Winmau World Masters Darts Day 4 Picks 2026 (Sunday 1st February)

Five of the eight players left standing at the World Masters will be playing in the Premier League next week, but there is no doubt that James Wade and Danny Noppert are playing with something to prove.

The latter has beaten a Premier League participant and both Noppert and Wade can feel pretty hard done by after being overlooked by the PDC.

Danny Noppert is outwardly showing less irritation about missing out on one of the tournaments that will get plenty of eyes on the product, but James Ward has been very critical with the decision making process that saw him left out.

Winning the Masters would be the absolute best way to show they belong and both players have tough Quarter Final matches to negotiate.

You still have to see Luke Littler has the favourite, but it is Luke Humphries who hit the Nine Darter and the defending Champion looks very confident.

The two Lukes continue to make most of the headlines, but the other six players beginning Sunday's play will all be very confident in their own chances of securing the opening World Ranking title.

Double- Gerwyn Price & Luke Humpries to win: Quarter Final matches will be played in the Day Session at the World Masters and all four look more competitive than the oddsmakers think.

It definitely feels like Luke Littler and Gian van Veen are very short against dangerous opponents in Josh Rock and James Wade.

Gerwyn Price and Luke Humphries are slightly bigger priced favourites, but they may do enough to get past Chris Dobey and Danny Noppert respectively.

Over the last couple of Rounds, Humphries has played with a point to prove with back to back averages of above 100, while also hitting the Nine Darter.

There is no doubting that Noppert can give Luke Humphries something to think about and has the scoring to keep up with the former World Champion, but it is Humphries who has tended to find a way through.

You do also have to respect how well Chris Dobey has played in the tournament so far, but Gerwyn Price has been operating at a high level for months and showed plenty of will and desire to beat his mate Jonny Clayton in the Second Round.

This one could go all the way, but Price may just have the consistency to come through the pressurised moments.

MY PICKS: Gerwyn Price & Luke Humpries to Win @ 2.20 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

World Masters Update: 4-6, - 0.41 Units (10 Units Staked, - 4.10% Yield)

Australian Open Tennis Day 15 Pick 2026- Men's Final (Sunday 1st February)

After two quite unbelievable Semi Final matches, the men's Final on the last Sunday in Melbourne could really signify the passing of the torch between generations.

Novak Djokovic will want to just underline his status as the best player of all time, but Carlos Alcaraz has plenty on the line himself and the youngest player to win the career Grand Slam would certainly place his name in the history books already.

Some may feel it could end up being an important Grand Slam title at the end of the respective careers with Alcaraz looking more than capable of getting close to the current mark set by Novak Djokovic.

It should be a fitting occasion to conclude the first Grand Slam of the 2026 season and one that every Tennis fan should be looking forward to.

The women's Final on Saturday did provide the drama that had largely been missing from that tournament as Elena Rybakina came through in three sets.

It looked like the match was going to get away from the Kazakhstan player in the final set, but a five game winning run turned things in Rybakina's favour and she has moved back into the top three of the World Rankings.

A healthy Elena Rybakina could be a threat at two of the next three Grand Slams, although still has something to prove on the clay courts.

Wimbledon has to be a big target and she can certainly close towards the top of the World Rankings if she can maintain the form of the last six months.

Some words about Aryna Sabalenka- the World Number 1 is a huge personality and remains one of the most consistent players who is always there or thereabouts at the biggest tournaments.

Reaching four of the last five Grand Slam Finals is nothing to be sneered at, even if Sabalenka has come up short in three of those.

You have to expect Aryna Sabalenka to be challenging for the biggest titles throughout 2026 and she has shown plenty of mental resilience to bounce back from plenty of other setbacks to be concerned about how she will respond to this Australian Open Final defeat.

Carlos Alcaraz - 1.5 sets v Novak Djokovic: Depending on your personal belief system, you may describe events on Friday as being 'destiny', 'fate' or perhaps even think some sort of 'divine intervention'.

That is certainly the case for the second Semi Final which was won by Novak Djokovic and the desire to win a twenty-fifth Grand Slam title is now just one match away.

It has been a miraculous few days for the 38 year old and that cannot be denied, no matter what else you believe.

A walkover in the Fourth Round is not so unique- in a long Grand Slam tournament, things like that happen, but the last couple of matches have been very unique.

Trailing 2-0 in the Quarter Final, Novak Djokovic admitted that his time in Melbourne looked to be coming to an end for another year.

Instead, Djokovic was given a reprieve as his fortune was Lorenzo Musetti's misfortune with an injury forcing the Italian to withdraw early in the third set when looking more than on course to beat the ten time Australian Open Champion.

Novak Djokovic admitted the better player had lost on the day, and there may be a similar feeling after he somehow managed to rally and beat the World Number 2 in a five set epic on Friday. The numbers back up that this may have been the most unexpected Semi Final win in a Grand Slam event going back to 1991 when some of the leading number-crunchers have been keeping vigorous records.

The former World Number 1 had 8 Break Points compared with the 18 that Jannik Sinner created, but Djokovic won the majority of the biggest points and recovered from 15/40 positions twice and 0/40 in the final set. He took his one and only Break Point created and the legendary Serb won a match in which his opponent won 12 more points over the course of the epic last four contest.

Suffice to say it is very difficult to overcome those kinds of numbers over and over again, while Novak Djokovic just spent over four hours on the court at 38 years old. Recovery is going to be the big challenge, but it certainly helps that his opponent in this Final has just played the longest Semi Final in Australian Open history.

Carlos Alcaraz is looking to become the youngest player to complete the career Grand Slam, but he had to dig seriously deep to beat Alexander Zverev having cramped up towards the end of the third set. At that stage the World Number 1 looked to be cruising through, but the body began to let him down and that allowed Alexander Zverev to win the next two sets in Tie-Breakers and then take a break lead in the decider.

All credit has to be given to the Spaniard for turning that set around and fighting his way through to the Final, although he has since indicated that he was not receiving a Medical Time Out for cramping issues, but because he felt something else in his muscle. That MTO infuriated Alexander Zverev, because you are not allowed to have a trainer come and work on cramps unless between changeovers and even then it can only be used three times.

Ultimately Zverev has tried to move past any controversy and it is Carlos Alcaraz who will be playing in the Australian Open Final for the first time.

Like his older opponent, Carlos Alcaraz will have to show tremendous recovery after spending almost five and a half hours on the court on Friday. Credit has to be given to the top Seed for the way he managed his serve in that win over Alexander Zverev and it is going to need to be a key shot for him to earn the victory over Novak Djokovic.

Carlos Alcaraz is plenty experienced, even at this young age, but this is easily his best run at the Australian Open and that means he is breaking new ground.

Of course that is far from the case for Novak Djokovic who has won this title ten times in his career and he has NEVER been beaten in the Australian Open Final. This has to give the Serb so much confidence, while he will note that he upset Carlos Alcaraz on this court twelve months ago in a four set win.

Prior to the US Open Semi Final in September, Novak Djokovic had not been beaten on a hard court by Carlos Alcaraz and that is another factor that has to give the veteran belief that this is his moment to win a twenty-fifth Grand Slam title and move clear of all.

The four hard court matches played between Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic have narrowly favoured the latter, but the win in New York City has to give the Spaniard so much confidence.

He only faced a single Break Point that day and Alcaraz had his chances in the Quarter Final defeat to Novak Djokovic twelve months ago.

Carlos Alcaraz will believe that his serve has improved markedly since that loss to Novak Djokovic in Melbourne when he was only winning 58% of points played behind the serve. That number improved to 70% in New York City and the returning numbers were similar in both matches, which suggests Carlos Alcaraz deserves the edge that has been given to him.

Over the last twelve months, Carlos Alcaraz has been the superior hard court player, while he has definitely been the more impressive within this tournament.

Novak Djokovic has shown he can play clutch tennis at the biggest moments, while the aggressive style surprised Jannik Sinner and may also give Alcaraz something to think about.

Factoring in the ability to recover from epic five setters on Friday is much more difficult- you would think Carlos Alcaraz being younger and playing earlier on the day will give him the edge, but dismissing the motivation that is fuelling Novak Djokovic and having that see him leave everything on the court would be dangerous.

The hard court performances against Carlos Alcaraz and the confidence of playing in these conditions and on this court makes Novak Djokovic a threat too.

Perhaps he is playing with some destiny and that Sunday is all about Novak Djokovic moving past Margaret Court's twenty-four Grand Slams just across from a tennis court names after the Australian.

Winning the title and leaving the sport would just be a fitting end to what has been a wonderful career, but the numbers suggest Carlos Alcaraz will have a little too much for Novak Djokovic. His variety is going to be important, as it was in the US Open Semi Final win, and a cold heart can only pick the World Number 1 to complete his career Grand Slam by breaking the heart of one of the absolute greatest to ever pick up a racquet.

It would really not offend if this Pick is wrong and Novak Djokovic can turn back the clock one more time, but he is going to have to come through some really sticky moments again and this time he may just come up short.

That win in New York City should make Carlos Alcaraz know what he needs to do in this Australian Open Final and he may just have too much over three or four sets.

MY PICK: Carlos Alcaraz - 1.5 Sets @ 1.61 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Australian Open Update: 37-23, + 15.08 Units (124 Units Staked, + 12.16% Yield)

Boxing Picks 2025- David Benavidez vs David Morrell (Saturday 1st February)

The quiet start to the 2025 season is firmly coming to an end in the first weekend of February when David Benavidez and David Morrell forget about waiting for a big shot at Canelo Alvarez and instead turn their attention to one another.

Make no mistake, this is a huge fight at Light Heavyweight, rather than Super Middleweight, and the winner is almost certainly going to be next in line for a shot at the winner of the Artur Beterbiev-Dmitry Bivol rematch coming up in three weeks time.

Of course a trilogy between the top two Light Heavyweights cannot be ruled out if it is revenge and not repeat on Saturday 22nd February, but the winner on Saturday is still likely going to receive big interest from the Saudi authorities and that comes with some big rewards over the next twelve months.

It is the big fight of the weekend and the main event is well backed up by a solid undercard.

Prior to this event, Adam Azim is back in action in London as he looks to take the next step in his own development in an open Division and one where a domestic rivalry with Dalton Smith continues to build.

You could not really ask for a better way to get February kicked off and there are some big fights to come over the next month, which in turn could set up even bigger nights over the remainder of 2025.

Of course those heading out to the ring on Saturday will be looking to impress promoters/local authorities with deep pockets and it should be a really good night for fans.

Adam Azim vs Sergey Lipinets

There are three leading names in British Boxing when it comes to the Light-Welterweight Division and that does not include the soon to return Josh Taylor.

Jack Catterall has had world level experience and will be out in a couple of weeks in a bout against Arnold Barboza Jr in what the WBO have described as an eliminator for the WBO World Title held by Teofimo Lopez.

Last week Dalton Smith was crushing an overmatched opponent and he is pushing to be called as the next challenger for the WBC World Title, which is going to be on the line when Alberto Puello defends against Sandor Martin in early March.

His promoters would have preferred to have seen Dalton Smith in the ring with Adam Azim, but the young, unbeaten fighter is on his own path and the hope is that both will meet with a lot more on the line at some point over the next twelve months.

That means continuing to win boxing fights and Azim is headlining in London on Saturday against Sergey Lipinets, a veteran who is a former World Champion, but who at 35 years old is past his best.

Almost four years have passed since Lipinets was Stopped in the Sixth Round by Jaron Ennis and he has had just three fights in that time- he is 2-1 in those three fights, but Sergey Lipinets was rocked by Robbie Davies Jr in May 2024 and he has not had a competitive fight since rallying to win that one on the cards.

Now he has to face a fresh, hungry young fighter and it might be tough for the Kazakh to actually stand up to the speed and deceptive power carried by Adam Azim.

The Stoppages have taken a bit longer as Adam Azim has stepped up his level of competition, but this might be the right opponent at the right time in his bid to make a statement.

Any Stoppage of Sergey Lipinets would make headlines, but there is a feeling that the 35 year old is not the same force he once was and the inactivity is a real concern.

It will be important for Adam Azim to not rush his work to try and out-do Dalton Smith and there has to be a respect for what Lipinets has achieved in his career.

However, the feeling is that this is a good time to be facing an inactive former Champion who was hurt in his last fight and Adam Azim may just be able to roll through the gears and get this done perhaps even earlier than Jaron Ennis managed back in 2021.

David Benavidez vs David Morrell

Canelo Alvarez has long held all of the cards in the Super Middleweight Division and he refused to entertain the idea of fighting either of these two fighers.

Instead of waiting for the Mexican to make up his mind and throw them a bone, David Benavidez and David Morrell have refused to allow their own career to stall and a decision was made to move up into the Light Heavyweight Division.

Options within the Division were pretty limited considering Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol were heading into a rematch with all of the World Titles on the line so credit has to be given to both Davids.

They have picked up Interim World Titles and the winner is likely going to be a frontrunner to become the next big Challenger in the Light Heavyweight Division.

Both are unbeaten, although David Benavidez has the greater experience in a professional ring and his resume looks much stronger than David Morrell's.

However, there has long been a big expectation on the shoulders of David Morrell, although he was not very convincing in his debut in the 175 pound Division.

It is a top main event on Saturday and it is very difficult to imagine this developing into anything other than a rough, tough, bruising encounter and one that will take something away from both winner and loser.

David Benavidez has looked the more confident and his experience might be key, but David Morrell has plenty of power and it would be a surprise if this is a bout that needs the final bell.

Out of the two unbeaten Champions, David Morrell has perhaps shown that his power is a telling factor early, but he may not carry it as much as David Benavidez and that could be the key to the outcome of this big main event.

The Mexican Monster might just wear down David Morrell, who can recover, especially in this era where the zero is no longer considered as important thanks to the money being pumped into the sport by the Saudi Arabian promoters.

I expect plenty of heavy leather to be thrown and David Morrell may not be able to keep David Benavidez from getting on top over the Twelve Rounds scheduled, which may end up leading to a statement victory for the 28 year old. He may take a little bit of time to warm up against the southpaw, but Benavidez can get through the early tough moments and begin to push through the gears and break down the will of David Morrell.

The undercard is unsurprisingly a good one for the first big American night of Boxing and the rematch between Stephen Fulton and Brandon Figueroa should see the two pick up from where they left off in November 2021.

Both have moved up from the Super Bantamweight Division where the initial bout between these Boxers was fought out, and it is Brandon Figueroa who holds the WBC World Title.

Inactivity is an issue for both, but you do have to wonder if Naoya Inoue may have taken something away from Stephen Fulton and not only his unbeaten record and World Title in the Division below.

He was dropped in his first fight in this Division, although was not that badly hurt, and Brandon Figueroa is capable of putting the big shots together and will believe he is the stronger fighter at this weight.

Stephen Fulton showed his determination in winning last time out, despite being dropped, but it will be tough to stand up to the pressure of Brandon Figueroa- he won a tight one when these two met over three years ago, but this time the Champion can underline his status by finding the shots to close the show before needing to go to the cards.

After losing last time out and having some of the momentum slowed down on a Riyadh Season card, Isaac Cruz is back and the expectation is that he will get back to doing what he does best.

There are still questions about him moving up the weights to chase the big fights, but Isaac Cruz is a focused fighter and that is underlined by the fact that he refused to discuss a fight with Ryan Garcia for May.

Instead Cruz is looking to get the better of Angel Fierro and the 26 year old may struggle to deal with his compatriot's experience at a much higher level.

Angel Fierro has been beaten twice in the lower weights and it feels like the Cruz team have selected him as someone who will stand in front of their fighter and give him a very good chance of looking strong again.

Losing to Jose Valenzuela was very disappointing, but this feels a step back in level and Isaac Cruz can get back to winning ways in a big way.

One of the big upsets of 2020, just before Covid shut down the world, saw Jeison Rosario crush Julian Williams to become a Unified World Champion in the Light Middleweight Division.

Nine months later he was beaten into submission by Jermell Charlo having been Knocked Down in two of the first Seven Rounds before the Eighth Round Stoppage and that has sparked a downward trend for the Dominican.

Four wins and two losses, with one draw, have followed that defeat to Charlo and Jeison Rosario has been Stopped in all of his career defeats.

Next up is Jesus Alejandro Ramos Jr who is still rebuilding after a defeat to Erickson Lubin.

Early successes had Ramos Jr looking to move into elite company in the Light Middleweight Division and his power has carried in fights.

Someone like Rosario is not going to be hard to find and that could give Jesus Alejandro Ramos Jr the opportunities to match Brian Mendoza and finish this fight in the first half of the scheduled Ten Rounds.

It is telling that Jeison Rosario has been dropped multiple times and early in some of the recent contests and standing in front of Jesus Alejandro Ramos Jr can only lead to bad things.

On Friday night, Matchroom do have a card being headlined by a couple of young fighters that they are hoping to develop.

Both Junaid Boston and George Liddard may soon be facing one another to separate their paths, but for now they are in individual fights and looking to build momentum.

They face Bilwal Fawaz and Derrick Osaze in the next step of their careers and both will have to be respected with the experience they have.

However, Boston and Liddard are destined for bigger things and they may both make statements with Stoppages without hearing the bell for the start of the Sixth Round.

MY PICKS: Adam Azim to Win Between 1-6 @ 3.25 Sky Bet (2 Units)

David Benavidez to Win by KO/TKO @ 4.33 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Brandon Figueroa to Win by KO/TKO @ 3.75 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Isaac Cruz to Win by KO/TKO @ 2.00 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Jesus Alejandro Ramos Jr to Win Between 1-5 @ 2.50 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Junaid Boston to Win Between 1-5 @ 3.00 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

George Liddard to Win Between 1-5 @ 2.75 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Boxing 2025: 3-4, + 0.53 Units (9 Units Staked, + 5.89% Yield)

Weekend Football Picks and Fantasy Football 2020 (February 1-2)

The January Transfer Window is still open at the time of writing and some late deals could really be the reasons why some clubs have a very successful end to the 2019/20 season, while others perhaps look back with some regret.

The Premier League title race looks over, while three of the four Champions League places are almost certainly going with the current top three, but the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United, Wolves, Tottenham Hotspur and even Sheffield United will believe the final spot in the biggest Cup competition in European Football is up for grabs.

At the bottom Norwich City might already be preparing for a step back into the Championship, but 2 points separate 15th to 19th and spending some money now could be the reason clubs are still earning the profits of being in the top flight and others are not.

Transfer deadline day is also a bit of the pain in the backside for Fantasy Players as systems are tweaked and previously set starting players are now facing more competition for places, but I will get onto that at the bottom of the thread when looking at the Fantasy Football decisions being made for GW25.

Before that I will put down my thoughts for the Premier League games to be played this weekend. Ten days ago things couldn't have really gone much worse when Everton conceded twice deep into injury time to blow one pick, while Chelsea couldn't finish off ten man Arsenal to blow another.

Hopefully the end of a miserable and seemingly endless January can also turn the momentum for the Picks too.


Leicester City v Chelsea Pick: The opening fixture from the Premier League this weekend comes from the King Power Stadium and both Leicester City and Chelsea will be having at least thirteen days off after this one in the first Winter Break placed in the top flight calendar in England.

The two teams are both chasing Champions League spots and you would have to say that Leicester City are almost assured of a top four finish if they can win this game. Brendan Rodgers' has seen his team move 14 points clear of 5th placed Manchester United and they are 8 points clear of Chelsea going into this weekend.

Leicester City were beaten in the League Cup Semi Final Second Leg during the week to miss out on a place at Wembley Stadium, and Rodgers is going to have to work on picking his players up. They have not been in consistent form since the turn of the calendar year, but Leicester City have perhaps been a touch unfortunate in matches to prevent them having a stronger run going into this fixture.

At least they are facing a Chelsea team who have also struggled for consistency of late and who have not signed the kind of reinforcements that were expected to arrive when their transfer ban was lifted. Things might have changed by the time you read this, but at the time of writing it looks like Frank Lampard will have to go with what he has.

His team do create chances, but they have lacked composure in the final third and Tammy Abraham's potential absence is a blow. However I do have to respect the fact that Chelsea have been successful creating chances especially as Leicester City have looked far from watertight at the back in recent matches and I would not be surprised if both teams scored.

The Foxes have a poor home record against Chelsea in recent years, but they will be happy with Frank Lampard's style of play that will leave his team susceptible to the counter attack. Jamie Vardy is likely going to be healthy enough to start and I think that will help Leicester City who I fancy will edge this match.

However the better option may be backing at least three goals to be shared out with the opportunities Leicester City are allowing at the back and that is going to be my play.


Bournemouth v Aston Villa Pick: 18th place hosts 16th place in the Premier League this weekend and make no mistake about it- this is a monster game for both Bournemouth and Aston Villa.

Ten days ago Aston Villa scored a late, late winner to beat Watford and move out of the bottom three while they also have a League Cup Final to look forward to. This should give them momentum and they will head to the south coast knowing Bournemouth have been struggling at both ends of the field.

However Bournemouth did beat Brighton 3-1 here in their last Premier League game and exiting the FA Cup on Monday night won't be a massive concern for Eddie Howe. Injuries have piled up throughout the season and Howe is hoping for a bit more luck on that front, although the lack of goals is beginning to be a real concern despite the comfortable win over Brighton.

They were a touch fortunate as the away side had some huge chances themselves and perhaps deserved more than they go, while you have to wonder if Howe has taken Bournemouth as far as he can anyway.

Picking a winner isn't easy as Aston Villa have struggled on their travels for much of the season and also look like a team who are defensively vulnerable. Aston Villa do have the best player on the pitch in Jack Grealish, and the momentum from the League Cup win over Leicester City, but I am not convinced.

A 1-1 draw might not do either team many favours, but I can see tension filling the ground and it might just mean a mistake either way settling things.


Crystal Palace v Sheffield United Pick: Two clubs who were considered amongst the pre-season favourites for relegation meet on Saturday with fans dreaming of a potential place in European Football for next season.

Sheffield United are also progressing nicely in the FA Cup and have a Fifth Round tie against a mid-table Championship club to come once Reading and Cardiff City complete their Replay. The signing of Sander Berge has shown the kind of ambitions this club have and they have long been tough to beat away from Bramall Lane.

At the same time Crystal Palace have had ten days to prepare for this game and look to be in healthier shape with some key players returning to the squad. They are well organised under Roy Hodgson, although a lack of goals does leave Crystal Palace vulnerable at times.

Again, picking a winner looks a very tough prospect and again I would not be surprised if the teams cancel one another out and with an error perhaps leading to one pulling out the win. My feeling is that this could be another draw, but I am largely guessing with all three results equally likely to come off.

I am surprised Sheffield United are the favourites away from home, but there is nothing screaming value in backing Crystal Palace either.


Liverpool v Southampton Pick: It is going to be a party atmosphere for Liverpool fans over the next couple of months as the team is almost guaranteed to pick up their first Premier League title and first English title since 1990. Another win during the week has pushed Liverpool forward and it will take a miracle for them to blow a 19 point lead with just 14 Premier League games to play before the end of the season.

The key for Liverpool now will be to wrap up the title as soon as possible and then turn full attention to the defence of the Champions League. They may even still be in with a chance of winning The Treble, which would be a remarkable achievement that only one club has managed before in England, but Jurgen Klopp won't be allowing his players to think too far ahead.

So far he has managed that very effectively and the players should be focused on making it a thirteenth straight win at Anfield in the Premier League this season.

However you can't draw a line through a Southampton side who have lost 1 of their last 9 games in all competitions and who have won 4 away Premier League games in a row. Ralph Hasenhuttl deserves a lot of credit for sticking by his principles and former Liverpool striker Danny Ings has been vital to Southampton who will head to Anfield looking to make a game of things.

The last couple of visits have been difficult for Southampton who were 3-0 down by half time last season, but it is the first time Hasenhuttl will have taken The Saints to this ground. His system has seen Southampton challenge plenty of teams and they have recorded wins at current top four teams Chelsea and Leicester City, while Southampton led at Manchester City before conceding two late goals in a 2-2-1 defeat there.

Liverpool do have a strong run of clean sheets behind them, but teams are not being blunted- better finishing from Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United in matches against Liverpool last month would have threatened the clean sheets earned in those matches.

At points this season Southampton have been guilty of being wasteful in the final third, but they will give this fixture a go and I think they can help produce a high-scoring game. It is hard to see Liverpool dropping points at the moment though and I will expect Liverpool to win a game featuring three or more goals shared out.


Newcastle United v Norwich City Pick: Injuries have been a real problem for Newcastle United and Steve Bruce, but the Winter Break will give the entire squad the chance to rest ailing bodies.

A strong run of form has helped Newcastle United just maintain a gap to the bottom three in the Premier League and has also meant the manager has picked strong teams for the FA Cup games played, but ultimately everything for this club is based around avoiding the drop.

That makes this fixture a big one for The Magpies as they can put Norwich City back in a very difficult position while moving clearer of those teams fighting to avoid the drop. In the main Newcastle United have been very good at St James' Park, but they can't overlook Norwich City who look to be healthier going into the weekend.

Daniel Farke's men are coming off an impressive win at Burnley in the FA Cup, but Norwich City have lost 4 of 5 away Premier League games including the last 3 in a row. They might be getting healthier, but Norwich City concede too many goals at away from home and they are short of confidence in those games.

Newcastle United have won 6 in a row at home against Norwich City and being at home should give them the edge in the contest. The goalless draw with Oxford United last week in the FA Cup was a poor result, but Steve Bruce will be looking for a couple of big efforts from his players and can inspire them to a success on Saturday.

Backing the home team on the Asian Handicap looks the best way to approach this fixture.


Watford v Everton Pick: Two teams who are still in the 'honeymoon' period that comes with the appointment of new managers are meeting at Vicarage Road and I do think this is a very difficult game to call.

Both Watford and Everton have had some extra time to prepare for this fixture as both teams were beaten in the FA Cup Third Round. That competition likely meant more to Everton than it did to Watford, but both teams now will be focusing on the Premier League for the remainder of the 2019/20 season.

This fixture is more important to Watford than Everton in the overall scheme of things, and the home team are much improved under Nigel Pearson. They have been creating plenty of chances and scoring plenty of goals and I do think Watford can give Everton a lot of problems this Saturday.

At the same time Everton have to be respected considering the amount of shots they are generating under Carlo Ancelotti. They would be coming in with a lot of confidence if they had not remarkably blown a 2-0 home lead against Newcastle United last time out when they conceded twice in the final sixty seconds of the game.

Everton have still not been at their best away from home, but they created chances at West Ham United and Liverpool last month and this is a team who look to have key players returning to the squad for this fixture.

Games between these clubs have tended to be low-scoring at Vicarage Road in recent seasons, but the defensive vulnerabilities coupled with the attacking threat the two teams are producing might change that narrative. Neither team can convincingly suggest they are ready for a clean sheet, while both are comfortable going forward and creating chances.

Backing at least three goals to be shared out is the play.


West Ham United v Brighton Pick: This is a huge game at the bottom of the Premier League table as both West Ham United and Brighton are firmly involved in the relegation battle that is developing.

Norwich City might find it very difficult to get back into contention, but just 2 points separate Brighton in 15th place and Watford in 19th place and West Ham United are sitting right in the middle of that mini-section of the table.

The fixture list looks very intimidating for West Ham United over the next two months and that only increases the pressure on them to get a result this weekend. They didn't play badly in the 0-2 home loss to Liverpool, but West Ham United have continued to look vulnerable at the back and that is hard to ignore.

David Moyes will be working on making them stronger defensively, but things are made all the more difficult in trying to earn results when key attacking players are missing. Even then they are creating chances and I would expect West Ham United to have some joy against a Brighton team who are missing two key defensive players and who have conceded at least once in 9 straight away games in the Premier League.

The management style of Graham Potter has given Brighton some impetus going the other way though and they should be able to expose the issues West Ham United have continued to have at the back. The Hammers have a single clean sheet in 10 home games in all competitions and I do think we are going to see goals in this match where a draw doesn't really do anything for either team.

Brighton would likely be the more likely to accept a point if it gets down to it, but West Ham United have to take chances and I will look for at least three goals to be shared out on what could be a wet day in East London.


Manchester United v Wolves Pick: There will be some encouragement at Old Trafford thanks to the 0-1 win at Manchester City on Wednesday and the signing of Bruno Fernandes from Sporting Lisbon. The Portuguese international is likely to go straight into the starting line up as Manchester City look to get back to winning ways in the Premier League where they were beaten by Liverpool and Burnley in their last couple of League games last month.

Things are going to be far from easy against a Wolves team who have been a stubborn opponent and who can create chances in the final third. They might not have scored in their last couple of games against Manchester United, but Wolves did have their chances and I think they benefit from having ten days to prepare for this game while Manchester United had away Cup ties to deal with.

It might be a factor in the outcome of this one and both teams had scored in 4 meetings between these clubs before the two FA Cup ties played last month. Manchester United have been creating chances at home and Wolves are a team who will offer one or two gilt-edged opportunities for opponents.

On the other side Manchester United have defended well enough, but they can't seem to avoid a mistake or two at the back which has proven to be costly. Burnley took limited opportunities to win here in the last Premier League game at Old Trafford and only three of the twelve League visitors to this ground have failed to score.

Wolves should be able to cause problems as they have every time they have played Manchester United and having the additional preparation time makes them dangerous. A 1-1 draw would not be a massive surprise, but I do think we could even see more goals than that, even though only a third of the last 6 games between the clubs have seen three or more goals shared out.

However I do think the better play is backing both teams to score when you think a couple of the last 6 between these clubs have ended 1-1. It's a decent enough price in a game which may not be as low-scoring as the layers believe.


Burnley v Arsenal Pick: It is clear that Mikel Arteta is having an impact as Arsenal manager having recently taken over from Unai Emery and his players have largely responded as he would have liked.

The next several months will be used for analysing those who can be part of the future with the club and those that need to be moved on and it is not going to be an easy task for Arteta. Things will be much tougher to improve if Arsenal are not playing in European competition and that has to be the target for the manager along with having strong Cup runs in the FA Cup and Europa League.

Arsenal will head to Burnley with an 8 game unbeaten record to protect away from home, although they are facing a team who had back to back wins over two clubs currently inside the top five of the Premier League table. Granted Burnley were beaten in the FA Cup since the wins over Leicester City and Manchester United, but confidence won't be in short supply and Burnley simply have not dealt with draws in recent weeks.

They have won 8 and lost 11 of their last 19 games in all competitions, but Burnley will believe they can hurt an Arsenal team that still looks vulnerable at the back. Pablo Mari could make his debut here, but it will be an eye-opening experience at Turf Moor and facing the long balls and Chris Wood.

It is hard to believe Arsenal can earn a clean sheet with their vulnerabilities at the back and the set piece delivery that Burnley thrive upon. However they do have Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang back in the squad and Arsenal will be encouraged by the amount of chances that Leicester City and Manchester United created against Burnley in those losses.

Sean Dyche does get the best out of his squad, but Burnley have to ride their luck at times and I do think we are going to see goals in the first of two live games to come on Sunday. The last 4 between these clubs have all produced three or more goals shared out including earlier this season at the Emirates Stadium and at Turf Moor last season.

Both teams scoring would be the least I would expect from this fixture and Burnley's run of 19 games without a draw means I will also be looking for one of the teams to find a way to win the game and secure at least three goals shared out on the day.


Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City Pick: Jose Mourinho versus Pep Guardiola is always going to lead to some headlines, but both Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City have been underachieving in the Premier League this season.

You have to think both managers are looking to rebuild somewhat in the summer, but both will also believe their current squads are good enough to challenge for silverware in the next four months. Tottenham Hotspur are alive in both the FA Cup and Champions League as they look to maintain their League form to challenge for a top four berth, while Manchester City are looking to defend the two domestic Cups they won last season and improve on Quarter Final exits in the Champions League.

The Premier League is thus likely to be more important for Tottenham Hotspur than Manchester City in the next couple of months. Manchester City are in a very strong position for a top four finish, but Pep Guardiola does not want his players to drop their intensity as they bid to take some momentum into the big Champions League games coming up.

No one will dispute that Manchester City are not as strong as they have been in the last couple of years, but they are still a team that creates a lot more chances than they allow. Jose Mourinho is likely going to want his Tottenham Hotspur team to frustrate their visitors and so the pattern of the game is not too difficult to predict.

However Tottenham Hotspur have not really looked like they defend well enough to contain Manchester City and their best chances are going to be to try and get after what has been a vulnerable defence all season. Aymeric Laporte is likely to miss out which makes them even more vulnerable at the back, but Jose Mourinho doesn't always want to take the risks that are needed and I can only see Manchester City bouncing back here.

They seem to be more at ease playing away from home and I think Manchester City will earn some revenge for some controversial VAR decisions which have cost them in a couple of games against Tottenham Hotspur over the last ten months. Manchester City will need to show better finishing than they did at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday, but they are more than capable and I think Manchester City will dictate the play and win by a comfortable margin against a defensively vulnerable Tottenham Hotspur team.

MY PICKS: Leicester City-Chelsea Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)
Liverpool & Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.80 Coral (2 Units)
Newcastle United - 0.25 Asian Handicap @ 1.99 Bet365 (2 Units)
Watford-Everton Over 2.5 Goals @ 2.00 William Hill (2 Units)
West Ham United-Brighton Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.95 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Manchester United-Wolves Both Teams to Score @ 1.95 Bet365 (2 Units)
Burnley-Arsenal Over 2.5 Goals @ 2.00 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Manchester City - 1 Asian Handicap @ 1.93 Bet365 (2 Units)

January 2019/20: 5-12, - 14.66 Units (34 Units Staked, - 43.12% Yield)
December 2019/20: 16-14, - 0.58 Units (60 Units Staked, - 1% Yield)
November 2019/20: 9-16, - 12.66 Units (50 Units Staked, - 25.32% Yield)
October 2019/20: 16-14-2, + 6.14 Units (62 Units Staked, + 9.90% Yield)
September 2019/20: 13-9-1, + 8.82 Units (46 Units Staked, + 19.17% Yield)
August 2019/20: 14-17-2, - 8.78 Units (64 Units Staked, - 13.72% Yield)

Fantasy Football GameWeek 25

The January Transfer Window officially closes a little over twelve hours before the GW25 deadline of the FPL game, but this is the time of the season when you have to almost re-evaluate some teams.

Manager changes, system tweaks and new signings can all make what had been nailed on starters suddenly look vulnerable for playing time. John Lundstram, a Fantasy Football Cult Hero in the 2019/20 season is facing new competition in his midfield spot and has already been losing some playing time and is definitely a member of my squad that looks like he will need to be replaced sooner rather than later.

It helps that Sheffield United are one of four teams that are going to be facing a 'Blank' week in GW28 so expect him to be moved before that week. I do like the Sheffield United fixtures though so I am intrigued by whether there are options from their squad that can be signed up, although that Blank is an issue.

Other teams soon to be sitting out are Aston Villa, Arsenal and Manchester City and I think Jack Grealish may only have a couple of weeks left in my squad until the make up game is announced.

These are things we have to begin thinking about, while the looming GW31 is the one that most should be focusing on. At the moment eight of the ten Premier League games scheduled for that week are going to be postponed for FA Cup Quarter Final action, although those issues will be cleared up early next month when the Fifth Round is completed between March 2nd and 4th.

You can make some predictions though after the draw and I would be surprised if the following games are played:

• Chelsea vs Manchester City (the latter travel to Sheffield Wednesday in the Fifth Round)
• Manchester United v Sheffield United (both facing lower League clubs in the Fifth Round and one of these clubs is surely going to win)
• Leicester v Brighton (The Foxes host a lower League team in Fifth Round)
• Southampton v Arsenal (the visitors travel to Portsmouth in the next Round, while Southampton will face Norwich City at home if they can win the Replay at Tottenham Hotspur next week).

There is still the potential for as many as all eight of the fixtures of that GameWeek to be postponed and I do think that is going to be a key in determining how I am going to be playing the four Chips we have (assuming the Triple Captain was not used in GW24 like some did).

I will have more thoughts on that once the FA Cup Fourth Round Replays and the FA Cup Fifth Round is in the books, but I do think we should begin to prepare for that GW in case you want to use the FH at a different time. If those games are postponed as could be the case, that will be when I use my Free Hit Chip and I will use my second Wild Card to manage the squad for the DGWs once they are confirmed in the March International Break.

My GW25 Team

The only positive from GW24 was the fact that I held onto my Triple Captain after my actual Captain Sadio Mane played less than a half in the Double GameWeek Liverpool enjoyed.

His injury has made my transfer ahead of GW25 an easy one as I replaced him with the in-form Mohamed Salah. I am likely going to be using a transfer a week through this month to just shape my squad with some players already on my list to be removed.

For GameWeek 25 my team is as follows.

Alisson- home game against Southampton.

Harry Maguire- I am not sure Manchester United will get a clean sheet in their home game with Wolves, but they did in both fixtures against them last month.

Federico Fernandez- home game against Norwich City who are one of the weakest away teams in the Premier League.

Caglar Soyuncu- no doubt that Leicester City have come off the boil, but he looks the best option for me in a three at the back system.

Mohamed Salah (C)- home game with Southampton should see Liverpool create chances.

Kevin De Bruyne- always capable of an assist or a goal.

Jack Grealish- Bournemouth have looked very weak at the back and Jack Grealish is at the heart of almost everything positive that Aston Villa produce.

Pablo Fornals- seems to be out of favour under David Moyes, but a home game against Brighton and attacking options are lacking at West Ham United.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin- away game at Watford looks tough, but the English striker has been thriving under Carlo Ancelotti.

Troy Deeney- has been in fine form and he should have one or two chances against this Everton team.

Roberto Firmino- hasn't scored a League goal at Anfield in a long time, but fixtures look kind for Liverpool over next couple of months.

Bench- Michael McGovern, John Lundstram (is he now out of favour at Sheffield United?), James Ward-Prowse (tough away game at Anfield), Serge Aurier (Tottenham Hotspur struggle for clean sheets and now host Man City).

Australian Open Tennis Day 13 Picks 2020- Women's Final (February 1st)

We are down to the final four at the Australian Open and on Saturday we will get to crown the first Grand Slam Champion of the 2020 season as the Women's Final is played.

Both Sofia Kenin and Garbine Muguruza have had a day to prepare for the Final and they will both be full of belief ahead of a huge match for both players. A huge improvement in their World Ranking is a bonus, but being a Grand Slam Champion is a whole different level and can spark a career.



Sofia Kenin-Garbine Muguruza over 21.5 games: This may not have been the Women's Final that most would have expected to see at the Australian Open in 2020, but it is further proof that the sport on this side of the road is very, very competitive.

Since Serena Williams won her last Grand Slam in 2017 we have had nine different Grand Slam Winners from the next eleven Grand Slam tournaments played with only Simona Halep and Naomi Osaka managing two wins in that time. Garbine Muguruza won her second Grand Slam at Wimbledon in 2017 so she will be looking for another and has the experience edge in the match.

That has not been a huge problem for Sofia Kenin so far in this tournament and her win over home favourite Ashleigh Barty in the Semi Final shows she can handle the nerves. There have been some big things expected of Kenin, but the 21 year old has not had a big impact at Grand Slam level before this tournament and so you have to credit her for the way she has been handling things match by match.

The Kenin serve has continued to fire at an unexpected level and it has helped her largely control the flow of matches. In a quality serving match in the Semi Final, I was surprised to see Sofia Kenin hang in long enough to beat Ashleigh Barty, although it was a very tight match by the numbers.

Garbine Muguruza also came through a very tight match as she edged out Simona Halep in the battle of the two time Grand Slam Champions. In that match it was the return of the Spaniard that helped her through the match as she broke the Halep serve four times, while you have to credit the Muguruza serve for becoming the first that restricted Simona Halep to less than five breaks of serve in the tournament.

It really feels like the Australian Open Final is going to be one in which both Sofia Kenin and Garbine Muguruza are going to be able to showcase their serving talents. Neither is a great returner, but they build confidence from the way they are able to serve and I do think the winner is going to be the player that can just find a way to just make a few more big returns.

In the conditions it could be another tight, competitive match like we saw in the Semi Finals a couple of days ago. Both players will be confidence behind serve and three of the last four Women's Australian Open Finals have gone the distance wth this one feeling very possible to go the same way.

Sofia Kenin beat Garbine Muguruza in three sets when they met in Beijing at the back end of last season, although they were three one-sided sets. I am not sure the match is going to ebb and flow to that degree in this one, but I would not be surprised if we need at least one Tie-Breaker and that should give this pick a chance of being a winner even if there is a close, two set match played.

Picking a winner isn't easy- Garbine Muguruza has found a better level in the tournament, but Sofia Kenin is playing with a lot of confidence at the big moments. My feeling is that the experience of the Spaniard is going to prove to be decisive, but I would be most surprised if one of these players was able to run away with the match.

MY PICK: Sofia Kenin-Garbine Muguruza Over 21.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Australian Open Update: 37-30, + 7.68 Units (136 Units Staked, + 5.65% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2017 (February 1st)

After a disappointing Monday to open the events being played this week, Tuesday was a lot better for the picks which ended 3-1 from the event in St Petersburg. It was almost a clean sweep for the picks, but Roberta Vinci couldn't quite earn the break early enough in her final set decider against Timea Babos, but at least this week has moved in a positive direction.

On Wednesday there are a number of Second Round matches taking place in the two tournaments being played, while we are a little closer to the First Round Davis Cup ties which will begin on Friday and be played over the weekend. I tend to find the opening Singles rubbers are priced up in time, but the Sunday Singles ties seem to be left alone by the layers until much closer to the time in which the players are going to be taking to the court.

That might have something to do with the fact that some of those Singles players are involved in the Doubles rubbers on Saturday, or because the layers don't know which players will be sent out on a Sunday when the Davis Cup Captains tend to make changes.


Once again I am focusing on the St Petersburg tournament on Wednesday where five matches are scheduled including the final First Round match between Doubles partners Elena Vesnina and Ekaterina Makarova. It also means Venus Williams has not been scheduled to play until Thursday giving the Australian Open Runner Up as much time to decide if she is going to take part in the draw, although I am still surprised that is up in the air as I would have assumed she would have withdrawn the day after the Australian Open was concluded.


Ekaterina Makarova - 3.5 games v Elena Vesnina: Nothing that Ekaterina Makarova or Elena Vesnina bring to the court should be a surprise to the other as they should have practiced with each other plenty over the years. They are good friends and Doubles partners so there shouldn't be anything happening on the court they would not have been expecting.

The edge has to be given to Makarova despite an issue with her arm at the Australian Open which might have affected her later in the tournament. She has won seven of the last eight matches against Vesnina with the one exception coming at Wimbledon last season in what was a tight win for Vesnina.

Makarova earned a measure of revenge for that defeat by beating Vesnina later in 2016 and Makarova has now won 15/17 sets competed by these Doubles partners. The majority of those sets have been won with some comfort and that is hard to ignore going into this First Round clash between the players.

Neither player was in great form before the Australian Open where they both perhaps overachieved. I think this might be an interesting match at times, but I think Makarova will be able to wear down Vesnina and come through with a 6-4, 6-4 win.


Daria Kasatkina - 4.5 games v Natalia Vikhlyantseva: You have to be impressed with some of the performances Daria Kasatkina has produced on the main Tour and she was a very good winner against Belinda Bencic in the First Round. The return was working very well, but some of the shot making through the rallies was very impressive and Kasatkina will feel she can have a big impact in a tournament in front of her home fans.

Kasatkina should be familiar with Natalia Vikhlyantseva who is the same age and from the same country, although she is yet to make the same kind of impact on the Tour. Vikhlyantseva is taller than Kasatkina so she will try and use the serve to good effect, and she has already made use of the Wild Card she has been given by demolishing Yaroslava Shvedova in the First Round.

It would be wrong to dismiss Vikhlyantseva's chances out of hand because she has had some positive results over the last twelve months and she does train the same academy as Serena Williams these days. She also has some power and will look to hit through Kastakina, but I like the latter to wear her down over the course of the time they spend on court.

I think the Kasatkina return is going to be able to blunt some of what Vikhlyantseva is able to throw at her and that can see her force her compatriot into making some mistakes. It will be down to whether Kasatkina can serve as well as she did against Bencic when she was able to hit her marks and prevent Bencic from being able to overpower her.

After a battle through the first set, I think Kasatkina is able to pull through with a 7-5, 6-3 win and a place in the Quarter Final.


Svetlana Kuznetsova - 3.5 games v Daria Gavrilova: The last match out on court in St Petersburg looks like it could be a really attractive one to watch between Svetlana Kuznetsova and Daria Gavrilova. Both players should receive some support but you have to think the majority will get behind Kuznetsova who still represents Russia while Gavrilova has switched allegiance to Australia.

This has been a match up Kuznetsova has enjoyed with three wins against Gavrilova and I would be surprised if there isn't an additional motivation to beat someone who has defected from Russia. These players met twice on the Tour last season and the match on the clay courts was very competitive, but they also met on the indoor courts of Moscow and Kuznetsova crushed Gavrilova for the loss of just three games.

It wasn't the best month for Kuznetsova who reached the Fourth Round at the Australian Open but who will perhaps feel she should have gotten much deeper into the draw. Gavrilova did have another solid run at the Australian Open and she can thank her battling quality for being able to get past a couple of opponents there in tight matches.

Battling past Kuznetsova will be much more difficult as I think the older player has the more effective serve which can be used to good effect on the indoor hard courts. She should be well rested to challenge Gavrilova in the longer rallies too as both players look to hit the ball harder than the other, but I think Kuznetsova is still the better player at this point of their careers.

It won't be easy for Kuznetsova, but I do think she will come through with a 6-4, 6-4 win.

MY PICKS: Ekaterina Makarova - 3.5 Games @ 2.00 Ladbrokes (2 Units)
Daria Kasatkina - 4.5 Games @ 2.10 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Svetlana Kuznetsova - 3.5 Games @ 1.91 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 3-3, - 0.76 Units (12 Units Staked, - 6.33% Yield)

Midweek Football Picks 2017 (January 31-February 1)

There has been some criticism of the kind of teams that some of the Premier League teams put out in the FA Cup Fourth Round which led to a few upsets, but I am not sure what people are moaning about to be absolutely honest. It has been clear for a number of years that the FA Cup does not have the same appeal as it once did on the football calendar and the money in performing in the Premier League is significantly more than you will earn for winning the FA Cup these days.

With the games coming thick and fast at this time of the season, I am not surprised that managers will make changes. I am surprised that so many have been so upset by that though, including Alan Shearer, who can make such judgements without the pressure of being a manager in the position to make the big decisions. On the face of things you would think teams would want to play their best to win the Cup, but how can Walter Mazzarri make that decision with just one day rest between the Cup tie and a League one against Arsenal?

The upsets have been good for the Cup as it will have more headlines being grabbed than perhaps if all the top teams had made it through to the Fifth Round. There are still five of the top six Premier League teams in the FA Cup, who all avoided one another in the draw for the Fifth Round, and so some of the complaints and criticisms I have seen seem to be missing the point.


On Tuesday and Wednesday this week we have a full round of Premier League games, the first of four rounds of games in February. This is a big month coming up as the European competitions resume in the Knock Out Rounds, the FA Cup moves through the Fifth Round and the first domestic silverware of the season is handed out in the English Football League Cup.

February might be the shortest month of the calendar year, but there are going to be plenty of football matches to enjoy throughout the month and hopefully the picks will also be better than they have been.

The last two months have been difficult, but there is still lots of the season to go.


Arsenal v Watford Pick: This is a big week for Arsenal if they have real ambitions to win the Premier League title and of course the bigger match for them is later in the week when they face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Win both League games this week and Chelsea fail to win at Anfield and Arsenal will be right back in things.

It is up to Arsenal to try and concentrate on their own matters and they have been playing well enough in recent games to think they can beat Watford fairly comfortably at The Emirates Stadium. The away side have been struggling in recent weeks to earn positive results and Watford have been conceding too many goals which has to be a concern for a team that still has plenty of work to do to reach the 40 point mark in the Premier League.

Watford have conceded at least twice in 5 of their last 6 away Premier League games and they will have some problems containing an Arsenal team who have scored 18 goals in their last 6 games in all competitions.

Arsenal have scored at least three times in their 3 Premier League games against Watford over the last eighteen months and I think they could have a strong showing in this one too. All of their wins over Watford in the League in that time have come by at least two goals and I will back the home team on the Asian Handicap to just keep the pressure up on the League leaders Chelsea who have a difficult trip this week to Anfield.


Bournemouth v Crystal Palace Pick: There has been some criticism for Sam Allardyce that his Crystal Palace team are being asked to play on the same day as the January transfer window closes as he is still looking for reinforcements to his squad. It has been a tough opening six weeks as manager of The Eagles for Allardyce as he tries to maintain his record of not suffering a relegation from the Premier League.

The expectation is that Crystal Palace had simply been underachieving before Allardyce came in, but they have suffered some really bad results under his guidance. The side have slipped into the bottom three after the last round of Premier League games and they have to start winning soon to avoid being potentially cut off from the safety zone.

That makes this a big game for Crystal Palace when they head to a Bournemouth team who have been strong at home, but also inconsistent. This does feel like a good chance for Crystal Palace to earn a result because Bournemouth have been conceding goals at an alarming rate, although they have had a few days off to try and get things organised at the back.

However the style of play means Bournemouth are always going to give their opponents a chance and I think Crystal Palace have enough in the final third to offer some problems. On the other hand I would expect Bournemouth to create chances as Crystal Palace have yet to really pick up the defensive organisation that Sam Allardyce is known for from his time with the likes of Bolton Wanderers and Sunderland.

It is a difficult game to pick a winner because of the uncertain performances both clubs have been producing of late, but it does feel like a game where there should be chances at both ends. I do think there is enough in the final third to make use of those chances and I am looking for this game to finish with at least three goals shared out on Tuesday.


Burnley v Leicester City Pick: Recent seasons have seen Leicester City regularly visit Turf Moor and leave with the three points, but this one feels like it could be very different. This season Burnley have played very well at Turf Moor and have won their last 6 games here while only conceding 3 goals in that time, while Leicester City have yet to win an away game in the Premier League.

There have been some improvements in the away results which might make Leicester City more of a threat than their record would indicate. However winning here has proved to be a challenge for any team that visits and I think Burnley have the confidence to keep their run going.

I just don't think Burnley should be an underdog in this game when you see how well they have played at Turf Moor. Leicester City have come from behind to earn draws at Stoke City and Derby County over the last few weeks but Burnley might be a little more solid and complete the win.

However I will take the home team on the Asian Handicap which is essentially pricing up Burnley at odds against in what is a 'Draw No Bet' market. Burnley have been very good at home all season and they are in a very good vein of form at Turf Moor and that looks a big price when you consider how well Burnley have played here.


Sunderland v Tottenham Hotspur Pick: David Moyes has to be feeling the pressure of trying to turn around Sunderland's season and the lack of financial backing has frustrated the manager. There have been a couple of big players leaving the club and new faces have yet to arrive in time for this League game and Sunderland have a squad stretched by injury and suspension.

It is going to be very difficult for Sunderland to keep Tottenham Hotspur contained as the big players will be back in the starting line up for Mauricio Pochettino's side. They have scored at least twice in their last 3 away Premier League games and I think Tottenham Hotspur can extend their run of 4 wins from 6 visits to The Stadium of Light.

Sunderland have lost half of their 6 home League games by more than a single goal margin and they have conceded goals at an alarming rate once they start to struggle. This might be a defence that is vulnerable to Tottenham Hotspur who have shown they can be very dangerous in front of goal and I do think they can come out with a fairly routine win on Tuesday.

I will back Tottenham Hotspur on the Asian Handicap on Tuesday.


Liverpool v Chelsea Pick: This is a huge Premier League game for both Liverpool and Chelsea, but you have to think the Anfield crowd are expecting a reaction after three terrible results here. Going out of both Cup competitions has been a blow to their chances of ending the year with silverware and it is going to be hard work to get into the Champions League places if they can't turn around their form very quickly.

Over the years this is the kind of game most big clubs would want to get back to winning ways, but Liverpool have had their confidence dented. Sadio Mane's return might not have come quick enough to play from the start in this one and Liverpool's defence continues to show huge vulnerabilities.

That defence should be exposed by the attacking talent Chelsea posses, but I do think Liverpool will create chances too as most of their top names were held out on Saturday in the defeat to Wolves. As well as Chelsea have played defensively for much of this season, away games at Arsenal, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur have seen them give away plenty of goals and Liverpool have the power in the final third to have success too.

It would be a surprise if Chelsea were not able to create their own chances and score goals too and I did consider backing the League leaders to avoid defeat by backing them on the 'Draw No Bet' market at odds against. However Chelsea's two away League defeats have come at Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur and they should have been beaten at Manchester City too.

Instead I will back there being at least three goals shared out between these teams like there were at Stamford Bridge. That has been priced up at odds against and the score that would worry me the most would be 1-1 like the last couple of games at Anfield have finished between these two teams.

However I think there should be enough opportunities at both ends to see the chances created to find a winner if that is the case and I will back at least three goals to be shared out.


West Ham United v Manchester City Pick: If you are simply judging games on results then it looks clear that Manchester City have been having something of a rough patch and West Ham United might be in a decent form. The Hammers have scored three times in each of their last couple of games which have resulted in six points, while Manchester City were beaten 4-0 in their last away game at Everton.

However a deeper look shows that West Ham United were perhaps a little fortunate in both of their wins. On the other hand, Manchester City might be coming in with 4 wins from 5 games in January if they had held onto their 2-0 lead over Tottenham Hotspur where some key decisions had gone against them in the 2-2 draw.

Manchester City are only a few weeks removed since they beat West Ham United 0-5 here in the FA Cup on a day when they were clearly the better team. They have shown they can dominate games but have to be a little better in the forward areas while the defence remains a work in progress under their new manager.

As much as West Ham United have shown some improvements, they are still not playing as well as last season and this is a team that can lose their way when they do concede goals. They have won 3 of their last 5 here, but around those results have been comfortable losses to Arsenal, Manchester United and Manchester City.

The 0-3 win for Manchester City at Crystal Palace came even though they rested the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Sergio Aguero and I think the away side can back that result up. West Ham United are playing better, but I expect Manchester City to dominate the ball and create enough chances to win this one by more than a one goal margin and I will back them on the Asian Handicap to do that.


Manchester United v Hull City Pick: These two teams might have become a little familiar with one another over the last couple of weeks with this being their third game against one another since January 10th. It is a big task for Hull City to earn a result against Manchester United at Old Trafford, but they have proven they can be tough to beat and this is likely to be a match where the home fans will get a little nervy if Manchester United haven't broken the Hull City resistance going into the second half.

Marco Silva has to be given credit for toughening up a Hull City team that had been struggling before his arrival, but he is looking for some new faces to give them a bit of quality in the final third. Losing Robert Snodgrass feels like a blow to their chances to avoid the drop, but Hull City have made life difficult for Manchester United and Chelsea in away games since Silva arrived as manager.

They have made life difficult but ended up losing both by the same 2-0 scoreline and that feels like the most likely outcome of this one. Manchester United have not kept as many clean sheets in the League as they would have liked, particularly at Old Trafford where they have conceded in 5 of their last 6 Premier League games here.

However, Manchester United did earn that clean sheet against Hull City in the League Cup Semi Final and have had 3 in 4 games at Old Trafford in all competitions. Hull City have scored 1 goal in their last 7 away games in the Premier League and I will back Manchester United to win this game with a clean sheet on Wednesday.

MY PICKS: Arsenal - 1.75 Asian Handicap @ 1.85 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Bournemouth-Crystal Palace Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.91 William Hill (2 Units)
Burnley 0 Asian Handicap @ 2.10 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Tottenham Hotspur - 1.25 Asian Handicap @ 1.86 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Liverpool-Chelsea Over 2.5 Goals @ 2.10 Sky Bet (2 Units)
Manchester City - 1 Asian Handicap @ 1.95 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Manchester United Win to Nil @ 1.80 Boyle Sports (2 Units)

January Update: 30-42-1, - 24.98 Units (150 Units Staked, - 16.65% Yield)

December Final: 38-40, - 7.93 Units (153 Units Staked, - 5.18% Yield)

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

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

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

Season 2016/17: 180-185-8, + 2.77 Units (708 Units Staked, + 0% Yield)

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

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

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

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