Premier League Darts Night 15 Picks 2026 (Thursday 14th May)

We are into the penultimate week of the Premier League season and Finals night is looming large for the players still hoping to be involved.

Luke Littler and Jonny Clayton have tied up two positions, while Josh Rock is eliminated and Stephen Bunting could join him at the end of this Night 15 in Birmingham.

It is the middle of the table that is creating the drama and just 5 points separates Gerwyn Price in 3rd place and Gian van Veen in 6th.

Another run to a Nightly Final pushed Luke Humphries into 4th place, but the defending Champion will regret yet another 6-5 defeat to Luke Littler that prevented him moving into the driving seat for Qualification behind the top two. Momentum is with Humphries and he will be looking to add at least another two points this week before Night 16 when he is going to be facing one of his main rivals for a spot at the O2 in the Quarter Finals in Sheffield.

At one stage it felt like Gerwyn Price was going to coast into the Play Offs, but he has lost some momentum and has admitted that he is not playing at full health right now- it has seen him withdraw from recent Players Championship and European Tour events, although the World Cup of Darts withdrawal is apparently not down to poor health as the PDC stated and that according to Price himself.

Two Dutchman make up the foursome pushing for the final two places and Michael van Gerwen won a big title earlier this week and looks to have more going on for him compared with Gian van Veen.

Of course hings can change very quickly in the Premier League and two big Nights remain for the players involved in all of the drama.

Josh Rock to win v Gian van Veen: The Premier League run is over, but Josh Rock will blame his early form for his troubles and the Northern Irishman is still playing at a really good level.

Picking up the European Tour 6 title last weekend backs up the statement and Rock is going to be very dangerous for Play Off chasing Gian van Veen.

All of the pressure is on the latter, but over the last two months, Gian van Veen's level has not been near to what he had been producing at the back end of 2025 and into early 2026. This has led to a number of early defeats and the Dutchman looks vulnerable in the opening Quarter Final on Night 15 of the Premier League.

Those chasing bigger prices may think about Josh Rock to complete the match double of winning with most maximums- in the Premier League he has only one fewer maximum compared with Gian van Veen and that despite playing a lot fewer matches.

However, just simply backing Rock to win at odds against looks the call.

Michael van Gerwen to win v Gerwyn Price: One Dutchman could find himself on the brink of elimination earlier in the night, but Michael van Gerwen could put himself in a really strong position in the 'weaker' side of the bracket on Night 15.

He was in devastating form earlier this week in winning Players Championship 15 and Michael van Gerwen has found a consistency that has been lacking in recent Gerwyn Price performances.

The Welshman has admitted that he is playing through a few health problems and that has meant The Ice Man has not taken part in recent Players Championship or European Tour events. It has also led to early losses in the Premier League and that has allowed three players to pull in close to 3rd place Price and put him under some pressure.

Gerwyn Price has won the last three matches against Michael van Gerwen, including twice in the Premier League, but the latter has rediscovered some of the early season form and can come through as the narrow underdog.

Luke Humphries to win & most 180s v Stephen Bunting: Not many would have predicted Luke Humphries would be entering Night 15 of the Premier League without a Nightly win, but he has found a way to reach the Final in each of the last two weeks.

Of course the defending Champion will be frustrated he has lost the last two Nightly Finals by the same 6-5 scoreline to Luke Littler, but the points have pushed Luke Humphries back into the top four of the Premier League standings.

He still has work to do in order to Qualify for the Play Offs later this month, but Humphries has momentum and he did narrowly beat Stephen Bunting last week.

Credit has to be given to Stephen Bunting for offering as much resistance as he did in that Semi Final in Leeds, but the defeat likely ends his hopes of playing at the O2 Arena in London.

Two solid Players Championship efforts earlier this week will have given Stephen Bunting a boost and he can be dangerous when finding his rhythm around the treble 20 bed. That was the case in the Semi Final last week when hitting two more maximums than Luke Humphries, but overall it is the latter who has had the edge in that market and he can reverse those maximum numbers in another winning effort against this rival.

Luke Littler to win & most 180s v Jonny Clayton: There has been little wrong with Jonny Clayton's Premier League performance nor the manner in which he has produced some power scoring, but Luke Littler has won the last three Premier League Nights and is motoring towards top spot.

A win on Thursday will effectively secure him the position before Night 16 and Luke Littler should be well rested as he looks to make it ten Premier League wins in a row.

Jonny Clayton reached the Players Championship 16 Final on Tuesday and he has been playing at a really good level all season.

He loves the Premier League, but it is Littler who has ended his run in two of the last three Nights and the World Number 1 wants to continue sticking it to his main rivals. This will pay dividends in the big Ranking tournaments to be played in the second half of the season and Littler can complete the match double in the last Quarter Final of the night.

MY PICKS: Josh Rock to Win @ 2.10 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Michael van Gerwen @ 2.00 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Luke Humphries to Win & Most 180s @ 2.62 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Luke Littler to Win & Most 180s @ 2.20 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Darts 2026: 63-93, - 18.16 Units (153 Units Staked, - 11.87% Yield)

Rome Masters Tennis Picks 2026 (Thursday 14th May)

The Rome Masters is into the last of the Quarter Final matches in the ATP event being played in the Italian capital and the two WTA Semi Final matches are scheduled for Thursday as well, although the weather will need to play ball.

It was the weather that changed the momentum of the Casper Ruud eventual win over Karen Khachanov and perhaps prevented the Norwegian from making it 2-0 for the Tennis Picks on Wednesday.

This has still been a decent tournament to add to the earlier positive clay court numbers and that is going to give the pages a boost ahead of the French Open, which is now a little over a week away from beginning at the end of the month.

Coco Gauff - 3.5 games v Sorana Cirstea: Retirement at the end of the season has already been announced, but there has to be some second thoughts in the Sorana Cirstea camp having played some of the best tennis of her career.

If the Rankings were released in the morning, Sorana Cirstea would be back at her career best World Ranking mark of Number 21 and she is very much trending towards cracking the top 20 for the first time. The veteran is also at Number 11 in the WTA Race to determine the best players in the world and Sorana Cirstea has upset Aryna Sabalenka during her run to the Semi Final here in Rome.

A confident player is a dangerous player and Cirstea has a very solid 10-2 record on the clay courts in the build up towards the French Open.

However, both losses have been against some of the better clay courters on the WTA Tour and one of those came at the hands of Coco Gauff at the Madrid Masters.

The defending French Open Champion has shown plenty of character to come through three setters in her run in Rome and Coco Gauff has long been very comfortable on the clay courts. This is a surface where a vulnerable second serve is not punished nearly as much as it is on the faster surfaces where recovering breaks of serve can be very difficult against the best players on the Tour.

On the clay courts, Coco Gauff will always feel she has enough quality from the return to neutralise rallies and ultimately break down an opponent and she is playing well on the surface this season. The numbers are not quite as good as the previous two seasons, but Gauff has shown she can dig in and overcome problems and that makes her the right favourite in this match.

Beating Sorana Cirstea in all three previous matches on the Tour, including twice this year, will also give the World Number 4 the confidence to push past this opponent again.

It was the Coco Gauff returning prowess that helped her beat Sorana Cirstea in Madrid and she created five more Break Points on the day.

Sorana Cirstea is playing with confidence and an almost 'nothing to lose' attitude, which makes her dangerous, but Coco Gauff can find those breaks of serve that helps her cover this spread set for this last four contest.

Daniil Medvedev - 3.5 games v Martin Landaluce: There have been flashes of his ability on the clay courts, but Daniil Medvedev has long stated his dislike for this part of the season and he is never that far from completely losing his temper when things are not panning out as expected. Little form had been shown prior to the arrival in Rome, which is the last big tournament Daniil Medvedev is set to take in before the French Open, but this is one of the clay court events that the World Number 9 has enjoyed.

In his career, Daniil Medvedev has reached one Quarter Final at the French Open and a couple of Fourth Round runs, but he has won the title here in Rome and followed up with back to back Fourth Round appearances.

He has already progressed at least one stage further here in Rome in 2026 and Daniil Medvedev is rightly set as the favourite to get the better of Lucky Loser Martin Landaluce.

The 20 year old is going to take another leap in the World Rankings thanks to his performances in the main draw, but the Spaniard is not the most convincing of clay courters.

In most cases you would expect anyone from his country to be very comfortable on the clay, but Martin Landaluce had a 4-4 record on the surface before winning one Qualifier and losing the other here in Rome. He earned a reprieve with the Lucky Loser spot, and Martin Landaluce has taken full advantage by winning three matches in a row without dropping a set, although this is another step up in level of opponent compared with what the youngster has faced in the main draw.

Martin Landaluce had never beaten a top 100 Ranked player on the clay courts in his career before his three main draw wins here, but none of the opponents beaten have been Ranked higher than Number 47 and so Daniil Medvedev should offer a much tougher challenge.

Confidence in putting a run like this together will make Martin Landaluce dangerous, but his serve can be vulnerable and that has been the main reason he had a 0-8 record against top 100 Ranked players on this surface before the last few days.

The expectation is that Daniil Medvedev can exert some pressure with his own serve and the higher Ranked player may have enough to cover this spread set.

Iga Swiatek - 4.5 games v Elina Svitolina: The latter played a Quarter Final that ended after two and a half hours on Wednesday evening and that is going to have an impact on Elina Svitolina, who has lost both previous clay court matches against Iga Swiatek.

The lower Ranked player has produced some very good tennis on the clay, but Swiatek is rounding into the kind of form that has seen her win multiple French Open titles.

The Pole was not pushed at all by Jessica Pegula to continue her incredible form in Rome and that long match played by Elina Svitolina has to be a factor without a day of rest between Quarter and Semi Final.

Covering this kind of spread against Elina Svitolina is always a challenge, but Iga Swiatek would have done that in both previous clay court wins over this opponent.

Energy and intensity should be with Iga Swiatek from early in this contest and she can eventually roll into the Final behind another confident win.

MY PICKS: Coco Gauff - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Daniil Medvedev - 3.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Iga Swiatek - 4.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Rome Update: 5-2, + 1.94 Units (7 Units Staked, + 27.71% Yield)

Rome Masters Tennis Picks 2026 (Wednesday 13th May)

The Rome Masters has reached the Quarter Final stage and there are several big names looking to win the first of potentially two big clay titles over the next few weeks.

Jannik Sinner is going to be the man to beat in Paris, but a wide open women's tournament here in Rome and at the French Open looks really interesting and one that will create the sporting drama that fans would all love to see.

Iga Swiatek - 3.5 games v Jessica Pegula: This is already looking like becoming the most productive year on the clay courts for Jessica Pegula who has moved into the Rome Quarter Final and has won nine of the ten matches played on the surface. A couple of those have been against top 20 Ranked opponents, which can only build the confidence, while the Third Round defeat at the Madrid Masters came at the hands of Marta Kostyuk, who eventually won the title in the Spanish capital.

The performances here in Rome are a real benchmark of the kind of successes the World Number 5 can have at the upcoming French Open.

She has reached the Quarter Final out in Paris before, but Jessica Pegula has one other Fourth Round run and so the wins she is putting on the board can only help as she looks to attack what feels like another wide open Grand Slam event.

Beating Iga Swiatek, the four time French Open Champion, would be a real statement of intent from the American.

Jessica Pegula has won four of the last six against Iga Swiatek, but one of those was on the grass courts and the others on hard courts and this will be only the second clay court contest between these highly Ranked players. The one previous occasion came all the way back in 2022 in the French Open Quarter Final and that was won pretty convincingly by Iga Swiatek on her way to a second title in the French capital.

We have yet to see vintage Iga Swiatek on the clay courts in 2026 and her Semi Final defeat in Paris, and the manner in which it ran away from her in the final set, will still be stinging. She has won five of the seven clay court matches played this season and Swiatek has produced very strong numbers, but a defeat to the World Number 9 Mirra Andreeva in Stuttgart suggests there is still a vulnerability about one of the favourites to win the next Grand Slam title.

This is something of a 'prove it' match for Swiatek, who will be keen to win the Rome title and just make a statement to her main rivals.

She is certainly the stronger return player on this surface and that is so important in clay matches, but the Iga Swiatek serve is to be respected and that should give her a chance to turn things around in the recent head to head.

Nothing is ever easy when facing a battler like Jessica Pegula, but the quality and confidence of Iga Swiatek on this surface should pay dividends at key moments within the sets.

The World Number 3 looks like a real potential winner at the French Open and she can be backed to make it through to the Semi Final in Rome with a big performance.

Casper Ruud - 4.5 games v Karen Khachanov: The hopes of winning a Grand Slam title remain high for Casper Ruud and his team, and the French Open may be the one tournament where he has his best opportunity.

The performances on the clay courts have remained strong and Casper Ruud is having a very strong run in the Rome Masters, which is laying a solid foundation for what can be achieved in the French capital. Not only has Casper Ruud won all three matches in the tournament, but he has done so in very strong fashion and wins over the likes of Jiri Lehecka and Lorenzo Musetti will have given Ruud a huge amount of confidence.

Next up is a Quarter Final against Karen Khachanov, who has had a much more battling run into this Round of the tournament.

In the past the World Number 15 has proven to be a solid competitor on the clay courts, and Karen Khachanov has reached the Quarter Final at the French Open twice. There had been little form produced before the Rome Masters as Khachanov had lost three of four clay court matches played, but three wins in a row will have rebuilt the confidence and this is a dangerous player when at his best.

The serve can be a big weapon for Karen Khachanov and he will need to employ that shot at a high level to just contain the threat coming from the other side of the net.

Out of the two players, Casper Ruud has been the happier return player on this surface of the two players contesting this Quarter Final and that may put the World Number 25 in a position to win the match and cover the spread set.

That slightly superior returning has been the key to Casper Ruud winning two of the three previous matches played between the players, although the most recent was won by Karen Khachanov last year on a North American hard court in the build towards the US Open.

The one sole clay court meeting took place in Rome in 2020 and was won by Casper Ruud in a back and forth battle- that was a tournament played in September, rather than May, and the difference in the conditions has to be noted.

However, the performances over the last several days suggest Casper Ruud is still playing well enough to earn another clay court win over Karen Khachanov. The spread is going to be tougher to deal with, but Ruud has looked very good at this event and that kind of level may be high enough to cover this handicap line.

MY PICKS: Iga Swiatek - 3.5 Games @ 1.66 William Hill (1 Unit)

Casper Ruud - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 William Hill (1 Unit)

Rome Update: 4-1, + 2.28 Units (5 Units Staked, + 45.60% Yield)

NBA Playoffs 2026- Second Round Picks Game 5-7 (Tuesday 12th May-Monday 18th May)

The First Round produced a number of tough, gruelling Series, but it has been a different story in the Second Round.

My New York Knicks have continued to impress and have swept past the Philadelphia 76ers to reach the Eastern Conference Finals again and the experiences from last year are expected to help this team.

For most of the fans, the NBA Finals has to be the minimum aim and winning the NBA Cup earlier in the season raised expectations- the performances in the Playoffs have been even more impressive since falling 2-1 behind in the First Round and seven straight wins means the Knicks will be confident whether they play the Detroit Pistons or the Cleveland Cavaliers, which is a Series that is definitely reaching Game 5.

The Western Conference Series between the San Antonio Spurs and Minnesota Timberwolves is the only one that is definitely going to need a Game 6, at least at the time of writing.

A long Series likely benefits the Oklahoma City Thunder, even if they are forced into a Game 5 in their own Series against the Los Angeles Lakers, but they should be awaiting the winner of the other Second Round Series in the West and the defending Champions still look the team to beat.

The selections from Game 5-7 of the Second Round Series still being played will be placed in this thread and then a new thread will begin this weekend when the Conference Finals are hoping to begin.

Tuesday 12th May

Minnesota Timberwolves @ San Antonio Spurs Game 5 Pick: Playoff Games are always going to have factors that can determine the outcome of a contest, which are almost impossible to predict for the watching fans.

One is clearly injury related- losing a big name in the middle of a Playoff Game and within a Series can tip things one way or the other very quickly.

The other is teams beginning to get fed up of one another and a growing dislike leading to ejections.

Without a doubt, Game 4 of this Western Conference Series will have been massively impacted by the Victor Wembanyama ejection in the Second Quarter.

The Minnesota Timberwolves took advantage by attacking the rim and using their bigger players inside the paint as they rallied for a win over the San Antonio Spurs. Players in Timberwolves uniform admitted that the absence of Wemby on the court helped them game plan much more effectively and the momentum is back with Minnesota, even if they have to replicate Game 1 and win one on the road.

The expectation is that the League is not going to suspend Victor Wembanyama for another game, but will see the relatively early ejection in Game 4 as being enough punishment.  Even without him on the court, the San Antonio Spurs showed some of the depth on the roster with other stepping up and that will mean the Number 2 Seed should still be operating with a lot of confidence.

Head Coach Mitch Johnson was highly critical of the physicality the officials are allowing the Timberwolves to play with and he refused to blame Victor Wembanyama, although privately you have to expect him to try and make sure his superstar remains as composed as possible. The Timberwolves are going to feel they have found a chink in the armour of the Spurs' best player and you have to expect them to throw bodies at him again and hope to reel in another mistake.

Minnesota also have to be really happy with the level that Anthony Edwards is producing and it is important for the road team to find a way to get the supporting cast going on the road.

The last time they played in this building, Head Coach Chris Finch stated his team had been 'punked' and it is crucial for the Timberwolves to come out with real intensity.

You have to expect a fired up crowd, but more worrying is going to be the focus and threat of Victor Wembanyama who is going to want to dominate and make up for the error of judgment he had in Game 4.

Standing in the way of that is never an easy decision with superstars routinely making it their whole focus to bounce back when they feel they have not had their best outing or let their teammates down.

It is easy to see a situation in which the Spurs come out hard and fast and blow Minnesota away, but three of the four games have been highly competitive and the Timberwolves have won here already in this Series. They will need to make some adjustments to deal with the Wemby presence, but Minnesota have to be excited by what Anthony Edwards is bringing onto the court and that could see them keep this one competitive.

Big home favourites have not been the best to back in recent NBA Playoff Second Round Series, while those favoured by at least 5.5 points in Game 5 are on a run of 12-19 against the spread.

Any home team favoured by at least 8.5 points are now on a run of 11-23 against the spread in the Second Round (3-2 against the spread this season) and, while there are a couple of solid trends that land in favour of this angry San Antonio team, the Timberwolves can make use of the amount of points being handed to them in this Game 5.

Wednesday 13th May

Cleveland Cavaliers @ Detroit Pistons Game 5 Pick: Momentum is back with the Cleveland Cavaliers after holding serve twice at home, but they still have to do something they have not managed to do in the post-season to this point... Win on the road.

Six wins have been produced at home having taking Game 3 and Game 4 against the Detroit Pistons, but the two earlier road losses means the Cavaliers have lost all five road Playoff games played.

Simply put, the Cavaliers will not be able to progress without beating the Pistons at least once on the road and they have an attempt at doing that in Game 5.

Donovan Mitchell came alive in the second half of Game 4 to swing things back in favour of the Cleveland Cavaliers, but he will need some of the teammates to step up in these road atmospheres. It has long been a feature of the Playoffs that players have had vastly different experiences when playing at home and on the road, but that is especially the case for the role players who try and aid the superstar.

The Cavaliers have struggled in the main and the losses have piled up, but they will feel they have found a formula for success in the last two games at home and building on that is the key.

For the top Seed, two road losses in relatively close contests will hurt, but the Detroit Pistons have to believe there are 'easier' adjustments to be made when returning home.

The bench stepped up in Game 4, but the starters all had their problems and that should be easier to clean up in front of the home fans.

Cade Cunningham does need to see one or two of the other starters to pick up their level, but he will be encouraged by the support of the bench and the Detroit Pistons should feel more comfortable at home.

Perhaps more importantly, the officials are less likely to be overwhelmed by the atmosphere as the Pistons have felt they have been in the two road defeats.

Head Coach JB Bickerstaff made his feelings clear about what he felt was home officiating by mentioning the huge disparity in the Free Throw numbers awarded in Game 4 and it was clear that made a difference in the outcome of a close game. He even mentioned the fact that he feels the whistles against his team have become more frequent because of comments made by Cleveland Head Coach Kenny Atkinson, but the home crowd are going to be on top of the officials in this one and that could even things up.

If they are even on the Free Throw attempts, you have to give the Detroit Pistons a slight edge.

Defensively they have shown they can slow down this Cleveland team for long enough to hold them off and the Pistons are in a decent enough spot as a relatively small home favourite in Game 5.

It should also be noted that teams who lost Game 4 by at least seven points have bounced back in recent years to produce a 19-7 record against the spread in Game 5 and the Detroit Pistons can remind all about their prospects by winning and covering to take a lead in this Second Round Series with two games left to play.

Friday 15th May

Detroit Pistons @ Cleveland Cavaliers Game 6 Pick: Much like the Orlando Magic in the First Round Series, there is now going to be a question about the top Seed Detroit Pistons and how much they have left to battle back after blowing a big lead in Game 5 of this Second Round Series.

With time running down at the end of the Fourth Quarter and with a 9 point lead, the Detroit Pistons had to have felt that they were about to take a 3-2 lead in this back and forth Series.

Instead they went ice cold from the field and allowed the Cleveland Cavaliers to not only rally to force Overtime, but then continue the momentum early into that period to take a lead that they were able to manage to the end of the game.

And just like that, the Cavaliers have won on the road for the first time in the Playoffs and return home on Friday with an opportunity to book their spot in the Eastern Conference Finals.

All of the momentum is with the Cleveland Cavaliers who had 15 fewer shots than the Detroit Pistons in Game 5, but once again dominated the number of Free Throws being taken. The Cavaliers have rallied from a 2-0 deficit to take a 3-2 lead in this Second Round Series and all of the adjustments have to be made by the Detroit Pistons.

The four key starters of the Cavaliers all had big outings in Game 5, but the team also had a big impact off the bench from Max Strus- the real concern for the Pistons was going to be trying to match the Offensive power Cleveland has on the court and that has proven to be the difference.

Cade Cunningham did all he could to help his team, but the other four starters had just 47 points combined to add to the 39 he was scoring himself. There was a hope that Jalen Duren would eventually produce his regular season form in the post-season, but he has continued to struggle and there is now a real question for the Pistons to answer about his suitability to start Game 6.

Something has to change for the Pistons if they are going to force a Game 7 back at home this weekend, but it is a big ask.

Underdogs have played well in Game 6 in recent Second Round Series, but three losses in a row have shifted all momentum to the lower Seed who will feel this is their one big opportunity to progress to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Top Seeds set as underdogs have a losing record in recent Second Round Series in that spot and the Pistons are 0-2 against the spread in that situation within this one.

The Pistons have shown all season how good they can be, but this may go down as a learning experience in the post-season and the Cleveland Cavaliers have the firepower to close things out in front of the home fans.

San Antonio Spurs @ Minnesota Timberwolves Game 6 Pick: Everyone was expecting a big reaction from Victor Wembanyama after his Game 4 ejection, but seemingly the memo was not read by the Minnesota Timberwolves. Another slow start cost them Game 5 and Wembanyama had a dominant impact to help the San Antonio Spurs take a 3-2 lead in this Second Round Series and look to close things out as soon as Friday.

Winning on the road is never easy, but the Spurs have done that once already in this Series and were beaten in the other outing in Minnesota when Wemby was ejected before the end of the first half.

Close out spots have tended to be more comfortable for road teams and the Spurs look to have the momentum to make sure they can do that here and avoid the pressure on a Game 7. Instead they will want to make sure they are as energetic as they can be for what is looking like becoming a top Western Conference Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Timberwolves are going to have something to say about that and the extra day between games for the first time in this Series can only help them as they look to make some adjustments. Having that time for Anthony Edwards to rest his knee can only be a positive, but the Timberwolves need to find some solid, consistent support for the best player on the roster, much as San Antonio did in Game 5 to back up Victor Wembanyama.

Role players do tend to find things a bit more comfortable at home, while the Minnesota fanbase is going to be right behind a team that have earned Playoff upsets before and have the experience of overcoming the odds.

It certainly makes the Timberwolves dangerous, but the San Antonio Spurs have an experience of the atmosphere that is going to be facing them and they will feel they have been the better team in the Series since dropping Game 1. Having players like De'Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle producing some quality basketball without Wemby in Game 4 will only have given the Spurs that much more confidence and they have it within themselves to win for a second time on the road.

As mentioned, Game 6 of the Second Round Series have leaned in favour of the underdog, but like the Eastern Conference Series that has played out this far, the feeling is that the favourite in Game 6 may have broken the back of the Series with a Game 5 win.

Big road favourites have not always been the best to back in the Second Round Series, but those teams are 2-2 against the spread in 2026 and one of those defeats was Game 4 of this Series, which shifted significantly after the Wemby ejection.

Assuming he keeps his cool, Victor Wembanyama can erase memories of that Game 4 by leading the Spurs to a big win and a place in the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2017 when they were swept by the Golden State Warriors.

MY PICKS: 12/05 Minnesota Timberwolves + 10.5 Points @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

13/05 Detroit Pistons - 3.5 Points @ 1.90 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

15/05 Cleveland Cavaliers - 3.5 Points @ 1.91 William Hill (1 Unit)

15/05 San Antonio Spurs - 4.5 Points @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Second Round Update: 4-6, - 2.36 Units (10 Units Staked, - 23.60% Yield)

First Round: 15-17, - 3.28 Units (32 Units Staked, - 10.25% Yield)

Rome Masters Tennis Picks 2026 (Monday 11th May)

The Rome Masters continues on Monday and this is the last big week on the Tour before the French Open.

Players will take part in events next week, but the majority of the top names will feel that the groundwork has been laid ahead of the second Grand Slam of the season.

Some of the leading contenders on both the ATP and WTA Tours are still going strong in Rome, which is an event played in conditions much more familiar to those who will be playing in Paris compared with the Madrid Masters. Personally it has also felt like the Rome Masters is more of an indicative tournament as to the kind of successes that could be had in Paris and could form part of a staking plan.

The opening selections from the tournament both came through in largely comfortable fashion and on Monday there are three Picks that can be read below.

Coco Gauff - 4.5 games v Iva Jovic: Two American players meet in the Fourth Round in Rome and the experience of Coco Gauff should be a telling factor in the outcome of the contest.

There is no doubting the excitement around Iva Jovic and the potential she has, but the 18 year old is still going to be learning her trade on the clay courts. That is especially the case at this level having reached the French Open Doubles Final in her time in the Junior ranks, while Iva Jovic has only had one win against a player Ranked higher than Number 47 on the surface this season.

The two wins in Rome have been against compatriots, but neither McCartney Kessler nor Taylor Townsend can bring the credentials that Coco Gauff takes onto the court.

Coco Gauff is the defending French Open Champion and she has been amongst the best clay courters in the world on the WTA Tour.

Vulnerabilities remain with the second serve, but Gauff is very comfortable on the surface and she has won at least 50% of return points played on clay courts since the beginning of the 2024 season. That puts a huge amount of pressure on any opponent she faces and Iva Jovic is still going to be working on the serve and how to make the best use of that shot on this surface compared to the hard courts.

Every one of these kind of matches will help Jovic develop, but Coco Gauff should have enough to remind everyone of her threat to win the French Open again by producing a strong, solid win on Monday.

Mirra Andreeva - 4.5 games v Elise Mertens: This portion of the clay court season is relatively short and so you can't always take numbers being produced by players on their own without any context.

Someone like Elise Mertens has been playing well all season and has the kind of tennis that should work on all surfaces- she has previously had solid runs on the clay courts and so has to be respected.

However, the numbers from the six matches played on the surface this season are so much higher than previous years that you do have to wonder if she can maintain current levels. Elise Mertens has beaten home favourite Jasmine Paolini in her run to the Fourth Round in Rome, but Paolini has been struggling for consistency and this match is against a player that has really strong clay court form since she joined the Tour.

Mirra Andreeva lost in the Madrid Final at the last 1000 tournament, but she has won a clay court title in 2026 and reached the Semi Final in Stuttgart at another big event.

The 19 year old now has an 82-19 career record on the clay and Mirra Andreeva has not been slowed down by taking part in the bigger events on the Tour.

The serve continues to be an important weapon for Mirra Andreeva, although she has to be working on her return to take the next step on this surface. Her best Grand Slam results have been at the French Open where she has reached the Semi Final and the Quarter Final in the last couple of years, but Andreeva knows that is when you need to step up even more if wanting a place in the Final and then to pick up the title in Paris.

The World Number 22 will cause problems, but the Elise Mertens second serve can become vulnerable and that may be the edge that helps Mirra Andreeva win outright and perhaps narrowly cover this spread.

Andrey Rublev - 1.5 games v Alejandro Davidovich Fokina: You cannot ignore the fact that both of these players can be pretty erratic on the court, but the lack of recent tennis played by Alejandro Davidovich Fokina has to be a factor.

He does have a terrible record against Andrey Rublev, but the last clay court meeting ended in a win for Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in Barcelona last year.

The Spaniard had not played since the Miami Masters and went 1-1 in Madrid at the last tournament, while Davidovich Fokina has already won a match here in Rome. However, it is a considerable challenge against someone like Andrey Rublev who reached the Final in Barcelona in April and who has long been pretty comfortable on the clay courts.

A lack of match competitiveness cannot be ignored, while Andrey Rublev holds wins over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina at the Madrid Masters and Rome Masters in previous years.

Over the last twelve months, there have been signs that Andrey Rublev is getting back to something like his best tennis and he can battle through this Third Round match.

MY PICKS: Coco Gauff - 4.5 Games @ 1.80 William Hill (1 Unit)

Mirra Andreeva - 4.5 Games @ 1.91 William Hill (1 Unit)

Andrey Rublev - 1.5 Games @ 1.80 William Hill (1 Unit)

Rome Update: 2-0, + 1.57 Units (2 Units Staked, + 78.50% Yield)

European Tour 6- Austrian Darts Open Day 3 Picks 2026 (Sunday 10th May)

The wide open Austrian Darts Open concludes on Sunday and the manner of the Wessel Nijman defeat is a reminder of the depth of talent on the Tour.

He has been domnating on the floor all season, but Nijman had no answers for Niko Springer who blitzed past him to set up a big Third Round match with Josh Rock.

And while I have stated that the tournament looks wide open, there are plenty of big names in action on Sunday to suggest a familiar player can come through to pick up the title at the end of the Evening Session.

As has been the case with previous tournaments, any selections from the Quarter Final matches will be added to this thread at the conclusion of the Day Session when the entire Third Round is completed,

Kevin Deots to win & most 180s v Ryan Joyce: Credit has to be given to Relentless for finding enough big scoring and his usual level at the doubles in his upset win on Saturday.

However, he was aided by a poor performance from Mike De Decker and is unlikely to have the same slackness coming out of the darts of Kevin Doets.

The Dutchman is finding some real consistency on the Tour and he should have the edge on the maximums, even if Kevin Doets has not been hitting a lot of them over this weekend. He remains someone who can find a rhythm around the treble 20 bed and Kevin Doets can do what is needed to get the better of a solid competitor.

James Wade v Luke Woodhouse: This looks to be a quality Third Round match, but the slight edge has to be with James Wade, who beat Luke Woodhouse twice on the European Tour last year.

Respect has to be given to Woodhouse for reaching the Players Championship 13 Final last week and he has moved into the top 20 of the World Rankings thanks to a consistently improving twelve months.

The scoring can be strong enough to give the best players a problem, but James Wade remains a player who will stick around and battle and make sure he is in a position to take advantage of any mistakes.

Both Seeded players had strong wins on Saturday and this is likely going to be nip and tuck.

With that in mind, James Wade's temperament may just give him the edge.

Michael van Gerwen to win & over 1.5 180s v Rob Cross: This was a Premier League match twelve months ago and that will make sure Michael van Gerwen is taking nothing for granted.

You can't really do that against a former World Champion anyway and there have been some signs that Rob Cross is picking up his form after dropping out of the top 20 in the World Rankings.

In the last few weeks, Rob Cross has had some decent floor efforts and the European Tour win on Saturday will have done him the world of good.

Another level will have to be found to beat Michael van Gerwen.

The Dutchman has looked like he is getting closer and closer to his best in the Premier League this season and his own Second Round win came through another very impressive showing.

MvG should win and he can add a couple more maximums to his two from yesterday in a victory.

Ross Smith-Martin Schindler over 5.5 180s: When these two players find their rhythm, the maximum hitting can be a joy to watch.

Both Ross Smith and Martin Schindler displayed that part of their darts in Second Round wins and there is every chance that this is a Third Round match that will need at least nine Legs to separate them.

With that much time on the oche, both are capable of contributing to this total line set for the maximums.

A blowout one way or the other would end the chances, but matches between Smith and Schindler have been competitive in recent battles and there is every expectation that will be another with a big Quarter Final berth on the line.

Quarter Finals: The opening Quarter Final looks like it could produce the winner of the tournament, but it is a tough one to call.

The next three have selections from the Austrian Darts Open as it is played to a conclusion this evening.

Rob Cross was excellent in his win over Michael van Gerwen and he can back that up against Andrew Gilding, while adding a couple of maximums.

The same can be produced by Josh Rock in what looks to be another fascinating Quarter Final against Cristo Reyes- the latter deserves so much respect for the standard produced since returning to the Tour and he will push the Premier League participant in this one.

Finally the expectation is that Martin Schindler can get the better of Daryl Gurney at an event the German clearly enjoys.

Maximum hitting has been fuelling the success over this weekend and that can be the case in this last eight clash.

MY PICKS: Kevin Doets to Win & Most 180s @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

James Wade @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Michael van Gerwen to Win & Over 1.5 180s @ 1.95 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Ross Smith-Martin Schindler Over 5.5 180s @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Quarter Final Picks: Rob Cross to Win & Over 1.5 180s @ 2.30 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Josh Rock to Win & Over 1.5 180s @ 1.95 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Martin Schindler to Win & Most 180s @ 3.20 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Austrian Darts Open: 2-7, - 4.58 Units (9 Units Staked, - 50.89% Yield)

Rome Masters Tennis Picks 2026 (Sunday 10th May)

After a decent start to the clay court season, the decision had been made to miss the Madrid Masters and resume Tennis Picks at the Rome Masters in the last big event before the French Open.

There have already been some upsets in the early days at this tournament, but Jannik Sinner will be heading to Paris as the player to beat on the Men's side of the draw.

We could have another wide open second Grand Slam as far as the WTA players are concerned, but this is the last chance to lay down a marker for Paris with some big names still fighting through the draw.

The season totals have been updated below and there are two selections from the Sunday tennis in the Italian capital.

Iga Swiatek - 6.5 games v Elisabetta Cocciaretto: The first point you have to make is that the home player is not going to lose this match to Iga Swiatek having won a single game, as was the case right here in Rome last year. That was a devastating Second Round performance from the multiple time French Open Champion, but Elisabetta Cocciaretto may be more prepared by what she is going to be facing and will be looking to use the home crowd to push her forward.

There has not been a lot of positive clay court form to call upon, but a couple of wins in the main draw in Rome will have given Cocciaretto some belief, even if she is well aware that this is a big step upwards in terms of level of opponent.

Iga Swiatek will go into the French Open as one of the favourites, but she will be looking for a strong run in Rome after some inconsistent results of her own during this portion of the Tour.

Three wins and two losses on the clay courts may mean Iga Swiatek is in danger of heading to Paris a little undercooked, although the numbers have been solid and some of her main rivals at the next Grand Slam have also had their issues.

The serve is always a strong part of the Iga Swiatek game- if she is serving well, the rest of her tennis seems to flow and the numbers in the five clay court matches this season have been decent enough. The World Number 3 has also been having strong success on her return in the limited sample of matches played and Iga Swiatek may still have enough to cover this spread, even if it is not expected to be as one-sided as when these two players met last year.

Elisabetta Cocciaretto did take a set from Jessica Pegula in Charleston earlier this year, but this is a big step up compared with recent level of opponents and that should play out on the scoreboard in favour of the higher Ranked player.

Alexander Zverev - 3.5 games v Alexander Blockx: He started the season having to Qualify for the Australian Open, but there is every chance that youngster Alexander Blockx will be Seeded when Wimbledon rolls around at the end of June.

Even as recently as the Monte Carlo Masters, Blockx was playing in the Qualifiers, but his run to the Madrid Masters Semi Final means the Belgian has pushed his way into World Number 36.

That run was ended by Alexander Zverev, who was eventually beaten by Jannik Sinner, and it is going to be tough for the younger player to change the scoreline.

Alexander Blockx does have a serve that can keep him in matches, but the clay courts are always tougher to impose that shot alone and in Madrid it was Alexander Zverev who had the bigger serve by some margin.

The experience is also an edge and Alexander Zverev has long been very comfortable on the clay courts and two of the three defeats on the surface this year have been against the World Number 1.

While the numbers are impressive, there is also a feeling that Alexander Zverev has room for improvement and he will be looking to peak at the French Open beginning at the end of the month and not at this stage of the clay court season. He will be expecting a bit more out of the serve and will feel there is more pressure he can exert on the return, but Zverev did more than enough to get the better of Alexander Blockx at the last tournament and can frank that form.

Respect has to be given to Alexander Blockx for the confidence he would have earned from some of the upsets produced during the clay court season, but he may not have had enough time to make the adjustments for this match up.

MY PICKS: Iga Swiatek - 6.5 Games @ 1.85 William Hill (1 Unit)

Alexander Zverev - 3.5 Games @ 1.72 William Hill (1 Unit)

Season 2026: 97-82, + 10.54 Units (244 Units Staked, + 4.32% Yield)