Tennis Picks 2025 (Tuesday 4th February)

The first Grand Slam is in the books and there would have been plenty of people who would have backed Jannik Sinner to retain the title he won in Melbourne in 2024.

The World Number 1 underlined his position as the top hard court player after picking up a third straight Grand Slam on that surface and he is now enjoying some time away from the court having withdrawn from the ATP 500 event in Rotterdam.

He is expected to return later in the month when the Tour moves into the Middle East where a couple of big ATP tournaments are played in and around the WTA events.

Once again it was the women's event that created the bigger upset at the last Grand Slam with Madison Keys winning a Major for the first time in her career.

All credit has to be given to any player that can beat the top two players in the Rankings in consecutive matches as Madison Keys did and the American has to also be credited for being able to hold herself together as well as she did in the Semi Final and Final against Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka respectively.

Can Madison Keys kick on and win more big tournaments? It isn't beyond her talent, but inconsistency has been a feature of her career and Keys is also going to be playing with a bigger target on her back, which has been tough for first time Champions to deal with in the recent past.

All of the big names are heading to the WTA 1000 events in Doha and Dubai, which begin next week, although Madison Keys has decided to withdraw from the first of those events through a hamstring injury. That does increase the likelihood of Keys next being out on the court when the US hard court tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami are played next month.

There are a couple of big events being played this week and it is an important month on the Tennis Tour.

A decision was made to have a break after the Australian Open, if only to reset and in a week where Davis Cup and smaller events were taking place.

The 2025 Australian Open was night and day compared with the 2024 results and having a positive foundation to build upon is clearly a much better position to be in compared with twelve months ago.

It may not be a week in which Tennis Picks are made every day, especially with my tighter margins used at the Australian Open, but there is a lot of players out on the courts and plenty of matches to get through.

Of course it is most important to put some winners together and it is important to build on the performance from the Slam in Melbourne.

Alex De Minaur - 5.5 games v David Goffin: The home Grand Slam is always going to mean more to any player on the Tour and it was a very big moment for Alex De Minaur when he found his way into the Australian Open Quarter Final for the first time.

Despite that, the overall feeling out of the tournament may be one of disappointment after barely being able to lay a glove on Jannik Sinner in a very convincing defeat.

The run in Melbourne has pushed Alex De Minaur back into the top eight of the World Rankings, but the key for the Australian is to build on his performance. The Ranking has been built on the fact that Alex De Minaur tends to beat the players he should, but this is the first match since that Quarter Final defeat in front of his friends and family and we will get to find out how much that has affected the World Number 8.

Twelve months ago, Alex De Minaur was the Runner Up in Rotterdam having lost the Final against nemesis Jannik Sinner, but that run will at least mean he is returning to a favourable court.

First up is veteran David Goffin who is a former World Number 7, but at 34 years old is now outside the top 50 in the Rankings and who is having a tough opening to the 2025 season.

Four matches have been played by David Goffin this season and he has lost all of those, although the Belgian did at least win a set for the first time last week in Montpellier. The real concern for Goffin has to be the fact that all of the defeats have been against players Ranked lower than himself and now he has to face a top ten opponent who has been playing with a lot of confidence, even if the last time we saw him on the court was in a horribly one-sided defeat.

David Goffin is really struggling to protect his serve and someone like Alex De Minaur is going to make him play a lot- he is only holding 56% of service games in his four matches this year.

To make matters tougher, David Goffin has to overcome a 0-5 professional head to head record against Alex De Minaur, which includes losing ten of the eleven sets played. They actually met here in Rotterdam last year and De Minaur won very easily, while David Goffin has only held 50% of the service games played against the Australian in his career, which suggests he is going to have a hard time turning things around in 2025.

The Alex De Minaur serve is not a big weapon for him against the top players on the Tour, but over the last twelve months, he has held 85% of service games played on the hard courts when facing players Ranked outside the top 20 in the World Rankings.

With the head to head in his favour, Alex De Minaur can grind down David Goffin in this First Round match and he can cover this relatively big spread. In their last three matches, David Goffin has won three, four and four games and two of those matches have been right here in Rotterdam where the higher Ranked player can find a way to cruise through to the next Round.

MY PICKS: Alex De Minaur - 5.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

2025 Season: 27-14, + 15.40 Units (79 Units Staked, + 19.49% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2020 (February 4th)

The Australian Open put a stamp on the first month of the 2020 Tennis season and if it is any indication of what we are going to see over the next eleven months then it is more of the same from the last couple of years.


The Women's Tour is Wide Open- all credit has to be given to Sofia Kenin for winning her maiden Grand Slam title and becoming the tenth different name to win the last twelve Women's Grand Slam titles.

However it is more of an indication that a void remains at the very top of the Women's game since Serena Williams has been unable to return to the heights she reached back in 2017 before having a baby. The American is no longer someone who inspires dread amongst the rest of the Tour, but there isn't one clear name leading the way.

Over the last couple of years we have seen multiple Slam Champions and a consistent changing of the Number 1 World Ranking, while I don't think any tournament going forward will have a consensus pick amongst the fans out there.

Sofia Kenin is going to have to show she can compete with the label of being a Slam Champion, but her overall numbers are not leaping off the page to think she will become the top player on the Tour on a consistent basis. At this moment I would suggest there are a dozen players out there who are capable of going on a two week hot streak which can see them win a Grand Slam and I do think there are many who are going to regret not taking advantage of the current vacuum at the very top of the WTA Tour.

The clay court and grass court seasons are perhaps a little more specialist, but Ashleigh Barty won in Paris and Simona Halep won in London which shows anyone is going to be capable.


Will Serena Williams catch Margaret Court let alone Overtake her?- When Serena Williams won her twenty-third Singles Grand Slam title in Australia in 2017 it would have been very short odds that she would end her career with more than the twenty-four titles Margaret Court picked up.

Of course at that time we did not know that Williams was expecting her first child, but even then most thought she would return to the Tour and get back to her dominating ways.

It was only a matter of time before she would match Court's record and then overtake it...

However things have not worked out as planned and I do think Serena Williams has lost some of the aura which made it so difficult for players to put her away. In reality she should have perhaps already overtaken Court having lost four Grand Slam Finals since returning and all of those as the clear favourite on the day.

All four losses have come at Wimbledon (twice) and the US Open (twice) so I do think it is premature to rule Williams out from winning at least one more Grand Slam. Even with that in mind you have to wonder if doubts are beginning to enter her game having found someone a little too good on the day.

I would still hazard a guess that Serena Williams will go into each Grand Slam as one of the top two favourites before a ball has been hit, but what was once almost impossible to think otherwise is becoming more and more realistic in each passing month. And that is that the Tennis world will not see Serena Williams overtake Margaret Court's Grand Slam Singles record.


The Next Gen on the ATP are not Quite There- Novak Djokovic recovered from 2-1 down in the Australian Open Final to make sure that for the thirteenth time in a row either himself, Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal was standing victorious at the end of a Grand Slam tournament.

It means no one under the age of 31 years old has a Grand Slam title to their name, although Daniil Medvedev and Dominic Thiem both pushed members of the 'Big Three' to five sets at the US Open and in Melbourne this past week.

That is a stunning issue for players on the ATP Tour and I do think Men's tennis is going to go through something similar to Women's Tennis when the likes of Nadal, Federer and Djokovic slip.

Like Serena Williams, I think those three will always be amongst the favourites as I can't see any of them allowing themselves to hang around on the Tour when they know they can't win Grand Slam titles. And like the Women's game, it may mean we get into a position of seeing multiple different names winning Grand Slam titles as they get hot for two weeks in what is going to be a largely inconsistent performances from the top names.

Alexander Zverev was another who made a breakthrough by reaching a maiden Semi Final so will lead the challenge from the younger players along with Dominic Thiem when we head to Paris, but it feels those players are not quite ready in the best of five set situation. There are some quality names coming up on the Tour, but Men's Tennis needs one of them to break this run of the 'Big Three' while those are still competing at the top of their game.

It'll make a star of that player and also show the rest of the 'Next Gen' that their time is now.


The Three Greatest Men's Players of All Time- I have no doubt we are watching a blessed era when the three best Men's players of all time are competing and pushing each other along at the same time.

Novak Djokovic's eighth win in Melbourne means he has moved to seventeen overall Grand Slam titles and only trails Rafael Nadal by two Slams and Roger Federer by three Slams.

I do think the player that finishes with the most at the end of their career will have a real argument for being the best of All Time and it is stunning to think that only twenty years ago Pete Sampras winning fourteen Slams was considered unthinkable.

Some will say there isn't the depth of competition which has aided the 'Big Three' but I would take all of them over the greats of the past.

Rafael Nadal is without a doubt the best clay court player that has performed, while Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer have strong records in Melbourne and London respectively.

Where I would find it most interesting is if these three players could be taken at their very best and compete with each other at the US Open- Federer has five Slam titles there, Nadal four and Djokovic three and it might be the surface where the true 'best' would be determined.

Right now I am leaning towards Novak Djokovic- I think he has more time to surpass the total Roger Federer has and he is a threat at three of the Slams where Rafael Nadal has long had his issues in Australia and in Great Britain.

The Serb will turn 33 years old in May, but I think he has the best chances of winning multiple Slams before the 'Next Gen' begin to not only get closer, but start to take some of those titles away too.

No matter which may you lean, you have to be grateful for the greatness we have been given over the last twenty years as I don't believe we will see a time like this again.


So the first Tennis Picks of the season are in the books at the end of the Australian Open and it turned out to be a very good start to the 2020 year, although not as strong as last season.

In fact I ended with about ten units fewer than the 2019 Australian Open, although that was an exceptional one for the Tennis Picks and the 2020 tournament was simply a strong one.

Novak Djokovic's win proved to be key with the five pre-tournament units recommended on him at odds against, while the daily picks recovered from being in a ten unit hole to finish with a strong profit too over the two weeks in Melbourne.

I have a couple of Tennis Picks from the ATP Cordoba First Round matches to be played on Tuesday and underneath that I have updated the weekly totals as well as the season totals.

Monday proved to be a difficult day with the three selections all losing, but there is time to bounce back in a long week.


Roberto Carballas Baena - 2.5 games v Pedro Martinez: The Golden Swing has begun in South America and this is the first tournament in the run over the next month.

For these two Spaniards it is the first clay court event they are taking in during the 2020 season and both Roberto Carballas Baena and Pedro Martinez have to be happy that they are back on their favourite surface.

Pedro Martinez may have a slight edge as he had to come through a couple of Qualifiers to reach the main draw and so has some feel for the surface again. On the other side his compatriot will play his first clay court match of the 2020 season, but I expect Carballas Baena to be relatively comfortable quite quickly on a surface on which he would have played the majority of his tennis throughout his life.

It is the older Spaniard who has had the better of the numbers on the clay courts, but Martinez is still only 22 years old and showing signs of improving. The level of competition will be increasing for Martinez if he wants to make a career for himself on the main ATP Tour and much is going to depend on how much he can get out of his serve.

I am not going to read too much into the two wins in the Qualifiers when Pedro Martinez was serving well as he has been winning 58% of his service points on this surface in each of the last two seasons. Those have come below the main ATP level too and I would expect Roberto Carballas Baena to challenge that side of his game as he has when beating him four times in a row on the clay since 2018.

Roberto Carballas Baena has had the more reliable serve and similar return numbers to Pedro Martinez in the last couple of years on the clay courts. That has shown up in the head to head where Carballas Baena has held 82% of his service games played against Martinez compared with 52% for the latter.

There should be breaks of serve in the match, but I think Roberto Carballas Baena is the stronger clay court player at this time and should be able to settle into the match before pulling away for the win.


Albert Ramos-Vinolas - 3.5 games v Facundo Bagnis: Two southpaws meet in the First Round of the tournament being played in Cordoba and Albert Ramos-Vinolas is a pretty big favourite to make it through to the Second Round.

The first match back on the clay courts might be the biggest factor going against Ramos-Vinolas in this one, especially as he is playing someone who is entering his second tournament on the surface.

Last week Facundo Bagnis reached the Quarter Final of a Challenger event and he has won two Qualifiers to get into the main draw here. He is very comfortable on the clay courts and spends the majority of his time on the surface, but his numbers have long taken a hit when he has stepped up to take on the main ATP Tour.

That has been the case for his opponent in recent times too, but Ramos-Vinolas has also made hay at the Challenger level. The Spaniard is off a strong season on the clay courts as he got back to basics following a tough year on the main ATP Tour in 2018, and the Spaniard also has a long history of wins over Bagnis which should give him an edge.

Albert Ramos-Vinolas has won all three previous matches against the Argentinian he faces on Tuesday and he has not lot more than four games in any of those wins. The first two came early in their careers, but the most recent was last year in Sao Paulo and I do think the head to head is relevant with that in mind.

Where Albert Ramos-Vinolas has been strong behind serve, Facundo Bagnis has struggled massively to the point where he has held less than 50% of the service games he has played against the Spaniard. At the same time he has barely dented the Ramos-Vinolas serve and I do think it is going to be difficult for things to change drastically even when accounting for the fact that Ramos-Vinolas is playing his first clay court match of the season.

This time last year Ramos-Vinolas did need three sets to win his opener in Cordoba, but this has been a good match up for him. The home support may be with Facundo Bagnis, but I think Albert Ramos-Vinolas is too good for him on the day and can cover this mark.

MY PICKS: Roberto Carballas Baena - 2.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Albert Ramos-Vinolas - 3.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 0-3, - 6 Units (6 Units Staked, - 100% Yield)

Season 2020: + 13.78 Units (149 Units Staked, + 9.25% Yield)

Super Bowl LII Pick- New England Patriots vs Philadelphia Eagles (February 4th 2018)

Super Bowl LII- New England Patriots vs Philadelphia Eagles

The NFL season has come and gone in the blink of an eye and we are down to the final two teams in the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles who meet in the Super Bowl in Minnesota on Sunday 4th February 2018.

It looks a good game on paper with enough intrigue to make the Super Bowl 'must watch' TV and not only for the commercials and half time show either.

The New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles have come through the Play Offs in similar ways with one dominant win and one tough one that could have easily gone the other way.

For the Patriots it was an easy night in the Divisional Round as they dominated the Tennessee Titans after some early issues, while they were then having a few issues with the tough Defensive Jacksonville Jaguars who could so easily have won the AFC Championship Game.

The Philadelphia Eagles had it the other way around as they battled past the Atlanta Falcons in the Divisional Round when holding them out as the Falcons threw into the End Zone for the win at the end of the Fourth Quarter. They then dominated the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Championship Game and the Philadelphia Eagles will not have worry about being the underdog in the Super Bowl having won both home Play Off Games as the underdog already.

That is going to inspire them in the Super Bowl as people failed to believe Nick Foles would be able to do enough to cover for the injured Carson Wentz. Some of that was down to two really average performances in the regular season and I am still not sure Nick Foles is going to be able to reach the level he did against the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Championship Game.

I was very impressed with the throws he made against a very strong Minnesota Defensive unit, but I also have to say that the Vikings produced their worst performance of the season on that side of the ball. The Vikings Defensive unit may be better than the one the New England Patriots have, but that performance in the NFC Championship Game was far below how well the Patriots can play and so Nick Foles has to expect a much tougher test of his ability in the Super Bowl.

Bill Belichick would have been studying the tape over the last couple of weeks and I think that is going to make a difference against Foles. Taking away one of the key contributors is going to be an issue for Foles as he may have to go through his progressions a little more, although a similar level to the one he produced against Minnesota would definitely give the Eagles plenty of chances to move the ball and score points against this New England Defensive unit.

Foles can have success in this one, but has to be aware of the pass rush that New England have been able to generate up front. So far the Eagles have been able to overcome the loss of Jason Peters and Lane Johnson remains as good as any Right Tackle in the NFL, but the Patriots will give them different looks up front to try and get to Foles and at least force him to get the ball out of his hands earlier than he would like.

It might be down to Foles to keep the chains moving as the Patriots continue to play the run effectively enough. However the likes of Jay Ajayi are able to come out of the Running Back spots to catch short passes and make some big plays in the open field so New England will have to make sure they are fully focused on tackling as well as they can.

The Quarter Back will take his shots against a good Secondary and I expect Foles to connect with some of the deep shots too. However the Patriots have some top playmakers in the Secondary and Foles has to be at his best to make sure he gives the Eagles the very best chance to win the big game.

Questions about Nick Foles' temperament have been raised throughout the last two weeks and we really won't know how he can handle the pressure until kick off. That is not the case with Tom Brady and the New England Patriots who are so used to playing in the last game of the season and the match up at the line of scrimmage is crucial for the Philadelphia Eagles to try and at least rattle the future Hall of Famer.

Philadelphia have the talent on the Defensive Line to get after Brady without sending more than four men after the Quarter Back and that is crucial to their chances of the upset. Throughout a stellar career we have seen Brady struggle when being put under pressure by four men and that has led to erratic performances, but his experience should mean he is at least able to make some big plays for the New England Patriots with a full complement of Receiving weapons available after Rob Gronkowski cleared the concussion protocol.

Like the Eagles, New England will likely lean on their Quarter Back more than running the ball against a tough Defensive Line. However, also like the Eagles, the Running Backs are very capable Receivers either lining up wide or coming from out of the backfield and Brady is more than happy to provide short passes that those Backs can catch and produce big plays in the open field.

There will be a respect for the Philadelphia Secondary who have played well and have some stellar talent in their ranks, but Brady will look to open them up with the short to mid-range passes which could see someone like Brandin Cooks break a big one. Mainly I expect Brady to rely on the short passing game to keep the chains moving and try and tire out a Philadelphia pass rush which could then see the Patriots take over this game.

Picking a winner is still tough though because I like the way the Eagles have been built and I honestly think they would win if they had Carson Wentz. As well as Nick Foles played against Minnesota, expecting that level again seems a stretch to me and I can see Bill Belichick finding the system to slow down the Eagles Offensively.

Seeing the New England Patriots as the public team has been the norm in recent years, but the public are firmly behind the Philadelphia Eagles as the underdog in this one. That has seen the point spread shrink to an acceptable level here and I do think the New England Patriots can use their superior Quarter Back play help them get the better of a Philadelphia team that may need the perfect performance from their back up Quarter Back to find a way to earn the upset.

Defensively they can slow the Patriots to some extent, but the no-huddle Tom Brady runs is likely to wear down the Eagles and it will all come down to whether Nick Foles can make the big plays on the other side of the ball. I expect Foles to make a few tough throws, but I expect Belichick makes the adjustments at half time to turn this game in the New England Patriots favour and I think they can win yet another Super Bowl and cover this number.

MY SUPER BOWL PICK: New England Patriots - 4.5 Points @ 1.95 Bet365 (2 Units)

Weekend Football Picks 2018 (February 3-5)

There is a quick turnaround in the Premier League this week after a full midweek set of games and another round of fixtures to come this weekend.

The big games keep coming with the stand out fixture taking place at Anfield this week when Liverpool taking on Tottenham Hotspur, but there is plenty of intrigue around the Premier League with congested top four and relegation battles.

My short piece about Alexis Sanchez arriving at Manchester United can be read here and then it is on to the Weekend Football Picks.


Burnley v Manchester City Pick: There is going to be something of a slow down when it comes to the amount of football some clubs are going to play in February with only 3 League games scheduled. That is all Burnley will have on the schedule as they continue trying to surprise the critics with their results, but for Manchester City chasing success on four fronts it is another busy month coming up.

That is making the injuries to the likes of Leroy Sane and Gabriel Jesus stretch the attacking options Manchester City have, although they haven't missed a beat with 4 straight wins in all competitions. The Premier League title looks firmly in their grasp with a 15 point lead at the top and Manchester City will head to Turf Moor with some confidence and the chance to have a seven day rest following this fixture.

Pep Guardiola won't want his players to become complacent despite the lead at the top of the Premier League table and I don't think Manchester City will take their eye off the ball at a tough ground. They are looking to bounce back from a couple of tough away results in the Premier League having drawn at Crystal Palace and lost at Liverpool and I think Burnley is a good opponent for them.

The home team will look to make life difficult for Manchester City by defending in numbers, but they have found it tough to keep them out. Both previous games against Manchester City this season have been played at the Etihad Stadium, but Burnley have conceded 7 times in those games and defending deep will only be successful for so long.

Burnley have also found it tough against the top Premier League teams with 4 of their 5 home League defeats coming to those teams in the top six places. Arsenal won here earlier in the season and the last 3 Burnley home games have been defeats to Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool and Manchester United and now they face the best team in England.

I think Manchester City are in fine form at the moment, although they have tended to be a little more vulnerable away from home. That might sound strange with 10 wins from 12 away Premier League games, but only 4 of those wins have come by more than a single goal margin so Burnley might have some belief they can frustrate their visitors.

Earlier in the season I would have been more confident in Burnley, but I think they have just hit a poor patch at the wrong time. If they score first it could be a real test for Manchester City to turn it around, but I would worry for Burnley if they fell behind. 

Ultimately I think that is the more likely scenario and I don't think Manchester City will be as poor as Manchester United were in securing the second, killer goal when winning 0-1 here. United had chances that day to finish Burnley off and I think Manchester City will take those as they secure a fifth win in a row.


Bournemouth v Stoke City Pick: The bottom half of the Premier League continues to be very congested and that means a couple of bad results, or a couple of positive ones, can make a big differences to where teams stand in the League table. However there isn't much in the points between Bournemouth in 10th place and West Brom in 20th place as teams continue producing inconsistent results against one another to keep things very tight in the bottom half.

Both Bournemouth and Stoke City will come into the weekend in a more positive frame of mind after recent results and I think both Eddie Howe and Paul Lambert would have targeted this fixture as a potential win.

That should mean both managers play attacking line ups in a bid to win the fixture.

Bournemouth are getting the edge from the layers after a really impressive 0-3 win at Chelsea during the week and having a 4 game unbeaten run at the Vitality Stadium to protect. They have won their last couple of Premier League games here, but Bournemouth remain vulnerable with goals being conceded far too regularly for the liking of Eddie Howe.

However Bournemouth score goals and that should put the pressure on Stoke City who have picked up 4 points from the last 6 available. All of those were earned at home though and Stoke City have not travelled that well in recent weeks with 6 losses in their last 7 away from home including a 2-1 loss at League Two Coventry City.

Paul Lambert is trying to take the team back to basics by producing a strong foundation and has been rewarded with back to back clean sheets. Those have come against the likes of Huddersfield Town and Watford though and I think Bournemouth are a much more confident team going forward.

The home team have scored at least twice in their last 4 home games in all competitions which makes Bournemouth dangerous. They have also conceded in their last 7 at the Vitality Stadium and I think there will be chances for these two teams to combine for at least three goals on Saturday.

Since Bournemouth were promoted to the Premier League, 4 of the 5 games against Stoke City have seen at least three goals shared out. The lack of goals Stoke City have scored of late is a concern, but Bournemouth are not watertight at the back and I will look for this fixture to produce at least three goals.


Leicester City v Swansea City Pick: The Riyad Mahrez situation proved to be a distraction for the Leicester City players who have not been happy with the way their team-mate has tried to force a move away from the King Power Stadium. That has to have contributed to the 2-1 loss at Everton during the week and it looks unlikely that Mahrez will be involved this weekend having missed training during the week.

You can understand the frustrations Mahrez has to be feeling having been prevented a move to Manchester City, but the attitude has rubbed up his team-mates the wrong way. It might be a tough road back for Mahrez to be accepted again, but Claude Puel won't be too concerned about selecting the player if he does resume training.

That issue is going to rumble on in the run up to the Premier League game against Swansea City on Saturday and Leicester City can't afford to be distracted against an improving opponent.

Swansea City have beaten Liverpool and Arsenal in back to back League games which has taken them to within a point of safety in the Premier League. Carlos Carvalhal has improved the belief of his players and has Swansea City well organised, although the majority of the better results have come at home.

Taking the results from home and bringing them onto their travels can be tough for any team and Leicester City have been very strong at home in recent weeks. Defensively they are also well organised and I think Leicester City have a little more about them in the final third which can prove to be a difference maker for them on Saturday.

Leicester City have dominated Swansea City in recent years with 7 straight home wins against them and I am looking for the home team bounce back from their loss at Goodison Park. They have 3 clean sheets in a row at home and Leicester City have dismissed Huddersfield Town and Watford in their last couple of League games here.

As improved as Swansea City have been, they have yet to show that same quality away from home and I think Leicester City are able to get the better of them on Saturday. I was hoping Swansea City would be a little over-rated having beaten Liverpool and Arsenal at home, but the layers are yet to be full believers in their full revival and I have to agree with that.

With the goals Leicester City have been scoring coupled with solid defensive performances, I will look for the home team to win this one.


Manchester United v Huddersfield Town Pick: It was a tough night on Wednesday for Manchester United as they were beaten very comfortably by Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley Stadium. That was as poorly as Manchester United have played in any game under Jose Mourinho and I expect to see a big reaction on Saturday as they return home for the latest Premier League game.

The opposition looks a good one for Manchester United as they host Huddersfield Town who have been really struggling in recent games as they have slipped back towards the bottom three.

The Terriers looked a little lost with what they wanted to do in the 0-3 home defeat to Liverpool on Tuesday and they have lost 4 straight Premier League games with the majority of those coming fairly comfortably.

Defensively they have lost some of the structure that was working well earlier in the season and Huddersfield Town will likely defend deep and hope to frustrate Manchester United in this one. However that has not been working as well of late and Manchester United have some special players who can unlock the defence that Huddersfield Town will have on Saturday.

The key for Manchester United will be to put Huddersfield Town under pressure from the outset and force them to go deeper and deeper. The away team have been making a few more mistakes defensively which can hurt them here and I think Manchester United have played well enough in recent weeks to get back to winning ways by bouncing back from the Tottenham Hotspur defeat in the right way.

Manchester United have not been scoring as freely as they would like which is a concern when it comes to this Asian Handicap. However they have recently beaten Stoke City 3-0 at Old Trafford and the likes of Newcastle United, West Ham United and Crystal Palace have been beaten comfortably at Old Trafford this season.

Huddersfield Town have lost 3 of their last 4 Premier League games by three or more goals, and half of their 8 away League defeats have come by three or more goals. I will look for a big reaction from Manchester United on Saturday and back them to cover a big Asian Handicap in the home win.


Arsenal v Everton Pick: There should be plenty of positive voices in the Arsenal home support after the deal to bring in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was completed during the week. However many others will have remembered the really poor performance in the 3-1 loss at Swansea City on Tuesday evening and another poor showing from Arsenal will not be tolerated.

It will also be devastating to their chances of finishing in the top four in the Premier League, but Arsenal have been better at home. They have the attacking quality to give Everton plenty to think about even if Sam Allardyce is going to want to set his team up to be hard to beat.

That has not been the case for Everton in recent weeks with 3 straight away losses and they had not been in great form prior to the 2-1 win over Leicester City on Wednesday evening. Theo Walcott has been though and he could come back to haunt an Arsenal back line which has looked vulnerable, although the most likely result is an Arsenal home win over a team they have dominated in recent years.

With the likes of Mesut Ozil, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Aubameyang in the attacking positions, Arsenal should cause plenty of problems and make up for any defensive lapses they have been producing.

It may also mean this is a high-scoring game with both teams potentially scoring in the fixture. Everton have not been blessed with goals away from home, but they will have some spaces on the counter attack, while they have been conceding a lot of goals for an Allardyce team in recent weeks too.

Arsenal do score and concede goals for fun at times, but I do think they have played well enough at home to win this one. The Asian Handicap looks on the money with good reasons to back either team, but I think backing Arsenal to win a game featuring three or more goals looks a decent price here.

The last 3 Everton away games, all losses, have seen that number hit, while Arsenal have won back to back games at the Emirates Stadium with three or more goals scored.


Crystal Palace v Newcastle United Pick: Any fixture involving teams in the bottom half of the Premier League table playing against one another have a big feel and that is the case on Sunday when Crystal Palace host Newcastle United. These two teams are only a few points clear of the bottom three and the losing team is really going to feel the pressure increasing on them.

That may see both Roy Hodgson and Rafa Benitez take cautious approaches to a game where any point earned could prove crucial at the end of the season.

In all honesty there is more pressure on Crystal Palace who will know how important the home games are to them, while Newcastle United can use this as a 'free shot'. However, Newcastle United fans are ready for outright protest against the direction of the club which has to filtering down to the players who may feel they need a big performance to keep the fans behind them.

Crystal Palace have been playing better at home under Roy Hodgson, but you have to also respect a Newcastle United team who have recently won big away games at West Ham United and Stoke City. Those wins at relegation rivals shows this Newcastle United team can produce in tense moments and Crystal Palace will have to acknowledge the capabilities of the away side.

Even with that in mind, I do give the edge to Crystal Palace with the amount of goals they have been scoring at Selhurst Park since Hodgson took over as manager. There is some real quality in the final third which can challenge a Newcastle United team who concede plenty on their travels, while The Magpies have not been as clinical in the final third.

I think Crystal Palace will show that superiority in the final third in this fixture and they can find a way to earn the three points. It will be close and Newcastle United's results at the London Stadium and Bet365 Stadium show what they can do when they get things right, but I think Crystal Palace have been in decent form and can back that up with an important three points.


Liverpool v Tottenham Hotspur Pick: The race for the top four and getting back into the Champions League looks like the most interesting battle at the top of the Premier League with Manchester City miles clear at the top. Two of the teams chasing those places meet at Anfield on Sunday when Liverpool host Tottenham Hotspur in what has all the makings of a good game of football.

Both teams will look to approach things in a similar manner with strong pressing from the front to try and force the other into mistakes. Both Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur will feel they can have success doing that, although the home team will look to exploit spaces with a quick counter attack too and Tottenham Hotspur may feel they are superior defensively.

That is going to be important for Tottenham Hotspur if they are going to earn a result at Anfield but they have struggled when facing the top teams away from home. They have already lost at Arsenal, Manchester United and Manchester City in the Premier League and you would have to say that Tottenham Hotspur played pretty poorly in all of those games.

Liverpool are also a dangerous team at home as they showed in their 4-3 win over Manchester City and 4-0 crushing of Arsenal, but both Chelsea and Manchester United showed organisation can produce a result here. I don't think Tottenham Hotspur will be as defensive as both United and Chelsea began at Anfield, which will encourage Liverpool, but they have the attacking talent to cause problems for a vulnerable Liverpool defence too.

I was initially leaning towards Liverpool who have a decent home record against the top clubs in recent seasons and have beaten Tottenham Hotspur in 5 of their last 6 meetings at Anfield. I still think they are the more likely winners, but Liverpool have not looked completely at ease in the last couple of weeks and they concede enough goals to encourage Tottenham Hotspur and make them believe they can get a result here.

Tottenham Hotspur's poor away record against the current top six can't be ignored and they have been beaten at Old Trafford, the Emirates Stadium and the Etihad Stadium already this season. That again seems to suggest Liverpool are the right team to back, but I can't ignore the performances since the Manchester City win.

Instead I am going to back at least four goals to be shared out by two attacking teams who will feel they have the threat in the final third to unlock the defences on show. Liverpool have seen that number hit in their home games with Arsenal and Manchester City this season, while Tottenham Hotspur's trip to Manchester City ended with at least four goals too.

These two teams shared out five goals in their fixture at Wembley Stadium and both teams will likely create enough chances to have a chance to reach four goals here. Both teams have shown they can take the opportunities which come their way and I will back goals to be the outcome of this one.


Watford v Chelsea Pick: The final game in the Premier League this weekend is played on Monday night as Watford and Chelsea search for the three points in their relegation/top four battles respectively. Playing the last game of the weekend can increase the pressure on teams if results have gone against them in the earlier fixtures and that could be an issue when Watford and Chelsea kick off.

Injuries have been hurting both clubs, while Chelsea have had a very busy January which has stretched the squad to breaking point. As far as Antonio Conte has been concerned, he has been let down by the Chelsea transfer policy but some new arrivals have come in during the January transfer window.

One of those is Olivier Giroud from Arsenal and the Frenchman could easily be given the chance to to start on Monday with Alvaro Morata struggling. He will give Chelsea the focal point they have been lacking, although the players have to show a better attitude than they did in the 0-3 home defeat at the hands of Bournemouth.

Chelsea have not played that well away from home in recent weeks, but they have been hit and miss with a strong performance resulting in a 0-4 win at Brighton and a poor one ending in a 2-1 loss at Arsenal.

They definitely have the talent to hurt a Watford team who have been out of form and having limited players available for new manager Javi Gracia. However Watford have been tougher to play at Vicarage Road compared with their recent away form, and goals have been easier to come by in front of their own fans.

With the injuries Chelsea are dealing with defensively, Watford can cause problems here and I think they have the talent to score against The Blues. Defensively they will be challenged by the likes of Eden Hazard, Pedro and Willian and this has the makings of a high-scoring game.

7 of the last 8 between Chelsea and Watford have ended with at least three goals shared out including the last 3 Premier League games overall. The last 5 at Vicarage Road have all finished with at least three goals and 4 of the last 6 Chelsea away games have also finished with that number and this game should go the same way.

The recent lack of confidence both teams are experiencing could make it more difficult for the chances to be converted into goals, but there should be opportunities at both ends of this one. Backing at least three goals in a game that could go either way looks the way to approach this fixture.

MY PICKS: Manchester City - 1.5 Asian Handicap @ 1.85 Bet365 (2 Units)
Bournemouth-Stoke City Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.91 Betfair Sportsbook (2 Units)
Leicester City @ 1.85 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Manchester United - 2 Asian Handicap @ 1.91 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Arsenal to Win & Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.86 Boyle Sports (2 Units)
Crystal Palace @ 2.05 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Liverpool-Tottenham Hotspur Over 3.5 Goals @ 2.60 Betfair Sportsbook (2 Units)
Watford-Chelsea Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.90 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Boxing Picks 2017- Chris Eubank Jr vs Ronald Quinlan (February 4th)

Last week was yet another brilliant night of boxing and it doesn't matter if you haven't called it perfectly. The Carl Frampton-Leo Santa Cruz second fight was just as intriguing as the first and there are obvious calls for the decider later this year, a fight that shouldn't be missed putting together.

The first month of 2017 has been really good with some top fights already in the books, but it should be said that this weekend is not exactly a PPV quality card. The Eubanks always seem to do what they want anyway, but I am not convinced ITV will be impressed with the main event, which was originally the only fight that was going to be on the PPV portion of the card.

The decision makers quickly realised that Ronald Quinlan is not really a name that is going to help attract the numbers and so the undercard has now been moved to the PPV section too. All in all I am not sure this is going to make ITV too impressed regardless of which names the Eubanks call out from the worlds of boxing or MMA.

This is no longer the time to call out the big names, but sign the big contracts although I do think a lot will depend on whether ITV get the big numbers for a card that isn't even worth a lot of time if it was on a free to view channel.

David Price vs Christian Hammer

Arguably the best fight of the night comes from the Heavyweight division in what is effectively a World Title Eliminator.

This should be David Price's last chance to get into a position to win a World Title although we have seen boxers like Audley Harrison just hang around the scene for long enough to talk themselves into a fight. A defeat for Price would remove him from the world scene, but he could always be looked as someone that could be rebuilt and fed to Anthony Joshua later down the line.

However, like I have said, this should be a final chance for a boxer who has underachieved in most people's eyes from where he should have been at this stage of his career. Price has been unfortunate that a couple of the defeats he has suffered have come against boxers who have later tested positively for drug use, but most will look at the Liverpudlian as someone who is perhaps a little fragile and not really a threat to the top names in the Division.

Price himself is obviously still full of belief and this is a good chance for him to see whether he is on the right path when he meets Christian Hammer. British fight fans should remember Hammer as the boxer who took on Tyson Fury in Fury's last fight before taking on Wladimir Klitschko for the World Heavyweight Title and the Romanian was retired in the eighth Round that day.

Hammer has rebuilt himself since that loss, which doesn't look so bad when you see where Fury went after that, and his Split Decision win over Erkan Teper is an interesting result. Teper beat Price in two brutal Rounds, although was later found to have failed a drugs test.

The oddsmakers do have Price as the favourite in this one, but he isn't an overwhelming one and Hammer has shown he can be tough and need to be worn down. I think Price has plenty of power, but Hammer managed to take what Teper was able to hand out and that will give him confidence in this one.

Hammer has usually found the world level beyond his capabilities but Price is yet to prove he is going to be able reach that level himself. I do think Price is likely to be the stronger fighter, but Hammer is durable enough to take this one into the second half of the fight as he showed against the likes of Teper and Fury.

A lot of Price's wins have come early in fights when is power is very evident, but I think he may have to bide his time. I do think Price can match the kind of win Fury had over Hammer and I will have a small interest on this fight being stopped in the second half.

Chris Eubank Jr vs Renold Quinlan

There will be some trying to indicate that this is a genuine contest between evenly matched opponents, but don't be fooled for a moment that Chris Eubank Jr isn't handpicking someone he should be taking out with some comfort.

As much as we want to point to Renold Quinlan's win over Daniel Geale as meaning something, the latter is a veteran on the slide and the Australian heading overseas for the first time with an 11-1 record is not going to get too many people backing him for the upset. Quinlan will talk a good game, but there is nothing on his resume to think he is anything more than a chance for Eubank to showcase his talent.

But anyone who thinks this is going to entice the biggest names to fight Eubank Jr is going to be disappointed until the Eubanks realise they are not the 'A' side of any of the fights they have called for. Instead they keep pushing for the lion share of things and that is not going to happen until Eubank Jr can beat someone of note.

That isn't Quinlan and I think this is going to be an easy day in the office for Eubank Jr.

Much will depend on what Eubank Jr wants to prove as to how long this fight is going to last, but I wouldn't at all be surprised if it is an early night for the British fighter. Backing Chris Eubank Jr to win this one inside the first three Rounds looks very possible in this one and is worth a small interest.

MY PICKS: David Price Win Between 7-12 @ 4.50 Sky Bet (1 Unit)
Chris Eubank Jr Win Between 1-3 @ 4.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Weekend Football Picks 2017 (February 4-5)

The last two months have been absolutely terrible when it comes to the Football Picks but I have not been helped with a staggering amount of chances being missed by teams that I have picked or when I have picked goals to be the outcome of a game.

I've lost count of the amount of penalties that have been missed which included Diego Costa on Tuesday night which would have snapped the 1-1 deadlock in the Chelsea game at Anfield and secured that pick as a winner. The night after Juan Mata missed a ridiculous chance in the Manchester United goalless draw with Hull City which may have led to another winner and that is just a very small sample of the way some of these matches have gone.

Don't get me wrong, there have been some poor picks in there too, but I've said many times that you need some luck on your side even when it looks like you are on the right side of the way a match has been developing.


I have written a small piece about Jose Mourinho's first six months at Manchester United and how I feel things are developing under his tenure and the direction the season is heading. That can be read here.


Chelsea v Arsenal Pick: For the neutrals who are hoping for the Premier League title race to be prolonged for at least a few more weeks, anything but a Chelsea win will give them some hope. An Arsenal win would be the best result on Saturday, but for teams chasing the top four positions, a Chelsea will would leave The Gunners looking vulnerable.

That makes this a big London derby to open the latest round of Premier League games and one where much is on Arsenal to show they are still full of belief that they can win the title. The 1-2 loss to Watford is a huge blow to their chances to do that, but I am expecting a reaction from the players unless the thoughts have already turned to other competitions.

This set of players don't really strike me as the kind to do that, and this is a hugely important game for Arsenal in a big month when they face Bayern Munich and also play in the Fifth Round of the FA Cup. The Gunners are a team with goals in them so I do think they can pose a threat to Chelsea, despite the strong defensive performances the home side have put in all season.

Chelsea have been very tough at Stamford Bridge where they have earned 7 clean sheets during a 10 game winning run and they have only conceded more than once in a single one of those games. That, coupled with the Arsenal result on Tuesday, has shrunk the price on the home team to earn the three points although you can still pick them up at odds against.

Instead I am going to back at least three goals to be shared out assuming there won't be another penalty miss to get over that mark like there was on Tuesday at Anfield. Most will look at the Chelsea defensive record and assume they can get back to their run of clean sheets against Arsenal having had 7 in a row against them before the 3-0 defeat at The Emirates Stadium.

However I think it can't be ignored that Chelsea haven't managed too many against the top six this season- they did against Manchester United at home, but Tottenham Hotspur (twice), Arsenal, Liverpool (twice), and Manchester City have all managed to breach the Chelsea back line so it feels like a game where Chelsea will have to score twice to win it.

While I do think they are capable of doing that, I expect a strong performance from Arsenal who have scored in their last 16 away games in all competitions including at Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United and Manchester City. They were terrible on Tuesday, but Arsenal can bounce back and I am anticipating a lively start to this weekend's Premier League action.

The draw might suit Chelsea, but at home they are expected to win so I expect a more positive approach than they had at Anfield in the second half, so backing at least three goals looks to be the call.


Everton v Bournemouth Pick: A few weeks ago Everton would have been a much bigger price than they are to win this game, but I do think they can be backed to do so. Everton have been playing very well in the Premier League in recent weeks and they have won 3 of their last 4 League games here and goals have not been a problem.

Defending has been an issue for Bournemouth though as they continue to struggle in the Premier League and might be heading down towards a relegation battle unless they can turn things around sharpish.

Eddie Howe has been critical of the defending, but that hasn't seen an improvement of a run of 7 in 8 games where they have conceded at least twice. Even worse has been away from home where Bournemouth have lost 5 of their last 6 games and have conceded three times in each of those defeats.

That includes at the likes of Burnley, Hull City and Millwall and Everton have scored at least three times in their last couple of home Premier League games which has to be a concern for Bournemouth. The Premier League can throw up some strange results on a weekly basis, but Everton did beat Bournemouth here last season and recent form suggests they can do the same again on Saturday.


Hull City v Liverpool Pick: Anyone who has watched Hull City since Marco Silva has arrived at the club will have seen the improvement they have made defensively which has made them a much tougher proposition to beat (really hope Paul Merson has been watching after his ridiculous rant following Silva's appointment which highlighted a real lack of knowledge he possesses).

Being hard to beat is obviously a good thing, but Hull City need to start winning games now the likes of Swansea City and Crystal Palace have been doing the same. That has also been an area where Silva looks to have improved Hull City and they did have some chances at Old Trafford during the week even in the absence of Robert Snodgrass.

It was Snodgrass who had been the main creative and scoring force at Hull City before his decision to move to West Ham United, but The Tigers have shown enough bite to suggest they can still score the goals to get out of trouble. They will certainly feel they can pose problems for a Liverpool defence that has had some real difficulties protecting against the set pieces teams have delivered against them.

That looks the best avenue for Hull City to score in this one, but they will be tested by a Liverpool team who should be at full strength in the final third for the first time in months. Having an additional day to prepare for this game will suit Liverpool too and I do think they will create chances at The KC Stadium.

As improved as Hull City have been defensively, they haven't had too many clean sheets and it would be a real surprise if Liverpool didn't score here. However I think Hull City are more than capable of playing their part against a vulnerable Liverpool defence whose confidence can't be at its best at the moment and backing both teams to score at close to odds against is the pick.


Watford v Burnley Pick: The poor Burnley away record in the Premier League and the Watford win at Arsenal might be the contributing factors to the price on the home shrinking heading into the weekend. Watford have been shortening all week, but I do think the win over Arsenal might have papered over some cracks that The Hornets have been showing.

That isn't the case for Burnley who have been playing with confidence and they have been getting closer to achieving a second away result of the season. Burnley were very unfortunate to not earn that point at Arsenal a couple of weeks ago and their battling defeats at White Hart Lane, The Etihad Stadium and The Emirates Stadium will give this group of players belief they are getting closer to taking their form at Turf Moor onto the road.

Add in the fact that Watford have won 1 of their last 5 games at Vicarage Road in the Premier League which includes draws with Crystal Palace and Middlesbrough and this looks a good weekend for Burnley to achieve another positive away result.

Burnley have a good record here in recent seasons and their overall poor away record might not tell the full story. For example, Burnley have only played one of their away Premier League games at a team that is currently 14th or lower in the Premier League table.

The home team don't score that many goals at home and I am going to back Burnley to avoid defeat at Vicarage Road this weekend.


West Brom v Stoke City Pick: Two clubs in mid-table meet at The Hawthorns on Saturday but there is a long rivalry between West Brom and Stoke City which might have more headlines with Tony Pulis in charge of The Baggies after a long and successful stint with Stoke City.

Since Pulis arrived, he has managed to get the better of his former club and had actually won 4 in a row against Stoke City since leaving them for a second time. That run was snapped with a 1-1 draw at Stoke City earlier this season, but Tony Pulis has overseen 3 straight home wins against The Potters and West Brom are certainly playing well enough to improve that run.

The Baggies have won 5 of their last 6 Premier League games at The Hawthorns. That is an impressive run especially when you consider West Brom have scored at least twice in each of those wins and they will feel they can get the better of a Stoke City team who have been inconsistent away from home.

The win at Sunderland was a solid result for Stoke City, but they had lost 3 in a row on their travels prior to that. Those losses all came against teams currently in the top four so Stoke City can't be criticised too much, but I think they do concede a few too many goals on their travels and West Brom can score the goals to win this game.

It will be tight and both teams will have their chances, but Tony Pulis seems to really get his players up for the game with Stoke City and you can't ignore a run of 4 wins from 5 games since leaving The Potteries for a second time. I will look for him to inspire West Brom to another win this weekend.


Tottenham Hotspur v Middlesbrough Pick: My initial thought was to look at the 'Both Teams to Score- NO' market or backing Tottenham Hotspur to 'Win to Nil' but the layers are unexpectedly giving nothing away with those markets. Both are odds on to occur and while I think they are likely, I will instead look for Tottenham Hotspur to win this by a comfortable margin.

That has not been the case for too many teams that Middlesbrough have visited this season with only 1 of their 11 away League games ending in a loss by more than a single goal margin. That came fairly early on at Everton and since then Middlesbrough have drawn at Arsenal and Manchester City and lost narrowly at Manchester United in a game they led until the 85th minute.

So backing Tottenham Hotspur to cover a one goal handicap might be described as foolhardy at best.

However, I think Middlesbrough are a team that has struggled in the final third and their new faces could take some time to get on the same page as the existing players here. Tottenham Hotspur could be missing three of their back five for this one, but they remain a disciplined team that won't give a lot away in defensive areas and that gives them a chance to win this one by at least two goals.

Goals haven't been a problem for Spurs having scored at least twice in their last 8 games played at White Hart Lane and 5 of their last 7 here have ended in wins by at least a two goal margin. They might not have had their shooting boots at The Stadium of Light on Tuesday, but a return to familiar surroundings should see the likes of Dele Alli and Harry Kane producing a more consistent threat in front of goal.

The longer this one goes 0-0, the more confident Middlesbrough will become, but Tottenham Hotspur have scored in the first half of their last 5 League games at White Hart Lane. I expect that will give them the foundation to get back to winning ways this weekend and I think Tottenham Hotspur will be able to press home their advantage.

I will back them to win by at least two goals at a slightly better price than backing Tottenham Hotspur to be leading at half time and full time.


Manchester City v Swansea City Pick: Two weeks ago I did think Liverpool were going to be able to beat Swansea City fairly comfortably at Anfield and was just as surprised as most people when the latter came away with a 2-3 win. It would be a far bigger upset if Swansea City can do the same from visit to The Etihad Stadium because Manchester City are in fine form and have a real menace about them going forward.

The key for Swansea City is going to be to try and contain any fast start Manchester City make and stay in this League game for as long as possible. Frustrating the home team will give Swansea City a chance as Manchester City have not defended well for much of the season, although they do come in with back to back clean sheets into this one.

Set pieces is where Swansea City will be most dangerous, but let's face facts and admit that those opportunities are likely to be limited. I can see Swansea City being dangerous at times when they do push forward because Manchester City's defensive issues are well documented, but containing this Manchester City team is going to be a big challenge for them.

Gabriel Jesus has looked every bit what Manchester City fans would have expected, and that gives Pep Guardiola more depth when you think of the luxury he had of being able to put Sergio Aguero on the bench. There is plenty of pace in the attacking third for Manchester City and players like David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne are capable of pulling defences around and finding passes that can split the most organised of teams.

Anything Swansea City can earn here will likely be seen as a bonus for Paul Clement in the bid to survive the drop, but I fear it could be a long afternoon for the visitors and I am expecting a pretty comfortable Manchester City win.


Leicester City v Manchester United Pick: This has become a really big game for both Leicester City and Manchester United after recent Premier League results and will have an impact at both ends of the League table.

The pressure has really begun to build on Claudio Ranieri who has found almost none of the magic that took Leicester City to the Premier League title last May. Jamie Vardy has regressed back into the player he was before everything went in for him last season and Leicester City have not been as solid defensively as they were in the second half of last season.

Being at home should mean Leicester City can be dangerous having crushed Manchester City here, but they have lost 2 of their last 3 games in the League at The King Power Stadium including a 0-3 defeat to Diego Costa-less Chelsea.

However they are entertaining Manchester United this week who have looked a little lethargic to open games in recent weeks while going back to the team that is struggling to put away what look like gilt-edged chances to win games. Juan Mata has been at fault for the big misses against Stoke City and Hull City in the League, but there has been a lack of consistency in team selection which is perhaps not helping matters.

Jose Mourinho has changed a number of positions which need to be settled such as left back and left wing, but it does mean it is hard for his players to perhaps know exactly what their role is. Manchester United do create chances though and I expect they will be able to do that against a Leicester City team they have beaten twice already this season.

What has become clear is that the last 6 games between these clubs have seen both teams score each time and I do think think there will be chances for that trend to continue at both ends of the field. The three points are very important to both teams this weekend so I am expecting an attacking game where both will create chances to win the game and backing at least three goals to be shared out looks the right way to play this.

Manchester United look very short for a team that has drawn 3 times in a row in the League, while Leicester City are short of confidence so playing the win-draw-win markets looks hazardous at best. I do think Manchester United can win here, but I will simply look for three goals to be produced over the ninety minutes at a big price.


Burton Albion v Wolves Pick:If this game had been played a couple of months ago, Burton Albion would likely to have been a similar price to Wolves when it comes to winning this game. However The Brewers have hit a rough patch of form since then as the pressure of facing this level of competition in the Championship on a weekly basis has stretched the squad.

Burton Albion are still pressing to avoid the drop, but they have suffered 5 straight losses at home and now face a Wolves team who have built some confidence behind some successful results over the last six weeks.

Those include winning 4 of 6 on their travels and Wolves were very impressive in dismissing Barnsley 1-3 in the week. Paul Lambert has clearly devised a system that appeals to the players and gets the best out of them and I think they can win another away game this weekend.

It won't be easy at Burton Albion, but the home team have been lacking goals of late and Wolves look certain to score wherever they play at the moment. I will back Wolves to have a little too much and take away another three points which will allow them to enjoy their FA Cup run even more.


Ipswich Town v Reading Pick: This is another game in the Championship where I have been surprised with the prices being offered by the layers and I do think they are continuing to underestimate a Reading team that are closing in on the top two in the Division.

When you compare the price Derby County were to win here in the week to Reading, who have more away wins than The Rams over the course of the season, the players have to feel they are being disrespected. Reading have also won 3 of their last 4 away games in the League so clearly know their way around when they are visiting other grounds and I think they can become the latest club to win at Portman Road.

Ipswich Town had been better here before the 0-3 loss to Derby County, which is only the fourth home loss suffered in the League. However 3 of those 4 losses have come against teams inside the top nine in the Championship and Ipswich Town are going to be hosting a few more of the better teams in the Division which may change what looks a decent enough home record on paper.

This is a ground that Reading have enjoyed playing at in recent seasons too with 5 wins from 8 visits and I think they can earn revenge for the late defeat here last season. None of those 8 games here have ended in draws and I will back the team in form at a big price to win here.


Nottingham Forest v Aston Villa Pick: The first time Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest played in the League was the first match between two former European Cup Winners outside of the top flight of any Division. I would be surprised if that is not mentioned again in the broadcast of this match, but both clubs are some way away from those heady heights of yesteryear.

Instead both Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa are in the bottom half of the Championship table and desperate for the points to continue on their way to their changed goals from August. Neither team expected to be in the position they are in and that is going to make a tight and tense encounter between these two Midlands clubs.

It is hard to make a genuine case to back either team and that is actually the reason why I think you can pick a draw for a small interest in this live game. Aston Villa are the leading draw specialists while Nottingham Forest have proven to be a little tougher to beat when they are playing at The City Ground.

Aston Villa's poor away form suggests the draw is going to be as good as it gets for them, while Nottingham Forest have only been beaten by two clubs in the top half of the table at home. That includes playing the likes of Leeds United, Fulham and Newcastle United who have all failed to win here and I think these teams may cancel each other out.

I don't anticipate a lot of goals either, but I will stick with my original thought and look for a share of the spoils.


Huddersfield Town v Leeds United Pick: This is a Yorkshire derby with plenty on the line for both Huddersfield Town and Leeds United who are both in the top five of the Championship. Both teams have overachieved from the pre-season expectations but that doesn't mean David Wagner or Garry Monk are going to be satisfied with anything less than promotion to the Premier League now.

Once you get this close, promotion is the only way you can judge a successful season and the winner of this League game may just feel they can perhaps even challenge for a top two finish. Both clubs are within range of the leaders, but the edge in this one has to be given to Huddersfield Town who have a very strong home record.

On the other hand Newcastle United are the only team to have won more away games than Leeds United in the League so far this season and the latter have scored at least twice in 3 of their last 4 games on their travels. That includes in the 3-2 Yorkshire derby defeat Barnsley, and Huddersfield Town may feel they can take advantage having scored at least twice in 5 of their 6 home games.

Clean sheets haven't come easily for Huddersfield Town and this feels like a game where both teams can play a part on the scoreboard. The 1-1 scoreline could be a real player, but Huddersfield Town were very impressive against Brighton on Thursday and look like a team that is back to the attacking threat levels they produced earlier in the season.

The layers have dangled a huge price for at least three goals in this one and that might be because of the early kick off and the importance of the game. The match at Elland Road finished with just one goal, but the previous 10 between these teams had produced at least three goals. That includes the last 5 at Huddersfield Town and I am going to take the huge price for at least three goals to be produced in this early kick off.

MY PICKS: Chelsea-Arsenal Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.91 Sky Bet (2 Units)
Everton @ 1.73 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Hull City-Liverpool Both Teams To Score-YES @ 1.91 William Hill (2 Units)
Burnley + 0.5 Asian Handicap @ 1.81 Bet Victor (2 Units)
West Brom @ 2.38 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Tottenham Hotspur - 1.5 Asian Handicap @ 1.87 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Manchester City - 1.75 Asian Handicap @ 1.77 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Leicester City-Manchester United Over 2.5 Goals @ 2.05 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Wolves @ 2.35 Bet365 (2 Units)
Reading @ 2.75 Betfair Sportsbook (1 Unit)
Nottingham Forest-Aston Villa Draw @ 3.30 Betfair Sportsbook (1 Unit)
Huddersfield Town-Leeds United Over 2.5 Goals @ 2.40 Coral (2 Units)

January Final: 32-47-1, - 30.88 Units (164 Units Staked, - 18.83% Yield)
December Final: 38-40, - 7.93 Units (153 Units Staked, - 5.18% Yield)

November Final: 40-38-3, + 5.76 Units (159 Units Staked, + 3.62% Yield)
October Final: 29-41-2, - 21.23 Units (139 Units Staked, - 15.27% Yield)

September Final: 43-28-1, + 35.17 Units (133 Units Staked, + 26.44% Yield)

August Final: 31-38-2, - 9 Units (124 Units Staked, - 7.26% Yield)

Season 2016/17: 212-232-9, - 28.11 Units (872 Units Staked, - 3.22% Yield)

Season 2015/16: 133-174-2, + 0.89 Units (669 Units Staked, + 0% Yield)

Season 2014/15: 159-208-5, - 20.22 Units (647 Units Staked, - 3.13% Yield)

Season 2013/14: 164-185-3, + 15.84 Units (577 Units Staked, + 2.75% Yield

Season 2012/13: + 4.42 Units (415 Units Staked, + 1.07% Yield)