Tennis Picks 2026 (Tuesday 17th February)

After the disappointing opening to the week, Monday proved to be a bounce back day, although there is more work to do in order to get the totals back into a position that we want to see.

There is some momentum from the Monday performance, but it is early in the week and we will need some fortune, which has perhaps been missing in the last couple of weeks.

Any selections from the ATP 500 tournament in Rio and the ATP 250 tournament in Delray Beach will be added to this thread with both of those events really getting going after the usual quiet opening day.

Marton Fucsovics - 4.5 games v Hady Habib: The swing through the Middle East is an opportunity for one or two players to pick up Wild Cards and try and use those to build up Ranking Points that can see them earn direct entry into other events on the Tour. In most cases those Wild Cards will be handed out to bigger names who may need them, but there are a couple of beneficiaries in Doha who perhaps are fortunate to be given this opportunity.

One of those is World Number 334 Hady Habib who at 27 years old reached his career best World Ranking mark of 159 last May.

Twelve months ago he received Wild Cards into both the tournaments in Doha and Dubai, but Hady Habib was beaten in opening matches each time.

Credit has to be given to the player for trying to bust his way through on the Tour, but Qualifying has proven too difficult at the bigger tournaments and Hady Habib has lost all three matches played on the hard courts in 2026 without winning a set. The real concern is that in five of the six sets he has dropped, Habib has failed to win more than three games and he has not faced anyone Ranked higher than World Number 143 in that time either.

The serve has been vulnerable in those early matches and Hady Habib has struggled to have any kind of real impact on the return.

Over the last twelve months on the Tour, the Lebanese player has put together a 3-14 record on the hard courts and he is 0-5 in matches against top 100 Ranked opponents. In those matches against the stronger players on the Tour, Hady Habib has struggled to make an impact with his serve, which has only increased the pressure on the return and it may be tough for him to compete with a veteran in the First Round here in Doha.

Marton Fucsovics suffered a really disappointing defeat in Rotterdam, but he was guilty of playing the Break Points poorly in that match.

The 34 year old has not served as well as he would have liked through the opening six weeks of the season, but Fucsovics continues to cause problems with his return. He is a comfortable player on the ground and over the last twelve months Marton Fucsovics has a winning record when facing opponents Ranked outside the top 50 of the World Rankings, while putting some strong numbers on the board.

This is not a player who is adverse to an upset, but Marton Fucsovics has won six of the ten matches played on the hard courts over the last twelve months when he has been the higher Ranked player going into the match.

He has held 88% of his service games played in the Tour matches, which do not include the two Davis Cup matches that were played under those conditions, while Marton Fucsovics has broken in 38% of return games.

As long as he is focused, you have to imagine the quality of tennis will find a way to shine through and Fucsovics can get the better of this awkward line in this best of three set First Round match in Doha.

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 4.5 games v Moez Echargui: The first thing that has to be stated is that Stefanos Tsitsipas is not an easy player to trust when it comes to a spread that could need as many as three Breaks of serve to have any chance of earning a cover.

However, he is facing a Wild Card in the First Round and an opponent who has not had a lot of experience facing players at the very top of the Tour.

Moez Echargui is the World Number 139 and the 33 year old was a few places higher in December, which is the career best mark.

Suffice to say, Echargui has to find some considerable levels to get the better of Stefanos Tsitisipas.

Over the last twelve months, Moez Echargui has put up plenty of wins on the hard courts, but those have been below the main Tour and against players of similar Ranking or lower. That is far from the case when playing in the ATP 500 event in Doha and Moez Echargui lost both matches against top 100 Ranked opponents pretty comfortably in that time period.

Even throughout his career, Echargui is 0-4 against top 100 Ranked opponents on the surface and his serve has been a huge issue for him, which is something that even a limited return player like Stefanos Tsitsipas should be able to exploit against a player who is considerably below the level he is normally used to facing.

However, one of the big disappointments for Stefanos Tsitsipas is that he is only 7-7 when facing players Ranked outside the top 50 on the hard courts over the last twelve months. That record becomes much better when only noting the matches against players Ranked outside the top 100, where Tsitsipas is 5-0, although the hope for the underdog in this one is that those wins have not always been as convincing as they perhaps should have been.

Even then, the World Number 33 is expected to be a little too good as long as he remains focused.

He should be afforded enough Break Points to get into a position to cover this mark and Stefanos Tsitsipas is not expected to have slipped so much that Moez Echargui can make this competitive for more than a set.

Ugo Humbert - 1.5 games v Fabian Marozsan: While it should be noted that the travel time from Rotterdam to Doha is not exactly excessive, it is tough for players to back up big weeks as we have seen time and time again on the Tennis Tour.

That is what Ugo Humbert will be attempting to do having reached the Semi Final in Rotterdam on Saturday before being very unfortunate in losing to Alex De Minaur. His performances have to offer some encouragement and Humbert has a game that is well suited to the hard courts, while the Frenchman will feel very unlucky to have faced a top ten Ranked opponent in the First Round at the Australian Open, despite only being four places out from being Seeded himself.

Ugo Humbert is the World Number 36 and will be looking for a couple of strong runs over the next month, which could push him into a Seeding position for his home Grand Slam in Paris.

There is very little to defend in terms of Ranking Points, but this is not an easy First Round match and Ugo Humbert is going to have to serve well.

He is going in against Fabian Marozsan who is just finding it tough to build up the consistency to really take a leap in the World Rankings.

The Hungarian almost beat Daniil Medvedev at the Australian Open, but capitulated in the five set defeat, while Fabian Marozsan has not played a hard court match since the tournament in Melbourne. He has been in action in the Davis Cup, albeit on a clay court, but Fabian Marozsan will not be lacking confidence considering how he performed through the opening month of the season.

In recent years, Fabian Marozsan has been an inconsistent player on the hard court, which is underlined by the fact he has a 0.500 record on the surface between 2023 and 2025. This year he has begun with a 5-3 record thanks to a strong run in Auckland, but Marozsan is not as effective a server as someone like Ugo Humbert and that could make the difference in what have been quick conditions in the Middle East.

Both have some limitations on the return and that is where the superior serving that Ugo Humbert can produce should make the difference in the outcome.

Fabian Marozsan did win the most recent match up between the players on a clay court in 2025, but Ugo Humbert has won the sole previous hard court match and can get the better of this opponent again.

Elina Svitolina - 3.5 games v Paula Badosa: Injury has been one of the biggest issues for Paula Badosa after cracking through on the Tour and reaching World Number 2 in 2022.

She has entered the WTA 1000 event in Dubai as the World Number 70 and that is because Paula Badosa has not been able to get herself healthy to defend the Ranking Points she had been producing.

Much of the second half of the season was missed, which meant Badosa lost the Ranking Points she had produced by winning titles and reaching the business end at a number of the North American hard court events leading into the US Open and then into the Asian Swing. Paula Badosa reached the Australian Open Semi Final thirteen months ago, but was beaten in the Second Round at the 2026 tournament, while she has to reach the Fourth Round in Dubai to match the run put together here in 2025.

At full health there is no doubting how good Paula Badosa can be on the hard courts- she has a solid first serve and the heavy, aggressive groundstrokes had propelled her up the World Rankings.

However, it has been very difficult finding her rhythm on the return from injury and the numbers over the last six weeks have been disappointing, which leaves Paula Badosa vulnerable in this Second Round match.

A solid First Round win has to give Badosa confidence, but she may need to find another level to compete with Elina Svitolina, even after the latter had a poor showing in Doha last week.

That was the first tournament played since Elina Svitolina reached the Australian Open Semi Final and Elina Svitolina will be looking for a much more impactful run before heading to the United States for the big events coming up.

Out of the two players, Paula Badosa will still feel her first serve is the big weapon, although Svitolina will look at her second serve and return numbers as being a key for herself. If she gets enough looks at the second serve, the World Number 9 has to be given the edge, while the mental advantage is with Elina Svitolina having won both previous matches against Badosa.

When they met on the hard courts in a Billie Jean King Cup match on the hard courts in September, Elina Svitolina created more than double the number of Break Points compared with Paula Badosa.

She also won 10% more points behind serve, and you have to believe the veteran can find a way to cover this spread set as the Second Round is played in Dubai.

Emma Navarro v Elise Mertens: There are a lot of games scheduled to be completed in Dubai as the Third Round is set for Wednesday.

That does not mean there are lot of great options and the second selection from the order of play on Tuesday is once again getting behind Emma Navarro.

The American produced a winner for the pages on Monday and it was stated at that time that it felt like Emma Navarro was turning a corner after what has been a difficult six months. The dip in confidence has meant losing tight matches rather than coming out on top, but the couple of wins in Doha will have sparked something and Emma Navarro was solid, if unspectacular, in her First Round win.

She will need to be a little better if she is going to beat Elise Mertens, but two previous wins on the Tour should give Navarro some further belief.

Those matches were both on the hard courts, but they were played early in the 2024 season, including one win in Doha.

It turned out to be something of a down season for Elise Mertens on the hard courts, but the now 30 year old Belgian player has opened 2026 in decent form.

The numbers have been solid, although Elise Mertens has taken advantage of the draw at times and that is underlined by the big dip in those numbers when only considering matches against top 100 Ranked opponents. In those matches, Mertens has not been nearly as dominant behind the serve, while her return game has not been quite as effective either and that is something that Emma Navarro can exploit.

Despite her record against top 100 Ranked opponents so far in 2026, Emma Navarro has produced numbers that will turn the results around.

With her head to head with Elise Mertens and the slightly stronger consistency around the serve, Emma Navarro may be worthy of backing as a slight underdog on Tuesday.

MY PICKS: Marton Fucsovics - 4.5 Games @ 1.91 William Hill (1 Unit)

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 4.5 Games @ 1.80 William Hill (1 Unit)

Ugo Humbert - 1.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Elina Svitolina - 3.5 Games @ 1.87 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Emma Navarro @ 2.20 William Hill (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 3-3, - 0.40 Units (6 Units Staked, - 6.67% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2025 (Monday 17th February)

The opening of the new week of tournaments could not have gone much better, but that was the case last week and we saw how quickly things can turn in another direction.

The only focus right now is to build on the Sunday successful results with another couple of winners when a very busy Monday is completed.

Once again the focus is on the WTA 1000 event in Dubai and that is because it is a quieter start to the two ATP 500 tournaments in Doha and Rio de Janeiro with smaller fields in the main draw, although with some top players involved.

Ons Jabeur - 3.5 games v Peyton Stearns: Back to back Quarter Finals runs in Abu Dhabi and Doha would be solid returns for most players, but Ons Jabeur has bigger expectations of herself and there has been plenty of support behind her from the stands.

Losing matches to Elena Rybakina and Jelena Ostapenko are perhaps not the worst results, but Ons Jabeur will have expected to have won one of those and potentially even earned a title at either of the events already played.

Now she takes another swing in Dubai and Ons Jabeur can really begin moving back up the World Rankings with some wins here. Earning a Seed at the French Open has to be an ambition for Ons Jabeur, which looks very likely anyway, and the Tunisian will want to show she can compete with some of the top names on the Tour, who are going to be playing at this WTA 1000 event too.

In the First Round the draw has thrown up Peyton Stearns as an opponent, another player who has suffered a defeat to Elena Rybakina during this run through the Middle East.

The American has struggled for consistency and that is perhaps underlined by the fact she has yet to crack the top 40 in the World Rankings and has been hovering just outside those positions.

Peyton Stearns has produced some solid numbers on the Tour in 2025- she has a decent first serve and can hit the ball plenty hard, which can be dangerous in the rallies. However, the second serve will need to be protected with a bit more authority and Ons Jabeur is capable of exploiting that shot.

Ons Jabeur perhaps just does things a little better than Peyton Stearns at this stage of their respective careers and her performances at the last two events have been encouraging. With a slightly stronger second serve and an ability to get her teeth into return games, the higher Ranked of the two players can make use of her primetime spot on the day and just wear down Stearns with a solid victory.

Ekaterina Alexandrova - 2.5 games v Veronika Kudermetova: It doesn't feel that long ago that Veronika Kudermetova was playing as one of the top ten players on the WTA Tour, but almost two and a half years have passed by since she reached her career best World Ranking.

These days Kudermetova is operating outside of the top 50 in the World Rankings and that has meant having to win Qualifying matches to earn her spot in the main draw at some of the bigger events that are played.

Both in Doha and Dubai, Veronika Kudermetova has won two Qualifying matches, while she was able to earn a spot in the Abu Dhabi main draw as a Lucky Loser.

Despite those wins, Kudermetova has not really ben able to back them up in the main draw and this is a tough match against compatriot Ekaterina Alexandrova.

After her run to reach the Doha Semi Final on Friday, Ekaterina Alexandrova has moved up into World Number 22 and she will be once again thinking about surpassing her career best mark that was set in early April last year. There are very little Ranking points to protect in Dubai and Indian Wells so this will feel like an opportunity for Ekaterina Alexandrova to move back in with some of the top names on the Tour, although it is never easy to produce consistently strong tennis from week to week.

Confidence will not be a problem for Ekaterina Alexandrova, who won the title in Linz in early February, and beating Aryna Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula last week in Doha can only strengthen that belief.

Ekaterina Alexandrova had lost her opening two matches on the pro Tour against Veronika Kudermetova, but she has won their last three meetings including in Adelaide in January 2024. The irony is that all of those five matches have been won by the lower Ranked player, so that is something that Alexandrova will have to be aware of and look to avoid happening for a sixth time between the two Russians.

You have to have respect for Veronika Kudermetova who has been playing at a decent level, and who will also be familiar with the conditions in Dubai. However, Ekaterina Alexandrova is in strong form and she may just be able to secure a tough win in this First Round match.

MY PICKS: Ons Jabeur - 3.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Ekaterina Alexandrova - 2.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 2-0, + 1.72 Units (2 Units Staked, + 86% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2024 (Saturday 17th February)

With just the Semi Finals to go at the ATP events being played and the WTA Doha Final to be played, there are much fewer options when it comes to the Tennis Picks on Saturday.

The WTA Dubai main draw will begin on Sunday, so that is expected to be a busier day than usual alongside the conclusion of events in Delray Beach, Buenos Aires and Rotterdam.

Before that you can read my Tennis Picks from the matches to be played on Saturday.

There was a temptation to back Elena Rybakina to beat Iga Swiatek, but it is not ideal for the former Wimbledon Champion to have had to play her Semi Final while the World Number 1 received a Bye through to the Final.

Iga Swiatek has also enjoyed playing in the Middle East, especially here in Doha, and this is one of those matches to sit back and appreciate with two of the top WTA players going at it.

Rotterdam has two Semi Final matches that also look tough to call with a slight lean on Grigor Dimitrov getting the better of Alex De Minaur for a second season in succession at the tournament.

Jannik Sinner should beat the home favourite, but Tallon Griekspoor has loved the conditions for his serve and it could be a more competitive Semi Final than some will expect.

That means the focus will be on Buenos Aires and Delray Beach where four Semi Final matches are set to be played.

Selections will be added to this thread when markets have been put together with Quarter Final matches played late into the evening in London.

The totals for the week have been updated, and any Tennis Picks will be added here on Saturday.

Tommy Paul - 2.5 games v Frances Tiafoe: This is the kind of situation that should motivate Frances Tiafoe- he has dropped below Tommy Paul in the World Rankings, but will be looking to remind the American public that he is still amongst the best players in the world.

It has been a difficult six months for Frances Tiafoe and his 2024 season has not started nearly as he would have expected.

Last week he suffered a one-sided defeat to Marcos Giron and his performances remain a little sketchy.

Now he has to face the Dallas Champion and a player who is competing with real confidence in Tommy Paul. The World Number 14 has an edge in terms of the numbers being produced and a comfortable Quarter Final win should mean that the Second Round battle with Alex Michelsen is not going to be affecting him so much.

Tommy Paul has also won the last two matches against Frances Tiafoe and he can level up their series on the pro Tour. He is serving well enough to do that, but it is Paul's return game where he looks to have a real edge in this contest and that could see him get the better of an opponent who is still perhaps a little vulnerable mentally after some poor losses in recent months.

It is a big spread that Frances Tiafoe could use to keep this close, but the play is backing Tommy Paul to do just enough on both sides of the court to show why he has moved past Tiafoe in the World Rankings.

Carlos Alcaraz - 4.5 games v Nicolas Jarry: He has not been at his most convincing best, but Carlos Alcaraz is two wins away from defending the title he won in Buenos Aires in 2023.

He can then move onto the ATP 500 event in Rio next week looking to go one better than last year as Carlos Alcaraz looks to keep his Rankings points high in his bid to return to World Number 1.

There have been moments in this tournament where Alcaraz has just struggled to impose his tennis on the opponent as he would like and this is a tough looking Semi Final against Nicolas Jarry.

They met in Rio last year and Carlos Alcaraz had to fight through two tough sets before pulling away in the decider, while Nicolas Jarry gave him plenty to think about at Wimbledon, a Grand Slam tournament that Alcaraz eventually went on to win.

Nicolas Jarry has a big serve and it is effective on the clay courts, but he was perhaps fortunate to benefit from a Tomas Martin Etcheverry retirement in the Quarter Final. That match looked to be swinging in the direction of the home player before a leg injury ended the contest at the end of the second set and Jarry will know he needs to be a lot better in this one.

Serving well will give him a chance, and getting as many first serves in play as possible will certainly be very important to the outcome of the match.

However, the Jarry second serve has been attacked this week and Carlos Alcaraz is likely going to have success doing the same.

The World Number 2 has been serving well enough to keep Nicolas Jarry under pressure too and he may have enough to cover what is a big spread for a best of three set match.

MY PICKS: Tommy Paul - 2.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Carlos Alcaraz - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 8-8, - 2.40 Units (32 Units Staked, - 7.50% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2022 (February 17th)

A horrible day for the favourites in Dubai on Wednesday hurt the Tennis Picks, but I was also on the wrong end of a couple of bits of bad luck.

That is no excuse in what has been a very tough week, but I still have a chance to turn things back around.

Marton Fucsovics - 2.5 games v Nikoloz Basilashvili: He has had a miserable start to the 2022 season, but Nikoloz Basilashvili had a similar kind of opening to 2021.

Arriving in Doha sparked something as the Georgian went on to win the title here, and he has made a positive start to the defence of that title. Nikoloz Basilashvili had not won a match in 2022 before the tough victory over Elias Ymer, but you have to wonder if he is set for another title run having done the same last season.

His numbers have unsurprisingly been pretty poor for a player that had lost every match so far this season, but Nikoloz Basilashvili will hope the win in the Second Round can be a positive spark for him. It was the best returning day of his season, but Basilashvili has continued to struggle behind serve and he has only held 63% of his service games played.

Next up for him is Marton Fucsovics who has had a pretty inconsistent start to 2022, but who has won two matches in Doha to make himself feel better. The hard court numbers over the last twelve months gives Fucsovics a slight advantage over his opponent in this Quarter Final, but like Basilashvili, the Hungarian has struggled with his return so far in 2022 and will have to improve markedly if he is going to find more consistency in his results.

Marton Fucsovics has had a good tournament so far though and that should give him the confidence to win this match.

He has a winning record against Nikoloz Basilashvili and Marton Fucsovics has a significant edge in the returning numbers in their four previous hard court matches. The most recent was won by Nikoloz Basilashvili at the US Open in 2019, but even on that day it was Marton Fucsovics who created more break points.

i think he is going to have the slight edge on the return in this match and it could give the favourite enough of an opportunity to cover this handicap mark.

MY PICKS: Marton Fucsovics - 2.5 Games @ 1.91 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Karen Khachanov @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Australian Open Tennis Day 10 Picks 2021 (February 17th)

On Day 9 at the Australian Open two of the four Semi Final matches were put together and we will complete the line up on Day 10.

This tournament feels like it could be broken up into three pieces- first we had the fans, then we didn't, but news has come out that from Day 11 we will hopefully have fans for the remainder of the event. It is not an easy position for the players to deal with, but I do think the spectacle of the first Grand Slam of the season will be greatly improved with real life fan reactions rather than the piped in nonsense we have all had to accept for months.

Earlier in the tournament we have seen the kind of impact fans can have on live sporting events and the good news is that we are likely to be treated to some big matches in the remainder of the Australian Open. Those will only be improved with the atmosphere coming down from the stands and it will hopefully be a picture that is replicated at the other Slams to be played through the course of the season.

Most players don't really know what they are going to get out of the tournaments scheduled through the remainder of the year and the questions have come up about how other nations will deal with quarantine requirements. It has been suggested that players won't travel for the 'smaller' events that are played over the course of the season if they have to go through the kind of hard quarantine we saw in Australia, while Covid-19 is not going away any time soon which means there are likely to be further disruptions with players or close contacts testing positive in events.

For now it is something we have to deal with as fans, but it is much more difficult for players and it will be interesting to see how they cope with the travel and movement around the globe which is part of the Tour in normal times.

I am still hopeful that by the time the European clay court season rolls around that we will be in a much stronger position to handle these big tournaments, and the year should improve the longer it goes.

We have got two Semi Finals ready to go on Thursday and I have to say it is little surprise that Novak Djokovic is now the odds on favourite to win the title in Australia for the ninth time in his career. He looks to be over the injury that hindered him in the Third Round and the 'easier' path through to the Final could be important to the outcome of this tournament on Sunday, especially with an extra day of rest to prepare for the Final.

No one will take Aslan Karatsev for granted, but it would be a massive upset if the Qualifier is able to beat the eight time Australian Open Champion. He benefited from a major Grigor Dimitrov injury in the Quarter Final and may need that kind of fortune to get through this Semi Final, although Karatsev will become a familiar name on the main Tour for at least the next twelve months thanks to the run here.

The first of the Women's Semi Finals has also been confirmed and I think both Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams will be confident in their chances of winning that match on Thursday. I think it could be a really good match to watch in the form both have displayed and the winner will certainly feel they have enough to go on and win the title on Saturday.

Before that we have to complete the Semi Final line up and that means there are four more Quarter Finals to be played on Day 10 at the tournament.

Ashleigh Barty - 4.5 games v Karolina Muchova: When the draw for the Australian Open was made there would have been plenty that thought a Karolina from the Czech Republic would be line to have a good tournament. The large majority of those people would have figured that would be Pliskova rather than Muchova though, but it is the latter who has made her way through to the Quarter Final after yet another successful recovery to earn a straight sets win.

All credit has to be given to Karolina Muchova for the belief she seemingly has in her own game having come from 5-0 down to beat compatriot Karolina Pliskova 7-5 in the Third Round and then recovering from 4-0 and 5-2 down to win a pivotal first set against Elise Mertens in the Fourth Round. It does mean Muchova has yet to drop a set at the Australian Open and her surprising run has continued as she is set to be placed as the underdog again.

I am a fan of any player that is willing to lay it all on the line and refuse to give up in sets, even if Karolina Muchova has hurt a couple of my selections in the last few days, but it also should be pointed out that she seems to be on the right side of inches. In Tennis those inches can mean the difference between a win and a loss and it says plenty that Karolina Muchova has only earned more break points in one of the four matches she has played in Melbourne over the last ten days.

Her service numbers have been pretty average and it is a shot that can be attacked, but it is the Muchova return which has sparked her run to the Quarter Final. That is going to be a key shot again when she takes on home hope Ashleigh Barty who will have hoped the fans could be in attendance to support her in her bid to finally produce another home winner at this Grand Slam.

Ashleigh Barty coped in her Fourth Round win over Shelby Rogers and like Karolina Muchova she is yet to drop a set at the Australian Open. The difference has been that the Australian has tended to win her sets more routinely than Karolina Muchova and that is highlighted by the fact that Barty has only won a single set where her opponent has won more than four games, while Muchova has only won two sets where her opponent has won less than four games.

The serve looks like being a real difference maker between the two players in this Quarter Final and it says something that Ashleigh Barty has faced six break points across her last two matches which is the same number as Karolina Muchova faced in her last match alone. The first serve is a big weapon for Barty and she is actually producing stronger returning numbers than her opponent while backing up her title win in the warm up event that was played here.

The time that Karolina Muchova is having to spend on the court is beginning to add up too and I think this is all going to factor in to favour the home player who reached the Quarter Final in Melbourne in 2019 and the Semi Final in 2020. Ashleigh Barty will feel she can go one better this time around and I think she will not be as likely to blow a lead against Karolina Muchova as the latter's last two opponents have done.

These two players met at the US Open in 2018 in the Third Round and it was a competitive match that Ashleigh Barty deserved to win. I think she will be able to do the same here despite the improvements being made by Karolina Muchova and I think Ashleigh Barty will be a little too good on the serve and return which leads to her getting the better of this handicap mark.

Jennifer Brady-Jessica Pegula over 20.5 games: When you think of American female players that might make it to the Quarter Final of a Grand Slam the Williams sisters will likely be the first names that enter the mind. In more recent times the likes of Sofia Kenin have shown they can go deep into draws, but Jennifer Brady may be ready to become a more familiar name at the business end of tournaments having reached the Semi Final at the US Open and now having this run in Melbourne.

She is faced up with a compatriot in the form of Jessica Pegula who is beginning to make her own name in the sports world and not simply be known as one of the daughters of Terry Pegula, the owner of the Buffalo Bills. An upset win over Elina Svitolina has taken Jessica Pegula into the Quarter Final of a Grand Slam for the first time and she looks set to earn a new career high World Ranking in the weeks ahead.

The underdog in this Quarter Final did drop a set for the first time in the win over Svitolina, but she has to be feeling very comfortable about her level and Jessica Pegula has long shown she is a solid hard court player. The numbers have largely been better than that in this run to the Quarter Final and it is the serve that has given her a spark with just thirteen break points faced in the first four matches in the tournament.

It is a strong number, especially in the WTA side of the Singles draw, and one that has given Pegula the chance to tee off on the return where she has won almost 49% of points played. She has broken at least four times in every match in the Australian Open and Jessica Pegula has created at least seven break points in each Round, numbers that will certainly make her feel pretty confident about her chances of earning another upset in this Quarter Final.

Nerves could be an issue for Pegula, but she will also be well aware of the kind of serving she is going to be facing from Jennifer Brady who has yet to drop a set in the tournament and has given up more than three games in one of the eight sets she has won this week. So much of that is down to the Brady serve which has produced some of the strongest numbers in the Women's draw this week and which has seen her face fewer break points than Jessica Pegala (Jennifer Brady has faced twelve break points).

Jennifer Brady has bene broken twice in the tournament compared with Jessica Pegula losing serve six times and you can understand why the former is the favourite. Having a serve that is giving very little away has also allowed Brady to win 51% of the return points played and I think she may have a bit too much for Pegula in this Quarter Final.

Like her opponent, Jennifer Brady has broken at least four times in each Round at the Australian Open and I do think she is going to feel she can earn a measure of revenge for losing the sole pro Tour meeting these two have had. That came in Cincinnati last August and saw Jessica Pegula win a tight match 7-6, 6-4 as both players were able to break the other at least four times with the serves not being as effective as you might have imagined.

It may be the conditions in Melbourne which are helping both get through their games a bit easier here, and I do think this is likely to be another competitive match between them. If one of the players is slightly off their best level on the serve it could end up being a one-sided match, but I think they are both playing well enough to push the other all the way and I really would not be that surprised if this match goes the distance.

Playing without a crowd may actually aid the nerves without the feeling coming down from the stands if things start slowly, while I think the two serves could see Jennifer Brady and Jessica Pegula run through some service games. Both have returned well enough to believe they can at least challenge the other more than most have so far this week, while I think picking a winner is not so easy as the odds may suggest.

My lean is that Jennifer Brady will find the big serves to just herself up for a few more 'easy' holds and that may prove to be the reason she is able to push through to the Semi Final. However I also think Jessica Pegula is playing at a strong level and will have the mental boost of knowing she beat Brady not long ago which will keep her competitive and the two players may have enough service juice to see them combine and cover this total games line.

Even two tight sets could get over the line here and I think we may see at least one tie-breaker which could set them well on the way to doing that even if the match is concluded in straight sets.

Daniil Medvedev - 1.5 sets v Andrey Rublev: Playing each other in the Quarter Final of a tournament has become familiar to these two top 10 Ranked compatriots who are good friends on and off the court. The two Russians have really put the nation back on the map as they have taken over from the void left by the likes of Marat Safin and Nikolay Davydenko in recent years and the winner of this match will be confident they can go on and perhaps even become the first Men's player from the country to win a Grand Slam in sixteen years.

The last was won by Safin at the Australian Open in 2005, but Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev won't be as surprising a winner as the charismatic Safin was that year. Over the last six to nine months, Medvedev and Rublev have been right up there as the very best hard court players in the world and they have both opened 2021 with eight straight wins and producing some eye-catching numbers which can only impress.

In this tournament both are holding over 90% of the service games played, but the real difference between the two can be seen in the returning numbers with Daniil Medvedev breaking in 41% of return games played compared with Andrey Rublev's 27% mark. There is also around a 7% edge in favour of the higher Ranked Medvedev when it comes to return points won and I do think that could end up being the reason why Andrey Rublev has to wait a little longer for a maiden Grand Slam Semi Final.

He is experienced with this being a fourth Quarter Final in the Majors, but Daniil Medvedev may hold a slight advantage having won both previous Quarter Finals in Grand Slams. Both have come at the US Open though and this is the first time, surprisingly, that Medvedev has reached the Quarter Final in one of the other three Grand Slams, although the conditions in Melbourne look much more up his street this year than previous years.

The other mental aspect that favours Daniil Medvedev is the 4-0 head to head record he holds against his friend Andrey Rublev which includes beating him in three hard court Quarter Finals. All four wins have come on this surface and the most recent was last September at the US Open in a match Medvedev won in straight sets.

It was a day of big serving with only one break point played in the entirety of the two and a half hours they spent on court that day. That came in favour of Daniil Medvedev who dominated behind serve and it has been a feature of their head to heads that the return of serve has favoured Medvedev.

Daniil Medvedev has held 91% of service games played against Andrey Rublev across those four previous matches and that is compared to the 70% mark held by the latter. There is also the marked difference between the two players when it comes to service points won and I do think Daniil Medvedev is going to get the better of things again with both operating at a really high level in the tournament.

We may even see Andrey Rublev win his first set against Daniil Medvedev on the pro Tour, but you have to favour the higher Ranked Russian and his superior return game. There hasn't been much to separate these players on the pure numbers over the last twelve months on the hard courts, but the head to head and the clear edge Daniil Medvedev has had on the return of serve can see him win another tough Quarter Final against his compatriot at a Grand Slam.

I would expect him to be able to do that in three or four sets with the slight edges he holds.

Rafael Nadal - 1.5 sets v Stefanos Tsitsipas: Getting through the first week of the Grand Slam without expending too much energy is always important for players and Stefanos Tsitsipas has also benefited from a walkover in this tournament. That is only strengthened by the strong performances the Greek star has put up in the first three Rounds of the Australian Open and the ATP Cup that was played in the lead up to the event and it will offer a lot of encouragement for the young man who is looking to earn a maiden Grand Slam title this season.

He has yet to reach a Major Final, but Stefanos Tsitsipas has reached two Semi Finals, one here and one at the French Open, while he has not lost a Quarter Final before. A win over Roger Federer at the Australian Open will also give Tsitsipas belief that he has the tools to down the best players in the world, while the returning in 2021 has been at an extremely high level from the small sample of matches we have seen over the last month.

That will offer plenty of encouragement to Stefanos Tsitsipas, but he will also be well aware of the man standing in his way to make it back to Grand Slam Semi Finals.

Rafael Nadal has shown little sign that the cautionary withdrawal from the ATP Cup to rest his back has hindered him in this tournament and he has won all four matches here without dropping a set and barely being troubled. Granted this is a big step up in level compared with the four players he has beaten so far, but Rafael Nadal is going to be feeling very pleased with where his game is at right now and that makes the Spaniard dangerous as he looks for the Grand Slam title which would see him surpass Roger Federer for most Majors won by a Men's player.

There is still a long way to go though and Nadal will be all too aware of his Quarter Final record in Melbourne compared with his performances at the other Grand Slams. Rafael Nadal has lost six Quarter Finals at the Australian Open, including his defeat to Dominic Thiem last year, and that is compared with just two Quarter Final losses at the other three Grand Slams combined.

Conditions in Melbourne don't seem to sit well with Nadal and he might be a touch disappointed this match is taking place in the Night Session having made it clear he likes the faster day conditions at the tournament. The remainder of the tournament will be played in the evening so there won't be excuses for Rafael Nadal, although it may be a reason he has had so many Quarter Final defeats here in the past.

The numbers are really strong for Rafael Nadal in the tournament with 92% of service games held and 40% of return games played leading to breaks of serve. That will be encouraging, but he is up against Stefanos Tsitsipas who has won all five matches played in 2021 and has been able to hold 98% of service games played in the Australian Open with breaks in 39% of return games played.

I have mentioned before I am not sure whether Stefanos Tsitsipas has figured out his return game or whether that is just an outlandish number from a small sample considering his last two seasons have produced breaks in less than 20% of return games played on the hard courts. But either way it will be tested in this match against an opponent that has largely dominated their previous meetings.

Rafael Nadal has a 6-1 head to head record which becomes 4-0 when considering their hard court meetings alone and one of those wins came here in Australia two years ago. The Semi Final became a one-sided affair in favour of the Spaniard, and Rafael Nadal has held 94% of the service games played against Stefanos Tsitsipas on the hard courts compared with the 71% number for the younger player.

The most recent meeting saw Nadal beat Tsitsipas at the ATP World Tour Finals in London in November, and it was perhaps more comfortable for the former than the three set match implies.

I do think Stefanos Tsitsipas has been working hard to close the gap to the likes of Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, but there may still be a gap. Closing those head to head numbers won't be easy even at one of the 'weaker' Slams for Rafael Nadal, but this should be far more competitive than the Semi Final between the players in 2019.

However the Spaniard World Number 2 looks to be on a very strong path through this draw and Stefanos Tsitsipas hasn't matched up well enough with him to believe he can upset the odds. The 2021 form will have his fans believing, but Rafael Nadal has looked really good in the first four matches here and I think he will find the right plays at the big moments to win this one in three or four sets.

MY PICKS: Ashleigh Barty - 4.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Jennifer Brady-Jessica Pegula Over 20.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Daniil Medvedev - 1.5 Sets @ 1.75 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Rafael Nadal - 1.5 Sets @ 1.91 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Australian Open 2021: 41-40, - 7.30 Units (162 Units Staked, - 4.51% Yield)

Weekend Football Picks and Fantasy Football 2021 (February 13-17)

The FA Cup Quarter Finals have been set and as a fan it is always nice to see Manchester United take another step towards ending their wait for silverware- I would love the opportunity to get to a FA Cup Semi Final and Final at Wembley Stadium, although I know I am clutching at straws to even believe that is a slight possibility.

The line up is also important for Fantasy Football players with GW29 seeing a number of matches postponed as many of the top flight clubs are involved in the FA Cup Quarter Finals that are scheduled to take place that weekend. It means upcoming DGWs although at the time of writing we don't have any confirmation of new dates, but I will get into that below.

Leicester City v Liverpool Pick: The opening Premier League fixture of the latest round of games is a big one which could have huge top four implications for both clubs through the remainder of the season.

Both Leicester City and Liverpool occupy one of those places at the moment, but the queue of teams chasing them down have built behind them and the gap will feel very tight for the losing team.

Brendan Rodgers' team have momentum after winning 2 of their last 3 games in all competitions and they have also won 3 of their last 4 here. However they remain just 4 points clear of 5th placed Chelsea with plenty of fixtures left on the schedule and the manager will be all too aware of the way Leicester City crumbled at the back end of last season.

That memory will be an experience builder for the players, but they have to show they can perform and the last three times they have faced Liverpool it has been one way traffic. One of the defeats came by a 2-1 scoreline, but the last two have seen Leicester City out-scored 7-0 and the visitors on Saturday have created a lot of chances in those wins.

This may not be the same Liverpool team with issues at the back and the team not looking as gelled together as we have come to expect, but Liverpool are still a very good team and they are looking for a big reaction to the embarrassing defeat against Manchester City last weekend.

In the last couple of away games played, Liverpool have dominated at Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United and so they will head to Leicester City with some belief they can turn things around. There is still some real quality in the final third and Liverpool are scoring goals away from home which makes them dangerous.

Leicester City could also be without at least two of the first choice defenders that would be selected, although they should be able to cause problems on the counter in this one.

Picking a winner is not easy, but goals have tended to flow when these teams have met and 8 of the last 10 have ended with at least three shared out. Neither have looked completely convincing at the back and I think an early goal on Saturday morning will open up this League game and could lead to an entertaining early fixture.

Crystal Palace v Burnley Pick: Both Crystal Palace and Burnley are no longer involved in anything but Premier League games between now and the middle of May and both are chasing the points to make sure they are playing more top flight football in the 2021/22 season.

They are on course to do that, but neither Roy Hodgson nor Sean Dyche will be allowing their players to rest on their laurels until they are mathematically certain to be keep their status as Premier League clubs.

With that in mind this has the makings of yet another tight game between two clubs who look to be well organised defensively. In recent weeks Burnley have been conceding more goals than they would like, but they are facing a Crystal Palace team missing the inspiration and magic that Wilfred Zaha brings to the field and that should make things 'easier' to some extent.

At the same time the best avenues towards goal that Burnley like to take are those which Crystal Palace will feel they can defend well enough, namely set pieces and crosses. It is no surprise that 7 of the last 8 between these clubs have ended with fewer than three goals shared out and the same number of fixtures have ended with at least one of the teams failing to score.

One goal certainly feels like it will bring the three points with it and I think that is what is likely going to happen on Saturday.

Burnley have scored a single goal in their last 4 games in all competitions and Crystal Palace have kept clean sheets in 2 of their last 3 at home. It may give the home team the edge, but Burnley have won 2 of their last 4 here (losing the other 2) and a tight game is my feeling for this one more than knowing which way the points will eventually land.

Manchester City v Tottenham Hotspur Pick: A couple of months ago this might have been a clash between clubs in similar positions as they enter this weekend, but back in December it was Tottenham Hotspur leading the way and Manchester City scrambling.

When these teams met out of the November international break, Tottenham Hotspur counter attacked with devastation to beat Manchester City 2-0, but Pep Guardiola seems to have learned from the experience. Since that result Manchester City are unbeaten in 22 games in all competitions and they have conceded a measly 6 goals.

Ruben Dias is a doubt for this fixture and Manchester City may also be missing their two defensive midfielders which may just take away some of the momentum that they have picked up in their 15 game winning run. With both Kevin De Bruyne and Sergio Aguero expected to miss out it just changes the feel of the team if they are without Dias, Fernandinho and Rodri, but Manchester City have shown they can overcome losses all season.

The question for Tottenham Hotspur is how much the FA Cup Fifth Round defeat at Everton has taken from the legs- the defending that day was embarrassing, but losing 5-4 in Extra Time would have been a real mental blow as one as a physically taxing one and Jose Mourinho will have to make some serious team selections to get the best out of his team.

Another defeat may have the manager focusing on the Cup competitions left as his best route back into the Champions League as it was in the first season as manager of Manchester United, but for now Tottenham Hotspur have to focus and try and stop the Manchester City machine from rolling to another win.

The lack of chances being created by Tottenham Hotspur in recent Premier League games is a concern, but Harry Kane was absent for much of those and his return is a big positive for the team. Even then it is hard to believe Jose Mourinho will set his side up to play in any other way that what we have become accustomed to seeing and that is sitting in deep and looking to counter Manchester City where they can.

Jose Mourinho has led Tottenham Hotspur to narrow home wins over Manchester City in both of the previous meetings between these clubs. In both Tottenham Hotspur had to ride their luck at times, but they will need to do a lot more of that with Manchester City in their current form and I just can't see them doing it in their current defensive shape.

It would be a surprise if Tottenham Hotspur open up too early, but Manchester City should be able to wear them down with the quality and confidence they have. The away goals have begun to flow, but Manchester City have been all about clean sheets at home and I think a narrow home win is most likely in this one as they continue to pressure their title rivals.

Brighton v Aston Villa Pick: A long Saturday of Premier League Football will come to an end on the south coast at the Amex Stadium where Brighton and Aston Villa will be looking to keep their good runs going.

There has been a touch more inconsistency about Aston Villa, but they have won 3 of their last 5 Premier League games and have had a week to prepare for this fixture.

Brighton had also been enjoying a solid unbeaten run, but they were undone very late on in their FA Cup Fifth Round tie at Leicester City. It did provide further signs that Brighton are still well organised at the back and have found the balance to be effective at both ends of the pitch, although a lack of goals continues to blight them.

They play some wonderfully pleasing football, but the final ball or the finish has let them down at times. However, Graham Potter will be pleased with what he has seen and he will believe his team can at least make things difficult for what has been an erratic Aston Villa team when it comes to the chance creation.

Dean Smith has done a wonderful job at Villa Park and his team are chasing European spots, but he will need his team to show a little more consistency down the stretch. Having a week to prepare will be a huge boost for the players that put in a huge effort to beat Arsenal last weekend, while Aston Villa have managed themselves defensively.

The last two League games between these clubs at the Amex Stadium have both ended 1-1 and I don't think that can be ruled out for a third time in a row. My feeling it is going to be tighter than the layers believe, as they are expecting at least three goals with that being an odds on quote, but games at the Amex Stadium have been tighter than that more often than not in recent weeks.

7 of the last 9 Premier League games in this Stadium have finished with less than three goals scored and while Aston Villa games have tended to feature goals, I think this is one which could be tight and competitive all the way through.

Southampton v Wolves Pick: These two will be sick of the sight of each other by the end of the 90 minutes played on Sunday as Southampton and Wolves meet for the second time in three days. It was Southampton who won the FA Cup game at Molinuex and Ralph Hasenhuttl was rewarded for selecting what looked the stronger team on the day, but I expect a better looking Wolves team in this one.

Ultimately it doesn't really matter what team Wolves select unless they can find some consistency in their play in the final third. They still have not managed to replace Raul Jimenez in the manner they would have liked and Wolves are a hard team to read.

You can understand why Southampton are the favourites because they feel a little more consistent than their visitors, but this is a team that has lost 4 Premier League games in a row. Some of those losses have been a little harsh on the performance, but they were also undone by a huge amount of injuries in the squad and look a little healthier now.

Southampton put in a huge effort to win the Cup tie at Molineux and are unlikely to make many changes, although they do have some players that can come in and freshen things up. Defensively they don't give a lot away and Wolves may need something special to score here, but Southampton will also be trying to break down what should be a more familiar personnel in the Wolves defence.

Goals may once again be hard to come by and the team who scores first will believe they can contain the other for long enough to secure the three points. I don't think there will be much in it, although I give a slight edge to Southampton who have been looking a little better than Wolves in recent weeks even if the results have not always made that clear.

One of the teams failing to score again after the Thursday Cup tie will be no surprise in the early Sunday kick off.

West Brom v Manchester United Pick: Roy Keane has been quite vocal in his criticisms of the Manchester United players and the attitude of consistently hearing the club were not in the title race when they were leading the way. The former Captain knows what it takes to win the biggest trophies at Old Trafford and I tend to agree that the lack of belief has been a real factor in some of the recent results which have seen United lose ground on rivals City.

Maybe the pressure being off will help, but for now the focus has to be making sure they are not allowing clubs to get too close when it comes to the top four race. That is now the main aim barring Manchester City having a collapse that most can't see coming and Manchester United can't afford to drop more points against a club mired in relegation trouble.

They did that at Old Trafford in the 1-2 defeat to Sheffield United, but I do have to say that The Blades have been in much better form over the last month.

I cannot say the same for West Brom who have had little improvement since Sam Allardyce came in as manager and the veteran looks to set to lose his record of never being relegated from the Premier League. It isn't just the fact that West Brom have not being earning points, but they have shown none of the hallmarks of an Allardyce team and defensively West Brom have been nothing short of a mess.

Mistakes happen, but it is the fatal ones West Brom continue to make which Sam Allardyce is finding impossible to erase. The players have also not felt comfortable playing at home all season, but under their new manager they have been conceding an alarming amount of goals and overall West Brom have conceded at least 10 more home goals than any other team in the Premier League.

West Brom have conceded at least twice in their last 6 home Premier League games, but more alarming is that the 2-2 draw with Fulham ended a run of at least three goals being conceded at The Hawthorns at 5 games. The Baggies have not really been competitive in those 5 defeats either and I think Manchester United should have too much for them as long as they are focused.

Winning games away from home has not been an issue, but Manchester United have rarely blown past opponents. Only 1 of their last 8 away games has seen Manchester United win by two or more goals, but I think this is a good chance to get back to the run they had been on during the middle of the 2020 calendar year and I think they will have too much for their hosts.

Extra Time on Tuesday is not great, but Manchester United have plenty of time to give their loving fans a strong St Valentine's Day gift.

Arsenal v Leeds United Pick: This has the makings of a really good Premier League game, but that is the case for most that Leeds United have been involved in this season.

Even when they have played at the traditional Big Six clubs, Marcelo Bielsa has set his team up to get on the front foot and cause problems for those teams. So far Leeds United have done that with a narrow loss at Liverpool followed by more comprehensive defeats at Stamford Bridge, Old Trafford and the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but Bielsa won't change his plans.

He has been rewarded with his Leeds United team putting plenty of away wins on the board and they are visiting an Arsenal team that is not of the level they were even three or four seasons ago.

Arsenal have been inconsistent at home and this is a team that can be got at, although the spaces Leeds United will leave behind are likely to be exploited by some talented younger players.

That should make it an interesting game and I would be surprised if Arsenal can extend their run of clean sheets at home to 5 games here. Teams have created chances against them and that is something that will encourage Leeds United.

It should be a decent watch on Sunday afternoon and the lack of draws in Arsenal home/Leeds United away games respectively suggest we will find a winner. Arsenal have just knuckled down a bit in recent weeks, but they still feel vulnerable and I do think Leeds United have the ability to earn a good result here.

The recent 1-3 win at Leicester City shows what Leeds United can do when at their best and I would not be surprised if they win this one. However keeping the draw on your side is probably the 'smarter' play in this game.

Everton v Fulham Pick: The late finish to the FA Cup Fifth Round tie will have drained some of the Everton legs and they may even be missing Lucas Digne and Dominic Calvert-Lewin who both picked up knocks in the victory over Tottenham Hotspur.

It was a victory though and that should mean a spring in the step as Everton look to close in on the top four places in the Premier League. Playing at home has been difficult for Everton who have needed Extra Time to win a couple of their FA Cup ties at Goodison Park, while they have not won any of their last 3 Premier League games here, but they are going up against an increasingly desperate Fulham team.

Scott Parker has made his team a little more difficult to beat and 4 away Premier League draws in a row underlines the point. They have drawn 3 of their last 4 League games overall, but Fulham continue to struggle for consistency in the final third and we are getting to a stage of the season where only wins will do.

For every point Fulham have been picking up, it seems their relegation rivals Burnley and Brighton have earned three big points to move further clear. That has put some pressure on Fulham who will be looking for a big result before facing a huge relegation six pointer at Turf Moor and this could be a pivotal week for the club.

Two wins would see Fulham have momentum and close in on those teams outside of the bottom three, but failure to win both would leave them in a desperate position. Scott Parker has to find the right balance between attack and defence but his team have been perhaps riding their luck through some of their recent away draws.

Everton would have felt more confident if Dominic Calvert-Lewin was leading the line, but in James Rodriguez, Richarlison and possibly Josh King leading the line I do think this Everton team have enough about them to win the game.

The side have only scored a single goal in 3 home Premier League games which is a concern, but Everton do create more chances than Fulham and I think they can earn a 13th home win in a row against this opponent.

West Ham United v Sheffield United Pick: There are two games on Monday afternoon and the first could have big implications at the top and bottom as West Ham United continue their surprising chase of a top four place and Sheffield United look for a morale boosting League win in their fight to avoid the drop.

Both teams are likely to come up short when it comes to these goals at the end of the season, but for now David Moyes and Chris Wilder are trying to motivate the players that are ready to go.

Injuries could play a key part in how far West Ham United can go, but they are hoping the likes of Michail Antonio will be available for selection on Monday. He is a hugely important part of the team for David Moyes, especially without a recognised back up, and the manager will be looking to get at least 60 minutes out of his player.

Jesse Lingard is back and he has given West Ham United some energy, although the absence of Angelo Ogbonna might take away the strong defensive numbers they have been producing. Even then it is hard to make a strong case for Sheffield United to expose any vulnerabilities with their struggles in the final third and this is a team that has really struggled away from home.

Defensively it feels like there is an opportunity against Sheffield United and I think The Hammers will nick the points. If they can get 60 minutes out of Michail Antonio I think the home team have the goals in the squad to do enough to hurt Sheffield United, while they are good enough defensively to earn a narrow victory.

Chelsea v Newcastle United Pick: A learning curve is moving forward at Stamford Bridge as the players become used to Thomas Tuchel and the manager understands what makes his squad tick. That has led to some decent, but unspectacular performances from Chelsea who have been more functional than amazing since their new manager has arrived at the club.

They have certainly looked more balanced and Chelsea have only conceded a single goal in their 5 games under Tuchel. That includes a solid 0-1 win at Barnsley on Thursday evening in the FA Cup Fifth Round with a much changed team, while Chelsea's only goal conceded under their German manager was a ridiculous error between Edouard Mendy and Antonio Rudiger at Bramall Lane.

Chelsea are not scoring a lot of goals, but they are doing enough in the final third and they should feel confident in getting the better of Newcastle United.

2 wins from 3 Premier League games will give Newcastle United some confidence, but they have lost Callum Wilson for a while and that leaves them a little short in the forward areas. There is some pace and quality in the squad that will have to be respected, but Newcastle United had not scored in 6 consecutive away games in all competitions before the win at Everton in their last away League game.

However, it was Callum Wilson who scored twice that day and his absence is likely to be felt. Newcastle United have a poor record at Stamford Bridge over the years too and I think Chelsea are likely to have enough to secure the three points behind their latest clean sheet under Thomas Tuchel.

Burnley v Fulham Pick: You hear the term 'relegation six pointer' thrown around a little too freely at times, but there is no doubting the importance of this fixture between Burnley and Fulham. It is actually the first time the two clubs are meeting in the Premier League this season and both games are going to be hugely pivotal towards which Division they are playing in next season.

If Fulham are able to win at Turf Moor they will really feel there is some momentum behind them- the win at Everton on Sunday shows there is plenty of belief in the squad with the victory coming twenty-four hours after Burnley had extended their lead to 11 points over Fulham with a win at Crystal Palace.

That has to be hugely encouraging for Scott Parker and the Coaching staff, but they will also be well aware of how much more difficult things will look if they were to lose on Wednesday.

It would put Burnley in a position where they would begin to be feeling pretty safe if they are able to win, while keeping a distance to 17th placed Newcastle United as a safety net too. The win at Crystal Palace came out of a very good performance and Burnley dominated when hosting Brighton in their last League game here despite having to settle for the 1-1 draw.

A point would actually be a relatively decent outcome for Burnley with an 8 point gap over Fulham and another fixture ticked off the list. I don't think they will play for a draw, but Burnley are more likely of the two to sit back if it is level with 20 minutes to go and Fulham may find it hard to break down this opponent even though Ben Mee is going to be missing from the heart of the defence.

An early goal could really open this fixture up, but I don't think either manager will want to give too much away in the first half. Both teams can sometimes find it hard to create really good chances and I do have to note that both Burnley and Fulham have actually produced some decent defensive efforts of late.

The lack of goals can't be ignored and I don't think it is beyond the realms of possibility to see a fixture where at least one of the teams fails to hit the back of the net. A draw might not be the best result for Fulham, but it would keep them in touch with those teams above them, while I imagine Burnley will look to keep things tight as they have largely managed to do against Brighton and Crystal Palace in their last couple of League games.

This feels like a match that will see goals hard to come by and the 1-1 is perhaps the most dangerous score against the pick.

Everton v Manchester City Pick: No wants to concede the Premier League title in February, but the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Leicester City and Manchester United have only themselves to blame for falling so far behind Manchester City.

A win for the latter will mean they are 10 points clear at the top of the table with 14 League games to be played and Manchester City have put together a strong run at a time where others have not been able to keep up.

During that time they have beaten all of those teams mentioned aside from Leicester City and Manchester City are on a roll. Kevin De Bruyne gets injured and Ilkay Gundogan steps up, and even the injury to the latter which may force him to miss this game will see either Raheem Sterling, Bernardo Silva or Riyad Mahrez raise their game to fill in the gaps.

Kevin De Bruyne looks set to return before the end of the month and Gundogan may have only been a precautionary sub on Saturday. Manchester City thus look really strong and not many would rule them out on winning another domestic treble having done that in 2019, while Pep Guardiola could soon turn full attention to the Champions League if their domestic schedule is under control.

They look dangerous and Manchester City have made it a habit of beating Everton ever since the 4-0 loss suffered here in Pep Guardiola's first season in charge of the club. Manchester City have won the last 5 overall and their last 3 at Goodison Park with all of those three wins here coming by two or more goals.

Everton have really struggled for consistency in recent weeks too which makes it hard to believe they can cause too many concerns for the home team. Without the fans a trip here is not nearly as intimidating as it may be and Everton have not won any of their last 4 League games here, while they have lost the last 3.

Goals have been a problem and Everton don't do clean sheets which should give Manchester City a real edge. The last 2 League games here have seen Everton lose to Newcastle United and Fulham by the same 0-2 scoreline and Manchester City have been grinding down opponents both home and away.

The last 8 away wins for Manchester City have come by two or more goal margins and I think they will cover the handicap in another victory here.

MY PICKS: Leicester City-Liverpool Over 2.5 Goals

Crystal Palace-Burnley Both Teams to Score- NO

Manchester City to Win & Under 3.5 Goals

Brighton-Aston Villa Under 2.5 Goals

Southampton-Wolves Both Teams to Score- NO

Manchester United - 1.5 Asian Handicap

Leeds United + 0.5 Asian Handicap

Everton

West Ham United & Under 4.5 Goals

Chelsea Win to Nil

Burnley-Fulham Both Teams to Score NO

Manchester City - 1.25 Asian Handicap

Fantasy Football GameWeek 24

This is not a normal season for clubs, players, fans and Fantasy Football players and it does mean we are perhaps not going to have the big DGWs we tend to see at the end of the season.

Instead we may see a few small DGWs through the remainder of the season with the biggest one left likely to be in GameWeek 26 when a number of the matches scheduled for GW29 (FA Cup Quarter Final weekend) will be moved forward. That is largely down to the limited time between now and the end of the season while needing to add in the European competitions which resume this week and the possibility for further postponements for teams that go deeper in the FA Cup and we might even only get very short notice of games being added to weeks.

GameWeek 24 is actually the latest Double GameWeek coming up with four teams playing twice and the likes of Manchester City and Everton do have other games that need to be rescheduled having both made it through to the FA Cup Quarter Final where they will meet one another.

They meet in the Premier League this week as they play twice along with Burnley and Fulham and I had already kept some of those players in my squad- as I have mentioned here before, I believed the Premier League would look to re-schedule games where they could this season as we remain unsure whether any more clubs will be affected by Covid-19 as both Newcastle United and Aston Villa have been already this season.

I am a touch surprised the Aston Villa vs Everton game that needs to be played somewhere wasn't added to GameWeek 25 alongside the DGW for both Leeds United and Southampton coming up.

And now we can begin to guess how the Premier League is going to deal with the eleven confirmed postponed games that have to be re-arranged.

As I have said, I think GW26 is going to be the biggest DGW left on the schedule and I expect seven additional matches to be set which means fourteen of the twenty Premier League teams could play twice that week.

With the way the FA Cup Quarter Final line up has worked out, Aston Villa vs Tottenham Hotspur is almost certainly going to be added to that weekend to make four Premier League games to be played- I am likely to use my Free Hit that week and keep the Wild Card in hand for the weeks ahead.

That means there are likely to be ten games left to be re-scheduled and I can see the upcoming weeks having a look like this:

DGW24

Burnley v Fulham

Everton v Manchester City

DG25

Leeds United v Southampton

DGW26

Burnley v Leicester City

Crystal Palace v Manchester United

Fulham v Tottenham Hotspur

Liverpool v Chelsea

Manchester City v Southampton

Sheffield United v Aston Villa

West Brom v Everton

DGW27

Aston Villa v Everton

Manchester City v Wolves

GW29

Aston Villa v Tottenham Hotspur

In this case only Tottenham Hotspur v Southampton would have be placed in the schedule, but it would mean there are at least two free weeks in which it could be played after Easter now that Spurs are out of the FA Cup. And importantly it would mean that Jose Mourinho's men won't have the fixture pile up like their manager has been worrying about even if Everton were to beat Manchester City in the FA Cup Quarter Final as it would mean a maximum of two Tottenham Hotspur games that need to be re-arranged and with two free midweeks left in the calendar after the March international break.

You could swap the Manchester City matches with Southampton and Wolves in DGW26 and 27, but something like that schedule can't be ruled out.

I certainly think the teams that are still in the FA Cup and playing European Football will have their original GW29 fixtures moved forward because of the limited time available if those clubs are to go deep into their respective European competitions and progress in the FA Cup, but the Premier League is not under the same pressure when it comes to moving the matches involving clubs that are not involved in Europe.

For example Everton have been picked to play Southampton in DGW26 on Monday Night Football- with that in mind Manchester City could face Wolves that midweek instead and play Southampton the following week, while Everton's trip to West Brom has a number of additional weeks in which it can be guaranteed to be play even if The Toffees were to progress as far as the FA Cup Final.

It is something to consider and certainly something I am thinking about with the expected DGW26 looking the best time to play the Bench Boost.

My worse case scenario right now is that eight of my fifteen players would be playing twice that week, but I was also hoping the Premier League would have decided where they were going to re-schedule a number of those fixtures before the deadline for GW24.

But at the same time I think the Free Transfers can focus on the following teams who should be playing twice in GW26: Aston Villa, Burnley, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Fulham, Leicester City, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Sheffield United and Tottenham Hotspur who I feel are most likely to be in that spot.

If you can carry a transfer I would do that, but I pushed one forward last week and need to make a play, although I am comfortable with the squad as it is and where I am positioned while I wait for the fixture re-schedule to be announced by the Premier League.

I have five players on the DGW this week, which is a bonus, and I don't want to change the look of the team too far with the Bench Boost Chip looking an important one to play now.