Cincinnati Masters Tennis Picks 2025 (Monday 11th August)

The heat in Cincinnati has been a big factor at the tournament and the conditions remain incredibly tough for all who are scheduled to play Third Round matches on Monday.

A 1-1 return on Sunday produced the slightest of improvement on the weekly totals, which have been updated below, but it has still been a poor start to this Masters event.

Three selections have been identified from the matches to be played on Monday and those can be read below.

Felix Auger-Aliassime - 2.5 games v Arthur Rinderknech: He is certainly a player that can be tough to back with any confidence having fallen out of the top 20 of the World Rankings through inconsistency.

However, Felix Auger-Aliassime has put up some decent numbers on the hard courts in 2025 and he should have all of the qualities needed to beat Arthur Rinderknech.

The latter upset Casper Ruud, and me, with a strong win in the Second Round and is obviously playing with some confidence having struggled on the surface for much of the year. Things have been different in Cincinnati where Arthur Rinderknech has won two matches, the first time he has won two in a row on the hard courts since the Paris Masters last October, and that will give him belief.

Serving well will be key, but Felix Auger-Aliassime is unlikely to fall away as dramatically as Casper Ruud did in the last Round.

It was Auger-Aliassime who dominated when these players met on the grass in June and the Canadian has always been a pretty solid hard court player. Two titles have been won on the hard courts and the World Number 28 is likely going to serve with more consistency than Casper Ruud in the last Round and that should put him in a position to win and cover.

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 3.5 games v Benjamin Bonzi: After losing at Wimbledon and then facing plenty of criticism from his Coach, Stefanos Tsitsipas has gone back to basics and hopes that will spark a turnaround in his career.

He has enjoyed Grand Slam successes in the past, although Stefanos Tsitsipas will be disappointed he has yet to win a Major, but these days he is clinging onto a top 30 World Ranking. The inconsistent performances have been a concern, and Tsitsipas has gone back to having his father take over the coaching duties, while an on-off relationship with Paula Badosa looks to have finally ended for good.

Perhaps it will allow Stefanos Tsitsipas to focus ahead of the last Grand Slam of the season, but a disappointing early loss in Toronto will have dented the already fragile confidence. It does make the tournament in Cincinnati feel that much more important and the former World Number 3 earned a solid win in the Second Round, which should give him something to build upon.

The returning numbers continue to hold him back, but Stefanos Tsitsipas has been serving well enough and that could provide him the edge in this Third Round match against Benjamin Bonzi.

If the Tsitsipas form has to be considered inconsistent, prior to the Cincinnati Masters you would only be able to describe Benjamin Bonzi's form has being almost non-existent on the hard courts this season.

The Frenchman had won two and lost five of the seven hard court matches played in 2025, but two consecutive wins will have given Bonzi a boost of his own.

Both have been in upsets against higher Ranked players, although the numbers suggest Benjamin Bonzi has been a little fortunate to come through against Matteo Arnaldi and Lorenzo Musetti. In those two wins, Bonzi has won 7/14 Break Points played, while also saving 19/24 Break Points faced, and those numbers may be tough to sustain considering the World Number 63 has held in 74% of service games played on the hard courts over the course of the year.

These two players have not met on the Tour for a couple of years and so the previous matches won by Stefanos Tsitsipas are perhaps not a big factor.

However, the service edge that Stefanos Tsitsipas should be able to enjoy in this match is hard to ignore and he may come through with a cover of the line set.

Elena Rybakina - 3.5 games v Elise Mertens: Semi Final defeats have been a feature of the season for Elena Rybakina, but the real heartbreaker for the former Wimbledon Champion is the manner of some of those losses.

Last week in Montreal, Elena Rybakina served for the match twice in the deciding set, while also missing out on a Match Point, and there was a huge miss in the penultimate service game that seemed to drain her of all confidence.

Even then, Elena Rybakina should have beaten Victoria Mboko and she is getting close to finding a breakthrough, which may spark a resurgence in her career. At the moment she does not look like a player that is ready to win the biggest prizes, but things can change very quickly on the WTA Tour and that will give the Rybakina supporters plenty of hope.

Next up for Rybakina is a match up with Elise Mertens and the World Number 10 can produce a fifth straight win over this opponent.

Elise Mertens has not had a bad year on the hard courts, but it has been tough for her when she has been up against players that are stronger than her.

A 1-5 record against higher Ranked players cannot be ignored, nor can the fact that Elise Mertens has been well beaten in the majority of those defeats. Her hard court numbers have dipped considerably when facing those stronger players and Elise Mertens will not have much confidence with her head to head with Elena Rybakina in mind.

Finding a way to serve well enough to curb the aggressive returning of Elena Rybakina will be tough, but that will also put pressure on Elise Mertens when it comes to impacting the serve that she will be facing.

Since Elena Rybakina has moved past Elise Mertens in the World Rankings, she has won three matches against the Belgian very impressively and another good, solid win can be secured in this Third Round match in Cincinnati.

MY PICKS: Felix Auger-Aliassime - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 3.5 Games @ 2.10 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Elena Rybakina - 3.5 Games @ 1.85 William Hill (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 1-3, - 1.80 Units (4 Units Staked, - 45% Yield)

Canadian Masters Tennis Picks 2021 (August 11th)

The two Masters played in the weeks before the US Open begin are both congested events with little rest between matches for those progressing through the draw.

On Wednesday the Second Round is completed in both the Men's and Women's events in Toronto and Montreal respectively, although there could be some delays with heavy rain expected at both tournaments.

It was not the best opening to the tournament for the Tennis Picks after back to back winning runs at Wimbledon and the Olympic Games.

Things could have been a lot worse, but I do look to have a big improvement in the selections made on Wednesday to turn the week back in my favour.

Unsurprisingly, the tight nature of the week means I am not able to write out fuller posts, but all of the selections have been researched.

MY PICKS: Karolina Pliskova - 3.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Ludmilla Samsonova @ 2.10 Bet365 (2 Units)

Karen Khachanov - 2.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Diego Sebastian Schwartzman - 3.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Hubert Hurkacz @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Roberto Bautista Agut - 2.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

Denis Shapovalov - 3.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Canadian Masters Update: 3-4, - 3.64 Units (14 Units Staked, - 26% Yield)

Canadian Masters Tennis Picks 2018 (August 11th)

It has been a frustrating week so far for the Tennis Picks and one that has not been helped by some very poor luck at key times.

That was the case on Friday as Alexander Zverev somehow was beaten by Stefanos Tsitsipas despite serving for the match, having match point at another point, having a break lead in the third set and missing multiple break points throughout the contest.

Zverev himself was not impressed at all with Tsitsipas in his post-match press conference and I can't blame him as he dominated the youngster but couldn't quite get the job done.


Now we are down to the Semi Final matches at both the ATP Toronto and WTA Montreal events while the majority of players on the Tour would have moved on to Cincinnati where the last big tournament before the US Open is played. The matches in Cincinnati will actually begin on Sunday with First Round ATP Masters matches scheduled to get underway and Roger Federer will also be back on the Tour making his final preparations ahead of the final Grand Slam of the season.

Hopefully we can end the Canadian Masters with a few winners to at least get back into a positive, but it has been a difficult week and there is no telling if I will have the little bit of luck I need to put some wins together.


Kevin Anderson - 2.5 games v Stefanos Tsitsipas: You have to credit Stefanos Tsitsipas for the tennis he has been playing on the hard courts in Washington and Toronto, but a little bit of luck can also go a long way. I am still not entirely sure how he managed to beat Alexander Zverev when you look at all of the chances the latter had to win the match and the numbers have backed that up.

However it is not wise to sleep on how well Tsitsipas has begun to play on the hard courts even if we do see some room for improvement. The return game was just good enough to hang with Zverev in the Quarter Final, but overall it is perhaps not quite at the level the future top tenner will be expecting of himself.

The challenge will be to try and get into the Kevin Anderson service games as the big South African continues to enjoy his best tennis of his career as he has gotten older. Anderson is in the midst of another career year and there are plenty of points to defend at the US Open which means any strong run in the two Masters events can ease some of the pressure on Anderson.

It is no surprise a player with the serve that Anderson possesses is very comfortable on the hard courts and he is going to be tough to break down. He should be fresh having played first on Friday and crushing Grigor Dimitrov very quickly, while fatigue issues could come into play for Tsitsipas who has had to dig deep in back to back matches to edge past Novak Djokovic and Zverev.

The Anderson return of serve is not one you would want to rely upon to cover big numbers, but he can do just enough to earn at least one more break of serve than his young opponent. He is almost breaking in one in five games on the hard courts this season but his actual return numbers are slightly better than last season which suggests Anderson could improve on that break percentage and I like him to beat what has to be a tired opponent.


Rafael Nadal - 4.5 games v Karen Khachanov: It was a tough evening for Rafael Nadal in his Quarter Final win over Marin Cilic, but he showed enough of his fighting quality to edge out the Croatian over three sets. Marin Cilic is a tough opponent and the level of competition does come down a little bit when Nadal faces Karen Khachanov in the Masters Semi Final on Saturday.

I am a big fan of the young Russian, but the Khachanov run to the Semi Final here has come out of left field when you think how poorly he had played on the hard courts since winning an indoor title in Marseille. An early defeat in Washington last week underlined the level of performance Khachanov had been producing, but it has been a different story this week in Toronto.

Wins over Pablo Carreno Busta and John Isner have been particularly eye-opening, but Khachanov will have to overcome some mental challenges in this one against the best player he will have faced this week.

Rafael Nadal has won all three previous matches against Khachanov and to say he has dominated would be an understatement. All seven sets played have been won by Nadal and the majority of those have been very strong wins for the Spaniard who has been able to have a lot of success on the return of serve against one of Khachanov's big weapons.

The return game of the youngster is not quite up to the level to match the elite of the ATP Tour and that has been shown up in his matches and defeats to Nadal. This week has been much better for Khachanov when it comes to the return game, but this is going to be a much tougher task to break down the Nadal service game and I favour the World Number 1 to get through this Semi Final with some room to spare.

He hasn't been at his best this week so far, but Nadal has room to improve form the level he has displayed. The strong mental strength has helped him past Stan Wawrinka and Marin Cilic but Nadal has played well enough too and I think he will be far too good for Khachanov. Maybe the Russian can make this a closer match than he has in the past against Nadal, but I am not convinced and I will back the Spaniard to come through with a win and a cover.

MY PICKS: Kevin Anderson - 2.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Rafael Nadal - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 12-13, - 4.16 Units (50 Units Staked, - 8.32% Yield)

Weekend Football Picks 2018 (August 10-12)

After one of the best World Cup tournaments that I have experienced in my lifetime, the Premier League is back less than a month after the World Cup Final was played.

Teams have been shaping their squads much earlier than usual after the decision was made to move the summer transfer window forward to end before the new season began for the first time. Most clubs looked happy enough with the decision to do that, but some have missed out on adding significantly to the squad with two of the top four from last season being particularly quiet.

Both Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have to believe they have a squad to at least maintain their top four spots, but they don't look like they will be much closer to Manchester City and Liverpool could have overtaken both.

I will have my first 'United Corner' of the season posted in the middle of next week, but a short summary of the summer is it has been an underwhelming window and Jose Mourinho will have to get more out of players that he has signed previously. The arrival of Fred looks a good piece of business and Alexis Sanchez will be at his most freshest at this time of the season for years after Chile missed out on the World Cup so there is plenty of positives to take into the season rather than the 'doom and gloom' we have seen.

More on that next week once the Leicester fixture is out of the way.


The title race looks like it will come down to Manchester City and Liverpool which really is tough to write or read for any Manchester United fan out there. However they look the two teams to beat although I still give Manchester City a slight edge which may see them retain the Premier League title and become the first club to do that since Manchester United a decade ago.

I expect Chelsea and Arsenal to be closer to the top four this season and it could be a case of four teams trying to get into what looks like two places. Both Chelsea and Arsenal have new voices in the dressing room though and it may take some time to really get a feel for what Maurizio Sarri and Unai Emery want from the players at those respective clubs and so both Chelsea and Arsenal may be looking at the Europa League as a better route back into the Champions League.


The middle of the Premier League can always see teams move up and down very quickly as we saw last season and I am not convinced Burnley will be able to be as productive as they were in the 2017/18 season. The possible addition of the Europa League for a small squad will make it much tougher to finish as high as 7th especially with the likes of Everton, Crystal Palace, West Ham United, Leicester City, Wolves and Fulham all looking like they have strong squads and could possibly sneak into European Football for next season.

Those clubs will all be looking for a strong League Cup or FA Cup run too as some new faces enter the Premier League following promotion from the Championship and other clubs have new managers taking charge.


The relegation battle looks an interesting one this season, but I would be surprised if Cardiff City can follow the likes of Huddersfield Town and Brighton and surprisingly avoid an immediate return to the Championship. For all of the praise Neil Warnock gets, he has regularly been found out at the Premier League level and the squad looks to lack the quality to survive at this level.

I also expect Huddersfield Town to struggle having earned the majority of the points in the first half of the season. They finished with the 19th best record in the Premier League during the second half and have a difficult opening to 2018/19 which may leave The Terriers fighting against relegation from the opening weekend.

Southampton and Watford both had difficult times in the second half of the season, but I expect the former to be better under Mark Hughes and Watford always seem to do enough to avoid the drop.

Personally I would be worried as a Newcastle United fan, especially if Rafa Benitez decides enough is enough, and Brighton will be another club who could have a difficult second season at this level.


The World Cup turned out to be a very productive tournament for the Football Picks with a winning record on the board from an exciting World Cup Finals. Last season was much more difficult with some difficult months knocking me back, but a new season is always a time for optimism and below you can see the opening picks from the new season which begins on Friday 10th August 2018.


Manchester United v Leicester City Pick: Less than a month after the World Cup Final was played and won by France the Premier League is back in action much to the disgust of Jose Mourinho.

It has been a difficult pre-season for Mourinho and Manchester United with so many players involved in the latter stages of the World Cup, but the negative attitude of the manager has to be a worry going into his third season as manager of this club.

Most of those players won't be involved on Friday night and Manchester United are hoping they have added to the squad before the Summer Transfer Window closes on Thursday. Any addition is unlikely to be involved on Friday anyway so it is up to some younger players like Andrea Pereira or new signings like Fred to make an immediate impact for the club.

Mourinho has suggested Leicester City are in a better position than Manchester United to begin the Premier League, but The Foxes have lost Riyad Mahrez this summer and are unlikely to have Harry Maguire and Jamie Vardy for the opening fixture.

Claude Puel is also under pressure to make a strong start with so many questioning his credentials as manager of Leicester City. Without some key players it may be difficult for Leicester City to make a good start at Old Trafford, but they could dig in and make life very difficult for a Manchester United team who have not been the most threatening going forward in their pre-season games.

Pre-season doesn't mean a lot, but Manchester United are missing some key players which may restrict their attacking creativity. However they are facing a Leicester City team who lost at 7 of the 8 clubs that finished above them last season and who were beaten by 8 of the top 9 the season before last too.

However it feels it may take some time for Manchester United in this one and I am not anticipating a lot of goals even if 4 of the last 5 between these clubs have finished with at least three goals shared out. The exception came at Old Trafford last season and the potential absence of Vardy coupled with Mahrez' exit from the club suggests goals could be tough to find here.

I do think Manchester United will edge it though with Alexis Sanchez and Juan Mata able to create enough for the home team. It may not always be pretty but backing Manchester United to win a game featuring no more than three goals looks a decent price at odds against.


Newcastle United v Tottenham Hotspur Pick: The upheaval at Newcastle United shows very little sign of settling down but every time you think Mike Ashley will think about selling the club he tightens his grip and refuses to let go.

Once again Ashley has cut the purse strings to manager Rafa Benitez and so this looks another season in which the Spanish manager will have to get more out of this squad of players than looks possible.

Goals have been a problem for Newcastle United and I am not convinced Solomon Rondon will be the answer, while they are a team who can struggle under the weight of expectation the home fans have of them. However Benitez has managed to use the passion in a strong enough way that Newcastle United won more Premier League home games than the likes of Burnley and Crystal Palace last season.

The players were clearly encouraged when the big clubs visited too having lost just 2 games at St James' Park to the top six in the Premier League. One of those losses did come against Tottenham Hotspur, but it was goalless until Jonjo Shelvey was sent off and this looks another tough opening away fixture for Spurs who played here on opening weekend last season.

This time Tottenham Hotspur have a number of players returning from the World Cup who may not be involved from the off. That could include the likes of Dele Alli, Jan Vertonghen and Harry Kane although the latter two could earn a start here as Tottenham Hotspur look for a positive opening to the season.

The lack of pre-season for those players has to be a concern and you can see why Tottenham Hotspur are odds against to win here. Spurs have managed to find a way to win in 3 of their last 4 visits to this part of the North East though and I think they may edge out this Newcastle United team whose players refused to fulfil TV commitments earlier this week because of a row about bonuses.

It may be a distraction that prevents the home team from being at their very best and I think this Tottenham Hotspur squad is more settled. Even with the World Cup players potentially missing out, I will back Tottenham Hotspur to find a victory on a tough ground and I will back them on the Asian Handicap to secure that.


Bournemouth v Cardiff City Pick: I am not a big fan of Neil Warnock but I respect what he has managed to do in his career by guiding a number of clubs up to the Premier League.

Warnock helped Cardiff City to a surprise promotion last season but he has been found out previously in the Premier League and this squad doesn't look like one that is equipped to survive in the top flight.

In saying that Warnock will make Cardiff City tough to beat and this group of players will have an adrenaline rush following promotion which makes them dangerous early in the campaign. We saw that work for Huddersfield Town last season and a strong start to the season will give Cardiff City every chance of surviving, while Neil Warnock came close to keeping Sheffield United in the Premier League a decade ago.

The opening weekend will give us some clue as to what to expect from Cardiff City when they visit a Bournemouth team who are looking for more consistency this season. Eddie Howe wasn't all that impressed with the way The Cherries ended the 2017/18 season and there hasn't been a host of arrivals at the club which has made Bournemouth a 'dark horse' pick for relegation.

Personally I think Bournemouth are a little too good to go down as they have tended to beat the teams they should to keep their heads above water. 5 of their 7 home wins came against teams that finished below them in the Premier League table including beating all 3 teams that were eventually relegated, while the season before Bournemouth had 9 home wins and 7 against those that finished below them.

Even in that season they beat 2 of the 3 relegated clubs and I think that will be the outcome of this fixture if the season predictions are correct. I do think Cardiff City will struggle and Bournemouth have tended to win fixtures like this one so I will back the home team to secure the three points here.

Opening day can be a tough weekend to predict results as shown when Huddersfield Town crushed Crystal Palace 0-3 and Burnley won 2-3 at Stamford Bridge last season. Cardiff City have plenty of momentum having earned promotion back in May, but Bournemouth have enough goals to break them down here and I will look for Eddie Howe's men to get off to a positive start.


Fulham v Crystal Palace Pick: The return of Fulham to the Premier League will be met with some excitement by the home fans as well as visiting ones who have always enjoyed Craven Cottage.

This looks a good football team that have come up from the Championship and Fulham have made some good looking signings which will have the fans believing they can join Huddersfield Town and avoid relegation after coming up through the Play Offs.

Ryan Sessegnon may receive the majority of the attention from the media, but it is the signing of Jean Michael Seri that has really raised the eyebrows. Craven Cottage is going to be a key venue for Fulham if they are going to avoid the drop and this looks like being a tough place for any team to visit.

However the style of football may also encourage visitors to play their own attacking football and Crystal Palace have plenty of pace to challenge Fulham. The Eagles only won 4 of their 19 away League games last season although 3 of those came against teams that finished in the bottom five of the table.

Keeping Wilfried Zaha, which Crystal Palace have at the time of writing, could be huge for Roy Hodgson in having another successful season at the club. He will offer a real attacking threat from Crystal Palace and I think they play their part in what could be an entertaining fixture on the opening weekend of the season.

Fulham are unlikely to have dropped their attacking style from last season and Crystal Palace will feel they can exploit spaces with the pace they have. Games between Fulham and Crystal Palace have produced plenty of goals in their most recent meetings and these two teams can continue that trend with the attackers that will be on display here.

Slightly cooler weather in London should help in creating an entertaining spectacle and I will back at least three goals to be shared out between these clubs.


Huddersfield Town v Chelsea Pick: There is absolutely no doubt that it is going to take some time to see the best of Chelsea under Maurizio Sarri regardless of the comings and goings at the club. Losing Thibaut Courtois, which looks very likely when I am writing this, is a blow, but it is better than losing Eden Hazard who could have a huge season under Sarri and the attacking style the former Napoli manager will bring to the club.

It is a different style to what was demanded of the players from Antonio Conte and that is the main reason it may take some time to bed in. Any new signings might not begin to make the impact Sarri would want until they get used to playing in the Premier League and so the first couple of months may be difficult for Chelsea.

Even with that in mind I do think they will have too much quality for this Huddersfield Town team who have not made the kind of improvements they would have perhaps needed from last season. David Wagner does get plenty out of his players and they should be a little more ready than Chelsea who may not have Hazard or Willian in their starting line up.

That does make this a dangerous opening game for Chelsea but I do think they can put the pressure on the home team with the high press that will be demanded of them from the manager. Last season Chelsea were beaten 2-3 at home by Burnley so you can't rule out the upset, but I think Huddersfield Town may continue to struggle for goals which is a real issue for them in their fight to avoid the drop.

Huddersfield Town were beaten in 5 of their 6 home games against the top six clubs last season and they conceded at least two goals in 4 of those defeats. Chelsea can still call on enough quality to win this fixture and I think they can force a few mistakes from The Terriers which can help them earn an important three points to open this season.

I can see the home team playing their part in this one, especially with Chelsea being slight undercooked for the new season, but ultimately I think The Blues will have too much for them. Backing the away team to win a game which features at least two goals looks a decent price here and that is the way I will approach this opening weekend fixture.


Wolves v Everton Pick: There is a new era dawning at both Wolves and Everton and they get a chance to see where each club stands when they meet on the opening weekend of the Premier League 2018/19 season.

Some may suggest Wolves entered a new era last season when they dominated the Championship, but the return to the Premier League will still be a real challenge for this squad of players. The lack of experience of playing in the Premier League is a real concern and a poor start can see things spiral, although Wolves performed well enough in the Championship to think they can have success at this level too.

For Everton they have finally been able to bring in Marco Silva as manager of the club and he is beginning to shape the squad to his liking. The real key for the new manager will be getting more out of the players already with the Everton squad although I expect more additions to add to Richarlison and Lucas Digne ahead of the close of the transfer window which will give Everton a boost.

There are some solid players already here and Silva's attacking style may be able to get the best of them. His time with Watford showed that Silva's style can work in the Premier League, although he will want Everton to show more defensively having been inconsistent at the back.

Signing a new centre half may help in the long term, but the short term of this fixture it may be more of an issue for Everton. This Wolves team scored 47 goals in 23 home League games last season and they have added Joao Moutinho to give them more creativity so I would expect them to challenge this Everton team when they go forward.

The same could be said for Everton who have some quality attacking players that may be pleased to be playing in Marco Silva's system. Scoring goals was something of an issue for Everton away from home, but Silva's Watford were a free-scoring team and I think Everton will be set up to be very positive going forward to get the best out of Richarlison, Theo Walcott and Cenk Tosun.

It really feels this could be a good game of football to watch on Saturday afternoon in the second of the live offerings from the Premier League. Both teams should have the chances to get on the scoreboard and the 1-1 score is a real player, but I believe both Nuno Espirito Santo and Marco Silva will be looking to get a positive start on the board for their clubs and they could easily share out three goals.

At the prices it looks worth backing goals in this one and I will look for at least three to be scored at Molineux on Saturday.


Liverpool v West Ham United Pick: The first Premier League game to be shown live on Sunday in the 2018/19 will come from Anfield as one of the hot tips to win the Premier League open their League campaign against West Ham United.

Put aside the fact that Jurgen Klopp has proven to be a hypocrite for criticising the amount of money other clubs spend just two seasons ago and you can see why Liverpool are considered the club most likely to challenge Manchester City for the Premier League title this season.

They have made big purchases to improve the problematic goalkeeping position as well as upgrading their midfield options by bringing in Fabinho and Naby Keita. With a front three who look full of goals, Liverpool fans will be expecting big silverware at the end of the season having come so close to winning the Champions League in May.

The squad depth has been added to by bringing in Xherdan Shaqiri too and it is no surprise that Liverpool are big favourites to beat West Ham United on Sunday.

However Manuel Pellegrini has arrived at West Ham United and immediately made an impact by being given the funds to make some quality additions to the club. A strong pre-season has many of the fans believing this is going to be a very strong season for The Hammers and the owners will be hoping the same to avoid the unsavoury scenes that have been seen at the London Stadium in the last couple of years.

It is a huge test from the off for West Ham United who have been given a difficult looking start to the season in terms of fixtures. They have to head to Arsenal in a couple of weeks and also have to play at Everton and host Chelsea and Manchester United before the end of September.

Even then I do think this is an improved West Ham United team and I think they will offer a real test to Liverpool on Sunday. You can only imagine Liverpool will be better at Anfield than last season when they drew too many games here, but the defensive injuries will give West Ham United a chance to play a part here in a Stadium where they have enjoyed some success in recent years.

West Ham United scored in both heavy losses to Liverpool last season and they have looked good in pre-season while also having a squad that looks to be clearer of injuries than at most points last season. With Liverpool likely missing some of their defensive options for this one, West Ham United can score here for the 4th time in 6 visits to Anfield.

It is almost impossible to think Liverpool won't score having managed that in 16 of their 19 home League games last season and I will back both teams to do that in this live game.


Arsenal v Manchester City Pick: Unai Emery is going to be welcomed as Arsenal manager for the first time in the Premier League this weekend and he might be wondering who he has offended to be given such a difficult start to the new era at the Emirates Stadium.

Facing Champions Manchester City and then heading to Stamford Bridge the following week is a tough opening to the season for any club, but Arsenal have to try and embrace the challenge.

In all honesty they may not be able to play Manchester City or Chelsea at a better time with both clubs bringing back key performers who played in the latter stages of the World Cup and Chelsea also having a new manager and new ideas to implement.

Even then it will be a tough test for Arsenal and Emery who has made some decent signings for his new club as they bid to move on from the Arsene Wenger era. Arsenal look like they could be closer to the top four this season having finished 12 points behind 4th placed Liverpool in May, although the challenge will be improving away from home.

At the Emirates Stadium Arsenal won 15 of 19 League games last season and they managed 14 wins from 19 the season before. However both losses here last season came against the top two teams and the Arsenal players won't have forgotten the way they were beaten by Manchester City in all 3 games against them in the 2017/18 season.

Arsenal conceded three times in all of those games and were well beaten in the League Cup Final while they were 0-3 down after 33 minutes in the League game here. At least this Manchester City team could be without the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, David Silva and Raheem Sterling, but even then they showed how good they could be in their dominant Community Shield win over Chelsea last weekend.

Riyad Mahrez has come in to give Pep Guardiola more options while Benjamin Mendy's return from injury means the left back position has been improved from last season. This is definitely going to be a tough place to play this season for visiting teams with the tactically astute Unai Emery unlikely to leave Arsenal as open as Arsene Wenger may have done, but there is still a real gap in quality between these clubs.

I do think Arsenal will be improved from last season and they have an attacking threat that cannot be ignored, but Manchester City may just have a little too much for them. While The Gunners have signed some defensive reinforcements, I am not sure it is enough to keep out a very good Manchester City team with creativity running through the side and I am willing to back the Champions at odds against to win here.

Some of the absentees are a blow for Manchester City, but they may still dominate possession and that can lead to the Champions earning the three points in a tough live game to be played on Sunday afternoon.

MY PICKS: Manchester United to Win & Under 3.5 Goals @ 2.10 Boyle Sports (2 Units)
Tottenham Hotspur - 0.25 Asian Handicap @ 1.80 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Bournemouth @ 2.00 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Fulham-Crystal Palace Over 2.5 Goals @ 2.00 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Chelsea to Win & Over 1.5 Goals @ 2.00 Ladbrokes (2 Units)
Wolves-Everton Over 2.5 Goals @ 2.20 Betfair Sportsbook (2 Units)
Liverpool-West Ham United Both Teams to Score @ 1.91 Bet365 (2 Units)
Manchester City @ 1.95 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Weekend Football Picks 2017 (August 11-13)

After what has felt like an age, the Premier League season is finally back.

I hate these years without a major international tournament as my football fix just cannot be fed, but next summer we have the World Cup Finals and we have all survived through the bleak last three months.

Excitement and optimism is in the air around the country and hopefully this is going to be another excellent season.


I have also written about the new season at Manchester United and the excitement most fans are feeling about the new campaign here.


With the start of a new Premier League season, this is considered the time for predictions for the season. While things can change quickly, this is my prediction for the upcoming Premier League season followed by picks from the opening weekend of the season.

Champions: Manchester City- this is a team with the best squad in the Premier League. Pep Guardiola has had a season to understand the Premier League and the differences between managing a top club in this Division compared with La Liga and the Bundesliga and the signings made make Manchester City more well rounded and a younger squad than the one Guardiola was working with last season.

Keeping Vincent Kompany fit may be the key, but the attacking talent is mouthwatering and Manchester City should be more clinical in front of goal which leads to a first title since 2014.


Champions League Places: Manchester United- I think Manchester United will finish behind Manchester City but will push them all the way. Jose Mourinho's side weren't far away from a much better season in the League last season and Romelu Lukaku can join up with Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Paul Pogba to provide more goals going forward and turning draws into wins.

Defensively United have options and Nemanja Matic is a huge boost to the squad. If United can purchase a left sided attacking player, they may even have enough to win the title for the first time since Sir Alex Ferguson retired.

You can read more about my Manchester United thoughts here.

Tottenham Hotspur- this is all about keeping the first eleven fit, which is a tough ask for Tottenham Hotspur. Playing at Wembley instead of White Hart Lane should see them slip back from last season, but they have enough in the first eleven to finish in the Champions League spots again.

Injuries could be a big problem barring some big investment in the remaining days of this transfer window.

Liverpool- everything depends on keeping Philippe Coutinho. Keep him and Liverpool should mount a title challenge but a lack of squad depth will likely mean a top four finish. Mohammed Salah is a good signing and if Sadio Mane remains fit they should be there or thereabouts as long as their Brazilian playmaker stays at the club.


Europa League Places: Chelsea- I thought Chelsea were overrated last season thanks to a record breaking run in the middle of the season. While finishing as Champions, Chelsea need more players with the Champions League to play as well as the Premier League this season.

Alvaro Morata has to adjust to the Premier League quickly, and Eden Hazard can't return quick enough. Chelsea's system should be more familiar to teams this season and I think they rode their luck last season which may desert the current squad and fall out of the top four is possible.

Arsenal- keeping Alexis Sanchez would be a huge achievement for Arsenal and potentially moves them back into the top four, but I am not sure he will stay even now. If Sanchez does move on, I can't see Arsenal finishing higher than 6th place barring a complete collapse from a team above them.


Relegation: Newcastle United- Rafa Benitez is upset and I would not be surprised if he walks away from this job. This is still a Championship looking squad and a lack of investment has bothered the manager.

If Benitez stays, Newcastle United stay up, but his departure may lead to another relegation for a North East side from the Premier League.

Burnley- this is harsh on Burnley who played so well last season, but they were heavily reliant on overachieving massively at Turf Moor. I can't see them matching that and Burnley look weaker without Michael Keane and Andre Gray.

They will work hard, but a step back in the home form may lead to relegation this time around.

Huddersfield Town- all credit has to be given to David Wagner, but The Terriers look far short of the quality needed to survive in the Premier League.

I expect Huddersfield Town to be decent enough in the first three months, but the high press could see players lack the energy in the second half of the season as confidence drops with a loss of form.


League Cup: Manchester City- the strong squad may be able to negotiate the early Rounds and Pep Guardiola may follow the likes of other big name managers in England whose first silverware came in this competition.


FA Cup: Tottenham Hotspur- Mauricio Pochettino has been given plenty of credit for the way he has improved Tottenham Hotspur in his time at the club, but a lack of silverware still sticks out like a sore thumb.

As they improve at Wembley during the course of the season, Tottenham Hotspur should feel right at home when it comes to the FA Cup Semi Final and Final and I can see them finally winning a trophy again.


Now I imagine plenty of these predictions go very wrong with the top six tightly bunched up. But it's just a bit of fun to see how it goes and look back in ten months time and realise how wrong I was back in August.


On Friday the Premier League is back and I have picks from the entire weekend from the top flight, English Championship and Scottish Premiership which can be read below.


Arsenal v Leicester City Pick: After what has felt like an eternity, the Premier League is back in action this weekend with the start of the opening weekend coming on Friday night from North London. For most clubs that might feel like a positive, but there are still some real question marks about this Arsenal team and a section of their support might be itching to make their feelings clear to Arsene Wenger at the Emirates Stadium on Friday evening.

This is actually the sixth season in a row that Arsenal will be opening up the Premier League at home, but they have unbelievably only won 1 of those previous 5 games. In fact Arsenal have lost 3 of their last 4 including opening weekend losses to West Ham United and Liverpool in the last couple of years.

It actually means Arsenal have won 1 of their last 7 opening Premier League games at the Emirates Stadium and that is not going to be music to the ears of Arsene Wenger. Another poor showing is going to bring the boo birds out again and it is not the kind of way any team wants to begin a new campaign which usually comes with plenty of optimism.

You can’t really judge a team on the way they have played last season, but Leicester City did struggle away from home against the top clubs. The Foxes lost 8 of 9 away games against the top nine in the Premier League last season and 5 of those losses did come by at least two goals.

However they do look a more settled side under Craig Shakespeare and the 3 away games at the top 9 clubs under his guidance saw Leicester City lose narrowly twice.

The squad also hasn’t had the upheaval of losing someone of the importance of N’Golo Kante (at least not at the time of writing) and Leicester City have added a couple of quality additions in Harry Maguire and Vicente Iborra.

With Arsenal potentially missing the likes of Aaron Ramsey, Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez, I can see why the layers are not giving much away with Leicester City on the handicaps. Add in Arsenal’s opening weekend woes in recent years and this feels like it could be another tight match between two clubs who have had touch encounters in recent years.

The Gunners have managed to get the better of Leicester City with some fortune in those games and I feel they may just earn the narrow edge again. This is a fixture where you want to keep stakes to a minimum, but backing Arsenal to win by a single goal margin might be the best way to approach it.

Leicester City may be a little better all around than last season, but recent years have seen them have their difficulties away from home at the top clubs. They’ve lost 3 times in a row at the Emirates Stadium by a single goal margin, while Arsenal had a 13-1-1 record at home against teams who finished below them last season.

Only 5 of Arsenal’s 14 home Premier League wins came by a single goal margin in the 2016/17 season, but add in their issues on the opening weekend and the absence of Alexis Sanchez and that feels as good as it gets for the most likely winners on the day.


Watford v Liverpool Pick: Jurgen Klopp may be very happy to be focusing on competitive football again as he continues to face questions about Philippe Coutinho and whether he will be staying at Liverpool. The distraction of Coutinho as well as the Champions League Qualifiers which begin next week may leave Liverpool a little vulnerable for this trip to Vicarage Road.

There will be excitement around the ground for the early Saturday kick off as Watford play their first game under the guidance of Marco Silva. Despite failing to avoid relegation with Hull City, Silva’s reputation actually improved in English Football as he gave The Tigers every chance to avoid the drop.

Watford fans will be hoping he can help their side kick on in the Premier League with the hope of more positive football than the Walter Mazzarri era produced. However the key remains to avoid the drop into the Championship and Watford have signed players like Will Hughes, Tom Cleverley and Nathanial Chalobah to give them extra bite in the middle of the park.

Silva will also be looking for the shield to protect a Watford defence that finished with the 4th worst record in the Premier League last season. Facing the 4th best attack in the League from last season is going to be a real challenge for Watford this weekend, especially with Sadio Mane back for Liverpool.

The Coutinho situation makes it tough to know whether he will be starting this weekend and that does take away some of the threat of Liverpool. His passing is key for the side, but Mane, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino do offer a real threat for Liverpool going forward.

Liverpool did win 6 of their 10 away games at the teams in the bottom half last season, but one of the failures came at Hull City under Marco Silva. Goals also tended to flow as 7 of those 10 away games finished with at least three goals shared out.

The Silva arrival does change things for Watford who have lost 19 of 20 games against teams that finished in the top five over the last two seasons. This is a team who lost 10 of 12 home games against the top six finishers, and 3 of the 6 games at Vicarage Road against the top six last season ended in Watford losses of two or more goals.

In 5 of their 6 home games against the top six, there were three or more goals featured and I am looking for at least three to be shared out in this one. Liverpool conceded in 13 of 19 away games last season, but have the attacking threat to make up for it, while Watford saw goals flow when they faced the best teams.

Opening weekend games can be tough to read, but I am looking for at least three goals to be shared out by these teams on Saturday.


Chelsea v Burnley Pick: You can’t ignore the similarities between the attitudes of Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte just months after winning the Premier League title as Chelsea manager. Mourinho was remarkably unhappy going into the 2015/16 season and lasted a few months before being relieved as manager, while Conte looks increasingly upset at what he perceives is a lack of support in transfer dealings the Champions have made.

There are even suggestions Conte will walk away from Stamford Bridge despite signing a new contract in the summer. A lot will depend on how much business is conducted by Chelsea between now and the end of August, but the poor body language has to be a big concern for Chelsea fans.

No one will dispute that Chelsea look short of numbers, but Conte seems to have escaped the criticisms Mourinho was receiving for not bringing through the youth. Nathan Ake, Nathanial Chalobah, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Christian Atsu, Dominic Solanke and Bertrand Traore are just some of the young names that have been allowed to move on.

That’s a lot of players that some would consider as capable squad players that have been let go, but Conte won’t care about that and instead is focusing on the lack of players being signed. It does lead to a negative atmosphere and this opening weekend game is an important one to change the feeling ahead of the big clash with Tottenham Hotspur eight days later.

It does feel like Chelsea are playing the right opponent in a Burnley side who have lost Michael Keane this summer. The majority of the squad has been kept together with some solid signings in Jack Cork and Jonathan Walters, but Burnley struggled mightily away from home last season.

12 of the top 13 clubs beat them in front of their own fans and goals were a problem. For all the anger that Conte has been displaying, Chelsea still look solid enough at the back to be able to keep Burnley from having an impact on the scoreboard.

Asking Chelsea to cover a big Asian Handicap might be too much considering Eden Hazard is absent and with the negativity I have spoken about. It feels like a fixture Chelsea would just love to pick up the three points and then move on to getting ready to face Tottenham Hotspur.

Burnley might have struggled for goals, but they did manage to hit the net at 6 of the top 8 last season. However they didn’t do that at Stamford Bridge and I think Chelsea will be looking to be as tight as possible in this one so backing them to win with a clean sheet is the pick.


Crystal Palace v Huddersfield Town Pick: The opening weekend of the Premier League season can be a very difficult one to call and so I would advise a minimum unit on this pick. That has a lot to do with how poorly Crystal Palace have played at Selhurst Park over the last three seasons with just 18 wins from their last 57 Premier League games here.

They now have a new manager who plays the brand of football that may be pleasing on the eye, but also could lead to Crystal Palace being more open at the back. That is certainly an area where David Wagner’s Huddersfield Town will look to earn mistakes from their high press which could see The Terriers earn an important win to open the new campaign.

However it is hard to see how Huddersfield Town will have a lot of success away from home at the higher level. The high press is all well and good, but Huddersfield Town will be trying to do that against teams far superior than they played in the Championship last season.

Even then, Huddersfield Town may have finished with the 5th best away record in the Championship, and beat Newcastle United, but the side lost to all the other clubs that finished in the top six. Now at a higher level, Huddersfield Town’s foundation for survival will have to be laid at home.

Opening weekend does produce surprise results though and Crystal Palace look a little short for me. In saying that, half of their home wins over the last two seasons have come against teams that have finished below them in the Premier League table and I would fancy Crystal Palace are going to finish above Huddersfield Town.

Goals could be produced by two teams who will likely try to play some attacking football, but I think the superior Crystal Palace squad can earn the three points on Saturday. It won’t be easy and I think it is hard to fully believe in a side that have such a poor record at home, but I will have a minimum unit pick on Crystal Palace to win.


Everton v Stoke City Pick: There is plenty of excitement going into the new season for Everton, but things could take a real shift if their club are unable to beat Stoke City and also go out of the Europa League before the Group Stage. The fixture compilers have not been kind to Everton so any slow start could see all positive vibes leave the stands before the end of September.

After this Premier League opener against Stoke City, Everton face Manchester City (A), Chelsea (A), Tottenham Hotspur (H) and Manchester United (A)… Suffice to say it is important for Everton to get off to a good start this weekend.

The new arrivals at the club have shown intent from Everton, but I feel they may have improved the squad rather than the starting eleven if that makes sense. While they can rotate the squad a little more, the absence of Romelu Lukaku and, to a lesser extent, Ross Barkley does take away pace and quality from the Everton starting line up.

You can understand why Ronald Koeman has not finished his transfer business with that in mind, but it does mean Everton look incredibly short to win this match. I do think they will get the better of Stoke City, who also look weaker than last season at this point, but I won’t be risking too many units on them being able to do that.

Mark Hughes is under a different pressure than Koeman with the expectation at Stoke City not matching that at Everton. However the manager won’t want another start like last season when Stoke City failed to win any of their first 7 Premier League games and lost 4 in a row after an opening day draw with Middlesbrough.

This is a team that continues to struggle to compete with the best teams in the Premier League, especially away from home.

Everton were another who beat Stoke City at home last season, but the back to back home losses to this club prior to that does worry me. I think Everton will also find it tougher to break down these kinds of teams without more investment, but I think they have better momentum and more positive feelings than Stoke City and can show that this weekend.

The side have won 9 of their last 10 at home in all competitions and I will have a minimum unit on Everton winning this weekend.


Brighton v Manchester City Pick: The television cameras will head to the Amex Stadium for the first time for a Premier League game and there will be excitement in the air for both Brighton and Manchester City. The fans in the Stadium will be looking for Brighton to kick on from last season, but Chris Hughton will get an idea of how much work there is to do to keep Brighton in the Premier League when facing a team of this quality on opening weekend.

Finishing 17th will do for Brighton this season you would imagine, but anything less than 1st, or at least a sustained title challenge until May, will probably be seen as a failure for Manchester City. The investment made in the transfer window makes Manchester City the favourites for the title in my opinion, although they do need to keep the likes of Vincent Kompany and Kevin De Bruyne fit for much of the season.

Ederson, Kyle Walker, Benjamin Mendy and Bernardo Silva being added to the talent already in the squad gives Pep Guardiola the options he would want. They have kept Gabriel Jesus and Sergio Aguero together and this is a team with plenty of goals in the side.

I also think Manchester City will continue to be a very dangerous away team having won 12 of 19 away Premier League games last season. With the extra space they will tend to find on their travels, Manchester City have the pace and the quality to exploit the spaces they will tend to find.

Manchester City didn’t beat any of their fellow top five teams away from home, but they were very strong against the rest of the teams. They were beaten at Leicester City, but Manchester City won 11 of 13 games at the bottom 13 last season.

9 of their 12 wins came by two or more goals as Manchester City were very good at exploiting spaces and I expect that to be the case on Saturday. While Brighton will be cautious under Chris Hughton, trying to play preventative football at home can be difficult with the fans urging a team on. Brighton will also have players looking to prove themselves and I think it will be a tough ask for them to stay with this Manchester City team who will put up some big scores away from home this season.

Manchester City were particularly dominant when they faced the teams who finished inside the bottom 7 places and that is where Brighton are most likely to end up. Opening day can see a surprise result or two, but I will be looking for Manchester City to earn a win by at least a couple of goals on Saturday afternoon.


Newcastle United v Tottenham Hotspur Pick: With a new Stadium being built and Tottenham Hotspur finishing in the Champions League places in consecutive seasons for the first time, fans of the club must have been excited about the chances of winning the Premier League title this season.

However the majority of the teams that finished below them have strengthened, as well as Champions Chelsea, while Tottenham Hotspur have only sold Kyle Walker in this transfer window. Standing still is not really the pathway to success, especially not with the additional factor of playing home games away from White Hart Lane.

Therefore a top four finish would be a big achievement for Tottenham Hotspur whose squad is going to be stretched by Champions League and Premier League Football. An injury to the likes of Christian Eriksen, Dele Alli or Harry Kane would be too difficult to overcome too and I think this could be a difficult season for Spurs.

An injury free season and Tottenham Hotspur will challenge for a top four finish but that is asking for a lot of luck. Tottenham Hotspur had the 5th best away record in the Premier League last season and now essentially have to play 38 away League games.

Tottenham Hotspur were at their best away from home when playing the bottom 9 clubs, winning 8 of those games and drawing the other. That will give them confidence when facing a Newcastle United team who have not strengthened as they would have liked.

However you can’t ignore that Newcastle United finished with the 10th best home record in the Premier League two seasons ago despite relegation. The year prior it was the 13th best home record and Newcastle United will be well organised under Rafa Benitez, who gives them the best shot of the promoted clubs to avoid the drop back into the Championship.

A lack of new investment has bothered Benitez, but Newcastle United will give Tottenham Hotspur a test. At home Newcastle United are expected to get forward so I do think they can pose problems for Tottenham Hotspur, although the same will be said for Tottenham Hotspur when they get forward.

A new season does mean some players could tire, but the temperatures don’t look too bad for August so I expect to see a good game between these two clubs. Goals have flowed when Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur have met at St James’ Park and I think the home team can contribute in an entertaining affair on Sunday.

Tottenham Hotspur look short to win here considering some of the negative headlines about their transfer policy, but any win will have to come in a game featuring at least three goals in my opinion.


Manchester United v West Ham United Pick: Both Manchester United and West Ham United underachieved in the Premier League last season, but both clubs come into the new season with more positive feelings than negative ones. There is a real expectation that both clubs will improve on their 6th and 11th place finishes respectively from last season.

Jose Mourinho’s successes in his second season with previous clubs are being used for further positives for Manchester United who won the Europa Cup to end last season. With the new investment being made on the playing side, there does feel like a title winning squad is being put together, although perhaps still a season away from actually going on to win it.

Romelu Lukaku’s arrival is for games like this one where he can turn draws into wins. Too many clubs came to Old Trafford to earn a draw last season, and notably from further down the League table, but Lukaku showed at Everton he does score in these kind of games.

With the likes of Paul Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan having a season under their belts, Manchester United do look a more settled eleven. They may still be able to do with another left sided attacker and that looks to be an area that will be strengthened before the transfer window shuts, but overall the squad looks better than last season.

It won’t be easy against a West Ham United team even though the Hammers lost 7 of 10 away games against teams that finished above them in the Premier League. One of their positive results came at Old Trafford and West Ham United do look a more settled team this time around compared with twelve months ago.

The arrival of the likes of Marko Arnautovic and Javier Hernandez look like solid bits of business for a team looking for a top half finish. However injuries could be a factor on the opening weekend of the season and West Ham United could be needing their hosts to be as poor in front of goal as they were for much of last season.

Chances will be created as Manchester United showed against Real Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup. There has to be some concern that Manchester United missed some top opportunities in that game too, but I think they open this season with a positive vibe and can record what will be a comfortable home League win to set the tone for the season.

You can read my views about Manchester United's upcoming season here.


Partick Thistle v Celtic Pick: At this stage of the season you would have to think that Celtic are going to be very much focused on the Champions League Play Off Round tie against Astana. The First Leg is played on Wednesday, but Celtic have been given the benefit of a Friday night Scottish Premiership time which should be ample time to prepare for the Champions League tie at Celtic Park.

Partick Thistle will be hoping to build on their 6th place finish in the Scottish Premiership from last season, but it can be tough to know exactly how to approach this League fixture. While they impressed with their highest League finish in almost thirty years, it was clear that Partick Thistle didn't really belong with the elite clubs in the Scottish Premiership.

The squad may be considered stronger this season, but I don't think you can ignore the fact Partick Thistle lost 9 of 10 home games against the teams who finished above them in the Scottish Premiership. There is also no doubt that Celtic look head and shoulders above the rest of the teams in the Division and they did record 2 big wins at Firhill Stadium last season (1-4 in December and 0-5 in May).

The home team have to hope Celtic are distracted, but Brendan Rodgers has his team playing very well early in the last campaign with the hope of keeping positive momentum behind them going into the Champions League Qualifiers. With a couple of big wins already this week, Celtic look very dangerous here.

Celtic have won 14 in a row at Partick Thistle and 9 of those have come by at least a couple of goals. That includes 5 of the last 6 including both last season and Partick Thistle were beaten by a couple of goals in 3 of 4 matches against Celtic and Aberdeen last season.

Backing Celtic to win here by at least a couple of goals looks to be too big a price and I will look for the Scottish Champions to have some real momentum behind them when they face Astana next week.


Brentford v Nottingham Forest Pick: The opening weeks of a new season can be difficult to get a read on with teams sometimes undercooked at the start and then rapidly making improvements with the quick succession of matches in August. There are 4 games for the teams in the Championship to negotiate by the middle of the month and this is the third of those for Brentford and Nottingham Forest.

Mark Warburton should receive a positive welcome from the Brentford fans having guided them to a Play Off spot before harshly being let go by the owner. Brentford have not been able to match that finish since Warburton left, but the manager is now concerned with Nottingham Forest.

He was not happy with the performance in the 1-0 win over Millwall, while Brentford perhaps deserved more than a defeat at Sheffield United last week. Being at home for the first time may give Brentford the chance to move back level on points with their visitors who had an awful away record last season.

Brentford were inconsistent at home for the second season in a row and that has to be a concern. However they do have goals in the squad and would have been encouraged by the chances Millwall created against Nottingham Forest, while Brentford have beaten Nottingham Forest twice in a row at Griffin Park.

That is enough to have a minimum unit interest on Brentford winning their first home game of the season.


Leeds United v Preston North End Pick: There was a disappointment in the Leeds United fanbase that they could not keep Garry Monk as manager and it was clear how much the supporters are still thankful to their former manager last weekend. However the Thomas Christiansen era has gotten off to a positive start with back to back wins and now the manager looks for a first League win at Elland Road.

7 goals scored in a couple of games will encourage the fans that an exciting season is forthcoming, but Christiansen is likely going to want Leeds United to show better defensive shape.

Elland Road is also going to be an important venue for Leeds United if they want to improve on their 7th place finish from last season. They played well here last season, but still have room for improvement having finished with fewer wins than seven other teams in the Championship.

Leeds United look to be facing the right opponent in Preston North End despite Alex Neil's men getting off to a positive start with a 1-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday last weekend. However they were then beaten 3-2 at Accrington Stanley in the League Cup and Preston North End have not won any of 12 away games in all competitions and lost 5 in a row.

They were also beaten by 6 of the top 7 in the League away from home last season and Preston North End have lost twice in a row at Elland Road since being promoted back into the Championship. I think Leeds United can continue their 100% record in the new season here and are worth a back to win this one.


Sheffield Wednesday v Queens Park Rangers Pick: This is still very early in the new League season but earning the first points will still be the only way for players to truly settle into the campaign.

Sheffield Wednesday and Queens Park Rangers both moved into the League Cup Second Round during the week with wins over lower League opposition, but only Queens Park Rangers won on the opening weekend.

Playing at home should give Sheffield Wednesday every chance to win their first League game especially as they look a stronger squad than Queens Park Rangers. The latter did lose at 3 of the top 5 from last season, although they have proved to be a tough nut to crack at times.

Losing 6 of their last 7, including the last 5 in a row, away from home will put Queens Park Rangers in a tough spot and over the last couple of seasons Sheffield Wednesday have generally been able to beat those teams who finished below them at Hillsborough.

It won't be easy to keep the stake to a minimum, but I will look for Sheffield Wednesday to find a way to get the better of Queens Park Rangers here.


Middlesbrough v Sheffield United Pick: Twelve months ago there would have been two Divisions between these teams, but on Saturday Middlesbrough and Sheffield United will be playing in a League game at the Riverside Stadium.

While the thinking may be that Middlesbrough are feeling down after relegation and Sheffield United are on the up following promotion, it is Middlesbrough who are considered favourites in the Championship. This is a squad that has the majority of players from the team that won promotion two years ago, while Garry Monk has been able to add some real firepower.

That didn't look the case in the 1-0 loss at Wolves last weekend, but you have to think Middlesbrough will have goals in the squad and will be there or thereabouts when it comes to promotion places in May.

Sheffield United will be confident having won 1-0 last weekend in their first game at this level in seven years, but they were put under pressure by Brentford and that game was played at Bramall Lane. Playing away from home will be a much tougher test for a newly promoted side and I think it is important to note they lost at both Bolton Wanderers and Millwall who came up with them.

In fact The Blades failed to beat any of the 5 teams immediately below them away from home and this is a big step up in competition for them. I do think Middlesbrough will challenge for promotion and Garry Monk's Leeds United were very strong at home last season.

I expect Middlesbrough to get their first win of the season this weekend.

MY PICKS: Arsenal to Win by One Goal @ 3.80 Sporting Bet (1 Unit)
Watford-Liverpool Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.86 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Chelsea to Win to Nil @ 1.92 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Crystal Palace @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)
Everton @ 1.70 Bet365 (1 Unit)
Manchester City - 1.5 Asian Handicap @ 2.02 Bet365 (2 Units)
Newcastle United-Tottenham Hotspur Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.83 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Manchester United - 1.5 Asian Handicap @ 1.98 Bet365 (2 Units)
Celtic - 1.5 Asian Handicap @ 1.77 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Brentford @ 1.86 Bet Victor (1 Unit)
Leeds United @ 2.05 Coral (1 Unit)
Sheffield Wednesday @ 1.85 Bet Victor (1 Unit)
Middlesbrough @ 1.91 Paddy Power (1 Unit)

August Update: 2-3-1, - 0.85 Units (6 Units Staked, - 14.17% Yield)