Wimbledon Tennis Day 3 Picks 2026 (Wednesday 1st July)

Day 2 completed the First Round at Wimbledon, bar a couple of the Men's matches that to had to carried over due to the fading light, but it was a day that I attended the tournament and that means a limited thread for the start of the Second Round.

A more normal looking thread will be out for Day 4, but for now, these are the selections from the matches to be played on Wednesday as we move into July.

MY PICKS: Alejandro Davidovich Fokina - 3.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Daniil Medvedev - 8.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Ethan Quinn - 1.5 Sets @ 1.72 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Brandon Nakashima - 1.5 Sets @ 1.61 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Felix Auger Aliassime - 5.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Rafael Jodar - 5.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Novak Djokovic - 5.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Karolina Muchova - 5.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet365 (2 Units)

Coco Gauff - 5.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet365 (2 Units)

Ekaterina Alexandrova - 4.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

Wimbledon Update: 9-10, - 6.78 Units (36 Units Staked, - 18.83% Yield)

Wimbledon Tennis Day 2 Picks 2026 (Tuesday 30th June)

There are always going to be days of frustration when making picks from a Tour as long as the Tennis one, but the key is to flush those and look to bounce back.

Jan-Lennard Struff blew a 2-0 lead to eventually come through 3-2 against Sebastian Baez, but that was followed by Alejandro Davidovich Fokina failing to cover the handicap, despite leading 6/4, 6/4, 3/0 and with a double break of serve in that third set.

Blowing that lead is one thing, but he later led that set with another break at 6/5, but ultimately settled for a tie-breaker success and missing the cover by a single game- if both had landed the other way, Day 1 of the 2026 Wimbledon would have been a decent one.

There were one or two players that just fell short of the criteria and seeing both win comfortably only doubled down the irritation of Day 1, but the First Round has yet to be completed and there is an opportunity to get things turned around.

Day 2 looks like another busy one for the selections, but it is a day where backing a number of players to get through matches without the stress of a deciding set is catching the eye.

Some of the prices are not going to be rushing people out with excitement, but it remains the time of the tournament where trying to lay a positive foundation is the key for what is to come.

Alex De Minaur - 8.5 games v Roman Andres Burruchaga: The connection with Katie Boulter will mean Alex De Minaur should be receiving plenty of support from the London crowd much like Boulter gets when the opening Grand Slam of the Tennis Tour is played in Melbourne. The World Number 6 is pretty comfortable on the grass courts too and Alex De Minaur has been set as a strong favourite to get through this First Round match at SW19.

Two warm up events have been played in Hertogenbosch and Queen's Club and Alex De Minaur reached the Final of the former and the Quarter Final in the latter.

Alex De Minaur should be pretty happy with the numbers produced as he has held 83% of service games played and broken in 32% of return games across those two warm up tournaments, while the opening match here at Wimbledon pits him against someone who is perhaps not so comfortable on the grass.

Roman Andres Burruchaga is the World Number 66 and reached his best career World Ranking just last month when pushing up to World Number 56, but the 24 year old is someone who will almost exclusively play in clay court events. Over the last twelve months, Burruchaga has a 45-20 record in clay court matches, but is 4-6 on hard courts and he is making his debut in the main draw at Wimbledon on Tuesday.

In 2024, Roman Andres Burruchaga won a couple of Qualifying matches before missing out on the main draw in a Third Qualifying Round defeat, while last year he was beaten in the Second Qualifying Round. In one warm up event ahead of Wimbledon 2026, Roman Andres Burruchaga was beaten in three sets by Arthur Fery at Eastbourne and the Argentine has struggled with his return on the lower bouncing grass courts compared with the clay courts.

After winning just 60% of service points played against Arthur Fery, Roman Andres Burruchaga has a lot of room for improvement if he is going to find a way to challenge Alex De Minaur.

It also should be noted that since the start of Wimbledon 2022, Alex De Minaur has a 16-1 record against players Ranked outside of the top 50 in grass court matches and had won fifteen in a row before losing to Kamil Majchrzak in the Hertogenbosch Final earlier this month. He got back on track in that situation when beating Gabriel Diallo at Queen's Club and the 27 year old has held 87% of service games and broken in 32% of return games in that seventeen match run.

This is a very big number and opening matches at Wimbledon can take a bit of time for the top players to really find their rhythm, but Alex De Minaur should have far too much knowledge of playing on this surface for Roman Andres Burruchaga. That should eventually show up on the scoreboard as Alex De Minaur moves through the gears and he should be able to find the breaks that will be needed to cover this mark.

Otto Virtanen-Ben Shelton over 10.5 games first set: Any Qualifier that had to play through the London heatwave last week will have left something on the court, but those players may also have plenty of confidence of at least rattling opponents now we move into main draw action.

One of those making it through the Qualifiers is Otto Virtanen and the 25 year old is someone who has shown a confidence in playing on the grass courts. Three Qualifying wins has pushed the grass court record to 10-3 this year, while Otto Virtanen won all six grass court matches last year before picking up an injury that meant he missed competing at Wimbledon.

The World Number 140 could make a significant move in the World Rankings if he can find an upset or two at this tournament, but Otto Virtanen has been paired with Ben Shelton in the opening Round and it may be a big ask to remain in the draw at the end of Tuesday.

Ben Shelton has a very big game and it should be well suited to the grass courts- he reached the Quarter Final at Wimbledon last year and that means the American has done that at three of the four Grand Slams played with the exception being at the French Open, which is really not a big surprise.

He is the World Number 5 and Ben Shelton is one of the leading contenders at this Grand Slam, especially being placed in the other half of the draw compared with the likes of Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner. Ben Shelton warmed up for Wimbledon by winning the title in Stuttgart and followed up with a run to the Quarter Final in Halle and this is a big time server who has held in 93% of service games played on the grass in 2025 and 2026.

Breaking Ben Shelton is going to be a big ask for Otto Virtanen, but he will take confidence in his own service numbers against an opponent who has broken in just 11% of return games played on the surface this year.

The career number is at 12% for breaks of serve on the grass and it is expected to take Ben Shelton a bit of time to perhaps earn a read on the Otto Virtanen serve.

An opening set tie-breaker would surprise no one, but the layers are offering up odds against for the first set to get to 5-5 and that looks the play.

A consideration was given to backing this match to finish above the line set for total games, but that will need both players to win a set and it would not surprise me if Ben Shelton gets stronger as this match goes on, while Otto Virtanen may weaken. However, that could come after a very competitive first set and backing that one to move past this total number of games is the selection.

Alexander Zverev - 6.5 games v Alexander Blockx: After finally getting over the line and winning a Grand Slam title when picking up the trophy in Paris at the French Open, Alexander Zverev will be hoping for a late surge in Major title victories.

He now knows he can win the biggest titles on the Tour having come so close previously, but Alexander Zverev has yet to have that kind of impact at Wimbledon.

The World Number 3 is the Number 2 Seed at this Grand Slam tournament due to the absence of Carlos Alcaraz, but it is a surprise that Alexander Zverev has reached at least the Semi Final at the other three Grand Slam events, but failed to make the Quarter Final at Wimbledon. The best runs have been reaching the Fourth Round on three occasions, but this is a player who has reached the Final in Halle a couple of times and also reached the Final in Stuttgart to suggest he is more than capable of having a big run at Wimbledon too.

Winning the French Open may inspire better from Alexander Zverev who will be facing Alexander Blockx for the third time in two months when they meet in the First Round here.

A match that was originally scheduled for Court One has been moved onto Centre Court after Jack Draper's withdrawal from the tournament and Alexander Zverev will be happy enough with his run to the Semi Final in Halle in his sole competitive preparation for this Grand Slam.

It is more than can be said for Alexander Blockx who has never played in the main draw at Wimbledon and who did not take in any warm up events ahead of this tournament in 2026.

Last year he was beaten in the Third Qualifying Round and Alexander Blockx finished with a 4-4 record on the surface, but seven of those matches were against players Ranked outside the top 100 and this match up has already proven to be a tough one for the young Belgian.

There is a concern with an ankle issue that has meant Alexander Blockx had to withdraw from the French Open before the Second Round match against Alex De Minaur and which has forced him to miss the warm up events for Wimbledon. He has already struggled to be competitive against Alexander Zverev in two clay court matches, which is where Blockx may have felt most comfortable, and it is going to be very tough to stop the French Open Champion in this opening match at Wimbledon with little competitive tennis under the belt.

In those previous two matches, Alexander Zverev has dominated behind serve, but also done enough to put together pressure for breaks in 33% of return games played.

Returning on the grass courts has proven to be much more challenging for Alexander Zverev, but he should be able to work his way into this First Round match and the comfort with what is expected from the other side of the net is also a factor in this one. As the match wears on, Alexander Zverev should be able to take more and more control and it should mean he eventually is able to push through to the Second Round behind a pretty routine win.

MY PICKS: Alex De Minaur - 8.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Otto Virtanen-Ben Shelton Over 10.5 First Set Games @ 2.00 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Alexander Zverev - 6.5 Games @ 2.20 William Hill (2 Units)

Karen Khachanov - 1.5 Sets @ 1.70 William Hill (2 Units)

Jakub Mensik - 1.5 Sets @ 1.72 William Hill (2 Units)
Frances Tiafoe - 1.5 Sets @ 1.57 William Hill (2 Units)

Grigor Dimitrov - 1.5 Sets @ 1.53 William Hill (2 Units)

Jiri Lehecka - 1.5 Sets @ 1.57 William Hill (2 Units)

Kamil Majchrzak - 1.5 Sets @ 1.85 William Hill (2 Units)
Francisco Cerundolo - 1.5 Sets @ 1.60 William Hill (2 Units)

Flavio Cobolli - 1.5 Sets @ 1.57 William Hill (2 Units)

Iga Swiatek - 5.5 Games @ 2.05 William Hill (2 Units)

Serena Williams @ 2.20 Bet365 (2 Units)

Wimbledon Update: 3-4, - 3.68 Units (14 Units Staked, - 26.29% Yield)

Wimbledon Tennis Day 1 Picks 2026 (Monday 29th June)

The grass court season still feels too short, even though an extra week has been placed in between the French Open and the start of Wimbledon.

The third Grand Slam of the 2026 season gets underway in SW19 on Monday, the only Slam that still begins on a Monday, although the tradition of Middle Sunday being left vacant has been consigned to the history books.

One tradition that remains is that the Mens Champion from the previous year will be given the honour of opening Centre Court on Monday and then the Ladies Champion will have the same honour on Tuesday. That is something that is unique to Wimbledon and should be the case in the years ahead and it is also looking like the weather will play ball over the next fortnight.

Better news is that the heatwave from last week in London has moved on for a few days, but it is going to be warm and that should mean decent conditions for all looking to have a big two weeks and pick up a Major title.

There are plenty of big storylines to play out over the next two weeks, but one of the biggest is the return of Serena Williams as she enters the First Round as a Singles Wild Card.

The American is scheduled to be out last on Tuesday on Centre Court and there are going to be plenty of eyes on how Williams performs having left the Tour after a Third Round defeat at the 2022 US Open.

Now, at 44 years old and soon to turn 45, Serena Williams is back and this is certainly the story to follow as long as she is in the draw- there is a chance that Saturday will be Serena Williams vs Iga Swiatek in the Third Round if both can win a couple of matches and having the seven time former Champion at Wimbledon taking on the defending Champion would even take some of the headlines away from the Football World Cup being played in North America.

Serena Williams is an 80-1 shot to win an eighth Wimbledon title in two weeks time, but eight years have passed since she last lifted the trophy here and that is unlikely to be snapped.

There are four single digit priced players in the draw and this does feel like another very open Grand Slam tournament where the top names and surprising contenders will all believe they can win the title.

It is no surprise at all that Jannik Sinner is a short priced favourite to defend his title, but this would become a wide open draw if he was to be upset early as he was at the French Open.

Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev, Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton follow in the market, but it does feel like a tournament that Jannik Sinner is the clear favourite- however, unlike the French Open which was dominated by Zverev once the World Number 1 was eliminated, this Wimbledon draw would represent a real opportunity for so many names if Sinner was to fall again.

Day 1 looks like it will be a very busy start for the Tennis Picks and those can be read below.

The French Open began really well, but it turned into a Slam that produced a little profit rather than really building on the first half of the 2026 season.

The overall numbers remain in a decent position, but there are still two Grand Slam tournaments and other big Masters events to get through before all is said and done and the hope if that we have a strong start to the 2026 Wimbledon and give us something to build upon.

Jannik Sinner - 8.5 games v Miomir Kecmanovic: The last time anyone saw Jannik Sinner on a tennis court, he was wilting in the Paris heat and being unexpectedly dumped out of the French Open in the Second Round.

The World Number will return to Wimbledon in 2026 and has the honour of opening up Centre Court as the defending Men's Champion, but Jannik Sinner will want to erase the memory of his last Grand Slam appearance. He is surely going to be happy to hear that the London heatwave is expected to have moved on by the time Day 1 begins at the third Grand Slam of the 2026 season and Jannik Sinner will be confident in his chances of having a deep run here.

Mentally he will have to show that the upset loss at the French Open has not derailed him, while Jannik Sinner may feel under some pressure having failed to win the first two Grand Slams of the season. The absence of Carlos Alcaraz meant he was the clear favourite to win in Paris and there is a similar amount of expectation being burdened by the Italian over the next fortnight.

However, the one difference is that Jannik Sinner has won the title at Wimbledon, whereas he is still waiting for the first French Open title, and that should help.

Over the last couple of years, Sinner has developed into one of the top players on grass, which is also important considering how many players dislike the month on this surface between the French Open and European clay court/North American hard court tournaments.

One of those players that may be looking forward to the end of the grass court season is World Number 57 Miomir Kecmanovic, although he did reach the Quarter Final in Mallorca in the lead up to this Grand Slam.

He has also reached the Third Round at SW19 in the last two years, but Miomir Kecmanovic has perhaps enjoyed the draws and that is not going to be the case in the First Round in 2026. It should also be noted that his last four defeats here have been against Novak Djokovic twice, Diego Schwartzman and Jannik Sinner and those losses have all been in one-sided fashion.

The serve is key on the grass courts and Miomir Kecmanovic is holding 81% of his service games played on this surface in the lead up to Wimbledon- that number dips to 63% when only considering matches against top ten Ranked opponents, while Kecmanovic was broken at least five times in each of those defeats to Novak Djokovic (twice) and Jannik Sinner at this Grand Slam.

Jannik Sinner may just need to settle into this match, but there is every chance he can begin to roll through the gears and exorcise any demons remaining from the French Open with a relatively straightforward win to earn a spot in the Second Round.

He has won all four previous Tour matches against Miomir Kecmanovic and Jannik Sinner has been able to hold 91% of his service games compared with 67% for the underdog and that could be the case on Centre Court when Day 1 of Wimbledon is played.

Brandon Nakashima - 5.5 games v Jack Pinnington Jones: Down the years, those who had success at Queen's Club in West London would usually have a lot of momentum to take on their short journey to Wimbledon.

That is still the case to some extent, although the quality of the field that is attracted by one of the big grass court tournaments ahead of the third Grand Slam of the season has perhaps weakened. There was a time when the likes of Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal would play at Queen's ahead of Wimbledon, but most of the top names skipped the warm up events in 2026 and that has allowed others to gain that momentum and confidence in their absence.

One of those will be Seeded Brandon Nakashima who reached the Semi Final at Queen's before losing to eventual Champion Francisco Cerundolo.

The American is at his best on the faster surfaces and he has really taken a liking to the grass courts in recent years, while a win over someone like Alex De Minaur will do Brandon Nakashima the world of good. Plenty of wins have been produced on this surface since 2024, but most encouraging for Brandon Nakashima is the manner in which he was returning serve in that Semi Final run in West London earlier this month.

The Nakashima serve has always stood him well on the grass, but backing that up with the same level of returning produced at Queen's will make the World Number 31 very dangerous.

He opens up with a match that will be played against a home player and one who earned an opening Round upset at Wimbledon last year- this means Brandon Nakashima will likely have to play against a vocal crowd too, although his only focus will be on Jack Pinnington Jones standing on the other side of the net.

Jack Pinnington Jones is one of six British men who have received a Wild Card into the main draw, but he has not been able to take advantage of similar opportunities handed to him at Queen's and in Eastbourne. Losses to Denis Shapovalov and Jack Draper underline the level that still has to be found by the 23 year old if he is going to become a regular on the Tour, especially at this level, and there could be plenty of pressure on him to serve very well to remain competitive.

You would expect Pinnington Jones to be able to do that for a while, but Brandon Nakashima should keep the pressure on him with his own serve, as well as that improving return play.

The higher Ranked player has a 26-7 record on the grass courts when facing a lower Ranked opponent and Brandon Nakashima has broken in 22% of those return games played.

The handicap could be in an awkward number if Brandon Nakashima was to drop a set, but he should still have the quality and the experience to eventually wear down Jack Pinnington Jones in this best of five set format and that should be evident on the final scoreboard.

Daniil Medvedev - 1.5 sets v Marin Cilic: This is the second meeting between these players during this grass court season and Daniil Medvedev is expected to back up the victory over Marin Cilic at Hertogenbosch by getting the better of him at Wimbledon.

They have met at Wimbledon before back in 2021 when Marin Cilic was Ranked Number 37 and Daniil Medvedev was the World Number 2 and the latter needed to fight back from 2-0 behind in sets to battle through in five sets in what was then a Third Round match.

Suffice to say, Daniil Medvedev may have hoped for an easier First Round match than this one, although Marin Cilic is now 37 years old and the World Number 60, while a 2-2 record on the grass in the lead up to Wimbledon will not be inspiring a lot of confidence. His game has always been well tailored for the grass courts and Marin Cilic has enjoyed considerable success at Wimbledon, although reaching the Quarter Final in three straight years before finishing Runner Up came between 2014 and 2017.

Last year Marin Cilic surprisingly reached the Fourth Round here, which included upsetting home favourite Jack Draper in the Second Round, but the veteran is going to have to find a significant improvement in the serving.

When Marin Cilic faced Daniil Medvedev in Hertogenbosch, the former 53% of points behind serve and was broken five times, although Cilic will take some confidence from the fact that such a poor performance still saw him win a set.

Much like he has on the clay, Daniil Medvedev has struggled to really find his consistency on the grass courts and that can make him vulnerable, although he did reach the Semi Final here at Wimbledon in 2023 and 2024. However, last year Medvedev was beaten in the First Round and that makes this match a bit more awkward, even after putting together a 4-2 record on the grass over the last couple of weeks.

You have to feel that Daniil Medvedev has to start with some intensity and that means serving well to try and keep the pressure on Marin Cilic, who will have some early pop on his own delivery.

Attacking the Cilic second serve is important, but just keeping the scoreboard pressure on the veteran could be enough to extract a loose game or two and Daniil Medvedev's recent experience of facing Marin Cilic should help.

A Semi Final run in Hertogenbosch and a Quarter Final run in Halle will certainly have Daniil Medvedev well prepared for this match and the expectation is that he will have a little too much energy for the older player.

There is no doubting that Marin Cilic is very dangerous, but that should be something that focuses the World Number 8 and Daniil Medvedev should be able to beat the Croatian at Wimbledon for a second time in his career, albeit this time without the need for a fifth set.

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina - 5.5 games v Juan Manuel Cerundolo: This will not make nearly the same impact as the upset that Juan Manuel Cerundolo produced at the French Open when beating Jannik Sinner from 0-2 behind in sets.

However, it would be an upset considering the lack of grass court pedigree that Juan Manuel Cerundolo has had on the surface throughout his career.

In fact the first two grass court wins were secured last week in Eastbourne against the World Number 43 and then World Number 118, but Cerundolo was beaten in the Quarter Final in straight sets by Toby Samuel, the World Number 142. That leaves Juan Manuel Cerundolo with a career 2-6 mark on the grass courts and his sole appearance in the main draw ended in a routine 6/2, 6/2, 6/2 defeat to the aforementioned Jannik Sinner.

That is not to say that the World Number 45 should not be happier on the grass courts considering his brother, Francisco, just picked up the title at Queen's. It is an achievement that should inspire Juan Manuel Cerundolo, although he is in for a tough test against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.

The Spaniard is moving back up the World Rankings and just won the title in Mallorca on the grass courts in the lead up to Wimbledon, although you do have to wonder if that is ideal preparation for a Day 1 start on Monday. It means Alejandro Davidovich Fokina is going to have little time to get ready for the different conditions in Mallorca compared with London, but this is a player who has reached the Third Round at Wimbledon in each of the last two appearances here.

It should help him settle, even with a day of rest between matches, and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina will be a threat if he can continue to serve as he has in warm up tournaments. That will be more of a challenge against some of the better players on the Tour, but Davidovich Fokina should be able to impose that shot on Juan Manuel Cerendolo.

The underdog has struggled with his return on the grass and his own serve has not been nearly as effective, which does give Alejandro Davidovich Fokina an edge in this First Round match.

In one previous match on the Tour, the higher Ranked player moved past Juan Manuel Cerendolo in straight sets at the US Open and the grass should give Alejandro Davidovich Fokina a stronger advantage.

Covering this handicap mark will not be easy, but Alejandro Davidovich Fokina has what it takes to do that in this opening contest.

Novak Djokovic - 7.5 games v Yibing Wu: With the main ambition to secure a 25th Grand Slam title keeping him on the Tour, the other events around the Grand Slams are beginning to see less and less of the legendary Novak Djokovic.

After a relatively early exit at the French Open, Novak Djokovic will begin his bid for an eighth Wimbledon title, which would see him match the total Roger Federer secured at this event.

There is still something left in the tank as Novak Djokovic showed when reaching the Australian Open Final in January, while he has long suggested he still believes he can win a Grand Slam as long as he is not in a position of having to beat both Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz in the space of a few days. There is no Alcaraz at this tournament, but the World Number 1 is a potential Semi Final opponent, although Novak Djokovic will not be thinking of anything other than making sure he reaches that stage in his own right.

At 39 years old, every tournament becomes that much more challenging, but Novak Djokovic remains one of the top grass court players on the Tour.

He got through the opening three Rounds without breaking too much of a sweat twelve months ago and it feels key for Novak Djokovic to get through the early matches without exerting too much energy and effort.

First up for the former World Number 1 is a match against Yibing Wu who is the World Number 99 and with much less grass court experience compared with the player standing across the net.

This is going to be the tenth grass court match in Wu's career, while Novak Djokovic has won seven in a row seven times to pick up Wimbledon titles, and that edge in experience could show up on Centre Court.

Yibing Wu has a 1-3 record on the grass in 2026, but the concern is that all of those matches have been against players Ranked outside of the top 100.

He has only been able to hold 76% of service games in those matches and Novak Djokovic is still capable of breezing past opponents that have to deal with the legendary status around the Serb, as well as the quality he can still produce on the court.

Injuries have perhaps played a part in the Novak Djokovic performances since the Australian Open Final, and he is just 4-3 on the Tour since that defeat to Carlos Alcaraz. However, two of those wins were at the French Open and Novak Djokovic can make a strong start to his latest bid for another Grand Slam title and that includes covering this potentially awkward handicap line.

Novak Djokovic may start a little slowly, but he should have enough Break Point chances to find the breaks needed to cover the line and he can be backed to do that.

MY PICKS: Jannik Sinner - 8.5 Games @ 1.91 William Hill (2 Units)

Brandon Nakashima - 5.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Daniil Medvedev - 1.5 Sets @ 1.72 William Hill (2 Units)

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina - 5.5 Games @ 1.87 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Novak Djokovic - 7.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet365 (2 Units)

Denis Shapovalov - 1.5 Sets @ 1.70 William Hill (2 Units)

Jan-Lennard Struff - 1.5 Sets @ 1.72 William Hill (2 Units)

Martin Damm - 1.5 Sets @ 1.57 William Hill (2 Units)

Karolina Muchova - 5.5 Games @ 1.87 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Season 2026: 131-109, + 11.90 Units (351 Units Staked, + 3.39% Yield)

2026 World Cup- Last 32 Knock Out Round Picks (Sunday 28th June-Friday 3rd July)

The 2026 World Cup has felt like it has made a relatively low key start- there have been some strong stories with the likes of Cape Verde and South Africa pushing into the Knock Out Rounds, while some of the leading names in the sport have made a big impact in the Group Stage.

However, it has also felt like there has been a lack of jeopardy in the Group Stage, although don't mention that to the very disappointing Marcelo Bielsa and his Uruguay squad, and that has perhaps meant there is not nearly the same sense of drama as in previous tournaments when only two out of the four teams in each Group would be progressing to the latter stages of the competition.

The hope is that the Last 32 Knock Out ties will begin to raise the temperature around the matches, although those in London and the UK may have had just about enough of the heat in recent days, and that intensity increase should make the games a little more appealing all around.

Before the tournament began, there would have been some criticism of this extra Round in the Knock Out Bracket, but there are some good looking matches to be played with the most notable being the Netherlands facing Morocco and Portugal taking on Croatia.

Once this Round is in the books, the Last 16 has the potential to put together some very high quality teams and that should really get this World Cup Finals moving in a very positive direction for fans in the Stadium and those watching on from back home.

In three weeks time, the team holding the World Cup crown for the next four years will be confirmed and all involved in the Knock Out Bracket will give themselves a moment to dream.

2026 World Cup Last 32 Picks

Sunday 28th June

South Africa vs Canada Pick: Two of the three co-hosts finished top of their World Cup Groups and that has meant having home advantage for the next two Knock Out Round ties if they can keep winning.

The exception is Canada after they were beaten 2-1 by Switzerland in the final Group game and that means having to move out of Vancouver and head into the United States.

First up is a match against surprising South Africa who were beaten in the opener by Mexico and then needed a very late equaliser to avoid virtual elimination against Czechia. An upset over South Korea helped South Africa reach the Knock Out Rounds of the World Cup for the first time, but they will need to be more composed in the final third if they are going to keep those upsets going.

South Africa have taken plenty of shots in the last couple of games, but they are not always making the best decisions in the final third and that is likely going to let them down.

This Canada team have come through what looks a weak Group and there is still a concern that they do not score enough goals having managed eight in the Group Stage, but six against Qatar. Scoring once in each game against European opponents Bosnia-Herzegovina and Switzerland is an issue, even if Canada created the better chances in both games and perhaps were a little unfortunate to only earn a single point.

The hope, and expectation, is that this South Africa team is one of the more manageable Last 32 opponents that Canada could have asked for and they should have the superior firepower in the final third to make the difference.

Credit has to be given to South Africa for finding a way out of the Group Stage, but it was a weak section that only provided two teams in the Last 32 and Canada can win this one in normal time.

Monday 29th June

Brazil vs Japan Pick: Topping the Group ahead of Morocco has given Brazil the opportunity to face a Runner Up, but this fixture against Japan has every chance of becoming very awkward for the five time former World Champions.

Twenty-four years have passed since Brazil last won the World Cup and this squad and manager is under pressure to deliver.

A Last 32 exit would be a huge blow and Brazil are very reliant on the superstar forwards to make up for what has been a vulnerable midfield and a defence that can be attacked out wide. There are other elements to the Brazil team that are to be admired with a solid goalkeeper and two centre halves who played in the Champions League Final, but Scotland and Morocco showed in the Group that there is still a vulnerability about this team and Japan will offer a stern test.

Despite the absence of a couple of key attackers, Japan have scored in all of their Group games and have produced some very good football to create solid openings.

One clean sheet is a concern though and these two nations shared out five goals when they met in an international friendly last October- Brazil were leading 0-2 in Tokyo before Japan's epic fightback to win 3-2 and there is a feeling that this Last 32 tie could be a pretty entertaining affair.

Knock Out Football can sometimes lead to tension, but both Brazil and Japan will believe they are best on the front foot and backing at least three goals to be shared out in normal time is the play.

The lean is with Brazil to find a way through, but Japan should offer plenty of resistance and threat and 2-1 to the favourites feels the most likely conclusion to this fixture.

Germany vs Paraguay Pick: Julian Nagelsmann has been far from happy with the schedule faced by his Germany team ahead of the Last 32- as one of the Group Winners that were facing a third placed team, Nagelsmann was upset that his team may have to wait until Saturday night to know the opponent for a Last 32 tie scheduled for Monday.

However, it has been looking like Paraguay would be the opponent for a while and so there will be no excuses if Germany fail to beat the South American nation and move through to the Last 16.

The last two World Cup tournaments since winning it all in 2014 having ended in embarrassing Group Stage exits and so Germany have achieved the first aim of getting out of their section. The defeat to Ecuador was disappointing, but Germany have played pretty well and will certainly feel they hold the edge over a Paraguay team that were thumped by the United States and somehow managed to hang on for a 1-0 win over Turkiye despite being outplayed.

A wasteful display from Turkiye helped after Paraguay had scored with the first real shot of the game, but the attacking numbers have to improve if there is going to be an upset in this one.

Paraguay have created a total of 1.04 XG across the first three matches at the World Cup and they have had a total of five shots on target.

It is hard to imagine that being good enough against arguably the best team they will have faced in the tournament and one that has scored ten goals already.

Germany did score seven of those against Curacao, but two against Ivory Coast and one against Ecuador suggests they will have the quality needed to break down a Paraguay team that have kept two consecutive clean sheets. However, Turkiye created so many good chances against them that they could have matched the four goals the United States managed against Paraguay and the best approach to this Last 32 tie may be backing the Germans to win with a clean sheet at an appealing price.

Netherlands vs Morocco Pick: This looks to be one of the best ties in the Last 32 and there is going to be a lot of interest in this fixture, although the timing of the game could not be much worse for those back home in Netherlands and Morocco.

Both teams earned seven points in the Group Stage and impressed in different ways, but Netherlands topped their section and Morocco finished behind Brazil in their own.

There is going to be a real familiarity with one another, even if they have not played each other very recently, and it has been a tie that has opened up a discussion about identity- Morocco are the first nation to ever field a full starting eleven that have been born outside of the country when they lined up to play Brazil.

A number of the Morocco squad have come through the Dutch footballing system and it feels like this is going to develop into a tense, competitive fixture between two nations Ranked at Number 7 and Number 8 in the FIFA World Rankings (Morocco are just ahead of Netherlands).

With that in mind, would it really be a big surprise if this was the first of the 2026 World Cup matches that needed to go into Extra Time and perhaps Penalties?

Morocco have not been the most creative going forward, but they are very solid defensively and the approach is likely going to be one that looks to contain the Netherlands and hit them on the counter.

Ronald Koeman's team have scored at least twice in each World Cup match, but the fixture against Japan was notable for the lack of clear chances created- both teams produced strong finishing in the 2-2 draw, but Netherlands may struggle to create a lot against this Morocco defence that largely had Brazil at arm's distance in the Group Stage.

There is so much beyond the football field that will be motivating both sets of players and it may end up being a tense game with little between them- one goal could be enough to separate the teams either way, but it would not be a surprise if we end up with a 1-1 scoreline and the need for at least Extra Time and perhaps Penalties to be used to find out which of the teams is playing in the Last 16 on Saturday afternoon.

Tuesday 30th June

Ivory Coast vs Norway Pick: The format for the 2026 World Cup does mean there are a couple of ties in the Last 32 which involve teams that have finished Runners Up in the Group Stage.

One of those is Ivory Coast facing Norway after the teams finished behind Germany and Brazil respectively.

Both teams have impressed during the Group Stage with only defeats against the top teams in each section, but wins over the other two teams faced.

Norway should take particular encouragement from beating Senegal 3-2, but Ivory Coast's win and performance against Ecuador is one that should be given ample amount of respect too.

There is very little between these teams, but Norway do have the extra firepower in the final third that could make the difference. You would consider Ivory Coast the stronger defensive team considering some of the chances that Norway have allowed in this tournament, but the latter have Erling Haaland putting the finishing touches to some smart attacking play and that may give them the narrow edge when all is said and done.

However, Ivory Coast are more than dangerous enough to play their part and it could end up being a fixture that finishes up 2-1 either way, and backing goals certainly feels more comfortable than trying to pick a winner. The feeling is that Norway will do enough, but if they defend as they have in the Group Stage, this Ivory Coast team is more than good enough to hurt them the other way and the expectation is for a relatively attacking contest to develop, even in a Knock Out environment that can breed tension.

France vs Sweden Pick: They came into the tournament as one of the favourites and France finished top of their Group with maximum points and ten goals scored having put at least three past each of Senegal, Iraq and Norway.

However, despite that, you could argue that France have yet to put in a full ninety minute display and that is very worrying for those that look to stop them winning a second World Cup in three runnings of the tournament.

The attacking options available to the French looked impressive on paper and those players all look to be playing with the confidence that will make them very dangerous.

It is going to take some effort from Graham Potter's Sweden to prevent France from working their way through to the Last 16 and the 5-1 loss to Netherlands is hard to ignore. They were also struggling against Japan before Anthony Elanga's cross-shot provided an equaliser for Sweden, but this is a team that will have to defend so much better to contain the France attack.

Getting the ball into the likes of Viktor Gyokeres and Alexander Isak will be difficult for Sweden and it looks like the European nation that got into the World Cup via the Play Offs are going to have the run ended and ended emphatically.

Sweden will feel they can cause some problems if they are able to counter with clear execution, while they will be looking to exploit any tension in the French camp with the burden of pressure on their shoulders, but it feels like the Swedes will need plenty of fortune to help them past this opponent.

Ultimately France are too good in that final third to believe Sweden can contain the threat for long enough and another comfortable win for one of the favourites is expected.

Mexico vs Ecuador Pick: Goals will change games and especially in the Knock Out Rounds of any tournament, but this one between Mexico and Ecuador looks like it will be very competitive and another that may need to move through Extra Time and Penalties to determine a winner.

Ecuador needed a late goal to turn things around against Germany and win the final Group match to move through as one of the best third place teams. They had arrived in North America as a 'dark horse', but the challenge for them now is building on finding a way to get through the Group having been beaten by Ivory Coast and then failing to score against Curacao in the opening two games in that section.

This is a team that have looked pretty composed defensively, but the long-term concern is that Ecuador have perhaps not found the right system in the attacking third.

Nothing has been wrong with the chances created at this tournament, but Ecuador have perhaps lacked some quality in those areas and now they have the challenge of playing an away game in the Knock Out Stages as they are forced to travel to Mexico City for the Last 32 tie.

It is where co-hosts and Group A Winners Mexico will be waiting for Ecuador and the challenge for the home team is proving that they are better than merely a team that took advantage of a weak Group.

Mexico beat South Africa, South Korea and Czechia without conceding a goal, but all of those teams are already on the way home.

The fans will certainly give Mexico a push, but the fixture against South Korea was pretty closely contested and these two nations played out a goalless draw when they met in the Copa America two years ago.

It is hard to imagine there will be much between them in this Last 32 tie and there is a real belief that one goal could be all it takes to provide the Last 16 nation.

Picking a winner looks very tough, but it would be a surprise if this is a goal-filled contest and backing the defences to be on top for the majority of the game is the pick.

Wednesday 1st July

England vs DR Congo Pick: Functional football has helped England through to the Knock Out Rounds of the World Cup, but Thomas Tuchel is under pressure to deliver more.

Injuries to the right back position has frustrated the media and the fans, who all felt this was an issue waiting to come up, but Tuchel will only be concentrating on trying to find a way to help England into what looks a massive test when facing Mexico in the Azteca in the Last 16.

It will be a fixture that is not going to be needed to be played if England are upset on Wednesday, but that looks unlikely.

DR Congo deserve credit for getting here, but they have not defended with a lot of authority against Colombia and Portugal and England should have far too much in the final third. The defenders will be well used to facing Yoane Wissa, who has impressed, while the attacking players will see this DR Congo defence as one that can be broken down.

Of course the same could have been said about Ghana, but DR Congo have not shown the same organisation as their fellow African nation and England should have the difference makers in the final third to eventually do enough to move through with another clean sheet.

Belgium vs Senegal Pick: Both of these teams need to improve significantly if they are going to have a deep run at the World Cup, but Belgium and Senegal have shown enough attacking football to believe they could play one of the more high-scoring fixtures of the Round.

Neither defence can expect to contain the other and both Belgium and Senegal have created some big chances in the Group Stage.

The key to the outcome in this one is the composure that the attackers are able to show, but Belgium might have turned a corner in the last fixture and Senegal also produced plenty in the attacking third to believe they can win this one.

Another European vs African nation ending a 2-1 scoreline would not surprise, although the lean is that Senegal may be ready for the upset.

MY PICKS: Canada @ 1.83 Coral (1 Unit)

Brazil-Japan Over 2.5 Goals @ 2.10 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Germany Win to Nil @ 2.25 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Netherlands-Morocco Draw @ 3.20 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Ivory Coast-Norway Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

France - 1 English Handicap @ 1.75 William Hill (1 Unit)

Mexico-Ecuador Under 1.5 Goals @ 2.40 Paddy Power (1 Unit)

England Win to Nil @ 1.80 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Belgium-Senegal Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Last 32: 5-2, + 3.79 Units (7 Units Staked, + 54.14% Yield)

Group Stage MD 3: 11-11-1, - 1.29 Units (23 Units Staked, - 5.61% Yield)

Group Stage MD 2: 16-8, + 7.44 Units (24 Units Staked, + 31% Yield)

Group Stage MD 1: 12-12, - 0.30 Units (24 Units Staked, - 1.25% Yield)

Boxing Picks 2026- Xander Zayas vs Jaron Ennis (Saturday 27th June)

There have been some decent fight nights littered through the first half of the 2026 season, but this headline act in Brooklyn on Saturday 27th June looks like setting up the next big name in and around the Welterweight/Middleweight Divisions.

Half of the Light Middleweight Division will be Unified at the end of this night and the winner will likely go on to face one of the other two Champions, although it has been rumoured that Sebastian Fundora and Josh Kelly will face one another and then an Undisputed fight can be secured early next year.

Tomorrow doesn't matter for Xander Zayas and Jaron Ennis as both look to 'prove themselves' on a big stage.

While much of the schedule for the second half of the year has yet to be released, the Oleksandr Usyk decision to vacate all of his World Titles should mean there are some big Heavyweight nights to come as the next generation have a chance to create their own legacy.

Oleksandr Usyk has every right to choose the fights he wants to round out his career without the need to be pushed on mandatories and having up and comers standing across the ring from him.

The likelihood is that he will sign with Zuffa Boxing (which will add to their ambitions of crushing the four World Boxing organisations) and an immediate rematch with Rico Verhoeven has to be expected.

Young Heavyweights will be disappointed that they have not been able to take the torch from the last generation's big Champion, but the likes of Daniel Dubois and Agit Kabayel will be full World Champions and the IBF World Title could easily be on the line when Moses Itauma faces Filip Hrgovic in August, especially if they are mandated to face Frank Sanchez, the current Number 1 in the Rankings, next.

Murat Gassiev defends his Regular WBA World Title against Tony Yoka and that is another winner that could be upgraded to full Champion.

And while none of those Champions feel like generational ones yet (with Itauma showing most potential), it would offer up some big opportunities for a number of fighters to try and prove themselves with big tests not involving the old guard of Usyk, Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua who all look to be heading into a mini-tournament of their own.

We would usually consider the end of June as a time when Boxing will be ready to take a mini-break before going again from September, but that is not the case these days and there are plenty of big nights taking place over the summer months.

Of most interest is the return of Errol Spence Jr after a three year absence and he will be travelling Down Under to face Tim Tszyu, which feels like a crossroads fight for both. That is another that could be of interest to the winner of the Saturday main event in Brooklyn, especially if Spence Jr was to win, but for now, all eyes are on two young fighters looking to make a big statement.

Xander Zayas vs Jaron Ennis

For some time, Jaron 'Boots' Ennis has been spoken about as the next big star of the Welterweight Division, but his rise has come at the same time as the previous generation moved on and there has been a lack of real talent in the 147 pound Division since Terence Crawford beat Errol Spence Jr.

It has meant that Ennis has remained something of a 'boogeyman' with a big reputation, but anything other than a big resume.

Boots looks the part, and has largely shown he is the real deal in his wins, but it is always said that greatness can only be measured when facing greatness.

He has just turned 29 years old but the best win on the record is probably Eimantas Stanionis, who had been out of the ring for thirteen months. Wins over Sergey Lipinets, Custio Clayton, Karen Chukhadzhian (twice) and David Avanesyan do not leap off the page that well and so there is a real 'prove it' moment coming up for Jaron Ennis as he looks to make good on all the hype that has been around him.

Jaron Ennis is unbeaten, but so is 23 year old Xander Zayas and all credit has to be given to the latter for taking on what feels like the biggest test he could find.

Xander Zayas has a big following, but there had been some doubt about how far he can go with his CV feeling like he had been well promoted, rather than perhaps genuinely being the goods. Picking up a Vacant World Title is one thing, but the win over Abass Baraou in January has really announced Zayas on this world level.

He is young and unbeaten, which means Xander Zayas is going to give this a go, while there is always a feeling that his team may see something in Boots Ennis to go after this Unification when it could have been delayed.

Credit has to be given to them for choosing this fight, but it does feel like skills will pay the bills and Jaron Ennis is the superior boxer with his footwork and power likely to be the difference.

Criticism of Jaron Ennis is that he takes too many big shots, but he has shown a sturdy enough chin and this feels like a 'coming out' party for the American.

The body shots are likely going to be used early to slow Xander Zayas' movement and Jaron Ennis can take over the contest from there- the feeling is that he will be breaking down the younger man the longer the fight goes on and Jaron Ennis has shown a ruthlessness in his finishing to believe that he will eventually put together enough punches to force a close without the need to hear the Judges' cards.

A decent undercard will get us prepared for the main event and one of the names will be very familiar with the UK market.

Ben Whittaker signed with Matchroom with the promise to really put some momentum behind his career, but this is going to be just the third fight since April 2025. He is a young professional, but Whittaker is also 29 years old and it feels like his backers have not been willing to take the risks that you would have expected, especially under Eddie Hearn's guidance.

Since April 2025, Ben Whittaker has two First Round wins so there is a hope that Richard Rivera offers some resistance.

The 35 year old has never been Stopped and pushed Badou Jack to a Split Decision loss in 2022, but the Rivera resume is otherwise pretty average.

Worse is that he has not fought since January 2025 and it does feel like Whittaker has been placed in a showcase spot on his United States debut- that may see him look to impress with some of the antics he employed early in his career, but The Surgeon should be able to become the first man to get Rivera out of there before the final bell and it is expected to be another relatively early night in the office.

There are a couple of American prospects looking to remain on the pathway towards the top and Emiliano Vargas should have enough power to put an early dent into Bryce Mills.

The latter is stepping up his levels considerably, and Mills may not have the power to dissuade Emiliano Vargas from getting forward and letting his hands go.

Fourteen Stoppages in seventeen wins shows the kind of threat Vargas will be bringing into the ring and he should be able to wear down and eventually overwhelm Bryce Mills in this Ten Rounder.

MY PICKS: Jaron Ennis to Win by KO/TKO/Disqualification @ 2.10 Bet365 (2 Units)

Ben Whittaker to Win Between 1-5 @ 2.20 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Emiliano Vargas to Win by KO/TKO/Disqualification @ 2.40 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Boxing 2026: 15-31, - 14.96 Units (69 Units Staked, - 21.68% Yield)

US Darts Masters Day 2 Picks 2026 (Friday 26th June)

Only one of the eight main PDC representatives was upset in the opening Round of the US Darts Masters and it is perhaps fitting that Jim Long made it through as a Tour Card holder.

It does mean another solid World Series Quarter Final line up and winning the title will be the objective on Friday before the players all earn a break.

Matches are played through the evening with the Quarter Final, Semi Final and Final played in one Session at Madison Square Garden where plenty of football fans have been in attendance and likely more to come with England set to play in New Jersey on Saturday.

Luke Littler to win & over 2.5 180s v Jim Long: There was a slight moment where it felt like Luke Littler's missed doubles would haunt him against David Cameron, but the latter could not live with the scoring power and the World Number 1 did overwhelm him in the last three Legs to win 6-4.

Luke Littler will know that Jim Long is experienced enough to take advantage of the mistakes made and he is also playing well enough to not allow the top player in the world to be able to make up for as many missed darts again.

There was nothing wrong with Littler's scoring against Cameron with five maximums and five more 140 plus shots and that is likely to be a difference for him again.

It may not be as long a match as the First Round as Luke Littler looks to conserve some energy for the next Round when the challenges are much stiffer, but Jim Long can hang around for long enough for the World Number 1 to hit both parts of this selection.

Luke Humphries-Stephen Bunting over 8.5 legs & over 5.5 180s: These two players split four Premier League meetings with two wins each and only one of the four matches ended with fewer than nine Legs being needed to separate them.

Both Luke Humphries and Stephen Bunting impressed in wins on this stage on Thursday and it would be a disappointment if either slipped off from the level shown.

The focus should be that much greater with the opponent standing behind them on the oche and another 6-3/6-4 kind of win either way is expected.

That should give the players a chance to cover this maximum line with both Humphries and Bunting capable of taking a big chunk out of the number on their own. Again, looking back at the Premier League meetings, the three matches that lasted at least nine Legs produced 6, 10 and 9 maximums, while the one match that ended in a 6-0 win for Luke Humphries also had 3 maximums attached to it.

Luke Humphries at two maximums in seven Legs on Thursday, while Stephen Bunting had three in eight and this double can pay out.

Jonny Clayton to win & over 1.5 180s v Gian van Veen: Five Premier League meetings ended with three wins to Jonny Clayton and two for Gian van Veen and it is the Welshman who may have the slight edge in this US Masters Quarter Final.

Both players were in good form in the First Round and Gian van Veen has definitely looked like a player getting back to his best.

However, Jonny Clayton has maintained a strong level throughout this season and looked to be very comfortable on the stage on Day 1 of the tournament.

The expectation is that this match will be long and it could come down to a missed double here or there, but the edge is with Jonny Clayton and he may just do enough to secure the victory.

With the scoring power displayed in the First Round win and throughout this season, Jonny Clayton will likely add a couple of maximums in any winning effort.

MY PICKS: Luke Littler to Win & Over 2.5 180s @ 1.61 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Luke Humphries-Stephen Bunting Over 8.5 Legs & Over 5.5 180s @ 2.10 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Jonny Clayton to Win & Over 1.5 180s @ 2.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

US Masters: 4-1, + 1.96 Units (5 Units Staked, + 39.20% Yield)

US Darts Masters Day 1 Picks 2026 (Thursday 25th June)

All eyes are on the Football World Cup taking place in North America in June and July, but those in New York City have a big weekend of sport coming up beginning with this US Darts Masters event to be played at Madison Square Garden on Thursday and Friday.

Some of the top names on the Tour have headed over for this tournament and you can imagine the likes of Luke Littler and Luke Humphries have already made plans to watch England take on Panama just a train road out of the City on Saturday afternoon.

Others may choose to take in a game or two themselves with the PDC Tour on hiatus next week before the Players Championship events, another European Tour event and the run up to the World Matchplay gets underway in July.

This is the fourth of eight events to be played in the World Series of Darts events with the next stop being in Australia and New Zealand and it is Michael van Gerwen who has won two of the previous three events played. However, he has chosen to skip the US Masters, but the other seven Premier League participants are all involved and Luke Littler is the other player who has won one of these World Series events in 2026.

All seven Premier League players, and James Wade who comes in for MvG, are favoured to get through, but there were two upsets from the Qualifiers last year and so all will have to be on their toes if they are going to be playing for the title on Friday.

Neither player who earned an upset last year are in the field in 2026, but the sport is growing in North America and none of the eight underdogs should be underestimated. However, if the players are focused, the reality is that the top PDC players should be making it through to the Quarter Final at the end of the Day 1 schedule.

Gian van Veen - 3.5 legs v Fred Krueger: Anyone named Fred Krueger has the capabilities of giving his opponent nightmares, but it would still be a surprise if Gian van Veen is not able to do enough to secure relatively safe passage into the Quarter Final in the opening match of the night.

He has been struggling for consistency, but Gian van Veen also received a tough draw when losing his first match in Slovakia last week at the latest European Tour event.

Before that, Gian van Veen had a decent showing at a Players Championship event and the Dutchman has enough experience to deal with any hostility from the crowd.

Fred Krueger is very experienced too and Qualifying for the US Darts Masters has to be respected, especially as he managed to bring in an 87 average in a Quarter Final loss during that run. Previous efforts of around 82/83 were good enough to win three matches, but another level may be needed to compete with Gian van Veen and two Legs may be as good as it gets for The Nightmare.

James Wade - 1.5 legs v Adam Sevada: He may not have made it through European Q-School, but Adam Sevada did win a match at the World Championship in December before finding Charlie Manby too good and this is one of the growing stars of North American darts.

He paired up with Stowe Buntz to help the United States make it through to the Knock Out Rounds of the World Cup of Darts and they pushed Wales all the way in an 8-5 defeat.

Adam Sevada will have taken plenty of confidence from that, while he produced some good looking averages in the Qualifying tournament before losing in the Final. That performance in the Final will have disappointed the American, but Sevada will enter this event with some confidence.

He did struggle to get his game going when losing to Gerwyn Price last year at this tournament, but James Wade is a player that will not overpower you in the same way.

We haven't seen much of Wade in recent weeks, but he did win a match at the Nordic Darts Masters before losing to Luke Littler and there is a motivation to show he should have been picked for the Premier League. This is another opportunity to prove that and James Wade is still a very solid finisher, which should give him the edge in this one.

If Adam Sevada settles, he could be dangerous, but there is pressure on the underdog to show he is ready to take the next step in his career and James Wade may just hold him off in a 6-2/6-3 kind of win.

Josh Rock to win & most 180s v Jim Long: This may be a case of drawing the short straw for Josh Rock as he is paired up to take on the only North American representative in this tournament who holds a Tour card.

Jim Long was playing in Slovakia last week at the European Tour event and pushed Nathan Aspinall in a 6-4 Second Round defeat, but he has been struggling for consistency in recent weeks.

The World Number 81 does hold a floor win over Josh Rock this season, although they have met once more since then and that was a relatively straightforward win for the Premier League participant.

Josh Rock has been away from action since the World Cup of Darts and it could take a bit of time to find his rhythm, but he remains a big maximum hitter and likely completes the Match Double on his way to the Quarter Final on Friday.

Jonny Clayton - 3.5 legs v Gary Mawson: It took a big effort from Ryan Joyce to edge past Jonny Clayton last week on the European Tour and it is hard to imagine Gary Mawson finding that kind of level to upset the oddsmakers in the First Round in New York City.

Credit where credit is due- Gary Mawson won the US Darts Masters Qualifying tournament, but there is an inconsistency in his play and he will not be able to afford that if he is going to beat Jonny Clayton.

The Welshman has been very consistent on the Tour all season and looks capable of winning a big prize sooner than later, although Jonny Clayton has the same problem as many on the Tour of likely having to beat both Luke Humphries and Luke Littler to do that.

He keeps battling hard though and Clayton was a Semi Finalist at the latest Premier League tournament to underline his consistency.

Barring a load of missed doubles, Jonny Clayton should have a gear too much for Gary Mawson to deal with and that could see him push clear of this handicap.

Stephen Bunting - 2.5 legs v Alex Spellman: One of the PDC players who were upset in the opening Round of the US Darts Masters in 2025 returns to New York City and looking to make sure his second appearance at this event is a much more enjoyable one.

Stephen Bunting will be expected to make amends for that disappointing defeat twelve months ago and he should have the scoring power to see off Alex Spellman.

The American won the CDC Continental Cup to earn his spot at the US Darts Masters, but has been playing in the Modus Super Series and also won the CDC Shootout last month. All of that will give Alex Spellman some confidence, but his averages in winning the Shootout is not going to cut it against Stephen Bunting as long as the Premier League participant can exorcise a few mental demons from losing on this stage the only time he has been on it.

Floor performances at Players Championship 21 and 22 last week suggest Bunting is in fine form and you can excuse the loss to Wessel Nijman in Slovakia last week considering the high level the Dutchman has been producing week after week.

Alex Spellman is unlikely to replicate that kind of power and Stephen Bunting can make relatively calm progress in the last of the First Round matches to be played.

MY PICKS: Gian van Veen - 3.5 Legs @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

James Wade - 1.5 Legs @ 1.72 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Josh Rock to Win & Most 180s @ 1.61 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Jonny Clayton - 3.5 Legs @ 1.72 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Stephen Bunting - 2.5 Legs @ 1.72 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Darts 2026: 88-118, - 16.50 Units (203 Units Staked, - 8.13% Yield)