoying me, like it did in Melbourne a little under eighteen months ago and the lesson has been learned that some tournaments simply do not make any sense and it is no point trying to work them out.

Even the winning selections are in matches where players have barely covered, despite absolutely crushing opponents, while the Andrey Rublev missed cover was another joke if I am being honest. He could not have been any more on top and that match would end with a much, much more comfortable winning margin if played the same way, but just on another day.

There is so much of a season to go and I will continue to have some thoughts on upcoming matches, which will be researched as normal, and perhaps this Bizzaro World of the Roland Garros tournament will begin to make more sense.

But the reality is I am not prepared to blow the season work when there is clearly something amiss right now and now with so much tennis left to play in 2025.

Sebastian Korda v Frances Tiafoe: Two American players meet in the Third Round at the French Open and with what will feel like a big opportunity to reach the second week at a Grand Slam where they perhaps hold the lowest expectations.

Neither Sebastian Korda nor Frances Tiafoe can really point to a lot of quality form on the European clay courts and the warm up events have been about what is to be expected from them.

Both had losing records on the European clay, but Sebastian Korda can at least say that three of his four losses have been against top 30 Ranked opponents, including against solid clay competitors in Stefanos Tsitsipas and Casper Ruud. The exception was a loss to Jaume Munar, but Frances Tiafoe has also lost to the Spaniard since arriving in Europe and the World Number 16 had lost his previous three clay court matches to those Ranked Number 44 or lower.

With that in mind, Sebastian Korda may feel he has been a victim of poor draws rather than upsets and he has beaten Frances Tiafoe in three straight matches to give him belief in winning this Third Round match.

The only previous clay court match was won by Frances Tiafoe in 2022, but he was a fortunate winner on that day having created half of the Break Points that his compatriot had against him.

Credit has to be given to both players for the solid wins they have earned at the French Open in 2025, and that will give them the confidence to take into this match. It feels like one that will need four or maybe even five sets, but Sebastian Korda has had more recent success at Roland Garros and that may still be a factor.

In recent matches between the pair, Sebastian Korda has looked the stronger player and his pre-tournament form does feel like an edge in his favour.

Hamad Medjedovic - 3.5 games v Daniel Altmaier: The best win that either of these players have produced in the tournament is the one that Daniel Altmaier secured over Taylor Fritz. This upset has opened up this little section of the draw and the opportunity to earn a spot in the second week of a Grand Slam comes with huge Ranking points, as well as being a confidence builder.

That is the opportunity for Daniel Altmaier and Hamad Medjedovic with both outside of the top 60 in the World Rankings at the start of the French Open.

Pushing inside those positions lead to entry into bigger events and the feeling is that the 21 year old Hamad Medjedovic is going to be the player who came come through this match.

It is the younger player who has gotten a bit more out of serve on the clay compared with Daniel Altmaier and that could be key, especially with both having similar kind of levels on the return. There is plenty of experience that Altmaier can call upon, which is a huge help, but his clay numbers have taken a serious dent when only considering matches against top 100 Ranked opponents.

Unsurprisingly the same can be said for Hamad Medjedovic, but his numbers remain pretty significantly stronger than the opponent and he looks the right player to back in this tough Third Round of action on Friday in the French capital.

These players met on the hard courts earlier this season, also in France, and it was Hamad Medjedovic who came through in three competitive sets. However, it was a match in which he had 10 Break Points compared with 4 for Daniel Altmaier and the expectation is that the Serb will have the superior number in this one, which should eventually tell on the scoreboard, even if the tournament in general has flown in the face of the numbers produced by players.

MY PICKS: Sebastian Korda

Hamad Medjedovic - 3.5 Games

French Open Update: 5-14, - 9.56 Units (19 Units Staked, - 50.32% Yield)

French Open Tennis Day 5 Picks 2025 (Thursday 29th May)

The only positive from Day 4 is that at least some of the selections were able to return with winners, but this has not been a fun tournament for the selections so far.

Some of the Picks may not have looked like they have stood a chance from the outset, but the frustration has been getting on the wrong end of some of the fine margins.

For instance, Miomir Kecmanovic is going to be wondering just as much as we are as to how he was beaten by Quentin Halys having dominated the Break Point count- he had ten across three games in the third set and was still not able to win it, and it really is a match that was effectively read correctly, but without the luck that is needed.

Jelena Ostapenko missed the cover by one game having taken too long to really take control of her match, while Diana Shnaider then allowed a 4-0 lead to slip in the opening set.

And just in case it feels like only the bounce of the ball that is seemingly going against the selections in the French capital, Casper Ruud is injured and loses twelve of thirteen games played in the final two sets. He had no reason to continue to play when the injury had completely limited his movement, and there is no way you back someone who is injured, but that is the way the cookie crumbles and sums up the poor luck that has been attached to the Picks.

It does make Thursday important and anything less than a winning return may mean a choice has to be made to shut down the Picks for the rest of the event- I would still offer up some thoughts on the matches to be played, but without any units to be attached to them, but it is something to assess after the Thursday schedule is completed.

Novak Djokovic - 7.5 games v Corentin Moutet: It has not been a year to remember so far for Novak Djokovic and the former World Number 1 had been struggling on the clay courts in the lead up to the French Open. He skipped Rome after consecutive defeats, but Novak Djokovic made a rare decision to play in Geneva in the week before the start of the French Open to try and rebuild some confidence.

The plan worked with Djokovic winning the title before heading to Paris and he did not need to be at his best to win in the First Round at Roland Garros.

Novak Djokovic may go down as the best player of all time, but he has not always been given love from the tennis watching crowd and certainly not like Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal. That could be the case again in the Second Round with a match against a home player, although Djokovic admitted feeling good being back in Paris having last stepped out here with the Gold Medal win at the Olympic Games.

He is going to be tested by Corentin Moutet who has a style that can take opponents out of their rhythm when performing at his best.

The World Number 73 had not shown a lot of form before reaching the Fourth Round in Rome, but that will have given Corentin Moutet a lift and he was also a relaxed First Round winner here. Last year, the Frenchman had his best run in his home Grand Slam when reaching the Fourth Round and he even took the first set from Jannik Sinner, and so deserves respect, but Novak Djokovic has seen it all in his time on the Tour and that should mean he is well versed in what to expect from Corentin Moutet.

Corentin Moutet will know that his serve is vulnerable, but he is a decent return player and that will give him some hope.

However, it is tough to expect him to stay with Novak Djokovic for long enough to really build towards a potential upset.

They have met twice before on the pro Tour and it is Novak Djokovic who has won both matches, including on an indoor hard court at the Paris Masters. Their most recent meeting came twelve months ago on clay at the Rome Masters and Novak Djokovic's return was devastatingly effective on the day and there is every reason to believe he can come through a competitive first set before really exerting his qualities over this Second Round match.

Alexander Zverev - 8.5 games v Jesper de Jong: If you consider the kind of successes that Alexander Zverev has had at Roland Garros and the fact he was 2-1 up in the Final of the French Open in 2024, you have to say he gets to fly relatively under the radar.

He is also the World Number 3, but it is Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz who lead the expert picks when it comes to selecting a potential Champion and this should be something that suits Alexander Zverev.

Some criticism of his performances over the last month have irked him, but he did win a clay court title in Munich and reached the Quarter Final in Rome. It was something of a surprise to see Alexander Zverev enter the Hamburg tournament last week, but the appearance fee may have persuaded him and the relatively early exit is not something that will bother him too much.

Alexander Zverev moved through the First Round without dropping a set, and he could be capable of covering what is an exceptionally wide line in the Second Round.

He is going up against Jesper de Jong, the World Number 88 who is set to end the French Open at a new career high World Ranking if he can put another win on the board. That is the challenge for the Dutch player who came through the First Round having dropped the first two sets and especially as he now has to face an opponent much stronger than the opener.

During this clay court season, the top players have gotten the better of Jesper de Jong, which is going to be a potential factor. Both Andrey Rublev and Jannik Sinner were very comfortable winners over him in Barcelona and Rome respectively, and in those defeats, de Jong simply struggled to protect his serve.

Alexander Zverev should know he can put the pressure on having crushed Jesper de Jong in Hamburg last year for the loss of just four games and you have to believe the World Number 3 is aware that he does not want to use too much energy in this first week. That should drive some focus, but it has been a tough tournament for some of the big names and it is up to Zverev to keep his intensity high and break down a player who is still quite vulnerable at the very top level.

Andrey Rublev - 8.5 games v Adam Walton: There has not been a lot wrong with the numbers produced over the last twelve months, but Andrey Rublev has been trying to find the mentality to overcome those moments when things have gone against him. Instead of fighting through and turning things back in his favour, Andrey Rublev has suffered too many defeats in that time and it is a clear reason he has dropped out of the top 10 in the World Rankings.

He only reached the Third Round at the French Open in 2024 and so there is an opportunity in front of the World Number 15 to reverse the declining trend.

No one will doubt the abilities of Andrey Rublev, who reached the Hamburg Final last weekend, but the results have been a little disappointing through this clay court season.

Dropping a set in the First Round is not a major problem for Andrey Rublev, especially as he was able to roll through the next two sets for a comfortable 3-1 success and the Russian is a very strong favourite to win this match against an opponent who has very little clay court experience.

Adam Walton is playing just his seventh clay court match in his career and he was 1-4 going into the French Open.

The draw was a kind one, but Adam Walton could not take anything for granted and still needed all five sets to move through to this Second Round match and a huge challenge that is coming up. His serve has been a vulnerable part of his tennis on the clay courts and Walton will find it tough to deal with the Andrey Rublev serve if the latter is anywhere near the kind of level he can produce.

In all honesty, Andrey Rublev has not been serving that well on the clay courts this season and certainly not to the standard of the last two years. However, he has still been getting enough from that shot to believe he will be the stronger on the day and the returning pressure could end up seeing the higher Ranked player move through the gears into another Third Round in Paris.

MY PICKS: Novak Djokovic - 7.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Alexander Zverev - 8.5 Games @ 2.20 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Andrey Rublev - 8.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Arthur Fils - 6.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Jack Draper - 6.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

French Open Update: 3-11, - 8.48 Units (14 Units Staked, - 60.57% Yield)

French Open Tennis Day 4 Picks 2025 (Wednesday 28th May)

Wow, six Picks, six losers, and the start of the second Grand Slam of the 2025 season could not have gone any worse.

The most frustrating part is how incredible some of the performances have been- players moving into a position to win sets/matches and suddenly deciding that they don't want to be on the court has really added to the irritation around the manner in which the selections have fallen into a pit.

Daniil Medvedev was leading 4-2 in the first set against an opponent who has never won a set against him, never mind a match, but absolutely lost all focus in losing nine of the next ten games.

Even then he had a chance to cover in the fifth set when refocusing, but it was too late and that is yet another selection in which the player has not only failed to cover, but has lost outright as a pretty strong favourite.

All things considered, the next two days feels important- I have regularly mentioned the Australian Open 2024 when the tournament kiboshed my entire season and that was another in which strange results continued to dump on the selections made. Much like the opening in Paris, that tournament in Melbourne featured so many matches that had players right on the brink of becoming a winning selection, but then falling apart.

With that in mind, the Second Round is important here and the numbers need to start moving in a positive direction and perhaps even significantly.

If not, the next two weeks will still see me releasing my thoughts on each day at the Grand Slam, but I am refusing to throw what has been a positive year under the bus when outside factors are playing such a big part in the outcome of the selections.

So it will either be a change of luck, or it will be a tournament where a watching interest will be the outcome and the next official Tennis Picks will be made from the grass court season.

I said after Day 1 things can only get better, but the reality is that I am not prepared for them to get significantly worse before shutting it down at this event.

Victoria Mboko - 1.5 games v Eva Lys: The tennis world is always ready for the next breakthrough star and there is a feeling that 18 year old Canadian Victoria Mboko is ready to move her career forward on the WTA Tour.

There are other young players out there who have a bigger reputation right now, but Mboko has begun to earn some of the limelight too and winning four matches at the French Open can only be a positive for her. In recent months there have been plenty of wins away from the main WTA Tour, but three Qualifying wins and a success in the First Round without dropping a set has to give Victoria Mboko a lot of belief in her own game.

This looks to be another tough test when going up against Eva Lys, who upset Peyton Stearns in the First Round.

The 23 year old German does have plenty of clay court experience, but she will need to back up that level produced in the crushing win over Stearns and consistency to do that may be beyond Eva Lys. She will certainly not want to offer up too many looks at the second serve against an aggressive player like Victoria Mboko, while the amount of wins produced by the latter will make her believe.

Further to that, Mboko was able to take a set from Coco Gauff in Rome earlier this month, a player right amongst the favourites to win the title here.

Victoria Mboko has not only made hay by beating those she is expected to, but she has a 5-3 record against top 100 Ranked opponents on the clay courts prior to the French Open. Her opening win has added to that collection and Victoria Mboko may have the confidence to edge past Eva Lys, even if the latter is able to push her into a deciding set.

Elina Svitolina - 5.5 games v Anna Bondar: The World Number 14 may not have faced too many issues coming through her First Round match, but Elina Svitolina is also going to be experienced enough to know that her own level will have to be lifted as she moves through the draw at Roland Garros.

The Second Round match looks very winnable on paper, but Svitolina will have a respect for Anna Bondar who has been on the Tour for long enough to avoid being overwhelmed by the occasion.

Anna Bondar had hit the top 50 of the World Rankings in July 2022, but it has been tough for her to remain competitive at the main WTA level. At the same time, the Hungarian has found the drop a lot more comfortable to manage and she has won titles below the main Tour this season and on this surface, which is deserving of respect.

In reality Anna Bondar has not really faced opponents of this level all too often in the last couple of years and it is a considerable step up. That step looks all the tougher when you think of how well Elina Svitolina has played in the build up to the French Open with one title secured and a Quarter Final and Semi Final run under her belt at the two Masters tournaments played.

Being an honorary Frenchwoman will help with the crowd firmly behind Elina Svitolina every time she steps on the court and that is another factor landing in her favour in this Second Round match.

In her clay court matches in 2025, Elina Svitolina has been really strong behind the serve and that has allowed her return to really put the pressure on opponents. If she can continue serving as she has been, Svitolina should be able to put the pressure on Anna Bondar and that could lead to some cracks as the Seeded player moves through with a cover of this line set.

Jelena Ostapenko - 4.5 games v Caroline Dolehide: Both of these players had to battle through three setters in the opening Round, but both coulld have taken some confidence from the fact they were able to get through in the manner that they did.

Caroline Dolehide and Jelena Ostapenko dropped the opening set at the French Open before rallying and that should give the pair confidence ahead of this match.

The former may actually feel that there is an upset potential around this match having perhaps been the more consistent player on the clay over the last couple of years. The results have not always backed that up for Caroline Dolehide and she has not really competed at the top, top level in that time, which is backed up by the fact she has a 3-7 record on the clay when facing top 50 Ranked players.

In saying that, she has won three matches and Carolina Dolehide will know that there is every chance that Jelena Ostapenko will come out in a bad mood and just start spraying losing shots all over the court.

Ten times Jelena Ostapenko has played at the French Open and she has only surpassed the Second Round twice in that run- one of those ended in the Third Round so you may not feel this is a great tournament for the Latvian.

However, the other time Ostapenko was able to move past the Second Round was in 2017 when she went on to lift the French Open title and the World Number 21 also won a big event in Stuttgart in April during which she beat Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka.

Jelena Ostapenko is 1-2 since winning that title in Germany and she is not always capable of showing the patience you can need on a clay court. After a poor start to the tournament, Ostapenko is perhaps not the most appealing player to back, but a decent first serve and an aggressive return gives her an opportunity.

You have to respect Caroline Dolehide, but her serve has been vulnerable in those matches against top 50 Ranked players and she has not always been the most convincing of return players.

It is difficult to trust Ostapenko to produce her best tennis on any given day, but the momentum of the First Round win should carry over and the higher Ranked player should have the breaks of serve needed to move past this line when all is said and done.

Iga Swiatek - 6.5 games v Emma Raducanu: All four previous matches between these players have been won by Iga Swiatek, although it is something of a surprise to note that the two clay meetings have been much more competitive than the two hard court match ups.

In four hard court sets, Emma Raducanu has managed to win just five games, including just the single game when these two met at the Australian Open back in January.

However, it has been a different story on the clay, despite this long being Iga Swiatek's favoured surface, and in the four sets on this surface, Emma Raducanu has managed to win seventeen games. Those two matches were both played in Stuttgart on an indoor clay court, while the two hard court defeats have been outside and that may be an additional factor when these two face off in the Second Round at the French Open.

Emma Raducanu is playing through the pain, but showed some grit and determination which has arguably been missing in her young career. This should bode well for the former US Open Champion who has never really got back to those heights and Emma Raducanu will be looking to show how much she has learned from the humbling loss in Melbourne.

It is still a tough task, especially when not operating at 100%, even if Iga Swiatek is struggling to find her best level.

The defending Champion came through a couple of tough moments in what turned out to be a relatively straight-forward First Round win, but Swiatek will know that better has to come if she is going to win the French Open for a fourth year in a row.

Motivation will not be hard to find for Emma Raducanu, but she is still a significant underdog on this surface and has been on the wrong end of a couple of heavy losses over the last month. She will need to serve well and hope Iga Swiatek is having an off day, but that is going to be perhaps asking too much when you note that the Pole's worst results on the clay this season have been against top 20 Ranked opponents.

Outside of that, Iga Swiatek has produced better numbers- they may not have gotten up to the levels shown in recent years, but they are still solid enough and Swiatek may end up rolling through this match to move clear of the handicap mark set.

Diana Shnaider - 3.5 games v Dayana Yastremska: The First Round can be a difficult one to negotiate at the Grand Slam events with the pressure that is placed on the top Seeds and that may have contributed to the slow start made by Diana Shnaider. By the end she was rolling, but this is a considerable step up for the World Number 12 and Diana Schnaider is going to have to be that much more solid to negotiate the test.

Next up is Dayana Yastremska who had a huge run to the Australian Open Semi Final in 2024, but who has now dropped back into World Number 48.

The Ukrainian is capable of the clay courts, but Dayana Yastremska has tended to beat those she is expected to beat and lose to those that she is not.

Backing that up is the fact that her last seven matches against top 50 Ranked opponents on the clay courts have all ended in defeat, including all three played in 2025. In those defeats, Dayana Yastremska has simply not been able to look after her serve and that puts a lot of pressure on the return game, which has ultimately led to those defeats.

Beating a Wild Card in the First Round and in impressive fashion will give Dayana Yastremska confidence, but Diana Shnaider is playing very well on the clay courts and closing the gap between them will be tough.

Much will depend on the Shnaider serve, and that has been an improving weapon for the 21 year old over the last couple of years. Those numbers have looked stronger on the clay court compared with last year and it gives Diana Shnaider the edge in this match, especially with what feels like a more consistent return game to go with it.

In their sole previous meeting on the Tour, Diana Shnaider thumped Dayana Yastremska for the loss of just four games on a grass court- the youngster is still developing her experience of being favoured in Grand Slam event matches and so this is expected to be closer, but with the higher Ranked player capable of winning and covering the handicap on her way to the Third Round.

Casper Ruud - 7.5 games v Nuno Borges: In the last three French Open tournaments played, Casper Ruud has reached the Final twice and the Semi Final so suffice to say he is pretty happy with the conditions in Paris. Since 2022, you would have to consider Ruud right amongst the very best players on the clay courts, although the opportunity to win a major title is always going to be tough to take considering some of the other favourites in and amongst the draw.

He made a solid start to the latest bid to win the French Open and Casper Ruud is a strong favourite to come through this Second Round match.

A title was won in Madrid and Casper Ruud has reached the Quarter Final at both Barcelona and Rome events, although the stunning beatdown given to him by Jannik Sinner may have left one or two scars. That is something that could be in play the further we move into the tournament, but Casper Ruud should feel he is playing well enough to negotiate the early Rounds with the minimum of fuss.

Next up is Nuno Borges who reached the top 30 in the World Rankings just last September, but who has struggled for any kind of clay court consistency in 2025. He has an 8-7 record after the First Round win, but Nuno Borges found himself in a deep hole at two sets down against a Qualifier.

Turning that around has to give any player belief, but this is a considerable step up for Nuno Borges who has struggled to hold serve in matches against top 50 Ranked opponents on the clay courts this season. He did beat an injured Holger Rune at the Monte Carlo Masters, but you cannot ignore the injury nor the fact that Nuno Borges won just two games a couple of Rounds later against Stefanos Tsitsipas.

A competitive set or two cannot be ruled out, but you have to believe Casper Ruud will be able to get the better of them with his superior serve and the likely help he will get when attacking the Borges serve. There should also be a moment when Ruud is able to move through the gears and stack the games together and that could see the World Number 8 begin to push towards clearing this handicap.

Their sole previous meeting saw Casper Ruud win 6-3, 6-2 on a hard court last year and his superior clay court tennis ability should see the Norwegian come through with a strong result on the scoreboard against Nuno Borges again.

Miomir Kecmanovic - 2.5 games v Quentin Halys: It is never ideal having to dig deep and come through an opening Grand Slam match in five sets, but doing so from two sets behind might just offer some momentum to take into the tournament. That is what Miomir Kecmanovic has to be hoping having gotten the better of a solid clay courter in Sebastian Baez in the First Round.

The test for the World Number 46 is recovering and preparing to face a hostile crowd when taking on one of the French players in the draw.

He is also going to be facing an opponent in Quentin Halys who benefited from a mid-match retirement in the First Round and that should mean the home player is in better physical condition to compete. It should be a boost, along with the crowd support, but Halys still has something to prove after an incredibly underwhelming build up towards the French Open.

The 2-5 record prior to the start of Roland Garros is one thing, but Quentin Halys had also taken in a couple of Challenger events this past six weeks and still could not turn his form around. He has one top 100 Ranked win on the clay this season and Quentin Halys has really been struggling on the return of serve, which has placed him under duress.

Miomir Kecmanovic has hardly been ripping up trees in his own preparation, but did take in the Challenger in Estoril and reached the Semi Final at that event. The clay court losses he has suffered feel much more reasonable compared with Quentin Halys, who has been beaten in some disappointing matches, and this could indicate that the narrow favourite is deserving of his position.

If it was not for the First Round matches ending in different ways for the two players, you have to believe Miomir Kecmanovic would be a stronger favourite here. Even then, he looks worthy of backing to make his way into the Third Round and Kecmanovic may just break a few home hearts on the way.

Holger Rune - 6.5 games v Emilio Nava: Any player who has won thirty-two clay court matches this season at a 74% strike rate has to be respected, even if Emilio Nava has spent the majority of that time facing opponents Ranked outside of the top 100. Winning does breed confidence and the 23 year old American was able to beat one of those players in the First Round at Roland Garros and in straight sets too.

Prior to the tournament beginning, Wild Card Emilio Nava had lost four of five clay court matches played and so the opening win here in the French capital will certainly have him feeling a whole lot better.

And he will need to be a whole lot better when taking on one of the top ten Seeds in the men's tournament and a player who won a significant title in Barcelona in preparation for the second Grand Slam of the season.

Holger Rune has reached the second week in each of his last three appearances at the French Open and has twice been as far as the Quarter Final to underline his effectiveness and comfort on the clay.

Dropping the first set in the First Round was followed by an increasingly dominant Holger Rune rolling through the gears and a solid server could become very dangerous with a bit more consistency on the return. It is a part of his game that needs a bit of development on the clay courts, but Rune may be able to get into the return games in this Second Round match and his eventual quality should tell.

One of the issues Holger Rune has had in his relatively young career is making matches harder than they should be and that makes it tough to cover lines like the one that has been set in this Second Round match. However, he will know the Emilio Nava game, which will help, and the American's serve has been something of a vulnerability when he has stepped up to face a top 100 Ranked opponent.

A couple of competitive sets cannot be ruled out and it would not be a big surprise if Emilio Nava takes one, but Holger Rune showed in the First Round that he can get stronger within matches and that may see him take this one away from the less experienced player standing across the other side of the net.

MY PICKS: Victoria Mboko - 1.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Elina Svitolina - 5.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Jelena Ostapenko - 4.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Iga Swiatek - 6.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Diana Shnaider - 3.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Casper Ruud - 7.5 Games @ 1.91 William Hill (1 Unit)

Miomir Kecmanovic - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Holger Rune - 6.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

French Open Update: 0-6, - 6 Units (6 Units Staked, - 100% Yield)

French Open Day 3 Tennis Picks 2025 (Tuesday 27th May)

The first two days at the French Open could not have gone any worse.

The opening two Picks were just poor, but Monday was much more frustrating and could easily have landed 2-1 on another day, rather than the 0-3 humbling faced.

Elena Rybakina was two games away from completing a routine First Round win, but managed to lose serve and ultimately become embroiled in a real battle.

The Iga Swiatek win was close, but she started slowly and dropping serve right at the beginning of the second set made it tough.

And then we come to Naomi Osaka who was two points away from opening up a 3-0 lead in the final set... To compound matters, it was a tale of two shots on the same line that swung the match against the former World Number 1 when Osaka missed to drop serve and, after the changeover, Paula Badosa hit the back end of the line at almost the exact same point to save Break Point.

It is early, but this is a difficult opening and that cannot be ignored.

A bit of fortune will help, but just narrowing the parameters a little may just be the key to moving this tournament back towards a positive position in the first week in the French capital.

Daniil Medvedev - 5.5 games v Cameron Norrie: Three years ago, Cameron Norrie reached the Semi Final at Wimbledon and two months later he was playing at a career high World Ranking of Number 8.

Things have changed considerably for the British player in May 2025 with his World Ranking dipping out of the top 80 and Cameron Norrie has struggled for consistency. However, he is still only 29 years old and Norrie will enter the French Open with a lot more confidence having reached the Geneva Semi Final last week and only being beaten by Novak Djokovic in a deciding set.

He was forced to join the Qualifying Rounds in Barcelona and Rome, while also coming through the Qualifiers in Geneva.

Cameron Norrie should take confidence from that run last week and he has long been a solid, if unspectacular clay court player. Prior to his First Round exit last year, Norrie had reached the Third Round at the French Open in three straight seasons, but he may have wished for an 'easier' First Round opponent.

The World Number 11 stands in the way and Daniil Medvedev has beaten Cameron Norrie in all four previous matches on the Tour, including in Rome earlier this month. The numbers have been heavily weighted in favour of Medvedev in those previous matches and it is going to take a considerable effort from Cameron Norrie to turn that form around.

There was a time when Daniil Medvedev would be considered a vulnerable Seed in the early Rounds of clay court tournaments, but he has been much more comfortable on the surface in recent years. He has reached the Fourth Round in three of the last four years at the French Open and the Medvedev wins on the red dirt in 2025 have all been against opponents Ranked outside of the top 20.

His return has been particularly strong in those matches and the Daniil Medvedev win over Cameron Norrie in Rome can be franked with another solid victory over the British player here.

MY PICKS: Daniil Medvedev - 5.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (1 Unit)

French Open Update: 0-5, - 5 Units (5 Units Staked, - 100% Yield)

French Open Tennis Day 2 Picks 2025 (Monday 26th May)

Let's be honest, the French Open could not have begun any worse.

The opening selection lost the first set 6-0, and Peyton Stearns will be really disappointed with her overall defeat.

Diana Shnaider had a stronger end than beginning to her match, but never got close to the cover either.

As the song goes, things can only get better.

The First Round matches continue on Monday with three selections that can be read below.

Iga Swiatek - 7.5 games v Rebecca Sramkova: The defending three time French Open Champion and a winner in four of the last five seasons in Paris will be opening her 2025 bid as the Number 5 Seed.

That underlines the kind of year that Iga Swiatek has been having and she has admitted that the confidence is not where it should be. In recent years, the Pole has dominated this portion of the Tour, but that has been far from the case for Iga Swiatek over the last couple of months.

However, Iga Swiatek has been in better mood after arriving in Paris and the draw will give her the chance to build into the tournament, which can be important. The familiarity of winning matches on the Roland Garros dirt is another factor and Iga Swiatek may still have some of her aura when she steps out here.

It is clear that the serve has not been as dominant as it has been in recent years and that has put pressure on the return, which has been operating at a level where Iga Swiatek has won 45% of return points compared with the virtual 50% mark set in each of the last three seasons.

An opportunity to make a strong start in Paris is right in front of the World Number 5 as she prepares to face Rebecca Sramkova in the First Round.

The 28 year old has slipped back out of the top 40 in the World Rankings having compiled a 2-3 record on the clay in 2025.

Rebecca Sramkova will at least point out that a couple of those defeats have been in competitive matches and that will give her some belief. She took a set from Jelena Ostapenko in Rome, a former French Open Champion, but this is a significant step for Sramkova who had to Qualify for this Grand Slam last season before losing in the First Round.

These two players met at the Australian Open back in January and Rebecca Sramkova managed to win just two games.

Everything worked for Iga Swiatek that day, but this should be a little bit more competitive even if the dominant clay courter of recent years is able to still cover what is a very big number for a best of three set match.

Naomi Osaka v Paula Badosa: These two players will be familiar of one another, but they have not played on the Tour before with Naomi Osaka's best tennis being played a couple of years before Paula Badosa really started to make waves on the Tour. They were supposed to meet during this clay court season, but Badosa was not able to make it onto the court and instead this 'popcorn' match is to be played in the First Round at the French Open.

Injuries have been something of an issue for Paula Badosa over the last seventeen months, but she does arrive in Paris as the World Number 10.

However, this is going to be just the third match played on the clay courts having played a couple of matches last week in Strasbourg and you do have to wonder if Paula Badosa is perhaps a little undercooked. She did not play badly in her defeat in Strasbourg, which will give the Spaniard some confidence, but Badosa only holds a 7-6 record on the clay courts since the beginning of 2024.

Encouragement can be taken from the fact that she is set to face Naomi Osaka on the least favoured surface of the former World Number 1, but there have been some positive signs from the Japanese star. She won her first title since returning to the Tour after becoming a mother during this clay court season, much to Osaka's own surprise, and she did reach the Fourth Round in Rome.

Twelve months ago, Naomi Osaka should have ended Iga Swiatek's run in the Second Round at the French Open and she has the game to be very competitive on the surface. The key is whether Osaka can show some of the patience that is needed to come through some of the tougher moments, but there has been enough to like from her tennis to think she can edge past Paula Badosa in this strong First Round match.

Naomi Osaka has to take advantage of the cheap points she can generate behind the very good first serve and she may be able to keep the higher Ranked player under some pressure. Both players will have their moments, but Osaka looks capable of getting the better of Paula Badosa on Monday.

Elena Rybakina - 6.5 games v Julia Riera: Off court issues and two pretty early defeats in Madrid and Rome will have seen many write off the chances of Elena Rybakina winning the second Grand Slam of the season. She has looked out of sorts as she has slipped out of the top ten in the World Rankings, but Rybakina may feel much better all around after winning the title in Strasbourg in the last tournament to prepare for the French Open.

The serve has continued to be an effective weapon for Elena Rybakina, even on the clay courts, and she has been a solid competitor on the surface.

However, the poor record prior to the tournament in Strasbourg was largely down to the disappointing return numbers being produced and they are considerably below the standards that have been set in recent years. Make no mistake, Elena Rybakina is going to have to improve on that side of her tennis if she is going to have a big impact in Paris, especially being set on the tougher side of the draw.

It all begins with a Qualifier and there has to be a respect for Julia Riera after the three wins posted to make the main draw. This should mean the familiarity with the conditions offers Julia Riera a potential route towards an upset and even more so when you think that Elena Rybakina will have been travelling from winning a tournament this past weekend.

Julia Riera is going to be very comfortable playing on the clay courts as an Argentinian, while the confidence will be improved after dropping just a single set in three Qualifying wins.

She reached the Semi Final of a tournament played in Bogota on the surface, but a defeat in that Round sparked a run of four losses in five matches for Julia Riera and at a level considerably below what she will be facing in the First Round here.

Eleven losses have been suffered in succession on the clay courts when facing top 100 Ranked opponents and the real concern for Julia Riera is that none of those have been against anyone Ranked inside the top 40.

Credit has to be given to Julia Riera for showing a real competitive spirit in those defeats, but she may be put under pressure by the Elena Rybakina serve and that could see the Seeded player eventually roll through the gears. This could lead to a relatively comfortable win in the First Round, but there are expected to be some considerable tests ahead for the former World Number 3 and Wimbledon Champion.

MY PICKS: Iga Swiatek - 7.5 Games @ 2.10 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Naomi Osaka @ 1.80 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Elena Rybakina - 6.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

French Open Update: 0-2, - 2 Units (2 Units Staked, - 100% Yield)

French Open Tennis Day 1 Picks 2025 (Sunday 25th May)

There are going to be a lot of wondering eyes in Paris with the Champions League Final coming up next weekend that features Paris Saint-Germain, but the start of the French Open is still a huge part of the sporting calendar in the French capital.

Tennis fans will also be very interested as the second Grand Slam of the season gets underway and it looks like a tournament that could be pretty open.

Carlos Alcaraz has made a statement ahead of the defence of his title and looks the right favourite, while Aryna Sabalenka can say the same in the women's tournament.

The poor form of Iga Swiatek, nicknamed the Queen of Clay, has opened the door for a potential new Champion here and the World Number 1 looks best placed to take advantage. There will be plenty of people raising an eyebrow about the form of Swiatek, especially as she has not looked the same since a failed drugs test at the end of last season.

Some will say it is the mental burden of having to prove herself as someone who has not been cheating, but sceptics may say that the Pole had not been playing clean before popping and the poor form underlines their feelings about the former World Number 1.

It does look like a Grand Slam where the two favourites can come out on top, but the French Open is a tough event to negotiate. Clay matches can end up going a lot longer than expected and there are players like Jannik Sinner, Mirra Andreeva, Coco Gauff, and Novak Djokovic who should not be ruled out.

Novak Djokovic has been struggling with his form, but has put some wins on the board in Geneva to restore confidence and is only a few months on from winning the Olympic Gold Medal right here in Roland Garros. His previous performances at the French Open makes the veteran a dangerous player in the draw and the hope is that the next two weeks are a lot of fun for the fans and organisers.

The French Open is another Grand Slam that has moved to the Sunday start time with the First Round of the tournament split over three days.

We have a solid looking schedule on Day 1 of the tournament and the Picks can be read below.

After a decent Australian Open and strong results over much of the last four months, the Season Totals remain in a good spot, but with more than half o the season to go.

In recent years, the French Open has perhaps been the most consistent of the Grand Slam tournaments in terms of the profit/loss and laying a strong foundation for success through the first week of the event is the ambition. The shortlisting of selections have worked out pretty well so far in 2025 after a really disappointing 2024 and it is all about the continued positive momentum as the main clay court season comes to a conclusion.

Peyton Stearns - 3.5 games v Eva Lys: The clay courts might not always be the favoured surface of those playing out of the United States, but Peyton Stearns has enjoyed a really good couple of months on the red dirt. Not only has she reached a career high World Ranking ahead of the French Open, but Stearns will enter the tournament as one of the top thirty-two Seeds and she could, or perhaps should, be targeting a result to match her Third Round run from last year.

The key is to make sure she is focused after piling up the wins in Madrid and Rome- Peyton Stearns reached the Fourth Round in the Spanish capital before surpassing all expectations to make it through to the Rome Semi Final.

Peyton Stearns has had to battle through some of the matches, but credit has to be given to the 23 year old for finding a way to put the wins together. Some may feel she has benefited from kind draws, but that has not been the case for Stearns who has wins over four players that were Ranked higher than herself and losses to Aryna Sabalenka and Jasmine Paolini are hardly surprises.

The expectation is that Peyton Stearns can get off to a strong start in the French capital with a First Round match against Eva Lys, even if the latter is an experienced clay court player.

Much like Peyton Stearns, Eva Lys is playing at a career best World Ranking mark, but she is just inside the top 60 and has not had the same kind of consistent results as the American. While Eva Lys has a 6-5 record on the clay courts in the lead up to the French Open, that becomes 1-4 when only considering matches against players Ranked higher than herself and a vulnerable serve has been exploited by the stronger players faced.

Some of the losses that have been handed to Eva Lys have been pretty one-sided and Peyton Stearns looks to be playing well enough to secure a relatively comfortable victory of her own.

As long as she gets enough first serves in play, Stearns should be able to have considerable success on the return and that should see her move through to the Second Round with two solid sets under the belt.

Diana Shnaider - 6.5 games v Anastasiia Sobolieva: There are some clear favourites who will be expecting to challenge for the second Grand Slam of the season, but someone like Diana Shnaider could prove to be a dangerous 'underdog'. The World Number 11 continues to improve as a player on the Tour and the young player looked to be in good form when reaching the Rome Quarter Final earlier this month.

She has reached the Third Round in three consecutive Grand Slam tournaments, but Diana Shnaider has yet to have the kind of impact at this level that her Ranking may suggest. However, she is getting closer having put together a run into the second week at the US Open last year and her all-around tennis ability means Diana Shnaider is a threat on all surfaces.

Over the last couple of seasons, Diana Shnaider has developed into a consistent player on the clay courts and it will feel like a real disappointment if she is not to reach the Third Round, at least, for the first time in Paris this week.

The serve has been effective and Diana Shnaider is a strong returner, which should give her the edge over a Qualifier in the First Round.

Both of these players are 21 years old, but Anastasiia Sobolieva is outside of the top 200 of the World Rankings, although set for a boost having won three Qualifiers to earn a spot in the main draw. She only dropped a single set in those Qualifying matches and that will give Sobolieva confidence, even if she will accept that this is a considerable step upwards compared to the usual level of opponent she will face.

The real test for Anastasiia Sobolieva is going to be trying to protect the second serve and too many looks at that shot should give one of the Seeds an opportunity to get on top of the rally from the outset.

Diana Shnaider will be aware of this opponent being in the same age bracket- their sole previous match was back in November 2021 on the clay courts and Shnaider was outside of the top 1000 and almost 500 Ranking places below Anastasiia Sobolieva.

However, that did not stop Shnaider winning 6-4, 6-1 and the World Number 11 has progressed and developed to a level where she should be a relatively comfortable winner again.

MY PICKS: Peyton Stearns - 3.5 Games @ 1.85 William Hill (1 Unit)

Diana Shnaider - 6.5 Games @ 1.80 William Hill (1 Unit)

2025 Season: 85-61, + 17.66 Units (184 Units Staked, + 9.60% Yield)

NBA Playoffs 2025- Conference Finals Picks Game 1-7 (Tuesday 20th May-Tuesday 2nd June)

The top Seed in the Western Conference may have needed all seven games, but what matters is that the Oklahoma City Thunder are still on course to win the NBA Championship for the first time.

They arrived in Oklahoma City having previously been the Seattle Supersonics, who had won a NBA Championship, but the Thunder have been close in their current form without taking home all of the honours. With a team as young as they are, this could be the start of the dynasty, although the other three teams still chasing a ring will have something to say about that.

And all of the other three can be considered as something of a surprise.

The Indiana Pacers and Minnesota Timberwolves may feel that is a harsh assessment considering both played in the Conference Finals in 2024 and have clearly learned valuable lessons from their experiences. Both knocked off injury hit opponents in five games in the Second Round so should be well rested and they will use what happened in 2024 to try and move a step closer to the NBA Championship in 2025.

Neither of those teams have won a NBA Championship before either, and it has been a long time since the Indiana Pacers made the NBA Finals.

So that leaves the final place for my New York Knicks who are playing in the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000 and who are looking to reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999. This is a big market franchise that have not won the NBA Championship since 1973, but fans may feel this is about as good a chance as they have had in many a year with both of the top Seeds in the Eastern Conference eliminated.

As with previous Playoff threads, Games 1-4 will be placed in this one and any Picks from Games 5-7 will be in a new thread to keep things as tidy as possible.

After a couple of strong years, it has been a tough Playoff run in 2025 and may need an almost perfect run to turn things around from now until the end of the season. There has been some frustration to the Picks selected,  but it happens and the focus has to be on having as good a run as possible in the Conference Finals and see the lay of the land at the end of that.

NBA Playoffs 2025- Conference Finals Game 1-4 (May 20th-27th)

Tuesday 20th May

Minnesota Timberwolves @ Oklahoma City Thunder Game 1 Pick: If the regular season is anything to go by, the Western Conference Finals could be an incredibly competitive Series.

The Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma City Thunder split four regular season games and they were largely competitive affairs- the Thunder had two wins by 7 and 8 points respectively, while the Timberwolves won a game by 15 points and the other by just 3 points after Overtime.

Having a few more days of rest could be important for the Timberwolves after easing past the Golden State Warriors in five games. On the other side, the Oklahoma City Thunder just completed a Game 7 win over the Denver Nuggets and will have one day to rest and prepare for this opening game of the Western Conference Finals, which is far from ideal for any team, even one as good as the Thunder.

A positive for the Number 1 Seed is that they were not really taxed in Game 7 of the Second Round Series and that will have allowed key players to earn some rest. The blowout win over the Denver Nuggets also reminded the rest of the NBA of the depth that Oklahoma City can lean on as they bid to reach the NBA Finals.

Experience can still be a factor and that is where the Timberwolves may be able to lean on 2024 and use that disappointing Western Conference Finals defeat to the Dallas Mavericks to inspire better in 2025. They were the hosts of those Conference Finals, which would have hurt Minnesota even more, but getting back here twelve months later as the Number 6 Seed in the West will just remind the players of how good they actually are.

Winning Game 7 and then moving into a new Series is a tough spot for the Thunder to be in, but even more so when you think of the lack of rest they are getting.

They will also be in a tough spot with the spread- Conference Finals favourites being asked to lay at least five points are now 1-12 against the spread across the last two Playoffs and even with the depth the Thunder have, it could be a big ask on limited rest to be ready to push past this number set for Game 1.

With Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle looking good, the Timberwolves have been a good team to back with the points during this Playoff run and they could begin with a cover, if not the outright upset to take away home court. They have matched up well with the Thunder throughout the regular season and Minnesota may have been anticipating this opponent for the Western Conference Finals and so being underprepared is not really going to be an excuse that they can lean on.

Opposing the Thunder and their ability to blowout teams is not an easy decision, but the spot looks a good one for the Minnesota Timberwolves to keep this one very competitive, and especially with this many points being given to them.

Wednesday 21st May

Indiana Pacers @ New York Knicks Game 1 Pick: Considering the Eastern Conference Finals were set on Friday evening and the Western Conference Finals on Sunday, you think it would have made more sense for the former to get underway first. Instead the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks will meet in the post-season for a second season in a row, but with even more on the line than when they met in 2024.

Last year the teams met in the Second Round and it was for the place in the Eastern Conference Finals with the injury hit New York Knicks having nothing left in Game 7.

This time the Knicks are looking much healthier and they have just beaten the defending Champions Boston Celtics in six games and New York's expectations have been raised significantly. It has been over fifty years since the New York Knicks last won the NBA Championship, and twenty-six years since they last competed in the NBA Finals, but the fans have seen the top two Seeds dumped out and the Knicks will be hosting the Eastern Conference Finals.

There will be a lot of respect for the Indiana Pacers, not only for the Playoff defeat to this team last season, but for the way the Pacers have seen off the Milwaukee Bucks and Cleveland Cavaliers for the loss of just two games. Over the last four months of the regular season, the Pacers were playing about as well as any team, but they have been satisfied going under the radar.

Depth on the Pacers roster has been key and they have made strong starts to each of the last two Series by winning the first two games to take a serious grip of those Series. In the last Round they upset the Cavaliers, the Number 1 Seed, twice on the road and the Indiana Pacers have a team that will push the tempo and not be afraid to give the ball to the hot hand.

Tyrese Haliburton will be heading to Madison Square Garden expecting to be the focus of the attention for the New York Knicks fans, but that may suit him if it allows his team-mates to flourish. The Pacers have shown that winning on the road is not something they are afraid of doing after beating Cleveland in all three road games in the Second Round and Indiana are a very dangerous opponent.

Confidence should not be an issue for the New York Knicks after crushing the Boston Celtics in Game 6 at Madison Square Garden and the team are so much healthier than when losing to the Pacers last season. They have shown grit to come through tough moments in the Series wins over both the Celtics and Detroit Pistons, while New York did win two of the three regular season games with the Indiana Pacers.

In the Second Round last year, the New York Knicks won the opening two games of the Series before injuries saw them worn down with four losses in the next five games to be downed in seven. There will be an appreciation of the fact that the Pacers have shown a physical style to break down the last two opponents, while an up-tempo Indiana approach has just made it tough to keep up with them on the scoreboard.

Picking a Game 1 winner is not easy on the spread- the Pacers look to be getting enough points to keep this competitive, but the Knicks did win the opening two games of that PlayOff Series last year.

Instead it may be wise to pick Game 1 to go 'over' the total set- this is a number that would have been covered in the last two regular season games between the teams and missed by just a Field Goal in the first. In the Playoff Series played last year, three of the four games played at Madison Square Garden went 'over' the total and the teams have shown enough Offensive power to believe this one will do the same to open the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals.

With the pace that Indiana use, there should be plenty of turnovers and transitional baskets, which can move this game into a position to finish with enough points to cover what is a big number on paper.

Friday 23rd May

Indiana Pacers @ New York Knicks Game 2 Pick: The 2025 NBA Playoffs have featured plenty of games where huge leads have been wasted and comebacks have been frequent.

Even with that in mind, the New York Knicks were stunned in Game 1 on Wednesday night when leading the Indiana Pacers by 17 Points in the Fourth Quarter and eventually being beaten in Overtime. In the last twenty-seven years, 1414 times a team has led by at least 9 points into the final minute of a Playoff Game and all of them had won, until the Indiana Pacers became the first to overcome monumental odds.

This means the fans are going to be needed to be fired up and right behind the New York Knicks as they bid to avoid falling 0-2 behind in the Eastern Conference Finals before having to head to Indiana for two games. There will be a real disappointment within the Knicks locker room, but they cannot ignore the fact that they were able to do much of what they would have wanted Offensively and can be more effective as long as Jalen Brunson can avoid foul trouble for the second game in a row.

New York have already shown plenty of resolve in this Playoff run and they can bounce back, even if the Indiana Pacers deserve a lot of respect for the way they have performed. The Pacers are forcing teams to play how they want to play and ultimately Indiana have shown off the depth to wear down those who face them.

Tyrese Haliburton made some huge shots, but was really well supported by Aaron Nesmith in the fightback and upset. Doing that for a second time in a row on the road will be challenging and teams that have lost games have tended to recover in the next game during recent Conference Finals.

This is a big spread considering the Indiana Offensive capabilities, but the Knicks have to believe they can be more consistent when trying to hold onto a big lead. Some of the players feel they lost some of the focus when looking to close out Game 1 and the situation should mean that is not going to happen again and this time the Knicks can recover and cover the spread set to level up the Eastern Conference Finals.

Saturday 24th May

Oklahoma City Thunder @ Minnesota Timberwolves Game 3 Pick: There are still six games from which the Minnesota Timberwolves need four wins if they are going to be playing in the NBA Finals. but the pressure begins in Game 3. Twice in a row, a competitive first half was replaced by a second half in which the Timberwolves struggled and they are now 2-0 down in the Series.

The NBA remains the only US Sport in which a Playoff has not been lost when a team has moved into a 3-0 lead and that is the prospect that the Minnesota Timberwolves have to face.

It would be tough to beat any opponent from that position, but to try and beat the Number 1 Seed Oklahoma City Thunder who have looked right amongst the elite over the last couple of seasons is going to be that much more of a mountain to climb.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has just been awarded the regular season MVP award and he has been in strong form in the Western Conference Finals, but also being well backed by some of the team-mates around him. Perhaps most importantly is the fact that the Oklahoma City Thunder feel like they are wearing down the Timberwolves with their Defensive scheme and intensity.

Turnovers are becoming very important for the Thunder, although you have to factor in how much more difficult it will be when playing on the road. They are not the Number 1 Seed for no reason though and Oklahoma City have won some tough games already on the road, while the momentum is with them with teams leading 2-0 having a 4-1 record against the spread in the last five times this situation has come up in the Western Conference.

Minnesota can expect Julius Randle to have a stronger game after an underwhelming Game 2 and the role players should be better at home. Anthony Edwards tried to put the team on his back, but he will need support and the Timberwolves can comfort themselves from the fact that teams that have suffered blowout losses in Game 2 have bounced back in Game 3 in the recent Conference Finals played.

It will still need something special from the hosts to do that and the Thunder look to have all of the answers right now.

The expectation has to be this will be more competitive right through to the back end of the Fourth Quarter, but the Thunder have shown their ability to win clutch games during this Playoff run and can do the same here.

Small road favourites have been on a poor run in the Conference Finals, but so have big favourites and that did not stop the Oklahoma City Thunder covering twice in this Series already.

Sunday 25th May

New York Knicks @ Indiana Pacers Game 3 Pick: When you blow a game like the New York Knicks did in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, there is a pressure to bounce back immediately. That pressure is only intensified if you are hosting the first two games of a Series, but the Knicks were not able to make enough stops in the second half of Game 2 and all of a sudden things have gone pear shaped in Gotham.

The Eastern Conference Finals shifts to Indiana for two games with the Pacers once again 2-0 ahead, just as they were in the Second Round upset of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

All credit has to be given to the Pacers- they continued to fight in Game 1 to produce a historic Playoff comeback, while they looked the stronger team in the second half in Game 2 as they held off the New York Knicks to take a stranglehold of this Series.

However, in saying all of that, Head Coach Rick Carlisle is extremely experienced and he is sure to be reminding his players that this Series could easily be 2-0 to the New York Knicks with a fractionally different bounce of the ball. As much as the Pacers will feel pretty happy with the Offensive production, Indiana will also know they have had issues stopping the New York Knicks and so this Eastern Conference Finals still feels alive.

Much like the Minnesota Timberwolves, the pressure is also on the New York Knicks to avoid having to become the first team in NBA history to win a Playoff Series from 0-3 behind. They are trying to overcome recent history where the team leading 2-0 in the Conference Finals has covered in 80% of the last five Game 3s played, while the Knicks have to make some adjustments to see if they can do anything to cool the Indiana shooters down.

Karl-Anthony Towns being left on the bench in the Fourth Quarter of Game 2 was not a good look for a player who has come up short in big Playoff moments in his career. He will need to bounce back on Sunday if Mitchell Robinson has any kind of restriction around the ankle he seemed to roll in Game 2 and this looks to be a tough test for New York, where expectations have grown massively since upsetting the Boston Celtics in the Second Round.

Game 2 ended a single point below the total line set and that does mean that games in the Conference Finals that have been decided by single digits have been followed up by the 'under' producing a 21-12 winning record. It has given some pause for thought, but the absence or restriction of Robinson should make it that much more comfortable for Indiana to score points and the Knicks are going to have to keep up.

One day of rest between games is perhaps another factor, but these teams are still pushing the pace and backing them to score at least one more point combined in Game 3 compared with Game 2 looks the right play.

Monday 26th May

Oklahoma City Thunder @ Minnesota Timberwolves Game 4 Pick: Well, that escalated quickly!

After back to back dominant wins to open the Western Conference Finals, the Oklahoma City Thunder looked to have all of the momentum in the Series ahead of Game 3. However, the Minnesota Timberwolves came out with a huge amount of intensity and thumped the Thunder early and often and the game was never really close just minutes after tip off.

The Timberwolves are going to be feeling that much better ahead of Game 4 as they look to level the Western Conference Finals before having to take another shot at winning in Oklahoma City.

There is still some pressure on Minnesota who would be facing an elimination game later this week if they are beaten at home and they have to expect a much more aggressive and focused Number 1 Seed that played here on Saturday. It will mean the role players need to continue shooting the ball that much better at home than they have on the road, which has been a feature of Minnesota's Playoff run, and they will be hoping Julius Randle has had his one and only poor game in the Western Conference Finals.

It was a poor game from the Oklahoma City Thunder, perhaps their worst of the season, and the starters were all given the Fourth Quarter off. A reaction is going to be needed from a young team that has had their issues on the road, but the Thunder have shown their capabilities all season and will likely be that much more focused after being embarrassed on a national stage.

They should have a bit more Defensive intensity, which was severely lacking in Game 3, but this could be another of the Western Conference Finals games to end up going 'over' the line set.

Three point shooting has been important and the road shooting woes of both teams has to be a concern, but the tempo may see teams heading to the Free Throw line and that can help.

Minnesota did not shoot the ball well at all in Game 1, but have looked a bit better in each of the last two and they can keep that momentum going. We may be ready to see the closest game of the Western Conference Finals so far with so much on the line for both teams and there should be enough quality shooting shown to at least move past this total set.

Tuesday 27th May

New York Knicks @ Indiana Pacers Game 4 Pick: They have been making history throughout this Playoff run and the New York Knicks became the first to overcome 20 point deficits to win games three times in a row in one post-season.

It has been a difficult Playoff to negotiate with so many games ending in crazy fashion and Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals was no different.

With Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson in serious foul trouble and with the Indiana Pacers coasting, the Eastern Conference Finals looked set to be all but over with the Number 4 Seed about to move into a 3-0 lead. The decision was made to bench Brunson, but KAT took things over and there was enough push from the bench players to help the New York Knicks overcome the big deficit and ultimately half the deficit in the Series.

A big Game 4 is coming up and the New York Knicks will be hoping they have the momentum to get things levelled up before they head back to Madison Square Garden. They will want to avoid having to dig out of a big hole again and that means making a much faster, consistent start having been hit hard by the Indiana Pacers in the first half.

There is a key moment in Game 3 which may help the New York Knicks- Aaron Nesmith rolled his ankle and being the most consistent Defensive player capable of slowing down Jalen Brunson, it would be a big loss if he is limited. He did not look right after that moment in the Fourth Quarter and that is expected to be a factor that hurts Indiana on both sides of the court.

Of course the Pacers will feel pretty sick with the way they lost their lead in Game 3- the approach felt off in the second half and they lost all rhythm on their shooting. It was the worst display from three point range and so the Pacers may feel they can show enough to bounce back, as they have throughout this Playoff run.

The Knicks are feisty, but so are the Pacers and this is a team that has lost Game 3 in both previous Series and won the next time out on their way to a close in five.

In recent Conference Finals, Game 4 has leaned heavily towards the host as long as they are not facing an elimination game. That will encourage the Indiana Pacers and this has also been a Round of the post-season when teams have had a solid record bouncing back from losses.

It may only be 2-2 against the spread this year, but is now up to 31-17-1 against the spread across the last forty-nine Conference Finals games.

We should have another competitive game in what has been a competitive Eastern Conference Finals, but the Indiana Pacers may do just enough to win and cover ahead of a return to Gotham where Game 5 is set to take place.

Wednesday 28th May

Minnesota Timberwolves @ Oklahoma City Thunder Game 5 Pick: They came out looking to make a statement in Game 4, which they did, but perhaps most impressive about the Oklahoma City Thunder is the way they managed to take every big haymaker thrown at them by the Minnesota Timberwolves.

They are still a young team and so it would have been a challenge, especially on the road, but the Thunder kept making the big plays at the big moments and ultimately that was enough to hold on for a victory and, most importantly, a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference Finals.

The first of three close out opportunities is in front of the home fans with both teams heading back to Oklahoma City and you do have to wonder if the Timberwolves have much left in the tank. They did almost everything right in the two games played at home, but the team could not make the stops needed and, for a second season in a row, the Timberwolves look to be coming up one Round short of the NBA Finals.

No one will be giving up just yet and the Timberwolves may look to make a couple of adjustments in their bid to keep this Series alive and bring it back home.

However, it cannot be ignored about how much the Minnesota Timberwolves put into the last game.

The bench produced historically strong numbers and the NBA Playoffs have long proven that role players find things that much tougher on the road than they do when playing at home. So it may be asking a lot of those bench players to make the same impact again, while the Oklahoma City Thunder have been much more solid at home throughout this post-season run.

After seeing what happened in Game 3, the Thunder may be more prepared to deal with what should be an early onslaught from the desperate Timberwolves. Oklahoma City have shown they have players who can step up though and they will take confidence from the fact that both home wins over Minnesota have been very comfortable in the Western Conference Finals.

Favourites and the hosts have both been trending very well in Game 5 of the recent Conference Finals and those teams are 14-4 and 13-5 against the spread respectively.

And those teams looking to close a Series who are favoured by at least 4.5 points have turned in a 10-3 record against the spread in the last thirteen Conference Finals games with that situation set.

With that all considered, the Oklahoma City may weather the early storm and grind down the belief of the Minnesota Timberwolves through the first three Quarters. The pumped up home crowd can then push the hosts home with a win and a cover as they look to reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 2012.

Thursday 29th May

The direction of travel for both Conference Finals suggests we are potentially not going to see any Game 6s, never mind two, and that means a decision has been made to keep all of the selections in this one thread.

It may not be needed beyond Thursday if the Timberwolves and Knicks cannot keep themselves alive, but there are still close out games to be won by Oklahoma City and Indiana.

Indiana Pacers @ New York Knicks Game 5 Pick: Halfway through the Third Quarter of Game 4, it felt like the Indiana Pacers had a dominant lead having controlled much of the night. However, the scoreboard told a different story and the New York Knicks were doing what they have been throughout the post-season and that is hanging around and then looking to strike late.

However, this time the Pacers made sure they largely kept the Knicks at arm's length thanks to pushing New York into early foul trouble in the Fourth Quarter and having some of the star players make some big plays.

Tyrese Haliburton will be receiving most of the praise having avoided giving up a single turnover, but adding 32 Points, 15 Assists, 12 Rebounds and 4 Steals to that performance. He said he would be much better than Game 3 and Haliburton was all that and more as the Indiana Pacers take a grip of the Eastern Conference Finals.

The tempo has been tough to deal with and the Pacers have closed out the last two Series in five games and have an opportunity to do that again as they look for a third win at Madison Square Garden.

New York will need the home fans to be loud and get firmly behind them and they are in a 'good' 3-1 situation having avoided going 3-0 down. That has been a situation from which no team has ever recovered in the NBA Playoffs, but there have been a small amount of teams that have managed to come back from a 3-1 deficit to win a Series.

Only thirteen teams have managed to recover, but eight of those have been in a position where they are hosting two of the last three games and that is the same for the Knicks. Keeping out of foul trouble is key, while it sounds like Karl-Anthony Towns has avoided a serious knee injury that may have ruled him out until next season.

Adjustments to the starting lineup could be made again, but the Knicks are in a pressurised situation and simply have not played as well at Madison Square Garden as they would have wanted under Playoff conditions. It makes it tough to believe in them having lost Game 4, but New York have shown they can hurt this Indiana Pacers team if they can control the turnovers.

Recent trends in the Conference Finals points to the hosts, the favourites and the team that lost Game 4 as being the one that will produce the best record against the spread in Game 5. Those numbers are 13-5, 14-4 and 12-6 respectively against the spread in recent years, but the Indiana Pacers have to be respected with the momentum built up and the way they have managed previous Series in this Playoff run.

Instead it may be better to look for this game to finish 'over' the total points line set and that is largely down to the tempo both teams are playing with- the Knicks are being forced to play at Indiana's speed and that has led to fouls as teams look to break out, while also seeing quick movement of the ball opening up shooting lanes.

It is impossible to expect this Game 5 to have a First Quarter like the one we saw on Tuesday, but the teams are still scoring heavily.

And it should be noted that the last eight Game 5s that featured a close out spot, seven have finished surpassing the total and this could follow that trend with what we have seen from the Eastern Conference Finals so far.

Saturday 31st May

New York Knicks @ Indiana Pacers Game 6 Pick: The opening few minutes of Game 5 set the tempo for the Indiana Pacers and it was very difficult to move past what had been a sloppy start.

They did hang around for a while and were in a threatening range going into the Fourth Quarter, but the turnovers killed the hopes of the Pacers as they looked to close out the Eastern Conference Finals. It did not help at all that Tyrese Haliburton fell from the historical heights reached in Game 4 to be a non-factor in Game 5 and the entire supporting cast will be critical of themselves for failing to match the intensity of the desperate hosts.

Pascal Siakam was involved in a tetchy discussion with a local reporter at the end of Game 5 after admitting him and his team-mates had not played as 'hard' as the New York Knicks, but the Pacers will want to bury this performance as soon as possible. They have already made it clear that they will be much better in Game 6 when getting the chance to close the Eastern Conference Finals at home and the expectation is that Haliburton and the role players will feel much more comfortable being back in home surroundings.

That alone is not going to be enough to beat the New York Knicks if the latter feel they have finally found the formula to slow this Indiana team down. In two of the last three games, the Knicks have held them to below 101 points and Game 5 was the first time in the post-season that Indiana failed to register triple digits.

A lot went right for the Knicks in Game 5- the bench were spectacular and Jalen Brunson displayed some Defensive grit that has been missing and is one of the criticisms that are often hurled towards him. Karl-Anthony Towns showed he is capable of playing through his knee issues and Mitchell Robinson proved to be a menace around the boards, but putting that all together again will not be easy.

The Knicks will be well aware that the Defensive side of the court is where they can really generate their success having found decent match ups the other way. New York will also be looking to win the turnover battle and get out in transition to really put the pressure on Indiana, who will be very keen to avoid another Game 7 at Madison Square Garden.

You have to figure the Pacers are much better all around having allowed the Knicks to do what they want on Thursday and they will certainly want to be a bit quicker with the ball. Too many possessions were getting down to the final seconds and that has not been the winning formula for Indiana who want to push the tempo and wear down opponents.

In recent years, teams that have had an opportunity to close the Conference Finals in Game 6 have been very good against the spread and the lean has to be with the Indiana Pacers, despite the underperformance in Game 5.

However, the over is 8-5 in the last thirteen Conference Finals Game 6s that have been played and the Pacers are expected to bounce back after the poor outing on Thursday. The Knicks have shown they can produce Offensively, even if their wins have been behind strong Defensive performances, and the line has dropped from the last game, which makes the over more appealing to back here than picking a side.

MY PICKS: 20/05 Minnesota Timberwolves + 7.5 Points @ 1.91 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

21/05 New York Knicks-Indiana Pacers Over 223 Points @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

23/05 New York Knicks - 5.5 Points @ 1.83 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

24/05 Oklahoma City Thunder - 2.5 Points @ 1.87 William Hill (1 Unit)

25/05 Indiana Pacers-New York Knicks Over 223 Points @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

26/05 Minnesota Timberwolves-Oklahoma City Thunder Over 218.5 Points @ 1.91 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)

27/05 Indiana Pacers - 2.5 Points @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

28/05 Oklahoma City Thunder - 8.5 Points @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

29/05 New York Knicks-Indiana Pacers Over 222.5 Points @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

31/05 Indiana Pacers-New York Knicks Over 218.5 Points @ 1.91 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Conference Finals: 4-5, - 1.36 Units (9 Units Staked, - 15.11% Yield)

Second Round: 8-14-1, - 6.64 Units (23 Units Staked, - 28.87% Yield)

First Round: 20-19, - 0.72 Units (39 Units Staked, - 1.85% Yield)

Play In Tournament: 3-3, - 0.28 Units (6 Units Staked, - 4.67% Yield)