Monte Carlo Masters Tennis Picks 2025 (Sunday 13th April)

It did feel like the Semi Final was going to get away from Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, but the battling qualities on the clay courts was on display and it helped him to a competitive defeat against Carlos Alcaraz.

This may not be good news for Davidovich Fokina, but it was for the Tennis Picks with another winner on the board here in Monte Carlo.

On Sunday the tournament comes to a conclusion before important ATP events in Munich and Barcelona next week as the big names continue to get as much clay court tennis under the legs before the second Grand Slam of the season begins. The Final should be a decent match in Monte Carlo, but it is hard to look past Carlos Alcaraz to win the trophy and just underline his status as the player to beat in Paris in June.

Carlos Alcaraz - 4.5 games v Lorenzo Musetti: There have been successes at Grand Slam level, which is always most important to any player on the Tour, but Carlos Alcaraz will be pleased to end a relatively long wait for a place in the Final of an ATP 1000 event.

Winning the title on Sunday will move Carlos Alcaraz back into World Number 2 and he will certainly feel he can build momentum towards the defence of the French Open title won last year. While his main rival Jannik Sinner continues to serve a suspension, Carlos Alcaraz can build his own confidence and the Spaniard is a strong favourite to win the title in Monte Carlo.

We have not always seen his very best tennis at the tournament, but Carlos Alcaraz has played well and the Semi Final victory will have only improved his own belief.

He will be facing Lorenzo Musetti in the Final and the World Number 16 has to be respected for his ability and comfort on the red dirt. However, the Italian has had to dig very deep in the last couple of Rounds in his wins over Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alex De Minaur and you do have to wonder if the accumulated fatigue works against Lorenzo Musetti, especially with the Final scheduled for earlier in the day than would usually be the case.

The challenge for Lorenzo Musetti is being able to serve well enough to contain the threat of Carlos Alcaraz.

In the last two wins, Musetti has faced twenty-nine Break Points and that suggests he will have some issue against Carlos Alcaraz who has won 47% of return points played this week and has broken in 42% of return games played. The issue for Alcaraz has been protecting his own serve, although Lorenzo Musetti has had his difficulties against this opponent in recent meetings.

You cannot rule out Lorenzo Musetti from making this competitive considering how well he can perform on this surface, but this feels a tough ask with the match being played without a lot of rest and recovery time.

A fast start will be needed from the Italian, but Carlos Alcaraz has looked like he has been enjoying his time here in Monte Carlo and the may just be able to get through those early moments to take control of the Final. With his returning working well so far this week, Carlos Alcaraz may just come through with a victory along with a cover of this handicap set.

MY PICK: Carlos Alcaraz - 4.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Monte Carlo Update: 5-1, + 3.49 Units (6 Units Staked, + 58.17% Yield)

Boxing Picks 2024- Jordan Gill vs Zelfa Barrett (Saturday 13th April)

While it was not really a quiet month, March was one that began with a big card in Saudi Arabia and ended with a couple of good looking shows over Easter Weekend.

The relatively quiet nature of the cards has continued in early April, but there looks to be a clear shift coming up beginning with Devin Haney vs Ryan Garcia next weekend.

After that we head into Canelo Alvarez vs Jaime Munguia

Naoya Inoue vs Luis Nery

Vasyl Lomachenko vs George Kambosos Jr

Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk

Josh Taylor vs Jack Catterall

Dmitry Bivol vs Artur Beterbiev

Juan Francisco Estrada vs Bam Rodriguez.

That is some run to take us through to the end of June and there are plenty of other big fights in and around those dates.

Unsurprisingly the two big Saudi Arabian cards in that stretch are expected to be loaded with a solid undercard and this is not even accounting for a big card being put together by Boxxer in London for June 15th with the hope still being that it will be headlined by a much anticipated Anthony Yarde vs Joshua Buatsi Light Heavyweight bout.

All things considered, it is a good time to be a fan of Boxing with some of the big fights we have already seen over the last fifteen months and the kind of schedule coming up. Inactivity is plaguing some of the top names, but the majority are getting out at least twice a year and that has to be considered a positive after fans have missed out on some of the Super-Fights that should have happened much sooner than they did.

In the current climate, it feels like those massive nights will be signed and delivered and it has to be bring excitement.

Like many, we do look through some of the rubbish spouted by promoters, but there is no downplaying of the signing of Jaron Ennis who is now under the Matchroom banner.

This is a monster signing- Boots is clearly one of the top fighters in the world and should be taking over the 147 pound Division now that Errol Spence and Terence Crawford have targeted Light Middleweight gold.

However, inactivity has held Jaron Ennis back and he has sued his previous promoter.

Now he is under the Matchroom banner, the expectation is that Ennis will have his career pushed on very quickly- he should be out before the end of July and will be hoping to clear his mandatory before chasing the other Champions as Boots looks to Unify before heading out of the Division.

It is a messy Division with Bud Crawford yet to announce he is dropping the World Titles he collected, and there are two Interim World Champions, while the IBF was officially dropped by Crawford and Ennis was turned into a full World Champion.

First up is expected to be Cody Crowley, even though the Canadian has had a purse bid accepted to take on Souleymane Cissokho in Paris in a final eliminator set by the WBC.

Other promoters will have to be prepared to work with Matchroom if those Unifications happen, but ultimately activity is key for a fighter that has spent too long on the sidelines.

There is little doubt in my mind that Eddie Hearn will see a potential clash between Jaron Ennis and Conor Benn as being one that could really take the former to the forefront of British fans notice too, Of course some of that will come down to Benn earning a right to fight in the United Kingdom again, a case that continues to drag and drag almost two years after his failed drugs test.

Big fights and big moments are coming up, but there are a couple of decent cards taking place in Manchester and Corpus Christi this weekend.

We have headliners who are looking to push onto World level in the months ahead and it is a good appetiser before the main courses begin in New York City.

Two weeks ago the Boxing Picks did not have the most productive win-loss record, but the overall numbers are still very positive and that is what matters most.

Adding to those will be the focus this week and having a strong first half of the 2024 season looks very attainable from here.

Jordan Gill vs Zelfa Barrett

A short notice opportunity was taken by Zelfa Barrett to try and win the then vacant IBF Super Featherweight World Title, but a very positive early start was not sustained and an injury saw the bid come up short.

Two wins have been earned since the defeat to Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov, but there is a feeling that Zelfa Barrett is not too long for this Division and will need to move up in weight.

He is headlining Manchester Arena, which brings its own pressures, but Barrett will also know that he will have to make a big decision on where his career is heading if he was to lose.

There has been talk from the Zelfa Barrett camp as well as the Jordan Gill one that the winner should be targeting a World Title if they are able to win, but that may have more to do with Joe Cordina being a World Champion and looking for the big fights going forward. It would be a solid money fight for Cordina rather than a legacy creating one, but that does mean there is more on the line for this headline act than perhaps there should be.

We have yet to really see either produce an effort to believe they should be a World Title contender, although Jordan Gill will dispute that.

He has overcome some personal demons and moved up in weight after a bad loss to Kiko Martinez, and Jordan Gill will feel his win over Michael Conlan in Belfast suggests he is way above European level now.

The other side of the argument is that Conlan is completely shot as a top level fighter and Jordan Gill was in the right place at the right time to take advantage. It is still a very good win, and one that should give him confidence as he goes back into the lion's den on Saturday, but Jordan Gill still has plenty to prove to doubters.

I have to consider myself one of those and it is hard to buy one performance as being indicative that Gill will reach much higher in the Super Featherweight Division than he did at Featherweight.

In saying that, this is not a massively higher level than his previous high and Zelfa Barrett has plenty to prove too.

That performance against Rakhimov is clearly impressive and gives Barrett something to build upon and both are going to be confident fighters.

Ultimately the feeling is that Brown Flash might have a bit more in the tank and he is not likely to be worn down by Jordan Gill as he was by a relentless Rakhimov.

Zelfa Barrett can box well early and show he has the power edge when trading and the feeling is that the home fighter outlasts Gill and finds a second half Stoppage in this crossroads bout.

There is a decent undercard that has been put together for the card in Manchester and fans of Stable (if you haven't seen it, you should) will be rooting for Ellie Scotney to come through and Unify her World Titles.

This is a tough fight coming up for her in her relatively young career, but I will be cheering her on and hoping Shane McGuigan's team continues to grow.

However, any additional selections from this weekend will both come from Corpus Christi where Jared Anderson is the headline act.

He has long been considered the heir to the Heavyweight throne once the like of Tyson Fury, Oleksandr Usyk, Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder move into retirement. Those four fighters are expected to have two or three years left at the top at the maximum and Jared Anderson certainly looks capable of filling the void.

At 24 years old Anderson has time on his side, although the focus for his management and promoter is to keep him mentally checked in having had some out of the ring issues recently.

That means pushing ahead into tougher challenges and Big Baby has actually called for a clash with Wilder later this year.

Focus is the key as he prepares to take on Ryad Merhy who has moved into the Heavyweight Division having come up short in his World Title bid at Cruiserweight the first time around, before winning an Interim World Championship that was upgraded.

An upset over Tony Yoka has given Merhy this opportunity, but Jared Anderson is a big Heavyweight and will have a considerable size advantage. He hits very hard, harder than Yoka who looks like a fighter lacking confidence, and not many have been able to stand up to the power Anderson brings to the ring.

Only Charles Martin has been able to get past the Fifth Round against Jared Anderson and he needed to escape a Third Round Knock Down.

Ryad Merhy has shown he can be competitive and has toughness, but this feels like a statement making moment for the next big name American Heavyweight and he may be able to really create some headlines with an early win.

The chief support on the undercard features Efe Ajagba who has bounced back from his loss to Frank Sanchez to win four fights in a row.

An upset win a couple of fights ago has just made Ajagba a player in the Heavyweight Division again after his early momentum was stalled by Sanchez.

It is very likely that a win would see him set up to headline against Jared Anderson, assuming the latter also wins, and Efe Ajagba can produce another big win over Guido Vianello.

The 29 year old Italian has won twelve of thirteen fights and he has ten Knock Outs on the record, but the loss to Jonathan Rice will have felt like a big disappointment. Guido Vianello is taking a considerable step up to face the big hitting Nigerian Heavyweight and Efe Ajagba has found wins in the Fourth Round in each of his last two bouts.

Building momentum towards a potential fight with Jared Anderson will be the focus for Efe Ajagba and he can force another first half Stoppage against an opponent that should not be hard to find in the ring.

MY PICKS: Zelfa Barrett to Win Between 7-12 @ 4.00 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Jared Anderson to Win Between 1-5 @ 3.00 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Efe Ajagba to Win Between 1-5 @ 3.50 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Boxing 2024: 16-23, + 12.92 Units (56 Units Staked, + 23.07% Yield)

Monte Carlo Masters Tennis Picks 2023 (April 13th)

While I will admit that I have not had the time to write out my reasoning for the Tennis Picks this week, I have been putting in the research to see if the selections are within the parameters set.

Three more games from Diego Schwartzman would have made it a very good day, but he was not able to finish his match with Jannik Sinner and I have had to settle for a 3-2 return.

On Thursday we are into the Third Round at the Masters event and all eight matches are scheduled to be played and conditions should be warming up through to the end of the weekend. I do want to see my returns warming up too after a poor start to the tournament and there is still some work to do in order to see that improvement.

MY PICKS: Karen Khachanov @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)

Novak Djokovic - 5.5 Games @ 2.10 Bet365 (2 Units)

Alexander Zverev @ 2.30 Bet365 (2 Units)

Holger Rune - 3.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Monte Carlo Update: 5-6, - 3.66 Units (22 Units Staked, - 16.64% Yield)

Monte Carlo Masters Tennis Picks 2022 (April 13th)

Another winning day has put the Monte Carlo Tennis Picks into a positive position for the week, but we are not even halfway through the tournament and that means there is still work to do.

A number of players taking to the court on Wednesday will be playing in their first clay court event of the season and conditions have been pretty tough with plenty of wind around. That can be very tough for players not accustomed to the surface beneath their feet, but the move from the hard to the clay courts, and vice versa, tend to be pretty comfortable for most compared with the move onto the grass courts that will happen in June.

Wednesday is a busy day at the tournament and I am looking for my six selections to help return another winning day to keep the positive run going.

Albert Ramos-Vinolas v Cameron Norrie: A veteran of the ATP Tour, Albert Ramos-Vinolas now spends a large amount of his time on his favourite surface and he will be looking forward to the next few weeks with the Tour going through the main portion of the clay court season. Players like Albert Ramos-Vinolas remain very dangerous on this surface and especially when playing against those who are not as confident on the red dirt, but who may be Ranked considerably higher than those who spend their time predominantly playing clay court events.

Most surfaces are beginning to feel uniform so the clay court specialists of old are perhaps not as common in the draws as they would have been, but there are clearly some top names that have struggled for consistency on this surface.

Cameron Norrie is not one of them having moved into the top ten of the World Rankings earlier this month after a hugely productive twelve months on the Tour. Last season Cameron Norrie has a number of deep runs in big clay court events and finished up with a 16-5 record on the surface, so he has to be respected, although the British player is going to be performing for the first time on the red dirt in 2022.

As mentioned, Albert Ramos-Vinolas plays plenty of clay court tennis and he won a title on this surface during the Golden Swing in South America. He has already secured his first win at Monte Carlo and you do have to believe that the Spaniard has the tennis to upset a top ten opponent in the Second Round.

Albert Ramos-Vinolas has far from an overwhelming game and his serve can be vulnerable on the clay courts, but the lefty has been a pretty solid return player and that has helped. There is no doubt that Cameron Norrie may have the more consistent serve of the two southpaws playing, but his return game has not been as effective as his opponent's and I do think a maiden clay court match could see Norrie come up short.

The British player did beat Albert Ramos-Vinolas for the first time last year, although that was on the grass courts of Queen's Club in West London. Earlier in the same year Cameron Norrie had come up a little short in losing to Ramos-Vinolas in the Final of Estoril, a clay court event, and all three previous defeats to this opponent had been in clay court matches.

Slightly stronger returning proved to be the key for Albert Ramos-Vinolas in the clay court Final in Estoril and I think that may be the case in Monte Carlo too. It should be noted that Cameron Norrie has gone from strength to strength in the time since these players last met on the clay, but the veteran know-how of the Spaniard could just see him work his way past the higher Ranked opponent.

Andrey Rublev - 4.5 games v Alex De Minaur: Both of these players have proven to be much happier on the hard courts than the other surfaces on the Tour, but Andrey Rublev has been more than a decent clay courter in recent years too. That is more than can be said for Alex De Minaur who has struggled to impose his tennis on the slower surface where his own tennis can be a bit more vulnerable.

A win in the First Round will have given the Australian a boost, but since 2018 Alex De Minaur only has a 6-11 record on the clay courts and that includes the win he has secured in the First Round. Last season was a bit more productive than the previous two years, but Alex De Minaur will know his level has to be improved significantly if he is going to have an impact in tournaments over the next couple of months.

Alex De Minaur has held 75% of his service games and broken in 26% of return games played on the clay courts over the last twelve months, but the break percentage has dropped significantly when he has been faced with a top 50 Ranked opponent on this surface.

He is just 1-7 against top 50 Ranked opponents on a clay court in his career and Andrey Rublev is a better clay courter than some may think, even if he is not as strong as he is on a hard court.

The World Number 8 had a poor showing at the Miami Masters, but that should mean he is well rested for this tough clay court portion of the season. 2020 was a strong year on the clay courts, but even last season Andrey Rublev held 82% of his service games on the surface and broke in 26% of return games and I do think his serve will prove to be the difference in this Second Round match.

Andrey Rublev did suffer some very disappointing defeats on the clay last year, but he should have enough of an edge on the serve to win a match like this one.

He has never beaten Alex De Minaur, which could play a mental part in the match, but both previous defeats were back in 2018 and Andrey Rublev is a much better player now. The surface also should give him a slight edge with the likelihood that Alex De Minaur is going to have to work much harder to hold serve than his opponent and that can wear players down on the clay courts with every point a challenge at times.

It is a big mark, but I think Andrey Rublev will find the breaks of serve to earn a solid win on the scoreboard.

Casper Ruud - 5.5 games v Holger Rune: Wisdom teeth issues meant the Miami Masters Runner Up was not able to take part in the clay court event held in Houston, but Casper Ruud should be up to full speed to take part at the Monte Carlo Masters.

Casper Ruud reached the Semi Final here in 2021 and matched that run with another Semi Final at the Madrid Masters before a very productive summer in which he became the first player to win three tournaments in three weeks on the ATP Tour since Andy Murray back in 2011.

All of those were won on the clay courts and he won another title in Buenos Aires and there is no doubt that Casper Ruud will be approaching the French Open as a genuine contender to win the title. His run in Miami has seen the Norwegian reach World Number 7, a new career best, but there may be further improvement made if Casper Ruud can put together the kind of clay court tennis he has proven to be able to play in recent years.

It has long been his favoured surface and I am not anticipating too much time being needed to become comfortable on the red dirt. Novak Djokovic's exit in the tournament has opened up the top half of the draw and Casper Ruud has to feel he can go even further than the Semi Final run in 2021.

The numbers have been incredibly impressive on the clay courts with Casper Ruud holding 87% of his service games on the surface over the last twelve months and backing that up with breaks in 32% of return games played. It makes Casper Ruud one of the most effective clay courters on the Tour and I do think he is going to get the better of young Danish player Holger Rune.

You have to credit Holger Rune for digging in and working his way past Aslan Karatsev in the First Round, while he has come through the Qualifiers so the conditions at this tournament will offer no surprises compared with his opponent who will play his first match here. Holger Rune did need three sets to beat his last opponent and spent a considerable amount of time on the court, but he has won a title on the clay courts at Challenger level this year and that should offer him some belief.

However, Holger Rune would be the first to admit that this is a big step up in class for him and Casper Ruud underlined the gap that existed between them in 2021 by handing out two very one-sided wins over him on the hard courts. One of those was right here in Monte Carlo and I think Rune may still not have moved on enough to make this match much closer if Casper Ruud brings his best tennis to the court.

In their two clay court matches in 2021, Casper Ruud dictated behind serve and held 93% of the service games played. The real difference was made by Ruud on the return though and he broke the Holger Rune serve in an incredible 71% of return games played, while winning 60% of the return points played.

The young Danish player will have learnt from those experiences, but the feeling is that Casper Ruud will be able to keep the pressure on him with his return, while protecting the serve to offer little encouragement to the underdog. While it is unlikely to result in another wide, one-sided win, I do think Casper Ruud will find the breaks needed to secure a relatively comfortable victory over this opponent again and get his favourite part of the season underway with a solid win.

MY PICKS: Albert Ramos-Vinolas @ 2.25 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Andrey Rublev - 4.5 Games @ 2.10 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Casper Ruud - 5.5 Games @ 2.20 Bet365 (2 Units)

Lorenzo Sonego - 1.5 Games @ 1.83 Paddy Power (2 Units)

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

Pablo Carreno Busta - 4.5 Games @ 1.91 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Monte Carlo Update: 6-5, + 1.28 Units (22 Units Staked, + 5.82% Yield)

Monte Carlo Tennis Day 4 Picks 2021 (April 13th)

Rain decimated the day's play at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Monte Carlo and that means only a couple of the First Round matches were able to be completed.

It means a number of matches have been postponed until Tuesday instead of being played on Day 2, but it sounds like it could be another stop-start kind of day in Monaco.

Jannik Sinner - 3.5 games v Albert Ramos: I have no doubt that Jannik Sinner is going to play in a lot of Masters Finals in his career with the development he is making week after week, but the numbers suggest he was a little fortunate to do that in Miami earlier this month. The Italian fell short in the Final, but Sinner showed a real comfort for playing on the red dirt in 2020 and that won't be a surprise to anyone.

The battle with Rafael Nadal in the darkness of Roland Garros was a memorable one, but Jannik Sinner won't have been disappointed with his performances in what was a short clay court season. However it can't be dismissed that those clay court tournaments were played in the Autumn and a return to a more natural spot in the calendar will mean there are different conditions to deal with, while Jannik Sinner has yet to play a clay court match in 2021.

He is going up against a veteran who has long been a fan of playing on the clay, although Albert Ramos is a little more inconsistent these days. The hard court performances have not really been at the level Ramos would have wanted, but he has enjoyed his time on the clay courts in 2021 having reached the Final and a Semi Final during the Golden Swing in South America a couple of months and then reaching the Semi Final in Marbella last week.

The numbers have been impressive in building a 9-3 record on the clay court this season, but Albert Ramos will also know there has to be an improvement when taking on a player of the calibre he will face in the First Round in Monte Carlo. Last year Albert Ramos was not able to win some of the matches he has won in deciders this season which dented the numbers and over the last four seasons you would say the Spaniard has been a little hard to read when it comes to his clay court performances.

I expect Ramos to be plenty confident after his early clay court runs and facing an opponent playing for the first time on the surface in six/seven months has to be an advantage. The lefty serve makes Albert Ramos dangerous, but he has only been holding 76% of the service games being played on the surface and Jannik Sinner has shown he is more than a capable returner on the red dirt when breaking in 35% of return games played on the clay in 2020.

The Italian has showed some strong returning on the hard courts and being back on the clay should give him a bit more time to get his teeth into this match.

I have no doubt that Albert Ramos is very experienced and can cause problems with his own return, one that has been vitally important to helping him win nine of his twelve clay matches in 2021. However, I think Jannik Sinner's serve is a strength for him and I think the youngster can work his way to the breaks needed to win and cover in this match.

Marton Fucsovics - 2.5 games v Lorenzo Sonego: There is one bit of good news for Marton Fucsovics ahead of the start of his Monte Carlo Masters bid and that is that he cannot play Andrey Rublev until the Final this week. His last four tournaments have been ended by the talented Russian (although one was a walkover before Fucsovics had to face his latest defeat to Rublev), but this should not cover up the fact that the Hungarian has been playing really well to open 2021.

The overall numbers have been solid for Marton Fucsovics, but he is playing on the clay courts for the first time this season and will be looking to follow up what had been success in a limited time on the surface in 2020. Like many, Marton Fucsovics played in the delayed French Open but only played a couple of Davis Cup ties outside of that tournament so the next couple of months will be the first considerable time spent on the clay for two years.

He has been a solid clay court player in his career and I do think Fucsovics is going to be happy moving onto the clay even if his better results will likely come on other surfaces.

In the First Round Marton Fucsovics is going to be asked to be close to his best immediately when taking on Lorenzo Sonego who has put together a solid opening three months in 2021. The Italian is also going to head into the first clay court Masters event of the season with plenty of confidence having won the title in Cagliari last week, although it should be pointed out that Sonego did not need to beat anyone inside the top 30 of the World Rankings to earn that title.

Despite that, a title is a title and it will give Lorenzo Sonego a boost to take into the rest of the clay court season as the push towards the French Open continues. He had a solid week in Cagliari, although Lorenzo Sonego was perhaps a touch fortunate to beat Laslo Djere in the Final, and it will be no surprise to anyone that the Italian is comfortable on the surface.

He gets plenty out of his serve, but the real test for Lorenzo Sonego will be backing up the returning he produced in the first clay court tournament he has played in 2021. If he can do that, he will be a difficult player to beat on the red dirt, but it was also a tough week and there is every chance he could be a little fatigued even with a Tuesday start.

Lorenzo Sonego has also lost his last three matches against Marton Fucsovics and is 0-2 in their previous clay court meetings. His serve has been put under pressure by the decent returning Fucsovics can produce and Lorenzo Sonego has not been able to really exert the same against the Hungarian in those previous matches.

I expect this will be a tight match at times with a couple of key points likely going to separate them in each set, but I do think Marton Fucsovics is playing well enough to find a way to get the better of the Cagliari Champion. He should be able to produce a solid return day which helps him edge past Sonego and I think Fucsovics will be able to cover this mark in his victory.

Roberto Bautista Agut - 3.5 games v Taylor Fritz: Both of these players have made positive starts to 2021 with both having won at least eleven Tour matches, although neither Roberto Bautista Agut nor Taylor Fritz will be satisfied until they win some titles. The two players have both reached the Semi Final of events already this season and Roberto Bautista Agut has also been a step further in a couple of tournaments, but ultimately both players have fallen short at the business end of events.

The performances on the clay courts from both of these players have been similar in recent seasons and Taylor Fritz does have a couple of wins on the red dirt from his week in Cagliari and only the eventual Champion was able to get the better of the American.

An improvement in the service numbers will be important for Taylor Fritz if he is going to get the better of someone like Roberto Bautista Agut who is a solid, competent player on the clay. The Spaniard might actually be expected to be a touch stronger on this surface than he is, but Bautista Agut will also have the confidence of some strong performances since the Australian Open which should give him confidence to take into the Monte Carlo Masters.

The return of serve has been key for Roberto Bautista Agut and I think he should have successes against this Fritz serve. However, it can be hard to trust Bautista Agut who has a serve which has produced around a 76% hold percentage on the clay courts and Taylor Fritz was seeing the ball pretty well last week in Cagliari to offer some encouragement.

These two players have met twice on the clay courts in 2019 and they split the two matches with both Bautista Agut and Fritz having good wins over the other. Overall it is Roberto Bautista Agut who has a 4-1 record against Taylor Fritz on the professional Tour and the Spaniard has had a considerable advantage when it comes to protecting his serve compared with Fritz.

Even in the two clay court matches, Roberto Bautista Agut has been able to hold serve at a considerable higher percentage than Taylor Fritz and it should be something that comes to the fore in this First Round match. Of course you have to be aware that this is Roberto Bautista Agut's first match on the clay courts in 2021 and that it may take a little adjustment to find his feet on the surface, but I do think he has matched up well enough with Taylor Fritz to push through for a good looking opening win in Monte Carlo.

MY PICKS: Jannik Sinner - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Marton Fucsovics - 1.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Roberto Bautista Agut - 3.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Nikoloz Basilashvili + 3.5 Games @ 1.91 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Pablo Carreno Busta - 3.5 Games @ 1.90 Bet365 (2 Units)

Boxing Picks 2019- Vasyl Lomachenko vs Anthony Crolla (April 12th)

Once again we are going to get some Friday night action as the abundance of cards being put together means promoters are trying their best not to clash with each other.

The main attraction this week has to be the return of Vasyl Lomachenko who should have been involved in perhaps a more mouth-watering fight than the one he has to deal with. A mandatory instead of a Unification is never what someone like Lomachenko would want, but an injury to Richard Commey means he didn't have much choice outside of dropping his belt and that was never going to happen with such a proud fighter who wants to collect all the trinkets available.

Jaime Munguia is in action on a card on Saturday, while women's Boxing may have been given the first real super-fight in a generation as unbeaten Olympian Claressa Shields takes on unbeaten Christina Hammer as the main event of a card on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City.


It has been a month since my last selections from a Boxing card were made and that has happened for a couple of reasons. Firstly there has not been a lot of fights to appeal in that time, while I was also away for the last big card in London.

The season has not begun in the manner I would have wanted, but I am hoping to get that turned around and back up the successful 2018 season.

Gilberto Ramirez vs Tommy Karpency

There has been some confusion with the status of Gilberto Ramirez as it seemed like he had vacated his WBO Super Middleweight Title to move up to Light Heavyweight, but instead this seems like a one fight foray into the higher Division.

Well that is the case for now for the unbeaten Mexican who has been big for Super Middleweight or so it has seemed. Being unbeaten in thirty-nine fights is a very good achievement for any Boxer, but I do think Gilberto Ramirez has been matched well and he has yet to really take on the kind of Challenger that many would like to see.

This is not really that kind of test as Ramirez meets Tommy Karpency on the undercard of the Vasyl Lomachenko card.

Ramirez is going to be the taller man with the longer reach, although Karpency will have to be respected knowing he has been in with some tough opponents at the weight. Without a doubt the best of the performances was the Split Decision defeat to Chad Dawson, but Karpency was also wiped out by Adonis Stevenson in Three Rounds and stopped by Oleksandr Gvozdyk in Six Rounds, although Karpency has shown he has some pop by putting the current WBC Champion down in that defeat.

Ultimately I think this is a good showcase fight for Ramirez to show he can compete at the higher weight than he has been used to operating at. I do think Tommy Karpency is a good kind of fighter to show Ramirez can be a player at this weight and I can see him getting Karpency out of there slightly earlier than Gvozdyk did.

Backing Ramirez to find the stoppage in the first half of the fight is the selection.

Vasyl Lomachenko vs Anthony Crolla

The layers are not expecting this fight to be competitive and, as much as I like Anthony Crolla, I have to agree with them.

World Boxing is all about levels and this is featuring an elite, pound for pound king versus someone who has overachieved to realise his dream of becoming a World Champion. Anthony Crolla did give Jorge Linares something to think about in their first fight, but he was outclassed in the rematch and Vasyl Lomachenko is a really special talent.

The only thing that could hold Lomachenko back is that this is a fight that is not of the magnitude he has been used to taking on since turning professional. Even then I think the attitude of the Ukrainian is spot on and he will look at this as a minor obstacle that needs dealing with before he can move on to Unification bouts.

Most of his recent opponents have not been able to stay with Lomachenko who takes away the desire with the superior boxing and eventually starts finding the openings which breaks down opponents. I do think that is going to happen in this one too with Anthony Crolla looking like his come forward, pressure style is going to be made for Lomachenko to pick him apart.

In his rematch with Jorge Linares, Anthony Crolla had to plead with Joe Gallagher to allow him to finish what had been a one-sided second half of the fight. This time I can see the trainer getting his way with his charge and being allowed to pull him out once he loses the first six or seven Rounds.

I can only see Lomachenko breaking down Crolla and begin to really hurt him just past the halfway mark of this fight and I am going to back the Ukrainian to earn the stoppage in the second half of the bout.

Peter Quillin vs Caleb Truax

This is the epitome of a crossroads fight when Peter Quillin and Caleb Truax meet in the Super Middleweight Division.

Both are 35 years old and turning 36 during the course of 2019 and both are also former World Champions. Caleb Truax won his title in the Super Middleweight Division when upsetting James DeGale, but he lost the rematch, while Peter Quillin was a Middleweight Champion before being dethroned in One Round by Daniel Jacobs.

This is only the third fight for Quillin since that defeat to Jacobs, although Truax has only been slightly more active of the two fighters.

The winner may go on and think about potentially challenging for a World Title, but at this age I would wonder if the losing fighter has to consider retirement.

There is much on the line on Saturday.

My feeling is that there is still more in the tank for Quillin especially when you consider the two tough fights Truax had with DeGale. It has become clear that DeGale has not been the same fighter as he was in his prime and that was a big factor in his defeat to Truax and I do believe Quillin may be the better Boxer in this fight.

The superior reach is with Truax which could cause problems if he tries to stay on the back foot, but that is not his style and I think it will allow Quillin to get in and do his work. Being at home should encourage and motivate Truax to keep coming forward and I do think there is every chance there will be a Split or Majority Decision verdict in this one.

I think there is likely to be slightly more in the Quillin tank though and he can edge to a victory in this one. Beating a home fighter on the cards is not easy, but I think Quillin can show the superior Boxing to do that.

Sergiy Derevyanchenko vs Jack Culcay

Six months ago Sergiy Derevyanchenko came very close to beating Daniel Jacobs and he was punished for a nervy start which saw him hit the canvas in the First Round in what was ultimately a Split Decision defeat.

Instead of a potential Unification fight with Canelo Alvarez, Derevyanchenko is trying to rebuild when he goes up against Jack Culcay on the same PBC card as Peter Quillin and Caleb Truax.

This is far from a straight-forward fight for Derevyanchenko when you think Culcay has been the distance with the likes of Demetrius Andrade and Maciej Sulecki. Both of those fighters are solid Middleweights and Culcay was very close to ending the Andrade unbeaten run and I think the German will come into this fight with plenty of belief.

Jack Culcay has won three fights since the last defeat to Sulecki, but I think Derevyanchenko could be the hardest hitter he will have faced and it will be interesting to see if the Ukrainian can become the first man to stop him. I do think he is the right favourite and I think Derevyanchenko would have learnt a lot from the loss to Danny Jacobs.

This should be the start of his rebuilding back up the World Rankings and I think Culcay is going to do very well to keep Derevyanchenko's power in check in this one. Fighters like Andrade and Sulecki don't hit as hard as Derevyanchenko and I think the latter is going to be looking to make a statement against someone who has hit the canvas before even if he has yet to be stopped as a professional.

I would be surprised if that occurred early though and I expect Derevyanchenko to wear down Culcay and perhaps put something together in the second half of the fight that forces the stoppage.

Jaime Munguia vs Dennis Hogan

It seems only a matter of time that Jaime Munguia will join the loaded Middleweight Division as he could have done twelve months ago when a potential opponent for Gennady Golovkin. The last year has been a very good one for Jaime Munguia who has become one of the leading names at 154 pounds even if it does feel he is too big for the weight.

He will be defending his WBO Light-Middleweight belt on Saturday when Dennis Hogan comes to Mexico to take on the power punching home favourite.

Someone who has Irish blood and fights out of Australia is going to be a tough man to break down, but Dennis Hogan is taking a considerable step up from his usual level of competition. We are going to find out how durable he is because I don't think he is going to want to move out of the way of a brawl which is what Munguia will bring to begin with.

I have seen Munguia begin to box when he feels his power is not having the impact he would like, but I also think the young Mexican is learning his craft and will want to show other elements of his Boxing where he can. This fight feels much more like a showcase one for Munguia back in Mexico for the first time in thirteen months and I do think he is going to win a firefight fairly early.

Munguia has blown out Sadam Ali and Brandon Cooks and been forced to go the distance with Liam Smith and Takeshi Inoue over the last twelve months. The latter two fighters showed how far toughness can take them even against some as hard hitting as Munguia, but we are going to learn a lot about Hogan in this one.

It should be one where neither takes a backward step though and I think that is where Munguia can give the home crowd a highlight reel finish with an early stoppage.

MY PICKS: Gilberto Ramirez to Win Between 1-5 @ 2.75 Ladbrokes (2 Units)

Vasyl Lomachenko to Win Between 7-12 @ 2.37 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Peter Quillin to Win by Decision/Technical Decision @ 2.62 Bet365 (2 Units)

Sergiy Derevyanchenko to Win Between 7-12 @ 4.00 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)

Jaime Munguia to Win Between 1-6 @ 2.25 Ladbrokes (2 Units)

Weekend Football Picks 2019 (April 12-15)

The Premier League weekend is played from Friday through to Monday evening this week and at this stage of the season every fixture's importance is increased tenfold.

That is especially the case at the top and bottom of the table and this weekend we could start seeing some separation as far as the top four and the bottom three places are concerned. Sunday is also another huge day in the Premier League title race and the tensions are now raised up and down the country with ambitions looking to be fulfilled.


The Fantasy Football plays from last week should have offered another solutions to those looking to mould their squads for the final weeks of the season. In the 2019/20 season I will be making a slight change as to how I will offer out my Fantasy selections for the week, but for the remainder of this season I will continue to highlight higher priced and lower priced options that can hopefully help when it comes to putting transfers together.

Remember we have another Friday deadline this week so teams have to be set by 7pm British time.


Leicester City v Newcastle United Pick: The opening Premier League fixture of the weekend is played on a Friday night for the second week in a row as Leicester City get set to host Newcastle United in front of the television cameras.

It feels like an exciting time to be a Leicester City fan as it has become clear that Brendan Rodgers remains very keen on his teams expressing themselves and playing attacking football. The players have to be happy about that after a miserable time under Claude Puel and they have responded with 5 wins in 6 games since the Frenchman was sacked.

Leicester City have scored two or more goals in 4 straight Premier League games and it is the first time it has happened since April 2017 and the strong run the team went on after Claudio Ranieri was sacked. They have won their last 3 in a row at the King Power Stadium and Leicester City go into this one favoured to beat Newcastle United.

Rafael Benitez will look to set up his Newcastle United team to be tough to beat and I think the manager will be focusing on trying to contain their hosts and hit them on the counter attack. In recent games that has been a problem in trying to find the balance they need to cause problems for opponents and Newcastle United have really been struggling on their travels.

They have conceded twice in 3 away games in a row, which is not what you would expect from a Benitez team, and only an injury time equaliser at Bournemouth has prevented Newcastle United from losing all of those games. It is up to the manager to try and refocus his players who may feel they are safe from the drop and just reduced their intensity a touch, but this looks a tough fixture for them to get things turned around.

The confidence the Leicester City players have built up and the momentum behind them will be difficult to stop this weekend and I will back the home team to keep their run going. They have needed to score at least two goals in recent wins as Leicester City have not convinced at the back and I think Brendan Rodgers will always ask his team to search for goals so I will look for Leicester City to win a game featuring two more goals.

Fantasy Star: Jamie Vardy- the England international has been in fantastic goal-scoring form under Brendan Rodgers and can keep that going through another fixture.

Alternative: James Maddison- like last week, I am picking the same two players who had a big influence in the crushing win at Huddersfield Town.


Tottenham Hotspur v Huddersfield Town Pick: There is a potential distraction for Tottenham Hotspur this weekend as they are just days away from the Champions League Quarter Final Second Leg against Manchester City. After winning the First Leg 1-0 at their new Stadium, Tottenham Hotspur have given themselves every chance of progressing to the Semi Final, but Mauricio Pochettino will be reminding his players that a return to the Champions League will be best earned with a top four finish.

They were knocked down to 4th in the Premier League table last weekend thanks to Chelsea's win over West Ham United, but Tottenham Hotspur still control their own destiny.

Winning their remaining six Premier League games would earn Tottenham Hotspur another Champions League season and they will be looking to win their third straight game at their new Stadium on Saturday. Losing Harry Kane to an injury is a blow, but Heung-Min Son can fill in as he did for the England international earlier this season.

Tottenham Hotspur also benefit from facing a Huddersfield Town team who have been struggling all season and suffered 5 League losses in a row. They have been second best in so many games and Huddersfield Town are going to find it very difficult to bridge the gap to this Spurs team who will be playing with confidence.

In the last two years Huddersfield Town have been back in the top flight they have lost all 3 games against Tottenham Hotspur. All of those defeats have come by two or more goal margins and Huddersfield Town have not scored in any of those fixtures.

Spurs have kept clean sheets in both games played in their new Stadium and I think they are capable of doing that again on Saturday in front of the television cameras. I would not be surprised if some changes are made to the starting eleven with the Champions League Quarter Final Second Leg in mind, but Tottenham Hotspur should still have too much for Huddersfield Town.

The price for Tottenham Hotspur to win this fixture with a clean sheet is much bigger than I would have anticipated and I think that is the most likely outcome of this fixture.

Fantasy Star: Heung-Min Son- Harry Kane's injury means the South Korean may take over as the striker for Tottenham Hotspur against a vulnerable Huddersfield Town defence.

Alternative: Kieran Trippier- a potential source of assists and with every chance of adding a clean sheet too.


Brighton v Bournemouth Pick: This is a huge game for Brighton if they are going to earn their place in the Premier League for another season and it has to be one they target for the three points to ease the pressure on the upcoming fixture with Cardiff City.

Home form is going to be very important for Brighton the rest of the way if they are going to avoid relegation to the Championship and they are facing Cardiff City and Newcastle United here this month.

First up is a Bournemouth team who have lost 10 of their last 11 away Premier League games and who have conceded at least twice in each of those defeats. Brighton may not be blessed with the goal threat to take advantage of those defensive vulnerabilities, but they will feel they will get chances as long as they are able to defend properly.

Brighton are not an easy team to break down, but Bournemouth have some quality players in the final third and much will depend on how much Eddie Howe has been able to motivate a squad that has looked a little disinterested in recent games. In reality Bournemouth already look safe from the drop and injuries have caught up with the squad which makes them an almost perfect opponent for those clubs looking to get out of relegation difficulties.

The record against Bournemouth in recent years does not offer a lot of confidence for Brighton backers, but their performance against Manchester City should give the players a boost. Chris Hughton will want them to go back to basics of being hard to beat and seeing if they can take advantage of any chances that come their way and I think Brighton may be able to secure a huge three points in this one.

They did beat Bournemouth in the FA Cup back in January and last season they twice led against The Cherries in an eventual draw. This time Bournemouth may be a little more vulnerable if recent performances are anything to go by and I will look for the home team to come out on top, although suggest using the Asian Handicap to get behind them.

Fantasy Star: Shane Duffy- Brighton have a Double GameWeek and Shane Duffy is a potential source of clean sheets and a threat from set pieces.

Alternative: Glenn Murray- he has been a key source of goals and faces Bournemouth and Cardiff City defences that have struggled for clean sheets.


Burnley v Cardiff City Pick: Back to back Premier League wins out of the international break has to have influenced the prices which have Burnley down as an odds on favourite to beat Cardiff City this weekend.

It is a huge game for both clubs with a win for Burnley likely securing their Premier League spot for another season, while a win for Cardiff City will keep them in touch with the teams above them. It would also give them some momentum to take into the relegation six pointer against Brighton on Tuesday, but the pressure is on Neil Warnock's side with games running out.

A defeat, with that in mind, could be a huge blow to them especially with Brighton and Southampton both playing at home this weekend and potentially increasing the gap between themselves and Cardiff City. That is a pressure the players will have to deal with on Saturday, but the Cardiff City performances have remained full of grit if not the quality they may need to survive.

Even with the wins Burnley have had in the last couple of weeks it is hard to believe in them as an odds on shot to beat any team in the Premier League. They are a team that will be matched for work ethic by Cardiff City and Burnley are not keeping many clean sheets which should be a reason for encouragement for the visitors.

Burnley have been creating chances and scoring goals though and I think that is going to help contribute to a game featuring three or more goals shared out. Cardiff City will have to take risks and both teams have scored in 5 of the last 7 Burnley home games.

Earlier this season these two teams shared out three goals and I will look for that to be the outcome of this pivotal Premier League game.

Fantasy Star: Dwight McNeil- the youngster has continued to thrive for Burnley and could be the key to their success in this fixture.

Alternative: Victor Camarasa- playing twice this week and has scored in two of the last three for Cardiff City. Potential free kick and penalty taker for his team too.


Fulham v Everton Pick: It is very difficult to imagine any team going on the kind of losing runs both Fulham and Huddersfield Town have had in the Premier League, but both have looked a long way short of the quality needed at this level.

Scott Parker has not been able to reverse the Fulham slide as they were beaten 4-1 at Watford a little under two weeks ago to fall to a 9th defeat in a row in the Premier League. They have lost their last 4 at home and it is very hard to win games when you have conceded at least twice in 7 straight at Craven Cottage in all competitions.

Even with the poor numbers in front of me, I can't be backing Everton at such a short price to win here. While they are in good form and the more likely winners, Everton will not have it easy here and I think the layers have priced them up as near to a sure thing at only a few ticks higher than than the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea who have won at Craven Cottage in the last couple of months.

Everton have won 3 in a row though and they have not conceded in that run, although that may have more to do with good fortune than great defending. I can see a way where Fulham play their part here considering their best performances have come at home, but ultimately I can't really see past an Everton win despite my reservations about their short price.

I think Everton will likely need to match the last 7 teams who have played on this ground and score at least twice if they are going to win this fixture. 6 of those teams have gone on to win the game and backing Everton to win a game featuring two or more goals at odds against looks a much more interesting angle than backing the visitors at short odds on.

Fantasy Star: Gylfi Sigurdsson- should have scored last week and has been the key cog in the middle of the park for Everton.

Alternative: Ryan Babel- the former Liverpool man would love to get one over their Merseyside rivals. Has been the main threat for Fulham in recent weeks.


Southampton v Wolves Pick: There is still much for Wolves to play for over the last six Premier League games, but the manager is going to have to work some of his charm to extract performances from them after the manner in which they were beaten in the FA Cup Semi Final.

With eleven minutes left Wolves were in complete control of the Semi Final, but a VAR intervention in injury time allowed Watford to come back from 2-0 down and eventually win 3-2 in Extra Time.

It really will feel like an opportunity lost for Wolves who were hoping to finish 7th and potentially win the FA Cup to underline a very successful season. It can still be a success if they finish 'best of the rest' in the Premier League, but they have been inconsistent away from home and this is a tough test for them.

Southampton played well in their 1-3 loss to Liverpool last Friday and the scoreline had some gloss put on it by the late Liverpool goals. A strong performance will give the players belief they can survive in the Premier League and a win on Saturday will go a large way to securing their future in the top flight.

They will believe they can earn those three points having won 4 of 9 Premier League games here under Ralph Hasenhuttl, although Southampton remain a little unconvincing at the back. That should mean Wolves have chances to score here, although the visitors have struggled for away clean sheets.

With that in mind I am going to back both teams to score in this one- 10 of the last 11 Premier League games at St Mary's would have seen that market being a winner including 8 of 9 under the Austrian manager.

Wolves have conceded in 11 straight away Premier League games and my biggest concern is that they won't score here having failed to do that in half of their last 6 on their travels in the League. However this is a team who create chances and Southampton haven't really had much success keeping clean sheets so backing both teams to score at close to odds against quotes has to be the recommendation.

Fantasy Star: James Ward-Prowse- has scored six goals since Ralph Hasenhuttl has taken charge of Southampton and also a set piece taker.

Alternative: Raul Jimenez- if Wolves are going to bounce back from their defeat to Watford in the FA Cup Semi Final, Raul Jimenez is going to have to be key for them.


Manchester United v West Ham United Pick: Manchester United have already climbed out of bigger holes than the one they face in the Champions League Quarter Final against Barcelona, but the club cannot afford to be looking ahead to the Second Leg and take West Ham United for granted.

Ultimately the best route back into the Champions League for next season is with a top four finish in the Premier League and they have to take advantage of facing a West Ham United team who have looked like they might be thinking about their holidays already.

3 losses from the last 4 League games and all by the same 2-0 scoreline is a concern for Manuel Pellegrini, but the squad looks like one that is going to be facing another upheaval in the summer. Players will know that and the feeling is that the West Ham United squad are perhaps not playing at the intensity they need to win Premier League games.

They were better in the second half last Monday at Stamford Bridge and there is still some real quality in the final third with Marko Arnautovic, Felipe Anderson and Manuel Lanzini capable of causing problems. Both Manchester United starting fullbacks are going to be missing on Saturday and the midfield lacks bodies with the tough Barcelona fixture in the legs and I do think that is going to be an issue for the home team.

Manchester United have not been in great form either with 4 losses in their last 5 games in all competitions and they have kept 2 clean sheets in 10 games played at Old Trafford under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. One of those came against Championship Reading in the FA Cup Third Round and the defensive issues could be magnified with two of the starting back four out of this fixture.

I do think West Ham United will take advantage, but I still believe Manchester United will find a way to win a game against a team who might not be fully committed to the cause. Defensively West Ham United have really struggled away from home so it would be a huge surprise if they can keep Manchester United contained in this one, especially as both Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard should have plenty to offer after starting as substitutes on Wednesday.

Before last season, 5 of the previous 6 games between these clubs at Old Trafford had ended with both teams scoring and I think that will be the case on Saturday. I think Manchester United will edge it, but recent results between these clubs have been mixed and even at Old Trafford Manchester United have not dominated West Ham United.

A Manchester United win in which both teams score appealed, but I will keep it simple and just recommend the latter situation in itself.

Fantasy Star: Anthony Martial- has been in good recent form for Manchester United and did not start the defeat against Barcelona.

Alternative: Manuel Lanzini- if West Ham United are going to crack their run without a goal, Manuel Lanzini can be the key playmaker to unlock a makeshift Manchester United defence.


Crystal Palace v Manchester City Pick: Chasing multiple trophies is very difficult even for the top clubs as they have to manage minutes and the managers are always under pressure to get the big decisions right.

A defeat at the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the Champions League Quarter Final First Leg has put Manchester City in a precarious position, but Pep Guardiola felt his team were the stronger one on the day. An early penalty miss was the key and Sergio Aguero may not get to start this fixture with the Second Leg against Tottenham Hotspur to come, but Manchester City can't take liberties with Crystal Palace.

Wins over Huddersfield Town and Newcastle United since the last international break has moved Crystal Palace up to 12th in the Premier League table and now they have nothing to lose. With the pressure off, Crystal Palace have some talented players who can make the difference in the final third and this is going to be a real test of Manchester City's mettle as they look to move above Liverpool in the League table for a couple of hours at least.

A home loss to Crystal Palace and a goalless draw here last season (when Luka Milivojevic missed a penalty) should keep the Manchester City players respectful of the opponent they face. I also think that will help them to make sure they knuckle down and produce a battling performance and I do think they have shown powers of recovery from losses which will see them bounce back here.

It is going to be anything but easy and Manchester City have not been blowing teams away so a big win would be a surprise. Ultimately I think Manchester City will do just enough to edge to the three points against a Crystal Palace team missing James Tomkins and Mamadou Sakho at the heart of the defence.

Manchester City have been playing well defensively, although I expect that to be tested by Wilfried Zaha, Michy Batshuayi and Andros Townsend. The home team may score, but I think Manchester City will find a way to win.

The handicap is on the money and I was tempted by backing Crystal Palace with the start as I recommended with Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League Quarter Final. However my overriding feeling is that Manchester City will find a way to win and I will dutch them to win by one or two goal margins which prices up at just under an odds against return.

Fantasy Star: Sergio Aguero- missed an early penalty in the Champions League defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, but can bounce back for Manchester City.

Alternative: Aymeric Laporte- key figure in the heart of the Manchester City defence and will need to be at his best to repel the strong Crystal Palace attacks.


Liverpool v Chelsea Pick: It is almost five years to the day when Jose Mourinho brought his Chelsea team to Anfield and upset a Liverpool team chasing their first English League title since 1990. Now Maurizio Sarri will be trying to do the same with this fixture coming at another pivotal time of the season with Liverpool trying to edge out Manchester City in the Premier League title race.

The fixture is no less important to Chelsea who will feel a win at Anfield will go a long way to securing their place in the top four of the Premier League and a return to the Champions League. Some have suggested the Europa League is the priority, but the team selected for the First Leg of the Quarter Final on Thursday shows Sarri is still very keen on a strong Premier League finish.

A strong recent record at Anfield will encourage Chelsea who are unbeaten in 8 visits to this ground including in their last 6 in the Premier League. They came from behind to beat Liverpool in the League Cup earlier this season and Chelsea will be looking to take advantage of any nerves that may have set in around Anfield especially if Manchester City have beaten Crystal Palace earlier in the day.

You can't ignore the fact that Chelsea have not been as strong away from home as they would have liked to be, but the team is playing with confidence and have players in the final third who could cause big problems for their hosts.

In saying that I expect Liverpool to create chances against a Chelsea defence that has been far from secure on their travels. With Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino all amongst the goals I find it difficult to imagine Liverpool don't hit the back of the net in this one and 10 of the last 12 between these clubs have ended with both teams scoring.

That includes both games played this season and the last 6 at Anfield since the 0-2 win for Chelsea in April 2014 which has been seen as the moment Liverpool lost their grip on the Premier League title under Brendan Rodgers.

Before the win over Porto, Liverpool had played 5 games in a row in all competitions where both teams have scored. I think Chelsea are playing well enough to find the net at least once here against what could be a nervy host and I will recommend looking for both teams to hit the net in this one.

Fantasy Star: Mohamed Salah- can ram the taunts back down the throats of those small minded Chelsea fans caught singing negative songs about the Egyptian prior to the game in Prague on Thursday.

Alternative: Eden Hazard- if Chelsea are going to derail the Liverpool title push, Eden Hazard is going to be integral to it.


Watford v Arsenal Pick: There are a couple of factors around this Premier League game that makes it difficult to get a read on.

First is how are the Watford players going to react to their stunning comeback win over Wolves in the FA Cup Semi Final? With the Cup Final a little over a month away, Javi Gracia has to get the players back on the ground after the high of last Sunday and get them focusing on trying to finish the League campaign with strength and a potential top seven spot in the standings.

The second factor has to be the scheduling spot for Arsenal who play this League game between their Europa League Quarter Final Legs against Napoli. A 2-0 win over the Italian club at home has given Arsenal a real chance of reaching the Semi Final, but poor away form should mean Unai Emery will know that tie is far from over and so there could be some changes for this League fixture.

It is an important one for Arsenal who are trying to return to the Champions League and they are chasing a top four berth in the Premier League. However the away form in the Premier League has been far from encouraging and I do think this is a fixture that will motivate Watford.

Four of the current top six have won at Vicarage Road already, but Tottenham Hotspur were beaten and Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea were given scares. That shows this Watford team are capable of competing against the better teams in the League, although they have not been convincing defensively which has to be a worry against an Arsenal team that can be very good in the final third when at their best.

Unfortunately for The Gunners they have not really been able to produce their best consistently away from the Emirates Stadium and I think Watford can be chanced with a start on the Asian Handicap. Watford have won 4 in a row at home so should be playing with belief and they have had a few days to recover from the emotions of winning the FA Cup Semi Final as they did.

The home team can be backed with a start on the Asian Handicap and I think that is the play here.

Fantasy Star: Troy Deeney- seems to be up for playing Arsenal and has a good record against them.

Alternative: Aaron Ramsey- potentially rested with the Europa League Quarter Final Second Leg to come in Naples on Thursday. However has been in great form for Arsenal with plenty of recent goals scored.

Fantasy Football

A full round of Premier League games are going to be played from Friday through to Monday and that means plenty more options to get through than GW33. There are some big games to come and below you can see my top potential selections to bring in this weekend.

Goalkeeper 4.8 Million and Above

Hugo Lloris (Tottenham Hotspur- 5.4 Million): Was a vital part of Tottenham Hotspur's win over Manchester City on Tuesday in the Champions League after saving an early penalty. Hosting goal-shy Huddersfield Town and Tottenham Hotspur have back to back clean sheets here.

Jordan Pickford (Everton- 4.9 Million): Negative headlines did not affect Jordan Pickford in keeping a clean sheet against Arsenal last week. Tough away game at Fulham to come, but Pickford could be a cheaper option to bring in for funds elsewhere.

Goalkeeper 4.7 Million and Below

Nathan Etheridge (Cardiff City- 4.7 Million): Two games against Burnley and Brighton and the potential for at least one clean sheet.

Mat Ryan (Brighton- 4.4 Million): Two home games to be played against Bournemouth and Cardiff City during GW34.

Defender 5.1 Million and Above

Kieran Trippier (Tottenham Hotspur- 6 Million): A potential assist maker and every chance of a clean sheet this week for a player who is not being pushed in his position with Serge Aurier injured.

Ricardo Pereira (Leicester City- 5.4 Million): Can create chances with licence to get forward. A lack of clean sheets is a concern, but a home game against Newcastle United does offer a chance for one.

Defender 5 Million and Below

Kurt Zouma (Everton- 5 Million): Has made a big impact for Marco Silva and offers a goal threat.

Shane Duffy (Brighton- 4.8 Million): A popular choice this week considering Brighton play twice at the Amex Stadium and another who can be a real goal-threat from set pieces.

Jan Bednarek (Southampton- 4 Million): Wolves have not scored in two of their last four away Premier League games and Jan Bednarek is a cheap option to get into the Southampton defence.

Midfielder 7.1 Million and Above

Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City- 9.7 Million): Was surprisingly not used in the Champions League defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, but should be back for Manchester City in the League. Has been creating plenty of chances and back amongst the goals in the win over Cardiff City.

Heung-Min Son (Tottenham Hotspur- 8.7 Million): Was a huge influence when Harry Kane was injured earlier this season and Heung-Min Son has been a popular choice for GameWeek 34.

Anthony Martial (Manchester United- 7.2 Million): Didn't play against Barcelona as a starter and has been in good form in the Premier League.

Midfielder 7 Million and Below

Manuel Lanzini (West Ham United- 6.4 Million): With Manchester United's defence and midfield depleted, Manuel Lanzini could be the key figure if West Ham United are going to score at Old Trafford.

Youri Tielemans (Leicester City- 6.1 Million): Much cheaper alternative to James Maddison and Jamie Vardy and has been in good goal-scoring and assist-making form.

Victor Camarasa (Cardiff City- 4.5 Million): Has scored in two of Cardiff City's last three games and could be a key for them if they are going to upset Burnley and/or Brighton. Two games this week is a bonus.

Forward 6.4 Million and Above

Sergio Aguero (Manchester City- 11.7 Million): Missed a penalty on Tuesday and could potentially be rested for this fixture. However I expect Sergio Aguero to not only start, but bounce back from his personal disappointment.

Romelu Lukaku (Manchester United- 10.8 Million): Will he start? I think the Belgian does and has a very good recent record for Manchester United and has had a lot of success against West Ham United in his career.

Jamie Vardy (Leicester City- 9.2 Million): Another popular choice and someone I have been highlighting for the last month who has continued his hot scoring form.

Forward 6.3 Million and Below

Glenn Murray (Brighton- 6.3 Million): Is playing twice this week and Brighton are playing two weak defences which should give Murray a chance to make hay.

Ashley Barnes (Burnley- 5.7 Million): Did score an own goal last weekend, but made up for it by scoring his sixth goal in ten League games for Burnley.

MY PICKS: Leicester City & Over 1.5 Goals @ 2.00 Ladbrokes
Tottenham Hotspur Win to Nil @ 2.00 Bet Victor
Brighton - 0.25 Asian Handicap @ 1.95 Bet365
Burnley-Cardiff City Over 2.5 Goals @ 2.15 Betfair Sportsbook
Everton & Over 1.5 Goals @ 2.05 Ladbrokes
Southampton-Wolves Both Teams to Score @ 2.00 William Hill
Manchester United-West Ham United Both Teams to Score @ 1.72 Bet Fred
Manchester City to Win by One or Two Goals @ 1.94 Sky Bet
Liverpool-Chelsea Both Teams To Score @ 1.80 Bet365
Watford + 0.5 Asian Handicap @ 1.76 Bet Victor