Canadian Masters Tennis Picks 2025 (Tuesday 5th August)

Appreciating the positives of the tournament has to be the right approach for these pages, but back to back days having players in winning positions only to have the opponent withdraw mid-match is a blow.

The numbers would have been very, very good if both Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Marta Kostyuk had completed their matches, even from a tough position, but that is just the way it goes.

Fortunately the selections around those Picks have come in as winners and that has eased the frustration- those retirements hurt a lot more when they have left just losing selections, meaning a dip in the numbers rather than just missing out on more additions.

The Semi Final lineup at both events in Montreal and Toronto will be completed on Tuesday as we fast approach the rare Thursday Final.

On the same day, the First Round at the next Masters event in Cincinnati will have begun, while those making the Final in the Canadian Masters are expected to be in action over the weekend. It is far from ideal, but the positives is that there is momentum behind those still involved this side of the North American border and the US Open is now two and a half weeks from getting underway.

Both Men's Quarter Final matches look difficult to pick on Tuesday, but the underdogs may show a bit of bite in the Women's tournament in Montreal.

Naomi Osaka + 2.5 games v Elina Svitolina: There is no doubt that Naomi Osaka would have recognised how tough her return to the Tour would be, but over eighteen months have passed and some will perhaps be disappointed by the fact she is lingering on the edges of the top 50 in the World Rankings.

That will change thanks to her run to the Quarter Final of the Canadian Masters with Osaka provisionally at around World Number 34, but the focus will be on trying to win a first title on the hard courts since winning the Australian Open in 2021.

Four Grand Slams have been secured, but Naomi Osaka has not made the second week of a Major since returning and a lot of her career has felt like 'all or nothing'. For example, Naomi Osaka has not made the Quarter Final at any Grand Slam that she has not gone on to win.

Her Quarter Final opponent, Elina Svitolina, may serve as something of an inspiration as to what is possible for a mother returning to the Tour. While Osaka has struggled for consistency, Elina Svitolina is the World Number 13 and a player who has reached the Quarter Final or better in half of the ten Grand Slam events played since returning to action.

The run to the last eight in Montreal will not improve the World Ranking, but winning the title here would push Elina Svitolina back into the top ten and give her a lot of confidence in her bid to win a maiden Grand Slam title at the upcoming US Open.

She has been in solid form in her three wins and beating Amanda Anisimova in straight sets will provide a boost.

Naomi Osaka has had to start a little earlier and so has won four matches to reach the Quarter Final, while her own performances have been very solid.

The key is going to be to serve as well as possible and try and avoid getting drawn into the longer rallies where Elina Svitolina's movement can help turn defence into attack very quickly. You also have to assume that Naomi Osaka is going to lose the majority of longer rallies and so it is key to get on the front foot and dictate the terms of this match.

That was the case when Naomi Osaka beat Elina Svitolina in Miami last year, although it was a competitive match with very little separating them on the day. It was the Osaka serve that delivered the advantages in favour of the former World Number 1 and she has been playing well enough to win a set, which may in turn be enough to cover as the underdog, even if ultimately it is the higher Ranked player who finds a way to reach the Semi Final.

Clara Tauson v Madison Keys: The history books will only state who won a Grand Slam title and the manner will long be forgotten, but it is pretty clear that Madison Keys is still operating on pretty fine margins on the hard courts. Back in Melbourne, she won a number of very close matches that could easily have swung away from her, but the American is very comfortable on the hard courts and has won another title outside of the Australian Open, as well as reaching the Quarter Final and Semi Final at Masters level events.

With that in mind, Madison Keys will be playing with plenty of confidence even if her last two wins here in Montreal have been far from convincing.

She has needed three sets in the last two Rounds to overcome Caty McNally and Karolina Muchova, and the concern for fans of Madison Keys is that she is not looking like a player peaking towards the end of the tournament.

At the Australian Open, Madison Keys was pretty steady with her performances even if there were some very close wins in her run to a surprising Grand Slam success. However, the numbers have dipped in each match played in Montreal and now Madison Keys has to try and hold off a confident youngster who just beat the Wimbledon Champion in the Fourth Round.

Clara Tauson has long been seen as a player with a huge amount of potential and she is set to improve on her career best World Ranking mark of Number 19, which was set in July.

She has just toughed out a win over Iga Swiatek, which will give Clara Tauson a lot of confidence after crushing her first two opponents without much resistance. The 22 year old won the title in Auckland in the build towards the Australian Open, but it has been a season where Clara Tauson may have expected more from herself on this surface, at least before she arrived in Montreal.

Having an impact at one of the big Masters events prior to the US Open beginning will really help Clara Tauson and the first serve can be a particularly strong weapon for her on the hard courts.

We have seen that in her three wins this week, but Clara Tauson has perhaps impressed even more with the way she has been seeing the ball on the return. Facing the Madison Keys first serve will be challenging, but Tauson may believe that she can be plenty aggressive against the second and her performances suggest she is a real threat to pull the upset.

That was the case when the pair met earlier in the year in Auckland and it was Clara Tauson who protected her second serve with much more success compared with the American.

Playing after an upset can be tough for players on the Tour, but Clara Tauson is experienced enough and this has the makings of a competitive Quarter Final. The underdog is perhaps been underestimated and Clara Tauson has every chance of securing a second outright win over Madison Keys.

MY PICKS: Naomi Osaka + 2.5 Games @ 1.83 William Hill (1 Unit)

Clara Tauson @ 2.10 William Hill (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 11-4, + 5.06 Units (15 Units Staked, + 33.73% Yield)

Premier League Fantasy Football GW 1 2022 (August 5-7)

The Winter World Cup has long been expected to have a big impact on the European club calendar and it has been the problem that most anticipated as soon as it was announced that Qatar could not back up their boasts of being able to play in the incredibly hot summer the country has every year.

So that means sixteen Premier League GameWeeks have been crammed into the calendar between August 5th and November 13th, while two Rounds of the League Cup and all six Champions League/Europa League/Europa Conference League Group Match Days will have to be completed by November 13th too.

Take away a two week international break in late September and most of the top clubs are going to be asked to play every few days from the end of this month right through to the second week of November.

Most managers will be pleased with the five substitution rule to try and keep players fresh, but I do think the World Cup has a potential to play real havoc on the 2022/23 season with the disruption of the six week break between GameWeek 16 and GameWeek 17 likely to quell all momentum.

Last season I had to take a break from these weekly threads because of work, but I also had a really poor middle to the Fantasy campaign, which meant needing to drop back and think again... A stronger last couple of months is encouraging, but I will get into my thoughts about the upcoming season below.

First, I will have a few thoughts about Manchester United and where the club stand on the eve of a new season.

United Corner

After what can only be described as a miserable season, the proverb 'the more things change, the more they stay the same' is my overriding feeling going into the 2022/23 campaign.

A new manager has arrived... A new 'football operations' team have also been put in place... But while the Glazer family continue to see Manchester United as little more than a 'cash cow', it feels like the entire club is being hamstrung by an ownership that has shown very little interest in trying to improve fortunes in a manner most football fans would expect.

Namely to have success on the field.

Ever since Sir Alex Ferguson and David Gill walked out of the door in the same summer of 2013, Manchester United have to be one of the poorest run clubs out of the 'big' European clubs around. A scatter gun approach to picking a manager, buying players has hurt on the pitch, while Old Trafford and Carrington have not been improved and fallen behind some of the other Stadiums and training facilities that have popped up around the country and continent.

So when the news broke that Dick 'Ed Woodward was leaving and the new CEO, Richard Arnold, would be changing the approach, it was met with some trepidation and a feeling that the proof will be in the pudding.

The positives were that an overinflated squad, both in terms of numbers and ego, would be trimmed and that has happened with players like Juan Mata, Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard moving on. Others who have been alleged to be involved in some of the major leaks coming out of the dressing room have also been shifted (hello Dean Henderson), and these moves have been welcomed by the fans.

BUT most fans would also have expected to have seen some replacements being brought in to improve the quality of the squad for the new manager Erik ten Hag who has done a very good job previously with Ajax.

Instead one left back, one centre half and an attacking midfielder have been the sole purchases made... After finishing 6th and seemingly miles off the top four pace.

All five clubs that finished above Manchester United have done sound business in the transfer window and mostly in time for the start of this season. Even West Ham United have signed a couple of players to improve the squad, while keeping Declan Rice, and all the while Manchester United's new 'footballing operations' team have been stuck on a never-ending deal to try and sign Frenkie de Jong.

I understand Erik ten Hag's mindset of not just adding to the squad for the sake of it, but how short do Manchester United look in centre midfield and in the attacking areas- right now I would not be surprised if someone told me the club were expecting Mason Greenwood back, despite the extremely disturbing allegations made against him, and that was the main reason they have allowed themselves to look as short of depth as they do.

With Cristiano Ronaldo angling to move away, Manchester United look like they could be one or two injuries away from having a real disaster and that is simply not good enough when pushing a 'new era' on the fans.

There is no doubt that getting transfers concluded is difficult, but the other main top four rivals all seem to manage it and there was a time when Manchester United would have been doing the same. The window is open for another month, but I have already mentioned how tight the schedule is over the next three months and that means a poor start could quickly spiral out of control.

And it is a tough start- Brighton and Brentford have shown they are very capable of springing a surprise and the month is rounded out with away trips to Southampton and Leicester City where United picked up a total of a single point in the corresponding fixtures last season. We won't mention which team is turning up to Old Trafford in the second home League game.

I won't deny that I have been encouraged by what I have seen from Erik ten Hag and his team in pre-season, but the squad depth is something the manager is clearly worried about. He must be wondering whether the Ronaldo issue can be contained, while some key players were so short of confidence last season that it may only take one or two poor results to put them back in a very negative space.

It is an incredibly difficult job with the limitations being put on the club from the very top, but another poor transfer window suggests nothing has changed.

Even now it wouldn't be a big surprise if the Old Trafford re-development spoken about will end with the club putting out a statement that the switch in the home dugout was all that was needed.

You can't help but be worried about the next ten months barring some big business being done between now and September 1st. The de Jong saga continues to suggest the club have learnt very little from Woodward's disastrous time at the helm and I do think things could quickly go very wrong for the new manager and this limited squad.

The top four places look like they will be too far away in his first season, but Erik ten Hag has to be giving the Europa League plenty of concentration with the second avenue into the Champions League arguably looking the 'easier' to negotiate.

As a fan I think we always go into the new season feeling positive, but another poor window after a truly pathetic season has knocked all that out of me before a ball has been kicked. The players will be under big pressure to win on Sunday, which I think they can manage, but the real tests come afterwards with three away games and Liverpool at home likely to give us a real indication of what lies ahead at Old Trafford.

The manager has to be backed and getting behind the team is very important, but this has been far from an ideal preparation to 'bounce back' and it truly feels like the more things change, the more they stay the same as has been the case at Manchester United over the last decade.

Premier League GameWeek 1 Fixtures

I am going to place my best picks from the weekend Premier League fixtures here and then we will move into the Fantasy Football portion of the thread.

Crystal Palace v Arsenal Pick: The Premier League begins slightly earlier than when we normally expect it as room is being made for the Winter World Cup beginning in November.

Every top flight club around Europe is in for a challenging period with a huge amount of games crammed into the 'first half' of the 2022/23 season.

Five subs have been introduced to the Premier League to ease some of the demands on the players, while fans will bounce into the new season with plenty of hopes for their own clubs.

Crystal Palace and Arsenal fans have every reason to believe this could be a strong season- both overachieved last year and the feeling is that they can build on the performances and successes. For Arsenal fans in particular, pre-season has raised all expectations, while the arrivals of players like Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus can improve not only the squad, but the actual starting eleven.

There is a lot of encouragement from the pre-season performances Arsenal have produced, but this is a far more difficult test than the prices indicate. Last season Arsenal were beaten in 9 of their 19 away League games, while 4 of their 9 away wins came at the eventual bottom four.

Only 4 of the 9 away Premier League wins came by more than one goal margins and it is hard to forget how poorly Arsenal played away from home down the stretch with 4 losses in their last 6 away League games.

They are also facing a Crystal Palace team who are unbeaten in 8 home games in all competitions and who crushed Arsenal in April. Manchester City failed to win here last season, both North London clubs were beaten and Chelsea and Liverpool needed 89 minute goals to secure their victories at Selhurst Park.

Too many draws held Crystal Palace back here, but they were only beaten in 4 of 19 home League games and I do think the odds are shortening on Arsenal as fans clamour to back a team who have won well in pre-season. This is an early start so there will be some off-season rust to shake off, but Crystal Palace have long enjoyed playing at home and they have enjoyed facing Arsenal with a single loss in 8 against them.

First goals will be crucial on the opening weekend with fitness perhaps making it more difficult to fight back, but I do think Crystal Palace have been underestimated here. Twelve months ago Arsenal were losing at another London club in the opening Premier League fixture and I think the start being offered to The Eagles is far too big to ignore.

Fulham v Liverpool Pick: Any team that is promoted to the Premier League will have one main ambition of consolidating their place at this level.

For clubs like Norwich City and Fulham, it has been very difficult to strike the right balance between the Championship and Premier League and they have once again traded places in the top flight.

Fulham have earned promotion for the third time in recent seasons, but the two previous campaigns having ended in relegation from the Premier League in 2019 and 2021. This time Marco Silva gets the opportunity to guide the club and he has not been as active in the transfer market as predecessor Scott Parker was in the 2021 campaign when signing a host of players before a ball had been kicked.

Consistency with the players may be a bonus for Fulham, but they have only won 13 of their last 57 Premier League fixtures at Craven Cottage. They are going to need to find a way to be much more competitive here and an early reminder of the challenge of the Premier League will be given to them as Liverpool visit on the opening weekend.

13 away wins from 19 League games shows how good Liverpool can be and this team will be bouncing after beating Manchester City 3-1 in the Community Shield. Darwin Nunez is off the mark to ease the pressure of coming in to replace Sadio Mane, while Liverpool have scored at least three goals in beating Norwich City (twice) and Leeds United as newly-promoted opponents in the last three seasons.

Only Leeds United were competitive and Liverpool won 0-3 at Carrow Road twelve months ago. Recent visits to Craven Cottage have been tricky, but you have to believe Liverpool can get off to a strong start to the Premier League campaign and I expect the talent difference to be obvious by the end of this fixture.

In their last Premier League season, Fulham were beaten 0-3 by Arsenal on the opening weekend and I do think they will struggle to keep Liverpool at bay. The visitors won well at Norwich City, Leeds United and Watford last season with Liverpool scoring at least three goals in each of those games and I do think they can produce enough in the final third to secure a relatively comfortable win on Saturday.

Bournemouth v Aston Villa Pick: Scott Parker was massively backed by the Fulham board two seasons ago ahead of the Premier League return, but his squad didn't even break the 30 point mark and were soundly relegated to the Championship.

He is back with a different club so has to be respected for managing another team out of the tough second tier, but Scott Parker has to accept he has benefited from guiding another former Premier League club. It means operating with a financial edge over most in the Championship, but this time Bournemouth have been a bit more frugal than Fulham and the manager feels his squad are not prepared for the Premier League.

It probably doesn't bode well that Bournemouth face Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool before the end of August and that also means pressure on Scott Parker to deliver a positive result on the opening weekend. His team did play well at home last season, but injury and key players returning to their parent clubs after loans means Bournemouth look vulnerable in a number of areas on the pitch.

The big question is whether this Aston Villa team with big ambitions can expose some of those vulnerabilities in this match.

Steven Gerrard has been well backed and being able to bring in Neil Critchley to assist in the coaching looks a solid move. His first eleven has been improved by the signings of Diego Carlos and Boubacar Kamara, while Aston Villa did win 6 of 13 away Premier League games following Steven Gerrard's arrival as manager.

The wins at Norwich City, Everton, Leeds United and Burnley in that time are particularly notable and Aston Villa were a little more effective in the system away from home than at Villa Park. A much healthier squad is available to the visiting team and I do think there is enough quality to beat a Bournemouth team that may be the weakest in the Premier League this season, barring some incredible recruiting before September.

Scott Parker's Fulham were beaten in 13 of 19 home Premier League games in his only full season as a Premier League manager two seasons ago and they were hammered 0-3 by Arsenal on the opening weekend. Bournemouth are unlikely to be beaten by such a margin in this one, but I do think Aston Villa can edge to the victory and look worth backing on the Asian Handicap which will return half the stake in the event of a draw.

Tottenham Hotspur v Southampton Pick: Opening day fixtures can be difficult to get a good read on, but it may be especially difficult in the 2022/23 season considering the earlier start than usual.

In saying that, there is much excitement about this Tottenham Hotspur team and the squad that has been constructed for Antonio Conte. It looks to have more depth and a solid starting eleven that could give any team a run for their money on Tottenham Hotspur's best day (win over Manchester City and a draw at Liverpool under Conte underlines the point).

Tottenham Hotspur look fresh going into the season and they are not having the same drama as twelve months ago when Harry Kane was linked with a move to Manchester City. Being more settled and with a manager who has been as effective as Antonio Conte has been gives Spurs plenty of optimism and I do think they will have too much for Southampton.

Ralph Hasenhuttl has to be respected and he has certainly been able to keep his players motivated even when things have begun to look like they are spiralling out of control. A poor end to last season has put the manager under some pressure and the early fixtures are not that encouraging, especially as Southampton look like a squad that could potentially struggle in the top flight.

A lack of goals is one thing, but Southampton have conceded far too many away from home and I do think they could be put under immense pressure by Tottenham Hotspur who have had strong underlying numbers since Antonio Conte has taken over as manager.

You cannot completely dismiss Southampton- this is an opening fixture and sometimes that can mean fitness is not where the favourites would like. Last season Southampton also won here and earned draws at Manchester City and Manchester United, but I do think Tottenham Hotspur were very efficient at home under Conte and 6 wins from 7 Premier League games here backs that up.

If Spurs can go in front early as they did when these teams met in February, I do think this current squad has a tougher feel about them defensively. This time I would imagine they would not allow Southampton back in as easily as they did several months ago and I think Tottenham Hotspur will have the firepower to secure a relatively strong win on Saturday afternoon.

Everton v Chelsea Pick: Both Everton and Chelsea will feel they had underachieving seasons in the 2021/22 campaign, and both sets of fans may be a little worried by the transfer market business being done by their respective boards.

Frank Lampard has made it clear that his players have to produce much more if they are going to operate higher up the League table, but poor recruitment has caught up with Everton. Now they have had to sell Richarlison and not been able to spend that money as they would have done in previous seasons and it means Lampard has a tough job in front of him.

At least his Everton team used the home crowd effectively and they were tough to play here down the stretch. Frank Lampard will need all that and more and better health for Dominic Calvert-Lewin who is the absolute key for the team. The English striker is a doubt for this weekend and that is not going to be good news for an Everton team lacking the depth they need.

His counterpart hasn't been much happier with the incomings at Stamford Bridge and Thomas Tuchel may feel he is going into the season with one hand tied behind his back. Big names have departed, but the signings of Kalidou Koulibaly and Raheem Sterling have not been enough to believe Chelsea can close in on the current top two.

More players are likely to arrive, but not early enough to expect them to have an impact in this opening fixture of the season. Chelsea have long struggled to play at Goodison Park and they have lost 4 in a row here, including back in May.

Jordan Pickford had a huge game for Everton that day and will be a key player again for the home team, although Chelsea may have better balance with Ben Chilwell back from a long-term injury. The bigger question for Chelsea is whether they can find a bit more consistency in the final third having ended a long way short of Liverpool and Manchester City in terms of goals last season.

An opening day fixture could see players struggle to maintain their intensity for the full ninety minutes and this may be a tough game for both teams. 8 of the last 10 between Everton and Chelsea have ended in three or fewer goals shared out, including both last season, and I do think this could be a game in which the defences largely come out on top.

I expect Chelsea to have the majority of the play, but Everton showed they can batten down the hatches at home under Frank Lampard and I would not be surprised to see a low-scoring start to the campaign in this late Saturday live offering.

Leicester City v Brentford Pick: Barely missing out on a top four finish in 2020 and 2021 and winning the FA Cup has certainly raised expectations around Leicester City and so the very difficult 2021/22 campaign was one that would have hurt the players as much as the fans.

Brendan Rodgers will point to the injury issues throughout the season, but that won't be enough to appease fans wondering why Leicester City have yet to make a signing. Now clubs like Newcastle United and Chelsea are sniffing around some of the better players on the roster and it will certainly be difficult for Leicester City to ignore the bids if the prices set are met.

Wesley Fofana is one that looks like he wants out, while James Maddison has been a little more silent, but it does not help the manager or their team-mates. Leicester City are about to lose Kasper Schmeichel already and there is a feeling that Brendan Rodgers could soon be feeling the pressure if the team make a slow start.

Thomas Frank certainly has more scope for early error with his Brentford team having guided them to promotion and then setting the club into 13th place in the Premier League last season. There are growing expectations around the 'bus stop in Hounslow', although I think Brentford's board would take another year of consolidation.

Losing Christian Eriksen is a blow, despite the solid signings that have been made, and I do think that will hurt Brentford. They were struggling before Eriksen made a big impact with the team and the injuries to some key defensive players ahead of the opening fixture are worrying.

Brentford have not really enjoyed playing Leicester City over the last couple of years with four losses to them during that time. Both Premier League games finished 2-1 in favour of Leicester City and a much healthier squad at Brendan Rodgers' disposal can secure the full three points in this one.

It could be one of the better games of the opening weekend with two teams that like to get the ball down and play attacking football- my only concern for Leicester City is the upheaval that players who wish to leave could cause, but I think Rodgers will have the team ready to compete on Sunday.

Jamie Vardy's wife suffered a demoralising defeat in the United Kingdom courts at the end of July, but the striker can help his team get off to a strong start in August and I think Leicester City are fairly priced to be backed for a win.

Manchester United v Brighton Pick: A new era is beginning at Old Trafford on Sunday, although expectations are much lower amongst the fanbase compared with twelve months ago. After a decent season, Manchester United fans were hoping to see a genuine Premier League title challenge put together, but instead it was a campaign where they missed out of Champions League Football and went through three different managers.

Erik ten Hag will be given time to implement his style, but there has to be some frustration with the poor transfer window up to this point. Instead of having a full squad to work with before the opening fixture, the new manager is still waiting to hear if his top midfield target will be purchased and Erik ten Hag has also asked for more attacking options.

Early pre-season form was decent, but it is all about the real thing on Sunday and Manchester United fans will be judging the players very quickly. Most of those who will be playing on Sunday were also involved in the 4-0 loss at Brighton in May and they will be asked to at least show they care a lot more than they seemed to do in the latter weeks of the last season.

This is far from an easy test for Manchester United as they host a Brighton team who had their highest League finish of all time just a few months ago. Graham Potter continues to get plenty out of his squad and Brighton continue to thrive even when selling some important players.

It has been a summer where Yves Bissouma has moved on and Brighton could also be losing Marc Cucerella, but before last season they allowed Ben White to leave and it did not stop the development of the team. They are a well run club who will find replacements for quality leaving and Brighton proved they can be a stubborn team to play on their travels having ended the season with wins at Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.

Brighton have yet to earn a result at Old Trafford since returning to the top flight and I do think the loss of Bissouma will hurt.

Graham Potter's team try to play football and that does earn them results, but also means the top teams can enjoy the matches against Brighton. Manchester United do need to get more out of the likes of Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Jadon Sancho, but it does feel like they can hurt Brighton as they have tended to do in recent seasons.

It could be an enjoyable match to watch with both teams likely to want to produce plenty of attacking threat. The quality should be with the home team even off a really poor season and I do think Manchester United can score at least twice in a home win to open this campaign.

West Ham United v Manchester City Pick: For most teams you would consider a visit to the London Stadium to be a tough test, but the layers are taking no chances with Champions Manchester City who are plenty short in the market to win here.

It says more about Manchester City and the expectations around them rather than any weakness about West Ham United, but Pep Guardiola will not be worrying about the odds. Instead he will be reminding his players that West Ham United have given them plenty of tough tests in recent times and David Moyes has added some key players to his squad.

Manchester City are potentially down a couple of centre backs for this game and that will be encouraging for a West Ham United team who have been very effective at the London Stadium in the Premier League over the last couple of seasons. In both they have also held Manchester City to draws having scored first and I do think the defensive issues could be exploited by the home team.

Last season Tottenham Hotspur did beat Manchester City 1-0 on the opening weekend and the season before saw the eventual Champions win 1 of their opening 3 fixtures. I do think Manchester City created enough last week in the Community Shield to suggest they will be very difficult to contain when going forward, but West Ham United have plenty who offer a counter attack and that could see them hit the back of the net.

West Ham United scored in every home Premier League game last season and have only failed to score here in 3 of their last 40 League fixtures. I do think Manchester City's dominance of the ball means they will not give a lot of goals away, but the last 4 Premier League fixtures between these clubs have all ended with both teams hitting the back of the net and I think that will be the outcome of the last fixture of opening weekend in the 2022/23 season.

MY PICKS: Crystal Palace + 0.75 Asian Handicap @ 1.85 Bet365 (2 Units)

Liverpool - 1.5 Asian Handicap @ 1.76 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Aston Villa - 0.25 Asian Handicap @ 1.75 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Tottenham Hotspur - 1.25 Asian Handicap @ 1.76 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Everton-Chelsea Under 2.5 Goals @ 1.80 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Leicester City @ 2.05 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Manchester United & Over 1 Total Goal @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)

West Ham United-Manchester City BTTS- Yes @ 1.80 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Fantasy Football GameWeek 1

The 2021/22 season may only feel like it ended last week, but the 2022/23 season is now ready to begin.

And that means the FPL Official Game is back!

An ever increasing interest in the game has made things a bit tougher all around, but I do think the Draft option will become more popular in the years ahead, especially for mini-Leagues. It will give the game a different and, in my opinion, a better dynamic with one real life player per mini-League as you would have when playing friends and family in any of the American fantasy games.

However, we are where we are right now and I do think the World Cup is going to be a problem to negotiate for all FPL players.

The game has responded by effectively offering a third Wild Card which will be live between GW16 and GW17, but it also means a slight change in approach to the first Wild Card.

It has to be used before GW16 and the challenge now is when best to play it.

The fixture list to open the season has looked pretty reasonable for the top four sides from last season and I think most are going to be dipping into the Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur squads.

Enablers like Nico Williams, Nathan Patterson, Andreas Pereira have emerged to be very popular within the FPL Community and the price point for players looks to be pretty reasonable in building strong squads to start the season.

For me the biggest questions have been the following:

1) Liverpool Triple Choice?: For most Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah are pretty set, but the big choice looks to be coming down to being between Andrew Robertson and Luis Diaz.

With Diogo Jota expected out for the majority of the month, I can see why Diaz is very popular. Unsurprisingly I think Liverpool and Manchester City will be the top scorers in the opening five GameWeeks, and so having a second player who looks like he will be given significant minutes in the attacking third is hard to ignore.

However, Liverpool also have the potential to pick up a number of clean sheets and that is where Andrew Robertson and the extra £1 million could prove to be key.

He has attacking output potential of his own, especially if Liverpool start Darwin Nunez who is a big target to aim for from crosses, while Robertson has been getting much into the box much more regularly when Luis Diaz is playing in front of him and that could be key to attacking returns.

It is a difficult one, but my lean is towards Robertson at the time of writing.

2) Harry Kane or Erling Haaland?: One of my lessons learnt in previous years is you never go with the shiny new toy joining the Premier League over an established player that is guaranteed plenty of points.

However, Erling Haaland could be the exception at Manchester City despite the horrendous miss in the Community Shield.

Harry Kane has played really well since Antonio Conte arrived as manager of Tottenham Hotspur, has impressed in pre-season and has a much easier looking GW1 fixture... But how can you without Erling Haaland in GW2?

I think Manchester City will create chances for Haaland and for now I would expect him to get plenty of minutes in the legs before rotation kicks in around the Champions League Group games. The Champions have an incredibly good looking fixture list to start the season and with the five subs rule in play, all of their attacking players should get plenty of minutes.

Another approach could be to lock in the GW2 transfer from Kane to Haaland, but those decisions can quickly cause problems in the early weeks of the season when you want to avoid taking too many transfer hits.

I've been back and forth between the players so much that I don't even know who I currently have in the squad- some may feel both are an option, but I think that really hurts the balance of the squad and likely means going without Salah.

3) Two Leicester City GK options at £4 million, too good to be true?: Kasper Schmeichel has departed and Leicester City look like a club having one or two financial problems so the feeling is that they will not be able to buy a replacement and instead will go with Danny Ward or Daniel Iverson.

Regular playing time could see Danny Ward take over as the Wales Number 1 ahead of the World Cup in Qatar and he does seem to have the edge. It frees up funds, but the risk is that you have to make a Goalkeeper transfer if Leicester City do decide to bring in more competition.

Those two tough away games at Arsenal and Chelsea may be when you would like someone else between the sticks, but in general Leicester City don't have a bad looking opening set of fixtures as long as they can keep the likes of Wesley Fofana at the club.

Like many, I have done a little tinkering with the squad in the final run towards the GW1 deadline and I think there will be more done before it all gets underway.

The best advice I can give you right now is not to get too engrossed by all of the 'advice' you see people dishing out in the lead up- there is never a truly right way to play a Fantasy game and going with your gut is important.

However, I would also keep an eye out on some of the ownership percentage of players as this is the time of the season you can lose the game, but not win it.

You don't want to be too far behind come the World Cup, but I do think some of the smaller decisions to balance the squad is where an edge can be made.

It would be a surprise if teams in your mini-League don't include three Liverpool players, while I expect most to have at least two 'premium' players (those priced at £10 million upwards in the game).

Gabriel Jesus had a huge pre-season for Arsenal and looks like entering the season as the most owned player on record at a bargain £8 million price point.

My plan is to post my screenshot of my final selection here on Friday at around 7pm.

Good luck to all playing.

NBA Picks 2019/20 (July 30-August 14)

There isn't an aspect of our usual lives that has not been affected by the pandemic which has taken hold over the last several months and sports is no different.

Many are beginning to return in a new look and that is the case for the NBA who have decided to send their remaining twenty-two teams to a 'bubble' in Florida where the remaining regular season games and the PlayOffs will all be played.

It isn't going to be the same as previous years even if the format for the post-season is going to be what we have become accustomed to seeing- no home court advantage surely opens the door for a number of teams to perhaps surprise their way into a Championship success.

Going into the resumption of play I would still be very surprised if one of the two Los Angeles teams is not playing in the NBA Finals, but the Eastern Conference looks more difficult to predict. No fans and no home court advantage is going to level up the playing field and I do think the regular season games to be played will be a good indicator of which teams are going to cope with things best.

Eventually I do think the cream will rise to the top as players become used to the surroundings, but it will be interesting to see and I will admit it is very welcoming to have more live sports back in our lives. It sounds a little sad that so many can't cope without it, but sports is the great relief to everyday life and I do think the post-season of both the NBA and NHL will be bringing the drama that only sporting events can.

I will place all of the regular season picks from the next two weeks in this one thread before we get into a potential Play In situation.

Personally I would have loved to have seen the NBA take a risk with the format for these unprecedented times and perhaps set up a World Cup kind of format for the post-season, but ultimately Adam Silver and the players likely preferred the regular PlayOff setting to try and keep things as normal as possible.

It was a chance for the NBA, but the bigger concern is making sure everyone involved remains healthy and the teams can compete without fear during a time when cases in the United States continue to produce eye-watering, sad numbers.

I hope that is the least we see over the coming weeks and nothing like the outbreak already witnessed in the Major League Baseball season. From there we can enjoy the Basketball as the short run towards the PlayOffs begins on Thursday 30th July and then it is onto the fun of the post-season.

Thursday 30th July

Utah Jazz @ New Orleans Pelicans Pick

The decision was made to use a 'bubble' at Disney World in Florida and that means there is going to be a new look to the PlayOffs and the end of the regular season.

While the format remains the same for the post-season, the fact that all games will be played in neutral settings does remove the need for travel and perhaps having to deal with the same issues that have popped up very early on in the Major League Baseball season which recently got underway.

One change in the PlayOff format is the chance for the Number 9 Seed in either Conference to have an opportunity to 'play in' to the post-season with the regular season cut short. It looks unlikely to be used in the Eastern Conference with only the Washington Wizards invited along who are not in the PlayOff spots, but the Western Conference has five teams looking to chase down the Number 8 Seeded Memphis Grizzlies and at least have a shot at beating them out for the final place in the PlayOffs.

There are some decent looking teams looking to do that knowing if they finish the regular season within 4 games of the Number 8 Seed that they will get an opportunity to make the post-season. One of those is the New Orleans Pelicans (28-36) who won two in a row back in March and who will open the NBA regular season bubble on Thursday.

Zion Williamson is the big name with the young Pelicans roster who are looking to make a point having traded away Anthony Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers before the season began. The irony is that the Pelicans would be looking to upset Davis' new team if they can make the PlayOffs and the Pelicans had won eight of their previous thirteen games to earn some positive momentum.

However, it has been made clear that the Pelicans feel the future is more important than the present and that means they are going to be careful with their young players. Instead of taking risks, the Pelicans will make sure the minutes are well spread to build experience which will put the team on a good platform for the years ahead when they will be looking to win a Championship.

There are some doubts about whether Williamson can participate in this opening game having recently returned to the bubble after being given permission to attend a family matter. He is only just out of quarantine and it feels the minutes will be restricted in a best case scenario.

Offensively New Orleans are a strong looking team, but Zion Williamson is already a leader for this young team and it will be a much tougher game for them without him. They did win all of their scrimmages getting ready for the restart, while the Pelicans are capable of plenty of energy around the boards to at least force second chance points, but this is far from an easy opening game.

The Pelicans take on the Utah Jazz (41-23) who have already secured a PlayOff spot, but who will be looking to perhaps improve their current Number 4 Seed in the days ahead. They are only 3 games behind the Los Angeles Clippers as the Number 2 Seed, but it is a tightly congested portion of the standings and a strong end or a poor one could see a vast difference in their final position.

It is also going to be a test of the chemistry of the Jazz who saw a falling out between key players Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell thanks to some of the most ridiculous actions you will have seen from anybody in the public eye. Those actions have to be attributed to Gobert's foolishness having dismissed the virus affecting the world and deciding he would touch all of the reporters and team mates' belongings without a care in the world.

Things changed for Gobert when he tested positive for Covid-19 and the strained relationship between himself and Mitchell came about after it was revealed the latter had also picked up the infection. It was largely blamed on Gobert's disregard for advice given to the public, but both players are entering the bubble trying to focus on their basketball rather than off court issues.

Judging by Rudy Gobert's comments, it feels like the Jazz are largely back on the same page now although they are going to be missing Bojan Bogdanovic for the remainder of the season. The sharpshooter was the second highest scorer on the roster and a serious threat from the three point range, but a wrist injury needed surgery and he will be replaced by Joe Ingles in the starting line up.

There is still confidence that Utah can be a real threat in the post-season having seen Ingles and Mike Conley playing well in scrimmages, but the intensity will be different now. Utah do have a good Defensive unit which always keeps them in games though and if those two players can find their range it should make Gobert and Mitchell big threats for the Jazz from an Offensive point of view.

Utah's big man might have been responsible for the decision to shut down the NBA when it was made, but the Jazz had been surging in a positive direction before that. The Jazz have won five of their last six games and they have already beaten the New Orleans Pelicans twice in three meetings in 2019/20.

All three games were high-scoring affairs, but the rustiness of coming out in the bubble is hard to factor into this game. If there is any, the Utah Jazz are the stronger team Defensively and that could give them the edge in a game in which it feels like they are set as the underdog because it 'means more' to the New Orleans Pelicans.

The early games in the NBA might need some watching too, but the Utah Jazz do hold a 9-4-1 record against the spread in their last fourteen against the New Orleans Pelicans. With Zion Williamson arguably still building up towards his peak levels, I think Utah will find enough scoring from the likes of Donovan Mitchell, Joe Ingles, Rudy Gobert and Mike Conley to edge to an upset win.

Utah are 6-0 against the spread in recent games set as the underdog and I think they can keep this one close at the least.

Los Angeles Clippers @ Los Angeles Lakers Pick

Nothing has really changed over the course of the season and the Los Angeles Lakers (49-14) and the Los Angeles Clippers (44-20) are set to open up against one another on the first day of the new look bubble of the NBA. Home court advantage would not have been important when the Lakers and Clippers were likely to meet in the PlayOffs, but the neutral setting of the remainder of the season does take away from the Lakers who are set to finish with the Number 1 Seed in the Western Conference.

That makes other Series on the way to the NBA Finals look potentially more dangerous and in the last eight games of the regular season it would need something miraculous to happen if the Lakers were to blow their 5.5 game lead at the top of the Conference.

Things are a touch more murky for the Los Angeles Clippers who will be desperate to finish with either the Number 2 or Number 3 Seed in the Conference. It would guarantee avoiding playing the Lakers until the Western Conference Finals and they are 3 games ahead of the Utah Jazz in the current Number 4 spot, although the First Round Series is going to be a tough one for the Clippers no matter how things end.

Both teams have lost some key players ahead of the resumption of play with Avery Bradley being the most notable for opting out of the season. The Lakers also going to begin without Rajon Rondo, who has an injury, but they have been able to sign the likes of Dion Waiters and JR Smith to make up for the losses and boost the bench.

On the other side the Los Angeles Clippers are likely going to be missing Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell who both had to leave the bubble. Better news comes from the likely suiting up of Patrick Beverley, Landry Shamet and Ivica Zubac, while the break will have given the likes of Paul George and Kawhi Leonard a chance to refresh.

That break may also be music to the ears of the Los Angeles Lakers with LeBron James as fresh as he ever would be going into the PlayOffs. His partnership with Anthony Davis has worked as well as the Lakers would have hoped over the last several months and Davis is expected to play despite being poked in the eye in a scrimmage game against the Orlando Magic last weekend.

In a seven game series I do think it is going to be very hard to separate the Lakers and Clippers if both teams are healthy. My edge would be with the Clippers, although in this opening game on the resumption of play you do have to think they are missing key contributors which gives the Lakers a real edge.

Both teams are strong Defensively, but the second unit of the Clippers will have been dented without Lou Williams, while I do think JR Smith and Dion Waiters can give the Number 1 Seed a boost. Neither team will want to show too much of their hand with their Seeding positions largely in control and with seven more regular season games to complete to secure their spots.

Scrimmage games have shown that both the Lakers and Clippers look to be in good shape and it is a series in which the underdog has had the better of things in 2019/20. All three previous games have been won by the dog, but here I do think the Lakers will be able to square things up for the season having lost the first two games and beaten the Clippers just days before the suspension of play back in March.

My feeling is that the Lakers might be more keen to lay down a marker in this one ahead of a potential Series in the PlayOffs and the key contributors missing for the Clippers will be hard to make up.

However it may be more likely that the two teams are looking to hide some of their cards for a potential PlayOff Series and that may see the two Defenses coming out on top. Games between the Lakers and Clippers have been tough affairs already this season and the potential rustiness of the teams for the intensity of a real NBA game might just slow them down too.

With the Clippers and Lakers both missing some key players, I think the total may be very slightly on the high side here and looking for a fourth 'under' of the season between these two may be the best play.


Friday 31st July
Memphis Grizzlies @ Portland Trail Blazers Pick: There are some big Seeding games in the NBA on Friday, but the return of Basketball also means you may want to take a watching brief on some of the teams involved. While there are six games scheduled on the day, only one of those is appealing enough from a NBA Pick point of view.

That comes from the second set of games scheduled for the day's play when the Portland Trail Blazers (29-37) take on the Memphis Grizzlies (32-33). If the regular season had been completed as planned it may have been difficult for the Trail Blazers to close the gap to the Number 8 Seeded Grizzlies, but the new look end to the season gives them a chance with a strong finish.

One or two players in the Memphis camp are not happy with the new rules which state that the Number 8 Seed has to finish at least 4 games clear of the Number 9th placed team in either Conference to earn a guaranteed PlayOff spot. That is not likely to be an issue in the Eastern Conference, but the Grizzlies have a host of teams below them that are almost certain to finish within that mark and that will mean a 'Play In' situation.

It would mean the Number 9 Seed needs to beat the Number 8 Seed twice to steal their PlayOff spot, while the Number 8 team would only need to win once, but the Grizzlies do feel it is another obstacle in front of them in what has been a season of overachievement. That overachievement gives them some confidence though and Memphis had won four of their last six games before the sudden postponement of the NBA back in March.

The Grizzlies have the size to challenge the Portland Trail Blazers and during the regular season they have played pretty well at both ends of the court. A young team have certainly played above the levels that most expected of them and Ja Morant has been everything the Grizzlies would have hoped when Drafting him last year.

A few months ago the Grizzlies would have been very confident they could secure a season success over the Trail Blazers who reached the Western Conference Finals last season. There were some suggestions that the big names in the Portland camp would not be involved in the resumption of play, but Damian Lillard's biggest issue is a foot problem he is dealing with although that is not expected to keep him out of this one.

Trevor Ariza is one player that won't be involved, but the four and a half month break between games in the regular season has boosted the depth of the Trail Blazers. Both Jusuf Nurkic and Zach Collins would have missed the regular season if the season had completed when it should have, but both are ready to go now and that is a big boost for the Trail Blazers.

It should help them, but you can't expect massive things from players who have not played a competitive game for months. However, if both Nurkic and Collins are back up to the levels that we know they can play at, the Portland Trail Blazers may be the most dangerous team in front of the Memphis Grizzlies when it comes to the final spot in the Western Conference PlayOffs.

Those big men can give the Grizzlies a real challenge on the boards and I do think the underachieving Portland team will be a threat in this short run to the post-season. Defensively the Trail Blazers can be vulnerable though and you do have to wonder if their team is ready to go right away having struggled in the scrimmages preparing for the restart.

My feeling is that Portland may be a touch overrated at the beginning of the resumption because we don't really know how their returning players are going to cope. The young Memphis team will feel they have nothing to lose and they are 5-2 against the spread in the last seven against Portland which includes beating them outright in two of the three earlier meetings.

Add in the fact that the Grizzlies are 10-4 against the spread when given 4 or fewer points as the underdog this season compared with Portland being 7-10 against the spread as the small favourite and I do think backing the underdog may pay off here.

It isn't a huge spread, but Memphis might be able to score enough points to stay with the Trail Blazers and force this game to go down to the wire.


Monday 3rd August
I had a couple of busy days so I was not able to put in the kind of research needed to make any NBA Picks as the regular season continues in the NBA bubble in Orlando.

It has been a weekend with some mixed results as teams try and rediscover the chemistry and consistency they would have had without the long break from playing competitive basketball.

I do think by the time the PlayOffs will come around that the teams will all be in better shape, but for now you have to expect some ups and downs.

Denver Nuggets @ Oklahoma City Thunder Pick: Home court advantage is not going to exist in the NBA PlayOffs in 2020, but that doesn't mean any team wants to roll into the post-season with no momentum behind them. There is plenty of movement in terms of Seeding in the Western Conference to come in the days before the PlayOffs and only 3.5 games separate the Number 2 Seeded Los Angeles Clippers and the current Number 6 Seeded Oklahoma City Thunder (41-24).

Bridging that may be a step too far for the Thunder, but they can certainly improve their current spot and that will begin if they can beat the Denver Nuggets (43-23) as both teams get set to play a second game in the NBA bubble.

The Thunder crushed the Utah Jazz, but a short-handed Denver team were blown out by the Miami Heat on the same day. It does mean the Thunder have a bit more momentum behind them having picked up from where they left off in March, and they will be looking to win a fifth game in a row and move into a position where they can control the kind of PlayOff path they want to lead.

Expectations have been surpassed by the Thunder throughout the 2019/20 season and the team do feel they have been given a huge boost by a returning Andre Roberson who was one of the elite Defenders in the NBA before suffering a long-term injury. Roberson has looked like an improved player in the NBA bubble, although his minutes will be restricted for now to make sure there isn't a setback.

With Chris Paul leading the team, the Thunder look in confident mood but the same cannot be said for the Denver Nuggets. They gave up 125 points to the Miami Heat on Saturday and Will Barton, Gary Harris and Jamal Murray were all missing.

We don't know if any of those players will be available for the Monday game with the Thunder, but it does mean Denver are going to struggle to contain Oklahoma City. Despite being short-handed, I do think the Nuggets will have expected a much better all around in their loss to the Miami Heat and that should make them more competitive in this one even if those three mentioned are unavailable again.

Denver struggled at both ends of the court in their opening loss in the NBA bubble, but there will be a demand to show more intensity on the Defensive side of the court. That should make them more competitive, but Oklahoma City have a very strong Defensive team from which the foundation for success this season have been built.

The Thunder are 14-4 against the spread when favoured by less than 7.5 points this season and the Nuggets are 5-8-1 against the spread when given up to 7.5 points as the underdog. Oklahoma City have also been strong when playing teams with a winning record and they did beat the Nuggets when these teams last met a few months ago.

Denver do have a very strong recent record against Oklahoma City, but they failed to cover for the first time in ten games against them last time out. The Nuggets are also 0-4 against the spread in their last four games as the underdog and I do think Oklahoma City will just have a little too much on both ends of the court which helps them cover this mark.


Indiana Pacers @ Washington Wizards Pick: Only nine teams were invited to the NBA bubble from the Eastern Conference and most felt it was going to be a big ask for the Washington Wizards (24-42) to even force a 'Play In' situation for themselves. That was mainly down to the fact that some key players were not going to join their team in the short run to the PlayOffs and ultimately the Wizards have looked unlikely to trouble any team in the top eight.

Losing to the lowly Phoenix Suns is one thing, but on Sunday afternoon the Wizards were beaten by the Brooklyn Nets and now trail the current Number 8 Seed in the Eastern Conference by 7 games. To make matters even tougher on the Wizards, they become the first team that is going to be asked to play on back to back days in the bubble and they are going to be desperate to find a win.

That may make Washington a dangerous team, but they are without the likes of John Wall, Davis Bertans and Bradley Beal and most teams would find it difficult to plug those gaps. The team have struggled all season Defensively so when you miss those players who can take the scoring load on their shoulders it does gel together to become a very difficult situation all around.

Scott Brooks is not allowing his team to give up, but the Wizards have a very difficult set of remaining games and another defeat would virtually end their season. By hook or by crook Washington have to win out, but it is going to be a tough game in front of them when they meet the Indiana Pacers (40-26) who look to have recovered some health in the enforced break that was provided by the Coronavirus outbreak.

A win over the Philadelphia 76ers in their first game in the NBA bubble will give the Pacers some real confidence even if they are not considered a threat to the top teams in the Eastern Conference. The Pacers will be looking to use that expectation to motivate them and they are a team that is perhaps better than the sum of their parts.

Indiana do have a team that can exploit the Defensive shortcomings in the Washington squad, while they are very strong on the other side of the court. Rebounding could be a problem for them when they get into the PlayOffs, but this is not a game where that should be an issue for the Pacers and putting that together makes them a strong favourite.

I have to respect the fact that the Wizards have a 7-2 record against the spread when playing the second of a back to back this season. However, those games were played with a deeper looking rotation than the one they are using in the NBA bubble.

The Wizards are 0-5-1 against the spread in their last six games as the underdog including being covered in both in the bubble so far. Indiana are 4-1 against the spread in their last five against the Washington Wizards.

Knowing the PlayOff situation is beginning to slip away from them and having so many big name players missing is going to make it difficult for the Washington Wizards to motivate them in the remaining days in the NBA bubble.

Some of the players may already be thinking about returning to their families and a team like the Indiana Pacers could expose any lack of motivation in the Washington squad.

It is a big mark, but the Pacers can beat out a team on the second half of a back to back and I think they can cover here.


Tuesday 4th August
Boston Celtics @ Miami Heat Pick: We are already beginning to see some of the potential PlayOff Series coming together in the NBA bubble and that is especially the case in the Eastern Conference where the top eight teams are almost certainly set.

The Milwaukee Bucks are almost guaranteed to finish with the Number 1 Seed in the Eastern Conference and the teams below them in the standing are looking to position themselves to make sure they can avoid having to play them before the Eastern Conference Finals. A win on Tuesday would put the Boston Celtics (44-22) in a position to effectively wrap up a top three Seed and that would mean they can build up towards the potential Finals clash with the Bucks as players improve their fitness.

It is the last chance for the Miami Heat (42-25) to close in on the Boston Celtics in the spot above them in the standings, although making up the 2.5 game gap at this stage looks a long shot. The Heat are playing on a back to back having lost a close on to the Toronto Raptors on Monday and some inside the locker room may believe it is better to tank out the remainder of the regular season and fall as low as the Number 6 Seed if possible.

That is an unlikely mindset with a player like Jimmy Butler leading the Heat, but this is a team who have struggled playing the second half of a back to back all season. They invested a lot of effort into the Monday defeat to the Raptors while the Boston Celtics were resting and Miami are just 3-6-2 against the spread in that spot this season.

Miami have also struggled when put in the underdog spot and the Celtics have covered the mark in the last three against them including in both games played this season.

Both teams are 1-1 since joining the NBA bubble, and I do think both are very capable of having a deep PlayOff run. However the additional rest for the Celtics and perhaps the game meaning a little more to them could make the difference.

It does mean they can play the more intensive Defense which is a key to the outcome of the game and Boston should be fully concentrated on this game to make sure they are on the opposite side of the bracket to the Milwaukee Bucks. There isn't a game on deck which should take away the concentration of the Celtics and I think they will have enough to cover here.


Wednesday 5th August
Memphis Grizzlies @ Utah Jazz Pick: There are always going to be conspiracy theories surrounding a new look schedule like the one the NBA had to put together, but the loudest voices insist the Memphis Grizzlies (32-36) are not the kind of team that the League would like to see in the First Round of the PlayOffs.

The Play In tournament was one aspect going against the Grizzlies, while the end of the 'regular season' in the NBA bubble looked a tough one and so far it has gone the way the NBA would like, at least according to those shouting conspiracy.

Memphis have lost all three games played in the bubble and are now only 1.5 games clear of the Portland Trail Blazers and with a host of other teams closing in too. At this point a 'Play In' may be the best bet for the Grizzlies, but securing the Number 8 Seed in the Western Conference would at least mean the Number 9 ranked team would have to beat them twice to steal away their PlayOff spot.

To that end the Grizzlies need to start winning as it looks like both the Trail Blazers and the San Antonio Spurs have some momentum behind them. The upcoming games are anything but easy and the Grizzlies have lost Jaren Jackson Jr for the season, although they may not have a better opponent to face than the Utah Jazz (42-25) who have lost back to back games.

Losing to the Oklahoma City Thunder and Los Angeles Lakers is much different than losing to the Memphis Grizzlies and the Utah Jazz have managed some Fourth Quarter scoring to overcome the New Orleans Pelicans in the bubble. There are some questions about the Jazz on both ends of the court which need to be answered before the PlayOffs begin, and motivation should remain high for a team who are still playing for Seeding in the Western Conference even though home court is no longer an issue.

There was always a concern for the Jazz that they would miss the scoring punch that was given to them by Bojan Bogdanovic who shut things down for the season prior to the resumption of play. It has proven to be the case so far, although Utah are facing one of the weaker teams in the bubble on Wednesday rather than those looking to go deep in the PlayOffs and that proved to be a winning situation last week when edging out the Pelicans.

If the Grizzlies make as slow a start as they have to each game in the bubble then it will be very difficult to peg back a Jazz team that is still strong Defensively. However, performing for the full 48 minutes has been on the mind of the players and with Ja Morant still performing as he has been, the Grizzlies will definitely believe they can make a good fist of things and at least end the losing run.

Utah just may not have enough scoring to really pull clear of this mark if the Grizzlies are making a strong start to this one. They deserve to be favourites because the Jazz have won two of the three meetings between these teams in the 2019/20 season, both straight up and against the spread, but things are very different for both teams in the NBA bubble and Utah have not played to a level which makes you think they can win easily.

The Jazz are just 2-13-2 against the spread in their last seventeen games as the favourite and it can't be ignored that the Memphis Grizzlies have been in competitive losses in the NBA bubble. None of the defeats have come by more than 10 points and the first two losses were by 5 points or fewer.

Add in the Utah sole win that either team has produced came by a couple of points and I do think the underdog is worth backing here.


Toronto Raptors @ Orlando Magic Pick: Both of these teams are very much on course to enter the PlayOffs and depending on the way things go in the next few days there is every chance that this is a preview of one of the First Round Series in the Eastern Conference.

The Toronto Raptors (48-18) are the defending NBA Champions, but not many tipped them up to be capable of repeating having lost a couple of key performers in the off-season. None were more important than Kahwi Leonard, but the Raptors have rallied together and three wins in the NBA bubble over the Utah Jazz, Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat have given people pause for thought.

All of a sudden it is not solely about avoiding the Milwaukee Bucks for as long as possible with the Raptors arguably looking as strong as any going for the NBA Championship. They can effectively wrap up a top two Seed in the Conference with a win on Wednesday and the Raptors will then be able to rest bodies and minds before the PlayOffs begin, although the spot is one that concerns me between big games against the likes of the Lakers and Heat and then having the Boston Celtics on deck.

It could easily lead to a situation where the Orlando Magic (32-36) are overlooked by the Raptors having been beaten three times in the regular season already. The Magic do have a healthy lead over the Washington Wizards in the Number 9 spot in the Eastern Conference which would see them avoid a Play In situation, but Orlando will be looking to bounce back from their blow out loss on Tuesday to the Indiana Pacers.

Before that the Magic had won their first two games in the NBA bubble, but the surprising form shown by the Brooklyn Nets means Orlando have slipped into the Number 8 Seed in the Eastern Conference. They can pick and choose which of the top two teams they would want to face, but teams in their position just simply want to go into the PlayOffs with some momentum behind them.

A part of the reason for the blowout loss may have been the injury suffered by Jonathan Isaac in the previous game. After returning from a long lay off, Isaac looked to be playing really well and is a key Defensive piece for the Magic and the whole team may have started off feeling sorry for themselves in the defeat to the Pacers.

It has been made clear to the entire squad they will need to be a lot better to compete with either Milwaukee or Toronto in a potential First Round Series, but Orlando do produce enough Offensive output to be dangerous to those teams. The Magic will need that side of their game to be operating at close to full tilt if they are going to challenge a Toronto team who thrive on Defensive intensity and it will be a key to the outcome of each game these teams play in the remainder of the season.

You would expect Toronto to have enough Offensively to hurt the Magic considering the levels the latter have produced and now being without Jonathan Isaac, while the Raptors also have the energy around the boards to win the rebounding battle.

The Raptors have covered in the last five games between these teams and Orlando are 3-5-2 against the spread in ten games played in the second half of a back to back. 

Orlando are also 9-18-1 against the spread this season when playing a team with a winning record and I think the Raptors can make it four from four both straight up and against the number in this one.

MY PICKS: 30/07 Utah Jazz + 2.5 Points @ 1.95 Bet365 (1 Unit)

30/07 Los Angeles Lakers-Los Angeles Clippers Under 216 Points @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)
31/07 Memphis Grizzlies + 3 Points @ 1.91 Bet Fred (1 Unit)
03/08 Oklahoma City Thunder - 4.5 Points @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)
03/08 Indiana Pacers - 7.5 Points @ 1.91 Bet Fred (1 Unit)
04/08 Boston Celtics - 3.5 Points @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)
05/08 Memphis Grizzlies + 5.5 Points @ 1.91 Sky Bet (1 Unit)
05/08 Toronto Raptors - 7.5 Points @ 1.91 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

NBA Update: 3-3, - 0.23 Units