European Tour 4- German Darts Grand Prix Day 1 Picks 2026 (Saturday 4th April)

The European Tour events are usually played from Friday through Sunday, but the German Darts Grand Prix takes place across Easter Weekend and that allows the organisers to use a Saturday through Monday schedule.

Some of the big Premier League names are missing this weekend- the top two are both absent and so is Gerwyn Price, but that doesn't lessen the importance of the event nor the motivation for those competing to pick up a big title.

It all begins with sixteen First Round matches played across two Sessions on Saturday before the top Seeds join the party on Sunday in Second Round action.

Sebastian Bialecki v William O'Connor: There is nothing outstanding about Sebastian Bialecki, but he is a player that is pretty consistent and that can be difficult to shake off.

He reached the Third Round at a European Tour event last month and Sebastian Bialecki put up plenty of wins across two Players Championship events held earlier this week.

The latter of those saw Bialecki reach the Semi Final and there will be some confidence within that he can keep the run going through the opening Round in Germany.

William O'Connor is over twenty places higher in the World Rankings and that may be a contributory factor to the prices for this First Round match.

However, O'Connor has been beaten in eleven of the last fifteen matches played and that includes early defeats in the last couple of European Tour events he has entered.

At his best, William O'Connor can be tough to beat, but he has not always been at his best over the last six weeks and Sebastian Bialecki is steady enough to take advantage if the Irishman is not at a normal level.

Niels Zonneveld to win & most 180s v Adam Lipscombe: Back to back strong performances at European Tour events suggests Niels Zonneveld is playing much higher than his current World Ranking.

The Darts Rankings do take some time to adjust into what we are seeing on a week to week bases and Zonneveld is a player making a move.

Early losses in the Players Championship events will not have dented the confidence too much considering the level produced and Niels Zonneveld should have enough to beat Adam Lipscombe.

The World Number 71 has won the most recent meeting between the two and Adam Lipscombe will feel he was hard done by when the draws were made for the Players Championship. He had a win on Monday and Tuesday, but was beaten in Second Round matches against Wessel Nijman and Andrew Gilding.

Niels Zonneveld may feel he is playing at the kind of level that has gotten the better of Lipscombe in recent matches and his power scoring can make the difference in this First Round match.

MY PICKS: Sebastian Bialecki @ 2.30 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Niels Zonneveld to Win & Most 180s @ 1.61 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Darts 2026: 42-58, - 7.46 Units (97 Units Staked, - 7.69% Yield)

Boxing Picks 2026- Deontay Wilder vs Derek Chisora (Saturday 4th April)

You always want to see a prospect develop into a contender and then into a Champion, but it is going to be very difficult to match Moses Itauma going forward.

He may feel he could get into the ring with Oleksandr Usyk tomorrow, but Frank Warren and the Queensberry connections will want to see him continuing to build the resume with no rush to win a World Title while they are largely locked up by the unbeaten Champion.

That is not to say there are no options out there- the winner of the Fabio Wardley vs Daniel Dubois fight would be a natural fight for Moses Itauma later this year, although Wardley and Itauma share the same trainer.

Fighters like Filip Hrgovic are already scheduled for fights so the July return has to be focusing on the likes of Marat Gassiev, who holds the WBA Regular Belt, or perhaps fighters like Zhilei Zhang, Martin Bakole or Guido Vianello who all are available for that date that was mentioned last weekend.

The manner of the win over Jermaine Franklin Jr will have caught the attention of more fans and right now it is very difficult to imagine a situation where Moses Itauma is not joining the elite of the Division by the end of 2026 or in early 2027.

Sebastian Fundora was also an impressive winner last weekend, but it would be very good to see him in with younger, fresher opponents in the loaded Light Middleweight Division.

Hearing Xander Zayas and Boots Ennis have agreed to face one another should force Fundora's hand and the obvious fight has to be with Vergil Ortiz Jr.

It is not a situation in which I feel Fundora is actively avoiding the younger challengers around him, but following Keith Thurman with a bout against Errol Spence Jr would be really disappointing and especially when it looks like the Champion has improved.

The only way to test that would be to test himself.

If you had stated a little under a decade ago that Deontay Wilder was travelling to London to face Derek Chisora you would have made the American a big favourite and hoped it would soon lead to a clash with Anthony Joshua.

In April 2026, both of the main event performers are considerably in decline, although it does feel like Wilder is much further gone on current form.

There is still some interest in seeing this bout with the winner likely having one more big opportunity, while the losing fighter should be hanging up the gloves.

It is part of a busy weekend of Boxing with some decent prospects and former Champions mixing things up across a number of cards in the United Kingdom and further afield.

Deontay Wilder vs Derek Chisora

Two 40 year old plus Boxers meet in a Heavyweight contest in London and it is a fight that would have meant so much at the top of the Division if it took place a number of years ago.

These days Deontay Wilder and Derek Chisora are on the final stretch of their respective careers, although the former still sounds like he harbours bigger ambitions than his opponent.

Deontay Wilder has spoken about what could come next, but Derek Chisora has openly spoken about retirement.

In a lot of cases that would mean red flags, but Chisora has regularly decided to have 'one more fight' and 'The Last Dance' was anything other than the case.

If he was to win, would you really see Derek Chisora walking away?

That is a question for another day and all eyes turn to London and see what these two fighters have left in the tank.

Make no mistake, those questions are largely geared towards Deontay Wilder who was last seen making harder than expected work of beating Tyrrell Herndon in June last year- the Seventh Round Stoppage was controversial in that Herndon still looked competitive, while Wilder had lost four of the previous five fights.

The third fight with Tyson Fury clearly took something away from Deontay Wilder who looked gun-shy in the loss to Joseph Parker before being wiped out by Zhilei Zhang. Instead of a fight with Anthony Joshua, that looked set if he had beaten Parker, The Bronze Bomber returned from a fourteen month layoff and failed to land anything serious against Parker and was beaten easily on the cards.

The Stoppage loss to Zhilei Zhang suggested his time at the top was over, but Wilder had been linked with a bout against Oleksandr Usyk and the motivation is clear- win this and he may just get the shot at the Undisputed Champion later this year.

Everything is about whether Deontay Wilder still has it in him to deliver the right hand that has brutalised so many.

Derek Chisora is in much stronger form having dropped his level since another defeat to Tyson Fury- the cards have been needed to beat Gerald Washington, Joe Joyce and Otto Wallin, but those are decent results and something that will give him confidence ahead of a meeting with this version of Deontay Wilder.

It has been seven years since Chisora last earned a Stoppage, but there is a belief that he can overwhelm Deontay Wilder with his stubbornness and willingness to push forward whenever he can. The looping shots have Knocked Down Joyce and Wallin so the power remains, but there is a danger with throwing those shots.

If, and it is a big IF, Deontay Wilder is still willing to throw his shots, the opponent in front of him looks wide open to the straight down the pipe. Timing is key, and Wilder's power can still be telling if he is able to land that shot right as Derek Chisora is looking to load up over the top.

The form is with Derek Chisora, but there is little doubt he has looked tired at times in his recent wins and those are not against someone who may yet contain the kind of power Deontay Wilder carries.

You can understand why Chisora is the favourite, but there is a nagging feeling that Deontay Wilder may yet have something left and he is a big price to put together enough of an assault to win this one to force the home favourite out before the end of this contest.

The undercard may not be the deepest, but there are a couple of British fighters looking to take the step to the very elite of their respective Divisions.

Denzel Bentley has mixed in that company before after a competitive loss to Janibek Alimkhanuly in 2022, but he suffered a big setback when losing to Nathan Heaney almost a year to the day later.

Wins over overmatched domestic opponents saw Denzel Bentley get back on the right track and his win over Brad Pauls looks all the better considering how Pauls has performed since then. The 31 year old put Brad Pauls on the floor in that win in December 2024, but it has been another significant layoff for him and Denzel Bentley cannot afford to think too far ahead.

The WBO Interim World Title is on the line after the aforementioned Alimkhanuly was suspended, although Denzel Bentley's team feel like the full World Title should be on the line.

He takes on 34 year old Endry Saavedra who has only had one fight since Denzel Bentley was last out and who is stepping up his level significantly. The Venezuelan is not Ranked by the other bodies outside of the WBO and this is a big chance for Bentley to move into a position for some big fights in a wide open Middleweight Division.

Endry Saavedra hits plenty hard, but so does Denzel Bentley and the latter can win the Title in some style.

A big opportunity has also been put together for Viddal Riley who is moving up a number of levels to see if he really does have what it takes to be a big player in the Cruiserweight Division.

He is unbeaten in thirteen fights and at 28 years old Riley wants to find out whether he has what it takes to mix with the elite of the Division.

Taking on Mateusz Masternak will give him every chance of testing that.

At 38 years old, Masternak's best days are behind him, but he has won three fights in a row since losing to Chris Billam-Smith in a WBO World Title bout in 2023. Six losses on the resume have almost exclusively been against the best opponents around and Mateusz Masternak will be well known to British fans having lost a couple of those to Billam-Smith and Tony Bellew.

This has not been lost on Viddal Riley who said he wants to outdo both of those British names, but he has also been very respectful of the fighter in front of him and his 'gatekeeper' status.

He expects to win, but Riley is well aware of how tough Masternak can be and the quality of fighter he has been.

Getting through him quicker than Chris Billam-Smith would be some statement, but an injury forced that Stoppage and the only other one on the Masternak resume came in the Eleventh Round.

He's tough and it will be difficult to break him down, especially as Viddal Riley has needed the cards in three of his last four wins as the opponent level has been lifted. The last win produced by Mateusz Masternak has to be respected considering it came in quicker style than Tony Yoka was able to produce against Joel Djeko and that kind of victory will just keep Riley focused as he tries to pick up the European Title on the cards.

The top fight of the evening takes place in London, but there is a decent card taking place in Cardiff.

Boxxer are the Promoters and this is one of the cards that they are putting together for terrestrial television in the United Kingdom.

The main event features Lauren Price as she looks to move a step closer to another big, big fight- she cannot overlook her unbeaten opponent, but the home fighter should be able to defend her hard earned World Titles.

The chief support looks really interesting as the vacant British Featherweight Title is up for grabs when Rhys Edwards faces Gully Powar.

Home advantage is with Edwards who has Boxed more Rounds and has had more fights compared with Gully Powar, but the latter was involved in the WBC Grand Prix tournament and had three bouts in 2025 compared with the single outing for Edwards.

Rhys Edwards has been involved in fights that have been closest to this Championship distance set for the British Title- he had three Ten Rounders in succession before an Eight Rounder last year and Gully Powar has only been beyond the Six Round distance once before.

It could be a telling factor, while Edwards is going to be feel he has been in with the tougher competition overall.

He will also believe he is more comfortable in the kind of atmosphere, but Powar is perhaps being underrated here.

There are questions to answer- showing off a gas tank to complete a Championship fight and Gully Powar is going to have to work hard to win on 'away' soil.

However, there were some very credible signs in the WBC Grand Prix and Gully Powar is someone who looks capable of stepping up and upsetting the odds.

Credit has to be given to Rhys Edwards for the performances he has produced at domestic level, but he may need to show some pop to keep Gully Powar from driving forward and that may allow the younger fighter to come away with an upset and the British Title to take back to the Midlands.

The long weekend in the United Kingdom means there are also a couple of cards being placed in Friday and Sunday slots.

Pat Brown entered the professional ranks with a huge amount of hype behind him and he is not taking a slow route to the top of the Cruiserweight Division.

There is a real hope that Brown will eventually campaign as a Heavyweight, but the 26 year old is focusing at the top of the Cruiserweight Division for now and is already Ranked with two of the organisations. The IBF route is perhaps the best to exploit after the World Title was stripped from Jai Opetaia, but Pat Brown has to focus on continuing his development.

All of his five professional bouts took place in 2025 and none of the last four have gone beyond the Second Round.

His opponent on Friday is ten years his senior, but Vasil Ducar is plenty experienced and the hope for Brown's team is that he can offer a different kind of resistance compared with recent opponents.

Vasil Ducar is a familiar name to British fighters having taken Chris Billam-Smith, Jordan Thompson and Cheavon Clarke all to the cards, albeit all in losing efforts.

One Stoppage is on the record and that came after ten completed Rounds against Mike Perez.

This gives Pat Brown something to aim at, but also suggests him winning by Stoppage is a very short price.

Chris Billam-Smith put Ducar down a couple of times in the middle of that Ten Round win, but it may be worth backing Pat Brown to do a little better and actually break down this opponent.

The favourite option in this fight is expecting Pat Brown to win before halfway again, but he may have to take a bit more time with an experienced campaigner and backing the British fighter to end this in the second half of the fight looks worth an interest.

Two different cards are going to take place several hours and thousand of miles apart with the first of those featuring a former World Champion out in Australia.

The timing is so a solid American audience can tune in to see Tim Tszyu who has promised a big performance ahead of a rumoured bout against Errol Spence Jr in the summer.

He had been out in December, but Tszyu was not at his best, which is perhaps not a surprise considering he had lost three of four fights prior to that outing. Getting Ten Rounds under the belt will help and he is facing another unbeaten opponent having taken that record from Anthony Velazquez.

Denis Nurja travels to Wollongong with a 20-0 record, but he has never competed at this level and looks to be coming in to give Tim Tszyu a chance to showcase his credentials.

A relatively early night is in the offing for the Australian who can make a statement for those who believe his career may be on the downward slide.

Later on Sunday, the UK will have Sky Sports returning to Boxing with a new Promoter leading the way for the channel- Jake Paul has signed a big deal with the company and that means there will be a big showcase of women's Boxing, while Zuffa Boxing have also made a deal to have their own events broadcasted on this platform.

Caroline Dubois and Terri Harper have been involved in a fiery build up ahead of this Unification main event in the Lightweight Division.

Neither has much time for the other, but Caroline Dubois is a worthy favourite.

She has shown decent pop, even while still working under the two minute per Round limit, and Dubois looks like she is on a mission to win this one in some style.

Terri Harper, like many of the women Boxers, has been up and down the Divisions, but both of her previous defeats have been in Stoppages at the hands of Alycia Baumgardner and Sandy Ryan. She has picked up this WBO World Title by ripping it away from one unbeaten fighter and then defending against another so there is some confidence, but Harper is going to have to show some resistance.

Stoppages have been harder to come by for Caroline Dubois in recent outings- none of her last seven fights have been prior to the cards being needed. However, four of those fighters have been put down and Terri Harper may not have the resilience she will need to keep Dubois from rolling through her in this main event.

MY PICKS: Deontay Wilder to Win by KO/TKO/Disqualification @ 3.25 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Denzel Bentley to Win by KO/TKO/Disqualification @ 3.60 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Gully Powar to Win @ 3.75 William Hill (1 Unit)

Pat Brown to Win Between 6-10 @ 4.33 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Tim Tszyu to Win Between 1-5 @ 3.00 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Caroline Dubois to Win by KO/TKO/Disqualification @ 2.87 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Boxing 2026: 9-19, - 11.65 Units (45 Units Staked, - 25.89% Yield)

Premier League Darts Night 9 Picks 2026 (Thursday 2nd April)

Eight of the sixteen Premier League Darts nights have been completed and it is no surprise to anyone to see Luke Littler leading the standings at the halfway stage of the tournament.

He will know it is all about Qualifying for the Finals when everything is reset to decide the tournament on a single night, but Littler fans will be happy to see the World Number 1 picking up some momentum after a slower than expected start to the Premier League.

Luke Littler remains the player to beat, while Jonny Clayton will be keen to earn at least one win on Night 9 having been beaten in the opening match in each of the previous two weeks.

The second of those defeats came against Josh Rock, who finally earned a Premier League win, but the Northern Irishman remains bottom of the standings and has admitted he needs to win at least three of the remaining eight nights to have any hope of doing enough after beginning with seven losses in a row.

Stephen Bunting and Gian van Veen are still in touch with the top four places, but have to start putting some consistent results together, while the big surprise is seeing Luke Humphries sitting outside of the top four.

The defending Champion will not be panicking about things just yet with just 2 points between himself and Michael van Gerwen, but it is a disappointing return when noting Luke Humphries has reached one Final in eight nights of play. His performances have remained very strong, but the World Number 2 has struggled with his doubling at key moments and that has also ended up seeing him beaten in the opening match on three occasions.

Over the next two Premier League Nights, Luke Humphries is in the other side of the bracket compared with Luke Littler, but that won't mean much if he cannot find some consistency with his performances at attacking the outer rim.

Michael van Gerwen to win & most 180s v Stephen Bunting: A number of the Premier League competitors decided to skip the two Players Championship events played earlier in the week, but both Michael van Gerwen and Stephen Bunting were in decent form.

Michael van Gerwen had five wins across two events and Stephen Bunting had six, although neither were able to get themselves into the Quarter Final Round and beyond.

They won't worry too much about that as they open Night 9 of the Premier League and it does feel like van Gerwen is through the illness and any lingering effect it was having on him that saw him miss an earlier Night at the Premier League. His initial form on the return was pretty poor, but Michael van Gerwen has been playing really well over the last couple of weeks and that gives him the edge.

Three meetings against Stephen Bunting have all ended with van Gerwen wins this season and that will also give the Dutchman confidence.

Stephen Bunting produced some exceptional numbers over the last two weeks, but that has led to zero points added to his total- both matches were against Luke Littler. He will feel a similar level will see him win a lot more than he loses, but Bunting may find it tougher to get himself 'up' for the other challengers in the tournament with his numbers dipping in Night 5 and Night 6 compared with what has been produced in those defeats to Luke Littler.

Neither have been consistent with the maximum hitting, but Michael van Gerwen has been slightly stronger there and he is perhaps underestimated to win in that column in any winning effort in this Quarter Final.

Luke Humphries to win & both players over 1.5 180s v Gerwyn Price: The Quarter Final loss to Michael van Gerwen highlighted the issues that Luke Humphries continues to have in his bid to defend his Premier League title.

He is fifth in the table and faces one of the players in the top four, which makes this an important match for Luke Humphries.

Of course the same applies to Gerwyn Price, who did make the Play Offs last season and who has only been beaten in three Quarter Finals in eight nights of Premier League competition.

The most recent meeting between the players ended in a very strong win for Gerwyn Price and snapped a two match losing run against the World Number 2. Big scoring helped Price to that victory and he will need plenty more of that to stay with Luke Humphries in this Quarter Final.

Matches between the players have tended to be very competitive in the main and you have to anticipate this one being the same considering how much is on the line for both Humphries and Price.

Both should be able to hit at least two maximums barring one player dominating and rolling through the match.

The edge here is still with Luke Humphries, although backing against Gerwyn Price on the form that has has been producing consistently is never going to be easy.

One concern remains the low Check Out Percentage produced by Humphries, which is only higher than Josh Rock in the Premier League. That is not going to be good enough to see him into the Play Offs, but Luke Humphries has won a big European Tour title and you have to believe he will eventually get back to a usual level, hopefully beginning in this Quarter Final.

Luke Littler to win & most 180s v Gian van Veen: Back to back Nightly wins have pushed Luke Littler back into a familiar position of topping the Premier League standings.

Night 7 was a tough one overall, but the World Number 1 reminded people how difficult it is becoming for his main rivals to edge past him.

Things were much different in Berlin as Luke Littler produced some big averages and deserved to pick up the Nightly win.

He looks to have the momentum behind him to beat Gian van Veen who did not look close to his best on Night 8 having only just recovered from a hospital stay for Kidney Stones. Not being at his best in Berlin is not a surprise, but Gian van Veen had been struggling for form before that and that has seen him drop into 6th place in the Premier League standings after a very positive start to the tournament.

Gian van Veen does have a Premier League win over Luke Littler, which is testament to the strength of character having put that together soon after the World Championship Final destruction at the hands of the World Number 1. However, the most recent match between these two young stars ended in a win for Littler in a European Tour Final, and the much bigger maximum hitter can come through with the Match Double.

Jonny Clayton to win & Most 180s v Josh Rock: The first six Premier League nights were very productive for Jonny Clayton, but back to back Quarter Final defeats coupled with Luke Littler winning in both Dublin and Berlin means the Welshman has been knocked off the top of the standings.

Half of the Nights have been completed and Clayton will still be a short price to reach the Play Offs, but he will be keen to bounce back and put some more points on the board.

On Night 8, Jonny Clayton fell to Josh Rock to allow the latter to get off the mark in the Premier League, but it was not a high-quality match and the worst effort produced by Clayton in the tournament so far, while being the poorest performance by some distance in Quarter Final action.

Four wins across two Players Championship events earlier in the week will have restored some confidence and Jonny Clayton will believe that a slightly better performance than last week will help him overturn the result.

Josh Rock will be happy to be off the mark, but he was beaten in the Semi Final and the Premier League has just proven to be something that the Northern Irishman has been unable to deal with.

His power scoring has begun to pick up so there has to be some respect for Josh Rock, who is clearly better than what he has produced in the Premier League.

An average of more than two maximums per match makes the second part of the Match Double a bit more awkward, but Jonny Clayton has been able to punch in those big scores often enough to take on this price offered.

In Berlin, Jonny Clayton struggled to get his scoring on track and there were some concerns about the conditions that had been voiced by the players at the end of the Night 8 action. The hope is Manchester will prove to be much better for those heading to the oche and Jonny Clayton can complete the Match Double and get his points tally moving again.

MY PICKS: Michael van Gerwen to Win & Most 180s @ 3.25 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Luke Humphries to Win & Both Players Over 1.5 180s @ 2.50 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Luke Littler to Win & Most 180s @ 1.95 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Jonny Clayton to Win & Most 180s @ 3.25 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Darts 2026: 42-54, - 3.46 Units (93 Units Staked, - 3.72% Yield)

Miami Tennis Day 13 Pick 2026- Men's Final (Sunday 29th March)

It could be a final day in Miami which features a number of rain delays, but there is a hope that there will be enough of a window to conclude the Masters.

After Aryna Sabalenka completed the Sunshine Double, Jannik Sinner will be looking to do the same when the ATP Final is played to complete the first half of the hard court season.

His opponent has been in strong form over the last few days, but Sinner is the favourite and the expectation is that he will pick up the title when all is said and done,

And then it will be time for the clay court season.

Jannik Sinner - 4.5 games v Jiri Lehecka: The Miami Final has one familiar name lining up to take the title home, but credit has to be given to Jiri Lehecka for working his way through the draw.

He has been far from fortunate.

The World Number 22 going into the tournament, Jiri Lehecka will be setting a new career best mark on Monday regardless of the result. His live World Ranking is up to Number 14, which surpasses his previous best of Number 16, and an upset on Sunday would see the Czech player move into the top twelve.

He has had a solid fifteen months on the hard courts, but Jiri Lehecka's run in Miami has been special having yet to have his serve broken and facing just nine Break Points in the five wins produced in the tournament. The return game has always been effective enough for the hard courts and Lehecka will have the confidence of having dropped a single set in this Masters event.

There has been one top ten win produced in this run, but Jiri Leheckha has not beaten anyone higher than World Number 31 in the other four wins.

Suffice to say he is about to have a big step up in competition as he bids to stop Jannik Sinner from completing the Sunshine Double.

Another win over Alexander Zverev keeps the hold over one of the top players in the world, but Sinner was not at his very best on Friday evening.

It says plenty about this player that he still won and Jannik Sinner is playing like the best hard court player in the world, which has been the feeling around him for a couple of years. Carlos Alcaraz will have plenty to say about that statement having won the last two Grand Slams on the surface, but Sinner's numbers are really impressive and winning Miami after Indian Wells will give the Italian a huge amount of confidence to take into the clay court campaign.

In this tournament, Jannik Sinner has only faced six Break Points and been broken once, and he has been the slightly more effective return player.

He would have been a big favourite in the Final regardless, but those numbers make it very difficult to see how Jiri Leheckha gets the better of the World Number 2.

Four previous meetings on the Tour have all ended in Jannik Sinner's favour and two of those have been on the hard courts- there has been a huge gap in the service numbers in those two hard court meetings and Jannik Sinner should be able to get the better of Jiri Leheckha again.

The expectation is that he will have a couple more Breaks of serve compared with the lower Ranked player and that may be enough to cover this mark.

MY PICK: Jannik Sinner - 4.5 Games @ 

Miami Update: 19-17, + 0.93 Units (35 Units Staked, + 2.66% Yield)

Boxing Picks 2026- Sebastian Fundora vs Keith Thurman (Saturday 28th March)

This weekend represents the beginning of a very busy run for those Heavyweights associated with Frank Warren and his Queensberry stable- over the next seven weeks, almost the entire Division led by Warren will be out in big fights or main events and the Heavyweight landscape could look very different at the end of that run.

A World Title will be defended, but there is plenty of intrigue around young (Moses Itauma) and older (Tyson Fury) fighters as they look to get into the mix.

Oleksandr Usyk is still the man to beat in the Division, but he is taking on an opponent that feels little more than an exhibition for the unbeaten Champion.

A bigger fiht will be expected at the end of the year and that is where the names going out over the next several weeks have to push their credentials.

Moses Itauma is headlining a solid fight card in Manchester, but there is also a significant night planned in the United States where Sebastian Fundora defends his Light Middleweight World Title against Keith Thurman.

Much like the card in Manchester, this is a fight that was delayed by an injury to the 'A' side name, but it is a solid looking card in Las Vegas and the main event is likely going to give the victorious fighter plenty of big options going forward.

The last ten months have been pretty disappointing for the Boxing Picks and that has covered the back end of 2025 into 2026.

A little bit of luck has been missing at times, but it is important to try and avoid the poor decisions which have made things a little more difficult.

Moses Itauma vs Jermaine Franklin

Soon after making his professional debut, suggestions that Moses Itauma had targeted becoming the youngest Heavyweight World Champion of all time quickly propelled the story forwards.

In a four Belt era, that did sound a possibility if Moses Itauma could fulfil his obvious potential, but the recent investment of Saudi Arabia tied those Belts up.

Moses Itauma has also had a couple of delays in his career through injury, but there is every chance that this 21 year old can place himself pretty high on the list of youngest Heavyweight Champions later this year.

All of those plans would be ripped up if Itauma is not able to move past Jermaine Franklin, an American Heavyweight best known for losing a tight Decision to Dillian Whyte before a more straightforward defeat to Anthony Joshua on the cards.

Those two fights came in a four month period between November 2022 and April 2023, but Franklin has not really been able to build on that experience. Losing both meant some lost momentum, but it is a disappointment to note that Jermaine Franklin has fought just three times in almost three years, albeit winning all three times.

Two of those wins were against unbeaten opponents, but this is a considerable step upwards and Franklin was pretty one-paced in his win over Ivan Dychko back in September.

He has promised a war, but Jermaine Franklin cannot rely on being the faster fighter in this one and Moses Itauma has shown he can close gaps and is very comfortable letting his hands go.

Frank Warren and those around Itauma would love to see him put some Rounds in the bank before stepping up towards the very World level. None of the last nine opponents have been able to hear the bell for the Third Round and that is why they have targeted Jermaine Franklin here.

However, it also feels a good opportunity for the connections to talk up Moses Itauma even further if he can do something that former World Title Challenger Dillian Whyte and World Champion Anthony Joshua have failed to do and actually Stop this opponent.

Jermaine Franklin has shown he can roll with the shots and is solid enough to take some big shots and steer out of trouble, but doing that against someone as ruthless as Moses Itauma is a big ask.

If he shows any sign of being hurt, Moses Itauma will step on the gas and he may be able to secure his latest Stoppage a little after the first two Rounds, but before the second half of the contest is set to begin.

At 36 years old, Nathan Heaney is looking for one last run and for a second win in a row as he looks to move towards a potential British Middleweight Title bid.

He is a former British Champion, but that Title was ripped away from him by Bradley Pauls.

Nathan Heaney was Stopped in a comeback fight in February 2025, but that result was later turned into a No Contest and he is going to be well backed by his huge supporter base when returning to the Co-Op Arena in Manchester.

His opponent may not be a former British Champion, but Gerome Warburton fought for the vacant Title last year and ultimately was Stopped by Kieron Conway.

Gerome Warburton has not really fought at that level prior to the defeat to Conway and this is another tough test for him, even if Nathan Heaney is past his best.

Neither is a huge puncher and the cards may be needed for Heaney to put a win on the board that will take him closer to a fight for the British Middleweight Title, which looks about the level he will reach at this latter stage of his career.

The aforementioned Brad Pauls is also on this deep card of domestic fighters looking to push onto the next level.

The 32 year old is a former British Champion and only relinquished his Title to Denzel Bentley on the cards, but the inactivity can be a problem when facing a hungry Shakiel Thompson.

Activity is the difference between the fighters after Thompson secured three wins in 2024 and two in 2025, while there is no doubt that the height and length work in favour of the unbeaten southpaw.

It is a step up in level against a former British Champion, but Shakiel Thompson has shown his power at the domestic level and can make a big statement here.

The chief support also looks a good one between Willy Hutchinson and Ezra Taylor.

It looks like it will be a competitive fight with Taylor protecting an unbeaten record, but stepping up his level against Willy Hutchinson who has the best win on the resume when getting the better of Craig Richards.

Losses to Lennox Clarke and Joshua Buatsi perhaps highlight a limit to where Hutchinson can go in his career, but he may still have a bit too much for Ezra Taylor.

Both fighters should have their moments, but Hutchinson may do enough to nick this one on the cards.

Sebastian Fundora vs Keith Thurman

The WBC will have to make a decision about their Light Middleweight World Title sooner than later if Sebastian Fundora continues to insist that he will be targeting the big money fights rather than other Champions or his mandatories.

Those involve taking on big name veterans and there have been reports that Sebastian Fundora has already explored a fight with Errol Spence Jr, who is expecting to return after a three year layoff in the summer.

Overlooking Keith Thurman would be a mistake, but the 37 year old has been incredibly inactive and you do have to wonder what he has in the tank- at his peak, Thurman would have been a real threat with his style, but it feels like it will be much harder to execute across the full Twelve Rounds of this Title fight and especially against the relentless pressure that Sebastian Fundora will bring.

Keith Thurman has had just two fights since his 2019 defeat to Manny Pacquiao and just three Rounds since 2022- this is not ideal preparation against an awkward, active fighter like Sebastian Fundora.

Three years ago Sebastian Fundora was being KO'd by Brian Mendoza, who is on the undercard, but he has bounced back with three wins in a row- he fought twice last year, including a second win over Tim Tszyu and the momentum is going to be tough to stop.

A competitive fight is expected, at least early, but Sebastian Fundora may be able to wear down and ultimately overwhelm Keith Thurman in this main event.

A Stoppage could come from a compassionate corner or referee and that is likely after Keith Thurman has spent his gas tank, which is some time after the bell for the Seventh Round is rung.

The aforementioned Brian Mendoza is on the chief support against once beaten Yoenis Tellez- the latter is continuing his rebuild following the defeat to Abass Baraou.

Brian Mendoza is 32 years old, but he has not been active enough.

If he had been, Mendoza could be in a position to earn an upset, but the likelihood is that Yoenis Tellez will do enough to take this one on the cards.

There is plenty of action scheduled for the undercard, but the other fight that stands out is the continued development of Yoenil Hernandez who is unbeaten in nine fights and has earned eight Stoppages.

Not only does he fight in the wide open Middleweight Division, but Hernandez has already got himself a solid Ranking with a number of the organisations.

It would be a pretty big upset if veteran Terrell Gausha is able to derail Hernandez, especially having not been in the ring for twelve months.

However, Gausha is very savvy and tough and he has given opponents something to think about- he was beaten on a Split Decision by Elijah Garcia last year and was outpointed by Carlos Adames for the WBC World Title in this Division.

That toughness could see him push Yoenil Hernandez and at least force the unbeaten contender to have to lean on the scorecards for the victory.

MY PICKS: Moses Itauma to Win Between 1-5 @ 1.91 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Nathan Heaney to Win by Decision/Technical Decision @ 2.60 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Shakiel Thompson to Win by KO/TKO/Disqualification @ 1.80 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Willy Hutchinson to Win by Decision/Technical Decision @ 2.50 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Sebastian Fundora to Win Between 7-12 @ 3.00 William Hill (1 Unit)

Yoenil Hernandez to Win by Decision/Technical Decision @ 2.37 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Boxing 2026: 7-15, - 9.97 Units (37 Units Staked, - 26.95% Yield)

Miami Tennis Day 12 Pick 2026- Women's Final (Saturday 28th March)

The Miami Masters has proven to be a story of missed opportunities as yet more Break Points came and went in what turned out to be another fairly routine win for Jannik Sinner over Alexander Zverev.

The latter played better than he did in Indian Wells, but it was saving a single Break Point in one game followed by getting out of a 15-40 jam in the next that allowed Alexander Zverev to force a second set Tie-Breaker, which ultimately landed in the wrong direction for the German player.

We are about to head into the clay court season, but before that we have to see both Singles Finals completed.

The WTA Final goes up first on Saturday with the ATP Final on Sunday concluding this opening hard court run in the 2026 season.

While the majority of the top ATP players will then rest ahead of the Monte Carlo Masters in early April, the WTA takes in a clay court event in Charleston and plenty of experienced players will begin the clay court season there. In the past it has been a tournament that plays pretty differently to the European clay, but it is a big event with a 500 mark attached and that does mean seven of the current top 20 will be competing.

The clay court season does feel like it is long enough with the French Open beginning at the end of May, but the big tournaments come around very quickly and so players have to pick and choose their spots. The Madrid and Rome big 1000 events begin at the end of April through to the middle of May and at that point the majority of the big French Open contenders will take a break and prepare for what they hope will be a productive trip to Paris.

Aryna Sabalenka - 3.5 games v Coco Gauff: This is going to be the thirteenth professional meeting between Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff and the Miami Champion will end the night with a 7-6 lead.

It is the World Number 1 who has begun to get the better of Coco Gauff more often than not with four wins in the last six, but there is rarely a lot between the players and the slight adjustments made can turn things back around. There are perhaps some signs of that happening considering the last four between Sabalenka and Gauff have been split with two wins apiece, while the biggest win in that time is Coco Gauff's success in the French Open Final last year.

She is not just the home player in terms of this being played in the United States, but Coco Gauff was born in Florida and still lives there- this means having the local support and plenty of support from friends and family ahead of this big Final.

The run has been something of a surprise when you think the World Number 4 had to withdraw mid-match in Indian Wells and had some serious concerns about shooting pains in her arm. A MRI came back clear, but that would have reduced expectations in the second half of the Sunshine Double and it has already been a productive fortnight that will be concluded with a jump up to World Number 3 when the next set of World Rankings are released on Monday morning.

The overall level in 2026 has been a little below what is expected from Gauff, but she has looked stronger in the Miami event and that will help her confidence. The second serve continues to be a big weakness for the 22 year old as she continues to try and develop her tennis, but Coco Gauff has been able to cover up those issues by making more first serves and backing it up with solid returning numbers.

She is going to need all of that and more if she is going to upset the World Number 1 who has followed the title win in Indian Wells by producing high quality tennis here in Miami.

Aryna Sabalenka will be particularly pleased with getting the better of Elena Rybakina for a second tournament in a row after losing the Australian Open Final against the World Number 2, and the serve continues to put her in a strong position to win any match she plays.

There is room for improvement on the return with the numbers slightly below her usual level on the hard courts, but Aryna Sabalenka may feel her Semi Final win over Elena Rybakina is proof that everything is coming together just in time for another title to be secured.

Nothing ever comes easily against Coco Gauff and that is because the American can get plenty of balls back in play and neutralise rallies when at her best.

There have been signs of that in this tournament, but Aryna Sabalenka is playing at a much stronger level than most right now and the World Number 1 can complete the Sunshine Double with a solid win in the Final.

MY PICKS: Aryna Sabalenka - 3.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Miami Update: 18-17, + 0.21 Units (34 Units Staked, + 1% Yield)

Miami Tennis Day 11 Picks 2026 (Friday 27th March)

The Miami Open is down to the final three days of the tournament and the Women's Singles Final has been set for Saturday between two of the current top four players in the World Rankings.

Some may feel the second ATP Semi Final scheduled to be played on Friday is a de facto Final with the winner likely going to be set as a strong favourite in the title match on Sunday. The two other players left in the draw will certainly have something to say about that, but Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev are playing at a really high level and the day of rest between the Semi Final and Final will certainly edge things in their favour.

A mixed Day 10 has continued to hold back the totals, but that is just the way the second half of this Masters event has gone.

One selection is available from the ATP Semi Final matches to be played on Day 11 and that can be read below.

Jannik Sinner - 4.5 games v Alexander Zverev: For the second Masters event in a row, Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev meet and this is a match that really comes down to the racquet of the latter.

He must serve well if he is going to produce the upset, but it may be asking too much against the World Number 2.

In Indian Wells, Jannik Sinner dominated the second serve of Alexander Zverev and that saw him coast to a pretty comfortable win. Not only does that make it six wins in a row for Sinner, all on the hard courts, but the last three have been very one-sided and something will have to change for Alexander Zverev to even put a competitive performance on the board.

Protecting that second serve more effectively is important, but there is also considerable concern with the way Alexander Zverev has been dealing with the Sinner delivery.

In the last three matches, Alexander Zverev has not been able to win more than 31% of return points played and that has kept him under the pump. In their last meeting in Indian Wells, Zverev managed to win just 26% of return points played and he has now broken the Jannik Sinner serve once in the last five matches played.

During that same period, Alexander Zverev has been constantly having to fend off Break Points and it is very difficult to see much changing with the short turnaround between recent matches.

Jannik Sinner is playing exceptionally well in Miami and is on course to complete the Sunshine Double, which will give him a huge amount of confidence to take into the clay court season as he looks to become the latest player to complete the career Grand Slam.

This is a big spread and a strong serving display from Alexander Zverev will make it very difficult to cover, but Jannik Sinner's recent head to head against the German makes him the right play in this second Semi Final scheduled for Friday.

MY PICKS: Jannik Sinner - 4.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Miami Update: 18-16, + 1.21 Units (33 Units Staked, + 3.67% Yield)