Boxing Picks 2025- Ryan Garcia vs Rolando Romero (Friday 2nd May)

The occasion had already had a decent build, but there is no doubt that 'business picked up' when Chris Eubank Sr was spotted leaving his car, or coming out of the lift, right behind his son Junior ahead of the big main event against Conor Benn.

It really will become an iconic moment in British Boxing and the entire Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was buzzing.

While there were questions about how the main event would play out, the fans were the real winners on the night with a superb fight between Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn and there is some appeal in having the rematch.

Ideally that would be without a rehydration clause attached, although Eddie Hearn has already suggested the terms have been signed with the exact some stipulations as the bout that took place this past weekend. With the money that has been invested by Turki Alalshikh, that is a clause that can removed though and there is still a suggestion that both fighters could end up taking different paths rather than going into the rematch.

Money will eventually talk and reports have suggested that both will be heading back to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in September, and the winner of that rematch may indeed be next in line to take on Canelo Alvarez.

The superstar is in action this weekend first and has also reportedly signed off on fighting Bud Crawford with that bout set for September, but he has spoken again of his desire to fight in the United Kingdom and spoke about Eubank Jr perhaps being the dance partner that can help sell out a Stadium. In reality Canelo fighting in the UK would sell out any Stadium regardless of the opponent, but that could be a big fight in twelve months time if both continue putting the wins together.

This is a big weekend with Canelo fighting in Saudi Arabia for the first time on Saturday.

On Friday The Ring Magazine are putting on a special event in Times Square in New York City and they have captured the attention of the fans simply by having a card in such a unique spot. Of course the top three fights feature some of the biggest names in the sport and that card will be the attention of this post.

Canelo Alvarez vs William Scull is not expected to be a top main event, but the undercard is decent and that is something we have come to expect with those cards being run in Saudi Arabia.

And the weekend will close with Naoya Inoue back in action in the United States with reports suggesting he has signed a deal to fight his mandatory Murodjon Akhmadaliev in September in Tokyo. Those reports suggest it will be a fight run on the same weekend that many believe Canelo-Crawford will take place and could be another big weekend of Boxing with the Saudi investors keeping fans and fighters happy.

Ryan Garcia vs Rolando Romero

It has been a little over a year since Ryan Garcia was last seen in the ring battering Devin Haney and eventually earning the Decision win having put his unbeaten rival down in multiple Rounds.

He should have really been building on that victory, but it was announced that Ryan Garcia had failed a drug test and ultimately the result was changed into a No Contest.

A suspension has been served, but there is something shameful in the way Ryan Garcia has been lauded and little or no talk about the failed drug test has taken place. Devin Haney and his father Bill refuse to let Garcia off the hook, but the fans have made it clear that the latter is their favourite and he is line to have that rematch with Haney later in the year.

Well that is the case as long as Ryan Garcia keeps winning and his comeback fight is headlining the event in Times Square.

Sparring stories have perhaps raised some interest in the contest, but Rolly Romero is a considerable underdog having lost fights to Gervonta Davis and Isaac Cruz in his last four contests. He did win his last contest, but that was not against someone near to the level that Ryan Garcia can produce in the ring and there has long been a feeling that Romero earns these opportunities through his charisma rather than skill.

You have to believe that Ryan Garcia is going to be extremely motivated to show that he is past all of the controversy of failing his test and this feels like a bout that is designed for the Californian to really make a statement. He is expected to have the firepower to Stop Rolly Romero and it has led to plenty of victories inside the distance.

Even more telling is that Ryan Garcia carries plenty of early pop and you have to think he can time Romero onto something after perhaps shaking off some of the rust through the first couple of Rounds. We have seen Rolly hurt before and he has struggled to get out of those situations as he tries to fight fire with fire.

That is likely going to lead to being caught with his fundamentals not as strong as some of the top fighters in and around the Welterweight Division and Garcia can produce a big Stoppage before heading into a rematch with Devin Haney.

The aforementioned Devin Haney is also on the card in Times Square and he should have too much for Jose Carlos Ramirez.

Questions have to be asked about Haney simply because of the beating he took at the hands of Ryan Garcia in April 2024 and this is the first time he will be back in the ring since then.

A prime Jose Carlos Ramirez would have posed problems, but he looked a little out of sorts when last in the ring against Arnold Barboza Jr in November 2024. He was a Unanimous Decision loser on the day, but the cards were perhaps closer than they should have been and Ramirez may come up short against The Dream.

While having some solid wins on the resume, Jose Carlos Ramirez has been beaten by Barboza Jr and Josh Taylor and the most likely outcome of this bout is a Devin Haney win on the cards and lining himself up for the big rematch with rival Ryan Garcia.

Arnold Barboza Jr followed the win over Ramirez by travelling to Manchester to get the better of Jack Catterall earlier this year and that earned him the Interim WBO Light Welterweight World Title.

It also meant Barboza Jr earned this shot at the full WBO World Champion Teofimo Lopez, who is also considered the lineal Champion in the Division.

The other three World Champions in the Division are all going to be defending their titles in the weeks and months ahead and Teofimo Lopez would love to move into a position to Unify.

He cannot overlook this opponent though and that has been challenging for Lopez in recent years- big wins have been earned when the focus has been there, but Teofimo Lopez has also produced some underwhelming performances when not being involved in the biggest fights.

His fans have to be hoping that a fight like this one has lit the fire inside Lopez, especially considering some of the big opportunities that could open up for him if he impresses those organising the card.

This is not going to be an easy fight and you just have to expect Arnold Barboza Jr to be well prepared and he will not lose hope even if the card feels like it is going against him. That consistency could be key for the underdog, and he is likely to be competitive throughout, but ultimately you have to give Teofimo Lopez the edge.

The feeling is that he will need the cards though and a narrow Decision win in favour of the full Champion looks likely.

MY PICKS: Ryan Garcia to Win Between 5-8 @ 2.90 William Hill (1 Unit)

Teofimo Lopez to Win by Decision/Technical Decision @ 1.83 Paddy Power (1 Unit)

Boxing 2025: 15-41, - 21.73 Units (69 Units Staked, - 31.49% Yield)

Madrid Masters Tennis Picks 2022 (May 2nd)

I mentioned that this thread will be a lot more substantial for the Tuesday Tennis Picks at the Madrid Masters merely because I would not have the time to write out my research and reasons for a selection or two as I would have normally.

You can see my selections from Monday's Tennis below and also the final tally from the tournaments that were completed on Sunday as well as the Madrid Masters update.

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

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Belinda Bencic - 1.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Simona Halep - 4.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Ekaterina Alexandrova - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Victoria Azarenka @ 2.40 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 9-4, + 7.82 Units (26 Units Staked, + 30.08% Yield)

Madrid Update: 7-4, + 4.54 Units (22 Units Staked, + 20.64% Yield)

Midweek Football Picks 2018 (May 1-3)

The Champions League and Europa League Finals will be set by the end of this week as we enter the final month of the 2017/18 season in the big European Leagues.

Most of the ties look to be balanced going into the Second Legs to be played this week, but I think the teams in the better positions are all eventually going to find their way through to the Final. I do think there may be a couple of twists and turns first though.

On Friday we will move onto another weekend in the Premier League so there will be a thread for those Weekend Picks by Friday afternoon, but the games are running down now.


Real Madrid v Bayern Munich Pick: After losing 1-2 in the Quarter Final in the home Leg thirteen months ago, I didn't hold out a lot of hope for Bayern Munich to turn things around against Real Madrid. They actually managed to force extra time in that tie before being undone thanks to a late Arturo Vidal sending off and the players have to head to the Spanish capital with some belief they can turn this one around.

Injuries are really affecting the Bayern Munich squad which is a major concern for them, but there is still plenty of quality in the starting line up and I can't imagine they finish with as little composure as they did last week in Munich.

I also can't put my finger on this Real Madrid team despite winning the last two Champions League titles. On some days they have looked very good, but on others they have flattered to deceive although the bottom line is they continue to do just enough to make it through the Rounds.

The lead from the First Leg does make Real Madrid strong favourites to make it through to the Final, but I do think Bayern Munich are going to play a big part here and certainly won't roll over for the home team.

Picking a winner isn't straight forward simply because I do think Bayern Munich can replicate the performance from last season when they won 1-2 here in the Second Leg of their Quarter Final despite losing 1-2 at home in the First Leg.

The layers are anticipating goals with the over 2.5 goals option very short and that is no surprise when you think the last 3 and 8 of the last 9 have seen three or more goals shared out by these teams.

I do think we can get one more goal if the Real Madrid and Bayern Munich strikers are showing composure in front of goal that they do usually produce. It is a big Semi Final though which adds to the pressure when the chances come up, while the teams may not take too many chances if we get to 1-2 for the fourth consecutive time these teams have played.

In most other situations you have to think one of the teams are taking chances which could leave spaces ready to be exploited. I'd be surprised if we didn't see at least three goals on Tuesday, but it may be worth the play to look for one more at odds against.


Roma v Liverpool Pick: There were some unsavoury scenes ahead of the Liverpool-Roma Semi Final First Leg which has taken away some of the satisfaction Liverpool would have had from their performance on the field.

A dominant 5-2 win in the Champions League Semi Final First Leg should be good enough for Liverpool to make it through to their first Final in the competition since 2007.

Some doubt will have been raised by the two late goals conceded by the English side, while the news that Zeljko Buvac has left the club for a short period is another blow to Liverpool. I don't anticipate it being a big enough issue for Liverpool to find themselves in the same predicament as Barcelona did in the Champions League Quarter Final because the situation feels much more comfortable for Liverpool.

Roma played really well in Barcelona despite the 4-1 loss and that gave them a confidence to take into their Second Leg, but this time they are perhaps feeling fortunate to have any chance in this Semi Final Second Leg. The defending was frankly awful at Anfield and a team chasing goals are likely to leave some spaces for the speedy Liverpool attack to exploit.

I simply can't see Liverpool failing to score in Rome and I think that would be a huge body blow for Roma to try and recover from. As well as they have played at home in the Champions League throughout this season, keeping Liverpool from scoring here is arguably the biggest challenge the home team would have faced.

It would be a surprise if Roma don't at least take more care defensively in this one, but at some point there will be spaces for Liverpool to exploit and that makes this a difficult game to read.

Riding out the early storm is going to be key for Liverpool but even if they do fall behind in the opening ten minutes they showed at Manchester City in the Quarter Final that they will get their opportunities anyway. Roma showed enough going forward to think they will create chances too, but barring a complete turnaround in their defensive schemes I don't see the clean sheet which has been key to their run to the Semi Final.

After seven goals were shared out at Anfield, there could be a few more scored on Wednesday and I will back four or more to be the final tally.


Atletico Madrid v Arsenal Pick: The late Antoine Griezmann goal in the Emirates Stadium has put Atletico Madrid in pole position to make it through to the Europa League Semi Final.

Arsenal will be kicking themselves for not taking advantage of their visitors being reduced to ten men for 80 plus minutes of the First Leg and now they have to find a way to breach this Atletico Madrid at least once to give themselves a chance of moving through to the Final.

That is a big challenge against a team who have kept 11 clean sheets in a row in all competitions and I imagine Diego Simeone will be making sure Atletico Madrid are hard to beat in this one. Having the prospect of being able to go through with a goalless draw means Atletico Madrid are unlikely to take too many risks in this one and instead focus on making sure they don't allow Arsenal a way back into the tie.

The Gunners haven't found scoring goals a big problem, but rarely would have come up against a unit as well organised as Atletico Madrid. And I am not sure Arsene Wenger will be too disappointed if his side are still goalless with 20 minutes left of this tie with a single goal being enough to really turn the tie in Arsenal's favour.

I can imagine a tight Second Leg developing with Atletico Madrid making sure they don't leave too many gaps behind them. They are the more likely winners with Arsenal likely to make a mistake at the back which has been a feature of their season, but backing one of these teams, at least, to fail to score looks an intriguing price.

Atletico Madrid's home record is very impressive in terms of clean sheets and I don't think they will take too many risks to allow Arsenal to erase the away goal Atletico picked up in North London last week.

Chelsea did score twice here in the Champions League Group Stage, but the previous 3 English visitors had not scored against Atletico Madrid. This Arsenal team doesn't look as strong as previous English teams to play in this part of Madrid and I will look for Atletico Madrid to produce a tight Second Leg which sees goals at a premium.


Salzburg v Marseille Pick: Most fans will consider the winner of this Europa League Semi Final to be considerable underdogs in the Final regardless of whether they face Atletico Madrid or Arsenal.

Neither Marseille or Salzburg will be a part of that majority though and it is the French side who have the advantage thanks to a 2-0 win at home last week.

However it has to be said that Marseille have not been as strong when you take them away from their home Stadium and the lack of strong results on their travels in the Europa League is a slight concern. Salzburg have shown they can score goals and win games at home and they overturned a 4-2 deficit to Lazio in the Quarter Final by beating them 4-1 at home and that after going 0-1 down in the Second Leg.

Salzburg showed in Marseille that they have some quality football up to the final third, but they were perhaps not creating as many chances as they would have liked. Even then they had opportunities to score a priceless away goal and so they will feel they can put Marseille under some pressure in the Second Leg.

The overall away form of Marseille has perhaps not been the best, but they seem to have rounded into some form of late and will believe they can play a part here. They should find spaces on the counter attack much like Lazio did before Salzburg overwhelmed them and the Second Leg could be an entertaining game of football.

Both teams should have their moments, but picking a winner isn't easy with the situation meaning Salzburg could potentially blow a winning position if they are chasing the fixture. Instead I will look for the two teams to combine for one goal more than last week when the chances did come for both Marseille and Salzburg.

It could also be a game in which Salzburg come close to turning the tie around completely, but I will look for three or more goals to be shared out.

MY PICKS: Real Madrid-Bayern Munich Over 3.5 Goals @ 2.00 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Roma-Liverpool Over 3.5 Goals @ 2.10 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Atletico Madrid-Arsenal Both Teams NOT To Score @ 1.95 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Salzburg-Marseille Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.72 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Midweek Football Picks 2017 (May 2-4)

The Champions League and Europa League Semi Final ties begin this week and I have my picks below from the four games to come over the next three days.


Real Madrid v Atletico Madrid Pick: Games between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid have been highly competitive ever since the latter have made some significant improvements under Diego Simeone. Atletico Madrid have won the League title and reached two Champions League Finals under Simeone in recent years, but they have yet to get the better of Real Madrid in this competition.

1 defeat in 6 visits to Real Madrid would impress the biggest of European clubs and it will give Atletico Madrid the confidence to believe they can set themselves up for a huge Second Leg in front of their own fans.

However it is Real Madrid who have beaten Atletico Madrid in each of the last three seasons in the Champions League with two of those victories coming in the Champions League Final. There were chances for Atletico Madrid to win all four ties against Real Madrid in that time, but they have lost half of the games against Real Madrid including a 1-0 loss here in the 2015 Quarter Final.

It would be a huge surprise if this First Leg does not go the way that most of us will imagine- that is Atletico Madrid making things really difficult for Real Madrid and hoping to catch them on the counter while keeping the tie alive for the Second Leg. The players are very much aware of what their individual job is here and it is perhaps no surprise that the last 3 here between these teams have ended with fewer than three goals shared out.

I was very close to picking Atletico Madrid to avoid a loss here, and at odds against that was tempting. However I think that is almost certainly mutually exclusive with the chance of seeing less than three goals shared out and in that case I do have the 1-0 or 2-0 Real Madrid wins on my side.

6 of the last 7 overall between these teams have ended with less than three goals shared out and I will back that to be the outcome of this First Leg.


Monaco v Juventus Pick: Both Monaco and Juventus have produced some top performances in the Champions League this season, but it still feels like a tie between the experience of the Juventus backline and the youth and pace Monaco bring in the final third.

Over the two Legs I am expecting Juventus might be able to 'vet' Monaco with their experience vital, but Monaco are playing with a freedom that is hard to ignore. They get after teams early and force them onto the back foot and that is going to be important for Monaco in this First Leg as they bid to have some sort of lead to take to Turin next week.

Having a lead is important for Monaco who have been a little more inconsistent away from home. They have won 13 in a row here in all competitions and Monaco have won 6 of their 7 home Champions League games while scoring at least twice in 5 of those.

Tiredness has been a factor in the second half of their games in this competition though and that has seen the weak defence exposed. I certainly think Juventus will show more attacking intent than Italian sides tend to in away European ties at this level, and I do think Juventus can create chances either on the break or when Monaco just slow down.

On the other hand, I do believe this Monaco team are being under-rated as the home underdog in another Champions League game. That happened against Borussia Dortmund and it was still a game Monaco were able to win with some comfort and I imagine Monaco will have their backers.

However I think the chance of seeing at least three goals looks under-rated because I do believe Monaco will create chances. As well as Juventus did to keep two clean sheets against Barcelona, most who saw that game will recognise the amount of clear cut opportunities the Catalan club had, and Monaco have shown they can be clinical in front of goal.

At some stage I would expect Juventus to get forward too and I am going to take the option of at least three goals to be shared out here in the first of what could be two cracking Semi Final Legs.


Ajax v Lyon Pick: This is a really interesting looking Semi Final with Lyon perhaps being a club that has underachieved in all competitions outside of the Europa League and now facing a well rested Ajax team who have to overcome the disappointment of likely losing the Dutch title in the final weeks of the season.

Both will see the Europa League as a truly winnable competition that will make it a successful season and I am anticipating two tight ties over the next eight days.

Lyon have been the second favourite to win the Europa League behind Manchester United almost as soon as they dropped out of the Champions League. They were looking pretty good a few weeks ago, but the last couple of months have been much more difficult for them and losing games at Roma and Besiktas shows some vulnerabilities.

Those two teams are better than Ajax, but the latter have won 20 out of 21 home games in all competitions including all 6 in the Europa League. The win over Schalke was particularly impressive and having two weeks of rest since the 1-0 loss at PSV Eindhoven will help the home team.

This has all the makings of a close tie, but I am favouring Ajax in the First Leg considering they have been stronger at home and will be pushing for a lead. Add in the fact Lyon have lost 6 of their last 12 away games in all competitions and have lost back to back away Europa League games and you can see why I want to back the Dutch side in this one.

I still have enough respect for Lyon to look to favour Ajax on the Asian Handicap which will at least return half the stakes if the First Leg does end in a draw. That is because Ajax have had a couple of tough losses and might have lost a bit of confidence, but they have been so good at the Amsterdam Arena that I do expect them to have some sort of lead to take to France next week.


Celta Vigo v Manchester United Pick: All four teams left in the Europa League should be fully focused on trying to win the competition and even favourites Manchester United look vulnerable. The injury issues in defensive positions leaves Manchester United in a tough spot as they try to get back into the Champions League and those issues are ones that Celta Vigo will feel they can fully exploit.

Playing attacking football at home will make Celta Vigo dangerous and I wouldn't be fooled by the British media writing them off nor their inconsistent domestic form. Recent results in Spain are based on a team making wholesale changes to keep the key figures ready for the Europa League, while Celta Vigo have beaten Barcelona 4-3 and drawn with Real Madrid 2-2 here.

The goals they can score have been evident in their wins over Krasnodar and Genk in the last two Rounds and I would think Celta Vigo know their best chance to win this Semi Final is putting Manchester United under pressure at home.

There are some tired legs in the Manchester United line up, and defensively they could have some real problems in the First Leg. However they have had three days rest this time and the younger players should give them the pace in the forward areas to cause problems of their own.

Jose Mourinho may be a 'safety first' kind of manager in these Knock Out ties in European competition and has experience of guiding teams to positive results away from home. I have a feeling he may have to be a little more proactive in this one with the defenders he will likely be missing for the fixture and that might see a very entertaining First Leg produced.

Both teams can play their part in that and the chance of seeing at least three goals seems to be underestimated by the layers in this one. The last 2 here in the Europa League have hit that number and Celta Vigo will likely offer enough going forward to challenge Manchester United, but also could be vulnerable to the counter attack.

The 1-1 is the one result that potentially scuppers the pick in my opinion, but I think one of the teams will have a lead in the Second Leg after a decent game is produced.

MY PICKS: Real Madrid-Atletico Madrid Under 2.5 Goals @ 1.80 Ladbrokes (2 Units)
Monaco-Juventus Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.95 Betfair Sportsbook (2 Units)
Ajax - 0.25 Asian Handicap @ 2.04 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Celta Vigo-Manchester United Over 2.5 Goals @ 2.45 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Weekend Football Picks 2015 (May 2-4)

The Championship regular season comes to a close this weekend and the Premier League top four places look almost settled as the final month of the season comes into play.

It is an important month with relegation from the top flight decided, especially as Leicester City and Hull City have given themselves a huge shot in the arm to avoid the drop. The FA Cup Final will be played later in the month too as Aston Villa look to go into that game as a Premier League club and not one that has just been relegated, while the Finals in the Champions League and Europa League will also be set.

With games running out, every weekend has become a big one for the teams involved at the top and bottom of the Premier League.


Leicester City v Newcastle United Pick: John Carver is going to be meeting with some angry fans in the near future, but his meeting with Mike Ashley later this month is probably a lot bigger as his future as manager of Newcastle United is decided. It would be something special if Carver is able to survive as the permanent manager considering Newcastle United have lost 7 League games in a row and the players have the appearance of having 'downed tools' in some of their recent performances.

The improvement of Hull City, Aston Villa and Leicester City has dragged Newcastle United back into the relegation battle that has developed below them and another defeat on Saturday will certainly increase the tension at St James' Park. I would still be surprised if Newcastle United were to be relegated having a 5 point lead over Sunderland in the bottom three and just four games left to play, but a defeat coupled with a win for Sunderland over Southampton later in the day will certainly make it a nervy final month of the campaign.

It is hard to see how Newcastle United can turn around the form they have been displaying but John Carver will say they have mainly come against better teams, although the defeat at Sunderland is another painful blow to the temporary manager.

And they are in for a really tough test at the King Power Stadium as Leicester City only saw their 4 game winning run come to an end at the hands of Chelsea. Aside from a very bizarre post-match conference that Nigel Pearson was involved in, Leicester City have been winning the games they have needed to get out of the bottom three and give themselves every chance to avoid relegation back to the Championship.

The Foxes had beaten West Ham United and Swansea at home in recent games before the defeat to Chelsea and you have to be an 'ostrich with your head in the sand' if you haven't seen the improvement Leicester City have displayed. They look a team with more belief than Newcastle United and more heart in the performances and I do think they will beat the latter and extend their losing run to 8 games in a row.


Aston Villa v Everton Pick: Tim Sherwood was disgusted that the post-game interviewer dared to question him about relegation after Aston Villa had come very close to picking up a result at the Etihad Stadium last weekend. His side had fought back from 2-0 down to almost earn the draw, but a late decision went against Aston Villa and they were on the wrong side of a 3-2 defeat.

Sherwood was obviously impressed with the performance and the battling display Aston Villa produced, but wins for Hull City and Leicester City has really put Aston Villa back under pressure in the fight to avoid the drop. 

Only 2 points separates Aston Villa and Sunderland in the bottom three so it the question asked to Sherwood wasn't that out of order, although those performances in the last few weeks will have given the manager confidence his side can get remain out of trouble.

The consistency is still lacking in the Aston Villa game though and that is where some of the fans will remain concerned that they can't escape the bottom three as the teams below them continue to win. A few weeks ago, Aston Villa might have looked at this game as a winnable one, but Everton have improved greatly and come into Villa Park off the back of an impressive 3-0 win over Manchester United last weekend.

That win means Everton are unbeaten in their last 6 games in the Premier League and they have won 5 of those games. It has been more of struggle for Everton when they have played away from home, but they should have some room to employ the counter-attack that was so effective against Manchester United last weekend, especially as Aston Villa have been feeling more confident when going forward.

I do think Aston Villa will have their success in this game too though as they have been playing with a lot of confidence going forward under Tim Sherwood. The manager deserves a lot of credit for that, but defensively they remain vulnerable and I can see both teams scoring in this one.

Neither side should be sitting back feeling comfortable with the draw either and I am expecting goals in this game.

These teams have a habit of being involved in some high-scoring games and I am expecting both to score. I don't expect either to take a backward step with the win available and I can see this game ending with at least three goals.


Manchester United v West Brom Pick: Louis Van Gaal questioned the attitude of the Manchester United players following their 3-0 defeat at Everton last weekend and the away form remains sketchy to say the least. In all honest, Manchester United could have considered themselves unfortunate to be one goal down at half time last weekend, let alone two, although the second half display was far below the standards that this team have set over the last six weeks.

The danger for Manchester United was seeing the teams below them in the race for the Champions League places picking up points as they slumped to losses at Chelsea and Everton, but that has not been the case. Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool have dropped points themselves and Manchester United should not be feeling the pressure of losing a top four spot going into this weekend.

They also have the benefit of returning to Old Trafford where the form has remained very strong for the majority of this season, while the visit of West Brom may have come at the right time.

After slipping back towards the bottom three, West Brom have earned four points from their last couple of games and gone back to Tony Pulis basics by earning clean sheets in both wins. Those four points should be enough for West Brom to maintain their Premier League status for another season and they might come to Manchester United with a nothing to lose attitude.

However, the players were guilty of taking their eye off the prize just a couple of weeks ago when it looked like West Brom would survive in the Premier League and that will be the fear again on Saturday. Pulis will set his side up to be difficult to beat in the late Saturday kick off, but Manchester United have scored plenty of goals at Old Trafford and it is hard to see how West Brom will keep tabs on them.

The potential absence of Wayne Rooney is a blow, but that does mean Van Gaal doesn’t have to change his system either with Robin Van Persie back in contention. That familiarity should help Manchester United bounce back from a couple of disappointing losses and get back to winning ways at Old Trafford while taking another big step towards the Champions League for next season.

There have been plenty of goals scored by Manchester United at home and I think they will be too strong for a West Brom team that might breath a sigh of relief after a couple of positive weeks.

Relegation isn’t completely averted, but West Brom will feel comfortable in the position they are in and that should give Manchester United the onus to attack as Tony Pulis sets his team up to defend deep. 

I expect Manchester United to break them down and win this by a couple of goals. Even though West Brom won at Old Trafford last season, I still think that is a big ask for them at this moment and Manchester United looking to bounce back from two losses in a row.


Chelsea v Crystal Palace Pick: It has really bothered Jose Mourinho that his side were described as 'boring' by the Arsenal fans last weekend, while some of the pundits have also made it clear that they don't feel Chelsea are the most attractive side to watch. That might be the case, but Chelsea remain the best team in England and a win on Sunday will mean they are once again the Champions of the Premier League.

A come from behind win over Leicester City has put Chelsea on the brink of winning the title and another win on Sunday against Crystal Palace will be enough to secure another Premier League title. Their form at Stamford Bridge has played a huge part in getting Chelsea into this position in the Premier League and they might be facing Crystal Palace at the right time as Alan Pardew's men have just struggled of late.

Back to back home losses to West Brom and Hull City have been a bitter blow to Crystal Palace who had looked like they could finish in the top half of the Premier League table. There is still a real chance that Palace can end in those positions, but they might be up against the momentum on Sunday which can be tough to reverse.

There is pace in the forward lines for Crystal Palace and they have used that to their advantage away from home where the side have won 7 of their last 8 games in all competitions and only lost 1 of 10. However, I do wonder if they have called time on this season which has seen them earn another year in the Premier League, and now they face a team that can win the title this weekend.

That motivation can be tough to contain, although I remain concerned that Chelsea have failed to win by more than a solitary goal since the early part of January. However, everything seems to be going Chelsea's way at the moment and Jose Mourinho won't want to wait around to confirm their place as Champions of England and Crystal Palace may be in for a hard time on Sunday.

While they are not everyone's cup of tea, Chelsea have to be respected and I think they can win the Premier League title in style. Crystal Palace have just dropped their form at the wrong time of the season and I like Chelsea to win by a couple of goals.


Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City Pick: Any chances that Tottenham Hotspur have left in making the top four in the Premier League will be wiped out if they fail to beat Manchester City at White Hart Lane on Sunday. The 2-2 draw at Southampton last weekend did nothing for either of those sides and even a victory in the live game on Sunday might not be anything but a consolation for the team and a 'what might have been' for the fans.

When Spurs beat Arsenal 2-1 at White Hart Lane in a come from behind victory back in February, it looked like Mauricio Pochettino's men would be challenging for a Champions League spot going into the final month of the season. 

That would have been the minimum expectation for the team, but Tottenham Hotspur have been inconsistent and the home loss to Aston Villa two weeks ago might have dented all serious aspirations of playing in the Champions League next season.

Defeats at Liverpool and Manchester United didn't help Tottenham Hotspur to pick up the momentum they needed after the North London derby victory and 7 points to make up looks a huge task with just 12 left to play for. 

Tottenham Hotspur have at least been productive at White Hart Lane, but this is a team that concedes far too many goals and that is a problem against Manchester City who might just have turned a corner when it comes to their form.

Of course I am expecting Tottenham Hotspur to cause Manchester City plenty of problems in this game too at home, especially as Manchester City have struggled on their travels of late.

Back to back home wins over West Ham United and Aston Villa, despite another wobble in the latter game, has eased the tension around Manchester City that they might fall out of the Champions League places. That would have been embarrassing considering Manchester City won the Premier League title last season and would have almost certainly cost Manuel Pellegrini his job despite the Chilean still sitting on a very warm seat.

Now they have to try and snap a five game losing run on the road which includes four away losses in a row including the heavy 4-2 defeat at Old Trafford in the Manchester derby. Manchester City have won 2 of their last 3 visits to White Hart Lane, but goals have not been in short supply in any of those games and that might be the case this weekend.

Prior to the 0-1 loss to Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur had scored at least twice in 6 straight home games in the Premier League, but they had also conceded at least twice in 4 of those games including the last three in a row.

The last three games at White Hart Lane between these teams have also seen at least four goals shared and Manchester City have conceded at least twice in 3 of their last 4 away games in the Premier League.

Goals look like they could be on the cards in this one and backing at least four to be shared out by these teams could be the play in the second live game of Sunday afternoon.


Hull City v Arsenal Pick: A couple of weeks ago it looked like Hull City were in big danger of relegation, although they could be grateful that their relegation rivals were all struggling. However, the likes of Leicester City have begun to pick up wins and that put the pressure on Hull City who responded by beating Crystal Palace and Liverpool in the space of four days without conceding a goal.

That has given Hull City a real sense of being able to earn their survival in the Premier League with five games to go, but the big games keep coming. This week Arsenal visit the KC Stadium where Hull City have won 3 of their last 5 League games and only lost once at the hands of Champions elect Chelsea.

A 1-0 win over Liverpool here during the week has given Hull City a nice buffer to the bottom three in the Premier League, but there is still some work to be done on Monday Night Football. They will be given a severe test this time around against an Arsenal team that has exploited the mistakes made against them and who had scored at least twice in five games in a row on their travels before the Gunners beat Burnley 0-1 at Turf Moor.

Arsenal failed to break down Chelsea last week at the Emirates Stadium which effectively ended their title challenge, but they can still finish in the top three which means avoiding a Champions League qualifier next season. That is the primary goal for Arsenal who can wrap up the season with another FA Cup win as they take on Aston Villa at the end of the month.

There should be enough quality for Arsenal to show off their capabilities at the KC Stadium, but Hull City have momentum behind them. I just feel they have put in a lot of effort into those games and they might be lacking something here on Monday.

The Gunners have won all 3 games at Hull City over the last six seasons and they have the attacking talent to have a lot of success in this one. However, I can't overlook how well Hull City have done to win back to back Premier League games and give their survival hopes a shot in the arm.

Both teams should be on the attack which could lead to a more open game than some of the layers believe.

As long as Arsenal remain focused, they should have enough chances to win the game. However, I think the fixture will provide goals as it has in recent seasons and backing at least three goals at a little under odds against is the call.

MY PICKS: Leicester City @ 2.00 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Aston Villa-Everton Over 2.5 Goals @ 2.20 Betfair Sportsbook (2 Units)
Manchester United - 1.5 Asian Handicap @ 2.10 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Chelsea - 1.5 Asian Handicap @ 2.10 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Tottenham Hotspur-Manchester City Over 3.5 Goals @ 2.50 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Hull City-Arsenal Over 2.5 Goals @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)

April Final: 18-27-1, - 14.29 Units (83 Units Staked, - 17.22% Yield)
March Final: 30-18, + 30.66 Units (88 Units Staked, + 34.84% Yield)
February Final: 20-24-2, + 3.19 Units (75 Units Staked, + 4.25% Yield)
January Final: 10-22-1, - 10.54 Units (57 Units Staked, - 18.49% Yield)
December Final: 25-19-1, + 18.70 Units (81 Units Staked, + 23.09% Yield)
November Final: 17-21, - 0.59 Units (69 Units Staked, - 1% Yield)
October Final: 8-18, - 14.79 Units (47 Units Staked, - 31.47% Yield)
September Final: 12-18, - 2.28 Units (41 Units Staked, - 5.56% Yield)
August Final: 8-22, - 19.92 Units (51 Units Staked, - 39.06% Yield)

Season 2014/15: 148-189-5, - 9.86 Units (592 Units Staked, - 1.67% 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)

Tennis Picks 2014 (May 2nd)

We have reached the Quarter Finals in the tournaments on the ATP side of the Tour and the Semi Finals in the WTA event in Oeiras as another week of the clay court season draws to a close.

May should be a fascinating month with the three big tournaments that are scheduled for the next few weeks, especially knowing all the big names will be back in action with motivation at a high.


Tommy Haas - 3.5 games v Andreas Seppi: I was interested to see how Tommy Haas reacted to his time away from the court, especially with rumours about a shoulder issue, but he looked good in his comeback match.

Haas beat Alejandro Falla fairly comfortably, but I expect it will be that much tougher against Andreas Seppi who came through his Second Round match far easier than I thought he would. That might have been down to Albert Ramos heading to Madrid earlier for the qualifiers, but it was still a good, solid win for Seppi.

The Italian has a serve that can be vulnerable and Haas is going to have the home support to perhaps get on the front foot in this match.

It will be interesting to see if Haas can produce top tennis in back to back days after his lay off, but he should be good enough in a normal situation and come through 64, 64.


Daniel Gimeno-Traver v Marcel Granollers: I have backed Daniel Gimeno-Traver twice already this week and I think he can be backed, for a small interest, to beat his compatriot Marcel Granollers in this Quarter Final in Portugal.

I believe Gimeno-Traver is the better clay court player of the two and Marcel Granollers had been on a poor run of form which won't have done his confidence a lot of good, although he did have an important win in the Second Round against Albert Montanes.

However, you can't ignore the recent poor form of Granollers and the run of wins that Gimeno-Traver has had to get to this Quarter Final and a small interest in him winning another has to be the call.


Victor Hanescu v Gastao Elias: A home tournament means Gastao Elias has the chance to really pick up some big Ranking points and he has done well to move through to the Quarter Final, but now faces an opponent that is very happy on the clay courts.

With a serve like Hanescu has, I would have expected it to translate onto the faster courts, but it seems he likes getting his feet under him when it comes to groundstroke battles and that comes on the slower clay courts.

Elias mainly plays on the Challenger circuit and Hanescu has been a regular winner at that level on the clay courts and I can see his serve causing enough problems to pressure the home player.

If Hanescu is serving well, Elias may push too much on his own serve with the pressure of trying to keep up on the scoreboard and I like the Romanian to eventually come through.

MY PICKS: Tommy Haas - 3.5 Games @ 1.95 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Daniel Gimeno-Traver @ 2.33 Pinnacle (1 Unit)
Victor Hanescu @ 1.73 Pinnacle (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 4-4, - 1.1 Units (16 Units Staked, - 6.88% Yield)

English Football Midweek Picks (May 1-4)

This is the post I will use where the previews of the games in the Premier League as well as the First Leg of the Championship Play Off games will be posted.

Any time I add new previews, I will post a link to it as normal.

Hopefully later on Tuesday, or perhaps Wednesday, I will post up a few thoughts on the last weekend in the Premier League as well as my thoughts on Manchester United and the title race.


Liverpool v Fulham Preview (http://goonersguide.com/football-pick-14039-Liverpool-v-Fulham.htm)

Stoke City v Everton Preview (http://goonersguide.com/football-pick-14040-Stoke-City-v-Everton.htm)

Chelsea v Newcastle United Preview (http://goonersguide.com/football-pick-14067-Chelsea-v-Newcastle-United.htm)

Bolton Wanderers v Tottenham Hotspur Preview (http://goonersguide.com/football-pick-14064-Bolton-Wanderers-v-Tottenham-Hotspur.htm)

Cardiff City v West Ham United Preview (http://goonersguide.com/football-pick-14087-Cardiff-City-v-West-Ham.htm)

Blackpool v Birmingham City Preview (http://goonersguide.com/football-pick-14088-Blackpool-v-Birmingham-City.htm)


MY PICKS: Liverpool-Fulham Under 2.5 Goals @ 2.05 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Stoke City Over 1.5 Team Goals @ 3.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)
Newcastle United + 1.25 Asian Handicap @ 1.95 188Bet (2 Units)
Bolton Wanderers-Tottenham Hotspur Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.83 Panbet (2 Units)
West Ham United @ 2.70 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)
Blackpool-Birmingham City Score Draw @ 7.50 Bet365 (1 Unit)