Euro 2020 Match Day 3 Group Picks 2021 (June 20th-23rd)

There may be four third place finishers making it through to the Last 16 of the Euro 2020 Finals, but it is still surprising to see that twenty-three of the twenty-four teams taking part still having an opportunity to make it through.

Only North Macedonia have officially been eliminated and only the Netherlands have guaranteed themselves as Group Winners.

With that in mind, the final round of Group games should have plenty on the line for all of the teams involved and there should be plenty of twists and turns to come. Things will clear up by Monday evening when three Groups are completed, but teams are still jockeying for position and there are some good looking matches to come.

Sunday 20th June

Italy vs Wales Pick: Two wins from two Group games will have won the section for many teams, but Italy still have a bit of work to do to make sure they leave Rome as Group A Winners.

Avoiding defeat will be good enough to do that and it may be a result that suits both Italy and their opponents Wales who have almost certainly secured 2nd place in the Group.

Roberto Mancini could make some changes to give some of the other squad members an opportunity, but the manager would also like to keep the momentum behind his team and I would not be surprised if the Italians put another win on the board.

Wales have played well in the tournament and the pace on the counter attack will worry an Italian team that can lack some legs at the back. However, Robert Page and his men may feel the best approach is to contain their hosts and avoid a big defeat which should be good enough for 2nd place as long as Switzerland don't batter Turkey in the other game in the Group.

The edge is with Wales though and they have put in a lot of work to secure their place in the Last 16 in all likelihood.

They do pose a threat on the break and the likes of Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey are playing well, but I think Italy may just have enough to break them down and secure a narrow win. Another clean sheet would not be a massive surprise and I would not be massively surprised if both teams slow down towards the end of this fixture with Knock Out matches to come later in the week.

Turkey vs Switzerland Pick: After failing to win any of the four Group games these two nations have combined to play for, the situation means both Turkey and Switzerland are in a precarious position in the tournament.

They meet in Baku on Sunday and both teams need to win the game and hope that is good enough to take them through to the next Round.

Turkey are under more pressure having lost both Group games and a win may not be enough considering the awful goal difference- they don't just need to win, but likely need to win big and that means an attacking approach has to be taken to this fixture.

They have created chances, but Turkey have been poor in the final third and they need to show better composure if they are going to have any chance of Qualifying.

Switzerland have things much simpler- if they win they move onto four points and that should be enough to take them through. They were decent against Wales and deserved more than a point, but Switzerland were awful in Rome and the travel back to Baku does not favour them at all.

I do think they will cause Turkey problems considering what we have seen defensively from the Turks, but this could develop into an open game and especially if Turkey score first. Goals have been an issue for both of these teams in this tournament, but this should be a more open encounter and I think at least three goals will be shared out.

Monday 21st June

North Macedonia vs Netherlands Pick: Beating both Ukraine and Austria and scoring five goals has given the Netherlands fans hopes of a very strong Finals to come. They have already won Group C and so should be rewarded with a good looking Last 16 match and the draw could easily open up for the Netherlands with the way the opening fixtures have gone.

Having secured all they have wanted, Frank de Boer could easily make changes to his team, but there is almost a full week before Holland will play again and so he won't want to lose some of the momentum that has been earned.

They could really go into the Last 16 with a heap of momentum as the Netherlands take on eliminated North Macedonia.

The latter have shown they came through the weakest of the Play Off paths into the Euro Finals and they have looked markedly weaker than both Ukraine and Austria and now face the best team in the section. North Macedonia have nothing to lose so they could be dangerous, but defensively they have looked off the pace and teams have created plenty of chances against them.

I do think the Netherlands will be found out later in the tournament, especially as their attack and defence look a little light, but for now they should be comfortable and I think they win this game pretty comfortably.

Momentum can be so important to teams and the Netherlands can go into the Last 16 with three wins behind them. I don't think there will be wholesale changes, although a few of the squad could be given an opportunity, and I think the depth will be enough to see off North Macedonia by a couple of goals on the day.

Ukraine vs Austria Pick: A point would likely be good enough to take both Ukraine and Austria through to the Last 16.

The layers clearly believe the two teams are more than aware of that being the potential outcome of this fixture and the draw is actually trading at odds on.

You can't really argue with the theory and I do think there will be a temptation for both of these teams to not take too many risks.

It is not often you see the draw at the prices they are for this one, but I think it is a risky play. Instead, a small interest on there being 'no goalscorer' might be the best approach as you can see both Ukraine and Austria perhaps easing off if this game is level with half an hour left, but also covers the chance of an own goal breaking the deadlock.

There might not be a lot of reason for either team to commit to attack in this one and both may shake hands on finishing 2nd and 3rd and moving through to a Last 16 tie over the next weekend.

Finland vs Belgium Pick: Only one team has managed to come from behind and win a game at Euro 2020 and Belgium's win over Denmark has taken them through to the Last 16. Avoiding defeat will be enough to take them through as Group Winners, but Roberto Martinez likes his Belgium team to play with attacking intent and even with some changes I do think they will be too good for this opponent.

They should give the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard more minutes to try and get those key players up to speed before the Knock Out Rounds begin, and Belgium have shown they have some depth when crushing Belarus 8-0 in a World Cup Qualifier in March.

Roberto Martinez is taking his team back to St Petersburg and the travel is an issue, but Belgium have momentum and five goals in two Group games has given them a boost.

They will be facing a Finland team who likely still need a point to take them through to the Last 16.

Finland work hard and will give it a go, but they are not the best defensively and you do have to worry about them if they go chasing this game. That has to be a fear for the Finnish, although a narrow defeat may not prevent them going through to the Last 16 depending what happens in the other game.

Even with that in mind, it will be difficult to contain this Belgium team despite the likelihood of one or two changes to be made to freshen up the starting line up.

A comfortable win for one of the favourites looks the most likely outcome of this final Group game.

Russia vs Denmark Pick: The Christian Eriksen incident has seriously hurt the Denmark chances at this Euro 2020, but there is still an outside chance they can work their way through to the Last 16.

Two defeats have been costly for other teams around the tournament, but Denmark are in a weak section and a win by a couple of goals may see them through as 2nd place as long as Finland are not able to avoid defeat against Belgium.

One of the stronger third place finishes will also be within Denmark's grasp with a big win and they have played well enough to earn more than what they have in this Group so far. This is a team that has been creating chances and they will believe home advantage could be the key in this final Group game against a Russia team that has been a mixed bag.

Despite playing both games at home previously, Russia still need a positive result to earn their place in the next Round and a defeat would likely see them exiting the tournament. That puts some pressure on them and travelling has usually been a weakness for this team.

It could be a fairly open game with both teams chasing the points and I think there will be goals involved.

However, I think Denmark have been very unfortunate in this tournament so far and they may just find one big performance which helps them past this opponent and give them every chance to Qualify for the Last 16. Some eyes and ears will be looking at the game at St Petersburg, but Denmark have to focus on themselves and that means winning this game.

I think they can do that.

Tuesday 22nd June

Croatia vs Scotland Pick: The situation could not be clearer for Croatia and Scotland when they meet in the final Group games on Tuesday evening- both have a single point from the two games played so far and a draw would likely mean both are going to be exiting the Euro 2020 Finals.

A win or bust frame of mind should mean an open fixture develops at some point and the big question for both managers is whether their teams have enough goals to find a victory.

Scotland have yet to score at Euro 2020, but they have created some wonderful chances and poor finishing has really let them down. On another night they would have earned 6 points from their two games played, but Scotland's poor finishing has proved costly and they are under pressure to deliver.

Che Adams is a Premier League player with Southampton, but he has long been someone who has underperformed when it comes to conversion rates and Scotland are going to be under pressure to be much better in the final third. This Croatia team is experienced at the back, but they are an ageing team and Scotland should have enough to create chances against them.

Croatia have also struggled in legitimate away games and that has to be an encouragement for Scotland, although this is a nation that has historically found a way to find a glorious defeat from strong positions.

Teams have created chances against Scotland and I do think Croatia will be able to do that even if they are not as strong as they once were in the forward areas. They have to take risks and that means increasing the intensity of the performance, while an early goal could really open this fixture up completely.

1-1 means nothing to either team and I think that has to mean attacking players will be used and spaces could open up as this fixture hits the 70th minute mark and further along.

It is difficult to back these teams to be clinical in front of goal considering what we have seen from them in this tournament, but both Scotland and Croatia can create chances in front of goal. If a player or two can just show the composure needed, one of the teams may find the three points they need to progress and it could come from a relatively high-scoring fixture to round out what has been a low-scoring Group.

Czech Republic vs England Pick: When you plan out the draw before a tournament ball has been played it can be easy to get carried away by the possibilities and for many winning Group D would be a bad decision as it would mean facing either Germany/France/Portugal in the Second Round.

It is with that in mind that many felt finishing 2nd would be a better long-term plan for a team and I think that is influencing the odds for this fixture.

England can go through as 2nd place in the Group if they don't win this fixture and you can understand why some think playing out a draw would suit both teams. The Czech Republic's aims are to get through to the Knock Out Stage and that would guarantee they do that, while England would likely be pretty happy even if it means leaving Wembley Stadium until the Semi Final.

A weaker path helped England reach the World Cup Semi Final three years ago so this is something that would be in mind. Obviously it won't be mentioned by the management, but I also think Gareth Southgate needs a much better performance from his team than the one produced in the draw with Scotland.

It is hard to know what kind of desire England have- they are a big price if they were definitely going to play for the win, but you do wonder if that is going to be high on the agenda throughout this fixture.

What England have done of late is not give up too many goals and that may be underlined in this fixture. The Czech Republic have not exactly created a lot of chances in their opening two games and I think England can largely contain their threat, although England will have to be much better in the final third to break down a team that has overachieved defensively considering the chances they have allowed.

In usual circumstances England would look a massive price as I have said, but you can't really know for sure what they are thinking and whether playing for 2nd is the best bet for them.

In all likelihood a point suits both teams and I would not be surprised if one of the teams fails to find the net in what could be a potentially another uninspiring fixture in this Group.

Wednesday 23rd June

Slovakia vs Spain Pick: One of the big disappointments at the Euro 2020 Finals so far has to be Spain, although this is a team that has just lacked a clinical touch rather than totally underachieving.

Unfortunately it is a big part of football to find a way to convert chances into goals and Luis Enrique may make more changes in a bid to lift his team. A missed Penalty against Poland means Spain are almost certainly going to need to win this game to have any chance of making it through to the Last 16.

Draws with Sweden and Poland have come about through poor finishing, but Spain do finish up with the weakest team in the section.

Slovakia have three points on the board and another may be good enough to take them through to the Last 16, but they have not really been as strong as they would have liked. A lack of goals was a concern before the Finals began and Slovakia have created very little so far, which should be encouraging for the Spain fans that have been vocal in their disgust with the results so far.

Defensively Spain have not been at their best and I do think that will encourage their visitors, but I do think Spain will have the edge in the match. A narrow defeat for Slovakia may not be the worst result when the entire Group Stage shakes out, but that may be the best they can hope for against a Spain team that are surely going to punish someone soon.

Sweden vs Poland Pick: The layers have placed Poland as the favourites for this final Group game because they 'need' to win, but I think that offers up an opportunity to oppose them here.

The draw with Spain was a positive result, but Slovakia's win over Poland has put them in a difficult spot and a draw is likely going to mean elimination. They will have to take risks and Poland have a player in Robert Lewandowski that has proven himself a lethal finisher in the top European Leagues, but you can't discount the motivation that Sweden may have.

A defeat coupled with a Spain win would mean Sweden are going to be hoping to be one of the best third place finishers and that would also mean a very difficult Last 16 tie. However, a win and they can top the Group which means facing a third place team in the next Round and that would present Sweden a real chance to reach the Quarter Final of back to back major international tournaments.

The Swedes defend well enough to frustrate Poland and I do think they have some pace and quality in the final third which could see them find a way to secure a positive result. If Poland begin to chase, who would discount a Swedish counter attack to win the Group and I certainly think they are being disrespected as the slight underdog in this match.

Sweden have arguably looked better than Poland in the tournament with a solid base from which they can build. That is superior to Poland who do give up chances and have conceded three goals in two Group games and I think Sweden may be the surprising Group E Winners.

A draw would likely mean things coming down to goal difference assuming Spain finally get things right, but Sweden should be motivated to try and win this game and the Group. With an opponent that may have to take risks in front of them, much could come down to how effective Sweden are on the counter attack late in the game and I think they will find a way to the victory when all is said and done.

Germany vs Hungary Pick: The situation will be very clear to all of the teams in Group F by the time they kick off the final Group fixtures at Euro 2020 on Wednesday evening, but you do have to feel the permutations are more likely to affect the other fixture in the Group.

Both Germany and Hungary are much clearer in their ambitions and that is namely a win should be good enough to take them through to the Last 16.

The media may have been sharpening their knives in Germany on Saturday as the national team fell 0-1 behind against Portugal and the fear of a repeat of the World Cup 2018 failure certainly came to the fore. However, Joachim Low's team feel they are being underestimated and turned on the style in thumping the European Champions 4-2 and earn some vital momentum to take towards the Group Stage.

With France failing to win in Budapest, Germany have every chance of topping this section and they will be targeting one more win in Munich.

Germany have been a hard team to get a read on since the World Cup with inconsistent results and poor defensive performances holding them back. However, some of the younger players have provided an attacking spark and Germany have been scoring goals for fun and especially in home games which makes them very dangerous.

They created a lot of chances against Portugal and were in some promising positions against France which bodes well now they take on the weakest team in the Group.

Hungary showed resiliency in their 1-1 draw with France, but they have given up huge chances in both games played in the Group and those came in Budapest. Now they have to travel to Munich and I do think Hungary will struggle to contain their hosts and eventually will have to take risks to try and earn the positive result they need to have an opportunity to play in the Knock Out Rounds.

That could leave them exposed to a Germany team that does like to get forward and score goals and I think they can sign off at Munich with a big Group Stage win.

It wouldn't be that surprising if Hungary can cause problems of their own against a vulnerable German defence, but I don't think they will be able to contain their hosts. An early goal could really set Germany on their way in this one and I think they can cover what is perhaps the biggest Asian Handicap of the tournament so far.

Portugal vs France Pick: I am writing this out on Monday but the situation for both Portugal and France will be much clearer by the time this match kicks off on Wednesday evening.

While Portugal are not going to have a guaranteed place in the Last 16 of the Euro 2020 Tournament by then, they will know how many more points they need.

Assuming Hungary will not win in Munich, 3 points could be enough for Portugal if two of the following situations comes true: Finland lose to Belgium, Croatia and Scotland draw or Poland fail to beat Sweden.

Even then it would come down to goal difference if Portugal were to lose to France on Wednesday, but they have a positive one now and a narrow defeat may not prevent passage through to the Last 16.

It clouds the approach Portugal may take, although they will finish in the top two of the Group if they can win this game. The World Champions also have plenty of motivation knowing a win will top the section, and with the knowledge that a defeat may force France to need one of the best third place finisher spots and a potentially very difficult Last 16 tie.

The permutations can drive you mad at times, but the feeling is that both of these teams will not want to give too much away. Those permutations will be very clear by kick off, but the two Nations League meetings suggest this will be another tight fixture and I do think goals will be tough to find.

Portugal have looked good going forward, but the 4-2 loss to Germany may have spooked a manager who is more cautious than cavalier, while France have struggled to put a finishing touch to some of their football. Defensively the World Champions have looked pretty solid, and I do think you have to factor in that there have been two goals scored in the last 4 between these nations in normal time.

Backing one of the teams to fail to score is my suggestion, but I do think you should keep a real eye on how the other results are going. It could mean this fixture could potentially open up if news filters through that a team needs to chase a result, but it feels the pressure is all on the Portuguese before kick off regardless.

They showed how vulnerable they can be to the counter attack against Germany and this France team is more than capable of blowing past opponents. However, I think this is a fixture in which the two managers will be looking to set up to prevent the other team from picking up some steam and so it may be one where there is very little between them.

MY PICKS: Italy Win to Nil @ 2.20 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Turkey-Switzerland Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.80 William Hill (2 Units)

Netherlands - 1.5 Asian Handicap @ 1.96 Bet365 (2 Units)

Ukraine-Austria No Goalscorer @ 5.50 Paddy Power (1 Unit)

Belgium - 1.5 Asian Handicap @ 2.05 Bet365 (2 Units)

Denmark to Win & Over 1 Total Goals @ 2.15 Bet365 (2 Units)

Croatia-Scotland Over 2.5 Goals @ 2.00 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Czech Republic-England Both Teams to Score- NO @ 1.72 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Spain Win to Nil @ 1.77 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Sweden 0 Asian Handicap @ 2.05 Bet365 (2 Units)

Germany - 2 Asian Handicap @ 1.89 Bet365 (2 Units)

Portugal-France Both Teams to Score- NO @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Match Day 2: 5-7, - 3.54 Units (24 Units Staked, - 14.75% Yield)

Match Day 1: 7-5, + 3.10 Units (24 Units Staked, + 12.92% Yield)

Euro 2020 Match Day 2 Group Picks 2021 (June 16th-19th)

Teams won't be panicking after one round of fixtures has been played, but there will be a little more urgency and pressure on those that wish to go deep into the Euro 2020 Tournament when Match Day 2 rolls around.

It has already been a tournament filled with drama, but there should be plenty more to come and hopefully it will be solely concentrated on the football and not more scenes like most would have witnessed in the Denmark-Finland game last Saturday.

Games on Match Day 2 will be played from Wednesday through to Saturday evening and the final round of games will start on Sunday. These middle fixtures can be hugely pivotal to the way the Groups and subsequent draw for the Knock Out Rounds may pan out so there are some big fixtures to come.

Wednesday 16th June

Finland vs Russia Pick: Most of the attention in the United Kingdom may be on the upcoming 'derby' game between England and Scotland, but for fans of Finland they have a chance to bloody the noses of their neighbours Russia in the opening fixture of Match Day 2.

A 0-1 win over Denmark was a huge result for Finland, but the match and the result were overshadowed by the Christian Eriksen situation which saw the Danish midfielder fortunate to escape with his life after collapsing on the field just moments before half time.

On the field, Finland took their limited chances and were a little fortunate at the back, but the victory is one that puts them in a strong position to earn a surprising spot in the Last 16.

They rode their luck at times on Saturday though and Finland will have a tough test travelling to St Petersburg with all the emotions out of that win likely to affect the Group. An angry Russia team will be waiting for them having been embarrassed by Belgium in their opening Group game at home, but the manager may point out individual mistakes which effectively saw the hosts punished.

Russia have tended to have better success against teams of this level rather than Belgium too and I am expecting them to be a lot better than they were last time out. While they are not really amongst the elite of Europe, Russia have been very difficult to beat here and they may have just enough to edge past a Finland team that are still not a great traveller despite the win in Copenhagen.

A heavy loss to open the tournament means Russia will likely be searching for goals in this one just in case they have to rely on being one of the best of the third place finishers and I think Finland can also play their part.

My feeling is that Russia will edge past Finland in a relatively high-scoring fixture.

Turkey vs Wales Pick: The last time Turkey and Wales met came in the 1998 World Cup Qualifiers and it ended in a 6-4 win for Turkey in what can only be described as a topsy-turvy game.

It would be a massive surprise if we even get half that number on Match Day 2 of the Group Stage- Turkey are coming off an extremely disappointing performance when losing 3-0 to hosts Italy, while a late goal was enough to earn Wales a 1-1 draw with Switzerland.

The three points look to be vitally important for two teams that did not show the kind of bite they would have liked in the final third in their opening games. Neither defended that well either, but Italy were ruthless where Switzerland were not, while I am not sure either of these teams are capable of creating the same kind of chances against the other.

Turkey are perhaps the better of the two teams having been seen as a 'dark horse' before the tournament began, but they will be the first to admit they need to be a lot better. This team is capable and it will feel like a home game in Baku which could be key, although Turkey have been travelling from Rome while Wales have been waiting here after the draw with the Swiss.

There is a feeling that both teams will feel they have the quality in the final third to show better than they did in the opener, and I do think Turkey definitely have more to offer.

Wales don't create a lot of chances and I do think Turkey can largely contain the threats, although set pieces may be a problem for them. There is more pressure on Turkey to win the game which could leave them vulnerable to a late counter attack if they are chasing the game, but I think they are the better of the two teams and may edge to the valuable points.

Having the fans behind them will be a big help and Turkey are a team that can blow hot and cold- my feeling is we've see the ice cold and that the heat is ready to go on Wednesday in Baku.

Italy vs Switzerland Pick: We have seen all twenty-four teams that are playing at Euro 2020 this summer and there haven't been too many you would say have performed better than Italy in their opening fixture.

A comfortable 3-0 win over Turkey showed a confident and vibrant side that is capable of scoring goals, but one that has an experienced backline that can also make Italy very difficult to beat. Roberto Mancini will be looking for his team to take this game by the scruff of its neck as they did against Turkey and I do think Italy will be very difficult to stop.

Switzerland may feel differently as a well organised team that has shown they are no walkover even for the very top sides in European Football. Some of the players will be disappointed with the 1-1 draw against Wales considering the chances Switzerland created, and it has made it a touch more difficult in the Group knowing they are travelling from Baku to Rome and then back to Baku for the final fixture in the section.

I expect them to try and frustrate Italy, but Turkey tried the same and it was only a matter of time before the hosts broke them down and ultimately won the fixture with room to spare.

Finding the balance going the other way may make Switzerland more dangerous to the hosts than Turkey were, but I do think that could also leave spaces for a talented Italy team to exploit and eventually secure another victory.

Italy have scored more than two goals at a European Championship for the first time, and they certainly played with a freedom and confidence that suggests they will have too much for Switzerland too.

I do think Switzerland are a little more experienced than Turkey though and this should be a tighter victory for Italy compared with the first game of the tournament. The Swiss have lost tight games at Spain and Denmark since the World Cup and I think the main ambition will be to try and keep things as tight as possible for as long as possible.

They should have some success, but Italy look a strong team and a narrow win will likely see them top the Group regardless of the final round of fixture outcomes.

Thursday 17th June

Ukraine vs North Macedonia Pick: Neither of these teams were at their very best in the opening fixtures played at Euro 2020 and both Ukraine and North Macedonia conceded three times in defeats to the Netherlands and Austria respectively.

That means another defeat for either could be costly and should produce a decent game of football on Thursday afternoon to open the days play.

Both Ukraine and North Macedonia will feel they are better going forward and I do think Ukraine are a potential dark horse in the tournament if Andrey Shevchenko can just find the right balance in his team. Defensively they lacked against the Netherlands, but Ukraine showed they can score goals when going forward and I think they will be a little too good for the rank outsiders North Macedonia.

However, you cannot take anything for granted from the minnows who were level with Austria with less than 15 minutes remaining. North Macedonia did struggle defensively which is a concern for them, but they may give Ukraine something to think about the other way too.

The quality should be with Ukraine and losing the opener should mean Shevchenko looks for an attacking performance to make sure they are back in contention to Qualify for the Last 16 before the game against Austria.

Ukraine should have the goals to edge past North Macedonia as they bounce back from the valiant fightback that ultimately came up short against the Netherlands.

Denmark vs Belgium Pick: All thoughts with the nation have to be with talisman Christian Eriksen after the awful scenes in Copenhagen on Saturday.

Losing the game was the least concern for most inside the Stadium, but Denmark have to pick themselves up after being able to talk to Eriksen and hopefully knowing the midfielder is on the mend.

The defeat to Finland has put Denmark under the cosh and the feeling is that they can't really afford another one here if they want to make it through to the Last 16. Merely for the confidence point of view the Danes need to rally together and fight for their team-mate, but it has been an emotional few days and it will be very difficult for the Danes.

It doesn't help that they are facing one of the favourites to win Euro 2020 and Belgium are fresh off a convincing 3-0 win over Russia which has put them in a strong spot in the Group. The fact that victory was produced without Eden Hazard and Kevin De Bruyne shows the kind of strength in depth that Belgium can call upon and they did the double over Denmark last year in the Nations League.

This won't be an easy game for those in the Belgium camp considering many of them have close ties with Eriksen themselves, but their performance in Russia was ominous for the rest of the nations involved in the Tournament.

A draw would actually be a half-decent result for both teams, but Belgium are an aggressive, attacking line up that will want to secure their path through to the next Round as soon as possible. Their two wins over Denmark last year will back up the confidence earned from the win in St Petersburg and I think Belgium can make it two out of two.

Netherlands vs Austria Pick: Frank de Boer is still considered a manager under pressure with the Netherlands as fans expect far more from the national team than they are currently seeing.

The second half performance against Ukraine was very encouraging and the Netherlands were deservedly 2-0 up, but the absence of Virgil Van Dijk and the impact it would have on the team was clear to see as that lead evaporated. A late goal was enough for Holland to beat the Ukraine and another three points on Thursday will put the Netherlands on the brink of winning the Group.

They are likely to be tested by Austria on Thursday, but I am not sure what you could have learned from the win over the North Macedonia. Late goals secured the 3-1 win over the minnows in the Group and means Austria are in a very good spot in the section with two Group games to be played, but the remaining games should be much tougher for them.

The 0-4 home loss to Denmark in March is hard to forget and I do think the Netherlands will likely have too much for Austria too.

Playing games at Amsterdam is another boost for the Netherlands and I think the momentum from the late winner over Ukraine will carry over to this fixture too. They created enough to be vastly encouraged by the performance and I think Holland are likely to win this fixture in which at least two goals are shared out.

Friday 18th June

Sweden vs Slovakia Pick: Some may have been critical of the Sweden style of play in their goalless draw with Spain, but the result would have been one that the visitors would have been happy to accept before the match took place.

A point against the favourites has set Sweden up for a place in the Last 16, but they will have to be more clinical in the final third in this fixture.

They created chances against Spain despite the limited time on the ball, but the expectation has shifted and that also means the style of play has to change. Instead of looking to be overly defensive, Sweden have to get on the front foot and try and earn a three points that would set them well on the way to the Last 16.

Defensively Sweden are going to have to be better, but they will be aided by Slovakia despite the confidence the outsider in this Group of four would have earned from their last result. A win over Poland has given Slovakia a huge opportunity to progress, but they benefited from the breaks on the day and they will know they need to be better against Sweden and Spain to round out the section.

Sweden have won three of the five previous matches against Slovakia and there was enough encouragement from their performance against Spain to give them something to build on. Travelling from Sevilla to St Petersburg is not ideal for Sweden and they did play after Slovakia, but this is a team that is confident in their systems and can earn the victory here.

Slovakia will have to be stronger defensively to keep Sweden at bay, but they are also likely to allow Sweden to dictate the tempo of the match which should give the favourites enough of the play to earn the win.

It would be a surprise if there are a lot of goals in this one considering the way the first matches were played and a narrow Swedish win is the most likely outcome.

Croatia vs Czech Republic Pick: These two teams will begin play in the second round of Group matches in Group D of the Euro 2020 Finals and the feeling is that the pressure has all shifted to Croatia.

While some would have expected them to lose to England, Croatia cannot really afford another setback on Friday and the manager is scrambling around looking for answers.

They were largely ineffective against England and need to find plenty more in the final third if they are going to avoid a surprising exit in the Group Stage. Changes are likely going to be made to make Croatia a more dangerous side going forward, but they will also have to be aware of the confident side they are facing.

The day after England beat Croatia, Czech Republic beat Scotland at Hampden Park and the difference on the day was the quality that Patrick Schick showed in the final third. A strong header was followed by an outrageous lob from the halfway line and in Schick the Czech Republic that can make the difference in the tight games.

However, they were also extremely grateful to Tomas Vaclik and some errant Scottish finishing and on another day the Czech Republic would not have been comfortable winners. Improving defensively will be key if they are going to match their previous runs once getting out of the Euro Finals Group Stage, but I expect the Czech Republic to be tested by a Croatia team that can't be nearly as poor as they were on Sunday.

It won't be an easy game and there is pressure on Croatia, while the Czech Republic would likely be pretty happy with a point. That may see them just allow Croatia to come onto them and I do think they won't be as wasteful as Scotland were in the final third which ultimately should mean Croatia can bounce back from the opening loss.

Backing the favourites here on the Asian Handicap looks the way to go as Croatia will then shift all the pressure to Scotland to respond when facing England later in the day.

England vs Scotland Pick: The rivalry between England and Scotland is one that will have plenty of people around the United Kingdom watching on with interest on Friday evening.

Expect to see plenty of highlights of David Seaman saving Gary McAllister's Penalty followed by Paul Gascoigne's memorable chip and finish to held England beat Scotland twenty-five years ago when they met in the Euro 1996 Group Stage.

They have had some memorable fixtures against each other since then including a Play Off to reach Euro 2000 which was narrowly won by England despite a 0-1 defeat to Scotland at Wembley Stadium in the Second Leg. The last meetings came in the 2018 World Cup Qualifiers and it was England who took four points from Scotland which included a routine win over them at Wembley Stadium.

Games like this can see the form guide thrown out of the window, but there is some pressure on Scotland after losing 0-2 to the Czech Republic.

Most fans would tell you that it would not be a huge surprise if Scotland win this game, but were then beaten by Croatia and Knocked Out of the Euro 2020 Finals. Valiant exits have been part and parcel of Scotland in major international tournaments in the past, but they are going to need to be much better in this one if they are going to improve on the result against the Czech Republic.

Scotland were far from poor on the day, but finishing let them down and they can't afford to do that against this England team.

England were comfortable and deserved winners against Croatia and another home game will give them confidence. They have won plenty on home soil since the World Cup and the likes of Wales and the Republic of Ireland have been dismissed in friendly games too as Gareth Southgate has found a decent balance between defence and attack.

You do have to think Scotland will put in a huge effort to dent the Auld Enemy, but the quality is with England and the squad has enough depth to find another win for the home team. Scotland have not been the best travellers, but Steve Clarke will look for his team to be organised and try to frustrate England.

It may work, but you would worry for Scotland if they fall behind in the first half and I do think England will be a touch too good for them. They met at Euro 1996 and seven matches beginning with that one has seen England win four by two or more goals.

After looking pretty good going forward against Croatia and finding a couple of really nice positions, England can follow up by doing the same against Scotland.

I expect better from the Scots in the final third, but they may still come up short and England can put a good looking win on the board as they move into the Last 16.

Saturday 19th June

Hungary vs France Pick: Both of these teams played on Tuesday, although Hungary may have a slight edge being at home while France have to travel from Munich to Budapest.

That shouldn't really make a big difference to the World Champions who will have seen the kind of chances that Portugal were able to create against Hungary. Late goals were needed, but Portugal were more than deserved winners and The Magyars will know it is a big test for them in this Group considering the strength of the opponents in front of them.

It was wonderful to see a full, passionate crowd in Budapest and I expect another vibrant atmosphere which will give the Hungary players a push. However, Marco Rossi has to find a way for his team to do more than defend deep and the pressure is on for a result after the heavy defeat to Portugal put Hungary on the back foot.

Opening up against the World Champions is a recipe for disaster and only a couple of tight offside calls prevented France from really taking Germany to the cleaners. In general it was a tight fixture with very little between them, but the late goals that were chalked off would have made a big statement for France.

Despite that, most of Europe should have taken notice of France winning in Munich and there is no doubt that topping this Group offers an 'easier' route to the Final. Avoiding England in the Last 16 would be important and so Didier Deschamps will be looking for his team to back up their victory over Germany with another here.

France are solid defensively, but he will want his team to be more dominant in attacking areas against this Hungary team. I think that will be the case for a team that has won 9 away competitive fixtures in succession and even a couple of rotations should not mean a really good looking French team takes to the field.

They can be a team that plays up and down to the level of competition and France have not been one that presses to finish teams off. Breaking down Hungary early is the key for France, but I think they will be very hard to stop if they get their noses in front.

Hungary will be well backed from the stands, but they looked pretty average in their loss to Portugal which could have been decided much earlier than it was. If they do push a little more forward in this one, I think France will be able to pick them off and there is enough quality in the squad to see them win by a couple of goals on the day.

Portugal vs Germany Pick: These two nations will meet in another big Euro 2020 Group Stage fixture on Saturday and there will be differing feelings going into the second round of games.

Portugal were comfortable winners over Hungary and only poor finishing meant they had to wait until the 84th minute to make the breakthrough before late goals completed the win.

On the other side, Germany were a little unfortunate to lose 0-1 to France as poor finishing let them down. The pressure is on the hosts who know they need some kind of positive result to give themselves a chance of progressing to the Last 16 of the Tournament.

3 points were enough for teams to Qualify for the Last 16 at Euro 2020, but Germany will likely be targeting at least four points from their remaining two Group games. Hosting those gives them every chance, but Germany have lost their last 2 competitive games that they have hosted and scoring goals has been something of an issue for this team.

I think Fernando Santos will take a pragmatic approach to the fixture and that means Portugal looking to contain their hosts and try and hit them on the break. There is enough talent and pace to think that is a workable approach for Portugal who beat Sweden and Croatia away from home in the Nations League Group last year, while also earning a tight draw with France.

Portugal did score three goals in Budapest, but in the last two major international tournament Finals, the side have scored six goals in two Group games and a total of three goals in the other four. I think the approach will be one where they won't want to overcommit in this fixture, unless chasing the game of course, and instead will be focused on the defensive shape to prevent Germany taking control.

Germany are a capable attacking unit, but they do look vulnerable at the back.

That may open this fixture up with an early goal, but the feeling is that this will be similar to the game we saw on Tuesday in Munich. Both teams will give it a go, but there may also be a resistance to overcommitting and it could lead to a game with few chances.

While an early goal may really open things up as I have said, I do think Portugal are a team that force opponents to play their style of game and that suggests this will be a tight fixture. They would likely take a point if offered to them now, while Germany might also feel a point is not the worst result with Hungary at home to come next week.

Germany have dominated Portugal in recent meetings with 4 straight wins over them at Tournaments between 2006 and 2014. They are not the team they were and Portugal look stronger, but picking a winner looks difficult.

No matter the result I will be surprised if this is a massively open game and it may be a fixture with two or fewer goals shared out on the day.

Spain vs Poland Pick: Poor finishing proved costly for Spain in their opening Group game against Sweden and the locals were far from impressed by what they had seen. Alvaro Morata was the guiltiest of the attacking players, but others can't be too happy with their own performances and there is some pressure on Spain.

Winning the Group is quite important with the way the draw has panned out and I do expect a better reaction from Spain. The football was largely pleasing, but they have to find an end product to their play.

Defensively there are some questions about Spain, but I expect them to be too strong for Poland who were surprisingly beaten 1-2 by Slovakia in their own opening fixture. A sending off in the second half proved an obstacle too far for Poland and the defeat puts them under immense pressure with a fixture against Sweden to come.

They need a result in all likelihood, but Poland are travelling from St Petersburg and they just look a little short all over the pitch bar Robert Lewandowski. Getting enough possession to feed their top player may be the challenge for Poland and this is a nation that has struggled when facing the top European teams.

You can't really trust Spain after their opening performance, one which has become quite common over the last few years since they were dominating international football.

However, Spain looked good enough for all but the final pass/shot and I think they are too good for the remaining teams in this Group. This is a big step up for Poland who largely disappointed in their first game and I think Spain will have enough to narrowly get the better of them here.

MY PICKS: Russia & Over 1 Total Goal @ 2.25 Bet365 (2 Units)

Turkey - 0.25 Asian Handicap @ 2.10 Bet365 (2 Units)

Italy & Under 3.5 Total Goals @ 2.05 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Ukraine & Over 1.5 Total Goals @ 2.15 Bet365 (2 Units)

Belgium - 0.25 Asian Handicap @ 1.75 Bet365 (2 Units)

Netherlands & Over 1.5 Total Goals @ 1.83 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Sweden & Under 5 Total Goals @ 1.95 Bet365 (2 Units)

Croatia - 0.25 Asian Handicap @ 1.88 Bet Victor (2 Units)

England - 1.25 Asian Handicap @ 1.83 Bet Victor (2 Units)

France - 1.5 Asian Handicap @ 1.98 Bet365 (2 Units)

Portugal-Germany Under 2.5 Goals @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Spain & Under 3.5 Total Goals @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)

Match Day 1: 7-5, + 3.10 Units (24 Units Staked, + 12.92% Yield)

ATP World Tour Finals Day 6 Tennis Picks 2020 (November 20th)

We have three of our four Semi Finalists at the last Tennis tournament of the difficult 2020 season- Dominic Thiem had already won the Group and Daniil Medvedev has done the same, but Rafael Nadal outlasted Stefanos Tsitsipas to work his way into the Knock Out Rounds.

On Saturday we will get to see Daniil Medvedev vs Rafael Nadal and I am assuming that is going to be played in the evening session at the O2 Arena considering the Russian player has been scheduled to go on Friday evening in his dead rubber Group match.

Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev have been given the opportunity to go out in the afternoon session as they look to secure their spot opposite Dominic Thiem in the other Semi Final.

In the coming days/weeks we should hear whether the players are going to be heading to the Australian Open as planned or whether Quarantine rules are unlikely to be relaxed. The ATP and WTA Tours had to make considerable changes to the 2020 calendar after the pandemic forced the suspension of tournaments from March through to August and any Quarantine issues in Australia could mean the first Grand Slam of the season is pushed back a week and encroaching on other tournaments.

A week delay should not have a really big impact on what players are looking to schedule for themselves, although it will be interesting to see where we all stand come February and March 2021.

Hopefully in a much more positive place than we are dealing with at the moment.

Novak Djokovic - 3.5 games v Alexander Zverev: Wins over Diego Sebastian Schwartzman and defeats to Daniil Medvedev have left Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev looking to secure their place in the Semi Final in this final Group match. The momentum may be with Zverev who won his last match two days ago on the same day Novak Djokovic was clearly second best and not looking like he was fully engaged in the match.

There is a motivation to win this tournament and join Roger Federer on six titles, but Djokovic is going to have to be a lot better than he was a couple of days ago. He went on a stretch of seven straight dropped games during the match and Djokovic admitted he can't afford to be doing that again when facing some of the top names on the Tour as the World Number 1 will be seeing in the Tour Finals.

Much is going to depend on what kind of intensity Novak Djokovic has during this match and he will be looking to recover against a player who beat him here in London at this tournament two years ago. Alexander Zverev was beaten in the Group Stage, but gained revenge over Djokovic in the Final and his win over Diego Sebastian Schwartzman will have given him some belief that he can move into the Knock Out Rounds again.

The numbers have been very similar through the first two matches with Novak Djokovic producing the slightly better serving and Alexander Zverev producing the slightly stronger returning. In something of a surprise, Djokovic only created a single break point in the defeat to Daniil Medvedev, but he should have better successes against the Zverev serve particularly if he can work his way into seeing a number of second serves which has been a big weakness of the young German.

Over the course of 2020 Novak Djokovic has been the stronger hard court player and he has won two of the three previous matches between these players on this surface. They are 1-1 at the World Tour Finals and the two matches were dominated by the eventual winner which does raise some questions here.

The Novak Djokovic performance on Wednesday is a real worry because anything similar will see him exit the World Tour Finals. However I do think he is going to be better in this one and the match up with Alexander Zverev may be one that feels a little more comfortable for the World Number 1 although it is going to be far from easy.

I don't want to read too much into the last performances of the players even if it is a concern seeing Novak Djokovic as lifeless as he seemed to be. Without fans in the Arena I do think it can be easy for matches to go flat for the losing player, especially at the end of a long season, and that may see one of these players fall away.

My feeling is that Novak Djokovic has more ways to win the match than Alexander Zverev who will have to serve very well to keep the World Number 1 on the back-foot. I think that may separate the two on the day and Djokovic has won three of the last four between these players and all of those wins have come relatively easily.

The World Number 1 has the edge on the numbers in the head to head by a healthy margin too and I will look for Djokovic to cover here.

Daniil Medvedev - 4.5 games v Diego Sebastian Schwartzman: Beating Alexander Zverev and Novak Djokovic has given Daniil Medvedev a place in the World Tour Finals Semi Final for the first time and as Group Winner no less. He has to complete the third of the matches scheduled when he takes on Diego Sebastian Schwartzman on Friday evening in what is a dead rubber considering his opponent has lost both matches in his debut season in the tournament.

Daniil Medvedev will know all about how Diego Sebastian Schwartzman is feeling after going through the same in his debut season in the World Tour Finals in 2019. He was perhaps a little more unfortunate than Schwartzman though who has looked unsettled in the tournament and has not really been able to find his best tennis on the indoor hard courts.

The two losses suffered by Diego Sebastian Schwartzman this week have been fairly one-sided and it was only saving a couple of break points late in the match against Alexander Zverev that helped him cover the handicap mark in that one. It only delayed the inevitable, but I think Medvedev is going to be more focused to make sure he is ready to get through this match as quickly as possible.

Having a dead rubber is difficult to read and we have already seen one player lose focus with a place in the next Round secured. Dominic Thiem was beaten easily in his dead rubber on Thursday, but Daniil Medvedev won't have forgotten losing all three Group matches last year and will be looking to make complete amends.

The one aspect which is different in these Group matches compared with usual Tennis tournaments is that this is a match in which Daniil Medvedev will play again in this tournament even if he loses. Will he really want to dig deep and waste energy with a Semi Final to come if he does fall behind?

That isn't an easy question to answer, but I feel Medvedev is going to want to keep the momentum going and he should be much fresher than Thiem having won both matches in straight sets and in relatively quick time. The Russian has also won all four matches against Schwartzman and the numbers show that Daniil Medvedev has dominated the head to head including beating him very easily in Paris earlier this month.

In this tournament the numbers are very much in favour of Medvedev too and I do have to worry about the fact that Diego Sebastian Schwartzman has only held in 59% of the service games played. With Daniil Medvedev creating a lot of pressure with his return, I do think he may end up rolling through this opponent and arguably go into the weekend as favourite to win the tournament.

MY PICKS: Novak Djokovic - 3.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Daniil Medvedev - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet Fred (2 Units)

ATP World Tour Finals Tennis Day 5 Picks 2020 (November 19th)

The last couple of days have been a little frustrating for the Tennis Picks from the World Tour Finals as both Andrey Rublev and Alexander Zverev have had points to win and cover, but both have failed to do that.

On the other loss in the last couple of days I have to say I was very surprised to see Novak Djokovic fall away as dramatically as he did against Daniil Medvedev, but the World Number 1 will have another chance on Friday. He will have to win that match against Alexander Zverev to avoid consecutive Group Stage exits at the World Tour Finals and it should be a very interesting match in a repeat of the 2018 Final.

Dominic Thiem - 1.5 games v Andrey Rublev: Qualification for the World Tour Finals Semi Finals has already been secured for Dominic Thiem who has recorded wins over Stefanos Tsitsipas and Rafael Nadal earlier this week. It does raise the question as to how much motivation he has to win this match and twelve months ago Dominic Thiem did win his first two matches in the Group against Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer only to lose his third match.

That came against winless Matteo Berrettini who has a big game and now he has to take on winless Andrey Rublev who was knocked out of the tournament on Tuesday. The young Russian player came from a set down to lead the match in the tie-breaker, but Rublev was not able to convert his Match Point and ended up a narrow, but deserving loser in his match against Stefanos Tsitsipas.

He did play much better in that match compared with the one against Rafael Nadal, but Andrey Rublev may have begun to look forward to the off-season having put in such hard work on the indoor hard courts over the last month. Andrey Rublev had won a lot of matches, but he has admitted that he has not always felt his best when playing the top names on the Tour and it may be a case of improving the mental aspect of his level rather than the capabilities on the court.

In this tournament Andrey Rublev has been really let down by his return of serve having won less than 25% of the points played on the return so far. He has faced at least five break points in both matches, but Andrey Rublev has only created a single break point in his two matches and that could be a real problem for him in this match if Dominic Thiem is serving as he has done in London.

Dominic Thiem has held serve in 92% of games, but he will need to improve his own returning numbers if he is going to win this tournament. He has only broken once in both matches played so far, and that will give Andrey Rublev a chance in this one and especially when you think Thiem has spent a lot longer on the court than his opponent.

The two previous matches between these players on the hard courts have been competitive, although Andrey Rublev pulled away with a good looking win over Dominic Thiem in Vienna last month. That has to give Rublev some confidence, but I have a feeling he is going to go the same way as Daniil Medvedev last year who came into the World Tour Finals in strong form but was not physically ready and lost all three matches in the tournament.

I would not be surprised if there is a tie-breaker in the first set considering how these two have been returning, but my edge is with Dominic Thiem. The match could quickly disappear for the loser of the first set as both players may have other things on their mind, but my feeling is that Dominic Thiem will earn revenge for the loss to Andrey Rublev at home and find the big points going his way to win the match.

Rafael Nadal - 2.5 games v Stefanos Tsitsipas: Both players have earned a win over Andrey Rublev and been beaten very narrowly by Dominic Thiem, but that makes things very simple for both Rafael Nadal and Stefanos Tsitsipas.

The winner will be competing in the Semi Final on Saturday and the losing player will be taking some time off before wondering whether they are going to be able to begin their 2021 season in Australia as is traditional.

It should be a really good match on Thursday evening, although I am leaning towards the former World Number 1 to get the better of it and progress at the expense of the defending Champion. That status means Stefanos Tsitsipas definitely needs to be given some respect, but it also should be noted that Rafael Nadal beat him here last year, although it was not a good enough result to help the Spaniard reach the Knock Out Rounds.

Instead his sets win-loss record was the worst of the three players that finished with four points and Nadal missed out. That won't be on his mind in this one with the simple permutation making it much easier for Rafael Nadal, although Stefanos Tsitsipas is playing well enough to believe he can cause problems.

The two players are both relying heavily on their serve with Nadal holding in 95% of service games played and Tsitsipas holding in 92% of service games played. However it is Nadal who has a slight edge when it comes to the return and I am expecting that to be the difference between the players on the day.

In their previous six matches Rafael Nadal has held 90% of his service games played against Stefanos Tsitsipas and that number becomes 97% when considering their three hard court matches alone. Last year Nadal didn't even face a break point in his win over this opponent and he has to be confident his serve will hold up here on the form shown over the last few days.

The Stefanos Tsitsipas numbers have not been as strong against Rafael Nadal as the other way around with 72% of his service games being held in their three hard court matches. He has faced twenty-six break points in those matches, including nine here last year, and I do think Stefanos Tsistipas is more likely to make some mistakes or see Rafael Nadal inspired to play the tennis to get into a position to break serve.

I expect the match to have some drama with as much on the line as there is for both, but Rafael Nadal should have the edge and I think he comes through with a win and a cover.

MY PICKS: Dominic Thiem - 1.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Rafael Nadal - 2.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

ATP World Tour Finals Tennis Day 4 Picks 2020 (November 18th)

The O2 Arena does not feel right without the fans, but for a brief period of time you could have been forgiven for forgetting about that and concentrating on the really good tennis produced by Dominic Thiem and Rafael Nadal. It was the Austrian who not only came out on top, but Qualified for the Semi Final, and the US Open Champion must be feeling good about his chances of going one better than last year.

Rafael Nadal made some late mistakes which proved to be costly on the day, but he has to be pretty happy with where his game is at as he will look to confirm his place in the final four with a win on Friday.

The run of winners from the tournament came to an end on Tuesday with Andrey Rublev missing out on Match Point in his three set loss to Stefanos Tsitsipas, That has ended the Russian's hopes of progressing in London, but it has been a strong season and one to build on next year.

On Wednesday Group Tokyo 1970 will see the second Round Robin matches completed and it is another day where we could see one player exit and one player move into the Semi Final to be played on Saturday. Both matches bring intrigue onto the court and my Picks from those can be read below.

Alexander Zverev - 4.5 games v Diego Sebastian Schwartzman: Both of these players were pretty comfortably beaten on Monday which has put the pressure on both Alexander Zverev and Diego Sebastian Schwartzman when they take to the O2 Arena court for the second time this week. Straight set defeats can be devastating in the Group Stage and likely means the winner of this one is going to have to do the same again on Friday to progress to the Semi Final.

The 'easier' path looks to be with Diego Sebastian Schwartzman who was beaten by World Number 1 and ATP World Tour Finals favourite Novak Djokovic in his first match. He will feel there is more of an opportunity against Zverev and then Daniil Medvedev, while the German is likely going to have to beat Djokovic in his last match.

It will all be for nought to worry about permutations at this stage of the Group and the sole focus has to be on winning this match and then seeing where that player stands on Friday morning.

You do have to like the chances of Alexander Zverev to bounce back as he continues to try and focus on his tennis rather than the problematic issues he is having off the court. He was in good form heading into the World Tour Finals and even the defeat to Medvedev should not have knocked the confidence too much for Zverev who has had some very big wins on this court over the past few years.

With that in mind I am sure Alexander Zverev still feels there is an opportunity for him to reach the Semi Final this week and his performances on the indoor hard courts should be too much for Diego Sebastian Schwartzman. I have to really respect the kind of level that the latter has found on the Tour and even to reach this tournament is a huge achievement for Schwartzman, but the surface and the conditions do not favour him.

He wasn't in great form in the matches played on the indoor hard courts prior to the World Tour Finals and I mentioned that Diego Sebastian Schwartzman has struggled against the elite players on this surface before his loss to Novak Djokovic on Monday.

These two players might be at 2-2 in the head to head, but it would be foolish to ignore the fact that Alexander Zverev has won both of their matches on the indoor hard courts including in the Cologne Final last month. Those two wins have been very one-sided and Zverev has not dropped serve in either, while also breaking at least three times.

He did not serve well in his defeat to Daniil Medvedev, but Alexander Zverev should be much happier with this match up and I think the German will win. You can guarantee Diego Sebastian Schwartzman will put up a fight, but his own serve is very attackable on this surface and I will look for Alexander Zverev to cover this handicap mark.

Novak Djokovic-Daniil Medvedev over 22.5 games: The 'Big Three' may still be the players to beat on the ATP Tour, but there are some up and coming players who are looking to break that dominance and look capable of doing that in the years ahead. One of those is Daniil Medvedev who looks to have all the tools to become a Grand Slam Champion on the hard courts and who has already surpassed his first appearance at the World Tour Finals by winning his opening match on Monday.

Now the young Russian player gets ready to take on World Number 1 Novak Djokovic who will be desperate to win this tournament for a sixth time. While impressing in his opening win, Novak Djokovic will be the first to admit that the two remaining matches are expected to be much more difficult than the one he has faced already.

Previous matches against Daniil Medvedev have been very competitive and there is no doubting Medvedev's confidence having won the Paris Masters in the lead up to the World Tour Finals. Novak Djokovic was not involved in that tournament, but he has only played four matches since being hammered in the French Open Final by Rafael Nadal and I do think that this is a considerable step up from the previous four opponents.

He did snap a two match losing run to Daniil Medvedev when beating him back in January in the lead up to the Australian Open. However it was the third time in a row a best of three set match between Medvedev and Novak Djokovic has gone the distance and there is a feeling that this one will be no different.

In fact only one of their previous six matches has ended in straight sets and while the numbers suggest that Novak Djokovic has had the better of the play, their last two matches on the hard courts have shown how closely these two are matched. Both have needed three sets to separate these players and they have finished 1-1, but Novak Djokovic has a narrow advantage of holding 80% of his service games compared with 77% for Daniil Medvedev.

The World Number 1 does seem to protect his serve a little more than Daniil Medvedev, but there isn't much between them and it may come down to who is more clinical when the break point chances are made.

My personal feeling is that Novak Djokovic will edge to a victory here, but I am not sure it will be in straight sets. Even a tight two setter will suit me as I look for the total games line to be surpassed by two players who have tended to push each other to the limits.

MY PICKS: Alexander Zverev - 4.5 Games @ 1.95 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Novak Djokovic-Daniil Medvedev Over 22.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Fred (2 Units)

World Tour Finals: 4-2, + 3.64 Units (12 Units Staked, + 30.33% Yield)

ATP World Tour Finals Tennis Day 3 Picks 2020 (November 17th)

The ATP World Tour Finals is fully underway now with both Groups completing the first of the three Round Robin matches to be played to determine the Semi Final spots.

Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev got the job done for the selections on Day 2 at the tournament as both came through relatively comfortably. They meet each other on Wednesday while Diego Sebastian Schwartzman and Alexander Zverev will try and keep their tournaments alive.

Before that Group London 2020 has a couple of Singles matches ready to go on Tuesday with the two victorious players and the two losing players from Sunday meeting. The players who have been out on the courts have suggested conditions are pretty quick inside the O2 Arena and that seems to be the case from the numbers as we get set for a couple of good looking matches.

Dominic Thiem + 2.5 games v Rafael Nadal: Both of these players managed to put a win on the board to open their ATP World Tour Finals Group and the winner on Tuesday will feel they are well on their way to securing a Semi Final spot.

By the end of the evening the winning player between Dominic Thiem and Rafael Nadal might have confirmed their spot in the final four, but neither will be thinking too far ahead. The main ambition for both Thiem and Nadal has to be winning this match and putting themselves in a very strong position to Qualify for the Semi Final, while the losing player may still believe they have enough in the tank to work their way past this match.

That is all for another day and this looks like being a really good and competitive match.

Rafael Nadal looked in very good form on Sunday when he dismissed a red hot Andrey Rublev in straight sets and did not face a break point on the day. That is a good reason he can go into this second match as a significant favourite, but Dominic Thiem showed resolve in his three set win over Stefanos Tsitsipas despite dropping the second set on the day.

It was a much tighter win for Thiem who could have easily come out on the wrong side of that match, but it is the kind of win that will give the US Open Champion real confidence. Dominic Thiem has not always played his best tennis at this time of the year, but the shortened 2020 season should mean he is much fresher this time around and in recent matches against Rafael Nadal he has done more than simply push the former World Number 1.

In fact it is Dominic Thiem who has won two of the last three matches between these players and the surface at the O2 Arena in London is one that may actually favour the Austrian. He might not have the best record here, but Rafael Nadal has not been able to produce his best at this time of the season and the indoor hard courts are not really the kind of surface the Spaniard would want to spend a lot of time on.

Rafael Nadal was very good on Sunday in his straight sets win over Andrey Rublev, but I do think the younger player was perhaps a little nervous in his first appearance at the World Tour Finals. That is not something Nadal can rely on here and both of the previous two matches played on the hard courts between these players have been very, very competitive.

It is Dominic Thiem who has had the edge in the two matches on the hard courts with slightly better return numbers, but those have been awfully close and it won't take much to swing this match one way or the other. I do think the US Open Champion can get the better of the French Open Champion in this match and that is largely because Dominic Thiem has shown a little better form on the indoor hard courts compared with Rafael Nadal.

I do think the Spaniard is highly motivated to win the World Tour Finals for the first time and that makes him dangerous, but this is a match up that Dominic Thiem has not been overawed by the longer he has spent time in the top 10 of the World Rankings. At the Australian Open back in January it was Thiem who came through in four sets and the three sets he won were on tie-breakers which shows he can handle the pressure that playing Rafael Nadal brings.

It would be a surprise if Dominic Thiem is not able to win a set in this second Group match and I think that will be enough for him to cover with this start on the game handicap market.

Andrey Rublev v Stefanos Tsitsipas: The defending Champion was beaten in his first match and Stefanos Tsitsipas could be playing for his future in the tournament on Tuesday evening. The same is true for Andrey Rublev and this looks like it has the makings of a really good match between two players who will believe they have more to offer than what they have shown in their opening one on Sunday.

The player who will really believe there is more to offer has to be Andrey Rublev who was perhaps a little nervous in his straight sets defeat to Rafael Nadal. It was certainly not what was expected from a player who had produced a 12-1 record since the end of the French Open and I am looking for a reaction from him.

On the other side of the net Stefanos Tsitsipas will believe he had the chances to win his opening match against Dominic Thiem and he is now in a tough position.

This is a match up that hasn't really worked in the manner that Tsitsipas would have hoped in the past, although he did snap his run of three losses in succession against Andrey Rublev when beating him in straight sets at the French Open. I do feel that the clay courts are more favourable for Tsitsipas but he has lost both hard court matches against Rublev who prefers the faster surfaces.

Andrey Rublev has played really well on the clay courts recently, but the consistency has been stronger on the hard courts and I do think he has the tools to win this one as the slight underdog. While the serve is pretty effective, Andrey Rublev also has a serious edge when it comes to the return of serve compared with Stefanos Tsitsipas on this surface and I think that is very important in matches where there is likely going to be very little between the players.

The win at the French Open will give Stefanos Tsitsipas confidence that he can beat a player he respects and who had won their previous matches on the Tour. However I do think the Greek player was fresher for that match and this one on a hard court might actually favour the underdog who has held 89% of service games played against Tsitsipas on the surface compared with the 82% mark for the higher Ranked player.

It might go the distance again, but in this one I do like Andrey Rublev's chances of earning the slight upset.

MY PICKS: Dominic Thiem + 2.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Andrey Rublev @ 2.10 Bet Victor (2 Units)

ATP World Tour Finals: 3-1, + 3.82 Units (8 Units Staked, + 47.75% Yield)