Premier League Darts Night 11 Picks 2026 (Thursday 16th April)

Just six weeks remain in the Premier League Darts before we enter the Play Offs at the end of May and the pressure is building on those hoping to take part.

Night 10 was a week of upsets and a third Nightly win for Jonny Clayton should be enough for the current Premier League leader to feel pretty confident he will be one of the final four standing.

Luke Littler and Gerwyn Price both failed to add to the points already achieved, but at 21 and 19 points respectively, they probably need to avoid Quarter Final defeats in half of the next six weeks and that should be enough to progress to the Semi Final. They are due to face off on Night 10 in Rotterdam, but there will be no sense of panic as far as the player losing a second consecutive Quarter Final is concerned.

It was a strong week in Brighton for Michael van Gerwen, although he will be disappointed he was not able to close out the Nightly win having moved into a dominant position in the Final against Clayton. Three more points keeps him in 4th place though and van Gerwen is now 4 points clear of Gian van Veen in 5th place which means the pressure is certainly building on those hoping to chase a Play Off spot.

One of those now beginning to look like he is in a desperate position is the defending Champion.

Luke Humphries has not played poorly, but he has lost far too many matches he should have won and 11 points means he has a lot of work to do over the next few weeks- it has been a really poor campaign in terms of results with only one Final reached and Humphries having been beaten in his opening match in half of the Nights played, including on each of the last three weeks.

While not quite in 'must win' mode, Luke Humphries has to dig in being on the tougher half of the draw on Night 11 nad facing Luke Littler in the Quarter Final on Night 12.

If Luke Humphries still has some hope of pushing into the top four, the same can be said for Stephen Bunting who also has 11 points on the board, but he HAS to win his Quarter Final on the weaker side of the draw in Rotterdam, even if Bunting is set to face an improving Josh Rock.

Another European Tour event will be taking place in Germany this weekend, but some of those in the Premier League were involved in Players Championship tournaments earlier this week.

Challenges of getting to these European Tour events have been frustrating for some of the British and Irish players making their way onto the continent, but that should be less problematic from Rotterdam.

The two Lukes are not attending, but a good field is getting together at the European Darts Grand Prix ahead of this weekend's action.

Before that, the latest Premier League Night will have to be played and completed.

Luke Littler to win & most 180s v Gerwyn Price: After the criticism that was hurled his way following a controversial conclusion to his defeat against Gian van Veen, Luke Littler did not look at all interested in his Quarter Final defeat to Stephen Bunting last week.

He is a young man and mistakes will be made, but the PR team that should be supporting Littler has let him down and he is likely to receive an 'interesting' response in Rotterdam on Night 11.

There are times when the crowd can dictate the Luke Littler mood, but he should be focused on this Quarter Final as he looks to maintain the current edge over Gerwyn Price.

The Welshman has been playing like the second best player in the world through 2026, but he has been a little under the weather earlier this week and that could be an issue in this match. Even at full health, Gerwyn Price has found a way to come up a little short when facing Luke Littler and all four Premier League defeats have been in competitive matches.

It is the Night 7 Final defeat that will particularly sting as Gerwyn Price failed to convert a 5-0 lead in a race to six Legs, but he will be happy with his overall form in 2026.

However, if Price is not yet fully recovered, he could come up a touch short again and Luke Littler's power scoring has seen him complete this Match Double in all four Premier League wins over The Ice Man.

Luke Humphries to win & most 180s v Gian van Veen: Dropping down to 7th place in the Premier League standings has put Luke Humphries under immense pressure to find a string of positive results over the next month.

Three Quarter Final losses in a row will have dented some of the confidence, while Luke Humphries had a couple of mixed days in Players Championship action earlier this week.

This looks a seriously tough test for the World Number 2, at least from a mental point of view, with Night 11 of the Premier League being played in Rotterdam.

Both Dutch players taking part in the Premier League will receive huge support and it is Gian van Veen going out first for this Quarter Final.

Four matches between the players in 2026 have been split with two wins apiece, while they are 1-1 in the Premier League.

However, there is a lot on the line in this Quarter Final with the two points so important to the chances of one of these players to start getting closer to the top four positions.

Gian van Veen did get to the Final of a Premier League Night a couple of weeks ago, but his overall recent form has not been the best and that has to give Luke Humphries a huge amount of encouragement. The World Number 2 remains the bigger maximum hitter and he will need to find some early rhythm in this one to make sure he earns enough opportunities at the doubles to find a way into the Semi Final.

The home fans may not be best pleased by the result in this Quarter Final, but they may have more to celebrate soon afterwards.

Michael van Gerwen to win & both players over 1.5 180s v Jonny Clayton: He may still be wondering how he was beaten in the Night 10 Final, but the three points earned has put Michael van Gerwen in a strong position in the standings.

More work has yet to be done if the Dutchman is going to return to the Play Offs, but he can snap this losing run against Jonny Clayton.

Credit has to be given to the new Premier League leader for a third Nightly win and the battling display from Jonny Clayton to recover from 2-5 behind to win the Final can only give him further confidence. There has been little wrong with the level of performance produced so far in 2026 and Clayton continues to hit plenty of maximums and show strong doubling when it really matters.

Ending a run of early losses will have been a boost for Clayton, but Michael van Gerwen can use the home crowd to continue picking off the points.

Jonny Clayton put a few wins together across a couple of Players Championship tournaments earlier in the week, but Michael van Gerwen will have been preparing for Rotterdam and can edge past the League leader in what should be another quality Quarter Final.

Josh Rock most 180s v Stephen Bunting: Winning Premier League matches three weeks in a row means Josh Rock has closed on 7th placed Luke Humphries, but he has not been able to string the wins together in each of those Nights.

He has long known that he likely needs to win at least three Premier League Nights if he is going to have any hope of making the final four, but the positive for Josh Rock is that fans are seeing the kind of level he can produce.

The averages are improving, but most notable is the maximum hitting which had deserted Rock earlier this season.

He goes into this Quarter Final as the favourite to progress, but Stephen Bunting will haveb something to say about that having put together a better overall Premier League record compared with last year. There is still a real hope for Bunting fans that their man can reach the Semi Final at the end of May, but he is another who just needs to find some consistency and especially having landed in the 'weaker' half of the draw on Night 11.

Stephen Bunting may win, but Josh Rock's recent maximum hitting has been very improving all of the time- despite playing fewer matches than this opponent, Josh Rock has been peppering the treble 20 bed and now has just one fewer maximum than Stephen Bunting.

All of the pressure is on Bunting and that may allow Josh Rock to continue to show the fans what he is all about and why he was selected for the Premier League in the first place.

MY PICKS: Luke Littler to Win & Most 180s @ 2.60 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Luke Humphries to Win & Most 180s @ 2.75 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Michael van Gerwen to Win & Both Players Over 1.5 180s @ 2.87 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Josh Rock Most Maximums @ 2.10 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Darts 2026: 47-68, - 12.83 Units (112 Units Staked, - 11.46% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2026 (Thursday 16th April)

There may have been plenty of matches scheduled on Wednesday, but enough doubt around the majority of them meant a single selection was made.

Rafael Jodar came through some tough moments to earn his straight sets win over Camilo Ugo Carabelli for the second time in this clay court season and Carlos Alcaraz withdrawing from the Barcelona tournament means all eyes will be on the other young Spaniard who is now beginning to make headlines.

He will have to wait until Friday before the Quarter Final matches begin, but Thursday is all about completing the Second Round matches across the various tournaments being played this week.

Once again a number of matches have come close to being selected, but ultimately have not quite convinced enough and that means going with two selections from the ATP Munich event.

Francisco Cerundolo - 3.5 games v Botic van de Zandschlup: The move into the clay court season means there is limited samples of how players are performing, but some are more comfortable on the red dirt compared with others.

The World Number 19 Francisco Cerundolo is one of the more comfortable clay courters and tends to take in the South American Golden Swing in between the Australian Open and the big hard court events in North America in March. That was the case again in 2026 and Cerundolo does win plenty of matches on the clay, which is a solid reason behind his overall World Ranking mark.

A title has been won on the surface earlier this year, but Francisco Cerundolo suffered a relatively early loss in the opening tournament played on the European clay courts.

A comfortable win in the First Round against a Lucky Loser has taken Francisco Cerundolo through to this Round and he is the right favourite in this match.

You have to have respect for the early clay court form shown by Botic van de Zandschlup who reached the Semi Final in Budapest and who has another win under his belt here in Munich. However, it should also be noted that the 30 year old has yet to face anyone Ranked higher than World Number 60 on the surface and his numbers in recent years suggest the current level is unlikely to be sustained through the two big Masters events coming up before the French Open.

This is a player that has been pretty reliant on his serve, but that cannot be the case on the clay courts and that is where Francisco Cerundolo should have the edge.

He has won the two previous meetings between the players and both on the hard courts in 2025.

Francisco Cerundolo did not drop a set in either of those two matches and his confidence on the red dirt should make sure he is in a position to move into the Quarter Final behind another strong win against this opponent.

Alexander Zverev - 4.5 games v Gabriel Diallo: The most consistent Grand Slam success produced by Alexander Zverev has been at the French Open and he was leading Carlos Alcaraz in the Final of that Slam two years ago before eventually being beaten in five sets.

There is no doubt that Alexander Zverev will be heading to Paris as one of the favourites, although at the same time most would have Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner significantly shorter prices in the outright markets.

Yet another defeat to the new World Number 1 at the Monte Carlo Masters underlines the challenges that face Alexander Zverev when it comes to finally winning a Grand Slam. The feeling remains that the window has closed barring unexpected defeats for the top two players in the world, but Zverev cannot think like that and the Semi Final run in Monte Carlo is a reminder of his qualities.

Alexander Zverev is expected to have too much for Gabriel Diallo in this Second Round contest in Munich, especially as the World Number 37 has had limited success on the surface.

He took advantage of a Lucky Loser spot to enter the main draw at the Madrid Masters in 2025 and Gabriel Diallo reached the Quarter Final at that ATP 1000 event. However, Diallo will have to accept that he was given a pretty kind draw and the Canadian was just 3-5 on the clay court outside of that run in Madrid.

Opening defeats in Bucharest and Monte Carlo will have done little for the confidence and Gabriel Diallo beat a Qualifier Ranked outside the top 200 in the First Round here in Munich.

Suffice to say that this Second Round match is a significant step upwards and Gabriel Diallo was well beaten by Alexander Zverev at the Australian Open back in January. That was a First Round match played on a surface that would suit Diallo more than the clay courts here in Munich and it may be a tough ask to stick with the top Seed in this ATP 500 tournament.

MY PICKS: Francisco Cerundolo - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Alexander Zverev - 4.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 1-0, + 0.91 Units (1 Unit Staked, + 91% Yield)

Boxing Picks 2022- Errol Spence Jr vs Yordenis Ugas (April 16th)

The strong start to April produced fireworks last week and there are some quality looking Boxing fights to look forward to this weekend too.

Unsurprisingly the headlines are being led by the big Unification in the Welterweight Division as we hope to move a little closer to an Undisputed bout later this year. Terence Crawford is the man waiting for the winner of the Errol Spence Jr-Yordenis Ugas after this weekend, but this is a good fight and I am looking forward to it now a UK broadcaster has finally decided to pick up the television rights.

Before we get to the main even in the United States, there are a couple of cards being run on DAZN and Sky Sports that may be of interest. Conor Benn is back as he continues his development towards a World Title shot, although I am not surprised there has been criticism of the opponent selected after Benn's promoter had thrown out some big names in the Welterweight Division.

Another tournament run by Boxxer is also set to be broadcasted and then next week the build will be towards the all British WBC World Heavyweight title bout that will be coming from Wembley Stadium.

Conor Benn vs Chris van Heerden

A promoter has to bluff the public where they can, but I am not taking Eddie Hearn's comments seriously when he suggests this is a major step up for Conor Benn.

After speaking about the likes of Adrien Broner as a potential opponent, Hearn cannot be surprised that some people were upset with the choice he made. Eddie Hearn is right to say that no one spoke up when Jaron Ennis faced Chris van Heerden in December 2020, but that fight ended in a No Contest and it means the South African has had less than a Round of Boxing in just four months shy of three years.

Chris van Heerden has also managed to go Eight Rounds with Errol Spence Jr, but again that bout took place in September 2015 and in recent years you can only describe the South African as inactive and potentially very ring rusty.

Even in the short time he spent in the ring with Jaron Ennis, you could see that van Heerden was getting beat up and I think the highly touted Philadelphian would have gotten the job done pretty quickly.

Conor Benn may be the on that benefits from taking this scalp and add Chris van Heerden to a growing list of veterans that he has been seeing off. Some critics remain unconvinced about Conor Benn and I do think the British fighter is in a very tough Division, but Eddie Hearn is likely going to position him to win a World Title after the Welterweights have an Undisputed Champion or Errol Spence Jr moves up.

The son of Nigel Benn has called out some big names, but he cannot afford a slip up here.

And I honestly don't see how he does.

Chris van Heerden was looking on his way to an early defeat to Jaron Ennis and I think Conor Benn is going to jump all over the southpaw from the off. The South African has said he has come to fight, but that may play right into Conor Benn's hands and I think he will get rid of another veteran within the first half of the fight as he did against Samuel Vargas and Chris Algieri.

Bigger tests are hopefully around the corner, but I expect to hear a lot of statements about Benn's potential having beaten this opponent quicker than Errol Spence Jr in the aftermath of this fight.

The main undercard bout is a rematch of a very good fight from the Matchroom garden last summer when Chris Billam-Smith and Tommy McCarthy meet again.

There was some controversy about the result with some believing McCarthy had done enough to win, but the Split Decision was given to Billam-Smith, who did have a stronger second half of the fight.

Chris Billam-Smith has had another defence of his European Cruiserweight Title since the narrow win over Tommy McCarthy, while the latter has not been seen since the loss to The Gentleman. That may mean he is more ready to go again in this rematch and I am expecting a repeat here and by a slightly wider margin than we saw the first time around.

Errol Spence Jr vs Yordenis Ugas

This is a proper Boxing fight.

Unification fights usually are, but Errol Spence Jr and Yordenis Ugas are two of the top three Welterweights in the world and the hope is that the winner will head off and face Terence Crawford to crown the king of the 147 pound Division.

Injuries have been an issue for Errol Spence Jr in the last couple of years- however, I do think the Texan has shown he can bounce back and produce big performances off a long absence from the ring and my feeling is that Yordenis Ugas is made for Spence Jr.

A big win over Manny Pacquiao and recovering from his Split Decision loss to Shawn Porter will have encouraged Yordenis Ugas, but this is a step up from those opponents. We all know that Pacquiao is a legend, but he is clearly not the same Boxer that he was in his prime and Errol Spence Jr likely would have put it on him if he had had the opportunity to fight him last summer instead of Ugas.

Yordenis Ugas is a quality operator, but I do think Errol Spence Jr does everything a little better than his opponent and the majority will be looking for the American to come through on the cards.

However, I do think Spence Jr is going to want to put on a show for the fans and I do still think there is a fighter inside him that wants to get back to producing stoppages. His last three fights have gone the distance, but the body work could pay off against an opponent that has never been stopped, although Yordenis Ugas has been beaten four times.

Something has had me leaning towards Errol Spence Jr looking to push on more than he has in recent bouts and I think it is worth having a small interest on a late stoppage for the Texan. He should be in a clear position on the cards by then and Yordenis Ugas may just be struggling to keep up with a top fighter, which could lead to mistakes and the punching power of Errol Spence Jr coming through.

There are a couple of decent bouts on the undercard when the live portion of the big Title fight in Dallas begins to be broadcasted.

After pushing Gervonta Davis all the way, Isaac Cruz can put a statement win on the board by becoming the latest to stop Yuriolkis Gamboa in the second half of their Ten Rounder.

Another undercard bout features veteran Josesito Lopez taking on unbeaten Cody Crowley.

A strong win last time out has seen Crowley step his career up, but I do think he will be put under a different sort of pressure from Josesito Lopez in this one. While it is not ideal for a 38 year old to be out of the ring for as long as Lopez has been, I do think there is still something in the tank and he is going to give Cody Crowley a big test.

Winning won't be easy, but the veteran is a big underdog and I think he is worth a small interest.

MY PICKS: Conor Benn to Win Between 1-6 @ 2.10 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Chris Billam-Smith to Win by Decision/Technical Decision @ 2.37 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Errol Spence Jr to Win Between 7-12 @ 5.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Isaac Cruz to Win Between 6-10 @ 2.37 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Josesito Lopez to Win @ 4.50 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Boxing 2022: 3-2, + 6.24 Units (10 Units Staked, + 62.40% Yield)

Monte Carlo Masters Tennis Picks 2022 (April 16th)

A late surge from Stefanos Tsitsipas helped produce a winning day for the Tennis Picks having gone 2-1 on Quarter Final day.

None of the players have a lot of time to prepare for their next matches with the Semi Final at the Monte Carlo Masters to be played on Saturday and you can read my selections below.

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina - 1.5 games v Grigor Dimitrov: Three sets were needed by all four players that won their Quarter Final matches at the Monte Carlo Masters, but Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Grigor Dimitrov spent a similar amount of time on the court.

The two players have had strong events and I expect they will privately be very confident in reaching the Final of the first Masters to be played on the clay courts in 2022. Both have beaten two top 14 Ranked opponents in their run through to the Semi Final and that is going to give Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Grigor Dimitrov plenty of confidence when they step onto the court.

Overall it has been a stronger week for the Spaniard, but Grigor Dimitrov has been in fine form on the red dirt and his run has perhaps been more unexpected of the two players. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina has not really threatened to perform to this level on the clay courts in Masters events, but he had a strong run at the French Open and the returning performances have been impressive to spark this successful tournament.

It is a tough task in front of him in this one though considering how well Grigor Dimitrov has been serving throughout the tournament. The Bulgarian is holding 95% of his service games and his last three matches, which have been completed on the court, have seen Grigor Dimitrov allow a maximum of four break point opportunities in each match.

Much is going to depend on whether Davidovich Fokina can get into the returning games as well as he has throughout the Monte Carlo Masters. It will be a real test for the Spaniard, but his level this week coupled with his overall twelve month numbers suggest his level may be a little more sustainable than the Dimitrov serving numbers on this surface.

In saying that, you have to respect how well Dimitrov has been serving and he is has backed up his game with some solid returning efforts too. It makes him a dangerous player, one who can be very tough to beat when his confidence is in the place it is likely to be in right now, but Alejandro Davidovich Fokina is playing really well too and I do think he has the superior return which ends up proving to be the difference on the day.

When these two met in Rome last year, both have solid serving numbers, but it was Alejandro Davidovich Fokina managed to protect his serve with the slightly stronger percentage of points won behind that shot. He did have to fend off more break points than Grigor Dimitrov that day, and I think this is likely to be a close match with very little between them too.

The feeling is that Grigor Dimitrov may not have the same kind of success on the return as Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and I do think that the latter will find a way to edge to another victory over this opponent. It will likely be a tight, competitive match, but the superior returning of the Spaniard may seal the deal in the tough moments as long as he is not as wasteful as he was in the big points in this Quarter Final win.

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 1.5 games v Alexander Zverev: It can be very difficult to recover from the tough, emotional victories that underline the progress through to the Semi Final, but both Alexander Zverev and Stefanos Tsitsipas are in a similar boat.

Alexander Zverev won his match against Jannik Sinner in over three hours and was pushed very hard in the final set when it looked like he might have broken the back of the match, Winning a tie-breaker to secure his place in the Semi Final means plenty of emotional and physical efforts were used on Friday and it will be far from easy for Alexander Zverev to prepare for this Semi Final match.

However, he played in the match prior to Stefanos Tsitsipas who also needed close to three hours to win his Quarter Final. The Greek player was the first to admit that he should have won in straight sets when being broken at 5-3 ahead of Diego Sebastian Schwartzman, but Stefanos Tsitsipas also showed off his character to roll through six games in a row in the final set decider having fallen 0-4 behind.

Both players will have a difficult time preparing for this Semi Final having put in as much as they did to earn a spot in the final four. The lack of time makes it more difficult, but Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev are very familiar with one another, while the former is also the defending Champion in Monte Carlo and arguably the favourite to win the tournament again.

The performances in the tournament so far shows there is not much between them- Stefanos Tsitsipas has been the superior server, but Alexander Zverev has been slightly stronger when it comes to the returning numbers. It certainly makes for another potentially very tight match and I think it will come down to the small margins.

Stefanos Tsitsipas does have the edge with the head to head lead and he has won six of the nine matches between these players overall. Both previous clay court matches have been won by the Greek player too and those two wins have seen Stefanos Tsitsipas hold 89% of his service games played compared with Alexander Zverev's mark of 79% mark.

You do have to respect how well Alexander Zverev has been returning this week as he looks to put a more significant dent into the Tsitsipas service games, but I do think he has shown some vulnerability on his own serve.

A late finish in Monte Carlo is far from ideal for Stefanos Tsitsipas, but Alexander Zverev had an incredibly tough Quarter Final too and I do think the defending Champion may be able to manage himself well enough to win this match. The margins have been tight in the two previous wins Stefanos Tsitsipas has had over Alexander Zverev on the clay, but he has had a strong enough edge to believe he can back that up here.

Two quality players should produce a quality match, but I am looking for Stefanos Tsitsipas to do enough to win the Semi Final.

MY PICKS: Alejandro Davidovich Fokina - 1.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 1.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Monte Carlo Update: 11-12, - 3.80 Units (46 Units Staked, - 8.26% Yield)

Monte Carlo Tennis Day 7 Picks 2021 (April 16th)

If you wanted to know why this week has largely been one in which I am adding data that could be beneficial in the tournaments coming up, Novak Djokovic's upset loss to Daniel Evans underlined the feeling that some of the top players could find it tough to begin at a level expected of them.

Day 6 was a difficult one for the Tennis Picks, although what can you do when your selection wins more points than his opponent but is beaten in straight sets? Simply put, that won't happen too often and it added to the frustration of Cristian Garin's late set collapses in his own straight sets defeat to Stefanos Tsitsipas, although that one was much more deserving than Alexander Zverev's defeat to David Goffin.

I am not going to be too concerned about the results this week, although I do demand a lot better from myself.

Big events will continue to be played in the lead up to the French Open and I do think the goal to be in a positive spot going into the second Grand Slam of the season is achievable.

On Friday we are down to the Quarter Final matches in Monte Carlo and you can see my thoughts below.

Daniel Evans vs David Goffin is an interesting match that is well worth keeping tabs on- the former had the huge win over Novak Djokovic while the latter was very lucky to win his match with Alexander Zverev and I think you could make a case for both Evans and Goffin in this Quarter Final. My lean is towards Evans, but backing up a win like the one he had on Thursday is never easy, while the British player has never been at his most comfortable on the clay courts.

On the other hand David Goffin has been a solid clay court player in the past, but he wasn't at his best on Thursday and looks a short priced favourite. The loss in the sole professional match against Daniel Evans is also something to consider, albeit a match played on the hard courts, and this is a Quarter Final that will give us some information that could be important to use in the tournaments to be played the rest of the clay court season.

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 4.5 games v Alejandro Davidovich Fokina: There is no doubt that Stefanos Tsitsipas is a solid clay court player and before the Semi Final run at the Australian Open it was the French Open where the Greek player had won the most Grand Slam matches. He is also a former Semi Finalist at the Rome Masters and a Finalist at the Madrid Masters and Stefanos Tsitsipas is enjoying his best run in Monte Carlo having lost in the Second Round and Third Round in previous appearances here.

In saying all that I did think a clay court specialist like Cristian Garin could ask questions of Tsitsipas and push him when they met in the Third Round.

Instead of that, Stefanos Tsitsipas was a very comfortable and deserving winner on the day with a solid serve and strong returning being too consistent for the Chilean to deal with. It was a windy day in Monaco, but the Greek player handled the conditions pretty well and I think that will set him up to do the same when facing Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the Quarter Final in what looks like being another potentially blustery day.

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina is a solid clay courter, but not an outstanding one. He would have been a player comfortable when on this surface and his three wins this week have looked pretty good on paper, although Alex De Minaur is not really a strong player on the red dirt and both Matteo Berrettini and Lucas Pouille have been dealing with injuries that makes their names more valuable than their current standing.

Credit has to be given to the Spaniard for coming through those matches and all in straight sets, but Davidovich Fokina will know this Quarter Final is a big step up for him. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina was beaten really comfortably in Marbella in the Second Round last week and he looks to be operating at a level this season which is going to be hard for him to maintain if his previous years on the clay courts are anything to go by.

Of course players can improve, but Davidovich Fokina is someone who has regularly struggled to take care of his serve on the clay courts and the 81% of service games he has held in his small sample of clay court matches in 2021 is considerably higher than the usual low 70's percentage mark. At 21 years old perhaps the Spaniard is coming into his own on the main ATP Tour and I do think Stefanos Tsitsipas can ill-afford to look beyond this match.

The return is a key part of the Davidovich Fokina game, although it is hard to know how much joy he is going to get from Stefanos Tsitsipas' serving level. The top ten Ranked player does have a big serve which will mean he is in control of rallies on the slower surface  and Stefanos Tsitsipas has also been returning well enough against what have looked like being stronger players than the one he is facing in this Quarter Final.

There is no doubt this is a big mark if Stefanos Tsitsipas is not at his best, but he has looked focused in his two wins and I think he will be a little too strong for Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in this Quarter Final. The first set should be competitive, but if Tsitsipas can get in front he should be able to exert enough pressure to break through the World Number 58 and I think that will likely mean a cover of this number.

Casper Ruud - 1.5 games v Fabio Fognini: The biggest worry for me ahead of this Monte Carlo Quarter Final is the amount of time Casper Ruud had to spend on court to finally get the better of Pablo Carreno Busta in the Third Round. They were almost at it for three hours, but Ruud showed his very strong level on a clay court to rally and eventually deserve his place in this Quarter Final.

Unlike the Grand Slam events, Casper Ruud does not have a lot of recovery time and the biggest factor opposing him here has to be potential fatigue both physically and emotionally after coming through such an epic three setter.

The Covid-19 shutdown of the Tennis Tour twelve months ago meant the Monte Carlo Masters was one of a number of clay court tournaments that had to be cancelled in 2020. It does mean that Fabio Fognini is the defending Champion and so he will be confident he can take advantage of any fatigue being felt by Casper Ruud.

The Italian has won his three matches quite impressively this week and it is the return of serve which has really caught the eye. Fabio Fognini has needed less than ninety minutes to win each match played in Monte Carlo and he has yet to drop a set, but he will also be well aware of the kind of danger that Casper Ruud brings to the court.

In their two previous matches, Casper Ruud has completely dominated Fabio Fognini and it has seen the veteran struggle to break the serve and also seemingly under constant pressure behind his own serve. The last of those matches came in Hamburg on the clay courts in the lead up to the 2020 French Open and Casper Ruud held 88% of his service games compared with Fognini's 56% mark and it resulted in a comfortable 6-3, 6-3 win for the Norwegian player.

The September clay court events didn't really sit well with Fabio Fognini last year though and the conditions are going to be considerably different in April in Monte Carlo. However, Fognini may not really appreciate the match up against an opponent who has won 70% of the points played behind serve this week and who has faced just seven break points in total while creating twenty-one of his own.

Casper Ruud's efforts to come back and beat Pablo Carreno Busta will stand him in good stead in the future, but I do wonder how much will be in the tank for this one. However I do think the match up is not a bad one for him and at 22 years old there should be the youthful exuberance which helps Ruud get the better of the defending Champion in this Quarter Final.

Rafael Nadal - 5.5 games v Andrey Rublev: After deciding to withdraw from a couple of tournaments following his run to the Australian Open Quarter Final, Rafael Nadal is back in a big way in his favourite time of the year. The Spaniard is going to be the favourite to win the French Open yet again when it is played in May, and Nadal has looked very comfortable in his two wins in Monte Carlo during which time he has given up just five games.

Unsurprisingly he is a big favourite to move through to the Semi Final when he takes on Andrey Rublev and there are some negative factors against the Russian player despite the fact he has entrenched himself in the top 10 of the World Rankings. He had not shown a lot of consistent form on the clay courts before his time on the surface in 2020 and Rublev has won a couple of matches to earn his place in this Quarter Final.

The negative factors are clear though- first up is the fact that Rublev had to spend almost three hours on court to finally break through Roberto Bautista Agut and the second is his poor performances in the two previous losses to Rafael Nadal.

Andrey Rublev did very well to just about rally for a victory over Bautista Agut, but that Spanish player is significantly weaker than Rafael Nadal on the court. The Russian is returning well, which isn't a big surprise, but Rublev is likely to be put under immense pressure on his own serve having won just 61% of points behind the serve in this tournament so far.

In 2020 Rafael Nadal only played ten clay courts matches, but he produced a 9-1 record as he won the French Open again and Nadal also put together some very impressive numbers in compiling that record. He looks to have picked up from where he left off on the clay courts by winning 71% of the service points played in his two wins in Monte Carlo, while easily the most impressive aspect of the Nadal wins is the fact he has broken in 71% of return games played and has won 58% of points played on the opponent's serve.

I would expect Andrey Rublev to challenge him more than both Federico Delbonis and Grigor Dimitrov have been able to do, but Rafael Nadal has won both matches against this opponent on the hard courts and has not dropped a set. The Spaniard has broken in 45% of return games played against Rublev on the faster surfaces and I do think he is going to be able to put the serve under even more pressure here.

To add to that, Rafael Nadal has held in 95% of the service games played against Andrey Rublev and I think he will be able to wear down this opponent and produce an impressive win. It will be the kind of victory that would just remind the rest of the Tour that Nadal is still head and shoulders above most on the clay courts and add to the aura that he has built on this surface throughout his career.

Even if Andrey Rublev is able to just force Nadal to dig deeper than his previous two opponents in one set, I do think the tough Third Round match on Thursday will work against him. And if Rublev is to drop a competitive set, I do think Nadal is going to be able to work through the gears to pull away for a comfortable win when all is said and done and I will back the former World Number 1 to cover this mark.

MY PICKS: Stefanos Tsitsipas - 4.5 Games @ 1.83 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Casper Ruud - 1.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Rafael Nadal - 5.5 Games @ 1.83 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Monte Carlo Masters Update: 5-8, - 7.28 Units (26 Units Staked, - 28% Yield)

Midweek Football Picks 2019 (April 16-18)

Forgive me, but I am still trying to get over the terrible Fantasy Week I experienced as pretty much every decision I made for my team was the wrong one.

I'll get back to that on Friday when the next Weekend Football thread comes out along with my Fantasy selections for GW35, but this thread is concentrating on the Quarter Final matches to be played in the Champions League and Europa League this week.

Most of the Second Legs to come over the next three days are finely balanced and even the ties that look like there is a real advantage for one of the teams are far from over considering what we have seen in European competition throughout this season.

You can read my thoughts on the four Champions League fixtures and the two Europa League fixtures involving the English clubs below.


Barcelona v Manchester United Pick: The First Leg of this Quarter Final was an interesting game, but Manchester United had to feel disappointed they were not able to test a Barcelona team who are not as strong as previous editions. It does feel the best chance of winning the tie would have been at Old Trafford, but Manchester United have won at big away grounds in the Champions League this season including a stunning 1-3 win in Paris to make it through to the Quarter Final.

That is something that may be on the minds of the Barcelona players, but they will also know they are a much more secure team than Paris Saint-Germain from a mental point of view. Where Paris Saint-Germain have something of a reputation for being potential chokers, Barcelona are unbeaten in 30 Champions League home games and have won 27 of them.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is right to say this is a bigger challenge than winning in Paris despite the closer nature of the scoreline from the First Leg. Ultimately Barcelona are not known to blow leads like the one they have and they are a different beast at home compared with their travels.

Manchester United have won in Paris and Turin during their Champions League run and scored at least twice in both games so there is hope. The performances in recent weeks tempers some of the enthusiasm though and it would be a huge surprise if they can turn up the level after struggling in recent games to really impose themselves.

They key will be to stay in this one as long as possible and hope to exploit nerves for a team that have not reached the Champions League Semi Final since winning the trophy in 2015. It just sounds too far fetched here and as much as I would LOVE to be wrong again (like I was in the Second Leg in the last Round), I can only see Barcelona taking the lead and this time exploiting spaces that Manchester United will inevitably have to leave behind to get back into the tie.

Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City have taken some thumping defeats in visits to the Nou Camp in the last three years and it could be the turn of Manchester United this week.


Juventus v Ajax Pick: The majority of the First Leg of this Champions League Quarter Final was dominated by Ajax at the Amsterdam Arena, but I think Juventus will be far the happier with the 1-1 draw that gives them a slight edge in the tie.

I think there will have to be some wariness of what Ajax are capable of doing when Juventus take in the 1-4 win the Dutch club had at Real Madrid in the Second Round, but being back at home should be a big comfort for the Italian Champions.

The team should be fresh with many being rested for the 2-1 loss at SPAL this past weekend and Juventus have been scoring plenty of goals at home. However they have been far from invulnerable here in the Champions League with 2 losses from their last 5 games played in this competition.

Ajax play with the freedom of youth which makes them very dangerous and they will believe they can score at least one goal that that they need to give themselves a chance of progressing. Balancing attack and defence will be the key and Ajax can't expect Juventus to defend anywhere near as poorly as Real Madrid did in the Last 16.

I do think they will have chances, but Ajax will also have to take risks and Juventus have been scoring goals for fun in front of their own fans. I do think there will be a situation where Juventus are able to expose their visitors on the counter attack to confirm their place in the Semi Final and the Ajax upsets end here.

All respect to Ajax for reaching the Quarter Final against the odds and for some of their performances to get to this Stage. However this may be just a step too far despite the draw in Bayern Munich and win in Real Madrid and I will back Juventus to win a game featuring two or more goals.


Manchester City v Tottenham Hotspur Pick: The First Leg was a real tactical battle between Pep Guardiola and Mauricio Pochettino, although I do think some of the criticism of the former was unwarranted. Of course he had to expect that Manchester City lost the First Leg, but it was almost a perfect performance in which Guardiola's team missed a penalty and were punished for one lapse of concentration.

A lack of an away goal is an issue here, but I think Manchester City will still be confident having had 3 straight wins over Tottenham Hotspur before the defeat last week. They were arguably the better team and Manchester City have won 12 in a row at home where they are not conceding too many goals.

It does feel like another tactical battle will develop as Tottenham Hotspur look to use the pace of the likes of Heung-Min Son and Lucas Moura to get the better of Manchester City. They will be looking to sit in and defend effectively and Mauricio Pochettino will be very much aware of how crucial an away goal could be for his team.

Pep Guardiola will know the same and, unlike twelve months ago, I don't think he will be pushing his team for the fast start they needed to try and overturn the 3-0 deficit they had at the same stage against Liverpool last season. This time I think the manager will be looking for control and making sure his players are concentrated defensively.

Harry Kane's absence is a blow, but not a fatal one for Tottenham Hotspur. I do think the potential absence of Dele Alli coupled with Kane's absence could be a blow and Manchester City can overturn the First Leg deficit.

The home team have not been conceding too many goals at the Etihad Stadium since the three conceded to Crystal Palace back in December and I think the first priority here will be to keep a clean sheet. Pep Guardiola will always believe his team have at least one goal in them so this feels like a fixture that could potentially be balanced for a while with my selection being Manchester City to win with a clean sheet.


Porto v Liverpool Pick: It will take an almost perfect performance from Porto if they are going to overturn the deficit from the First Leg and move into the Champions League Semi Final at the expense of Liverpool. The 2-0 away defeat makes it very difficult to imagine they can do that, but Porto did create enough chances to believe they can cause problems for their opponents.

Porto have been strong at home in recent games and they have also won 6 of their last 7 games here in the Champions League. However none of the players and fans would have forgotten the exception in that run which was the 0-5 defeat to Liverpool in the Last 16 fourteen months ago.

The home team will have to take chances at some point and I think Liverpool are going to be able to exploit those on the counter attack. The visitors have to find the balance of trying to manage this fixture to conserve some energy for big games coming up, but they can't afford to allow Porto to build some momentum especially with a relatively poor away record in the Champions League.

The counter attack is going to be very important for Liverpool and I think they are good enough to win on the day, although Porto can play a part too with the chances they were able to create in the First Leg. If both teams show even a little more composure I think they will be able to combine for a Second Leg that features three or more goals on the night and that is going to be my recommendation for this fixture.

My worry would be that Liverpool score first and knock the stuffing out of their hosts and the remainder of the fixture is played at a light tempo, but both teams have looked like they are capable of scoring goals when they go forward against the other and I do think three or more will be shared out.


Chelsea v Slavia Prague Pick: The First Leg in the Czech Republic was quite a tight and competitive affair, but Chelsea's win in Prague has given them the edge and I would expect them to make it through to the Semi Final of the Europa League.

The importance of the competition may have increased after the 2-0 defeat to Liverpool on Sunday, but Maurizio Sarri has long been taking it seriously and Chelsea players have enjoyed their experiences in the competition. Chelsea have won all 5 Europa League games played at Stamford Bridge this season and they have scored three or more goals in their last 4 as they have been able to make serene progression through the draw.

I would expect them to have too much for a Slavia Prague team that have just hit a poor patch of form with 2 wins from their last 5 in all competitions. Slavia Prague have also been beaten in half of their 6 away European ties this season and I do think the pressure will be on them to get forward to try and get back into the tie which can give Chelsea the chance to counter attack and finish them off.

I can see that happening in the second half as Slavia Prague begin to have to take risks and Chelsea may be able to win the Second Leg by a slightly wider margin than the First Leg. This feels like a fixture Chelsea will be able to win by a couple of goals on the day and I will look for them to cover the Asian Handicap.


Napoli v Arsenal Pick: Any time a team wins 2-0 at home in a European Knock Out tie there is no doubting the very strong position they have put themselves in, but this Arsenal team are vulnerable on their travels and Unai Emery may regret not seeing his team take more of the chances that came their way last week.

Regret will also be on the mind of Carlo Ancelotti as Napoli missed some late chances to earn an away goal to take back home and now his team are going to have to play an almost perfect game to get back into this one.

A single Arsenal goal is going to put a lot of pressure on Napoli to find the goals to get out of the tie, but the confidence will come from 4 wins in 5 European fixtures played here this season. They have kept clean sheets in 3 of those 5 games including in both of the Europa League Knock Out ties they have played and Napoli will believe a vulnerable Arsenal defence can be exposed.

Ultimately I think they are going to have to take chances and that will give Arsenal an opportunity to at least grab one away goal which should be enough to take them through. However, I think Napoli may be good enough to find the win on the day and I will back them to win a fixture containing two or more goals.

MY PICKS: Barcelona - 1.5 Asian Handicap @ 2.00 Bet Victor
Juventus to Win & Over 1.5 Goals @ 2.00 Ladbrokes
Manchester City Win to Nil @ 2.45 Bet Victor
Porto-Liverpool Over 2.5 Goals @ 2.00 Bet Victor
Chelsea - 1.5 Asian Handicap @ 2.05 Bet Victor
Napoli to Win & Over 1.5 Goals @ 1.95 Ladbrokes

Monte Carlo Masters Tennis Picks 2019 (April 16th)

There was one retirement from the three selections I made on Monday, but wins for Marton Fucsovics and David Goffin made it a good start to the week in Monte Carlo where the majority of the First Round was completed.

On Tuesday we don't have as full a schedule as there was on Monday, but the remainder of the First Round is set to be played as well as the beginning of the Second Round. The main draw for the fans will be Novak Djokovic getting his campaign underway as he looks to build his preparations for the French Open and the attempt to win his second title there.

I didn't have the time to write out full thoughts on my three selections on Tuesday, but you can see those below.


MY PICKS: Juan Ignacio Londero + 3.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Fernando Verdasco - 2.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Borna Coric - 1.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Monte Carlo Update: 2-0, + 3.66 Units (4 Units Staked, + 91.50% Yield)

Monte Carlo Tennis Picks 2018 (April 16th)

A strong Saturday showing from the Tennis Picks meant adding some more positive numbers to the season totals.

That came after a poor middle of the week so any positive to add to the season totals after putting another week in the books has to be seen as a good week.

This week the ATP Tour moves onto the first major tournament of the clay court season in the build to the French Open as the Masters in Monte Carlo has gotten underway. Some of the big names may be missing, notably Roger Federer who won't be seen on the Tour until June once the grass court tournaments begin, but Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic are both in the draw this week.

Rafael Nadal is going to be a clear favourite for every clay court tournament he enters and he did look good in Davis Cup action for Spain which makes him the player to beat on the ATP Tour. He will be looking to underline that with a win in Monte Carlo and receives a bye through to the Second Round.


On Monday there are a number of First Round matches scheduled to be played, but I didn't really find a lot of angles that appealed to me.

It all adds up to the one sole pick from the matches which can be read below.


Aljaz Bedene - 4.5 games v Mirza Basic: After being involved in back to back Masters tournaments on the hard courts in North America, Aljaz Bedene will return on the clay courts in Monte Carlo. On first glance this is a lot games for a player to cover when playing the first clay court match in a couple of months, but Bedene has really enjoyed clay court tennis in recent seasons and has to be confident of making a strong start to this tournament.

He is facing a Lucky Loser in Mirza Basic who was beaten comfortably in the final Qualifying Round before earning a backdoor entry into the main draw. The two matches he has played in the Qualifiers will give Basic a slight edge with the conditions more familiar to him than Bedene, but I am not convince that will be enough to keep this match closer than the number indicates.

Earlier this season Basic won a title on the indoor hard courts, but he has yet to show any kind of form on the clay courts. He did beat Robin Haase in Marrakech last week which is a solid win, but Basic is going to have to be even better if he is going to beat Bedene who has been dominant on this surface.

Bedene has been particularly strong when he has faced players outside the top 50 in the World Rankings and he is 24-1 on the clay courts against those players since the beginning of the 2017 season. You could not possibly say he has been fortunate either with a tremendous hold percentage of at least 84% in those each of the last two seasons backed up by strong returning.

He will believe he can get after the Basic serve on this surface and he can outwork him in the rallies which tend to be a little longer on the clay. Bedene is a player that could have another strong clay court season if he is given the right draws, although the winner of this tie is going to be facing Rafael Nadal in the Second Round.

If Bedene can get anything near the numbers he has produced on the clay courts over the last fourteen months I would think he can see off Basic effectively. This is a big number of games to be covered, but Bedene has the return game to put himself in a position to do that and I will back him to cover this number.

MY PICKS: Aljaz Bedene - 4.5 Games @ 2.10 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Season 2018: + 21.80 Units (464 Units Staked, + 4.70% Yield)

Monte Carlo Master Tennis Picks 2017 (April 16th)

The next few weeks are all about the build towards the French Open and the first big tournament of this European clay court season comes at the Monte Carlo Masters which begins on Sunday.

This is the one Masters event which is not considered 'compulsory' on the Tour but the big names on the ATP are going to be involved this week and it looks an open tournament when you think of some of the doubts that surround the likes of Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic. One player who was showing form at the two hard court Masters events in North America and who will be welcoming a move onto the clay courts is Rafael Nadal and I don't think anyone should be surprised he is the joint favourite with Novak Djokovic to win the event here.

Nadal is the defending Champion, but it is Djokovic who has won two of the last four Monte Carlo titles with Stan Wawrinka winning the other and this does feel like it could be a very interesting week to take in some form ahead of the bigger events leading up to the French Open.

This week I should be looking to have at least one pick from the matches to be played on each day after little between Indian Wells and the start of the event here. On Sunday we have four First Round matches to get the tournament underway and there will be a lot of tennis scheduled for the next few days with players looking to show they are ready to pick up some big Ranking points to give them confidence for the next two months of clay court tennis.

David Goffin - 4.5 games v Steve Darcis: David Goffin and Steve Darcis have got together many times over the last couple of years to help Belgium overachieve in the Davis Cup and they have guided their nation through to yet another Semi Final in that competition. Both are likely to be close off the court and will know what the other brings on the court which should aid them in putting together a game plan for this First Round match at the Monte Carlo Masters.

You would have to point out that Darcis is the one who favours the clay courts more out of the two players, but David Goffin has produced a solid run at the French Open in the past. Goffin reached the Quarter Final at the Rome Masters and French Open in 2016 and he was a fairly comfortable winner over Darcis when they met in Sofia earlier this season.

The problem Darcis will have is that he has a similar kind of game as Goffin, but the latter is the more consistent which should mean he wins the unforced error count during the course of the match. The serve can be a problem for both players but Goffin plays at a higher level than Darcis on a more regular basis which should help him earn the edge in this one.

Darcis' success at the Davis Cup level is more impressive when you think of his fairly disappointing success at the main ATP level with his best recent results coming in Challengers. I think he will cause some problems in this one, but Goffin should ultimately have a little too much all-around quality for him which can see him earn at least a couple more breaks of serve over the course of the match.

A first match back on the clay courts is always going to be tough, but Goffin should be able to come through with a 7-5, 6-3 win as he begins to feel more and more comfortable in the match.

Gilles Simon - 3.5 games v Malek Jaziri: It was a decision from Yannick Noah that meant Gilles Simon was not going to represent France in the Davis Cup tie against Great Britain, but the Frenchman should have gotten some good practice on the clay courts over the last two weeks. He is not having the best start to the 2017 season as the veteran perhaps has lost half a step around the court, but Simon can still be a tough opponent to break down.

The clay courts have proven to be an effective surface for Simon in recent years and he should be very confident in the match up against Malek Jaziri who has beaten four times out of four on the main ATP Tour.

This is also not a surface that Jaziri has enjoyed playing on through his career and I expect the next few weeks to be difficult for him. He was beaten in three sets by Jeremy Chardy last week in Marrakech which has dropped Jaziri to 5-8 on the clay courts in main ATP Tour matches, but he is also not someone who spends a lot of time on this surface at the Challenger or Qualifier level.

Jaziri did produce a surprisingly good run to the Quarter Final in Barcelona last season where he won three matches as a big underdog so you don't want to underestimate him. However Jaziri has the game that sees mistakes being extracted from him on the clay where patience and consistency are rewarded and Simon has both of those qualities in abundance.

It might take Simon some time to get to grips with the match being the first on the clay in 2017, but he should have gotten used to the surface over the last two weeks. I think that will lead to a 7-5, 6-4 win for Simon as he moves into the Second Round here.

MY PICKS: David Goffin - 4.5 Games @ 1.73 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Gilles Simon - 3.5 Games @ 1.91 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Weekend Football Picks 2017 (April 15-17)

The Easter Weekend used to be the time of the season when so many issues would be resolved in the top flight, but the change to ensure only one match is played across the four day holiday, rather than the Good Friday and Easter Monday fixtures we used to get, means it is less pivotal.

In saying that, all games in April are huge at this time of the season as teams scramble for the points that will help them achieve the goals they have for the last six/seven weeks of the campaign.

There are some huge games at the top and bottom of the Premier League this weekend before we get back into the European Champions League and Europa League Quarter Final Second Legs. The draw for the Semi Finals of both competitions takes place next Friday before another big weekend of domestic football.


Tottenham Hotspur v Bournemouth Pick: It is really hard to oppose Tottenham Hotspur in their current form and another victory this weekend in front of the television cameras looks very likely. That will give them plenty of momentum to take into the FA Cup Semi Final against Chelsea next Saturday and it would be a huge surprise to see Tottenham Hotspur fail to extend their winning run at White Hart Lane.

The return of Harry Kane gives them more options in the forward areas and they are facing a Bournemouth team who do allow opponents to play their football. That should suit Tottenham Hotspur down to the ground and they might score a few goals in this one as they have been doing in recent home games.

Give Bournemouth their credit for the way they have battled for draws at Old Trafford, St Mary's and Anfield in recent away games, but those three teams all had enough chances to score a few goals against them. Unlike Manchester United, Southampton and Liverpool (certainly without Sadio Mane and an ill Philippe Coutinho), Tottenham Hotspur have a number of attacking players in peak form up front who won't allow chances to slip by them.

Last weekend we saw a clinical Chelsea team score three times in a 1-3 win at Bournemouth and I do think Tottenham Hotspur are too good on the day.

With the goals they are scoring at the moment, backing Tottenham Hotspur to cover the Asian Handicap and win by at least two goals on Saturday looks the obvious play. I am not a fan of those options that leap completely out of the page and especially when Bournemouth have had those 3 impressive away draws of late.

However, I think Tottenham Hotspur will create enough chances to win with some level of comfort and shift the pressure onto Chelsea prior to the trip to Old Trafford. Barring another team having a poor day in front of goal, Bournemouth will struggle to stay with this Tottenham Hotspur side and I like the home team to win by a comfortable margin.


Crystal Palace v Leicester City Pick: The oddsmakers are fully on board with the idea that Leicester City might be keen to rest a few key players in the Premier League this weekend to focus on keeping them prepared for the Second Leg of the Champions League Quarter Final against Atletico Madrid which is played on Tuesday.

The narrow loss in Madrid means Leicester City have every chance of earning a spot in the Semi Final of the Champions League and that is clearly going to be the focus for many of the players. That doesn't mean they can turn up at Crystal Palace and accept their fate, but it is a big reason the home team are so short to win this fixture.

The price is also displaying how well Crystal Palace have done to win 5 of their last 6 League games to pull away from the bottom three. They have also won 3 in a row at Selhurst Park without conceding a goal and Crystal Palace will be full of beans after beating Arsenal 3-0 here on Monday.

However I can't back Crystal Palace at odds on as Leicester City are still not quite secure of their place in the Premier League. A win for Crystal Palace would actually see them move above Leicester City in the Premier League table and I think Craig Shakespeare will play an attacking team in a bid to produce a positive performance before the Champions League game during the week.

Leicester City might not have scored during the week, but they have found goals easy to come by under Craig Shakespeare and I do think they will offer one or two problems going forward. However they also have been conceding a fair few goals and this fixture might produce a few goals like the reverse one did at the King Power Stadium earlier this season.

The home team have kept 3 clean sheets in a row at Selhurst Park, but it might not happen this weekend as they take on a team who have scored 17 goals in 8 games under Craig Shakespeare. The oddsmakers are offering odds against quotes for at least three goals to be shared out in this one and I will back both Crystal Palace and Leicester City to score in an entertaining game that covers the total.


Everton v Burnley Pick: You have to admire the kind of football that Everton have been producing, especially at Goodison Park, although some of the fans may be wondering what direction the club will take in the summer. Getting back into the Europa League is important to the development of the club as far as Ronald Koeman is concerned, but the likes of Ross Barkley and Romelu Lukaku may not be sticking around after the summer transfer window.

For now those concerns will not be important to the fans who have enjoyed seeing Everton win 7 straight Premier League games at Goodison Park thanks to an avalanche of goals in their favour. They have scored 26 goals in those 7 home wins and Everton will be playing with plenty of confidence on Saturday.

They won't have it all their own way as Burnley have shown toughness of late and earned goalless draws at Sunderland and Middlesbrough. Everton are somewhat stronger than those sides, but Burnley also led at Anfield recently and looked very good on that last trip to Merseyside.

However you can't ignore the way Everton have been performing of late as they have blown past their opponents and I think they will be too strong for Burnley this weekend. This Burnley team have simply not scored enough goals away from home and I can't see them containing Everton for long enough to nick a point.

Once Everton go in front, they look like a team who are hungry for more goals and I think they will win their eighth consecutive home game in the Premier League. The previous 7 wins have all come by at least two goals and I will back Everton to cover this Asian Handicap on Saturday.


Stoke City v Hull City Pick: The recent form of Stoke City has been a real disappointment for Mark Hughes, but they have not had the best fixture list in that time. The back to back home losses suffered against Chelsea and Liverpool were unfortunate when you think how Stoke City played for large parts of that game.

At least this weekend they are not hosting one of the teams in the top four, but instead Stoke City are facing a Hull City team who have struggled on their travels. For all the improvement that Marco Silva has helped Hull City make, he has not found the formula to produce an away performance and it does feel like the home games against Watford and Sunderland will determine whether they avoid the drop or not.

Hull City have lost 13 of their last 14 away games in all competition and they have conceded 11 goals in their last 4 losses since the goalless draw at Manchester United. You would think Silva will have looked at this fixture as a good chance to snap their poor run, but Stoke City have played well enough when hosting some of the weaker teams in the Premier League.

The Potters have won 6 home League games this season and all of those have been against teams who are currently 10th or lower in the Premier League table. Bournemouth did win 0-1 here, and Leicester City came back from 2-0 down to earn a 2-2 draw, but Stoke City have beaten 4 of the current bottom five with this Hull City the final team on that list.

Stoke City had won 3 in a row at home against Hull City before the loss to them in the English Football League Cup earlier this season and I will look for Mark Hughes' team to earn a bit of revenge for that defeat. Marco Silva has worked wonders with Hull City, but that has yet to show up away from home and I will back Stoke City to earn a vital three points to snap a poor run of form.


Sunderland v West Ham United Pick: This has to be the final roll of the dice for David Moyes and Sunderland who have looked like a team on the brink of relegation for a number of seasons. In previous years they have produced some strong results under pressure but this current group of players look like they simply don't have the quality to compete and a place in the Championship in the 2017/18 season looks to be the future for Sunderland.

The 0-3 home loss to Manchester United has left Sunderland 10 points behind Hull City in 17th place but the games are beginning to run out. They simply 'must win' this fixture if Sunderland hold any hopes of escaping the bottom three, but that isn't enough for them to actually achieve that.

Simply having to win doesn't mean a team will and it is hard to win games without scoring goals. Sunderland have not scored in any of their last 7 Premier League games overall and it isn't a surprise that they have lost 6 of those games. Things haven't been better at the Stadium of Light either as Sunderland have not scored in any of their last 5 Premier League games here.

They will find it difficult against a West Ham United team who secured a morale boosting 1-0 win over Swansea City last weekend and who have scored in all but 3 of their away games this season. West Ham United led at both Bournemouth and Hull City before being beaten, but I am not sure Sunderland have the belief or quality to get back into a fixture when falling behind.

West Ham United are missing some key players and have some defensive issues, but they do have enough in the final third to hurt this Sunderland team. They have won at 3 of the current bottom five teams with this game to come and I will be looking for West Ham United to have a little too much for Sunderland in the final third and record a win here.


Watford v Swansea City Pick: The games are beginning to run out for teams in the Premier League this season and that makes every fixture more and more important at the top and bottom of the League table. This is a big one for Swansea City who are fighting for their Premier League status, but they have just hit a poor patch of form at the wrong time.

4 losses from their last 5 Premier League games has seen Hull City overtake Swansea City and push the latter into the bottom three. There are only 2 points between those teams and Swansea City have a manageable fixture list remaining, but Watford are off back to back wins at Vicarage Road and will be looking for a response to their 4-0 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur last weekend.

The wins for Watford to open this month has put them in a strong position to perhaps even finish in the top half of the Premier League table. They have played well at Vicarage Road over the last couple of months with only 1 loss in their last 7 games here while Watford have gone on to win 4 of the games in that run.

Recent form does suggest Watford can move forward with another victory in this fixture, although this will be a tight game that might not feature a lot of goals. Watford have beaten Burnley, Sunderland and West Brom at Vicarage Road in recent games here, while Swansea City have lost at Bournemouth and West Ham United in back to back away games.

Paul Clement was not impressed with the performance Swansea City produced last weekend, and I think Watford have played well enough at home in recent weeks to earn a victory. The return of Fernando Llorente could give Swansea City more focus going forward, but I think Watford can win this one as they have when hosting teams inside the bottom five.

Watford have beaten Sunderland, Hull City and Crystal Palace at home in the League and can add Swansea City to that list at a big price.


Southampton v Manchester City Pick: This looks to be a big weekend for the teams chasing the top four spots in the Premier League as Liverpool head to West Brom and Manchester United host Chelsea on Easter Sunday. Before that, Manchester City have a difficult looking test at Southampton on Saturday afternoon and you have to imagine fans of Liverpool and Manchester United will be anticipating potential dropped points.

That may be clutching at straws though as Southampton have not really played well against the teams that are currently above them in the Premier League table. The Saints have won at West Brom and beaten Everton at home, while also earning a 1-1 draw at Manchester City and at home against Liverpool earlier in the campaign, but other than that it has been tough work for them in the Premier League.

Southampton have lost at Manchester United, Arsenal, Everton and Tottenham Hotspur on their travels in the Premier League, but also have suffered home losses to Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and West Brom.

The recent Manchester City form might not be the most positive, but they have been through a difficult stretch of games and I think they may feel more comfortable on the south coast. Losses at Monaco and Chelsea were not indicative of the performance that Manchester City produced, while they should have won at Arsenal and a similar level is likely to produce the three points here.

As good as Southampton have looked with the ball and as many chances as they can create, they still are missing Charlie Austin and Manolo Gabbiadini's clinical finishing. The likes of Dusan Tadic, Nathan Redmond and Shane Long are so hit and miss that it can be hard to trust them, even against a Manchester City defence that can be vulnerable to the speed that Southampton produce in the final third.

Going the other way, Southampton will be challenged by the cutting edge that Manchester City have produced and they have only failed to score in 1 of their last 9 away games in all competitions. In that time Manchester City have scored 17 goals and they should create chances against a Southampton defence missing leader Virgil van Dijk.

This hasn't been a fixture that Manchester City have enjoyed in recent seasons too often and they were beaten 4-2 here last season. However the current teams that are expected to line up do lean towards the quality that Manchester City can produce and only Chelsea have won more away games so far this season.

If Southampton are on form in the forward areas, this could be a very difficult test for Manchester City but figuring out which Southampton attack turns up is hard work. Both teams have managed to score at least once in 9 of the last 11 fixtures between these teams though and I do anticipate there will be plenty of chances at both ends in what could be a really entertaining game of football.

My lean is that Manchester City will have too much though and backing them to win a game where there are at least three goals shared out is a big price. It is more appealing than backing Manchester City at odds on because of the danger that Southampton will pose, while 3 of the 4 home losses Southampton have had in the Premier League have come in a game where at least three goals are scored.


West Brom v Liverpool Pick: With the lead they have over 5th placed Manchester United and comparing the remaining Premier League games that both have to play, Liverpool fans might just be feeling they have enough to finish in the top four of the Champions League. Anything else will be seen as a disappointment for Jurgen Klopp and the entire club, especially as it will have a big impact on the kind of players the German is able to bring in during the summer transfer window.

Coming from behind to beat Burnley and Stoke City in recent weeks have been huge for Liverpool and kept the pressure on Manchester United and Arsenal who have dropped points in that time. The win at Stoke City snapped a poor away run in the Premier League for Liverpool and they will head to West Brom with a lot of confidence behind them.

The same cannot be said for The Baggies who have struggled since reaching the 40 point mark in the Premier League. That may be the players just taking their eye off the ball and West Brom have picked up just 4 points in the 6 League games since hitting 40 points.

Three of those points did come in a home win against Arsenal, although West Brom have not scored in the other 5 games they have played since securing 40 points. A key for the side will be exploiting the set piece issues that Liverpool have had all season and that was the avenue in which they broke down Arsenal in the win at The Hawthorns against them.

West Brom have only secured 1 clean sheet from their last 8 Premier League games though and Liverpool still have the firepower to expose those vulnerabilities even without the services of Sadio Mane. Liverpool have only failed to score in 1 of their last 9 away Premier League games and you can begin to understand why they have been set as an odds on favourite to win here.

However I do think West Brom will raise their game against one of the 'big' clubs in English Football. They may have lost 4 of their last 6 Premier League games, but West Brom have beaten Arsenal and drawn at Manchester United in that time and I think they will be a threat from crosses all afternoon.

Ultimately I think Liverpool will win this game, but backing at least three goals at just under odds against looks the best way forward. I can see both teams scoring, as they have in 5 of the last 6 Premier League games between these clubs, but there should be enough chances for one of the teams to secure the three points.

I don't want that to be Liverpool, but I do think they are the more likely winners although failing to keep a clean sheet in their last 6 away Premier League games suggests West Brom can play a part in this Easter Sunday clash too.


Manchester United v Chelsea Pick: This could be a pivotal weekend for both Manchester United and Chelsea who have different aims for the remainder of the campaign. The away side will be looking to maintain their lead over Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League title race, while Manchester United will likely be chasing a result that keeps them in touch with the top four.

As has been mentioned a few times over the last month, Manchester United may feel the Europa League is the best way for them to get into the Champions League next season. They look in a good position in the Europa League Quarter Final having earned a 1-1 draw at Anderlecht in Belgium in the First Leg, but Jose Mourinho won't want to give his former club an easy ride in the Premier League.

Denting Chelsea's Premier League title challenge would be something Mourinho has to be keen to do after taking some abuse from the Chelsea fans in the FA Cup loss at Stamford Bridge last month. However Manchester United have just struggled to turn their performances into wins at Old Trafford and it is hard to ignore the fact they have beaten just 1 of the top eight teams in the Premier League here.

Manchester City are the only one of those who have left Old Trafford with the three points, but Arsenal, Liverpool and Everton have all drawn 1-1 and West Brom earned a goalless draw here with the sole Manchester United win coming against Tottenham Hotspur.

A couple of losses to Chelsea this season has also extended Manchester United's run to 12 games against The Blues without earning a win which includes the last 5 at Old Trafford. 4 of the last 5 here between these teams have ended in draws and that has to be a significant player in this one.

Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte were in the midst of a tactical battle in the FA Cup tie between their clubs last month before an Ander Herrera sending off changed the course of that tie. I think this one will be similar with both managers looking to make sure Manchester United and Chelsea are well organised and look to exploit a mistake made by the other.

Chelsea have had a week to rest and prepare for this game which will give their fans confidence, but they have not been at their best against the top teams away from Stamford Bridge. They have won at Manchester City, but Chelsea have drawn at Liverpool and lost at both Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur and failed to score in both of those losses.

Being rested will give them a chance to become only the second team to win here, but I am anticipating a tight game that might not see a lot of chances created. Chelsea would likely settle for a draw before kick off and Jose Mourinho won't want Manchester United to take too many chances and allow their visitors to have the space to perform on the counter attack where they have been so effective.

I do think goals could be at a premium on Sunday and a single goal may be enough to separate these teams. 7 of the last 10 games between these clubs has seen one, or both, of Manchester United and Chelsea fail to score.

2 of the 3 exceptions have ended 1-1 thanks to 90th minute equalisers, and it also has to be noted that 3 of the last 4 at Old Trafford has seen at least one of the sides fail to score and 2 of the last 3 here have ended goalless.

The three points mean more to Manchester United who need to keep in touch with the sides above them, but I am not sure there will be a lot of chances in this game as both Mourinho and Conte prefer to build from a strong defensive foundation. Backing at least one of the teams to fail to score at odds against looks a big price here and I will back that to be the outcome of the second live game on Easter Sunday afternoon.


Middlesbrough v Arsenal Pick: All eyes will be focused on Arsenal and the kind of reaction the players will have had to a week of torment from their own fans as well as the expected backlash in the media. In all honesty no one can be surprised that Arsenal were criticised as much as they were after the no-show in the 3-0 loss at Crystal Palace and I do think this is going to provide some real answers as to how the players are feeling.

Some will have suggested an almost 'downed tools' response from the players to the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the future of Arsene Wenger. If the players have given up on the manager, Middlesbrough will be the beneficiary in their battle against relegation, but I don't quite believe Arsenal have given up completely.

The first thing to say is they had a few chances at Crystal Palace while the game was still in the balance and a goal there may have changed the whole feel of the night. There is also the small matter of an FA Cup Semi Final on the horizon and those who get the nod to start this fixture won't want to produce a performance that sees them miss out six days later.

I also think Arsenal are facing the right opponent on Monday as Middlesbrough look to be sliding into the Championship. They simply don't score enough goals and it is hard to see them doing that here even against an Arsenal team that have conceded at least three goals in 5 of their last 6 games on their travels.

A couple of those games have come against 'weaker sides' in the Premier League at West Brom and Crystal Palace, but both have shown more in the final third than Middlesbrough have at any time this season. Middlesbrough have scored just 6 goals in their last 14 Premier League games and just 3 in their last 6 at the Riverside Stadium in the League.

Middlesbrough have been decent defensively for much of the season, but Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool and Manchester United have all won here in the Premier League while the latter three teams all scored at least twice. Manchester City also won 0-2 here in the FA Cup and Arsenal still have the quality to see off this level of opponent.

Prior to the loss at Crystal Palace, Arsenal had won 6 and drawn 2 at clubs currently in 10th place or lower in the Premier League. It was only the second time this season that Arsenal had not scored away from home in the Premier League and I do think The Gunners will have too much firepower for a pretty poor Middlesbrough.

Middlesbrough have kept clean sheets in 6 of their last 11 home Premier League games, but they are just 0-2-5 in League games against teams who are 10th or higher this season at the Riverside Stadium and they have scored 3 goals and conceded 11 in those games and have earned just a single clean sheet.

I think Arsenal will highlight the difference between themselves and a team that is arguably better suited to the higher reaches of the Championship and I will back Arsenal to win by at least a couple of goals on Monday evening to ease the pressure on their beleaguered manager.

MY PICKS: Tottenham Hotspur - 1.5 Asian Handicap @ 1.78 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Crystal Palace-Leicester City Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Everton - 1.25 Asian Handicap @ 2.08 Bet365 (2 Units)
Stoke City @ 2.00 William Hill (2 Units)
West Ham United @ 2.40 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Watford @ 2.50 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Man City to Win & Over 2.5 Goals @ 2.50 Coral (2 Units)
West Brom-Liverpool Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.95 Bet365 (2 Units)
Manchester United-Chelsea Both Teams to Score- NO @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Arsenal - 1 Asian Handicap @ 1.97 Bet365 (2 Units)

April Update: 19-16, + 4.14 Units (69 Units Staked, + 6% Yield)

March Final: 39-40-3, + 6.64 Units (157 Units Staked, + 4.23% Yield)
February Final: 31-50, - 29.34 Units (157 Units Staked, - 18.69% Yield)
January Final: 32-47-1, - 30.88 Units (164 Units Staked, - 18.83% Yield)
December Final: 38-40, - 7.93 Units (153 Units Staked, - 5.18% Yield)

November Final: 40-38-3, + 5.76 Units (159 Units Staked, + 3.62% Yield)
October Final: 29-41-2, - 21.23 Units (139 Units Staked, - 15.27% Yield)

September Final: 43-28-1, + 35.17 Units (133 Units Staked, + 26.44% Yield)

August Final: 31-38-2, - 9 Units (124 Units Staked, - 7.26% Yield)

Season 2016/17: 243-272-9, - 57.45 Units (1029 Units Staked, - 5.58% Yield)

Season 2015/16: 133-174-2, + 0.89 Units (669 Units Staked, + 0% Yield)

Season 2014/15: 159-208-5, - 20.22 Units (647 Units Staked, - 3.13% Yield)

Season 2013/14: 164-185-3, + 15.84 Units (577 Units Staked, + 2.75% Yield

Season 2012/13: + 4.42 Units (415 Units Staked, + 1.07% Yield)