Boxing Picks 2026- Nick Ball vs Brandon Figueroa (Saturday 7th February)

The big fight garnered plenty of attention, but in the end, Shakur Stevenson was clearly a level above Teofimo Lopez and ran away a very comfortable winner.

Long has it been suggested that Stevenson is the best pound for pound fighter in the United States, and certainly amongst the leading names around the world, and he looks to have targeted a fight with Devin Haney next.

That would be another really good fight and Haney may have enough skills to make it closer than his rival Lopez was able to do, but Shakur Stevenson is likely going to be a strong favourite against anyone he faces unless he moves up too many weight classes.

Great Britain was also able to produce a new World Champion when Josh Kelly upset the odds last week and there is now a real hope that he can bring someone like Jaron Ennis over to the UK for a big fight.

However, it actually becomes more likely that he will actually have to face Bakhram Murtazaliev in a rematch after the former Champion wrote to the IBF complaining about some of the scoring on the cards.

That is something that should clear up in the next fortnight, although the Boxing world moves into February with some decent fight nights lined up.

We are going to have a quieter weekend after all of the cards that were scheduled for last weekend, but there is a big show in Liverpool where another British fighter defends his World Title against a Challenger that should give him plenty to think about.

Nick Ball vs Brandon Figueroa

It would be a huge surprise if these two fighters do not gel and produce an instant classic.

Both Nick Ball and Brandon Figueroa are proud of their conditioning and they will throw a lot of punches, although Ball has downplayed the fact that The Heartbreaker managed over 1000 thrown punches in his last fight.

The Champion is right to point out that those were against a different opponent and not against him, but Nick Ball's team have to know that Brandon Figueroa has long been one of the most active fighters.

On paper you would think Brandon Figueroa is going to use his height in a Division where he is very tall, but much like Sebastian Fundora, the Texan is happy to get down and dirty in the trenches and negate much of those attributes.

And that makes this a fascinating fight.

Brandon Figueroa is a two weight World Champion and his two defeats have been to the same opponent, Stephen Fulton.

There are some quality wins on the board in both the Super Bantamweight and Featherweight Divisions, but at 29 years old, you do have to be a touch concerned by the amount of wars Brandon Figueroa has already been through.

Nick Ball has performed well to remain unbeaten and even the Draw with Rey Vargas was a controversial one and Ball had looked to have done enough to win that fight considering he had two Knock Downs during the contest.

A Split Decision win over Raymond Ford saw Ball become World Champion and he is going to defending the Title for the fourth time and this time in front of the home fans. A fighter that might be short of stature, but high in skill, has shown he can use the jab effectively and Nick Ball carries plenty of power, which makes him very dangerous.

He will be targeting the Brandon Figueroa body and look to slow down the active Challenger by breaking him down, but the American hits harder than some may think and that makes him very dangerous.

I do genuinely think the odds are way out of line to the reality- Nick Ball should be favoured, but Brandon Figueroa is massively underrated.

At the same time you cannot ignore the comments from Liam Paro's team about being really happy to have secured the Purse Bid for his title fight with Lewis Crocker- they admitted they were concerned about 'dodgy' home judging and the Twelfth Round controversy from last week and Josh Kelly's win certainly underlines the statement.

Anything close is likely to go with the home Champion and that makes it hard to oppose him.

The cards are very likely to be needed with the conditioning and strength both of these fighters have displayed, although it would not be a surprise if there are some rocky moments.

Brandon Figueroa's output will be high, but the feeling is that the 'flashier' shots will come from Nick Ball and that may swing the Judges in his favour, while the home crowd will also play a part.

If this was a bout on a neutral site or in the United States, the Challenger would have every chance of upsetting the odds, but it is hard to back him here simply not being overly trustful of the Judging.

The chief support comes in the form of Andrew Cain who will be expected to be ordered to fight for the vacant WBC Bantamweight World Title with a victory on Saturday.

He has to be careful when facing a Mexican who is also pushing for World honours as Cain prepares to take on Alejandro Jair Gonzalez who has won six of the last seven fights since losing for a sixth time in his career.

You cannot overlook any fighter out of that country, as many British fighters have found out in recent years, although this is a long journey for the underdog.

Andrew Cain has power and this could develop into a shoot out, but you have to expect the home fighter to show some caution at times.

He can showcase stronger Boxing skills to make sure the Rounds are being banked, but eventually Cain may break the will of this opponent.

However, he looks short to earn a Stoppage and this may just be a card to sit back and enjoy with the main event surely going to live up to expectations.

Boxing 2026: 2-7, - 6.66 Units (16 Units Staked, - 41.63% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2025 (Friday 7th February)

We are down to the business end of the tournaments that have been played this week and will be heading into some bigger events over the remainder of the month before the back to back Masters events in Indian Wells and Miami.

That has not stopped some big names playing this week and those names will be looking to add a title to their collection as the tournaments wind down.

Ranking points are significant. but an early title being bagged could spark the season while some of the other top players on the Tour are resting up for the upcoming events.

A couple of winners on Thursday just moved this week into a positive position and hopefully the same can happen on Friday to keep things going.

With the focus on Abu Dhabi and Rotterdam this week, we are down to the Semi Final and Quarter Final Rounds respectively at the events.

Elena Rybakina - 2.5 games v Belinda Bencic: Even Belinda Bencic had to admit that she could not have written a better story around her return to the Tour having reached the Semi Final in Abu Dhabi with a relatively comfortable win over Marketa Vondrousova in the Quarter Final on Thursday.

She has not dropped a set in the last two Rounds and this is going to be another significant boost for the World Ranking.

The next challenge looks another step up for Belinda Bencic, but she will have taken some confidence about where her tennis stands when taking a set from Coco Gauff at the Australian Open. That is the kind of level that is going to be needed to get the better of Elena Rybakina, who looks to still have one or two issues with a lingering back problem, but who has looked pretty strong all the same at this event.

The World Number 5 had pushed alongside the likes of Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek and Gauff, but results over the last twelve months have simply not been as consistent for Elena Rybakina to maintain the level needed to match those players.

Despite that, she is still very capable on the hard courts, although it is perhaps a surprise that Elena Rybakina has produced stronger numbers on the grass and clay courts rather than this surface.

In saying that, the Rybakina numbers on the hard courts are still very impressive and her serve is going to be key to the outcome of this Semi Final- both players will not want to offer up too many looks at the second serve, but Elena Rybakina might have a slight edge in the control behind the first serve compared with Belinda Bencic and that can be the difference.

An improvement in the first serve percentage needs to be made by the World Number 5, but the same can be said for Belinda Bencic.

Both players can be very aggressive on the return, which makes them dangerous, but the matches are adding up for the recently returned Swiss player and that could see her level dip at some stage during this match. She did hold herself together through difficult moments in the Quarter Final win, but Elena Rybakina is likely going to sustain the pressure on Belinda Bencic and it may lead to the higher Ranked player finding a way through to the Final with a cover of this handicap line.

MY PICKS: Elena Rybakina - 2.5 Games @ 1.91 Paddy Power (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 3-1, + 1.54 Units (4 Units Staked, + 38.50% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2024 (Wednesday 7th February)

There may be a number of tournaments being played, but the idea over the coming weeks is to try and narrow the focus when it comes to the Tennis Picks after the disappointing Australian Open.

Both selections from Marseille should have returned winners when Denis Shapovalov found the first break in the final set having won the second set 6-1, but the Canadian collapsed badly from that stage and only managed to win two more points in losing four games in a row to blow the match.

It will be a tough road back for Shapovalov after injury, but you could sense the disappointment of losing the match in the manner he did.

The same can be said for Andy Murray who continues to underperform in 2024 and with more and more people questioning whether he should think about calling time on his career.

I tend to agree with Murray that the choice should be down to him and him alone, although the talk of moving down to the Challenger Tour in order to rebuild confidence may be the best approach to take. Losses on the ATP Tour have destroyed some of the confidence, even if Andy Murray is still playing well in practice, and he just needs to put some wins together to restore some of the lost belief.

Tomas Machac - 1.5 games v Lorenzo Musetti: There has been a continuous flow of quality WTA Tour players coming out of the Czech Republic, but the nation is still looking for someone to take over from Tomas Berdcyh on the ATP Tour.

Another Tomas may be the best player to back to do that and it was Machac who got the better of Andy Murray in the First Round.

He has played well on the hard courts for much of the opening six weeks of the season, and the youngster looks to be an improving force on the Tour.

The Second Round pits him against one of the higher Seeds in the draw.

Lorenzo Musetti has been struggling to really find consistent form on this surface over the last twelve months, but he has earned a solid win to open his time in Marseille. The difference between the two players looks to be their ability behind serve and Tomas Machac should be able to keep the pressure on the Italian in this match.

As a clay court specialist, Musetti will believe he can win the longer rallies- the feeling is that the Tomas Machac can play enough first strike tennis on this indoor court to come through though and he can pay out as the favourite.

Federico Coria - 1.5 games v Albert Ramos: These two players are very much all about playing on the clay courts as much as possible at this stage of their careers.

Both did make the trip to Melbourne to pick up a paycheque for losing in the First Round at the Australian Open, but Albert Ramos and Federico Coria have been playing clay court tennis before and afterwards.

While the Rankings remain high to take part in Grand Slam events, you would expect Ramos and Coria to travel where they need to, but the reality is that the majority of their matches will be played on this surface.

Both have enjoyed a lot of success in Cordoba in recent years at the start of the South American Golden Swing- Albert Ramos is a former Champion and has had a number of deep runs, while Federico Coria was the Runner Up here twelve months ago.

They actually faced off in the Semi Final in 2023 in Cordoba and Federico Coria dominated the match, even if the scoreboard shows a very competitive scoreline. He had 20 Break Points compared with just 8 for Albert Ramos and over the last twelve months the Coria return has been the more effective of the two players.

Albert Ramos can still cause problems with the lefty serve and that will give him a chance in this match, but Federico Coria has a very good career record against southpaws Ranked outside the top 50 and he can frank the win from last season.

Both players have had confident three set wins in the First Round and this should be plenty competitive with breaks all over the show, but Federico Coria can just use the home crowd to edge this one in his favour.

Roberto Carballas Baena - 1.5 games v Facundo Bagnis: The South American Golden Swing will always bring together a number of players that are used to playing clay court tennis through much of the season.

Players like Facundo Bagnis are all about trying to build their World Ranking and earn a place at Roland Garros in May, although his best hopes may be through the Qualifiers this year.

He has had to do that to take his place in the main draw in Cordoba and Bagnis will not be lacking for confidence having won three matches in this tournament already. That has backed up winning a title on the Challenger circuit on the red dirt, but this is a considerable step up from the kind of opponents Facundo Bagnis has been beating.

The home crowd will be behind him, but Roberto Carballas Baena is very comfortable on the clay courts and the World Number 65 is the first player inside the top 100 of the World Rankings that Bagnis has faced since July.

Roberto Carballas Baena had a tougher than expected win in the First Round and had to spend a considerable amount of time on the court. Coming from a set down and having to spend almost three hours on the court on Tuesday is not ideal preparation for this match on Wednesday, but the Spaniard should be used to the relative lack of recovery time.

And the fact he pushed through to win in three sets might have just got Carballas Baena adjusted to the red dirt as he looks to beat Facundo Bagnis for a fourth time in a row.

They have not played one another since July 2021 when it was Bagnis who would have been higher Ranked, but Roberto Carballas Baena is still playing at a decent level more consistently. He has edges in the return department which could show up in this Second Round match and the favourite can be backed.

Francisco Cerundolo - 1.5 games v Jaume Munar: It has been a difficult few months for Francisco Cerundolo as he has lost form and confidence on the Tour. The World Number 22 has played a couple of matches on the clay courts for Argentina in the Davis Cup, but split those 1-1 and Cerundolo may be hoping the Golden Swing through his home country and neighbouring South American nations can help him restore some of the shattered belief.

He was given a Bye through to the Second Round in Cordoba as the top Seed in the draw, but Cerundolo will know that he will need to be at his best immediately if he is going to prolong his time in the tournament.

First up is Jaume Munar, a Spaniard who is very comfortable on the clay courts and who gave Francisco Cerundolo a scare at the French Open last year.

Ultimately the Argentinian was able to come through in four sets, but Munar may feel he was the better player in the two middle sets and the third set Tie-Breaker swung the match in the favour of the higher Ranked player.

Jaume Munar has earned a very solid First Round win and this is a player who can be a very effective return player on the clay courts. This is going to be a challenge for Francisco Cerundolo, who has just been lacking when it comes to consistency on the serving side of his tennis, although the top Seed should be able to put pressure on the Munar serve.

Francisco Cerundolo has been far from the most convincing player when it comes to facing those players he is expected to beat, but the 3-0 head to head over Jaume Munar will help. He crushed him in Argentina's Capital last season, although there is little doubt this one will be much more competitive.

Even with that in mind, Cerundolo should be able to play with enough quality to get the better of the Jaume Munar serve and lead to a win in front of the home fans.

MY PICKS: Tomas Machac - 1.5 Games @ 1.85 Coral (2 Units)

Federico Coria - 1.5 Games @ 1.90 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Roberto Carballas Baena - 1.5 Games @ 1.85 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Francisco Cerundolo - 1.5 Games @ 1.90 Bet365 (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 2-1, + 1.16 Units (6 Units Staked, + 19.33% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2023 (February 7th)

I was hoping to have a longer thread for the second day of the week and the tournaments being played, but time has not been on my side on Monday.

Any Picks from the tournaments in Cordoba and Dallas will be added to this thread, but the main selections are from the WTA 500 event in Abu Dhabi where the First Round will be completed.

MY PICKS: Qinwen Zheng - 3.5 Games @ 1.75 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Leylah Fernandez - 2.5 Games @ 1.91 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Karolina Pliskova - 3.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)

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

Australian Open Tennis Outright Picks 2021 (February 8-21)

Nothing is back to normal just yet and we may still be some time away from that, but we have to appreciate the small things we are still able to enjoy and for sports fans I think there is a real thankfulness that we are able to have something to keep the days ticking along.

At some point we will be back with some normality in life, but I am grateful that the NFL was able to complete their season and are about to have a Super Bowl played in front of close to 30,000 fans, while you can only praise the Australian authorities for their success in containing the Covid-19 outbreak for much of the last year and being able to put on the Australian Open.

Back in March/April 2020 it was a really tough time for sports fans with all being shut down around the globe- without a doubt I appreciated all of the efforts to get those back up and running even if everyone didn't agree with doing that.

It is for selfish reasons- I honestly feel like sports has always given me a distraction in general life that can just help you shut out issues that are affecting you in your day to day and there really isn't a better drama being produced by Netflix/Sky/Amazon than the unpredictability of a live sporting event. For a long time I used to make a passing comment of 'I don't know what people who don't like sports do with their spare time' and back in March/April it became clear how important it can be.

In saying all that, I can understand the concerns a community like the one in Victoria, Australia would have been feeling ahead of the arrival of Tennis players from around the globe. While some of the more negative reactions from the players gained some traction in the press, the majority have been happy to comply with the rules and we are now close to having the first Grand Slam of the season being played.

With fans... And hopefully without any community transmission of Covid-19 cases.

There have been one or two worries, but for the main part it looks like Tennis Australia have got into a good position to run the tournament which is three weeks further into the calendar than we have come to expect. It does mean there has been some moving around of tournaments, but both Tours are hoping to be back on a more recognisable schedule when we reach the European clay court season in April, one that I very much missed last year.

I have not made more than the two Tennis Picks so far in 2021 and that was largely down to the way the tournaments have worked out- early events after the break between seasons have tended to be unpredictable anyway (I usually begin my main Picks from the Australian Open in each season) and this past week the tournaments being played in Melbourne came after many players had bee quarantined and who were getting back on the court.

My opinion is that this week offers us up a good indication of what kind of form players are coming in with, although for many it could be the first hard court action since the last Australian Open in January 2020 (when life felt extremely different).

The Australian Open can always spring up surprises because of the place it has on the calendar, but this year it feels a little more difficult to call. However the leading names on both Tours should be there or thereabouts in two weeks time and I am looking forward to having a little more consistent year watching the sport as the Tours move in a fashion we have become accustomed to seeing.

In this thread I am going to have a few thoughts about the two Singles draws and any Picks I may have from the Outright Markets.

Day 1 Picks should be out on Sunday with the tournament being played through the night for us in the United Kingdom (so beginning on Sunday night at the same time as the Super Bowl is being played) and Day 2 Picks should quickly follow with the First Round set to be played over those two days.

Men's Australian Open 2021

In normal years the Australian Open comes around at the start of a new calendar year and it does feel like we have had to wait quite a while since the last Grand Slam had been played.

With all of the disruption caused by the Covid-19 outbreak last year, the Tennis Tour placed two Grand Slams at the end of the season and so this is the third Slam played in five months.

Some things haven't changed though and that is namely the position Novak Djokovic sits in the draw- the Number 1 Seed is not only the favourite to win the Australian Open, but he is the defending Champion and will be looking for a first Grand Slam title since last January having come up short in New York and Paris.

Motivation is extremely high and Novak Djokovic has never disguised the fact that he wants to end his career with more Slams than his two rivals Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. After winning in Melbourne last year it felt like a matter of time before Djokovic would at least match those two players, but the cancellation of Wimbledon and his poor decision which led to a Disqualification at the US Open have proved costly and even more so after losing the French Open Final to Nadal in a one-sided Final.

Some have suggested that Djokovic has been given a tough draw this year, but I think he looks a relatively safe bet to reach the Fourth Round at an event he has won eight times including in each of the last two seasons. At that stage there is a prospective dark horse standing in his way in the form of Stan Wawrinka or Milos Raonic, but you would consider Djokovic a strong favourite if at his best with those two (a former Champion and a former Semi Finalist) not producing the same type of consistency as the World Number 1.

The most realistic threat in the Quarter has to be Alexander Zverev who reached the US Open Final in 2020. However we have seen Zverev falter early in Grand Slams in the past and he has been beaten by Novak Djokovic twice in the last three months including at the ATP Cup being played in the week prior to the Australian Open so it would be a surprise if the defending Champion does not reach the final four.

A loaded Second Quarter in the draw has former Grand Slam Champions and Grand Slam Finalists littered through it, while a number of younger players are also looking to make a breakthrough on the Tour.

Dominic Thiem is the top Seed in the section and he will be plenty confident having won the US Open a few months ago in the same year he reached the Australian Open Final and pushed Djokovic all the way. The Austrian has had plenty of time to get over his exploits at the US Open and he looks mentally tough enough to deal with the additional pressures which come after winning a maiden Slam title and joining an elite list of players.

I am a fan of Thiem and his development on the hard courts means he is a threat to win three of the four Grand Slams that are played every season.

However this is a tough section as I mentioned already and I am also extremely excited about the possibility of a Third Round clash between Thiem and the enigmatic home favourite Nick Kyrgios. The lack of competitive tennis over the last several months has to be a concern for Kyrgios fans, but the talent is not to be disputed and I think he will be highly motivated to have a strong run in Melbourne over the next fortnight which makes him dangerous.

There are a number of Seeds in this section who will have felt they could have a serious run in the tournament if they had been given solid draws, but Grigor Dimitrov, Pablo Carreno Busta and Denis Shapovalov are no sure things to get out of the First Round let alone go deep into the second week.

Those three players face Marin Cilic (a former US Open Champion), Kei Nishikori (a former US Open Runner Up) and Jannick Sinner (an up and coming super talent on the Tour) in the First Round. The two former players mentioned are not the forces they were as they try and recover some form and fitness, but the winner of the Shapovalov-Sinner match might actually end up being the Quarter Final opponent for what is most likely to be Dominic Thiem.

Diego Sebastian Schwartzman is a former US Open Quarter Finalist and has shown he can play on all surfaces and Felix Auger-Aliassime is another big talent who will feel they can't be dismissed, but the bottom half of the Second Quarter looks highly competitive. That could mean whoever gets through to the Quarter Final is perhaps battle fatigued, especially after quarantine rules before the tournament, and Dominic Thiem does look the player most likely to make his mark on the form displayed over the last thirteen months.

I have to admit I am a big fan of the two Russian players that are the leading names in the Third Quarter of the draw- the top two Seeds in the section are Andrey Rublev and Daniil Medvedev and I think the friends could be set for a Quarter Final match up in a few days time.

The main threats to oppose each player look to be Robert Bautista Agut and Filip Krajinovic who are solid hard court players that can bridge the gap to the very best when at their best.

Roberto Bautista Agut is an all court player who has reached the Fourth Round at every Slam on the Tour while he was a Quarter Finalist at the Australian Open in 2019. It will be interesting to see how he deals with what is almost certainly going to be a negative reaction after a video was leaked of him complaining about quarantine conditions, but he can be solid enough to beat opponents who are perhaps not finding their best form.

His performances at the ATP Cup have been nothing to write home about though, while Rublev and Medvedev look to be in very good form based on their appearances in that event so far.

Filip Krajinovic is playing the best tennis of his career over the last couple of seasons, but he has yet to make an impact on at the Grand Slam level that he would have liked and so it is hard to look beyond Rublev and Medvedev for the Semi Final spot out of this Quarter.

If we do get to that Quarter Final, Daniil Medvedev will be a clear favourite having won his four previous matches against Andrey Rublev and in largely dominant fashion. He is the top Seed in the section and the player most likely to come out of this Quarter of the draw too.

At the start of the year you would have had many looking to back Rafael Nadal to win his second Australian Open and become the first men's player in the Open Era to win each of the Grand Slams at least twice. That would only add to what is already a wonderful legacy in the sport and might have underlined his status as the Greatest Of All Time, but a back injury over the last week has meant the Spaniard has not taken part in the ATP Cup as expected.

There is an opportunity for Rafael Nadal to work his way into the Australian Open assuming he is ready to go in the First Round, and I am not sure he will be challenged too much even if not at 100% until he gets through to the Quarter Final.

Before that stage I would expect Rafael Nadal to beat Laslo Djere, Michael Mmoh, Daniel Evans and Alex De Minaur and that would then make the 2009 Champion a dangerous prospect for any potential Quarter Final opponent.

The leading contender to do that has to be Stefanos Tsitsipas who reached the Semi Final in 2019, although he has not reached the Fourth Round of any hard court Grand Slam since then. There will be a huge amount of support for Tsitsipas, but his path through to the Quarter Final looks a lot more haphazard than Nadal's, while there are two big hitting threats that will feel they have the tools to beat the Greek star.

Both Karen Khachanov and Matteo Berrettini are 24 years old, and look to be improving on the Tour. The former has perhaps not kicked on as much as he would have liked and Khachanov has not been beyond the Third Round at either the Australian Open or the US Open, but Matteo Berrettini has shown considerable form at the ATP Cup and reached the Semi Final at the 2019 US Open.

His style could be very dangerous if finding his best form and I do think the Italian has every chance of upsetting the odds through the draw. Both of his previous defeats to Stefanos Tsitsipas came at a time when Matteo Berrettini was not playing as well as he is now and they were close matches anyway.

The First Round match against Kevin Anderson is a tough one on paper and just reduces some of the enthusiasm for Matteo Berrettini, but if he is able to work his way through that match I do think the draw could open up for him. He has won all three previous matches against Karen Khachanov and I do think Berrettini could be a tough player to stop if he builds his confidence through the draw.

At his best you would have to favour Rafael Nadal, but the doubts about his injury and how ready he is to compete at 100% might just leave it open for a surprise Semi Finalist in Matteo Berrettini.

I expect Stefanos Tsitsipas to have his backers, but he is just as likely to have an early exit in the tournament as he is in reaching the business end of the week. He has been beaten in the first week in five of the last eight Grand Slams he has played and Tsitsipas can't take anything for granted with the way the draw has shaped up for him which could leave the door open for the Number 9 Seed to have the most 'surprising' run in the Men's tournament.

Since Rafael Nadal won the Australian Open in 2009, only three men have won the title in Melbourne and one of those won't be playing this year.

Roger Federer is not in Australia, while his compatriot Stan Wawrinka is not the player he was and it would arguably be a much bigger surprise than when he won his first Grand Slam title if he was to do it again in 2021.

That leaves World Number 1 Novak Djokovic who has won the title eight times here before and looks set to make it nine in a row. He is still the top hard court player in the world and while I think the likes of Dominic Thiem and Daniil Medvedev are getting closer, Novak Djokovic is the man to beat with Rafael Nadal struggling.

Novak Djokovic has won the last two Australian Open titles and regularly is given plenty of support in Melbourne where the conditions and playing surface seem almost perfect for him.

Dominic Thiem is a likely Semi Final opponent for Djokovic, who could have to beat the two names mentioned to win the title here, and the US Open Champion pushed the World Number 1 to five sets in the Final here last year. However that is the latest setback against Novak Djokovic on a hard court and even the fact he has won three of the last four against this opponent may not be enough for Dominic Thiem to get the better of him here.

I still think the Austrian is good enough to get out of his Quarter of the draw having reached the Final of both hard court Grand Slam events last season and the path through to the Semi Final looks to have worked for him.

After helping Russia win the ATP Cup, I do think Daniil Medvedev could be ready to go all the way at the Australian Open and win a maiden Grand Slam title. The expected faster conditions shouldn't bother him too much having had success on the relatively quick New York City and I expect to see Medvedev at the business end of the week. He should be able to get through the Third Quarter of the draw and a small interest on Matteo Berrettini to win the Fourth Quarter may be warranted at the prices on offer.

I have to say that Rafael Nadal looks like he is feeling strong even though he pulled out of the warm up events with a back issue, but he has regularly had issues in Melbourne since winning the title in 2009 and Matteo Berrettini's form in the ATP Cup shows an improving player that may be ready to reach another hard court Grand Slam Semi Final after doing the same at the US Open.

Women's Australian Open 2021

The decision to expand the amount of results being considered when putting the World Rankings together is the reason Ashleigh Barty will be going into her home Grand Slam as the World Number 1 and top Seed.

With the pandemic raging and travel being an issue, Ashleigh Barty decided to skip the Tour after the tournament in Doha in February and she does believe it was a decision that was the right one for her. The lack of competitive tennis might be problematic, but Barty has played well in the warm up tournament for the Australian Open and she will be comfortable in Melbourne having reached the Quarter Final and Semi Final in the last two years in this tournament.

In between those runs Ashleigh Barty has won the French Open and there will be a confidence that this is a tournament that can be won with the Woman's Tour remaining wide open at the very top. Like many of the Quarters in the draw, there seem to be dangers lurking around every corner and I do think Barty is not going to be able to get by if her tennis is less than close to at its very best which is why her run in the warm up tournaments have been so encouraging.

The biggest threats may come from fellow Seeds Elise Mertens and Karolina Pliskova and both are former Semi Finalists in Melbourne. However the two players can be a little inconsistent and both have some potentially difficult early matches that could see them exit before Ashleigh Barty has to face them anyway.

Even with the lack of competitive tennis over the last several months, I think Ashleigh Barty has been given an opportunity to go very deep into the Australian Open once again.

The Second Quarter looks like it could be a lot of fun at the Australian Open with defending Champion Sofia Kenin, Elina Svitolina, Victoria Azarenka, Johanna Konta and Maria Sakkari all likely to enter the tournament and feel like they could go all the way.

Sofia Kenin reached the French Open Final last year too and she will be feeling like her effort will always reward her, while Victoria Azarenka has won the Australian Open twice before. The Belarusian has actually missed three of the last four tournaments played in Melbourne and was beaten in the First Round in the other, but Azarenka reached the US Open Final in 2020 and looked to be back to close to her best in New York.

Elina Svitolina has reached the Quarter Final in four of the last six Grand Slams she has played, but this is a player that is hard to trust to win these big tournaments. There is a clear panic in her play when she has gotten close to winning a Grand Slam and I think that is likely to let her down at some point in this tournament too.

I have to admit I have been surprised by the development of Maria Sakkari, but she still looks short of some levels to win a major like this one and Johanna Konta has not been past the Second Round in the last three Australian Open tournaments since reaching back to back Quarter Finals here.

This illustrates that while these players are likely to provide one of the Semi Finalists, it is hard to really trust any of them with real confidence.

A dark horse like Kaia Kanepi and Jennifer Brady might be able to break through with the right results around them, but an open Quarter looks like being a fun one to watch rather than selecting which player is capable of winning five matches to earn a Semi Final spot.

Naomi Osaka heads up the Third Quarter and, barring a loss of focus or injury, I think this is the player that will competing for Grand Slam titles on a regular basis. The WTA Tour actually has some extremely talented youngsters that are breaking through all the time, but Naomi Osaka is a three time Grand Slam Champion at 23 years old and with the development of sports science she is capable of quadrupling that total before she calls time on her career.

Yes, I am extremely high on Osaka and her capabilities on a tennis court.

She has won the US Open twice already and is the defending Champion there, while the other Grand Slam title came in Melbourne. It is clear that Osaka is very comfortable on the hard courts, but my one concern for this player is that she has played in seventeen Grand Slams and only reached the second week five times. Fair enough it is some conversion rate to produce three titles from those five appearances in the second week of a Grand Slam, but you do have to say that Naomi Osaka is potentially vulnerable early in any Slam she plays in.

And this year Naomi Osaka has some very awkward potential matches before she gets into the Fourth Round which makes it hard to back her. It begins immediately in the First Round against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and an early exit will only offer real encouragement to some of the other players in this Quarter of the draw.

The one that looks to stand out is Petra Kvitova who has played her best tennis at the Australian Open in the last two seasons with a Final and a Quarter Final run in 2019 and 2020. Last year she also reached the French Open Semi Final as the Czech lefty looks to add to the two Wimbledon titles she has won and I think a bit more fortune could have led to a title for Petra Kvitova.

I do think Petra Kvitova can work her way through the draw and she is certainly capable of reaching another Semi Final at this tournament.

A player like Bianca Andreescu will be competing for Grand Slam titles throughout her career as long as she stays healthy, but the long lay off with an injury and the precautionary withdrawal from the warm up events may leave her short. Garbine Muguruza is also in this section of the draw and reached the Final of the Australian Open last year, but the Spaniard is someone who blows hot and cold which makes it hard to really believe in her.

The performances in the warm up events being played ahead of the Australian Open are encouraging, but Garbine Muguruza has only reached the second week in four of the last eleven Grand Slam events she has played.

Her draw doesn't look the worst, but Angelique Kerber could be waiting in the Third Round and I do feel that Petra Kvitova may be in the best position to take advantage of the way the section has panned out.

There are going to be plenty of people tuning into the Australian Open and wondering if this is the tournament in which Serena Williams finally levels the record set by Margaret Court for most Grand Slam Singles titles won. When she won here in Melbourne in 2017 it seemed inevitable that not only would Williams level the record, but push past it, although at the time no one knew that she was playing while pregnant with her first child.

It meant taking some time off from the Tour, but Serena Williams returned in May 2018 and she has reached four Grand Slam Finals since then, although fallen short of winning another title each time.

The window is closing now with some talented younger, hungry players on the Tour who are no longer intimidated by the American former World Number 1. A withdrawal in the warm up event for the Australian Open is a slight concern for Serena who admitted she would not have played in Melbourne if the tournament had not been delayed, but I think the draw looks decent enough to get through the early Rounds.

Laura Siegemund is a battler and could cause one or two problems in the First Round, but the bigger challenges are down the line with the expectation that Serena Williams will have to deal with a big hitting, in form Aryna Sabalenka in the Fourth Round.

Iga Swiatek, the French Open Champion, and Elena Rybakina are two other young players in this Quarter of the draw who will feel they are capable enough on the hard courts to go very far in the first Grand Slam of the 2021 tournament. And all of this is without mentioning the Number 2 Seeded Simona Halep who has played in two Quarter Finals, a Semi Final and a Final in the Australian Open.

I do think both Swiatek and Halep are perhaps better suited to the hard courts here rather than the ones used at the US Open and both are amongst the leading contenders to win the French Open in May. Both players will feel they can challenge anyone they face in the tournament, while Elena Rybakina is developing at a rapid rate and a potential Winner here if finding her best form.

With Rybakina it feels like the draw could have been better as the likes of Iga Swiatek and Simona Halep could blunt some of her attacking prowess on this kind of hard court, but she will learn from the experience and it should stand her in good stead going forward.

The same could be said for Aryna Sabalenka who is trying to show more patience rather than hitting the ball harder and harder until she breaks through someone's defences. It can't always work at the top, top level to not have other paces to your game, but I do think she is learning and it might be another year before the Belarusian is able to challenge for a Grand Slam title.

Serena Williams should have a good run here, but I do think one of those players mentioned will be able to get the better of her in this Quarter. If Aryna Sabalenka can hold herself together between the ears she is a real threat, while Simona Halep will be confident having had some considerable successes in Melbourne in the past.

I am a big fan of Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina too, but I think both may cause problems but ultimately find someone a little better than them on the day.

The last time Australia were able to celebrate a home winner of the Women's tournament was over forty years ago, but 2021 could see that all change.

While it is hard to ignore the long lay off Ashleigh Barty has had from the Tour, her performances this past week in the lead up to the Australian Open and the way the draw has worked out makes the World Number 1 my favourite to win the tournament this week.

I think Barty is a very good player, and she has improved her performance in the Australian Open in each of the last three seasons while going down to a very narrow defeat to eventual Champion Sofia Kenin in the Semi Final in January 2020. This is a player who left the Tennis Tour to take up professional cricket and then returned to eventually reach the top of the mountain so even the effective year off from the Tour is not enough for me to think the home favourite is going to be adversely affected here.

Ashleigh Barty looks to have been placed in a relatively decent portion of the draw and I think she can pick up some momentum in each passing Round to go on and win her second Grand Slam title.

Whoever comes out of the Second Quarter will be a danger, while I also think Petra Kvitova looks a big price if she is able to find her way through the early Rounds. She could benefit from the likes of Naomi Osaka and Garbine Muguruza potentially not even making it to a Quarter Final against her and Petra Kvitova has reached the Final and the Quarter Final in the last two years in Melbourne.

Her head to head with Muguruza is encouraging, while both defeats to Naomi Osaka could easily have gone Petra Kvitova's way and I think she can have a good run here.

The Czech lefty has fallen towards the business end of this Grand Slam in the last couple of years, but Petra Kvitova looks a big price to win the Third Quarter of the draw.

MY PICKS: Novak Djokovic Outright @ 2.37 Sky Bet (4 Units)

Dominic Thiem to Win Second Quarter @ 2.25 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Daniil Medvedev to Win Third Quarter @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Matteo Berrettini to Win Fourth Quarter @ 13.00 Bet Fred (0.5 Units)

Ashleigh Barty to Win First Quarter @ 3.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Petra Kvitova to Win Third Quarter @ 8.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Super Bowl LV NFL Pick 2021 (February 7th)

I always find it surprising as to how quick the NFL season has been played when we reach the Super Bowl and after Sunday there will be seven months before we see more competitive Football.

Things may have changed significantly by then by in our personal lives, which should be closer to a return to normal than they are now, and the NFL 2021 season could have the seventeenth regular season game on the schedule. We will learn more about that in the coming weeks, while fans in London will surely be excited to hear that the NFL are looking to return the International Series games to the schedule too.

The new NFL season will get underway in the middle of March and we should have a lot more information as to the shape the 2021 season will take, while also hearing rumours about which teams could potentially be playing those International games. Free Agency will also get underway and that will change the shape of the Draft, but for now you can read my first Mock Draft here.

Before we can think about a new one, let's put the 2020 year in the books and that means completing the one game left this season. You can read my selection below for the Super Bowl which is being played in Tampa Bay this year and with a limited crowd inside the Stadium too.

Kansas City Chiefs vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers Pick: For the first time in the Super Bowl era, one of the teams competing will be playing in their home Stadium.

Unsurprisingly it is a team led by Tom Brady who continues to break down historical records and is looking for his seventh ring, but this time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The previous six came in his time with the New England Patriots, but Brady has erased the narrative that he is a Quarter Back who was a product of the Patriots system rather than one who would have been a top player regardless.

Now in his time with the Buccaneers Tom Brady is showing that he is capable of winning games in a different system, a relationship that has had some teething problems in the early part of the 2020 season. It does feel like that Brady and Head Coach Bruce Arians are on the same page and the Offensive weapons that are surrounding the veteran Quarter Back are thriving with a player who will get them the ball.

Winning a seventh ring will make it a very strong case for Tom Brady to be considered the greatest Quarter Back of all time, if he is not already, but beating Patrick Mahomes and the defending Champions Kansas City Chiefs will only add to the legacy.

Beating Kansas City won't be easy as they look to become the first team since Brady's New England to win back to back Super Bowls after working their way through the PlayOffs. The Chiefs have not always been at their dominant best and that is underlined by their poor record against the spread in 2020, but they did beat the Buffalo Bills without too many issues and look to have peaked at just the right time.

Most will put this game down to Tom Brady versus Patrick Mahomes, but it can be lost in the stories that the two Quarter Backs essentially are not playing against each other. Instead two strong Defensive Co-Ordinators will be looking to slow down very strong Offensive units and give their team the best possible chance of success.

Those Defenses have actually made some massive plays for both teams already in the post-season- the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Defensive unit have made some big plays against Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers which set their team up to win those games, while the Kansas City Chiefs knuckled down hard against the Cleveland Browns as Mahomes exited the game, while giving up just 41 points in the two PlayOff wins.

One of the more under-reported issues that is facing the Kansas City Chiefs are the two injuries on the Offensive Line with both starting Tackles expected to miss out. Mitchell Schwartz has yet to be a confirmed absentee, but looks incredibly unlikely to have recovered from a back injury which has kept him out for over half a season, while Eric Fisher has been ruled out following an injury in the AFC Championship Game.

Losing both Tackles would hurt an Offensive Line against any team, but it is especially the case against this Tampa Bay pass rush which has been thriving and causing havoc throughout the post-season. The key for the Buccaneers and Defensive Co-Ordinator Todd Bowles is trying to get some pressure on Patrick Mahomes, but without having to use too many Blitzes.

They have the players to do that, but Bowles is also someone who is keen on dialling up the Blitz and I think it could be a case of living or dying by the sword in the Super Bowl. Patrick Mahomes is a Quarter Back who loves seeing the Blitz as he makes the right plays more often than not and I think the Chiefs will feel they can still have some success in this one.

It may not be as consistent with the likely pressure being felt from the edges, and it won't be easy for the Kansas City Chiefs to run the ball to slow it down either considering the success Tampa Bay's Defensive Line have been having in the post-season. Even then you have to note the holes in the Tampa Bay Secondary which can be attacked and Patrick Mahomes is about as good as any Quarter Back in the NFL, if not the top player at the position, and you would expect him to connect with some big time playmakers to move the stick in the big game.

Much is going to depend on how well Kansas City have been able to prepare their backups at the Tackle position- if they can give Mahomes enough time to scramble and find his playmakers the Chiefs should be able to have success in the Super Bowl, and Andy Reid is one of the best at preparing his team when having more time to do so.

The likes of Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill will have their big gains and Patrick Mahomes has been careful enough with the ball to be fully aware of the ball-hawking Tampa Bay Secondary whose turnovers have proven to be a major part of the reason they have been able to win at New Orleans and Green Bay. Pressure up front could lead to Mahomes having to throw the ball before he is ready which could give the Buccaneers Secondary a chance, but I like the Quarter Back and believe he will be ready to deal with what he sees.

Patrick Mahomes will have success, but I also think the Offensive Line issues will give the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a chance to get the ball back into the hands of Tom Brady and their own powerful Offense. However it should be said that the Defensive turnovers have been massively important for the Buccaneers and really set them up to win tight games against the Saints and the Packers and it might have hidden the fact that the Buccaneers have not been the most consistent calling plays and having long drives end in scores.

In the Championship Game Tom Brady had three Touchdown passes, but also threw three Interceptions and now he is facing a Steve Spagnuolo led Defensive unit. It will lead to memories of 2007 when the New York Giants upset Tom Brady and the New England Patriots thanks to the aggressive Defense sent out by Spagnuolo who will be looking to find a way to give the veteran something to see that he hasn't in his long career.

To make life easier for himself, I do think Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will look to make strong use out of Leonard Fournette and Ronald Jones at Running Back. While they have not been the best at establishing the run, the Buccaneers have done well enough to believe they can take advantage of the Kansas City Defensive Line which has been better at getting after the Quarter Back than pushing back against the run.

Putting Tom Brady in third and manageable spots opens up the playbook and Tampa Bay will feel it is always an advantage keeping Patrick Mahomes on the sidelines for as long as possible. That will slow down some of the pass rush pressure that Kansas City have been able to generate, while it will also keep the Chiefs guessing and perhaps prevent the turnover creating Secondary from being able to step in front of some passes.

With the passing options Tampa Bay have at their disposal I do think they are going to be able to make some plays against this Kansas City Secondary. It is a talented team, but the Chiefs can sometimes bend and Tom Brady will likely be able to find a way to get the ball to Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Antonio Brown, Cameron Brate and Rob Gronkowski, a talented group of Receivers who are almost impossible to shut down completely.

Steve Spagnuolo knows what works against Tom Brady though and I think he will have schemed up the Kansas City Defensive unit to maybe force a couple of mistakes from the veteran. For the main Tom Brady can avoid those, but he won't want to see the Buccaneers get too far behind the Kansas City Chiefs and that means making a faster start than when these teams met in the regular season.

For the first time in Super Bowl history we are not only having a team playing in their home Stadium, but this is also a repeat of a regular season game in the same Stadium. Back in Week 12 the Kansas City Chiefs came out firing and took a big lead over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before having to hold on for a 3 point win to move to 10-1 while dropping their hosts to 7-5.

The Buccaneers have not lost a game since then, but they have to be a little wary about taking on a Chiefs team that Intercepted Brady twice that day and had an almost 150 yard advantage when it came to the Offensive numbers produced. Turnovers won the day for the Chiefs too with a 2-1 advantage, although Tampa Bay did manage to take down Patrick Mahomes more times than Kansas City got to Tom Brady and this time the two Tackles will be missing.

I do think this is likely to be another competitive game even though the first meeting needed a big fightback from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to do that. I expect they would have learned something from that game and the Buccaneers were dropped to 7-5 on the day and look a much stronger all around team now.

It is the Offensive Line concerns that really make me believe the Buccaneers keep this close- they were lucky to cover for me in Week 12, but I think getting more than a Field Goal worth of points could be crucial in a game that could easily go down to the wire.

No one would be surprised if Patrick Mahomes pulled the win out of the fire, but Tom Brady won't go down without a fight either and I do think Tampa Bay have a real advantage being at home, especially in the current climate.

As good as the Chiefs clearly are, they are just 2-7 against the spread in their last nine as the favourite. The Buccaneers won't mind being the underdog having won outright in the last two PlayOff spots despite being the dog, and they are also 5-2 against the spread in their last seven games facing a team with a winning record.

Ironically Tampa Bay have had to win three road games to play at home on Super Bowl night- four previous teams have done that and the last three have all won the Super Bowl so I am going to roll with the points in the big game on Sunday. As I said I think the game will be tight and would not be surprised if it is decided by a Field Goal either way, so taking the hook with the underdog hosts looks good here.

The favourite has won the last two Super Bowls including Kansas City last season and it is hard to oppose Patrick Mahomes or Andy Reid off a Bye, but the Offensive Line issues may restrict the scoring for the Chiefs and that will give Tom Brady and the Buccaneers to earn a backdoor cover at the worst, much like we saw in Week 12.

Since 2006 the team with the better record is only 1-11 against the spread in the Super Bowl, while those teams are just 2-10 straight up. I have to say that is a remarkable statistic and, while trends are there to be snapped, it does make it more comfortable going with the 'home' team who are the underdog this week.

At exactly three points it is a much harder spread to manage, so pay a bit of juice for the hook on Super Bowl Sunday.

MY PICK: Tampa Bay Buccaneers + 3.5 Points @ 1.76 Bet365 (2 Units)

Championship Round: 1-1, - 0.34 Units (4 Units Staked, - 8.5% Yield)

Divisional Round: 3-1, + 3.36 Units (8 Units Staked, + 42% Yield)

Wild Card Round: 1-5, - 8.18 Units (12 Units Staked, - 68.17% Yield)

Week 17: 4-5, - 3.10 Units (18 Units Staked, - 17.22% Yield)

Week 16: 5-5, - 0.88 Units (20 Units Staked, - 4.40% Yield)

Week 15: 3-4-1, - 2.38 Units (16 Units Staked, - 14.88% Yield)

Week 14: 5-3, + 3 Units (16 Units Staked, + 18.75% Yield)

Week 13: 5-5, - 0.82 Units (20 Units Staked, - 4.10% Yield)

Week 12: 5-4, + 0.86 Units (18 Units Staked, + 4.78% Yield)

Week 11: 4-5, - 2.72 Units (18 Units Staked, - 15.11% Yield)

Week 10: 4-3-1, + 1.46 Units (16 Units Staked, + 9.13% Yield)

Week 9: 2-6, - 8.36 Units (16 Units Staked, - 52.25% Yield)

Week 8: 6-2, + 6.60 Units (16 Units Staked, + 41.25% Yield)

Week 7: 4-3-1, + 1.26 Units (16 Units Staked, + 7.87% Yield)

Week 6: 6-4, + 3 Units (20 Units Staked, + 15% Yield)

Week 3: 8-3, + 8.64 Units (22 Units Staked, + 39.27% Yield)

Week 2: 7-3, + 7.10 Units (20 Units Staked, + 35.50% Yield)

Week 1: 6-3-1, + 4.62 Units (20 Units Staked, + 23.10% Yield)

Season 2020: 79-64-4, + 13.12 Units (296 Units Staked, + 4.43% Yield)

Weekend Football Picks and Fantasy Football 2021 (February 6-8)

It has been a difficult season for real life football players and those of us playing the Fantasy Football games, especially with deadlines coming around every couple of days.

Things will at least slow down for Fantasy players with games moving into a weekly pattern over the next three months, but the reality is that there is going to be rotation with clubs involved in the FA Cup and European competitions that get back underway in February and are played through the remainder of the season.

I'll have a few thoughts about the Premier League games to be played this weekend and then get into my thoughts about GameWeek 23 after some miserable luck in GameWeek 22 to encapsulate my season.

Aston Villa v Arsenal Pick: Both Aston Villa and Arsenal are looking to bounce back from extremely disappointing results during the latest round of Premier League fixtures and inconsistent performances from both over the last month makes this a difficult game to read.

Since returning from their Covid-19 outbreak, Aston Villa have won 2 and lost 3 Premier League games which is about where they should be if you take performance levels into account. They were fortunate to beat Southampton, but unlucky to lose to Burnley, and I think Aston Villa have just hit the wall a little bit when it comes to how they are progressing.

Some of that has to be down to the fallout from the Covid-19 outbreak, but I also think the team have been overachieving at times and perhaps in a higher position than they deserve.

In saying that there are some talented players at Aston Villa who have gotten forward and created chances. Defensively they are not the best, but I do think Aston Villa can cause problems for an Arsenal team that could be without three of their preferred back line.

At the same time I do think Arsenal will be able to create chances here as their young players continue to play with very little to lose. Those youngsters are going to learn from the experiences, but Mikel Arteta's team are also struggling for consistency through the learning process and they can be a difficult team to work out.

In recent away games Arsenal have been creating more chances and looking stronger, but this is still a team who struggle with the balance between attack and defence. I think that leaves them vulnerable at times and Aston Villa have gotten the better of them in both Premier League games played over the last seven months.

This one should be close with confidence perhaps not the best in either camp- the first goal could be all important with that in mind, but I think the home team may have a narrow edge with their ability in the final third.

It should be close and competitive, but I believe Aston Villa edge this in what is shaping up to be a Premier League round of fixtures with a number of tight games to call.

Aston Villa home games and Arsenal away games have not featured too many draws this season and I think the former can just about do enough to earn the full three points.

Burnley v Brighton Pick: The last month has been very productive for both Burnley and Brighton who have earned some important points to move towards safety and they have also progressed to the FA Cup Fifth Round.

There are other similarities- Liverpool had not lost a League game at Anfield since April 2017, but Burnley snapped that with a 0-1 win at that ground only to be followed by Brighton who did the same this past weekend.

It is a happy similarity, but there is another which will be less pleasing to both Sean Dyche and Graham Potter. With smaller squads than the top clubs, both Dyche and Potter are dealing with several injuries in the squad that have not been helped by the fact that fixtures are needing to be played every few days at this stage of the season.

The two teams have FA Cup Fifth Round fixtures to come during the week so there is no time to rest or feel sorry for themselves and this is an important game down the bottom of the Premier League. The winning team will feel they are almost securing top flight football for another season, although the losing team won't be overly concerned.

It could mean an open approach to the game, but I also think both clubs would likely settle for a point and we did see a goalless draw when Brighton hosted Burnley three months ago. That was yet another game where Brighton have looked threatening going forward without scoring the goals they have deserved, but it was also another fixture in which they have played pretty well defensively.

Defensive performances have been very important for Brighton over the last couple of weeks with 4 clean sheets in a row in the Premier League. They haven't been fortunate either and Brighton may feel they can restrict a Burnley team which has not scored a lot of goals this season and who have not been blessed with a huge amount of chances in recent games either.

Burnley have defended well enough themselves and I think this will be a tight fixture and I am not expecting a lot of goals. With the strong defensive showings that Brighton have put together, I think one of these teams will fail to find the net and another goalless draw can't be ruled out either, a point suiting both teams after tough weeks.

I don't think either manager will settle for that, but I can see both looking to keep things tight and making sure the defensive approach is right towards the game. With some key players missing in both squads, I will look for at least one clean sheet to be produced from this fixture as both clubs keep ticking along and pressurising those three clubs in the relegation zone.

Newcastle United v Southampton Pick: There was a big moment in the 2nd minute of both Newcastle United's and Southampton's last Premier League match.

The Magpies took the lead against Crystal Palace in that minute but were eventually beaten 1-2, while Southampton were reduced to ten men at Manchester United and took severe punishment for the remaining 88 minutes in their 9-0 defeat.

Both teams will be looking to bounce back from a really poor result, but I have to give the edge to Newcastle United who are set as the home underdog. You can't ignore the recent form and the 3 home League losses in succession, but Newcastle United have created plenty of chances in the last 2 here and perhaps should have earned more points than they have.

They should be able to do the same against a Southampton team who are stretched to the limit with injuries and have lost two more players to suspension. The Saints should have earned a positive result against Aston Villa last weekend at home, but they have regressed to the mean when it comes to their conversion rate in the final third.

Earlier this season Southampton were being very clinical in the final third, but in recent games they have struggled for chances and the goals have dried up too. That has to be a concern for Ralph Hasenhuttl, but there is really nothing he can do with the team perhaps struggling through a period when the fixtures have been coming thick and fast and with little rest given to those who have to start most of them.

I think Southampton still have some quality players that can cause problems for Newcastle United, but the home team should be fresher and have been creating chances. I think that will eventually lead to better results if they continue on their current path and Newcastle United should be able to punish a Southampton defence which has struggled in recent away games.

Steve Bruce will be looking for his players to extend their home winning run against Southampton as Newcastle United search for a fourth win in a row here against this opponent. I feel they can edge to the points if they create the kind of chances they have in their recent home games as well as how Newcastle United played at Everton last weekend and I will look for them to get the better of Southampton.

Fulham v West Ham United Pick: This has been a volatile season, but on current form it is hard to look beyond West Ham United to earn another victory when they visit Craven Cottage on Saturday afternoon.

David Moyes might be seen as a manager who is more focused on his defensive organisation, but West Ham United have looked really good going forward over the last five weeks. They are creating a lot of chances and Jesse Lingard is the latest to thrive in the system having scored twice in the 1-3 win at Villa Park on Wednesday.

It was another deserved win and West Ham United are not giving too much away in their own defensive third which makes them very dangerous.

The manager will be looking to keep the momentum going as West Ham United have the chance to move into the top four with a victory, even for a few hours. There is a big FA Cup tie coming up at Old Trafford, but David Moyes will want to have some momentum going into that fixture and his West Ham United have won 4 away games in a row in all competitions and will want to extend that before the visit to one of his former clubs.

At the same time as West Ham United have been playing with confidence, Fulham have been struggling and they were beaten again last time out against Leicester City. In recent weeks Scott Parker had made his team harder to beat, but even that has begun to change in a negative direction and Fulham have lost their last 4 at Craven Cottage.

They have lost 4 of their last 6, while even the draw at Brighton saw Fulham ride their luck to a clean sheet.

Fulham have scored a single goal in their last 6 games at home in all competitions which is a major concern and especially when you add in how well West Ham United have been defending. During that poor run in front of goal, Fulham have found it hard to keep the backdoor shut too and I think The Hammers will have too much for them this weekend.

Manchester United v Everton Pick: It has been a remarkably strange season to this stage and home advantage has clearly been weakened.

Everton underline the point having won almost twice as many away games in the Premier League compared with wins at Goodison Park. They have won their last 4 away Premier League games including at Leeds United during the week and Everton will head to Old Trafford knowing teams have had considerable successes here over the last few months.

We didn't see any evidence of that on Tuesday when Manchester United crushed Southampton 9-0, but that was a fixture against an injury hit side who were reduced to ten men inside two minutes. A controversial Penalty was then awarded to Manchester United late on which sparked a late run of goals following another sending off, but that result alone should not cover the issues United have had playing here without fans.

They have scored 22 home League goals, but 15 have come against Leeds United and Southampton and Manchester United have only scored more than a single goal in 3 of their 11 home League games this season.

However they did manage three against Liverpool in a recent FA Cup win and Manchester United will recognise that Everton are a team who have not always defended as well as the results would indicate. Sheffield United and Wolves deserved more than they got against Everton and Leeds United might also feel hard done by which should be encouraging to Manchester United as they look to put some pressure on Liverpool and Manchester City before they face off on Sunday.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be looking to keep his players focused and he will be hoping Edinson Cavani is passed fit. This won't be an easy game for Manchester United when you consider how well Everton have played away from home, but I think the home team are creating more chances than their visitors.

It should make the difference on the day and I think Manchester United will be able to earn the three points here.

Everton could play their part here, but I think Manchester United will have enough quality in the final third to produce a victory in a game that will likely feature at least two goals.

Tottenham Hotspur v West Brom Pick: Two teams who are desperate for three points meet in the early Sunday afternoon slot in North London and both Tottenham Hotspur and West Brom have been struggling for form.

It certainly does make it a little more difficult to know which of these teams are going to get the better of things on the day- most will fancy Tottenham Hotspur to win, but they have created very little going forward in their last 3 games in the Premier League since Harry Kane went down with an injury.

All of those games have ended in defeat for Tottenham Hotspur who have made some tremendously poor mistakes inside their own final third which has offered encouragement to their opponents. Liverpool punished them, but both Brighton and Chelsea needed just a single goal to earn the victory over Tottenham Hotspur.

Jose Mourinho insists the players are still playing for one another, but his teams have a habit of making slow starts in recent years. The manager can say that he doesn't want his players to do that, but whatever is being worked on during the week has resulted in poor starts.

Fatigue is also causing an issue for Tottenham Hotspur as Mourinho doesn't rotate his squad as much as some fans would like and I do think this is a tougher fixture than it looks on paper.

I won't overestimate West Brom who have conceded twice to both Fulham and Sheffield United over the last week and earned a single point from a possible 6 available. Those results have left West Brom mired inside the bottom three and Sam Allardye is unlikely to be able to extend his record of never being relegated from the Premier League unless he is Sacked before that is confirmed.

Since Allardyce took over at The Hawthorns, his best results have come away from home but there haven't been enough of them.

The amount of goals being shipped has to be a major concern for West Brom and there is little sign of that changing, but Tottenham Hotspur are not exactly firing on all fronts. There was a slight suggestion that Harry Kane could potentially return, which would give Tottenham Hotspur a huge boost, but the lack of consistency in the final third could make it difficult to break what is expected to be a low block from the visitors.

West Brom have only conceded a single goal at Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool in the Premier League this season and they have earned draws at the latter two clubs which has to be respected. I expect Sam Allardyce will be looking for his team to make life as difficult as possible for an out of form opponent, but Tottenham Hotspur have been decent enough defensively to think they can limit the chances created by The Baggies too.

When they met earlier this season it took a very late goal for Tottenham Hotspur to win the game, and goals may not be on the agenda on Sunday either. West Brom might have conceded far too many goals of late, but they are unlikely to really want to take risks and will feel this Tottenham Hotspur team could be frustrated the longer the game is kept goalless.

7 of the last 9 between these clubs have ended with less than three goals shared out and that may be the case again.

Wolves v Leicester City Pick: The feeling is that the experiences of last season will stand Leicester City in good stead as they bid to go a little better in 2020/21 and return Champions League Football to the King Power Stadium. Brendan Rodgers would love to pick up silverware too, but the focus has to be the Premier League after seeing the second half collapse which cost Leicester City a top four spot in the last campaign.

It made the win at Fulham even more important as Leicester City had drawn with Everton and lost to Leeds United prior to that, games in which they would have targeted a minimum of four points from. Instead of dragging out the run without a victory, Leicester City were comfortable winners at Craven Cottage and could be boosted by the returns of Wilfred Ndidi and Jamie Vardy this week.

Like many teams in the Premier League, Leicester City have thrived on their travels compared with games at the King Power Stadium. The victory on Wednesday means Leicester City have won 8 away League games compared with 5 home League wins and they are very dangerous in these settings as they expose spaces that home teams are almost obliged to leave behind.

That may not be the case when they face Wolves on Sunday- their Midlands rivals have largely been pretty productive defensively even if their results have been disappointing of late. The 2-1 win over Arsenal will be a boost in confidence for the Wolves players and there is pace and quality in the wide areas which make them dangerous if at their best.

However I am concerned with some of the spaces Wolves left for Arsenal who could have been out of sight before losing David Luiz to a red card on the stroke of half time. This Leicester City team have shown they can be very creative on their travels and I do think The Foxes will be more dangerous now Jamie Vardy is set for a return.

It would not be a huge surprise if one of the teams fail to score but that means my lean is towards a Leicester City win with the visitors more likely to earn that clean sheet.

They have looked dangerous away from home and are creating chances and I think Leicester City will just about have enough to secure the three points as they keep their title challenge and top four ambitions alive through another week.

Wolves can be very good on their day, but without Raul Jimenez I do think this team is not as strong as they would otherwise be. They looked to be on course for a third home loss in a row before the sending off which changed the game against Arsenal and Wolves still look a little unsure of themselves which will only benefit the visiting team.

Liverpool v Manchester City Pick: When the fixture list was produced a few months ago I think most would have circled this one as being likely to be between the two leading contenders for the Premier League title.

No one will have been surprised by that with Liverpool and Manchester City winning the last three Premier League trophies and with the two clubs so far ahead of the rest in those campaigns.

After a slow start Manchester City look to be fulfilling their role, but Liverpool have had a miserable month and that has seen them lose their place at the top of the Premier League. Not only lose it, but fall down to 4th place and 7 points behind their main title rivals who also have a game in hand.

Injuries have piled up at Anfield having had two relatively healthy campaigns and these have really hurt their chances of retaining the title won for the first time in thirty years. Back to back home losses to Burnley and Brighton have ended the aura around playing at Anfield which had been built by an unbeaten League run here stretching back to April 2017 and Jurgen Klopp has to be massively worried by the fact his team have not scored in their last 3 League games here.

No one is going to ignore the attacking talent Liverpool have, but if Sadio Mane is missing they are weakened. The midfield does not look as functional without Jordan Henderson and Fabinho playing in those positions and the latter may be missing even if the Captain is pushed forward having started at centre half during the week.

That leaves Liverpool vulnerable and now they have to face up to a Manchester City team who have won 13 in a row in all competitions and who look like they are playing with confidence. I do think they are not the same without Kevin De Bruyne and Sergio Aguero, but Manchester City's foundation for success has been built upon a strong defensive base and that is going to be important on Sunday too.

Since losing 2-0 at Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City have conceded a single goal in 5 away Premier League games and I do think Pep Guardiola will be urging his players to not give anything away here. Even in the defeat to Spurs, Manchester City did not offer up too many big chances but were punished on the counter attack.

They have changed the base of the midfield since that loss to only make themselves tougher to beat and Manchester City have also been more careful with their approach going forward. In big games we have seen Manchester City not being as gung-ho as we have become accustomed to and I do think the lack of goals in those games is down to that solidness they are looking to put on the field.

Liverpool are struggling in front of goal, but they have only conceded more than a single goal in 1 of their last 14 home games in all competitions. And while Manchester City have shown more clinical finishing in the final third in recent away Premier League games, I think it is hard to ignore the fact they failed to score at Spurs and Manchester United in the League.

On the other side Manchester City have shown plenty of defensive solidity of late and Liverpool have not scored in their last 3 League games here. The current Champions might not concede a lot of goals at home, but they have also only scored more than a single goal in 2 of their last 8 at Anfield and I think these are numbers being underestimated by the layers.

Most will be expecting goals, but half of the last 6 between Liverpool and Manchester City have finished with less than three goals scored. On recent form I think this fixture could easily go the same way with neither looking to give too much away and I do think the price on the under 2.5 goals is far too big to be ignored.

Sheffield United v Chelsea Pick: Both Chris Wilder and Thomas Tuchel have to be very pleased with what they are seeing from their respective teams ahead of this latest Premier League fixture, although Sheffield United and Chelsea will be desperate for the three points for different needs.

A draw really doesn't do a lot for either team, but the improved form of Sheffield United makes the outcome a little more murky.

Even then it would be a surprise if Chelsea can't continue their revival under their new manager having earned 3 clean sheets in a row. In the last 2 games Chelsea have looked a little more threatening going forward having largely struggled in the goalless draw with Wolves, and I think that does give them the edge.

However, I am not sure I can be convinced this is going to be an easy game for Chelsea because of the way Sheffield United have been playing. They are not as strong as they were last season, but I think a part of the issue has been about the inches that were going their way twelve months ago are now going against them.

Sheffield United have won 2 of their last 3 home games and recently also won at Old Trafford in the Premier League. That has to be respected, but Chelsea look like they have had some of their confidence restored by Thomas Tuchel and the performances have looked good.

This will be close and competitive, but I think Chelsea will be the one that takes home the three points. The handicap looks right on the money, but picking Chelsea to win by either one or two goals brings a decent enough price together.

It would be a massive surprise if Chelsea were to win by a wider margin in the form that Sheffield United are displaying. For all of their struggles, Chris Wilder's men rarely roll over for anyone and especially not at home, while Chelsea are being solid, but are not battering teams and instead grinding them down.

Chelsea have only won a single away Premier League game by more than two goals since October 2019 and I think this will be a narrow away win on Sunday afternoon in what could be cold, cold conditions.

Leeds United v Crystal Palace Pick: Monday Night Football has been given a new fixture after both Manchester United and Everton progressed to the FA Cup Fifth Round and it will be Leeds United and Crystal Palace who go into action instead.

Both teams exited the FA Cup in the Third Round and are focusing on finishing as high as possible in the Premier League having displayed inconsistencies all season.

Leeds United have really struggled for results at Elland Road with the playing surface recently needing work done on it. The latest setback saw Leeds United beaten by Everton which means back to back home Premier League defeats, although they are still creating chances.

Defensively there are questions, but I am not sure Crystal Palace can expose the issues at the back. Wilfred Zaha is likely going to miss out and there is a long injury list at Selhurst Park which will give Roy Hodgson limited opportunities to rotate his squad.

Crystal Palace have won back to back Premier League games to ease any relegation concerns that may have been lingering in the minds of the players and the fans.

However it will be difficult for Crystal Palace to contain Leeds United without the out ball that Zaha will provide and they were fortunate to win at Newcastle United who had some strong chances. They are likely going to be challenged by Leeds United who love to send players forward to get into attacking positions, although I have to respect the ability of Crystal Palace from set pieces which is a big Achilles heel for Leeds United.

It would not be a big surprise to see Crystal Palace score when you think of the way they are likely going to approach getting at Leeds United.

But at the same time I do think Leeds United will be the latest to get after Crystal Palace and create chances. Much will depend on what kind of mood they are in when those chances come up, but Leeds United should have enough to secure the points in this latest Premier League fixture before finally having some time to prepare for the next one.

MY PICKS: Aston Villa 0 Asian Handicap

Burnley-Brighton Both Teams to Score- NO

Newcastle United + 0.25 Asian Handicap

West Ham United - 0.25 Asian Handicap

Manchester United to Win & Over 1.5 Goals

Tottenham Hotspur-West Brom Under 2.5 Goals

Leicester City - 0.25 Asian Handicap

Liverpool-Manchester City Both Teams to Score- NO

Chelsea to Win by One or Two Goals

Leeds United

Fantasy Football GameWeek 23

The scores may be ticking along pretty nicely, but I don't seem to be getting too many breaks this season which is negatively affecting the move I want to make up the standings.

Luke Shaw and Marcus Rashford both being withdrawn before the 60th minute mark on Tuesday really did underline some of the poor luck I feel my team is getting and that despite the consistent scores being produced.

It isn't only the fact that at least seven points were shaved off, but playing a ten man Southampton was a great chance to haul and the points were effectively gobbled up by Bruno Fernandes thanks to a dodgy Penalty and a late collapse from a then nine man opponent.

That hurts- instead of looking to make up some points with a couple of difference makers, the big name players earned the backdoor bonus.

It is frustrating, but there is still someway to go until the end of the season and at least my reasoning that some of the postponed games from earlier in the campaign would need to be made up sooner than later has benefited my squad. Without any more transfers I have at least five players in a DGW in both GW24 and GW25 and that does make my decisions a little easier this week and that is finally rolling over a transfer.

What is my main reasoning for that? I think the FA Cup Fifth Round being played during the week will give us a really good idea as to what shape DGW26 is going to take and I may be able to put a strong team out there and potentially even use a Chip without impacting my Free Hit or Wild Card which could then be used in April as I have always envisioned it could be.

As I have written about previously, I am convinced that the likes of Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur will definitely have two games in DGW26, but you could add the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, Everton and Aston Villa to that list which could make it the biggest DGW left this season and perhaps the last chance to really use the Bench Boost to the fullest effect.

Leicester City are another likely to be playing twice that week and I think I could have as many as 12 players who could play twice that week which makes the three transfers between now and then very valuable. And also leave the Bench Boost Chip a perfect one to play.

Three of the seven games that are definitely going to need to be re-arranged have been given those dates in February, but I would not be surprised if we add Aston Villa vs Everton to the list in what is currently only a DGW for Leeds United and Southampton.

Aston Villa in particular could have as many as three postponed games by the end of the FA Cup Fifth Round if Sheffield United win their home tie against Championship Bristol City, while they are scheduled to play Manchester City on FA Cup Semi Final weekend and who would bet against them reaching a Cup Semi Final to force another postponement?

There are only so many free midweeks in which you can play games and once again I will say it would be risky for the Premier League to kick too many cans down the road. The decision about the Aston Villa-Everton game will be dependant on results in the FA Cup Fifth Round, but I think wins for Sheffield United and Tottenham Hotspur in their individual ties may force the Premier League to at least add another fixture to GW25.

The uncertainty about which fixtures are going to be postponed in GW29 on FA Cup Quarter Final weekend does make it easier to look to roll a transfer through this week. The Captain choice is perhaps the most difficult one to make this week and I am looking to choose between my Manchester United and Leeds United assets if I am being honest, but I will have a think about that up until the deadline on Saturday morning.

Ross Barkley was brought into my squad with little return during GW22, but the long-term picture was in mind with. Aston Villa needing to make up a host of fixtures already. I am a little worried about the performances of Aston Villa out of the Covid-19 outbreak, but those extra games can't be ignored as I look to chase down some leaders in my Mini-Leagues as well as getting closer to the top 100K in the standings.