Premier League Darts Night 4 Picks 2026 (Thursday 26th February)

The motivational factor is going to be a key to the scheduling that Luke Littler puts together for the 2026 season and it says plenty that he has skipped all of the floor events.

That may have been a reason that Littler has not really begun his Premier League campaign nearly as strongly as the last two, but he may feel he has time over the sixteen nights to rack up enough points to avoid missing the Playoffs.

And to further the motivational angle, Luke Littler has already won titles at the World Masters and the first European Tour event of the season last week in Krakow.

Five wins took him to the title and Luke Littler averaged in triple figures four times, while also overcoming a nine darter from Gian van Veen in the Final.

The latter has continued what has been a find start to the 2026 season to follow from reaching the World Championship Final and he will be happy with how the opening three nights in his Premier League debut have developed.

Jonny Clayton and Gerwyn Price have continued strong starts to the season, while Michael van Gerwen will be hoping that his illness that forced a withdrawal in Glasgow will not have a long-term impact on his own ability to make the Play Offs again.

Both Lukes- Littler and Humphries- have made slower starts than expected, but both are playing well enough to believe they will begin to have the results to back up the performances.

The big pressure going into Night 4 will be on Stephen Bunting and Josh Rock who have lost all three Premier League matches played- the former had an awful 2025 and needs something to change quickly, while Rock is going to be playing in front of his home supporters in Belfast as he looks to get his debut season up and running.

The return from the opening European Tour event was a solid one and has pushed the season totals back towards a positive direction.

Some of the early Premier League picks have been really close to coming through, but a bit of fortune has been missing, which also made a welcome return in Poland over last weekend.

Hopefully that pushes through into Night 4 on Thursday and Night 5 next week before the big Ranking event of the UK Open takes place.

Luke Littler over 3.5 180s & Jonny Clayton over 2.5 180s: It was Jonny Clayton who went on and won Night 3 to continue his fantastic return to the Premier League.

He will head over to Belfast as the Premier League standings leader and Clayton will be keen to back up the strong win over Luke Littler.

Beating Littler is always going to be a result to be admired, but Jonny Clayton beat him 6-1 in the Semi Final in Glasgow and he has averaged 99 or higher in each of the three Quarter Final wins. The Welshman has made no secret of his enjoyment in being back in the Premier League and Clayton continues to hit plenty of big maximums to build pressure.

He had four in the win over Luke Littler last week, but that total was matched by the World Number 1 who continues to pound the red bit.

Backing the World Champion to hit four in this one is always going to go close, while Clayton should at least have enough chances to try and reach a minimum of three even in Legs where he is outscored.

Luke Humphries to win & most 180s: There is a massive mental hurdle for Stephen Bunting to overcome after making another miserable start to a Premier League campaign.

Both of these players decided to skip the Players Championship events earlier this week, but Luke Humphries did not have to play particularly well to beat Stephen Bunting last weekend in Krakow.

He did have more maximums in the straightforward 6-1 win in the Polish Open and Luke Humphries has been playing well, without necessarily having the results to back that up.

You do have to say that Stephen Bunting has put together some decent averages in his opening three losses in the Premier League, but those have piled up and Luke Humphries may power past him again.

With his new darts in hand, Luke Humphries has been hitting the maximums more effectively early in 2026 and can use that big scoring to help him into another Semi Final on a Premier League night.

Gerwyn Price to win & most 180s: He did not take part in the Polish Open and an opening defeat in Players Championship 5 followed the Quarter Final loss to Jonny Clayton last week in Glasgow.

However, Gerwyn Price has continued to play at a high level and won the title at Players Championship 5 behind some big scoring.

The Welshman has won his last two matches against Michael van Gerwen and there has to be some questions about how the Dutchman is feeling after illness forced him to miss Night 3, as well as the Polish Open and both Players Championship events earlier this week.

No one can deny that van Gerwen has begun this season looking much more like his old self, but he will need to be at full health to beat Gerwyn Price on current form.

Michael van Gerwen has been scoring well, but he may need a few more days to really feel like he is over the illness he was dealing with last week and Price can do enough to win this Quarter Final.

Both have been pretty good at hitting the maximums, but again this is perhaps targeting the fact that van Gerwen may not be operating at full tilt and that could see the World Number 10 hit a couple more 180s to bring in the double.

Josh Rock v Gian van Veen: These two players are both debutants in the Premier League, but they have had very different early experiences.

Gian van Veen has reached the Final on two of the three nights played, while Josh Rock has lost every match in the tournament by the same 6-2 scoreline.

So why back Rock to end that here?

For starters he is playing in front of a home crowd that are going to be completely behind him and that could be something that potentially rattles his opponent.

He looked in decent nick in Poland last weekend, and there has not been a great deal in the early averages with Gian van Veen perhaps showing a bit more composure at key times.

Josh Rock was not very good in Antwerp and later blamed that on product he used to wash his hands, but he had not played badly last week and was perhaps a little unfortunate to run into Luke Humphries in the Quarter Final.

And for all his success so far this season, Gian van Veen has perhaps still not been quite operating at his best and will need to deal with the hostile crowd that is expected to be firmly behind the home player.

Finally you cannot ignore the fact that Josh Rock has won the last four between the plaeyrs, which will certainly help him clear the mind and focus here. A couple of European Tour wins and a victory at the Grand Slam means Rock has found those wins in big settings and he may use the crowd to fire him up for long enough to edge past the Dutchman and secure his first points in the Premier League.

MY PICKS: Luke Littler Over 3.5 180s & Jonny Clayton Over 2.5 180s @ 2.37 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Luke Humphries to Win & Most 180s @ 2.30 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Gerwyn Price to Win & Most 180s @ 3.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Josh Rock @ 2.50 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Darts 2026: 16-20, - 1.78 Units (35 Units Staked, - 5.09% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2026 (Thursday 26th February)

The selections this week have been focusing on the ATP Dubai tournament, but the events in Acapulco and Santiago are moving into the business end too.

Of course the Final in the Middle East events are scheduled for Saturday so Dubai is a little further along compared with the other tournaments.

Any selections from the other two events will be added to this thread on Thursday, but there are three picks from the ATP Dubai Quarter Final matches that are set to be played through the day.

Daniil Medvedev - 4.5 games v Jenson Brooksby: This has been a solid couple of days for Daniil Medvedev, but he will not want to lose any momentum in Dubai with solid Ranking Points on offer.

It is also an opportunity for Daniil Medvedev to regain a bit of lost confidence and perhaps win a second title of the season before the Tour moves to North America for two big Masters events. He is not going to be able to crack the top ten again in the World Rankings, but Medvedev has some important Ranking Points to protect at the Indian Wells Masters and would love to head to California with another trophy to add to his collection.

Two strong wins have shown the Daniil Medvedev strength.

The first serve has been a big weapon, and it has allowed the World Number 11 to have a real aggressive approach to the return, which has resulted in at least four Breaks in each match won. Daniil Medvedev has been keeping opponents under constant pressure with his return of serve and that is going to be the ambition he will be looking to show once again in this Quarter Final.

Credit has to be given to Jenson Brooksby for winning a couple of matches here this week having shown little form prior to the tournament beginning in Dubai.

He may not have impressed as much as Medvedev, but Jenson Brooksby has not dropped serve this week and that will give him some confidence to take into the match.

The level has been higher than what has been seen in the 2026 season and so Brooksby may be playing with a bit more belief in what he is trying to do.

Even then, it may be asking too much for the World Number 49 to find the right tennis to earn an upset and it could also be tough for Jenson Brooksby to keep the scoreboard competitive if things start poorly.

When these two players met previously on the Tour, it was Daniil Medvedev who ended up pulling away after a competitive first set, but this one could potentially be a bit more routine.

Felix Auger Aliassime-Jiri Lehecka over 0.5 Tie Breakers: A poor run Down Under that culminated in a First Round exit at the Australian Open in a match that Felix Auger Aliassime was unable to finish will have been a cause for concern for his fans.

Those have been eased after the Canadian returned to the Tour to win the title in Montpellier and follow up by reaching the Rotterdam Final before coming up short against Alex De Minaur.

Two wins in the tournament in Dubai has maintained the strong form and Felix Auger Aliassime will move into the top six of the World Rankings by winning the title in Dubai. The serve has been a huge weapon in 2026 with 92% of games ending in holds and Auger Aliassime has impressed by finding a Break in 20% of return games played.

Throughout his career, Felix Auger Aliassime has struggled for consistency on the return and so his form this year will offer a huge amount of encouragement.

The Quarter Final will not be easy against Jiri Lehecka who also struggled through the opening weeks of the season before finding some form last week. He reached the Quarter Final in Doha and has backed that up in Dubai, although Jiri Lehecka has benefited by beating two opponents Ranked outside of the top 100.

Felix Auger Aliassime deserves to be favourite, but the two hard court matches between the players have both been dominated by the server.

In those, Auger Aliassime has held 97% of service games played and Lehecka is at 92% and you have to feel that this is going to be a match where both should be able to roll through service games.

These two players have had to play seven sets on the hard courts against one another and four of those have needed a Tie-Breaker to determine the outcome.

It certainly looks overpriced to have at least one Breaker in this Quarter Final with the serving prowess that both possess and that looks the right play.

Andrey Rublev - 3.5 games v Arthur Rinderknech: He has always been a comfortable performer on the hard courts, but Andrey Rublev had a dip in form in 2025. With that in mind, Andrey Rublev will be much happier with the way things have begun in 2026 and he will make a big move back towards the top ten in the World Rankings if he can win the title in Dubai.

He has twice reached the Semi Final in hard court events this season and Andrey Rublev is looking to at least match that run by coming through this Quarter Final and backing up the run in Doha.

Holding serve in 89% of service games and backing that up with Breaks in 25% of return games will make Andrey Rublev tough to beat and he gave Carlos Alcaraz something to think about in coming up short last week.

In two wins this week, Andrey Rublev has yet to drop serve, but he has perhaps not been as composed when the Break Points have come his way. Five Breaks have been secured in two wins, but Andrey Rublev has needed 25 Break Points to do that and he will need to be a little more efficient against a server like Arthur Rinderknech.

The World Number 31 did win a match at the United Cup, but he had lost early in Melbourne, Rotterdam and Doha and wins over two players who were Ranked 200 or lower in the Davis Cup would not have given Arthur Rinderknech much confidence. That makes the two wins here in Dubai will have been a boost, especially the victory over Jack Draper who is Ranked considerably higher than the Frenchman.

Arthur Rinderknech has dropped a set in both wins this week, but his serve is still a big weapon with 89% of games ending in holds.

He has offered little in the returning department, but has made use of the moments when Rinderknech has found a way into those returning games here in Dubai.

It may be more difficult to do that against Andrey Rublev who has won all three previous matches against Arthur Rinderknech and all of those have been on the hard courts.

The lower Ranked player has not only struggled for consistency on the return, but Arthur Rinderknech has allowed Andrey Rublev to Break in 30% of return games played against him.

In the 2024 US Open, Arthur Rinderknech will have felt he should have beaten Andrey Rublev having moved two sets ahead, but the current form suggests this one should be a match that the World Number 18 can eventually control and cover the handicap set.

MY PICKS: Daniil Medvedev - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Felix Auger Aliassime-Jiri Lehecka Over 0.5 Tie-Breakers @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Andrey Rublev - 3.5 Games @ 1.85 William Hill (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 4-1, + 2.53 Units (5 Units Staked, + 50.60% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2025 (Wednesday 26th February)

There were a number of upsets in the First Round matches that were completed on Tuesday and that has really opened up the tournament in Dubai where some valuable Ranking points can be earned.

With players like Andrey Rublev and Alex De Minaur already out, the door has opened and there won't be many left in the draw that won't believe that they can win the title and earn some positive momentum ahead of the back to back Masters events to be played in North America.

All of the Second Round matches have been scheduled for Wednesday and some selections can be read below.

Stefanos Tsitsipas v Karen Khachanov: Both of these players were able to win First Round matches on Monday in Dubai and that means they have a rare opportunity to earn some rest at a tournament that is set to conclude on Saturday.

It is a big opportunity for both Stefanos Tsitsipas and Karen Khachanov to build on solid opening wins, although there is also room for improvement as far as the consistency they have shown early in the 2025 season.

Being able to string the wins together is so important, but that has been an issue for both Tsitsipas and Khachanov and the point is underlined by the fact that they have earned just one Quarter Final spot between them. That was Stefanos Tsitsipas when having a decent enough run in Rotterdam, but even that was ended in a match he should have won and there is much for the two players to prove.

There has been very little wrong with the serving of the two players so far this season, but both can improve the returning numbers. Out of the two, Karen Khachanov has had a bit more success on the return of serve, but Stefanos Tsitsipas is looking after serve slightly better and something is going to have to give.

A real concern for both is that they have not exactly been facing top opponents in tournaments so far this season and have still not dominated as much as they would have wanted. At least Stefanos Tsitsipas is showing a bit more signs of positive form and the win over Lorenzo Sonego will have given him some confidence, which he can take into this match.

In nine previous meetings, Stefanos Tsitsipas has won eight and that will also not be lost on the pair.

In the First Round Karen Khachanov was able to snap a losing run against Daniel Evans, but the latter is not playing anywhere near the level that Stefanos Tsitsipas is still able to produce and that is going to be telling in this match.

The hard court matches are skewed 6-1 in favour of Stefanos Tsitsipas against Karen Khachanov and the World Number 11 has had a considerable advantage on the service numbers in those head to heads. That could be key in this Second Round match and Tsitsipas deserves the edge if he can maintain the standards that he has been producing behind that shot in 2025 and it will give the higher Ranked player a chance to edge to an important win.

Zizou Bergs - 2.5 games v Luca Nardi: There was a touch of fortune around Luca Nardi's win over Marton Fucsovics in the First Round having been dominated in terms of the number of Break Points played.

However, credit has to be given to the young Italian for playing the big points better than his opponent and it will have given Luca Nardi some belief to take into this Second Round match.

Beating a player that had held a win over him in 2025 will also have helped and Luca Nardi will bid to do the same again when facing Zizou Bergs in the Second Round. These two met in Auckland last mont and it ended in a routine win for Zizou Bergs, who has also been able to back that up with decent runs at events entered this season.

It is the key reason that Bergs began this tournament at his career best World Ranking mark and another couple of wins here would really see him begin to push into the top 50 in the World. That is important as it would mean direct entry into the big Masters events that will be played through the course of the year and the 25 year old looks to be developing quite well.

He is not always the most trustworthy of players, but Zizou Bergs has won nine of the ten matches played on the hard courts against opponents that entered the tournament with a lower World Ranking. The serve has remained a solid weapon in those matches, but most important is how effective Zizou Bergs has been on the return and that could be the key to winning this Second Round match.

Luca Nardi has played three matches in Dubai already so will be very comfortable with the conditions, while any player that has taken a set from someone as good as Carlos Alcaraz deserves his respect. The Italian does have a serve that will offer up chances and that is going to mean having to win those pressurised points as he did in the First Round, which can be a tough ask of anyone to maintain through the pressure that develops.

When they met in Auckland, Zizou Bergs had a considerable edge behind the serving numbers and that should be the case again in Dubai this week.

MY PICKS: Stefanos Tsitspas @ 1.83 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Zizou Bergs - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 2-3, - 1.45 Units (5 Units Staked, - 29% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2024 (Monday 26th February)

The first week with a winning record was finally produced and that hopefully begins to give the Tennis Picks some momentum to take into the events that are beginning this week.

We have three ATP events, two of those at the 500 level, while the WTA Tour moves to San Diego for a 500 event and Austin for a 250 with the Indian Wells Masters and Miami Masters dominating March.

Some big names are still heading out into the tournaments, but plenty of others will already be thinking ahead to those back to back Masters events that conclude the first part of the hard court season.

After that the clay court season will begin as the run to the French Open gets underway in early April.

Much like last week, the ATP 500 tournament in Dubai will have markets up at a reasonable time, but selections from the other events may have to be placed in the thread after the initial Picks have been written down.

Andrey Rublev - 4.5 games v Zhizhen Zhang: He continues to play at a high level, but Andrey Rublev will have been a little disappointed with a relatively early exit in Doha last week.

He will be playing in Dubai as the Number 2 Seed and Andrey Rublev will need to be playing at a solid level right from the start of the tournament.

First up is Zhizhen Zhang who has reached a career high World Ranking earlier this month, but who has had a couple of subpar tournaments. A very early loss in Rotterdam was followed by a 1-1 performance in Doha, while Zhang is not returning as well as he would like, especially ahead of a match against someone like Andrey Rublev who does have an effective serve.

There is room for improvement as far as the Rublev return game goes, but he may be able to get into a few more rallies against this Zhizhen Zhang serve.

It does feel like a wide spread when you consider Andrey Rublev has just had a few issues converting breaks of serve- he is at 17% in that department this season, but Zhang was put under constant pressure by Karen Khachanov when he played him in Marseille.

The conditions in Dubai felt like they were playing pretty fast last week and so breaks of serve may not be easy to come, but Andrey Rublev is likely to have the better of this match. If he can just take the chances a little more efficiently, Rublev can show his superiority in the match and he can cover.

The first couple of days of this week are going to be busy so any selections from Acapulco, Santiago, San Diego or Austin will only be added below with fuller thoughts on any Picks from Dubai.

Later in the week it should be a bit more time manageable to add a few thoughts to all of the Picks being made.

MY PICKS: Andrey Rublev - 4.5 Games @ 1.95 Coral (2 Units)

Facundo Diaz Acosta - 2.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

Alex De Minaur - 5.5 Games @ 2.05 Coral (2 Units)

Tennis Picks 2021 (February 26th)

After a difficult few days, the Tennis Picks returned a winning day on Thursday.

There is still considerable work to do to turn this week all the way around, but there was better fortune behind the selections after very little in the first few days at the tournaments being played. Even then I could have some complaints about the way Shelby Rogers managed to blow her match against Cori Gauff, but these things happen and I do think the general selection method is still one that is identifying the right plays.

Adjustments have to be made to stay in front of the plays, but I have managed to do that in the last few seasons and even a difficult start to the 2021 season is not one that is knocking the belief in those plays at this moment.

There are plenty of matches to be played on Friday, but I have only a couple of selections from those scheduled. I may have additional Tennis Picks from the ATP Cordoba event, but this looks a tough day with some close matches throughout the day.

MY PICKS: Peter Gojowyzck @ 2.00 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Facundo Bagnis - 2.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Thiago Monteiro - 4.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Diego Sebastian Schwartzman - 5.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 3-6, - 6.92 Units (18 Units Staked, - 38.44% Yield)

Midweek Football Picks 2019 (February 26-27)

There are three rounds of Premier League Football matches to be played over a ten day period and that is exciting news for Fantasy Players with three GameWeeks to negotiate.

The last set of Fantasy Players identified were a mixed bag, but I hit a couple of small priced clean sheet players and also found three strikers at less than 6.4 million in the official Fantasy game that all scored in the last GameWeek. That is good news, but the quick turnaround means another look at those you may think about targeting as well as my thoughts on how the latest round of League games will develop.


Cardiff City v Everton Pick: The Premier League has a full midweek round to be played on Tuesday and Wednesday and there are some big points on the line at the top and bottom of the table.

Cardiff City will understand that and Neil Warnock must recognise the importance of the home form down the stretch if they are going to avoid an immediate return to the Championship. The 1-5 home defeat to Watford would have really hurt the players on Friday, but the mood would only have darkened when seeing Burnley, Newcastle United and Crystal Palace all earn priceless wins to move a little clearer of the bottom three.

Those results do put some pressure on Cardiff City to respond as they try to move clear of Southampton who are a point and one place behind in the relegation zone. The latter have a very winnable home game against Fulham to come on Wednesday so Cardiff City have a chance to at least attach some pressure to that fixture by beating an out of sorts Everton team.

Marco Silva won't be able to complain of any fatigue as Everton have not played for over two weeks and that will have given him a chance to help the players reset after a poor run of form. His team have been beaten in 5 of their last 6 games in all competitions and they have also lost 4 of their last 5 away from home which makes Everton a vulnerable favourite at the Cardiff City Stadium.

Both teams have shown some weakness defensively in recent games though and I think that will make the two managers both confident they can oversee a victory. A draw isn't really an ideal result for either team so I do think we will see teams trying to get forward and win this game and I will be surprised if both teams are not able to find their way onto the scoreboard in this one.

The situation suggests neither will sit back and hope to take home a single point if we are in that stage going down the stretch too and games featuring Cardiff City and the better teams in the Division have tended to produce goals. Everton may not be considered one of those teams and I was tempted to oppose them on the Asian Handicap but have been put off by the way Cardiff City capitulated against Watford on Friday evening.

However I think we will see chances for goals in this one and my feeling is that there will be at least three goals shared out by the two teams in an important League fixture on Tuesday.

Fantasy Star: Sol Bamba- the focus has to be on a better defensive performance and Everton have been struggling for goals. Sol Bamba is a genuine threat from set pieces too.

Alternative: Richarlison- like last season Richarlison has just lost a bit of form in the last couple of months, but the big threat for an Everton team that have found goals hard to come by.


Huddersfield Town v Wolves Pick: It has not escaped my attention for a while that Huddersfield Town are going to be pretty big underdogs in every game they have left to play in the Premier League and that is the case again during the week.

You can't really imagine a team losing 14 of 15 games in all competitions and then seeing that run extend all the way through to the end of the season, but Huddersfield Town look short at both ends of the field. They don't earn too many clean sheets and they don't score enough goals and when you put both of those things together you are not going to win too many matches.

In fact you are going to need to do very well to even earn draws and that has been the case for Huddersfield Town. At home they have conceded at least two goals in 5 of their last 7 games in the Premier League and Huddersfield Town have lost all 7 of those fixtures.

The Terriers do have a good recent record against Wolves and their last League win actually came against this opponent, but the latter look significantly improved now.

One concern in backing Wolves at odds on is that they are also guilty of perhaps not scoring as many goals as they should, while a strong defence doesn't keep as many clean sheets as they perhaps should too. That was my feeling when analysing their game at Bournemouth last Saturday, but Wolves created enough chances to win that game and I think they can be more clinical against an opponent lacking confidence.

Wolves are bringing in a healthy squad and they are a team that have scored in 7 of their last 8 away games in the Premier League. Draws at Fulham and Bournemouth are a concern when selecting them, but Huddersfield Town look someway short of even those teams and I think Wolves will find a way to break them down and earn an important three points.

Fantasy Star: Raul Jimenez- in a hot streak of form in front of goal and has to be the main threat for Wolves here.

Alternative: Diogo Jota- things have not quite broken for him, but Diogo Jota could be amongst the goals at the John Smith's Stadium with a bit more luck going his way.


Leicester City v Brighton Pick: I think the common assumption was that Claude Puel would likely be removed as Leicester City manager at the end of the season, but the 1-4 home loss to Crystal Palace on Saturday means the move was made much earlier than anticipated. On Sunday morning Puel was told he was sacked and it has come at a time when Leicester City may have to appoint an interim manager before going for one of the targets rumoured in the summer.

Turmoil at the King Power Stadium could be the right tonic for Brighton to take advantage of as they make their way to the East Midlands looking for a vital three points to take them away from the relegation drop zone. Results this past weekend have left Brighton 3 points clear of Southampton, but they have slipped to 16th place in the Premier League table and with some huge games coming up.

Putting a win on the board will give Brighton the confidence to take into those fixtures, but they may have hoped Leicester City had kept Claude Puel in charge for one more game.

The players at Leicester City were clearly not happy playing in the Puel system and my feeling is that we are going to seeing a response much like what Manchester United had when a disliked manager was removed. I don't anticipate Leicester City winning as many games as Manchester United have put together, but this is a squad that looks to be underachieving and I would not be surprised if they performed much better than they have been.

In saying that I do think Leicester City could have earned a lot more positive results over the last month with a bit more luck and better composure in the final third. The majority of those games were away from home though and I think this is the kind of fixture where the players can show the fans that they had been held back by the manager rather than underperforming themselves.

It is a difficult game to read with the uncertainty that comes from sacking a manager, but I am giving Leicester City the edge. After sacking Claudio Ranieri the players responded with a 3-1 win over Liverpool at home, while they were beaten in their first game after sacking Craig Shakespeare but then went unbeaten in 5 and won 4 of those games.

I am expecting a reaction from the home players here too and I think they may edge out a Brighton team who have not travelled well all season and who have lost 4 of their last 5 away Premier League games. Brighton have conceded at least two goals in 4 straight on their travels in the League and I will back Leicester City to earn the three points in this one.

Fantasy Star: Jamie Vardy- probably the most critical voice of Claude Puel in the dressing room and I can see Jamie Vardy producing a top game in a 'freer' system.

Alternative: James Maddison- should also be happier in a new system for Leicester City and plays in an advanced position to create chances and get on the end of those too.


Newcastle United v Burnley Pick: The television companies decided to shift their coverage from the expected Manchester City versus West Ham United game to this one between Newcastle United and Burnley because of the defending Champions playing in the League Cup Final on Sunday.

A few weeks ago that might have been a real disappointment for the neutrals hoping to tune in, but both Newcastle United and Burnley are off important home wins and playing with real confidence at the moment.

Both clubs will have targeted this fixture as a real chance to move away from the bottom three in the Premier League and I think it has the makings of a decent game as the managers have overseen a number of wins for both clubs. Newcastle United have won 3 in a row at home in the Premier League and scored at least twice in each win, while Burnley are unbeaten in 8 Premier League games and have won 5 of those to move clear of the relegation zone.

With the way both Newcastle United and Burnley have been approaching games I actually think there may be more attacking football on display than you would normally associate with Rafael Benitez and Sean Dyche. Both clubs have been scoring plenty of goals of late and used formations and personnel that do produce in the final third.

Picking a winner really isn't that easy and I am surprised Newcastle United are as short as they are to win this game. They have beaten Cardiff City and Huddersfield Town here in recent games which deserves respect, but Burnley have shown they are capable of picking up points from those around them and have they have avoided a defeat in their last two visits to St James' Park.

That is my feeling in this one too that Burnley will do just enough to avoid a defeat. They have gone back to the strengths of last season where they defended resolutely and produced some telling play in the final third to pick up results and the return of Tom Heaton in goal has proved to be a masterstroke for the club.

One goal could be all it takes to separate these clubs on the day, but Burnley have scored in 4 of their last 5 away Premier League games and I think that could be enough for them to at least avoid a defeat.

Fantasy Star: James Tarkowski- could need a big defensive effort for Burnley to get a result here and James Tarkowski is something of a leader for them in those positions.

Alternative: Solomon Rondon- if anyone is going to break the Burnley resistance it could be the in-form Venezuelan.


Arsenal v Bournemouth Pick: The race for the top four looks like it could go down to the wire with Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea perhaps chasing down the one place behind Manchester City, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur.

At the moment it is Arsenal who are in control of that Champions League spot, but they can't afford to drop points on Wednesday considering what is coming up next. After this League game Arsenal face Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley Stadium before hosting Manchester United around the Europa League Last 16 tie with Rennes and so this could be a pivotal few weeks for a club looking to return to the top table of European Football.

There should be a confidence in the Arsenal camp that they can at least put another three points on the board on Wednesday as they have won 7 in a row at home in the Premier League. In 6 of those wins they have scored two or more goals and Arsenal are facing a Bournemouth team they have a very good record against.

Add to that the fact that Bournemouth have conceded at least two goals in 8 straight away Premier League games and lost all of those and I can't see beyond an Arsenal win here.

Unai Emery's team have been a touch inconsistent from game to game, but they have maintained strong form at the Emirates Stadium and this is a team that will create plenty of chances here. They were not as clinical against Southampton as they would have liked once moving into a 2-0 lead, but Arsenal could have more joy in this one against this Bournemouth defence.

Since Bournemouth have been promoted to the Premier League Arsenal have beaten them by two or more goals in all 3 of the games at the Emirates Stadium. That feels the most likely outcome of this one too and I will back the home team to cover the Asian Handicap.

Fantasy Star: Alexandre Lacazette- seems to be the player Unai Emery trusts to lead the line at home and scored on Sunday. Should have had two in reality.

Alternative: Henrikh Mkhitaryan- also on the scoresheet on Sunday and a key player in the system employed by the manager. I expect Arsenal to be on the front foot in this one.


Southampton v Fulham Pick: We are certainly at that time of the season when the term 'relegation six pointer' will be used more often around the media, but there really isn't a better way to describe the Southampton versus Fulham match to be played in the Premier League on Wednesday.

For both clubs this fixture comes at a time when they have not been in the best form, but they can't make excuses for not performing as they could find themselves in a desperate spot come the end of March. After this fixture Southampton face Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur before going on a two week break thanks to the FA Cup Quarter Final matches scheduled for mid March, while Fulham follow up with fixtures against Chelsea, Leicester City, Liverpool and Manchester City to close out the next month.

With both clubs in the position they are in, failing to win this one will really increase the pressure on the players to earn points from very difficult games.

You have to say the game means more to Fulham who are already 8 points from safety and will be at least 10 points behind if they lose here. With just 30 points left to play for after this one and with those fixtures mentioned, Fulham could find themselves out of the Premier League in early April if they can't earn something here.

Southampton are also under pressure after back to back Premier League losses and it will feel like a much bigger game if Cardiff City were to beat Everton on Tuesday and be 4 points clear of The Saints at the end of the night. That does put pressure onto the players who are short of options in the final third and I think this is going to be a very interesting game.

The home team look short considering recent results, but it is hard to trust Fulham with a defence that can't keep clean sheets for love nor money. However Claudio Ranieri's men have caused some problems going the other way and I think this has the makings of a fixture that could be similar to the one when they met at Craven Cottage earlier this season.

On that day five goals were shared out in a topsy-turvy fixture and I think these two teams know a draw doesn't do a lot for them. I would expect the managers to take chances with that in mind and Fulham may be more ready to take the risks they need with the points meaning that much more to them than for Southampton.

Neither team can really look at their defensive record and feel confident sitting on a lead either and so I will back at least three goals to be shared out here at the same price as the home win is set. I feel a lot more confident we will see goals than expecting a Southampton win and that will be my selection from this huge fixture for both clubs.

Fantasy Star: Nathan Redmond- Southampton are short of numbers up front which means Nathan Redmond could lead the line against a porous Fulham defence.

Alternative: Ryan Babel- Southampton are also pretty weak defensively and Babel has enough pace to get into a position to add to the goal scored on Friday evening.


Chelsea v Tottenham Hotspur Pick: Two of the top six clubs meet on Wednesday evening and it is no surprise that the television companies have picked this London derby to be brought to those wanting to watch some Premier League Football on the box.

It is a very important game for both Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur as they chase Champions League spots with 11 games left to play.

Tottenham Hotspur are much closer to the top two than the three teams chasing them, but the loss at Burnley was a devastating blow to any potential title challenge they were going to be able to put together. Mauricio Pochettino confronted the officials who had made some questionable decisions, but in reality he must have been furious with his players who have made it a habit to get close and then manage to produce a terrible result to avoid really being involved for the big prizes.

They will head to Stamford Bridge looking to avenge their League Cup Semi Final exit and Tottenham Hotspur may be hoping to exploit any lingering issues in the Chelsea camp as the fallout of Kepa's refusal to be substituted in the League Cup Final continues to be felt.

It would be a surprise if Kepa starts this one as Maurizio Sarri may want to remind the players who is in charge, but this is not a game where the manager can take too many chances with his team selection. The positive performance produced by Chelsea on Sunday was not rewarded with silverware and Sarri will quickly be under more pressure if his team were to lose further ground in the race for the top four.

For the most part Chelsea have continued to find their best form at Stamford Bridge and I do think they will look at the suspect Tottenham Hotspur defence and feel they can exploit them. The 0-2 loss to Manchester United in the FA Cup was a blow for Chelsea, but they have won 6 of their last 7 here and that includes beating Tottenham Hotspur in the League Cup Semi Final Second Leg.

Tottenham Hotspur have also conceded at least two goals in their last 3 away games in all competitions and I do think the two teams can combine for at least three between them on Wednesday. 7 of the last 9 games played between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur have hit that number, while 7 of the last 8 at Stamford Bridge between these rivals has done the same.

Picking a winner is not easy, but I think it could be an entertaining watch while we find that out and backing at least three goals here looks the play.

Fantasy Star: Eden Hazard- the main man for Chelsea and was instrumental in helping them past Tottenham Hotspur in the League Cup Semi Final.

Alternative: Harry Kane- boring suggestions from this fixture, but I anticipate goals and Hazard and Harry Kane should not be too far away from the main action.


Crystal Palace v Manchester United Pick: For the second time in a row at Old Trafford you could have perhaps questioned the substitutions made by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer when put under the pressure of needing to make quick decisions thanks to injuries on the pitch. Bringing on Jesse Lingard when knowing he was perhaps not fully fit and asking for 70 minutes seemed bizarre at the time and Manchester United didn't respond to the changes very well against Liverpool for a small period of time.

All credit has to be given to Solskjaer for getting the players in at half time and getting them organised where Manchester United were perhaps unfortunate to not beat Liverpool and there is a growing demand he is given the manager's job permanently.

It might still be too early for that decision to be made as Manchester United continue their fight for silverware in the FA Cup and trying to finish in the top four in the Premier League.

An injury crisis has come at a very difficult time when Manchester United are being asked to play every few days and this is a big test for them on Wednesday against an improving Crystal Palace team.

Injuries perhaps affected what Crystal Palace could do earlier in the season, but Roy Hodgson has a host of attacking options now and the 1-4 win at Leicester City on Saturday underlined that point. However The Eagles have suffered with injuries at the back over the last week and that could leave them vulnerable to a Manchester United team who have scored plenty of away goals of late.

My fear in this game is that both teams will be looking to counter attack and that may make it a tight fixture, while I would not put anyone off backing Crystal Palace with the start on the Asian Handicap. They might not have beaten Manchester United in 10 attempts at Selhurst Park, but Crystal Palace blew a 2-0 lead against them last season and this Manchester United team may be short of the numbers and the quality to get back into the fixture.

Defensively Manchester United have looked a little better over the last month, but I am anticipating Crystal Palace to create chances and this could be another fixture in this round of Premier League games that feature at least three goals.

Manchester United do have 4 clean sheets in a row away from home, but Crystal Palace look healthier up front and have scored in 5 in a row at Selhurst Park. The injuries in defensive areas should give United their chances too and they still have Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez who can create and score goals.

3 of the last 4 between these clubs on this ground have finished with three or more goals shared out and I think that may be the case again on Wednesday.

Fantasy Star: Wilfried Zaha- was the key to Crystal Palace's win over Leicester City on Saturday evening and will want to show his former club what they are missing.

Alternative: Romelu Lukaku- back in his favoured Number 9 position if Marcus Rashford is ruled out as expected and Crystal Palace suffering with key defensive personnel missing.


Liverpool v Watford Pick: There is no doubt that Liverpool have just stumbled over the last month after Manchester City seemingly handed them the chance to take full control of the Premier League title race when losing 2-1 at Newcastle United. Since that result Liverpool have drawn 3 of their last 4 Premier League games including the goalless draw at Old Trafford on Sunday and there has to be some elements of pressure affecting the players.

Being back at Anfield should be good news for Liverpool who have remained very strong here despite the 1-1 draw with Leicester City and goalless draw with Bayern Munich in the last four weeks. In between they have crushed Bournemouth 3-0 and Liverpool have won 8 of their last 9 League games in front of their own fans.

That should give them confidence to take into a fixture with an in-form Watford team, but one that could be dealing with some mental demons in this one. Liverpool have beaten them by a five goal margin in each of the last two games played between them at Anfield, while they also recorded a 0-3 win at Vicarage Road earlier this season.

Those margins of defeats can't be too far from the mind of the Watford players who will want to show they are better than those results. However I would fear for them if they were to fall behind early in this fixture and it is the only thing that is really putting me off backing the visitors with what I consider to be a big start on the Asian Handicap.

Watford last played on Friday compared with Liverpool on Sunday and The Hornets had a much more comfortable night than their opponents had at Old Trafford. Watford also look like they have the fresher squad going into this match with the potential absence of Andrew Robertson and Roberto Firmino a blow for Liverpool to deal with.

In the last few weeks Watford have shown some real resilience away from home and they were even leading at Tottenham Hotspur. Those heavy losses here do bother me, but Watford have every chance to make this a much more competitive outing against a Liverpool team who are under pressure to respond to recent results which have allowed Manchester City to close on them.

For Liverpool this is all about finding a way to win the fixture and I think it could be a tense day in the office for them. If Watford can score I would think this start given to them on the handicaps will offer them every chance to cover and I will back the visitors on their current form to do that.

Fantasy Star: Mohamed Salah- has not been in the best of form, but scored four goals against Watford here last season.

Alternative: Ben Foster- if Watford are going to surprise, the goalkeeper has to have a big game and he has been in the form to do that.


Manchester City v West Ham United Pick: On paper you can understand why the layers are taking no chances by pricing Manchester City as short as they are to win this game, but there has to be some comeback from the League Cup Final going to Extra Time and the emotion sapping penalty shoot out.

Injuries have been the main factor out of the Cup Final with Aymeric Laporte and Fernandinho lost until next month and they join John Stones and Gabriel Jesus on the sidelines. There is still plenty of quality for Pep Guardiola to pick from, but tiredness has to be a potential factor against a West Ham United team who last played on Friday.

Manuel Pellegrini's side have caused problems for opponents when at their best, but they are a hard team to get a read on. One week they are battering Liverpool from pillar to post, but on another they are being beaten 3-0 at Wolves and perhaps fortunate not to have conceded double that amount.

West Ham United can't afford to be off their game in this one if they are going to challenge Manchester City and I do think they can at least trouble a defence that is not going to be at full strength. The Hammers have pace and some decent quality in the final third and I think they may get on the scoreboard for a fourth consecutive visit to the Etihad Stadium.

It is still hard to think they will get a result here considering the amount of goals being conceded by West Ham United away from home in the last six weeks. However the best play may be backing them to score in a losing effort and at the price that could be the best option on a day where it is hard to really know what kind of West Ham United team will turn up.

I do think it will be difficult for them to not expose some tiredness in the Manchester City team and the injuries at the back though and so that is my selection from this Premier League fixture to round out the game week.

Fantasy Star: Sergio Aguero- who else could it be but the player who has scored two hat-tricks in his last two starts at the Etihad Stadium?

Alternative: Kevin De Bruyne- getting closer and closer to full fitness and is a key for Manchester City. Tends to play his best games at home too.

Fantasy Advice

Anyone making their Fantasy Selections for each GameWeek are going to have some inspired selections and some not so inspired.

That was the case for me this past weekend, but you can see the players I've highlighted for GameWeek 28 below.

Goalkeeper 4.8 Million and Above

Alisson (Liverpool- 6 Million): Honestly there are not a lot of choices from the top priced goalkeepers this week, but the one most likely to keep a clean sheet is Alisson in my opinion. I have Ederson starting in my team, but I wouldn't waste money on a top keeper this GameWeek.

Goalkeeper 4.7 Million or Less

Rui Patricio (Wolves- 4.5 Million): It's a good price to get into the Wolves defence for an away game at Huddersfield Town. They do have Cardiff City at home next so could be good for a couple of clean sheets.

Defender 5 Million and Above

Harry Maguire (Leicester City- 5.4 Million): Always a chance of a goal from 'slab head' and Leicester City look to be entering a good run of fixtures.

Fabian Delph (Man City- 5.3 Million): I'll admit I can see West Ham United scoring against a tired Manchester City, but Fabian Delph may be employed in midfield and you can't turn your nose up at the potential assist and scoring chances that could present him.

Defender 4.9 Million and Below

Joel Matip (Liverpool- 4.9 Million): Looks to be assured of a place in the Liverpool defence at the moment with injuries in those positions in the squad.

Florian Lejeune (Newcastle United- 4.4 Million): An alternative to Jamaal Lascelles who I highlighted in GameWeek 27. Slightly cheaper option.

Midfielder 6.8 Million and Above

Eden Hazard (Chelsea- 10.8 Million): Has given Tottenham Hotspur fits in the League Cup Semi Final and is the key for Chelsea if they are going to win this game and get back into top four contention.

Leroy Sane (Man City- 9.5 Million): Only played in Extra Time for Manchester City in the League Cup Final and likely to be one of the attackers to freshen up the line up.

Paul Pogba (Man United- 8.9 Million): With the likes of Anthony Martial, Jesse Lingard and Marcus Rashford expected to miss out, the Frenchman will have to be the key to help Manchester United win at Selhurst Park.

Midfielder 6.7 Million and Below

Henrikh Mkhitaryan (Arsenal- 6.7 Million): A bit risky as he seems to be in and out of the team, but scored and assisted on Sunday and should get plenty of chances to open up this Bournemouth team.

James Maddison (Leicester City- 6.6 Million): Claude Puel is gone and I expect the Leicester City players to produce some big results in the weeks ahead. James Maddison is a key to that happening.

Nathan Redmond (Southampton- 5.3 Million): Likely leading the line for Southampton and playing against a Fulham defence that have conceded two or more away goals in their last 4 away Premier League games.

Forward 6.5 Million and Above

Romelu Lukaku (Man United- 10.7 Million): It is a lot of money, but Romelu Lukaku could remind the Manchester United fans of what he can do from the Number 9 position in the potential absence of Marcus Rashford.

Jamie Vardy (Leicester City- 8.8 Million): The player who seemed to most dislike playing under Claude Puel could have a big game in the first since the Frenchman was sacked as manager.

Raul Jimenez (Wolves- 6.9 Million): The value keeps going only one way on Raul Jimenez in the official Fantasy game, but he keeps providing the goods and should have chances against Huddersfield Town.

Forward 6.4 Million and Below

Chris Wood (Burnley- 6.2 Million): I highlighted his team mate Ashley Barnes on Saturday and he did score in the 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur. Chris Wood also scored and has now hit four in his last three Premier League games.

Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool- 5.6 Million): He could earn a rare start with Roberto Firmino expected to miss out. Liverpool have scored 11 goals in their last two at Anfield against Watford so having a cheap striker in your team from Liverpool could pay dividends. Very short term pick though.

MY PICKS: Cardiff City-Everton Over 2.5 Goals @ 2.20 Bet365
Wolves @ 1.86 Bet Victor
Leicester City @ 1.86 Bet Victor
Burnley + 0.5 Asian Handicap @ 1.81 Bet Victor
Arsenal - 1.25 Asian Handicap @ 1.97 Bet365
Southampton-Fulham Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.91 Bet Fred
Chelsea-Tottenham Hotspur Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.80 Bet365
Crystal Palace-Manchester United Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.91 Bet Victor
Watford + 1.75 Asian Handicap @ 1.81 Bet Victor
Manchester City & Both Teams to Score @ 2.50 Bet Victor

Tennis Picks 2019 (February 26th)

It was an up and down Monday, but I will have used it as a learning experience as I have made a few adjustments to a couple of players going forward.

I was a little unlucky to come away with a losing start to the week as Taro Daniel should really have worked his way to a win over Marco Trungelliti, while Roger Federer missed a cover by one game after going through the first two sets without making as much of an impact on the Philipp Kohlschreiber serve as he perhaps should have done.

It happens and I also had a bad selection thrown in which means coming away with three losses from five picks made.


On Tuesday there is a whole host of matches scheduled to be played in the ATP events in Dubai and Sao Paulo. As will be the case every day this week, I will add the selections from the Acapulco event later once those markets and order of play have come together. Of course we could have another situation like Monday where I didn't have any selections from the Acapulco event because nothing hit my mark, but we will see on Tuesday.

What I do know at the time of writing is these are my Tennis Picks from the two tournaments I have mentioned and you can read them below.


Kei Nishikori - 4.5 games v Benoit Paire: In a somewhat surprising development Kei Nishikori is playing at the ATP Dubai tournament for the first time in his career. You do tend to worry when a player arrives at a new tournament and looks to work their way into understanding the conditions at the event, but Nishikori is one of the top names on the Tour and I don't think that can be an excuse if he is upset in the First Round.

A bigger test may come from opponent Benoit Paire who has beaten Nishikori twice before on the professional Tour. Both previous wins for Paire against Nishikori have come on the hard courts including when he upset him at the US Open, but their most recent match came in Tokyo at the back end of last season and it resulted in a very comfortable win for Nishikori.

2019 has started very well for Nishikori who has won one title and reached the Quarter Final and the Semi Final in the other two events he has played. The hard courts have been very good to Nishikori throughout his career and he would love to put another big week in the books before heading to the tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami and over the next few weeks the Japanese player could be heading back towards his career high Ranking.

Nishikori has produced some very good numbers on the hard courts with a strong 84% hold percentage backed up by an almost 28% break percentage. Those numbers are considerably up on 2018 when he was returning from injury, while the service numbers are about as good as Nishikori has ever produced on this surface.

I would expect Nishikori to have too much for Benoit Paire who is very talented, but also never seemingly too far away from hitting a run of losing a number of games in a row. The Frenchman is just 6-7 on the hard courts in 2019 and he is likely to find a little more difficult to hold serve and is perhaps not as clinical at breaking serve as his opponent in this one and that could be the difference maker and also give Nishikori the chance to cover a big number.

For all the talent Paire has, he is someone who has struggled when facing the top 20 Ranked players on the Tour. That is underlined by his numbers on the hard courts against those opponents in recent years where Paire has struggled to hold above 68% of his service games and has a sub 20% break percentage. It does have to be said that Nishikori's game is one that won't overwhelm Paire and he will have his chances in this one, but his two previous losses in Dubai have ended up being very one-sided and I think the Number 1 Seed in the draw covers in this First Round match.


Stefanos Tsitsipas - 4.5 games v Matthew Ebden: Any time a player wins a title you do have to wonder how much they are looking forward to spending another long week on the Tour, but I am not sure that is the case for Stefanos Tsitsipas. He won the title in Marseille on Sunday, but over the last year he has followed up other deep runs and successes in tournaments by producing some strong tennis in the following week.

It won't be lost on Tsitsipas that this is a big tournament being played in Dubai and he should have plenty of confidence to take into the event.

He is not someone I have been very keen on backing simply because he has a pretty average return game on the hard courts, but there is no denying Tsitsipas is a very talented player. In a lot of cases I would consider this to be far too big a number for someone struggling on the return to cover because you could need three more breaks of serve than drops of serve if you are going have a chance to get over the number.

On serve I don't really worry so much about the Greek youngster considering he has held 84% of service games on the hard courts in 2017 and 2018 and has moved that number up to near 90% in 2019 so far. Stefanos Tsitsipas is now facing Matthew Ebden whose return of serve has been letting him down so far and been the main reason he is 2-4 on the hard courts in 2019.

The Australian reached a career high in the World Rankings in October, but he looks certain to be moving down the Rankings in the the weeks and months ahead. This has been a level that has routinely been too much for Ebden to deal with and the 71% hold percentage on the hard courts in 2019 should mean even a limited returning game like the one Tsitsipas possesses could have more success than usual.

When Tsitsipas has faced those players outside of the top 20 of the World Rankings the return game has been a little better than his overall numbers. It should mean he has some chances to break serve in enough games to cover this handicap and I think the youngster can back up the title win in Marseille by earning a spot in the Second Round in Dubai with a good looking win on the scoreboard.

This feeling is helped by Ebden having lost two matches to top 20 Ranked players in 2019 and holding just 64% of service games in those matches. I do note that both losses are against two very strong returners, but I think Tsitsipas can outperform his usual numbers here too.


Jaume Munar - 4.5 games v Pedro Sakamoto: Coming through the Qualifiers makes those players a potential threat to those in the main draw as they are used to the conditions in which they are playing. One of those making his way though to the main draw is Pedro Sakamoto who should get plenty of support from his home Brazilian crowd as he plays the first main draw match of his career.

It is a pretty late time for a player to reach this level like Sakamoto has, but he did reach a career high World Ranking earlier this month. That career high Ranking is Number 376 in the world and it goes to show the kind of gap in quality he is going to try and bridge this week in Sao Paulo.

Wins over Matteo Donati and Carlos Berlocq have to be respected especially as Sakamoto fully deserved to win both thanks to some strong serving.

He is going to need all that when he takes on Jaume Munar in the First Round of the main draw and the young Spaniard's run to the Quarter Final in Rio de Janeiro last week has seen him reach a career high World Ranking this week. That run is the third straight Quarter Final reached by Munar in the South American Golden Swing, but he has yet to get over that hump although it still means he is playing at a considerably higher level than his opponent in this one.

This is a big number for Munar to cover despite the wins he has put together over the last month on the clay courts. His serving stats are not quite as good as he would want, while Munar has perhaps underwhelmed a little bit when it comes to breaking serve.

Munar is still winning a strong number of return points, but he has perhaps not played the big points as well as he would have liked. It is going to be very important for him to attack the Sakamoto second serve and put the Brazilian under some pressure and Jaume Munar is also someone who looks to have the superior return game compared with his opponent in this one.

The unfamiliarity with Sakamoto could aid the lower Ranked player to keep the first set close in this one. There won't be much Munar can learn about him prior to this match beginning and I do think it will take a bit of time to know what is coming from the other side of the court.

However I would expect Munar's higher quality to then begin to shine through and I think that will happen in time for him to have a chance of covering this number. This handicap has not been an easy one for the Spaniard to cover and he has had some upset losses to players Ranked outside the top 100 which would worry me, but Sakamoto will have to play at a level he has not really shown in his career to win this match. He could serve his way into a position to keep it close, but I think Munar will wear him down and eventually find a way to win a set with a couple of breaks of serve which should be critical when it comes to covering in this one.


Juan Ignacio Londero - 2.5 games v Paolo Lorenzi: The South American Golden Swing has proved to be very important for Juan Ignacio Londero who has reached a career high World Ranking after winning his first main ATP Tour title. He could have perhaps hoped to have had better runs in Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro after winning the title in Cordoba, but the draws could have been kinder and the same could be said here in Sao Paulo.

The First Round has pitted Paolo Lorenzi against Londero and the Italian has a 3-1 head to head advantage over him. The last two of those wins have come on the clay courts, although Lorenzi and Londero have not faced one another since 2015 and I do question the schedule Lorenzi has put together for himself in February.

The veteran took in the first clay court event this month in Cordoba, but Lorenzi then decided to play a couple of hard court events in the United States. It is a surprising decision from a player whose best successes have come on the clay courts and I do think it leaves Lorenzi vulnerable against Londero as he returns to this surface.

In the last couple of years there have been signs of decline from Lorenzi on the clay courts and in 2019 he is 1-2 having held 72% of his service games and broken in just 18% of the return games played. Compare that to Londero who has held at 80% and broken at 33% on the clay courts in 2019 and won the title in Cordoba and I do endorse the Argentinian being set as the favourite in this First Round match.

I do have to respect Lorenzi as being someone who can make life very difficult for players on the clay courts when he is feeling at his best. He should be confident after putting some wins together on the hard courts over the last couple of weeks too and I don't anticipate the change in surface to affect the veteran who has enjoyed playing on the clay courts throughout his career.

However I can't ignore the signs of decline of his ability on this surface and Juan Ignacio Londero has been playing well enough to put Lorenzi under pressure. I would not be that surprised if we see three sets to separate the players, but Londero looks like he has the edge both on the return and the serve and he can win this match and cover the number to move through to the Second Round.

MY PICKS: Kei Nishikori - 4.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet365 (2 Units)
Stefanos Tsitsipas - 4.5 Games @ 2.10 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Jaume Munar - 4.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)
Juan Ignacio Londero - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Albert Ramos-Vinolas - 1.5 Games @ 1.83 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Hubert Hurkacz - 1.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Marcos Baghdatis - 4.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)
John Isner - 2.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)
Alexander Zverev - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Danielle Collins @ 2.10 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 2-3, - 2.74 Units (10 Units Staked, - 27.40% Yield)