Premier League Darts Night 3 Picks 2026 (Thursday 19th February)

Rumours had been building ahead of Night 3 of the Premier League Darts that Michael van Gerwen was not going to be healthy enough to take part in Glasgow and those were confirmed early on Thursday.

He had made a really good start to the tournament having reached two Finals and winning one of the Nights played so it is perhaps not a massive blow to miss out if he has not been feeling well. At the time of writing, Michael van Gerwen is set to play in the Poland Masters this week in the first of the European Tour events that take place across the year, but his withdrawal on Thursday means Luke Littler is straight through to the Semi Final.

Fans have been critical of the Premier League current format, but there will be some excitement around the tournament even at this early stage after neither of the Lukes made it through to the Final. Both are sitting outside of the top four right now, although it would take a brave person to predict that either will miss out on the Play Offs with another fourteen nights to complete.

However, in saying that, they will both be very keen to get the Premier League up and running on Night 3 in what has proven to be a hostile environment in Glasgow where neither Littler nor Humphries are expected to get a lot of support.

Early pressure is already building on Stephen Bunting and Josh Rock to get off the mark, but the likes of van Gerwn and Gerwyn Price will be very happy with the points they have already accrued.

It was a little disappointing in failing to back Price to win Night 2 having identified him with Luke Littler as the most likely winners.

After the Bye into the Semi Final, Luke Littler is odds on to win this week, but it was Luke Humphries who won a Players Championship event and who looks in strong form right now. He is going to have to move through the tougher top half of the draw, but Humphries can make the Final and he will not be 11/2 to beat anyone in that showdown.

Stephen Bunting v Gian van Veen: After having a nightmare in the Premier League in 2025 and then having his inclusion questioned massively ahead of the tournament in 2026, the last thing Stephen Bunting needed was to have played two and lost two.

He, along with Josh Rock, is still searching for the first points in 2026, but Stephen Bunting continues to produce some solid performances in the floor event.

In Players Championship 3 he was beaten in the Final, albeit very convincingly, but Bunting averaged above 96 for the day.

The following day it needed a three dart average from eventual Winner Luke Humphries to beat Stephen Bunting in Players Championship 4 and the latter averaged over 100 in that defeat too.

Last week another three dart average was needed to beat him in the Quarter Final on Night 2, but Stephen Bunting may feel he can work more chances against Gian van Veen.

The Dutchman is still figuring out the now increasingly busy schedule in his debut season in the Premier League and Gian van Veen has not opened 2026 in great form. Early losses at all four Players Championship events and a Quarter Final defeat in Antwerp last week will have just dented some of the confidence, even if van Veen remains very dangerous with his impressive finishing.

Stephen Bunting edged him out twice in three matches last year and he looks a big price on current form to get the better of Gian van Veen in the opening match in Glasgow.

Luke Humphries to win & over 2.5 180s: Winning the Players Championship on Tuesday will have just given Luke Humphries another boost having lost in the Quarter Final to Luke Littler last week on Night 2 of the Premier League.

Like the Masters, Humphries had his chances to beat the World Number 1 and his change in stem length on the darts looks to have worked for him.

The maximum hitting is still a huge part of his game and Luke Humphries is rightly favoured in this Quarter Final.

You do have to expect a lot more from Josh Rock who was in awful form in Antwerp and later blamed the soap at the event for making it impossible to grip his darts. Credit has to be given to the Northern Irishman for stronger numbers at the two Players Championship events played earlier in the week, but relatively early losses will have stung and the pressure is building to get off the mark in the Premier League having suffered two defeats in two matches played.

He has lost his last three against Luke Humphries, but should play a part in an entertaining Quarter Final.

Josh Rock hits big enough scores to keep the World Number 2 focused and it is the Englishman who may outlast this opponent in a 6-3 kind of win.

Jonny Clayton over 2.5 180s & over 8.5 total Legs: Another tight loss to his good mate Gerwyn Price will have hurt Jonny Clayton who has not beaten his compatriot ten tries.

The last win was back in 2023 when both were competing in the Premier League, but Clayton may feel he has played well enough to beat Gezzy in both the Masters and on Night 2 of the 2026 Premier League.

He is still hitting plenty of big scores and that will give Jonny Clayton a chance as he takes aim at Gerwyn Price again.

Last week Jonny Clayton had three maximums in the loss to Price in Antwerp and he was in good form when it comes to those maximums at Players Championship 3 earlier this week.

On that day Jonny Clayton reached the Quarter Final, but Gerwyn Price went one better in Players Championship 4 as he reached the Semi Final to continue what has been a fine start to 2026.

It does feel like the layers have got this right with Price a favourite, but Jonny Clayton can give his mate something to think about and win at least three Legs in any losing effort thanks to some big maximum hitting.

MY PICKS: Stephen Bunting @ 2.75 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Luke Humphries to Win & Over 2.5 180s @ 2.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Jonny Clayton Over 2.5 180s & Over 8.5 Total Legs @ 2.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Darts 2026: 7-12, - 3.05 Units (18 Units Staked, - 16.94% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2026 (Thursday 19th February)

We are moving into the business end of the tournaments that have been scheduled for this week and more retirements in Dubai will lead to more questions.

The final eight names in the WTA 1000 event are surprising in the main, and the Quarter Final matches look tough to call.

You can say the same for the Quarter Finals in Doha with one selection made from that tournament and one from the remaining Second Round matches scheduled in Delray Beach.

Any selections from the ATP Rio tournament will be added to this thread and the weekly totals will also be updated once the full results from Wednesday are in.

Carlos Alcaraz - 5.5 games v Karen Khachanov: The World Number 1 has not been at his very best in the ATP Doha tournament, but Carlos Alcaraz will be comfortable with the level he has been producing to move through to the Quarter Final.

He arrived after completing the career Grand Slam with the title at the Australian Open, but credit has to be given to Alcaraz for stating there is still more development to improve his tennis.

It is a desire that could see Carlos Alcaraz competing for Grand Slam titles for many years to come and he will be seen as the player to beat at the remaining Slams to be played in 2026.

Strong numbers have been produced on the hard courts since the start of the 2024 season and Carlos Alcaraz is developing the serve, which is going to make it even easier for him to put opponents under pressure. It has been a strong weapon for him over the last couple of years, but the early signs are that Alcaraz is going to have an even better serve in 2026 and that will allow him to play with some real aggression on the return.

He will be challenged in this Quarter Final by a big hitting, aggressive player in Karen Khachanov who gave Carlos Alcaraz all he could handle in a tight defeat at the Rome Masters on the clay last season.

The World Number 17 has needed to go the full three sets in both opening wins in Doha, but he will be glad the conditions will offer his first serve some support. That is going to be vital for Karen Khachanov to see if he can keep Carlos Alcaraz under considerable pressure and look for that to dictate how the Spaniard responds.

However, Karen Khachanov will also be aware that he cannot afford to allow too many looks at his second serve against a return player like Carlos Alcaraz who will be looking to control rallies from the opening shot played.

Karen Khachanov is not having nearly as much success as Carlos Alcaraz when it comes to the return game and that will put more pressure on his serve. He has held almost 90% of service games played on the hard courts this season, which will give Khachanov real belief, but the highest Ranked opponent faced in 2026 is the World Number 25 and this is a considerably tougher test against the Australian Open Champion.

In the previous five matches on the Tour, Carlos Alcaraz has a huge edge in terms of Breaks of serve put together and the Spaniard may be able to push through and find the Breaks needed to cover this relatively big line.

Taylor Fritz - 3.5 games v Rafael Jodar: The 19 year old Spaniard is going to be improving his World Ranking again at the end of the tournament in Delray Beach, but he will be looking to crack the top 100 for the first time.

Rafael Jodar will need an upset over the top Seed in the tournament and that may be asking too much of him at this stage of the career.

The numbers produced over the last twelve months on the hard courts are impressive- Jodar has won 77% of the matches played with over fifty wins produced, while he has held 81% of service games played and broken in 32% of return games.

However, those numbers have largely been built on dominating lower Ranked opponents and Rafael Jodar is 2-2 over the last twelve months against top 100 Ranked players on the hard courts. His serve has been attacked relentlessly by the better players on the Tour and Taylor Fritz can certainly put the youngster under pressure, even with a limited return game.

Taylor Fritz is very comfortable on the hard courts and he reached the Final last week in Dallas.

In the limited amount of matches played on the hard courts in 2026, Taylor Fritz has not been nearly as strong on the return of serve as he has been in previous years. He will want to seen that improved ahead of the tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami, while Taylor Fritz will not have faced too many players as inexperienced as the one in front of him in this Second Round match.

There is every reason to believe that Taylor Fritz will be helped by the opponent he is facing on Thursday and the American may do enough to find the Breaks needed to cover this spread. 

MY PICKS: Carlos Alcaraz - 5.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Taylor Fritz - 3.5 Games @ 1.85 William Hill (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 6-8, - 3.03 Units (14 Units Staked, - 21.64% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2025 (Wednesday 19th February)

2025 has opened up without too many days like the one that occurred on Tuesday.

Two selections completed matches and both players had the majority of Break Points, but were not able to protect serve at key moments.

Coco Gauff's poor form continued, but Elina Svitolina's defeat stung considering she had over three times as many Break Points in the defeat to Clara Tauson. There isn't much you can do about that and the reality is that the Picks should have ended the day at least at 1-1, but the selection process was correct as players won't lose too many matches in which they have dominated the Break Point count as much as Elina Svitolina did.

Rain in Dubai has meant a number of Second Round matches were pushed back to Wednesday and the winners are likely going to be back out for Third Round action later in the day.

The Second Round is also scheduled to be completed at the ATP 500 event in Dubai and that is the focus for the Tennis Picks with the markets for Rio de Janeiro yet to be fully released.

Any selections from that tournament will be added to this thread.

Alex De Minaur - 5.5 games v Botic Van De Zandschulp: The ATP run through the Middle East is not as valuable in terms of Ranking points compared with the WTA 1000 events held in Doha and Dubai, but that has not taken away from the financial rewards on offer.

Unsurprisingly those rewards have attracted some of the biggest names on the Tour ahead of the back to back Masters in Indian Wells and Miami.

Alex De Minaur may have to beat one or two players with bigger names than himself to win the title in Doha, but the Australian has to be considered a definite threat to win after reaching the Final in Rotterdam. He was a solid winner in his opening match here in Doha and the Number 2 Seed in the tournament is strongly favoured to make it through to the Quarter Final.

He will have a respect for Botic Van De Zandschulp who has come through Qualifying in Doha and also won his First Round match.

However, it will be noted that none of those wins in the run to the Second Round have been against an opponent Ranked higher than World Number 92, while Botic Van De Zandschulp had opened the season with five straight defeats on the hard courts. This has meant his own World Ranking has dropped to 87 and it is important to just pick up some wins to avoid being in a position where the 29 year old has to face Qualifying matches to even take part in Grand Slam events.

Upsetting a top ten opponent would really open things up for Botic Van De Zandschulp, but that may be asking too much having already suffered a relatively straight-forward defeat to Alex De Minaur at the Australian Open last month.

Botic Van De Zandschulp has a serve that can make him dangerous when operating at his best, but he has not been as consistent behind this shot in 2025. He has taken sets in losses to Carlos Alcaraz and Lorenzo Sonego since the Australian Open and that will offer the Dutchman some confidence, but he is facing a very consistent opponent in Alex De Minaur and one that has been focused enough to beat those players he is expected to beat.

The serve has been well protected in the main and Alex De Minaur has found his spots against Botic Van De Zandschulp, which has kept the pressure on this opponent.

Doing the same here in Doha could see the World Number 8 have the majority of the Break Points and he should be able to play those big points well enough to edge past this spread set.

Andrey Rublev - 3.5 games v Nuno Borges: Early defeats in Hong Kong and at the Australian Open would have dented the confidence of Andrey Rublev, especially as it would have followed on from a poor end to 2024.

He is just about hanging onto his top ten World Ranking, but Rublev has given himself a boost by reaching the Semi Final in Montpellier and Quarter Final in Rotterdam, two indoor hard court events. A comfortable First Round win in Doha will only have bolstered his belief and Andrey Rublev can get the better of Nuno Borges on Wednesday.

The serve has not been much of a problem for Andrey Rublev, but there is a significant drop in his returning numbers and that is something the World Number 10 will be looking to improve.

Nuno Borges reached a career high World Ranking as recently as September last year, but he has slipped backwards since then and the 27 year old is going to be challenged to maintain the consistency needed to hang around the top 40 of the World Rankings.

The season started much more strongly for Nuno Borges compared with Andrey Rublev, but he has not played a lot of tennis since the Australian Open. In Marseille he was beaten in his second match and Borges has taken advantage of facing a Lucky Loser in the First Round here in Doha, so there is a considerable step upwards in terms of level of opponent he is facing.

Much like Andrey Rublev, Nuno Borges will feel that he is serving well enough on the hard courts, but not backing up his tennis as well as he would like when it comes to the return.

However, the edge has to be with the higher Ranked player, especially on the serve and Andrey Rublev can use that shot to set himself up for a solid win.

These players met at the back end of 2024 on an indoor hard court, which resulted in a relatively comfortable win for Andrey Rublev. You do have to expect Nuno Borges to offer more resistance on the serve than he did on that day, but Andrey Rublev may still create the majority of Break Points in the match and just find a way to secure a couple of breaks, which should be enough to cover this spread.

Matteo Berrettini-Tallon Griekspoor over 24.5 games: There is still some way to go before Matteo Berrettini can say he is back at the level of tennis that took him to World Number 6.

Injuries have been an issue for the Italian, and three losses in four matches played before this tournament in Doha will not have raised the confidence levels.

With that in mind, Matteo Berrettini will be feeling much better about himself after upsetting Novak Djokovic in the First Round here and an opportunity has opened up for a deep run and picking up some valuable Ranking points. The serve has continued to be a big weapon for Berrettini, but he will be encouraged by his return success in the win over Novak Djokovic and that is the area of his tennis that has plenty of scope for improvement.

Even at his best, Matteo Berrettini was an inconsistent return player and it was the scoreboard pressure that helped when he was rolling through his own service games.

He could have success doing that in this Second Round match in Doha against Tallon Griekspoor, the World Number 51 who has an inconsistent record on the hard courts.

Much of that is down to the fact that Tallon Griekspoor has had serious trouble on his return and this could be on show when he faces a serve as potent as the one that Matteo Berrettini brings to the court.

When these two met earlier this month in Rotterdam, both players were very effective behind serve, although Berrettini will be frustrated that he was beaten.

Matteo Berrettini won 82% of his service points played compared with Tallon Griekspoor's 75% mark, but it will be tough for either of these players to find breaks of serve if they can get close to those levels again. Tie-breakers could be needed again having played two in three sets in Rotterdam and it would not be a huge surprise if the these players are able to dominate behind serve again.

MY PICKS: Alex De Minaur - 5.5 Games @ 2.10 Paddy Power (1 Unit)

Andrey Rublev - 3.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Matteo Berrettini-Tallon Griekspoor Over 23.5 Games @ 1.91 Paddy Power (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 2-4, - 2.28 Units (6 Units Staked, - 38% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2024 (Monday 19th February)

The run through the Middle East before the majority of the Tour moves to the United States for back to back Masters events is an important time for many top names on the WTA and ATP.

It is especially the case for the WTA players with the events in Doha and Dubai both classed as 1000 events, while the ATP events in the same two venues are at 250 and 500 level.

Iga Swiatek won the title in Doha when getting the better of Elena Rybakina and both players will be looking to back up that run in Dubai. Another player in action is Australian Open Champion Aryna Sabalenka who competes for the first time since winning that Grand Slam title and only Jessica Pegula is unable to perform out of the very top players on this side of the Tour.

This should mean another strong event, although the Seeds tumbled very early last week- eventually the cream did rise to the top, but it does make the early Rounds a minefield to negotiate.

First Round action is completed in Dubai on Monday and the ATP events in Doha, Los Cabos and Rio de Janeiro are move into main draw action too. With the massive time differences between events, prices for markets are not always out in good time in London and so some of the threads will have Picks added to them as has been the case through the start of the month.

The Tennis season has been very difficult so far and the month has been a poor one after the disappointment of the Australian Open.

This week has not started very well either, but it is only the start of the week and this is the time where the turnaround has to begin- that does put some pressure on the selections, but the demand for better has always been around the Tennis Picks and so the situation is not very different to normal.

However, things do have to change compared with the way they have been going- while the month has not been nearly as crushing as the start in January, it is very important to try and put a positive week on the board.

Leylah Fernandez - 4.5 games v Bernarda Pera: The big tournament in Dubai is an opportunity for players like Leylah Fernandez and Bernarda Pera to push their World Ranking much higher than their current positions. Both have enjoyed operating at a higher level previously, but it has been a tough twelve months for both Fernandez and Pera as they prepare to face off in the WTA Dubai First Round.

Having to come through the Qualifiers at events in 2024 has given Bernarda Pera some confidence to take into matches- she has already won two matches in Dubai so the conditions are clearly going to be comfortable for Pera.

She had to come from behind to win both Qualifying matches, and Bernarda Pera has won plenty of Qualifiers including two in Abu Dhabi earlier this month. However, she has only won one of her main draw matches in 2024 and the American is facing an opponent who had a decent run in Doha last week to build some confidence of her own.

It feels like a lot of time has passed since Leylah Fernandez reached the US Open Final and she has never really been able to produce that kind of success since.

Disappointing early exits at the United Cup and Australian Open in January would have been a blow, but Leylah Fernandez won three matches in Doha last week.

She can be difficult to trust to cover a spread like this one and that is because the Fernandez game is one that operates on fine margins- the Canadian does not have an overwhelming aspect to any part of her tennis and feels more like a reactive player than a proactive one with her speed around the court one of the stronger Leylah Fernandez attributes.

These players did meet on a hard court in Washington last season and Leylah Fernandez was a relatively comfortable winner.

The return game of both players has not been good enough to compete with the very top players on the Tour, but Leylah Fernandez does have a slight edge over Bernarda Pera in her serving numbers. It was also the case when they met in Washington several months ago and the Canadian can find a way to win and cover in this First Round match.

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova - 3.5 games v Marie Bouzkova: Another strong showing in Doha has pushed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova back towards her natural place on the WTA Tour. Injury had contributed to a slip down the World Rankings, but she reached the Semi Final in Doha on Friday and Pavlyuchenkova will be looking to back that up with the short move to Dubai for another WTA 1000 event.

This is not an easy First Round match, but Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova has been serving well in 2024 and that has contributed to winning more often than not.

First up for the Russian is a match against Marie Bouzkova who had reached her career best World Ranking fourteen months ago, but who has lost four of her last five matches having begun the year by reaching the Quarter Final in Auckland.

Confidence will have been affected by that run of results, but Bouzkova has to be respected with her performances perhaps a little stronger than those results have been.

However this looks like a tough test for Marie Bouzkova.

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova has really been playing well against those players Ranked outside the top 20 and her numbers have been very impressive in those matches. If she can maintain that level, Pavlyuchenkova should have the ability to win this First Round contest and cover the spread set.

Jelena Ostapenko - 4.5 games v Xiyu Wang: The suggestion is that Jelena Ostapenko did not want to shake Victoria Azarenka's hand at the end of their match in Doha because of a change in policy set out by the Latvian government. Much like Ukrainian players, Latvian players are now not expected to shake hands with opponents from Russia or Belarus, but Azarenka was not buying that.

The fact is that Ostapenko offered a racquet tap and there is clearly no love lost between them.

Jelena Ostapenko has to be frustrated considering she has lost all three matches played against Victoria Azarenka in 2024- that frustration is higher when you think she has a 14-0 record against every opponent faced.

She should be good enough to see off Xiyu Wang in the First Round, even though Wang wil be feeling happy with her tennis having crushed two opponents in the Qualifiers. Xiyu Wang did not drop a set in those two wins, although this is going to be a considerable step up in terms of quality of opponent.

Nothing can be taken for granted in this match with Wang showing she can be very competitive if her opponent is not playing at their very best.

However, the performances against top 50 players over the last twelve months have not been good enough and Xiyu Wang has struggled on the return of serve.

There is no doubt that Jelena Ostapenko can be a little hard to trust with her overly aggressive style potentially leading to errors. She has had twelve wins against players Ranked outside the top 20 in 2024 and Ostapenko has covered this line in ten of those matches.

While it won't be easy, Ostapenko may bounce back from the disappointing defeat in Doha to put another win on the board here.

Daria Kasatkina - 5.5 games v Lucia Bronzetti: A Lucky Loser has entered the main draw after Marta Kostyuk was forced to withdraw, but this is a tough match for Lucia Bronzetti.

The Abu Dhabi Runner Up was beaten early in Doha and Daria Kasatkina has had a mixed start to the season in terms of her overall level of performance.

The tennis she produces means it can be something of a challenge for Kasatkina when it comes to covering big spreads- her serve can be vulnerable and she can be outhit, but it is very difficult to trust Lucia Bronzetti to be able to push the World Number 13 when you think she has lost eight matches in a row against top 100 Ranked opponents.

The Italian has really found it tough over the last twelve months when it comes to hard court matches against top 50 Ranked opponents too. Lucia Bronzetti is 1-10 in those matches and her second serve has been vulnerable, while she has not been able to get into the return games nearly as effectively as she would have liked.

As mentioned, the Daria Kasatkina serve can be vulnerable which makes it hard to cover big spreads.

However, Kasatkina has won nearly 50% of return points played against opponents Ranked outside of the top 20 over a twelve month period in hard court matches. That ability to put pressure on the return can show up here and Daria Kasatkina may find the breaks of serve needed to earn a relatively comfortable passage into the Second Round.

It is a pretty busy day in Los Cabos and Rio de Janeiro too with the First Round matches getting underway.

I do like both Alex Michelsen and Roman Safiullon to win and cover in Los Cabos- the two players are in decent nick, but their opponents have been struggling for consistency and that could show up in those First Round matches.

Over in Rio, Cameron Norrie is the defending Champion and is expected to beat Hugo Dellien despite a poor tournament in Buenos Aires last time out. It can be tough to back Norrie to cover any kind of spread with his tennis played in tight margins and the fact he can play up or down to an opponent's level, but he should have enough to win his First Round match with the breaks of serve needed.

Alejandro Tabilo is playing a home player who had a very good year on the clay courts in Thiago Seyboth Wild.

The start to 2024 has not been nearly as effective though and Seyboth Wild is going to have to serve very well if Alejandro Tabilo is operating anywhere near his best form.

Back to back wins over the Brazilian should give Tabilo confidence too and he can edge past Thiago Seyboth Wild.

MY PICKS: Leylah Fernandez - 4.5 Games @ 2.10 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova - 3.5 Games @ 1.85 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Jelena Ostapenko - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Daria Kasatkina - 5.5 Games @ 1.91 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Alex Michelsen - 2.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

Roman Safiullon - 2.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

Cameron Norrie - 3.5 Games @ 1.75 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Alejandro Tabilo - 1.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 0-1, - 2 Units (2 Units Staked, - 100% Yield)

Weekend Football Picks and Fantasy Football 2021 (February 19-23)

The European competitions have resumed during the week and I am not entirely convinced with UEFA's decision to have teams playing 'home' Legs on neutral fields. Personally I prefer the two Leg approach to the Knock Out Rounds through to the Final rather than the neutral site one Leg tournament we have to deal with last summer, but the Covid-19 pandemic continues to play havoc with the schedule.

The same is likely to happen in the March World Cup Qualifiers which are due to commence, while UEFA also have a big decision to make about the upcoming Euro 2020 tournament. I have no doubt the tournament will be played and completed as they want, but whether all twelve Cities will host and whether fans are going to be allowed in, even in limited numbers, is yet to be clarified.

I do commend any organisation which is trying to keep competitions going at this time through the various sports and so many have proved they can run their events effectively even when people have criticised those events taking place. Unlike some, I absolutely believe Euro 2020 can be played and manage the bubbles efficiently, but I would perhaps limit some of the travelling that is currently scheduled to take place.

Instead of twelve Cities you could use four, but UEFA will likely be breaching contracts and that is a big factor to take into consideration.

While those decisions are coming up, the club football continues and this is still a very busy time of the season with games being played every few days. I will get into the Fantasy Football outlook for GameWeek 25 after running through my thoughts of the Premier League fixtures to be played this weekend and the make up fixture to come during the week.

Wolves v Leeds United Pick: Friday Night Football comes from Molineux this week to open the Premier League latest round of fixtures and both Wolves and Leeds United will feel they can still secure a top half finish this season. European Football is perhaps beyond both considering the lack of consistency that has been shown and this is a difficult fixture to predict.

There have been times where both have looked really good, but they are also never that far away from a poorer showing and the first goal is likely going to be important.

Wolves came from behind to win at Southampton last weekend and did the same when hosting Arsenal, while they did create some decent openings against Leicester City in a goalless draw. The absence of Raul Jimenez has really prevented Wolves turning a few close games into wins and they still lack the consistent threat in the final third without their talismanic centre forward.

However, Nuno Espirito Santo will be pleased by some of the build up play his Wolves team have put together and the manager has to be confident they can create chances against this Leeds United team. Even through some of their better results, Leeds United have a style which leaves them wide open and Wolves have some quality wide players who can use pace and skill to expose those areas.

In saying that, the Leeds United style is also one that will create chances and they showed that off in their 1-3 win at Leicester City recently. They have scored at least twice in 3 away games in a row in the Premier League, but Leeds United have not kept a clean sheet in any of those and have conceded in 8 of their last 10 away games in all competitions.

Leeds United lost 0-1 to Wolves at Elland Road, but they created the better chances on the day. They are playing with some confidence even as results remain inconsistent and I think this is a fixture that is likely to feature at least three goals, especially as Wolves have found some attacking threat in recent games.

Both teams scoring wouldn't be a surprise when involving Leeds United, while neither team is likely to settle for a point as they bid to move up the Premier League standings. If the game gets bogged down it could end up being a tight one, but Leeds United don't seem to allow that to happen too often and I would expect at least three goals to be shared out this evening.

Southampton v Chelsea Pick: The Champions League has already resumed, but Chelsea will be playing their Last 16 First Leg against Spanish leaders Atletico Madrid in the coming days. That is a competition that will always be a distraction to players and managers, but Thomas Tuchel can't afford to take his eye off the ball in the Premier League as Chelsea look for a top four finish and a return to the Champions League next season too.

In reality everything you hear about Tuchel suggests he will do anything but focus on the next game on deck and he will be looking to prepare his Chelsea team to the best of ability. Changes are likely to be made as he keeps the squad fresh, but his team look to be responding in the manner the manager will appreciate and the 5 game winning run will give Chelsea real confidence.

I do think Tuchel has been fortunate with the way the fixture list panned out in his first few weeks in charge of Chelsea and he may also be going up against Southampton at the right time.

Injuries have hurt the hosts and confidence has been dented which has seen Southampton lose their last 6 Premier League games including the last 3 in a row at St Mary's. However 2 of those defeats have come in games Southampton have taken the lead and the defensive issues are a problem for Ralph Hasenhuttl that he has yet to resolve.

His team are not completely out of form as they have progressed to the FA Cup Quarter Final through this poor League run, but Southampton have not always been consistent in the final third. Coupled with the defensive worries which has seen Southampton concede at least two goals in 5 of their last 6 games in the Premier League and I think there is every chance that Chelsea can extend their winning run at least one more game.

The Blues have shown an attacking threat in recent games, but they have also been organised defensively and I think that gives them a real edge. Chelsea have also won 5 in a row at St Mary's and I think they are capable of adding another three points here and keeping the pressure on the teams in and around the top four race to stay with them.

Burnley v West Brom Pick: If you are being honest you have to say that both West Brom and Sheffield United are almost certainly heading for Championship Football in the 2021/22 season as both have looked cut off at the bottom of the Premier League table.

Sam Allardyce has plenty of experience to pull teams out of trouble in the Premier League, but he has not had the kind of impact West Brom have wanted and this is a team struggling for results. 2 points from a possible 18 since beating Wolves in the Midlands derby suggests there isn't the confidence in the squad to avoid the drop and West Brom are continuing to concede far too many goals.

At least this weekend they are not facing a top attacking unit and West Brom did restrict Manchester United to a single strike last week.

However Burnley have created a lot of chances in their recent 1-1 home draws against Brighton and Fulham at Turf Moor and only some poor finishing has let them down. They have not been helped by gifting leads to both of those visitors, but Burnley have not offered out a lot of chances to the relegation rivals they have faced and Sean Dyche will have Ben Mee back for this one too.

With the goals that West Brom are conceding I do think Burnley deserve the edge in this match and I think they will find a way to the maximum points. It will be close and another draw can't be ruled out, but that is no good to West Brom and I feel they may have to take the risks which will open spaces for Burnley who have been creating enough to produce one more goal than they concede.

Liverpool v Everton Pick: In recent years the Merseyside derby has become a pattern depending on where the game is played- those at Goodison Park have tended to finish up as draws, while Liverpool have dominated the victories at Anfield and the feeling is that the midweek results have once again given Liverpool the momentum to take into the latest derby.

While Liverpool were bouncing back from their latest Premier League setback with a win over Leipzig in the Champions League, Everton have lost back to back home games against Fulham and Manchester City. They played much better in the second of those games than the first, but Everton will have had some confidence dented.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin could return and that is a boost for Everton, while they have been better away from home than at Goodison Park. In fact Everton are unbeaten in 7 away games in the Premier League and they have scored at least twice in 5 of those fixtures so they won't be worried about taking on a Liverpool backline which is still leaking chances.

At the same time Everton have not looked that convincing at the back themselves and there are signs Liverpool are returning to form in the final third. They created chances against Leicester City and perhaps should have gotten a lot more out of that game than they eventually did, while Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah both scored during the week to give themselves some belief.

Goals at Anfield have not been easy to come by, but Liverpool will feel they can get after an Everton team which has conceded three or more goals in 3 of their last 4 overall. Everton haven't had a clean sheet in the Premier League since Boxing Day and this feels like a derby that could see both teams hitting the back of the net with the strengths being in the final third compared with the defensive third.

Only 3 of the last 9 Merseyside derby games have finished with at least three goals shared out, but that includes the last Premier League game at Anfield which ended 5-2 in favour of the home team. This feels like a game in which both teams will have to use attack as the best form of defence and I think they are likely to be involved in a higher-scoring derby than we are used to seeing.

Fulham v Sheffield United Pick: Two clubs inside the bottom three of the Premier League meeting in late February is clearly going to be a very important fixture and that is the case for Fulham and Sheffield United.

However, I do think this game should mean more to Fulham because they have a much more realistic path to get themselves out of relegation trouble compared with Sheffield United. That doesn't mean the visitors will roll over for Fulham, but the feeling is that even a win for The Blades will only be postponing what looks like an inevitable relegation and so the three points are much crucial to Scott Parker's team.

If Fulham can win they will move to within 3 points of safety having earned 4 points over the last week, while they also hold the goal difference edge over Newcastle United. The victory will give this Fulham team a huge jolt of confidence, but they have not played as well at home as they have away from Craven Cottage and you can't ignore the fact that Fulham are the lowest home scorers in the Division.

At the same time Sheffield United are the only club in the Premier League that have lost at least 10 away League games this season. The Blades have not been sharp enough in the final third having scored just 6 away goals this season and defensively they are liable to a mistake or two which will give teams a chance.

Fulham have been playing better defensively, but this is a team who have been lacking goals. They have been inconsistent in the final third all season, but there have been one or two signs they are finding their feet and Fulham may have a very slight edge in the fixture.

It won't be easy for either team and there will be some tense moments, while a mistake could prove to be the difference on the day. The home team have just shown a little more at both ends of the pitch compared with Sheffield United and I do think Fulham have an opportunity for a big three points to keep the momentum going before fixtures look to be getting a little tougher.

You can't really rule out the draw with confidence, but Sheffield United have not been as solid as their results may indicate and were fortunate not to be beaten by West Brom at home. Fulham are playing a little better than the two teams that are below them in the Premier League table and I think they earn a narrow victory in this game.

West Ham United v Tottenham Hotspur Pick: The extra days off should really favour West Ham United in this Premier League fixture and they have to take advantage of that if they are going to continue their unexpected challenge for Champions League Football next season.

It is not just the extra days of recovery, but the form has been decent too and that has to be encouragement to David Moyes and his players.

Michail Antonio's absence would be a blow, but West Ham United have continued to create chances without him and I think they are a dangerous team as long as they have belief in their own game. That was not the case in their home defeat to Liverpool last month, but you have to think the players will have learned from that and they should not be in awe of a Tottenham Hotspur team that have been struggling for form.

A big win in the First Leg of the Europa League Last 32 means there is little pressure on the Second Leg and Jose Mourinho can turn his attention to the Premier League. The position looks precarious, but Tottenham Hotspur could be right back in the top four mix with a win at the London Stadium and they have won their last 4 away games at West Ham United.

Tottenham Hotspur have struggled away from home in the Premier League in recent weeks with a single win in their last 7 on their travels. They should have a fresh Harry Kane ready to go, but Tottenham Hotspur will have to be better defensively if they are going to finish in the Champions League spots, which has to be the minimum aim for Jose Mourinho at the end of this season.

Both teams should be strong in the final third with the recent performances they have produced, but neither has looked convincing at the back.

Games between these rivals have tended to be high-scoring and that includes the 3-3 draw at Tottenham Hotspur earlier this season. I have also noted that there are plenty of recent games where the losing team has made late comebacks which have either been completed or come up a little short so neither will feel comfortable until the final whistle is blown and the points are secured.

In 2 of the last 3 Premier League games here, West Ham United have fallen 0-3 down and then almost fully recovered in 2-3 defeats. David Moyes will want a stronger start in this one though, but I do think goals are likely to be the outcome between these teams with at least three expected on Sunday lunchtime.

Aston Villa v Leicester City Pick: This is really a fixture that could develop in a couple of different ways and I am of the feeling that an early goal could open things up.

Neither Aston Villa nor Leicester City will want to give too much away as they both look for a surprising spot in the top four at the end of this season, but Dean Smith's men do have a few more days to rest and prepare for this one. While Leicester City have played in Europe on Thursday, Aston Villa have not been in action since last Saturday evening and they should be ready to go.

They are facing a Leicester City team with some key injuries in the back, but Aston Villa will also be well aware of how good Leicester City have been away from home. Brendan Rodgers will set his team up to counter the spaces Aston Villa do leave and the injury to Matty Cash at right back will be a disruption for the hosts.

Aston Villa have been giving up some massive opportunities of late and this Leicester City team have a very good front line that should be more clinical than the likes of Southampton and Brighton have been. The goalkeeper has been important, but Aston Villa will need to get on the front foot in this one with attack being the best form of defence at times and I do think this will be a decent fixture.

3 of the last 5 between these clubs have finished up with at least three goals shared out and I do think an early goal opens this fixture up.

Both teams should be looking for the maximum points and that should keep the intensity up, but much will depend on a first half goal to prevent the teams from perhaps becoming more and more cautious as they begin to fear defeat than think about the positives of a victory.

Arsenal v Manchester City Pick: The Champions League resumes during the week and Manchester City's focus will turn to that shortly, but Pep Guardiola has made it clear to his players to ignore the schedule and play matches as they come. He will rotate his first eleven to keep players fresh as Manchester City remain in contention for all four competitions they entered back in August and Manchester City are playing with real confidence.

A 17th win in a row in all competitions is keeping the momentum going and Manchester City have won 10 away games in succession. They have scored at least two goals in their last 9 and many of those fixtures have ended in comfortable wins for Manchester City with the strong defence now being backed up by a motivated forward line.

They will feel they can hurt this Arsenal team who have been conceding goals and who have been giving up some chances even when going through a period of better results. Mikel Arteta will be pleased by the progress he is seeing, but his Arsenal team are still lacking consistency and they have not had much success against this Manchester City team.

The last 5 at the Emirates Stadium have not only ended in defeats, but defeats by two or more goal margins. That includes a thumping defeat in the League Cup Quarter Final and Arsenal have also allowed some big chances to Manchester United in a recent goalless draw here.

Ultimately they are now taking on the best team in England and a team that looks to have overcome any injuries that have affected them. This weekend it looks like Manchester City have a much stronger squad all around with the returns of Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan expected and I simply don't think Arsenal will be able to stay with their visitors.

Having had one day less than Manchester City to prepare and travelling back from Italy are other factors going against Arsenal and I think the away team produce an 11th win in a row away from the Etihad Stadium. Like the previous 9, I think Manchester City will win by a good margin too if showing the clinical finishing they have been of late.

Manchester United v Newcastle United Pick: The big win in Italy on Thursday afternoon has set Manchester United up for a comfortable passage to the Last 16 of the Europa League and the hope will be that the result can spark the Premier League form.

A poor 1-1 draw at West Brom last weekend has ended any real hopes of challenging Manchester City for the title, but Manchester United cannot expect to coast into the top four. They have to pick up their form and there will be some pressure on them depending on how their top four rivals have performed in earlier games played this weekend.

Even that won't be an excuse for Manchester United when they host a slumping Newcastle United team. Steve Bruce's men are edging closer and closer towards the bottom three with 7 losses in their last 9 Premier League games, but recent wins at Everton and Southampton have just about kept The Magpies clear of the relegation zone.

However the gap may be as close as 3 points if Fulham have beaten Sheffield United earlier this weekend and that will put pressure on Newcastle United. Despite the bid to play improved attacking football, Steve Bruce's men are struggling in the final third and the injury to Callum Wilson does not help at all.

They have not scored in 5 of their last 6 away games and Manchester United, for all their mistakes at the back, have not given up a huge amount of chances in recent games. It feels like Manchester United will be punished whenever they make mistakes at the moment, but their visitors are without their best striker and I would expect a relatively comfortable evening for the hosts.

Manchester United should have enough attacking threat to break down this Newcastle United team that is likely without Federico Fernandez and I think they can win with what has been a rare clean sheet of late.

Brighton v Crystal Palace Pick: The M23 derby is played on Monday Night Football this week and Brighton look plenty short to win the game at odds on.

They are playing well and Brighton are unbeaten in 6 Premier League games, but last weekend was further evidence of the issues that have dragged them into the relegation battle. Namely they don't score enough goals despite the really good chances they are able to create and I imagine purchasing a striker will be a big request Graham Potter has of the board in the summer.

His team are still churning out results without a consistency in the final third and that is because Brighton have found a really good balance defensively. It has seen them restricting the threat teams are posing against them and Brighton have been able to edge away from the bottom three.

A win on Monday will see them take a big step towards maintaining their Premier League status for another season and Brighton have to be confident they can restrict a Crystal Palace team missing Wilfred Zaha. Without that magic from their best player, Crystal Palace have looked short of ideas and confidence and it has seen them lose back to back games without scoring a goal.

Any derby can produce some strange results though when the form guide may be pointing in one direction, while Crystal Palace did win here last season and were minutes away from beating Brighton at home earlier this season. Roy Hodgson has had plenty of time to work with the players he has available and, despite a long injury list, he will be looking for a much better performance than has been seen in the last 2 League games.

At odds on it is hard to back Brighton, but Crystal Palace can't be trusted without Wilfred Zaha either. Both defences will feel they can get on top of what has been inconsistent attacks to say the least and I would not be surprised if one of these teams fails to score.

Crystal Palace have not scored in 5 of their last 6 away games in all competitions, while Brighton have conceded once in their last 6 Premier League games. During the same run, The Seagulls have only scored 4 goals themselves and have had goalless draws with the likes of Fulham, Newcastle United and Burnley here already this season and so the feeling is we are going to see at least one clean sheet on the scoreboard at the end of this one.

Leeds United v Southampton Pick: The European Football will take most of the headlines during the week, but there are games to be made up in the Premier League and Leeds United and Southampton have found a slot for one of the fixtures they have to complete.

Both teams were involved early this past weekend so they should have had time to prepare, although both Leeds United and Southampton are stretched through injury. It means there are unlikely to be wholesale changes as both clubs look to earn the points to confirm Premier League Football for another season as soon as possible.

That might sound like weak ambitions, but I think it would be the makings of a strong season for a newly promoted club and another who have been involved in too many relegation battles in recent years. Both will have more convincing aims of trying to finish in the top half of the table, while Southampton have the bonus of a FA Cup Quarter Final to be played next month.

Neither team has shown much consistency of late, but Leeds United look to have the edge being at home and with more wins over the last few weeks. The 1-1 draw for Southampton against Chelsea snapped a 6 game losing run in the Premier League and it should be noted that Leeds United look to be the more creative of the two taking part in this one.

You can't really rely on Leeds United to produce a big defensive effort, but they controlled Wolves in the 1-0 defeat on Friday and it was only a ridiculously poor piece of luck which cost them a result. In the last home game Leeds United kept a clean sheet against Crystal Palace too and I do lean towards them earning the victory here.

It won't be easy as Southampton have been a team that can be very good on their day and have attacking players that can cause problems, but containing Leeds United may be beyond them.

Both teams have had inconsistent results over the last month, but the feeling is that Leeds United have been creating more chances than their visitors. With a little more composure in the final third, I think Leeds United will edge to the three points.

MY PICKS: Wolves-Leeds United Over 2.5 Goals

Chelsea

Burnley - 0.25 Asian Handicap

Liverpool-Everton Over 2.5 Goals
Fulham - 0.25 Asian Handicap

Fantasy Football GameWeek 25

It was a solid week for the Fantasy Football team in GW24 with almost 100 points earned and that is without using a Chip.

As I am writing this most in the Community are still waiting to see which fixtures are going to be placed in GameWeek 26 which looks like being the biggest Double GameWeek remaining this season. The comments made by Pep Guardiola before the match against Everton suggests Manchester City will be playing Wolves in GW26 as an addition to the home match against West Ham United, while they will then be facing Southampton the following week.

However it may mean having to wait until close to the GW25 deadline, which is Friday evening, before we get an idea as to how the March calendar is going to look.

That is an issue for my team with the idea that the Bench Boost Chip is best to be employed in DGW26 and with two free transfers to use this week. Both Leeds United and Southampton are on a double this week so I don't really want to touch those assets, but I do have to make use of one and then keep two for the following week when I can shape my squad to cover as many Doubles as possible.

It is causing problems and I am wondering whether Everton and Southampton will be the teams with most DGWs remaining this season if their match scheduled for Monday 1st March is not moved/swapped with another earlier that weekend. If it isn't, they won't be involved in a DGW in 26, but will have at least two matches each that need to be re-scheduled and that is after the Southampton match at Manchester City is already likely to be played in GW27.

By the time most read this we should have a release of the fixtures for GW26, but I would not be surprised if Aston Villa vs Everton is set for a DGW27.

I still believe there will be twelve teams on a DGW, but the irritation would be if Southampton are not one of those teams. It would mean I have as many as six players missing the double, which loses some of the impact of the Bench Boost. That means I will be making my Free Transfer this week as late as possible to the Friday 6:30pm deadline, although I won't be touching the four players in the squad that are scheduled to play twice this week (Che Adams seemingly has been dropped from the starting eleven for Southampton which is a blow, but I will keep him in as he may get at least one full game and a sub appearance in the other).

The most likely transfer will involve Aaron Cresswell as someone who is guaranteed to be playing only one fixture in DGW26 and that coming at Manchester City no less. A bigger decision may be which teams to target to replace him, but much will depend on the fixtures released for March which I am hopeful will be out before the deadline as I have mentioned before.

I will update my team on Twitter around the deadline.

Australian Open Tennis Day 12 Picks 2021 (February 19th)

The end of the latest run in a Grand Slam for Serena Williams looked a little more final than we have seen in previous years and you do have to wonder if she is considering calling time on her career. I am not entirely surprised even if Williams looked as strong as ever in Melbourne this past two weeks, but time doesn't stop for any player and there are some major threats in the Women's game these days and I am not sure Serena will ever be able to win the Singles Grand Slam title she needs to match Margaret Court.

Wimbledon and the US Open offers big opportunities, but time is running out and I think there will be other names that start as favourites at both of those Grand Slams later this year.

It has been a spectacular career if this is indeed the final year on the Tour for Serena Williams, and she looks to have passed the torch to someone who idolised her growing up. Naomi Osaka can become the dominant force on the WTA Tour for years to come if she so wishes, although there are some quality players at the top of that Tour who will believe they can get the better of a player that has to show improvement on the clay and grass courts.

It makes Women's Tennis appealing to fans with some uncertainty as to how a tournament will develop, but it is also important to have a star like Naomi Osaka beginning to build her own legacy in the sport and be able to take over from the 'legends' when they are ready to be moved aside.

It has been a long-term issue in the Men's game with the Big Three dominating over the years, but finally we may be seeing other players ready to challenge the elite. If either Daniil Medvedev or Stefanos Tsitsipas are able to win the title, they will become the youngest first time Grand Slam Winner in a little under twelve years and could see that player going on to superstar status.

Novak Djokovic will be waiting for the winner though and beating him here is as big a challenge as knocking off Roger Federer at Wimbledon and Rafael Nadal at the French Open. With an extra day of recovery under his belt and looking like he is firmly over whatever injury plagued him in the Third Round, Novak Djokovic is going to be a big favourite on Sunday and it will be up to the winner of the second Semi Final to have to dig deep and try and knock off one of the top names in the sport on their favourite Grand Slam surface.

Daniil Medvedev-Stefanos Tsitsipas over 38.5 games: For a long time fans of the ATP have been waiting for the 'Next Gen' of stars to make their impact at the Grand Slam level and we have seen some of those players getting closer and closer to doing so. One of the 'Big Three' is already waiting in the Final of the 2021 Australian Open, but both Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas are much improved young players and they meet in a big Semi Final with every confidence that the winning player will have the belief to go on and win a maiden Grand Slam title.

Daniil Medvedev has celebrated his 25th birthday during the Australian Open, while Stefanos Tsitsipas is 22 years old- if either goes on to win the title here this week, they would be the youngest first time Men's Grand Slam Champion since Juan Martin Del Potro won the 2009 US Open as a 20 year old.

That underlines some of the development of sports science which means Tennis players can extend their careers longer than they would, but also the weight of expectation that fans have had on younger players as they look for them to announce themselves at the highest level.

Both of these players are operating at elite level and the match being played under the lights will help with the physical issues that both will likely have been dealing with. Daniil Medvedev was cramping right after his Quarter Final win over compatriot Andrey Rublev with both players suffering in the heat, while Stefanos Tsitsipas was on the court for over four hours two days ago as he became the second player to recover from two sets down to beat Rafael Nadal at a Grand Slam tournament.

Earlier in the tournament Stefanos Tsitsipas benefited from a walkover too so he has played one fewer match than his rival, but he has twice needed over four hours to win matches. There is also the emotional and physical energy needed to come from two sets down to win a match at any time which has to be a factor in this one and I think it is going to be a big test for Stefanos Tsitsipas.

The layers seem to believe the same with Daniil Medvedev going in as the favourite, but the raw numbers from the tournament suggests it will be a close match. Unsurprisingly the Russian has the superior return numbers, but Stefanos Tsitsipas has shown off stronger returning than we have come to expect of him in the early stages of his career and the Greek top tenner also has been serving at a higher level than his opponent.

Despite playing one match fewer, Stefanos Tsitsipas has actually spent more time on court than his opponent and the head to head is heavily in favour of Daniil Medvedev. The latter has won five of their previous six matches and leads on the hard courts 4-1, while Medvedev will extract some confidence from the fact he has never been beaten outdoors by Stefanos Tsitsipas.

However, there has been a clear sign that Medvedev has had more issues facing the Tsitsipas serve in the last few meetings- in each of the last three hard court matches, Daniil Medvedev has won 33%, 31% and then 30% of return points played and the break points created have slipped from five to three to zero in those matches too.

It has to be encouragement for the improving Greek star, although he has had a tough time dealing with the Daniil Medvedev serve too and I think the performances in the Australian Open suggest this is going to be a tight match. I would be surprised if either player is able to run through in straight sets, although my edge goes with Daniil Medvedev because of the emotional and physical effort Stefanos Tsitsipas has had to put into his Quarter Final win over Rafael Nadal.

The serving is going to be key for both players on the faster courts in Melbourne this year and I think the two players can combine for enough games to cover this total line set as long as we see at least four sets. Tie-breakers won't be a surprise and they played out a tight match on a fast court in Shanghai eighteen months ago which was eventually won 7-6, 7-5 by Daniil Medvedev.

The only concern for the selection is that Daniil Medvedev is able to win the first two sets- I think that could see a flat Stefanos Tsitsipas beaten, but anything else should make this a very competitive match with both players serving at a really strong level. It could be the kind of match that Novak Djokovic will enjoy as much as the fans with the winner being drained for the Final in two days time, but it should be a memorable Semi Final and I will look for the two players to produce some excellent tennis in a tight match.

MY PICKS: Daniil Medvedev-Stefanos Tsitsipas Over 38.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Australian Open 2021: 46-42, - 3.22 Units (176 Units Staked, - 1.83% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2020 (February 19th)

I've had a much busier Tuesday evening than I envisioned and that means I have not been able to put my thoughts down for any of the Tennis Picks I have for Wednesday.

It was a difficult Tuesday with three selections all losing and another ending in a retirement with the Pick being in a strong position. My one disappointment so far this season is that three of the four weeks in which I have made Tennis Picks have now started with a losing record.

Thankfully the other two times it has happened I have managed to turn things around with the process being trusted, but I do think it can be a difficult position from which to recover if it keeps happening and so I will be looking for much better starts to the week going forward.


Below you can see the Tennis Picks from the Second Round matches that are set to be played on Wednesday and I have updated the weekly totals. I will be back with a fuller post for the Thursday selections and hopefully with more winners being produced than not.


MY PICKS: Petra Martic - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)
Garbine Muguruza - 4.5 Games @ 1.86 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Elena Rybakina - 3.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)
Elise Mertens @ 1.95 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Simona Halep - 4.5 Games @ 1.90 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Dennis Novak @ 2.20 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Benoit Paire - 1.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Pablo Andujar - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 2-6, - 8.74 Units (16 Units Staked, - 54.63% Yield)

Midweek Football Picks 2019 (February 19-21)

The Champions League opening games might have been good ones for the neutral, but it wasn't much fun for Manchester United fans after suffering a home loss to Paris Saint-Germain that puts them firmly behind the black ball as far as progressing to the Quarter Finals goes.

That's something that will be revisited next month when United head to Paris and try and overturn the big advantage Paris Saint-Germain have built up, but the French Champions have had some memorable Champions League collapses before so you just never know.


This week it is the turn of the two biggest United rivals to get on with the opening of their Last 16 Champions League ties, while both Arsenal and Chelsea aim to put themselves into the hat for the Europa League Last 16 draw which takes place on Friday. Even though Arsenal were beaten in the First Leg, I would expect both of those clubs to find their way through to the next Round in what may soon become their best pathway back into the Champions League much like it was for Manchester United in the 2016/17 season.


The Premier League is going to be back this weekend, but fixtures begin on Friday so the Fantasy Football thread with the weekend selections will be ready to go around six hours before the FPL deadline on the day.


Liverpool v Bayern Munich Pick: The Champions League Last 16 draw has pitted together three ties involving English Premier League clubs taking on Bundesliga representatives and this is the second of those three ties.

Last week Tottenham Hotspur weathered an early Borussia Dortmund storm and then cruised into a 3-0 lead against the Bundesliga leaders, but Dortmund might just be going through a sticky patch. That isn't the case as much for Bayern Munich who have been scoring goals and producing plenty of wins to close the gap on the leaders in Germany and also give themselves real momentum going into the First Leg of this Second Round tie.

They face a rested Liverpool team whose primary focus may be winning the Premier League title, but who showed they are a dangerous Champions League team on their run to the Final last season. While some would suggest Liverpool ignore all Cup competitions and solely focus on the League, Jurgen Klopp won't want to lose to a team from the Bundesliga and Liverpool should have had ample time to prepare for this tie.

The absence of Virgil Van Dijk is a real blow for Liverpool considering the strength he has helped impose at the back. That may leave them vulnerable to Bayern Munich's attacking play, but I also think Liverpool have players in the final third that will scare the Bavarian giants and who have to be respected.

Bayern Munich have scored plenty of goals and have a long unbeaten run away from home in the Champions League. In their 8 games unbeaten, Bayern Munich have scored in each one and also beaten the likes of Sevilla and drawn at Real Madrid in a game they could have easily won on another day.

It makes me believe they can play their part in this First Leg, but my lean has been to Liverpool to have a lead to take to Germany next month. Liverpool have won 8 of their last 10 home Champions League games including the last 5 in a row, and one of the exceptions was a goalless draw with Porto in this Round twelve months ago after Liverpool had crushed them in Portugal.

Liverpool score plenty of goals at home in the Champions League and I think they edge out a high-scoring game which leaves the Second Leg with all to play for. The best play on the day may be backing Liverpool to win the First Leg in which both teams hit the net and that has to be worth a small interest.


Lyon v Barcelona Pick: A few days ago the layers were thinking about giving Lyon a full goal head-start on the Asian Handicap for this Last 16 First Leg tie and I would have been very keen to select the French side as the right play in this fixture.

Things have just changed slightly so while Lyon are getting a start, they are not getting the full goal which means a one goal loss would see half the stake refunded and the other half settled as a loser.

It worries me slightly, but I really do think Lyon have the talent and the confidence to earn a positive result in the First Leg of this Champions League tie, although Barcelona should be too strong over two Legs.

Lyon's recent home form in the Champions League is a worry with a single win from 10 games they have hosted in this competition, but only Juventus have managed to win from the last 6 visitors. Manchester City had massive problems dealing with Lyon in the Group Stage and I do think the confidence of the talented players the French side have can at least put Barcelona under pressure here.

They are also facing a Barcelona team who had won 1 of 7 away Champions League games prior to this season, although they did beat Tottenham Hotspur and PSV Eindhoven on their travels in the Group. The win over PSV was a narrow one though and Barcelona are a team that are vulnerable away from the Nou Camp and I do think Lyon can take advantage of a team that has not been in the best form of late.

Lyon have drawn with Manchester City and beaten Paris Saint-Germain here and scored twice in both games. If they reach that number again I don't think they lose and I am not always convinced about Barcelona away from home despite the obvious talent they have.

Barcelona would likely be very happy with a score draw here and I will select Lyon with the start to get something from the First Leg.


Atletico Madrid v Juventus Pick: Out of all the Last 16 ties in the Champions League I do think the Atletico Madrid versus Juventus one is the toughest to call.

Both teams will play with a similar ambition in this one with neither wanting to give too much away and hoping for magic from their forward players.

Cristiano Ronaldo returns to Madrid for the first time since leaving Real Madrid and I am sure he is going to get a very 'warm' reception from the Atletico fans. He has provided the magic moments to help beat Atletico Madrid a number of times in the Champions League during his time with Real Madrid and looks to be the main Juventus threat on the pitch.

Antoine Griezmann will be looking to spark Atletico Madrid who would love to be playing the Champions League Final in their home Stadium in June.

Neither team has been in outstanding form which does make this tie that much tougher to call, although my lean is that home advantage in the Second Leg will be the critical factor and give Juventus the chance to edge through to the Quarter Final.

First they have to concentrate on this Leg and Juventus have been very good away from home in the Champions League in the last twelve months. During that time they have won at Tottenham Hotspur, Real Madrid, Valencia and Manchester United and so you have to think that Juventus will be feeling good about their chances here.

However Atletico Madrid have a very strong home record with 8 straight home European wins including beating the likes of Roma and Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League. I really am having a hard time separating the teams and this is a tie that could be decided by an outstanding piece of skill to break down two organised defences.

I don't think either will want to give too much away in the First Leg though and backing a draw might be worth a small interest on the day.


Schalke v Manchester City Pick: At this moment the layers are taking no chances with the Manchester City prices to win games of football and that has seen them being asked to cover some big handicaps as short priced favourites.

A week ago Manchester City were the favourites to win here, but they have seen that price shrink after resting key players in the win over Newport County on Saturday. All of those big names are expected back in the Champions League and you can't really argue that the expectation is that Manchester City are going to win this First Leg simply on current form.

Schalke have played better at home, but they are a team struggling in the Bundesliga and the style of play should work to Manchester City's advantage. The home team will know their best chance of upsetting the favourites in this tie is by winning the Home Leg and that should leave spaces for the speed of Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane to expose.

Manchester City have already won in Hoffenheim in the Group and I suggest this task is perhaps a slightly more 'easier' one for them as long as they focus. You have to respect every team when they are hosting the fixture, but Manchester City have the talent edge and I can see them opening up Schalke whenever the Bundesliga club come forward.

Schalke have lost 3 of their last 4 home games against Premier League opposition all 3 losses came by two or more goals. They have lost 6 home Bundesliga games and 4 of those have come by at least two goal margins, while Manchester City have won 5 of their last 8 away Champions League fixtures and 4 of those have come by two or more goals.

I can't see beyond a Manchester City win here and I think they will do it with room to spare and make the Second Leg little more than a formality to progress to the Quarter Final.

MY PICKS: Liverpool Win & Both Teams to Score @ 3.75 Bet Victor
Lyon + 0.75 Asian Handicap @ 1.95 Bet365
Atletico Madrid-Juventus Draw @ 3.10 Bet Victor
Manchester City - 1.5 Asian Handicap @ 1.81 Bet Victor