NBA Playoffs 2026- First Round Picks Game 1-4 (Saturday 18th April-Monday 27th April)

The Major League Baseball season may be considerably longer than the NBA, but there is at least a real whittling down of the teams that are able to compete in the post-season when all is said and done.

After eighty-two games are played by each of the NBA teams, only ten of the thirty teams in the League are eliminated with four more to follow after the Play In Tournament.

Fans are a little frustrated, but the players are also concerned about the length of the regular season.

An introduction of the NBA Cup was designed to create more meaningful games in the regular season, but that has worked to a point and the Commissioner has significant work to do in order to prevent teams from tanking. That has become the focus considering the ten eliminated teams were a long way away from even earning a spot in the Play In Tournament with positioning in the Draft Lottery the priority and the NBA has suffered for that.

However, we are now moving into the First Round of the NBA Playoffs and there is little doubt that there is a marked difference between the intensity and the quality that fans get to enjoy at this time of the season and for the two months ahead.

The Eastern Conference in particular looks incredibly top-sided.

You could make a case for the Atlanta Hawks to have a genuine shot at a First Round upset, but the likes of Detroit Pistons, Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers are expected to progress without too many issues.

Injuries can change the outlook of any team and that has been the case in the Eastern Conference over the last few post-seasons, but going into the Playoffs, this looks like a Bracket that is going to be heating up considerably once the Second Round and Conference Finals Series are played.

The Western Conference has tended to be deeper in recent years, but you can comfortably take the top three Seeds over the field going into the Playoffs.

Oklahoma City are the defending Champions and they will take a lot of happiness out of being on the other side of the Western Conference bracket than the Denver Nuggets and San Antonio Spurs. That makes them favourites to reach the NBA Finals again, especially if the Nuggets and Spurs take chunks out of one another in the Seeded Second Round Series, but the Thunder did not have things all of their own way last year and will not need to be reminded of that, despite finishing with the best record in the regular season.

It is the San Antonio Spurs that stand out as the biggest threat in the West, but the Denver Nuggets have rounded into nice form of their own.

There are also going to be plenty of eyes on every Los Angeles Lakers game to be played with some suggesting that LeBron James could call time on his career at the conclusion of the run. Many hoped he could have a storybook ending with a strong run in the Playoffs, but injuries to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves have severely weakened the Lakers and 41 year old LeBron James may not have the energy to carry his team as he could at his best.

A tough opening Series with the Houston Rockets could see the Lakers season ending prematurely and James will then have some big decisions to make with his Free Agency impending and a number of options on the table.

2023 and 2024 produced positive returns at + 10.49 Units (+ 14.98% Yield) and + 4.06 Units (+ 5.34% Yield), but 2025 was rough.

The final numbers stood at - 9.42 Units (- 11.08% Yield).

It was a really poor run through the Second Round of the Playoffs that proved to be costly in that post-season, but 2026 is an opportunity to bounce back.

As has been the case in previous years, the opening Rounds of the Playoffs are split into the first 'half' of the Series and those selections being in one thread and the remainder of the Series in another.

The reason is to avoid the very long threads developing, although having all of the First Round Series Game 1-4 Picks in one thread cannot avoid lengthy posts regardless with eight Series played.

NBA Playoffs 2026- First Round Picks Game 1-4 (April 18th-27th)

Saturday 18th April

Toronto Raptors @ Cleveland Cavaliers Game 1 Pick: There was an opportunity for the Cleveland Cavaliers to put in a big effort to try and move up to the Number 3 Seed in the Eastern Conference, but ultimately a decision was made to make sure key contributors were available at full health when the First Round Series were to begin.

They showed little concern as to who they would be facing in the First Round and Cleveland were perhaps most focused on making sure they did not run into the Boston Celtics in the Second Round of the Playoffs.

In saying that, the Cavaliers had to be anticipating facing the toughest of the likely First Round opponents in the Atlanta Hawks, but a late slip in the regular season allowed the Toronto Raptors to move into the Number 5 Seed.

There won't be too many Cavaliers upset at this First Round Series instead of the one that could have been against the Atlanta Hawks.

However, that will be bulletin board material for the Toronto Raptors who may have struggled against the best teams in the NBA, but who did win all three regular season games played against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The quirk of the schedule means all of those games were played before December and there has been a significant roster change for the Cavaliers since then, but Toronto fans can take some real encouragement out of that record.

In the last couple of road games in the regular season, the Raptors were blown out by both the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks and they will need some of the leaders to step up on the return to the Playoffs. This is a team that is still transitioning into one that can challenge at the top of the Eastern Conference with regularity, but the key to this Series is bringing a real Defensive intensity into every game played.

The Raptors struggled with some of that down the stretch in the regular season and will be having their first look at the Cavaliers with James Harden in the lineup.

However, the opening games of the post-season will be something of a learning curve for the Cleveland Cavaliers- they may have traded for Harden before the deadline, but injuries have hurt the roster and that has meant limited time spent on the court with what Cleveland will feel is the strongest lineup. While they have had some minutes, you do have to wonder if that is going to be an early factor in the Playoffs with the Cavaliers looking to make a fast start and avoid giving Toronto too much encouragement.

Cleveland do look like a team that will have considerable success Offensively, but the questions have long been about whether that is going to cover the obvious downgrade Defensively of bringing in James Harden for Darius Garland. They showed something in the last few regular season games, but the three point Defensive performances were worrying, even if there is a feeling that this current Raptors team are not best suited to exploit those concerns.

The battle on the boards is going to be key, but the Game 1 of First Round NBA Playoff Series have tended to be dominated by the home team in recent years.

Pressure can be created by this Cleveland Offensive unit and they should be stronger on the other side of the court with the likes of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen on the floor.

The head to head is largely irrelevant considering how long ago the last of those meetings were and the Cleveland Cavaliers should have the qualities needed to move into a 1-0 lead.

Home teams are 12-4 against the spread in the last two Playoff seasons in Game 1 of the First Round and big favourites are still thriving in this Round.

Toronto will have the shooting power to stay competitive for a while, but the Cavaliers should have enough to pull clear in the second half and they can open this Playoff run with a solid win and a cover.

Minnesota Timberwolves @ Denver Nuggets Game 1 Pick: The last two seasons have ended in Western Conference Finals defeats, but it feels like the Minnesota Timberwolves are going to slip back a little this time around.

For the second season in a row they have earned the Number 6 Seed in the Western Conference, but a Series with the Denver Nuggets looks very challenging for the Timberwolves. In 2024, Minnesota did upset the then defending Champions 4-3 in the Western Conference Second Round Series, but it may surprise Nuggets fans if they are extended beyond a Game 6 in 2026.

That sounds disrespectful to a team that have reached back to back Conference Finals, but Minnesota have slipped from the level they produced twelve months ago, even slightly. In a competitive Conference, that slight slippage is enough to change the narrative all around a team, while Anthony Edwards has been banged up down the stretch.

The Timberwolves are going to need Edwards at close to full health if they are going to upset the odds in this Series, but they may take encouragement from the fact that the Denver Nuggets have had key role players missing significant time. Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson provide a really strong support to Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray and both are going to be very important for the Nuggets if they are to have a deep run in the post-season.

Denver fans thought the team were about to embark on their own legacy creating run when winning the NBA Championship in 2023, but have suffered heartbreaking defeats in each of the last two seasons. Both have ended in the Western Conference Second Round with a Game 7 defeat, but the Nuggets enter the post-season with a twelve game winning run under their belts, which helped Denver secure the Number 3 Seed.

Doing so means avoiding the Oklahoma City Thunder until the Conference Finals, but the Nuggets are experienced enough to avoid looking beyond this First Round Series.

After winning that Western Conference Second Round Series in 2024, Minnesota had a very good record against the Denver Nuggets, but that has changed in the 2025/26 regular season. They have played four times in this regular season and while the Timberwolves won the last of those, Denver won the first three of those games and it will give a veteran group that much more belief in the match up.

In the last couple of weeks of the regular season, Minnesota were not playing with the same consistency as the Denver Nuggets and they will need their own experienced group to really step up on the Defensive side of the court. Recent games have seen the Timberwolves struggling Defensively and allowing opponents to have plenty of success from the field, although Minnesota will pride themselves of being able to get out and make things difficult for the three point shooters.

The real test not only in Game 1, but throughout this First Round Series is for the Minnesota Timberwolves to be able to impose themselves Offensively- they have been shooting the ball pretty well, but the Denver Nuggets have the size to dominate the boards and have been stopping opponents from picking up some momentum. The difference is that the Nuggets can be attacked from the three point range and so the Timberwolves have to find their rhythm quickly in this one.

A strong end to the regular season means the momentum is behind the Denver Nuggets and they can become the latest home team to open Game 1 of the First Round Series with a very good win.

You cannot ignore the recent match up between these teams, but Denver may have things figured out right now and the health of the roster gives them an opportunity to win and cover the spread in this opening game.

Atlanta Hawks @ New York Knicks Game 1 Pick: After reaching the Eastern Conference Finals and feeling like they could have gone further, all of the pressure is on the New York Knicks to find way back into the NBA Finals and perhaps end a long wait for a Championship.

They won the NBA Cup, but the New York Knicks finished with the Number 3 Seed in the Conference.

There was a real hope that this Seed would result in a First Round Series with the Toronto Raptors, who have lost all five games against the Knicks in the regular season. Instead the Knicks have been 'rewarded' with a First Round Series against the Atlanta Hawks who were one of the hottest teams in the NBA after the All Star Break and who can play with the freedom of having 'nothing to lose'.

In pre-season, many believed the Hawks would be much improved by pairing Trae Young with Kristaps Porzingis.

Injury and poor form meant that failed to really operate as hoped and both players have since been moved on and that has opened the door for younger players to burst through and show their worth. Jalen Johnson has really raised his level and looks like he is ready to take the next step in his development, but the Hawks have a number of younger, hungrier players that have proven their own worth.

Add to that roster the likes of CJ McCollum, Jonathan Kuminga and Nickeil Alexander-Walker and you have a number of players not only with Playoff experience, but with Conference Finals experience.

Together, it makes the Atlanta Hawks dangerous and perhaps the most out of all four of the lower Seeds in the Eastern Conference.

The New York Knicks will appreciate the threat posed by the opponent and that is clear despite winning two of the three regular season games.

However, those two wins have come by a combined 6 points and the one game played at Madison Square Garden ended in a blowout win for the road team.

New York have been very good Offensively all season, but the real challenge for them is producing stronger Defensive efforts, which had been a feature of the Tom Thibodeau reign before he was fired as Head Coach at the conclusion of last season. The Knicks will score, but this is a dangerous Atlanta team to go shot for shot with and that will allow the Hawks an opportunity to make this a very competitive Series.

The Hawks were beaten by both New York and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the final few days of the regular season, but the Knicks have struggled when facing teams with winning records. That victory came by a three point margin and this feels like one of those opening games in the First Round of the Playoffs where the road team can push forward and make use of the points being given to them.

The experience edge is with the New York Knicks in terms of how the current rotation have fitted together in the Playoffs previously, but the Hawks are playing very well and have been for some time.

Over the next few days, Atlanta will be chasing a split of the opening two games to be played at Madison Square Garden and this opening game may offer the best route to achieving the split at a minimum.

Houston Rockets @ Los Angeles Lakers Game 1 Pick: If the NBA Playoffs begun at the beginning of April, the Los Angeles Lakers would have been a trendy pick to come out of the Western Conference.

The blowout loss alone to the Oklahoma City Thunder would not have changed the narrative, but losing both Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic to significant injuries changes the entire outlook of this team. Both players are struggling to make it back for any potential Second Round Series and the Lakers are set as the underdog in the First Round, despite finishing with the higher Seed.

LeBron James is still here and he has inspired the Lakers to three wins in a row that have secured home court in the First Round Series.

However, the veteran has plenty of experience and will fully understand the kind of challenge that awaits the Los Angeles Lakers in this Series with the Houston Rockets, even if the Number 5 Seed have not lived up to the expectations of pre-season.

Bringing in Kevin Durant was supposed to take Houston to the next level, but this is another veteran NBA Champion whose best days are behind him and that leaves the Rockets short. They allowed some very important players to leave to bring in Durant, which was costly for the Phoenix Suns when they were developing into a team that were expecting to challenge at the very top of the Western Conference, and Houston are going to find it tough beyond the First Round.

In the First Round Series, the Rockets are right to be set as favourites and they are looking to continue the recent trend of big road favourites being able to win and cover when set as such in the First Round of the Playoffs.

The Rockets were firing at the end of the season and will have confidence even if they lost three of the four regular season games against the Los Angeles Lakers, including both played last month. Those were played with both Reaves and Doncic in the lineup, but this Lakers team is not nearly as efficient without them and LeBron James is 41 years old and it is asking a lot of him to carry those around him.

Houston cannot afford to take anything for granted in this Series and they are going to be looking for the opening split of the first two games of the road. Taking away home court as soon as possible is the ambition for this team and it just feels like the Houston Rockets have been peaking at a good time at the end of the regular season.

Respect has to be given to this Lakers team that have won three in a row and twice as the underdog, but this is a considerably tougher test.

There will be pressure on the Lakers Defensively when it comes to dealing with Kevin Durant and the match up he has on the court and this is another of those games where it feels like the home team can be opposed, even if Game 1s of recent NBA First Round Series have heavily leaned in the favour of the hosts.

Road favourites of more than 4.5 points have a very strong 40-21-1 record against the spread in the First Round of the Playoffs, and that can balance out home advantage with the Houston Rockets looking like the stronger team and with enough late season momentum to do enough to snatch home court away from the Los Angeles Lakers at the first opportunity.

Sunday 19th April

Philadelphia 76ers @ Boston Celtics Game 1 Pick: Winning the opening Play In Tournament game has pushed the Philadelphia 76ers into the NBA Playoffs as the Number 7 Seed and that means a First Round Series against the Boston Celtics.

They came into the season knowing there would be a huge reliance on the 'big three' of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George, but injuries have seen all three miss significant time on the court. Joel Embiid was not available for the Play In Tournament win over the Orlando Magic and the team have announced that he is not going to suit up for Game 1 of the First Round Series either.

Credit has to be given to VJ Edgecombe for stepping up to the plate- he arrived as a high Draft Pick, but Edgecombe may have been expected to ease into his professional career, but has not been overawed by the opportunities that have come up.

He had 19 Points and 11 Rebounds in the win over the Magic and the Philadelphia 76ers will have gained some confidence from having won three games in a row.

Despite that, the 76ers enter Game 1 as a big underdog and that has plenty to do with the fact they are facing a Boston Celtics team that have overachieved all season without Jayson Tatum. The expectation was that the Celtics would largely coast through this campaign and then look to bounce back when Tatum would be fully healthy in the 2026/27 season, but things changed thanks to the performances of those who have been operating in the Celtics uniform all season.

Jaylen Brown has thrived as the leader, and that has encouraged the Boston Celtics to give Jayson Tatum the freedom to decide how healthy he feels before returning.

Unsurprisingly Tatum has shown his own leadership by returning from his devastating injury sooner than anticipated and he has fitted back in seamlessly with the team.

With that in mind, it is no surprise to see the Boston Celtics move into one of the favourites spots in the Eastern Conference, but they will not be taking anything for granted and will need Jayson Tatum at close to his best. There is a depth on the roster that does make the Celtics dangerous and they can come out and make a big early statement in this First Round Series by covering the very big line set.

Big favourites have tended to perform very well in the First Round of the NBA Playoffs, while the Number 2 Seed in this Round have been very good at covering in the first two games of the Series and when set as a favourite of more than 4.5 points.

Respect has to be given to the Philadelphia 76ers for the Defensive efforts they have continued to produce even without Joel Embiid in the lineup and that could help them keep this one close.

However, the Celtics are very strong on the Defensive side of the court themselves and Boston can perhaps match the 16 point victory over the 76ers recorded in early March.

Phoenix Suns @ Oklahoma City Thunder Game 1 Pick: Knocking off the Golden State Warriors in the final Play In Tournament game means the Phoenix Suns avoided becoming the first team to lose two homes games at that stage of the post-season and be eliminated from the First Round of the Playoffs.

There was some tension at the end of that victory, but the Suns won't care as the young squad enter the Playoffs with a chance to build some experience that will help in the development of the team.

As you can tell, expectations before the season were pretty limited and the Phoenix Suns will have already overachieved by earning the Number 8 Seed.

At the same time, the Phoenix Suns will want to show what they are all about when they face the defending Champions and Number 1 Seed in the Western Conference. The Oklahoma City Thunder remain favourites to win the NBA Championship again and they will be pretty happy with this match up, rather than facing the veteran Golden State Warriors who could have used their Playoff experiences to make things awkward.

Encouragement for the Phoenix Suns is that they split a four game regular season series with the Oklahoma City Thunder, including a win on this court on the last day of the regular season. However, that was a victory over a second string Oklahoma City team and two of the other three regular season meetings ended in blowout losses.

Phoenix fans have to believe that they can show enough youthful exuberance and Defensive intensity to at least give the top Seed something to think about, but this opening game feels like a tough spot on limited rest.

The road team may hope that the relatively long layoff for the Oklahoma City starters could perhaps slow the early rhythm and that could give the Suns an opportunity- however, the Thunder are an experienced group now and the home crowd should give them all of the motivation to find their shooting very quickly.

It is the three point shooting that makes the Thunder very dangerous in this match up with the Phoenix Suns and that has shown up in a couple of blowout wins over this opponent in the regular season.

Twelve months ago, the Oklahoma City Thunder won Game 1 against the Memphis Grizzlies by 51 points and they can certainly overpower this spread set.

Another home team being set as a very big favourite is the play in this First Round Series.

Orlando Magic @ Detroit Pistons Game 1 Pick: The last couple of years have seen the Detroit Pistons improving and developing, but they still surprised most by finishing with the best record in the Eastern Conference. Despite that, the consensus seems to be picking the Boston Celtics, New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers as more likely winners of the Conference and that can only mean this Pistons teams is a Number 1 Seed who are going to be playing with a chip on their shoulder.

Out of the four hosts on Sunday who are all facing in Play In Tournament teams, the Detroit Pistons have been set with the lowest point spread, although they remain a big favourite.

They are facing the Orlando Magic in the First Round after the Number 8 Seed crushed the Charlotte Hornets to take their place in the NBA Playoffs- they had been beaten at the Philadelphia 76ers earlier in the week, but the performance against the Hornets will have given the Magic a huge boost in confidence.

Taking that performance into this First Round Series is the key for the Orlando Magic and they will not need reminding that they won the last time they faced the Detroit Pistons, albeit at home. That was in a game that was played earlier this month and the Orlando Magic have a group of players who have Playoff experience and will certainly believe they can offer some real resistance to the top Seed.

However, the victory was against a Detroit team without Cade Cunningham, but the star player has returned and put some valuable late season minutes into the legs. The Pistons have shown they can be very good without Cunningham, but no one will be surprised to hear the importance of having in the lineup and keeping him healthy is key to any significant run that can be put together over the next couple of months.

Both home games played against the Orlando Magic ended in strong Pistons wins earlier this season and they will be keen to make an early statement in this First Round Series.

Credit has to be given to the Magic for the Defensive intensity they have shown down the stretch, but this is a tough challenge for them against a confident Detroit Offensive team that knows how to get the best out of the whole roster.

It is the other side of the court where Detroit can really take control of this First Round Series and they will believe they can largely contain what the Orlando Magic will be bringing onto the court. The Pistons are gritty and tough and will battle on the boards, while showing that intensity to get out to shooters and Detroit can make a strong start to this First Round Series.

Orlando are on a relatively short rest with just a day between games and after putting in an emotional effort to make sure they did not slip out of the NBA Playoffs before it really gets underway.

Last year the Magic had a big more preparation time for Game 1 of the First Round in the Playoffs when coming into the bracket as the Number 7 Seed- they were still blown out by the Boston Celtics and this Detroit Pistons team can come out with a big win to open the 2026 post-season.

Portland Trail Blazers @ San Antonio Spurs Game 1 Pick: Gregg Popovich had considerable successes during his long tenure as Head Coach of the San Antonio Spurs, but he stepped down from the role at the end of last season. That came after the sixth consecutive year of missing the NBA Playoffs, but the Spurs look like they are not only back, but capable of winning a NBA Championship as soon as June 2026.

It has been a remarkable leap in performance from the Spurs who have been able to bring in Victor Wembanyama to become the face of the franchise.

One of the only concerns around Wembanyama is his durability with the last couple of years seeing him miss plenty of regular season games, but the All-Star has improved his numbers in each of the last two seasons since his rookie season.

Wemby is looking healthy going into his first Playoffs and the San Antonio Spurs have to be credited for the manner in which they have built the roster around him. They have come on leaps and bounds this season and San Antonio fans will only have to listen to their best player to know how well the Number 2 Seed have competed with the defending Champions Oklahoma City Thunder throughout this season.

Looking too far ahead would be a mistake considering the Spurs have landed in the tougher side of the Western Conference bracket, but they will be largely happy with the First Round Series against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Much like the Spurs, the Trail Blazers are developing the roster in the right way and that means needing some patience and allowing players to build up their experience- beating the Phoenix Suns earned the Portland Trail Blazers the Number 7 Seed through the Play In Tournament and this First Round Series will certainly help in the development of the roster going forward.

It is a tough match up against the San Antonio Spurs.

The Trail Blazers lost two of the three regular season games and that was without San Antonio being at full strength and it may be tough for this young group to compete with the qualities of the Number 2 Seed.

The challenge for Portland is to try and pick up the Defensive intensity and see if they can at least create nerves within this Series, but there are two games to open on the road and Portland will have to steal away Home Court if they are going threaten an upset. It is a big ask for the Trail Blazers considering the form in which the San Antonio Spurs finished the regular season, especially as the Spurs have been a real powerhouse on the Defensive side of the court.

There is a lot to like about some of the younger players on the Portland roster, but finding a consistent scorer in this Series may be the obstacle between them and an upset.

San Antonio are another double digit favourite, but this is a game in which the lean is with the 'under' of the total points line set.

Both teams could be focusing on making sure they scheme up on the Defensive side of the court and all three regular season meetings finished below the total that was set on the night. The double digit spread is right on an awkward mark when you think the Spurs won by 13 points and 11 points in those two regular season victories.

The Spurs are more likely to cover seeing as Victor Wembanyama had limited time on the court against the Portland Trail Blazers and is a difference maker, but backing the under looks the play in Game 1.

Over the last six seasons, the under has been the play in Game 1 of the First Round Series and that looks the right play here.

MY PICKS: 18/04 Cleveland Cavaliers - 7.5 Points @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

18/04 Denver Nuggets - 6.5 Points @ 1.91 William Hill (1 Unit)

18/04 Atlanta Hawks + 5.5 Points @ 1.91 William Hill (1 Unit)

18/04 Houston Rockets - 5.5 Points @ 2.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

19/04 Boston Celtics - 12.5 Points @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

19/04 Oklahoma City Thunder - 13.5 Points @ 1.95 Bet365 (1 Unit)

19/04 Detroit Pistons - 8.5 Points @ 1.91 William Hill (1 Unit)

19/04 San Antonio Spurs-Portland Trail Blazers Under 221.5 Points @ 2.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

First Round Update: 

European Tour 5- European Darts Grand Prix Day 2 Picks (Saturday 18th April)

The top Seeds are all due out on Saturday when the Second Round of this European Tour 5 event is played across two Sessions.

There are some good looking matches set to head out and the fans are in for a fun day with plenty of home players also in action.

Kevin Doets to win & most 180s v Jermaine Wattimena: This is a clash between two friends, but Kevin Doets has been getting the better of Jermaine Wattimena in recent meetings.

Kevin Doets is clearly in the stronger form over the last month, and he can build on that with the superior scoring likely to be a factor.

The maximums have been coming thick and fast for Doets and that could be a key to getting past Wattimena again.

Wessel Nijman - 1.5 legs v Ryan Searle: You can never dismiss the chances of a World Championship Semi Finalist, but Ryan Searle would be the first to admit that Wessel Nijman is playing the best darts on the floor this year.

He has taken a couple of heavy losses to the young Dutchman over the last twelve months and Ryan Searle may struggle to make his Seeding count in this one.

The consistency of Wessel Nijman can see him find a way to come through without the need to be dragged into a final Leg decider.

Josh Rock to win & most 180s v Keane Barry: Any player who has a win under their belt ahead of the Second Round at any European Tour event is to be respected.

Keane Barry has played some solid darts in 2026, but there are real signs that Josh Rock is warming up with his Premier League form improving.

Outside of that tournament, the Northern Irishman has produced much stronger results consistently and Josh Rock could have too much scoring for Keane Barry in the last match of the Afternoon Session.

Gerwyn Price to win & over 2.5 180s v Dave Chisnall: He did not look at his best in Rotterdam on Thursday, but another couple of days should have seen Gerwyn Price move through the illness that kept him out of both Players Championship tournaments earlier this week.

He was scoring well enough on Thursday, but Luke Littler had a bit too much.

This is unlikely to be the case from an inconsistent Dave Chisnall and Price should have too much for the opponent in this Second Round.

The only risk with adding at least 180s to be scored by Gerwyn Price is that Chisnall has been playing poorly enough to fall away without pushing the Welshman too deep.

Nathan Aspinall to win & most 180s v Jeffrey de Zwaan: After winning European Tour 4, a well rested Nathan Aspinall can make a solid start to the next big event he has entered.

His maximum hitting has not been an issue over the last several months, but Aspinall can be wasteful on the doubling, which has prevented him from having deep runs at the Majors.

Jeffrey de Zwaan should be respected, but he has been in mixed form over the last couple of months and the higher Ranked player can complete the Match Double in this Second Round match.

Joe Cullen v Gian van Veen: The latter is playing in the Premier League, but Gian van Veen has not been playing at his best over the last month.

He is still a quality operator and is rightly favoured, but Joe Cullen has a habit of lifting his game against the better players and looks a big price for the upset.

Recent form has not exactly been inspiring, but Joe Cullen is a streaky player and looked in decent shape in the First Round.

Of course he is going to have to be better if he is to upset one of the top players on the Tour, but Cullen has beaten Gian van Veen in each of the last four meetings- two of those were played last year and the World Number 32 could find a way in this best of eleven Leg format.

MY PICKS: Kevin Doets to Win & Most 180s @ 2.40 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Wessel Nijman - 1.5 Legs @ 2.00 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Josh Rock to Win & Most 180s @ 2.10 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Gerwyn Price to Win & Over 2.5 180s @ 2.10 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Nathan Aspinall to Win & Most 180s @ 2.10 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Joe Cullen @ 3.00 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

European Darts Grand Prix: 1-3, - 2 Units (4 Units Staked, - 33.33% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2026 (Saturday 18th April)

The tournaments being played around Europe are all coming to a conclusion this weekend and the attention will soon turn to the Madrid 1000 event for both the ATP and WTA Tours.

The top of the ATP event has lost both Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic with both players citing injury- the withdrawal of Alcaraz is more worrying considering he pulled out of the event in Barcelona before playing his Second Round match and the defending French Open Champion will be desperate to get some more clay court tennis under the legs at the Rome Masters in early May.

We know that Novak Djokovic is all about peaking for the Grand Slams, but his fans will also like to see him take part in a clay court event before the French Open gets underway at the end of next month.

The WTA event in Madrid is intact at the time of writing, but things can change quickly on the Tour as most begin to think about the second Grand Slam of the season.

Alexander Zverev - 4.5 games v Fabio Cobolli: At the end of March, Fabio Cobolli set a new career high World Ranking mark at Number 13 and he can move even higher than that if he is able to win the ATP Munich title on Sunday.

The performances at this event have been pretty strong, but the Italian has benefited from a draw in which he has not faced anyone Ranked higher than World Number 40.

You can only beat what is placed in front of you and so credit has to be given to Fabio Cobolli for the manner in which the wins have been produced. This is a clay court event, but it says something when you think Cobolli has only been broken twice in three matches, although he will be the first to admit that his serve will be tested considerably more by the World Number 3 compared with the opponents that have been seen off in this tournament.

Alexander Zverev showed his qualities in coming from behind to beat Francisco Cerundolo in the Quarter Final and he is very comfortable playing in front of the home fans. After dropping the first set 7-5, Alexander Zverev lost just two more games against a very solid clay courter, and he looks to have his eye in on the return of serve.

There is a pretty small sample of clay court results at this stage of the season, especially for these two players who have both begun the red dirt experience since the Tour moved back to Europe.

The numbers are pretty similar, but it cannot be ignored that Alexander Zverev has been facing considerably stronger opponents than the younger player across the net. It means Fabio Cobolli probably has another level to find if he is going to compete in this Semi Final and Alexander Zverev should be comfortable with the match up.

He has won both previous matches against Fabio Cobolli and Alexander Zverev has won all five sets played against one another.

They met at the French Open last year and Alexander Zverev was a very comfortable winner in that Third Round meeting- the higher Ranked player proved to have a real edge when it comes to the service numbers and that could play out again in a tournament that Alexander Zverev has really enjoyed.

In a best of three set format, this is a big spread, but Alexander Zverev has been playing with the intensity and qualities to find a way to break down the Fabio Cobolli game and ultimately make relatively comfortable passage into yet another Munich Final.

MY PICKS: Alexander Zverev - 4.5 Games @ 2.10 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 4-1, + 2.34 Units (5 Units Staked, + 46.80% Yield)

European Tour 5- European Darts Grand Prix Day 1 Picks 2026 (Friday 17th April)

The European Tour heads back to Germany across this weekend where the European Darts Grand Prix will be played.

Some of the top Premier League contenders are preparing to join the party in the Second Round, but the top two Ranked players in the world are both missing. Once again this will feel like it opens the door for others, although there are plenty in the kind of form to believe they would be able to knock off Luke Humphries while he continues to find a way to lose matches he should win.

The First Round at this European Tour event is going to be played across two Sessions on Friday before the entire Second Round is concluded on Saturday.

In all likelihood, the winner of this tournament is expected to be starting on Saturday, but don't tell that to players like Wessel Nijman, Niels Zonneveld and Kevin Doets who have been putting together strong form in the lead up to European Tour 5.

Kevin Doets - 2.5 legs v Jurgen van der Velde: The aforementioned Kevin Doets should have too much for Jurgen van der Velde in the First Round in Germany and back up the Players Championship win over this opponent.

He had two solid outings at those Players Championship events held earlier this week and Kevin Doets also reached the Semi Final of European Tour 4 having produced some quality darts.

All of the momentum is with him and that makes Doets dangerous going into this weekend, but he has to make sure he is switched on against his fellow Dutchman.

Jurgen van der Velde is outside of the top 100 in the World Rankings and has struggled for consistency over the last couple of months.

Some of his averages have been really sub-standard and Kevin Doets should be able to overpower him.

Andrew Gilding - 1.5 legs v Paul Krohne: You don't always know what you're going to get out of Andrew Gilding, but he reached the Third Round at the last European Tour event played and has also had a run into the Players Championship Semi Final earlier this week.

That should mean Goldfinger is pretty confident with the darts being thrown, although overlooking Paul Krohne would be a mistake.

Strong doubling helped Krohne upset Cameron Menzies in the last European Tour event and he gave Josh Rock a scare, but he is not as experienced as Gilding and that could be important.

Recent improvements in the form certainly makes Andrew Gilding the right favourite and he may have just enough to push through to the Second Round without needing a deciding Leg.

Dirk van Duijvenbode & Kim Huybrechts both over 2.5 180s: This is one of the last matches heading out in the Evening Session and it could be a cracker.

Germany may be hosting, but there should be plenty of noise being made for a Dutchman and a Belgian in this First Round shoot out.

Kim Huybrechts has certainly been showing signs of getting back into the form that pushed him into the upper echelons of the World Rankings and he had four wins in Players Championship settings earlier this week. He reached the Third Round at the last European Tour event and may have felt he could have won that match against Jonny Clayton, but the confidence will have improved and Huybrechts has been peppering the treble.

That is always the case for Dirk van Duijvenbode who is looking to bounce back having lost three matches in a row.

Maximum hitting is rarely the issue, but the World Number 27 could be a vulnerable favourite in this one.

When they met earlier in the year at the Players Championship, nine Legs were played and Dirk van Duijvenbode came through with the victory. Notably both crashed in a lot of maximums in that match and Kim Huybrechts perhaps deserves the nod as the underdog if he can compete in the scoring department as he has been in recent outngs.

Daryl Gurney to win & over 1.5 180s v Oskar Lukasiak: He is still up at World Number 23, but Daryl Gurney has been struggling for consistency and that always makes him a tough player to read.

This First Round match is very winnable, especially against an opponent who has lost every Players Championship match played this year and both at the World Masters.

Only at the UK Open did Oskar Lukasiak find a winning feeling, but there is no doubt he is struggling and that should see the Northern Irishman bull his way through to the Second Round.

In the Players Championship 10 tournament on Tuesday, Daryl Gurney had nine maximums in two matches played and he can produce at least two on his way past his Swedish opponent in the penultimate match of the Evening Session.

MY PICKS: Kevin Doets - 2.5 Legs @ 2.00 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Andrew Gilding - 1.5 Legs @ 2.00 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Dirk van Duijvenbode-Kim Huybrechts Over 2.5 180s Each @ 2.20 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Daryl Gurney to Win & Over 1.5 180s @ 2.05 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Darts 2026: 48-71, - 14.08 Units (116 Units Staked, - 12.14% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2026 (Friday 17th April)

The Quarter Final matches at the four big events being played this week have all been scheduled for action on Friday, but there are only two selections from the matches available.

After a 3-0 start to the week, the hope is that these two selections can continue the positive start to the clay court season.

One of those comes from  the ATP 500 tournament being played in Barcelona and the other from the WTA 500 tournament in Stuttgart.

Some of the top contenders for the French Open title can lay down an early marker at these 500 events, although there are still bigger events to be played in Madrid and Rome at the 1000 level.

However, as mentioned earlier this week, the Masters event in Madrid tends to have a very different feel to the other events during this European clay court run and may be one to keep a watching brief before the Rome event and the last run up into the second Grand Slam of the season.

Rafael Jodar - 3.5 games v Cameron Norrie: It was never going to be easy being the next player to break through in British Tennis during the Andy Murray era, but Cameron Norrie has put together a strong career. He continues to be a brilliant competitor every time he steps onto the court and there is something to be said about that.

At his peak, Cameron Norrie reached World Number 8, while he reached the second week at all of the Grand Slam events with his best effort being a Semi Final run at Wimbledon in 2022. This is an all-court player who reached the French Open Fourth Round for the first time just last year and Cameron Norrie has battled through a couple of Rounds to reach the Quarter Final here in Barcelona this week.

Later this year, Cameron Norrie is turning 31 and there was a feeling several months ago that his best tennis was now behind him.

No one will suggest this is a flashy player, but Norrie will grind every time he steps on the court and his numbers are pretty similar across the surfaces.

Cameron Norrie serves well enough on the clay courts and will get himself into the return rallies to remain dangerous, and the veteran is sure to have learned plenty out of the one-sided defeat suffered to Rafael Jodar on the hard courts of Acapulco in February.

On that day, the young Spaniard won 82% of his service points played and broke the Cameron Norrie serve three times and Rafael Jodar has continued his 2026 form on the clay courts with two solid wins at this event.

That comes after winning a title in Bucharest at an ATP 250 level and Jodar has looked comfortable at this 500 level, although he will respect the fact that he is facing the highest Ranked opponent on this surface so far this season.

Rafael Jodar was not at his very best in the Second Round, but he continues to serve really effectively and that is allowing him to build real pressure on the return. Those numbers on that side of the court are really impressive and it feels like the 19 year old is going to have enough to get past Cameron Norrie.

It should be closer than the meeting in Acapulco now that Norrie has had a proper look at the opponent, but Rafael Jodar is on track to really move up the World Rankings and this is a surface that should favour him to enough of an extent to earn the win and the over of the spread set.

Coco Gauff - 3.5 games v Karolina Muchova: The French Open Final was played in some incredibly difficult conditions, but credit has to be given to Coco Gauff for holding it together for longer than Aryna Sabalenka to win that Grand Slam in 2025.

She has long been very comfortable on the clay courts and Coco Gauff would have been confident of winning the French Open after recent experiences on the surface. Last year, Gauff put together another impressive year on the clay, although the one poor tournament was right here in Stuttgart.

A comfortable win in the Second Round will have given Coco Gauff early momentum and she is going to be happy with the match up in this Quarter Final.

Karolina Muchova is a former French Open Finalist, but she has not played too much clay court tennis over the last couple of years.

That takes away nothing from the ability Muchova has shown to play on all courts, but she has lost all six Tour meetings against Coco Gauff and this has proven to be a difficult opponent to work out.

Karolina Muchova has put together two solid wins in Stuttgart, but she has simply not been able to impose her serve on Coco Gauff in those previous six matches. That is going to be even tougher to achieve on the clay courts, while the World Number 3 has to be credited for getting more out of the first serve on this surface.

This could become an awkward spread where the line currently stands.

However, Coco Gauff's comfort on the clay courts gives her every chance of maintaining the advantage over Karolina Muchova with another win over this opponent.

MY PICKS: Rafael Jodar - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Coco Gauff - 3.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 3-0, + 2.54 Units (3 Units Staked, + 84.67% Yield)

Premier League Darts Night 11 Picks 2026 (Thursday 16th April)

Just six weeks remain in the Premier League Darts before we enter the Play Offs at the end of May and the pressure is building on those hoping to take part.

Night 10 was a week of upsets and a third Nightly win for Jonny Clayton should be enough for the current Premier League leader to feel pretty confident he will be one of the final four standing.

Luke Littler and Gerwyn Price both failed to add to the points already achieved, but at 21 and 19 points respectively, they probably need to avoid Quarter Final defeats in half of the next six weeks and that should be enough to progress to the Semi Final. They are due to face off on Night 10 in Rotterdam, but there will be no sense of panic as far as the player losing a second consecutive Quarter Final is concerned.

It was a strong week in Brighton for Michael van Gerwen, although he will be disappointed he was not able to close out the Nightly win having moved into a dominant position in the Final against Clayton. Three more points keeps him in 4th place though and van Gerwen is now 4 points clear of Gian van Veen in 5th place which means the pressure is certainly building on those hoping to chase a Play Off spot.

One of those now beginning to look like he is in a desperate position is the defending Champion.

Luke Humphries has not played poorly, but he has lost far too many matches he should have won and 11 points means he has a lot of work to do over the next few weeks- it has been a really poor campaign in terms of results with only one Final reached and Humphries having been beaten in his opening match in half of the Nights played, including on each of the last three weeks.

While not quite in 'must win' mode, Luke Humphries has to dig in being on the tougher half of the draw on Night 11 nad facing Luke Littler in the Quarter Final on Night 12.

If Luke Humphries still has some hope of pushing into the top four, the same can be said for Stephen Bunting who also has 11 points on the board, but he HAS to win his Quarter Final on the weaker side of the draw in Rotterdam, even if Bunting is set to face an improving Josh Rock.

Another European Tour event will be taking place in Germany this weekend, but some of those in the Premier League were involved in Players Championship tournaments earlier this week.

Challenges of getting to these European Tour events have been frustrating for some of the British and Irish players making their way onto the continent, but that should be less problematic from Rotterdam.

The two Lukes are not attending, but a good field is getting together at the European Darts Grand Prix ahead of this weekend's action.

Before that, the latest Premier League Night will have to be played and completed.

Luke Littler to win & most 180s v Gerwyn Price: After the criticism that was hurled his way following a controversial conclusion to his defeat against Gian van Veen, Luke Littler did not look at all interested in his Quarter Final defeat to Stephen Bunting last week.

He is a young man and mistakes will be made, but the PR team that should be supporting Littler has let him down and he is likely to receive an 'interesting' response in Rotterdam on Night 11.

There are times when the crowd can dictate the Luke Littler mood, but he should be focused on this Quarter Final as he looks to maintain the current edge over Gerwyn Price.

The Welshman has been playing like the second best player in the world through 2026, but he has been a little under the weather earlier this week and that could be an issue in this match. Even at full health, Gerwyn Price has found a way to come up a little short when facing Luke Littler and all four Premier League defeats have been in competitive matches.

It is the Night 7 Final defeat that will particularly sting as Gerwyn Price failed to convert a 5-0 lead in a race to six Legs, but he will be happy with his overall form in 2026.

However, if Price is not yet fully recovered, he could come up a touch short again and Luke Littler's power scoring has seen him complete this Match Double in all four Premier League wins over The Ice Man.

Luke Humphries to win & most 180s v Gian van Veen: Dropping down to 7th place in the Premier League standings has put Luke Humphries under immense pressure to find a string of positive results over the next month.

Three Quarter Final losses in a row will have dented some of the confidence, while Luke Humphries had a couple of mixed days in Players Championship action earlier this week.

This looks a seriously tough test for the World Number 2, at least from a mental point of view, with Night 11 of the Premier League being played in Rotterdam.

Both Dutch players taking part in the Premier League will receive huge support and it is Gian van Veen going out first for this Quarter Final.

Four matches between the players in 2026 have been split with two wins apiece, while they are 1-1 in the Premier League.

However, there is a lot on the line in this Quarter Final with the two points so important to the chances of one of these players to start getting closer to the top four positions.

Gian van Veen did get to the Final of a Premier League Night a couple of weeks ago, but his overall recent form has not been the best and that has to give Luke Humphries a huge amount of encouragement. The World Number 2 remains the bigger maximum hitter and he will need to find some early rhythm in this one to make sure he earns enough opportunities at the doubles to find a way into the Semi Final.

The home fans may not be best pleased by the result in this Quarter Final, but they may have more to celebrate soon afterwards.

Michael van Gerwen to win & both players over 1.5 180s v Jonny Clayton: He may still be wondering how he was beaten in the Night 10 Final, but the three points earned has put Michael van Gerwen in a strong position in the standings.

More work has yet to be done if the Dutchman is going to return to the Play Offs, but he can snap this losing run against Jonny Clayton.

Credit has to be given to the new Premier League leader for a third Nightly win and the battling display from Jonny Clayton to recover from 2-5 behind to win the Final can only give him further confidence. There has been little wrong with the level of performance produced so far in 2026 and Clayton continues to hit plenty of maximums and show strong doubling when it really matters.

Ending a run of early losses will have been a boost for Clayton, but Michael van Gerwen can use the home crowd to continue picking off the points.

Jonny Clayton put a few wins together across a couple of Players Championship tournaments earlier in the week, but Michael van Gerwen will have been preparing for Rotterdam and can edge past the League leader in what should be another quality Quarter Final.

Josh Rock most 180s v Stephen Bunting: Winning Premier League matches three weeks in a row means Josh Rock has closed on 7th placed Luke Humphries, but he has not been able to string the wins together in each of those Nights.

He has long known that he likely needs to win at least three Premier League Nights if he is going to have any hope of making the final four, but the positive for Josh Rock is that fans are seeing the kind of level he can produce.

The averages are improving, but most notable is the maximum hitting which had deserted Rock earlier this season.

He goes into this Quarter Final as the favourite to progress, but Stephen Bunting will haveb something to say about that having put together a better overall Premier League record compared with last year. There is still a real hope for Bunting fans that their man can reach the Semi Final at the end of May, but he is another who just needs to find some consistency and especially having landed in the 'weaker' half of the draw on Night 11.

Stephen Bunting may win, but Josh Rock's recent maximum hitting has been very improving all of the time- despite playing fewer matches than this opponent, Josh Rock has been peppering the treble 20 bed and now has just one fewer maximum than Stephen Bunting.

All of the pressure is on Bunting and that may allow Josh Rock to continue to show the fans what he is all about and why he was selected for the Premier League in the first place.

MY PICKS: Luke Littler to Win & Most 180s @ 2.60 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Luke Humphries to Win & Most 180s @ 2.75 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Michael van Gerwen to Win & Both Players Over 1.5 180s @ 2.87 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Josh Rock Most Maximums @ 2.10 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Darts 2026: 47-68, - 12.83 Units (112 Units Staked, - 11.46% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2026 (Thursday 16th April)

There may have been plenty of matches scheduled on Wednesday, but enough doubt around the majority of them meant a single selection was made.

Rafael Jodar came through some tough moments to earn his straight sets win over Camilo Ugo Carabelli for the second time in this clay court season and Carlos Alcaraz withdrawing from the Barcelona tournament means all eyes will be on the other young Spaniard who is now beginning to make headlines.

He will have to wait until Friday before the Quarter Final matches begin, but Thursday is all about completing the Second Round matches across the various tournaments being played this week.

Once again a number of matches have come close to being selected, but ultimately have not quite convinced enough and that means going with two selections from the ATP Munich event.

Francisco Cerundolo - 3.5 games v Botic van de Zandschlup: The move into the clay court season means there is limited samples of how players are performing, but some are more comfortable on the red dirt compared with others.

The World Number 19 Francisco Cerundolo is one of the more comfortable clay courters and tends to take in the South American Golden Swing in between the Australian Open and the big hard court events in North America in March. That was the case again in 2026 and Cerundolo does win plenty of matches on the clay, which is a solid reason behind his overall World Ranking mark.

A title has been won on the surface earlier this year, but Francisco Cerundolo suffered a relatively early loss in the opening tournament played on the European clay courts.

A comfortable win in the First Round against a Lucky Loser has taken Francisco Cerundolo through to this Round and he is the right favourite in this match.

You have to have respect for the early clay court form shown by Botic van de Zandschlup who reached the Semi Final in Budapest and who has another win under his belt here in Munich. However, it should also be noted that the 30 year old has yet to face anyone Ranked higher than World Number 60 on the surface and his numbers in recent years suggest the current level is unlikely to be sustained through the two big Masters events coming up before the French Open.

This is a player that has been pretty reliant on his serve, but that cannot be the case on the clay courts and that is where Francisco Cerundolo should have the edge.

He has won the two previous meetings between the players and both on the hard courts in 2025.

Francisco Cerundolo did not drop a set in either of those two matches and his confidence on the red dirt should make sure he is in a position to move into the Quarter Final behind another strong win against this opponent.

Alexander Zverev - 4.5 games v Gabriel Diallo: The most consistent Grand Slam success produced by Alexander Zverev has been at the French Open and he was leading Carlos Alcaraz in the Final of that Slam two years ago before eventually being beaten in five sets.

There is no doubt that Alexander Zverev will be heading to Paris as one of the favourites, although at the same time most would have Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner significantly shorter prices in the outright markets.

Yet another defeat to the new World Number 1 at the Monte Carlo Masters underlines the challenges that face Alexander Zverev when it comes to finally winning a Grand Slam. The feeling remains that the window has closed barring unexpected defeats for the top two players in the world, but Zverev cannot think like that and the Semi Final run in Monte Carlo is a reminder of his qualities.

Alexander Zverev is expected to have too much for Gabriel Diallo in this Second Round contest in Munich, especially as the World Number 37 has had limited success on the surface.

He took advantage of a Lucky Loser spot to enter the main draw at the Madrid Masters in 2025 and Gabriel Diallo reached the Quarter Final at that ATP 1000 event. However, Diallo will have to accept that he was given a pretty kind draw and the Canadian was just 3-5 on the clay court outside of that run in Madrid.

Opening defeats in Bucharest and Monte Carlo will have done little for the confidence and Gabriel Diallo beat a Qualifier Ranked outside the top 200 in the First Round here in Munich.

Suffice to say that this Second Round match is a significant step upwards and Gabriel Diallo was well beaten by Alexander Zverev at the Australian Open back in January. That was a First Round match played on a surface that would suit Diallo more than the clay courts here in Munich and it may be a tough ask to stick with the top Seed in this ATP 500 tournament.

MY PICKS: Francisco Cerundolo - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Alexander Zverev - 4.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 1-0, + 0.91 Units (1 Unit Staked, + 91% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2026 (Wednesday 15th April)

The clay court season has gotten underway earlier this month, but a decision was made to skip making any Tennis Picks at the Monte Carlo Masters.

There are plenty of big events to be completed before we get to the French Open at the end of the month and there are three 500 level events this week in Barcelona, Munich and Stuttgart with some big names on both the ATP and WTA Tour in action.

It should be remembered that there are still plenty of clay court specialists out there and those have to be respected, while some top names are much more comfortable on the faster surfaces rather than the red dirt.

We have already seen another meltdown from Daniil Medvedev last week in Monte Carlo, while some of the top American names are skipping some of this part of the season knowing they are much more dangerous when it comes to the hard or grass courts. Others that are playing become vulnerable to the upsets that the layers may not always price up as they should and so there is a lot of consideration given to a number of factors that can change the selection.

Taking note of the kind of clay court tournaments coming up is also important- the Madrid Masters plays very different to the other clay events and the French Open and tends to throw up many more upsets than most events at this time of the season. Conditions tend to see the ball fly that much quicker through the air and the surface so that may be another event which needs to be watched, rather than having multiple selections made, but that is something to consider when the tournament comes around next week.

A decent start to the season took a knock in March with the Indian Wells and Miami Masters both getting the better of the selections.

Overall we have to be happy with where the numbers currently stand, but building momentum towards the French Open is important and that is the focus over the next six weeks until the second Grand Slam of the season gets underway.

Rafael Jodar - 4.5 games v Camilo Ugo Carabelli: After the retirement of Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz has become the poster boy for Spanish Tennis, but there is another Rafael making his way up the World Rankings.

19 year old Rafael Jodar may not have made the early waves of Alcaraz, but he is operating at a career best World Number 55 after winning the title in Marrakech earlier this month. A Wild Card has been handed to him to take his place in this ATP 500 event in Barcelona and the same can be expected at the ATP 1000 event in Madrid and Rafael Jodar could make significant leaps in the World Rankings right through the French Open.

He has played well on the hard courts as well as the more natural clay and that makes this teenager someone to keep an eye on.

Veteran Jaume Munar was dismissed in the First Round very comfortably and Rafael Jodar is a pretty significant favourite in this match up against Camilo Ugo Carabelli.

The 26 year old Argentinian is the World Number 43 and like many of his compatriots, Camilo Ugo Carabelli is very comfortable on the red dirt. Earlier this season he won a Challenger event in Argentina and later reached the Quarter Final at the ATP 250 tournament held in Buenos Aires.

Early losses in Rio de Janeiro and Santiago will have been a disappointment during the South American Golden Swing, but Camilo Ugo Carabeli reached the Semi Final in Marrakech to boost confidence.

That run was ended by Rafael Jodar as they prepare to meet for a second time on the clay this month, and the real test for Camilo Ugo Carabelli is whether he can find a way to get his teeth into the Jodar serve. It was a problem in Marrakech with Ugo Carabelli creating just 2 Break Points in a straight sets defeat as he struggled to make an impact on either the first or second serve return.

While only a small sample, Rafael Jodar's serving in his six clay courts matches in 2026 has been really impressive and he has backed that up by keeping the pressure on opponents with his return.

If Camilo Ugo Carabelli can get his first serve rhythm going, he can be dangerous and put some pressure on the younger player. However, the second serve can be a real weakness and Ugo Carabelli was broken four times when these players met in Morocco.

Winning just three games again is unlikely, but Camilo Ugo Carabelli may struggle to still cover this spread set for the Second Round match in Barcelona.

MY PICKS: Rafael Jodar - 4.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Season 2026: 93-80, + 9.20 Units (238 Units Staked, + 3.87% Yield)

Boxing Picks 2026- Tyson Fury vs Arslanbek Makhmudov (Saturday 11th April)

The run of Boxing nights featuring the top names in the Heavyweight Division began last week at the O2 Arena in London when a really poor refereeing display overshadowed the Deontay Wilder-Derek Chisora main event.

Another poor judging day in the United Kingdom will not have gone down very well with the fans and it is certainly something that promoters will have noted when thinking about bringing the fighters to this part of the Boxing world.

It hurts local talent on the 'B' side of the card as Gully Powar found out, but he raised his profile and is going to get another big opportunity to become British Champion and then progress to the world level.

A rematch has been ordered, which is the least that Powar deserved, but he should have been given the right decision by judges who continue to make poor decisions in the UK.

The main event of the night saw Deontay Wilder perhaps set up a bout against Anthony Joshua- he looked better than he has, but Wilder still looks a long way past his best and so the next fight may have to be against one of the big names in the Division before retirement beckons.

It should be the last time we see Derek Chisora in the ring, but you just never know with Del Boy.

Tyson Fury vs Arslanbek Makhmudov

Almost sixteen months have passed since Tyson Fury was beaten for a second time by Oleksandr Usyk and soon announced his retirement from the sport.

Like the 'boy who cried wolf', no one believed this latest retirement would last much longer than previous ones announced by Fury.

He is back and still in denial about the results of the two fights with Usyk and so a third attempt at becoming Undisputed is the ambition- Tyson Fury believes he won both previous bouts, but it felt like he was a close loser in the first one and a much more comfortable second best in the rematch.

None of that really matters now and Tyson Fury is making a return with some big money fights still on the table.

With Usyk showing little appetite for a third fight, Fury's team are focused on a long-awaited contest against Anthony Joshua, which will still garner plenty of attention in the UK at the very least. Some have suggested that the teams are already speaking about a match up in Dublin, which would be something of a surprise, but before all of that, Tyson Fury has to make sure he looks good on Saturday.

That is not going to be easy for someone who has been out on the ring for the time that Fury has, nor when you consider his last three outings.

However, this is a big step down from Oleksandr Usyk and Fury looked completely out of shape when narrowly edging past Francis Ngannou in what should have been a very straight-forward exhibition style win.

Arslanbek Makhmudov had a big reputation until being battered into submission by Agit Kabayel and was also beaten by Guido Vianello eight months later.

He has not been acting nearly as menacingly as he had been before those defeats and wins over Ricardo Brown and Dave Allen are not the kind of results that suggest Makhmudov is ready for this kind of opponent.

As with any layoff, Tyson Fury may need some time to really get going in this one, but he is not the elusive puncher of old times and instead is likely going to plant his feet and unload.

There is no doubt that Arslanbek Makhmudov is there to be hit and Tyson Fury may be able to roll through the gears in the second half of this contest once the ring rust is shaken off a little bit. The opponent is one that has been broken down before and Fury is capable of doing the same here on his return with a late Stoppage perhaps the outcome to remind fans of his qualities and capabilities in the ring.

The chief support on the card is featuring Conor Benn as his new promoters drag Regis Prograis up to the 150 pound limit for this Ten Rounder.

It will be a real surprise if there are any rehydration clauses attached to this bout and so Benn is going to be a lot bigger in the ring.

The name value of Prograis is not as high as it once was, while rumours around his fitness ahead of this bout had swirled and suggested he was going to withdraw. Even Eddie Hearn has suggested Regis Prograis was not fit enough to fight, but the American has downplayed all of those reports.

Back to back defeats to Devin Haney and Jack Catterall suggested Regis Prograis' best days at the top were over, but he has been given this opportunity.

Unfortunately it feels like he has been brought over to be Stopped for the first time and Conor Benn may be able to get this one done before halfway, even if The Destroyer is still vastly overrated.

Two Heavyweight contests also feature on the undercard with fighters looking to either take the step up towards world level, or avoid falling too far from those levels.

In a crossroads bout, two fighters who have defeats to Fabio Wardley on the resume meet- Justis Huni has not fought since his loss to Wardley in June last year, while Frazer Clarke recovered from the wipeout defeat to the WBO World Champion in October 2024 by winning one fight before losing to Jeamie TKV.

Frazer Clarke looked completely lost in that defeat to TKV, especially in the latter stages when he was fortunate to avoid being Stopped.

The Australian opponent in this one has quick hands and had Fabio Wardley in all sorts of trouble before the latter found a special punch, but Justis Huni will feel he belongs at that level considering how far Wardley has progressed.

His speed can just wear down Frazer Clarke here and Justis Huni may be more ready to finish the fight when the opportunity comes up to just get himself moving back towards the very biggest names in the Division.

The aforementioned Jeamie TKV takes on Richard Riakporhe with the British Heavyweight Title on the line.

This is a closer contest than the layers feel, but Riakporhe may just have enough to edge past the Champion.

Jeamie TKV is tough, resilient and will come to fight, but The Midnight Train should have a bit too much quality in the exchanges in his third bout at Heavyweight. He is going to have to use some of the athleticism to avoid getting caught up in clinches and have the Champion wearing him down, but if Richard Riakporhe can do that, he may have the necessary quality and accuracy to force a Stoppage.

Earlier in the day, there is a card taking place in Japan involving a couple of veterans taking on home fighters.

Pedro Guevara has only been Stopped once in a fifty fight career, but the 36 year old Mexican is only a couple of fights removed since that blowout defeat to Bam Rodriguez.

Losing to a pound for pound superstar is one thing, but Pedro Guevara is taking on 3-0 Tomoya Tsuboi in this contest.

The 30 year old is on a fast track and he Stopped another veteran, Carlos Cuadras, in Eight Rounds back in November. That was only the second time that Cuadras had been Stopped in his long career and Tomoya Tsuboi may be able to ratchet up enough pressure to do the same to Pedro Guevara.

In the main event, Juan Francisco Estrada is looking for a second win in a row since his own loss to Bam Rodriguez, although the former World Champion put up a much sterner performance than Guevara managed.

He has been inactive in recent years, which is not ideal for the 35 year old, but Estrada is expected to have too much for Tenshin Nasukawa who was beaten for the first time in November.

Juan Francisco Estrada is still highly Ranked in the Bantamweight Division and he can set up a bout with Takuma Inoue by matching the Japanese fighter and also beating Nasukawa on the cards.

MY PICKS: Tyson Fury to Win Between 7-12 @ 3.00 Coral (1 Unit)

Conor Benn to Win Between 1-5 @ 2.20 William Hill (2 Units)

Justis Huni to Win by KO/TKO/Disqualification @ 1.83 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Richard Riakporhe to Win by KO/TKO/Disqualification @ 2.00 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Tomoya Tsuboi to Win by KO/TKO/Disqualification @ 2.30 William Hill (1 Unit)

Juan Francisco Estrada to Win @ 1.83 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Boxing 2026: 11-23, - 9.72 Units (51 Units Staked, - 19.06% Yield)