Australian Open Tennis Day 5 Picks 2026 (Thursday 22nd January)

Six selections were made on Day 4 of the Australian Open and five of them returned as winners.

This can only be seen as a positive, but there is still a touch of frustration that Alexander Zverev was not able to make it a clean sweep having broken in the fourth set and twice had 15-40 positions on the Alexandre Muller serve.

Most irritating is that at least one of those Break/Match Points were saved through sheer luck on the part of the Frenchman, but Zverev will just be glad to be through and it would have stung much more if four of the other five selections had already returned on the wrong side.

Two strong days in four have really helped the Tennis Pick numbers, but this is a tournament that still has plenty of days remaining and nothing is decided about the final outcome after four of the fifteen days have been completed.

Day 5 is looking like being the busiest of the tournament so far with seven selections set to go and those can be seen below.

Ben Shelton - 6.5 games v Dane Sweeny: Losing confidence on a tennis court can see a career spiral and that is certainly what happened to Dane Sweeny.

The 24 year old Australian had slipped well outside the top 500 and that has meant scrambling and fighting to get back into a position, such as the one he enjoyed on Tuesday when upsetting veteran Gael Monfils in the First Round at his home Grand Slam.

This is the first time Dane Sweeny has won a main draw match at a Grand Slam, while credit has to be given to the player for first battling through Qualifying.

Winning matches has rebuilt the confidence, even if those were mainly on the lower circuit compared with the ATP Tour, and Dane Sweeny is going to be playing with a new career-high World Ranking at the end of this tournament. This should help in his bid to perhaps earn the right to play in bigger events, which in turn will help Sweeny improve the Ranking further, and there is nothing to lose ahead of this very tough Second Round match.

His opponent has played thirteen Grand Slam tournaments and Ben Shelton has made the Quarter Final four times, while two of the three previous appearances at the Australian Open have been very productive. On debut Shelton made the Quarter Final in 2023 and he was a Semi Finalist twelve months ago, while the American is looking a little better on the court having struggled for form after being forced to retire mid-match at the US Open back in September.

You know what to expect from Shelton- he has a monster serve and he will be looking to use that shot to keep the pressure on his inexperienced opponent, especially having seen Reilly Opelka do that against Dane Sweeny to very good effect earlier this month.

However, taking the next step in his career and winning a Major will depend on whether Ben Shelton can improve what is a vulnerable return game.

This is the kind of match in which Ben Shelton can perhaps exert his dominance a little more having broken in 30% of return games when playing those Ranked outside the top 100 compared with his overall 18% mark.

Dane Sweeny gave up 8 Break Points in the defeat to Reilly Opelka in a best of three set format and he may struggle to contain Ben Shelton, who will appreciate the atmosphere that will likely be generated by the home crowd.

A solid First Round win is expected to be backed up by Ben Shelton and he may just have too much know-how for the home player as he makes his way through to the Third Round.

Denis Shapovalov - 1.5 sets v Marin Cilic: Two former top ten Ranked players meet in the Second Round at the Australian Open after coming through opening matches with something to spare.

These days Denis Shapovalov is trying his best to get back into the top 20, while the veteran Marin Cilic is 37 years old and the World Number 70.

Marin Cilic is also a former US Open Champion and a beaten Finalist both at Wimbledon and right here at the Australian Open. He has reached the Fourth Round three times since the Final, but Marin Cilic has been dealing with injury in the latter part of his career and he had missed two of the last three Australian Open tournaments and had suffered a First Round defeat in the other.

He did not drop a game in the first two sets against Daniel Altmaier, but Marin Cilic has to expect this to be a much tougher match.

Prior to that victory, Marin Cilic had played ten matches against top 50 Ranked opponents on the hard courts over the last twelve months and had been beaten eight times. His numbers remain poor against the better players on the Tour, especially on this surface, and that is going to be a tough bridge to gap, even against someone who has been a little inconsistent as Denis Shapovalov has been.

The main reason Denis Shapovalov has been able to avoid slipping too far behind the top 20 in the World Rankings has been a solid year on the hard courts.

One of the main areas of improvement that were needed was on the return of serve and he showed some of that last season, while Denis Shapovalov has also made sure he has not been beaten too many times in matches that he should win.

In the last twelve months, the Canadian has won seventeen of twenty hard court matches played against opponents Ranked outside the top 50- his return numbers have been impressive in those matches and that may be the difference for Denis Shapovalov against this veteran.

They have not faced one another since August 2020 on the hard courts, but Denis Shapovalov won the last three between himself and Marin Cilic on this surface. He will have plenty of respect for the opponent standing across the net, but Shapovalov should be the stronger player at this stage of the respective careers and can find the tennis needed to secure passage in three or four sets.

Karen Khachanov - 4.5 games v Nishesh Basavareddy: This is a repeat of a First Round match from the US Open in August 2025 and it would be a surprise if Karen Khachanov is not able to frank that victory with another over Qualifier Nishesh Basavareddy.

The latter has already been a part of a viral moment at the 2026 Australian Open- during Qualifiers, his opponent celebrated after reaching 7 points in a final set tie-breaker, but had forgotten that it was a 'Super Tie-Breaker' and first to reach 10 points.

It clearly inspired Nishesh Basavareddy who fought back for the victory and made the 'choke' celebration when the win was confirmed.

Coming through three Qualifying matches will have given the 20 year old American a lot of confidence and he then spent over four hours on the court to get the better of his First Round opponent. That was a victory over an Australian, which will also have given Basavareddy confidence, but none of the opponents beaten in Melbourne have been Ranked inside the top 100 and this time the American faces the World Number 18.

There was nothing wrong with the numbers being produced by Karen Khachanov on the hard courts in 2025, but the 15-15 record was disappointing.

He has not been beaten before the Third Round at the Australian Open since 2018 and Karen Khachanov has previously reached the Semi Final at this opening Grand Slam.

Karen Khachanov has lost his last two matches on the hard courts when facing someone Ranked outside the top 100, but the last twelve months has seen him win many of those matches in confident style.

When he played Nishesh Basavareddy in New York City, Karen Khachanov was winning around 10% more points behind serve compared with his younger opponent and he has to believe he still has the power to dominate at times.

There is a big gap to bridge and Nishesh Basavareddy lost all five matches on the hard courts against top 50 Ranked opponents over the last twelve months- in those, Basavareddy has held just 56% of service games played, while also struggling on the return, and you have to think that Karen Khachanov will eventually wear down the younger player in this best of five set format.

Jessica Pegula - 4.5 games v McCartney Kessler: Her family own the Buffalo Bills and some are wondering if that team have had their Super Bowl window close after the latest Playoff defeat- the question for Jessica Pegula is whether she can at least keep her Grand Slam window open a little longer at almost 32 years old.

The American is still the World Number 6, but it does feel like the WTA Tour has at least one or two players that will have too much for Jessica Pegula at the business end of the biggest events over the next few months.

A Semi Final run in the warm up to the Australian Open will have given Pegula some confidence and she was a strong winner in the First Round. It is important to keep something in the tank for later in the event and Jessica Pegula will feel pretty confident with the match up that has been presented to her in the next Round.

McCartney Kessler is a potentially dangerous opponent, and she is very comfortable on the hard courts, but she was beaten pretty comfortably against Madison Keys in the warm up to the Australian Open.

However, Kessler has shown that she can compete with the very best players on the Tour on the hard courts with her 4-6 record against top 20 players over the last twelve months to be respected. Six months ago she reached the top 30 for the first time and McCartney Kessler has a serve that can put opponents under significant pressure when she is feeling at her best.

There is room for improvement on the return of serve, and this Jessica Pegula serve is an underrated part of her game.

When these two players met in the Austin Final in February 2025, Jessica Pegula showed she had a bit more from her serve compared with McCartney Kessler and that may be the case when they meet again in Melbourne.

At 26 years old, it does feel like there is more to come from McCartney Kessler who has win overs Coco Gauff and Mirra Andreeva on the hard courts in 2025. That will earn her plenty of respect, but Pegula should have the experience to ride out some of the tougher moments within the match and ultimately come through with a solid win on the scoreboard.

MY PICKS: Ben Shelton - 6.5 Games @ 1.66 Bet365 (2 Units)

Denis Shapovalov - 1.5 Sets @ 2.30 Coral (2 Units)

Karen Khachanov - 4.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet365 (2 Units)

Jessica Pegula - 4.5 Games @ 1.80 Coral (2 Units)

Belinda Bencic - 5.5 Games @ 1.66 Bet365 (2 Units)

Anna Kalinskaya - 5.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

Amanda Anisimova - 4.5 Games @ 1.91 Coral (2 Units)

Australian Open Update: 12-5, + 10.48 Units (34 Units Staked, + 30.82% Yield)

Australian Open Tennis Day 11 Picks 2025 (Wednesday 22nd January)

If you ever forget about Novak Djokovic's greatness, there is always another match where he will make sure that all are reminded.

This time it was in the Australian Open Quarter Final as he came from a set down to beat Carlos Alcaraz and that despite obviously having some kind of injury issue to overcome.

The Spaniard will be hugely disappointed by his own performance, but Novak Djokovic battled as hard as he could to remain hopeful of winning a twenty-fifth Grand Slam at the Australian Open and moving clear of Margaret Court to hold the record all on his own.

You wouldn't put it past him, but the favourite remains Jannik Sinner who has a big Quarter Final on Day 11 at the tournament.

Illness rather than injury forced Sinner to dig deep in his Fourth Round victory over Holger Rune, but he will be hoping to have recovered with a full day of rest.

The two Women's Quarter Finals scheduled for Day 11 look like they have been priced pretty well, but the two Tennis Picks will be from the two Men's matches scheduled and can be read below.

Ben Shelton-Lorenzo Sonego over 41.5 games: Big names and big matches have been played in the Australian Open Quarter Finals on Tuesday and Wednesday, but there are also some surprising players making their way into the last eight.

The Second Quarter of the Men's tournament has seen plenty of upsets over the first ten days of this Grand Slam and that means the highest Seed left is Ben Shelton, the World Number 20.

He is a significant favourite against Lorenzo Sonego, the World Number 55, who at 29 years old may not have too many better opportunities to reach the Semi Final of a Grand Slam. This is the first time that the Italian will be playing in a Grand Slam Quarter Final and that is where Ben Shelton has a big experience edge having reached this Round at the Australian Open in 2023 and later followed up with a Semi Final run at the US Open.

Ben Shelton is an improving player and the big challenge for him in the years ahead is to perhaps build up his return game to back up what is going to be a monster serve. That will especially be needed when facing the best players on the Tour at the business end of the Majors, but Ben Shelton feels he is mentally capable of hanging with just about anybody in these best of five set matches.

The serving has been exceptional at the tournament with 94% of games being held, but Ben Shelton's return continues to make matches tougher than they perhaps should have been. He has broken in just shy of 16% of return games played, and that has contributed to matches perhaps going on a bit longer than Ben Shelton would want them to go.

All of that should be tested by Lorenzo Sonego who has held 95% of his own service games through four wins, although the Italian is not as consistent with his serve as much as Ben Shelton.

However, Lorenzo Sonego has shown a bit more from his return game and that could be key in a match that is likely going to need tie-breakers to separate the players.

Overall both players are not at their best on the return and so there is going to be pressure to serve well, which gives Ben Shelton the edge.

They have met twice before on the Tour- Lorenzo Sonego won a Grand Slam match in four sets on the clay courts of Roland Garros, while Ben Shelton was able to earn the win in three sets at the Cincinnati Masters on the hard courts. Both players dominated on the serve in that match on the hard courts and the feeling is that this is a Quarter Final that will likely need four sets to separate the players with the narrow edge going with Ben Shelton.

If the match does go four, you have to believe the serving has been where it should be and that should see this total games line surpassed. Tie-breakers are likely going to be needed at least twice and the two players are capable of running through their service games to at least maintain energy.

Lorenzo Sonego has benefited from a very good draw so Ben Shelton is expected to win the match, but the Italian may just play a part in this Quarter Final and give the fans plenty of tennis to enjoy.

Jannik Sinner - 6.5 games v Alex De Minaur: The home crowd and the player across the net are going to be factors in this match, but the biggest as far as Jannik Sinner is concerned is whether a day of rest between the Fourth Round and this Quarter Final is enough time to shake off an illness.

He was clearly struggling during his Fourth Round win over Holger Rune and the defending Champion would almost certainly have withdrawn if this was not a Grand Slam tournament.

The fact is that Jannik Sinner was able to get himself together and he will have had considerable time to get himself ready for this match. It has been scheduled for the Night Session on the Rod Laver Arena so that is also a positive in terms of time to prepare for Jannik Sinner, but he is taking on a home player who is the last hope to see an Australian Champion at this year's Open.

Before May 2023, Alex De Minuar had only reached one Grand Slam Quarter Final, which is surprising for the World Number 8- things have changed now having reached the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open Quarter Finals over the last several months and matching that run at the Australian Open means De Minaur has reached this Round for the first time at his home Slam.

He has been playing at a very solid level in Melbourne, but Alex De Minaur has not faced an opponent inside the top 30 of the World Rankings and this is a significant step upwards.

To underline the point, Alex De Minuar has a 6-8 record against top 20 Ranked opponents over the last twelve months on the hard courts, while he has lost seven in a row on this surface when facing top 10 Ranked opponents. The Australian has seen his serve attacked by the best players on the Tour, while Alex De Minaur's style of tennis has been exploited with the consistency of those in the top 10 meaning they have been able to protect their serve against him.

Jannik Sinner has been no different with nine wins over Alex De Minaur and eight of those being earned on the hard courts.

It was Alex De Minaur who won the first set played between the players on the professional Tour on the hard courts (not including the Nxt Gen Finals which are sets played up to four games, not six). Since that tie-breaker success in Sofia, Jannik Sinner has won fifteen straight sets on the hard courts against Alex De Minaur and the latter has won more than four games within a set just twice in that run.

The World Number 1 has held almost 91% of his service games played against Alex De Minaur on the hard courts compared with a 63% mark for the latter.

The serve has been a mighty weapon for Jannik Sinner in his run to the Quarter Final in Melbourne and you have to give him a considerable edge as long as he is virtually over the illness that was bothering him on Day 9 at the tournament.

Alex De Minuar will be given a huge amount of support, but he was beaten pretty routinely by Alexander Zverev in the French Open Quarter Final and by Jack Draper in the US Open Quarter Final. The head to head match up with Jannik Sinner has certainly not been in his favour and the feeling is that the defending Champion will have too much strength for Alex De Minuar in front of the home fans.

MY PICKS: Ben Shelton-Lorenzo Sonego Over 41.5 Games @ 1.90 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Jannik Sinner - 6.5 Games @ 1.87 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Australian Open Update: 24-10, + 17.86 Units (65 Units Staked, + 27.48% Yield)

Australian Open Tennis Day 9 Picks 2024 (Monday 22nd January)

The first half of Quarter Final matches have been set after Day 8 at the Australian Open and it looks like being a potentially strong end to the tournament.

With the way the women's draw has fallen apart, the potential Semi Final between Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka looks like being a title decider, while also meaning someone with little pre-tournament expectations could make it through to the Final.

The men's draw is really gearing up for a strong end and a couple of good looking Quarter Final matches have been set.

Unlike the women's draw, there are still plenty of top 15 Ranked players still hoping to win the Australian Open and we should be treated to some very good tennis.

Daniil Medvedev - 7.5 games v Nuno Borges: For the first time in the history of the Australian Open, a player from Portugal will be playing in the second week of the event.

All credit should be given to Nuno Borges for beating a couple of Seeded players in his three wins in the main draw, although the numbers suggest his win over Grigor Dimitrov was much tougher than the scoreboard would indicate. It is still a strong win for Borges considering the form that Dimitrov has put together this month and it should mean the player goes into this Fourth Round match with real confidence.

This is another step up in class against an opponent who has reached the Australian Open Final twice before and won a Grand Slam title in New York City.

We have seen arguably Daniil Medvedev's best performance in the Third Round win over Felix Auger-Aliassime and he should be much better rested heading into the second week.

Daniil Medvedev will feel there is still room for improvement in his service numbers in Melbourne, but he has been returning really well and that should help him exert some pressure on the lower Ranked opponent. In the last Round Nuno Borges actually faced 12 Break Points and created just 7 Break Points of his own, so Daniil Medvedev will believe he can get enough balls back in play to at least be in a position to break this serve.

This has been a good, strong tournament for Nuno Borges, but we had not seen any of the kind of tennis he is producing ahead of the Australian Open in the warm up events that were played. Both his serving numbers and returning numbers have been vastly better than what we have seen from Borges before the tournament began and it becomes a fair question to wonder how long he can sustain his current level.

Someone like Daniil Medvedev should be able to produce enough quality to really push Nuno Borges and the World Number 3 is quietly looking to peak as this tournament wears on.

Of course this is a big spread for any match taking place in the second week of a Grand Slam, but Nuno Borges has overachieved to get here. It can be dangerous to make an assumption, but a player who had a 4-9 record against top 100 Ranked opponents on the hard courts over the last twelve months before the Australian Open got underway is perhaps going to struggle to sustain his current level of performance.

The numebrs have been pretty average when those matches have been played and Daniil Medvedev can find the breaks of serve to win and cover.

Arthur Cazaux-Hubert Hurkacz over 40.5 games: Winning a title on the Challenger Tour has become a regular occurrence for young Frenchman Arthur Cazaux and he picked up another title in the warm up to the Australian Open. Confidence has been built thanks to the performances on the hard courts over the last twelve months, even if those have been on the Challenger Tour rather than main ATP Tour, and it has helped in taking Cazaux through to the second week at the Australian Open.

Remarkably Arthur Cazaux has been able to keep his level at a very high mark even when playing in the Australian Open with all three wins coming against opponents Ranked inside the top 33.

That makes those numbers really stand out and Arthur Cazaux backed up his upset of Holger Rune by crushing another Seed, Tallon Griekspoor, in the Third Round. He lost just seven games in that victory and Arthur Cazaux has held 94% of his service games played in the tournament so far.

Serving well is going to be key when going up against Hubert Hurkacz, another top 10 Ranked player standing in front of Arthur Cazaux.

Hubert Hurkacz is going under the radar somewhat, but he has looked good in the tournament and beat a Frenchman in the Third Round. Ugo Humbert was supposed to test the World Number 9, but Hubert Hurkacz was the better player and he has also been serving at a very strong level in Melbourne.

Much like his opponent, Hubert Hurkacz has held 93% of service games played and this feels like a match that could go pretty long if Arthur Cazaux continues to perform as he has done. Where Nuno Borges has not had the numbers to back up his wins, the Frenchman has and he will give Hubert Hurkacz something to think about with Tie-Breakers likely to be key to the outcome of the Fourth Round match.

My question would be how Arthur Cazaux is going to react if he loses the first set, something that has not happened to him in the tournament. It is less pressing on Hubert Hurkacz, who came from a set down to win his Third Round match, but you have to believe the Cazaux level continues and that should mean a tight, competitive match that goes at least four sets.

This should be enough to see both players put the serving together to cover this total number of games in the Fourth Round.

Alexander Zverev - 4.5 games v Cameron Norrie: There was a slight lapse in concentration in the middle of the second set, but it was Alexander Zverev's best performance at the Australian Open when moving through in straight sets in the Third Round. He dominated a young opponent, but this is expected to be a much tougher test for Alexander Zverev as he looks to reach the Quarter Final here for the first time since 2021.

A return from a long-term injury was the reason Alexander Zverev was beaten in the Second Round twelve months ago, but he is in a much stronger place in January 2024.

However, he will have to have plenty of respect for Cameron Norrie who is coming off a Grand Slam win which the British player rated right up near the top of the list of his best ever at the majors. He battled back from tough moments of his own to beat Casper Ruud, a former French Open and US Open Finalist, and that will have given the lefty a huge amount of belief in his game.

There were one or two injury concerns for Cameron Norrie ahead of the Australian Open, but he looks to be pretty strong right now. The win over Casper Ruud is clearly the best one either player in this Fourth Round have been able to produce in the Australian Open, while both Cameron Norrie and Alexander Zverev needed to come through in five sets in the Second Round to avoid an upset.

The numbers have been very similar between the players through the first three Rounds, although a narrow advantage has to be given to Cameron Norrie on the return of serve.

Over the last twelve months you would have to note that the returning numbers are quite similar between the players, but Alexander Zverev has had a considerable edge when it comes to the serve. While that has not been evident in the tournament, the longer look at the numbers suggest it may not be sustainable.

Alexander Zverev has also won the last four competitive matches played against Cameron Norrie and he has won all eight sets played in those matches too. All have been on the hard courts, including beat Cameron Norrie in Vienna at the back end of the 2023 season and this should give the German a mental edge to take into this Fourth Round match.

The numbers have been quite staggering in this four match winning run for Alexander Zverev- he has held 97% of his service games played compared with Cameron Norrie's 79% mark and that gives Zverev a clear edge in the match.

Those previous matches are not that relevant when you think the last two have been over a two year period, but Alexander Zverev is also someone who tends to get stronger as the Grand Slam moves into the second week. We saw signs of that in the Third Round, while Cameron Norrie has been playing at a steadier level and perhaps needs to improve much more than his higher Ranked opponent.

It is a wide spread, but Alexander Zverev may get Cameron Norrie thinking about his previous experiences against this opponent and that could see the World Number 6 pull clear by the end of the contest.

MY PICKS: Daniil Medvedev - 7.5 Games @ 1.75 Coral (2 Units)

Arthur Cazaux-Hubert Hurkacz Over 40.5 Games @ 1.87 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Alexander Zverev - 4.5 Games @ 1.75 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Jasmine Paolini @ 2.25 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Victoria Azarenka - 3.5 Games @ 1.66 Bet365 (2 Units)

Elina Svitolina - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Australian Open Update: 18-39, - 46.18 Units (114 Units Staked, - 40.51% Yield)

Australian Open Tennis Day 7 Picks 2023 (January 22nd)

We are into the second week at the Australian Open and the Third Round has proved to be very productive for the Tennis Picks.

A strong showing on Day 6 has put the Tennis Picks in a strong position to open 2023 and I am looking to keep the momentum going at the start of the Fourth Round.

Karen Khachanov - 1.5 sets v Yoshihito Nishioka: A place in the Quarter Finals of the tournament is on the line when Yoshihito Nishioka and Karen Khachanov meet on Day 7 at the Australian Open and this could be a pretty good match. The latter is more experienced at dealing with the emotions of playing in the second week of a Grand Slam, but Yoshihito Nishioka has been playing really well this week and holds a win over Karen Khachanov from their meeting in Washington last August.

The higher Ranked player will point to the comfortable win over Nishioka at this tournament, but that was a match played four years ago in the Second Round and the Japanese player is improve since then.

Regardless of that improvement, the numbers have stayed pretty steady on the hard courts and I do think he is going to have to raise his level in this match. Wins over three players that are not Ranked above Number 65 in the World means Yoshihito Nishioka may not be as battle tested as Karen Khachanov who upset Frances Tiafoe in four sets in the Third Round.

He is another steady player on the Tour, but Karen Khachanov has arguably underachieved on the hard courts considering the obvious talent he has. The serve is a huge weapon for him, but Karen Khachanov has improvement to make on the return of serve if he is going to push up the World Rankings and return to the top ten.

You have to believe Karen Khachanov is going to have better returning numbers in this match compared with his last two when he was winning around 37% of points played on the opponent's serve. That is a mark that is about where Khachanov operates each season, but Yoshihito Nishioka is not likely to blow anyone off the court behind his serve and that will be encouraging for the higher Ranked player.

Yoshihito Nishioka has a return of serve that can be very productive and he did put Karen Khachanov under pressure in the win when they met in Washington. However, it is Khachanov who has tended to find the breaks of serve when the opportunities are presented to him and I think he will be able to win this Fourth Round match in three or four sets.

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 3.5 games v Jannik Sinner: Rafael Nadal and Daniil Medvedev are out, while Novak Djokovic is still having hamstring troubles so there may be an opportunity for a new Grand Slam winner at the end of this Australian Open.

The winner of this Fourth Round match is certainly going to feel they are perhaps deserving of being installed as the favourite to win the event and both Stefanos Tsitsipas and Jannik Sinner have opened up 2023 in very strong form. Their performances in Melbourne have been really strong too, although Sinner did need to fight back from two sets down to see off Marton Fucsovics in the Third Round.

Even though he was pushed, Jannik Sinner eased through the final three sets that day and he has played really well. However, Stefanos Tsitsipas is unbeaten in 2023 and that will only give him more confidence, especially in the surroundings in Melbourne where a big Greek community have been very happy to come out and support Tsitsipas.

The serve is the big shot for Stefanos Tsitsipas and he will have to serve well in order to keep on top of Jannik Sinner.

That has been the case between these players in the past with Stefanos Tsitsipas winning four of the five professional matches, including the last three in a row. That includes a straight sets win over Jannik Sinner here at the Australian Open twelve months ago and Stefanos Tsitsipas has not dropped a set in any of the four victories over this opponent.

It should be noted that the majority of those matches have been played on the clay courts, a surface that Stefanos Tsitsipas has been very comfortable on. The one win on a hard court was here at the Australian Open and it was a day in which Tsitsipas was able to dominate and dictate behind the serve and he can do that in this Fourth Round match, despite the obvious improvement made by Jannik Sinner over the last year.

In saying that, Jannik Sinner does not have a top ten win on the hard courts in that time, while Stefanos Tsitsipas is 4-5 (three losses to Novak Djokovic).

I have said before that Stefanos Tsitsipas can be tough to trust in big matches with a return game that has plenty of room for improvement, but the Sinner serve can be vulnerable at times. He has held just 65% of his service games against top ten players in the last twelve months and that mark is only improved to 71% in his career against the elite on the ATP Tour.

This is going to be a really good match, but I think Stefanos Tsitsipas does enough to win the match and can cover this handicap mark.

MY PICKS: Karen Khachanov - 1.5 Sets @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Iga Swiatek - 4.5 Games @ 1.95 Coral (2 Units)

Coco Gauff - 4.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

Victoria Azarenka - 5.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Australian Open Update: 30-18, + 15.56 Units (96 Units Staked, + 16.21% Yield)

Australian Open Tennis Day 6 Picks 2022 (January 22nd)

The second week is fast approaching and the players who manage to work their way into the business end of the Australian Open will all feel they have a big chance to win a Grand Slam title.

It feels like the Men's tournament is a bit more of a closed shop in terms of genuine winners, but the Women's event remains wide open. Of course some will point to Ashleigh Barty has being the clear favourite, but the pressure will ramp up to win a home tournament and I do think many of the players will believe they are capable of winning a Slam considering the number of new faces that have picked up a major on this side of the Tour in recent years.

Naomi Osaka will not be one of those to add to the four Slams she has already won, but the tournaments are warming up nicely as the Third Round is completed on Saturday.

It has been a disappointing couple of days for the Tennis Picks, which is a blow after a very strong start to the Australian Open, but I am not going to get too downhearted by that. Ultimately things are still in a good position on the approach to the second week and that is the most important factor to consider.

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 7.5 games v Benoit Paire: An emotional Benoit Paire was interviewed after spending over three hours on court and needing four sets to earn his spot in the Third Round at the Australian Open. He was one of the players that faced a lot of criticism in the pandemic hit 2021 season when openly admitting he could not really raise himself for performing in front of empty stands.

You can't really blame Benoit Paire for feeling that way, but I think it was the way he would seemingly give up in matches when things were going wrong that rubbed people up the wrong way. The Frenchman has always been a player with a limited game on the hard courts, but his numbers dipped significantly in 2021 and he has dropped down to Number 56 in the World Rankings.

Getting up for this match should not be an issue for Benoit Paire with the Greek community always ready to come out and support Stefanos Tsitsipas when he is playing in Melbourne. This is a big match on a big court so I expect to see a full effort from Benoit Paire, although that should not make you lose focus on the hard court numbers which show a player that has a limited serve and who has been struggling on the return.

Stefanos Tsitsipas had a much tougher Second Round match than many may have expected, but that was largely down to playing some of the big points poorly. He created three times more break points than Sebastian Baez and I think this is a match up that Tsitsipas is going to enjoy as he looks to ease his way further into the draw.

Injury issues and some concerns about the form means Stefanos Tsitsipas has been able fly under the radar somewhat, but I think he will be happy with the results and will also feel there is more to come.

This is a very big spread for any player to cover once you start hitting this stage of the tournament, but Stefanos Tsitsipas has enjoyed playing Benoit Paire and has beaten him in three straight matches. That includes two wins over him in 2021, once on the hard courts and once on the clay, when Stefanos Tsitsipas only allowed Benoit Paire to win a total of seven games.

Benoit Paire won the first meeting between the players on the hard courts, but he has lost the last two against Stefanos Tsitsipas on this surface. The Frenchman has struggled on the serve with just 55% of points won and held in 62% of the service games played, while Stefanos Tsitsipas has marks of 66% and 80% respectively.

The two wins secured by Stefanos Tsitsipas have been very comfortable and I think he is likely to enjoy the tennis he is facing, which can go a long way in making him feel easy on the court. For a top player that comfort level could see them just move through the gears and I think Stefanos Tsitsipas will be able to do that against an opponent he has been very good at dispatching in their most recent meetings.

Alex De Minaur - 7.5 games v Pablo Andujar: In recent years there has been a steady progress being made by Alex De Minaur on the ATP Tour and he reached a career best World Ranking of Number 15 back in June 2021, but the last six months have been difficult for all Australian professional tennis players. With the restrictions around the borders, many decided they would not leave home, while others perhaps were not able to perform to their best with other things on the mind.

I have to believe the whole pandemic had a big impact on Alex De Minaur who has had a tough time since June and who is coming off an average year on the hard courts, especially for the standards he has set. The Australian summer has at least offered him the chance to get his career turned back around and Alex De Minaur will be looking to reach the second week in Melbourne for the first time.

It will also be important to help him reverse the current slip down the World Rankings which would mean he will be Unseeded in the Grand Slams coming up. That can see the problems mount up for players who begin to slip, but the two wins here will have given Alex De Minaur confidence and belief in his own game.

Alex De Minaur has won six sets in a row since dropping the opener of the tournament and his serve has been very effective in the small sample size of matches played so far in 2022. Maintaining that over the course of the season will be difficult, but it will certainly make the Australian believe he can do enough to overcome Pablo Andujar in the Third Round.

It has to be seen as a surprise to see Pablo Andujar in this Round of a Grand Slam played on the hard courts, but he did manage to do the same at the US Open last year. His two wins at Melbourne Park have been impressive enough, but this is the first player Pablo Andujar is going to face that is Ranked inside the top 74 of the World and that step up could be too much to bridge.

The clay courts are unsurprisingly the favourite surface for this Spaniard, while Pablo Andujar has a very vulnerable serve on the hard courts in recent years. Holding more than 71% of service games on this surface over the course of a season has been beyond him and the early numbers in 2022 are largely down to the quality of opponent he has faced.

That is not the case in the Third Round and I think there will be a lot of pressure on the Pablo Andujar serve, which in turn puts pressure on him to find the right returns. I think he will have some success against Alex De Minaur, but I am not sure it will be enough to stay with the home player who will have the crowd right behind him and eventually I expect Alex De Minaur to move clear for a good win.

The spread has to be respected, but I think Alex De Minaur has the quality of tennis to cover on these courts.

Andrey Rublev - 4.5 games v Marin Cilic: There have been one or two players that have impressed on the Men's side of the tournament at the Australian Open and one of those has to be Andrey Rublev. He did not play in a warm up event before the first Grand Slam of the season began, but Andrey Rublev has really enjoyed his time at Melbourne Park and his two wins have come in dominant fashion.

However, Andrey Rublev will be the first to expect the challenge to be much greater in the Third Round than he has faced in the first two Rounds with a match against a former Grand Slam Champion in front of him. The veteran Marin Cilic is not playing at the kind of level he once did, but January has been a positive month for the Croatian and confidence will not be an issue.

There has been a clear decline in his performances on the hard courts in 2019, 2020 and 2021, and even the performances this month may be something of a mirage as to how the rest of the season will go for Marin Cilic. In his eight matches so far in 2022, the highest Ranked player that Marin Cilic has played is World Number 29 and it is a big step up to face someone like Andrey Rublev who will feel he can consolidate his place in the top ten.

The Marin Cilic serve will always be a big weapon for him, although the Croatian held just 79% of games played on the hard courts in 2021. He has looked much better this season, but, again, you have to point out the level of competition and Andrey Rublev is a pretty good return player on the surface with an aggressive approach to this side of his game.

It is an approach that has worked well against this opponent in the past and Andrey Rublev has won four matches in a row against Marin Cilic. All of those wins have come on the hard courts too and Rublev has held 88% of service games played across those compared with Marin Cilic's 69% mark.

That is a huge edge for Andrey Rublev who has won eight of the nine sets played between these opponents on the hard courts and the two wins in 2021 over Marin Cilic came in strong fashion. I think he should have too much for the veteran in this one too and I think Andrey Rublev will be able to cover this spread on the way through to the second week.

MY PICKS: Stefanos Tsitsipas - 7.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Alex De Minaur - 7.5 Games @ 1.72 Coral (2 Units)

Andrey Rublev - 4.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Roberto Bautista Agut @ 1.80 Coral (2 Units)

Jannik Sinner - 7.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Danielle Collins - 1.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)

Elise Mertens - 4.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Simona Halep - 6.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Australian Open Update: 26-17, + 10.70 Units (86 Units Staked, + 12.44% Yield)

Australian Open Tennis Day 3 Picks 2020 (January 22nd)

I should really be coming in with a winning mark after the first couple of days at the Australian Open, but that has not been the case so far. One or two matches have just slipped away from winning positions, which is frustrating, but this is a long tournament.

The most obvious one was the Daniil Medvedev failure to cover having allowed Francis Tiafoe to recover one of the double breaks in the first set and then missing out on the cover by a single game despite dropping a set. He won't care as he makes his way through to the Second Round and the majority of the top names have managed to negotiate the First Round here, although there have been one or two upsets scattered around the draw.

There are still a couple of First Round matches to be played on Wednesday after a long day in Melbourne saw almost the entire Singles Round scheduled to be played. Those players yet to play might be disappointed with the schedule, especially as the weather conditions look a bit more difficult with wind perhaps an issue for those due to head out to the courts.

Rain is also around in the next couple of days which could put the tournament behind the schedule with Second Round matches perhaps being delayed through to Friday.

However in this thread I am focusing on Tennis Picks from Day 3 at the Australian Open and the Second Round matches from the top half of the Women's draw and the bottom half of the Men's draw.


Yoshihito Nishioka v Daniel Evans: I have to give Daniel Evans a lot of credit for the way he has bounced back from his ban for social drug use as he was not given a lot of help by tournaments to recover his World Ranking. A costly mistake looked to have come at a vital time in his career, but Evans went back to the Challenger level and used the confidence to return to the ATP Tour and reach a new career high World Ranking of Number 32 prior to the Australian Open beginning.

He almost gave himself no time to celebrate though as Evans found himself two sets down in the First Round as a big favourite, but he spent over three hours on court to turn things around and move into the Second Round. There is no way Daniel Evans can be as loose with his play for a second match in a row as he takes on Yoshihito Nishioka who has yet to fulfil the kind of potential many believe he has.

Injuries haven't helped the cause for Nishioka, but I am still surprised to see that he has yet to crack the top 50 in the World Rankings despite showing plenty of flashes of his talent. He came through in four sets in the First Round, although Nishioka's style of play is one that can give opponents a chance to get into rallies and so he can spend a lot longer on the court than he perhaps should.

Like Daniel Evans, Yoshihito Nishioka spent a lot of time on the court in the First Round and needed almost three hours to win his First Round match. The young Japanese player is now 3-1 on the hard courts against top 50 Ranked opponents in the 2020 season and he has held 83% of service games played in those matches.

Daniel Evans has been in fine form too with his sole losses coming against Grigor Dimitrov and Andrey Rublev, two players who have begun 2020 in good fashion. However he is holding 81% of service games played, and the real difference between the players is that Nishioka has been breaking in 35% of return games played when facing top 50 Ranked opponents and the British player is at 30% overall.

There really isn't much in those numbers, but Nishioka also holds a 2-0 head to head lead over Daniel Evans with both wins coming on the hard courts and one just last season. In those head to head matches, it is the Japanese player who has held 83% of service games played compared with Daniel Evans' mark of 60% and I do think Yoshihito Nishioka might match up well with the higher Ranked player.

He has the defensive skills to maintain rallies and Nishioka looks to get a little more out of the serve which makes the underdog look an appealing price in this Second Round match.


Roberto Bautista Agut - 7.5 games v Michael Mmoh: One of the key figures for Spain in their run to the Final of the ATP Cup was Roberto Bautista Agut who won all six matches there and did not drop a single set.

He continued that hot form in the opening match of the Australian Open when crushing compatriot Feliciano Lopez in straight sets and Roberto Bautista Agut has to be feeling pretty good about the tennis he has been producing. Over the last twelve months the serve has become a key source for success for the Spaniard and Roberto Bautista Agut has been making it very difficult to break his serve with the level he has produced so far in 2020.

The return of serve has always been a strength for Bautista Agut, but his levels have been even better than usual in the early parts of 2020. He has created a host of break points in the early matches played and Roberto Bautista Agut has been very strong on that side of his game which is going to hurt Michael Mmoh unless he can find an exceptional level.

The American is going to be comfortable on the hard courts and had a strong win in the First Round, but Michael Mmoh has struggled to turn his Challenger form into one that can be effective on the main Tour. His numbers are largely fairly average for even the Challenger level and so it is perhaps not a big surprise to see Mmoh outside the top 200 in the World Rankings.

Michael Mmoh has won sets at Grand Slam level before so he shouldn't be overwhelmed by the occasion, although winning a match at this level was a big step in his career. Taking the next one by knocking off one of the top players on the Tour might be asking too much, especially as Mmoh has found his serve being very vulnerable at this level with 62% of service games being held.

Now he has to take on someone who seems to have his eye firmly in on the return and Bautista Agut should be also be motivated to have some revenge on Michael Mmoh who does hold a win over him. On that day Mmoh was clinical with the break points that came his way in the narrow win over the Spaniard, but I am not sure that is going to happen again and so backing Roberto Bautista Agut to use his superior numbers to good enough effect to cover this mark looks to be the play.


Marin Cilic - 1.5 sets v Benoit Paire: 2019 proved to be a very difficult year for Marin Cilic as injuries took their toll on him and dropped him to Number 39 in the World Rankings. He will be looking for a big start to 2020 to try and improve that as soon as possible, and the straight sets win over Corentin Moutet in the First Round in Melbourne looks a strong result considering the Frenchman reached the Final in Doha.

Marin Cilic faces another in-form Frenchman in the Second Round when taking on Benoit Paire, although this will be a more familiar opponent than Moutet considering they are playing for the sixth time. Benoit Paire won a couple of matches at the ATP Cup and also reached the Final in Auckland to give him a very good start to 2020, although Paire needed to spend almost double the time on court in the First Round to win his match in five sets compared with Marin Cilic.

The limited sample of matches in 2020 shows Paire has been in good form, but he has long been an average player on the hard courts. There are flashes of quality from Benoit Paire and he can be very enjoyable to watch, but ultimately this is a player who has struggled to fulfil some of the expectation people had on him and I do think Cilic is a worthy favourite in the match.

The Cilic numbers were down across the board on the hard courts in 2019, but he does look to be in better form in the limited matches played in 2020. However all three wins have come against players Ranked 70 or lower and that does lessen some of the enthusiasm in picking him, although Cilic has matched up well with Benoit Paire in the past too.

In the previous five matches Marin Cilic has held 88% of the service games played against Benoit Paire compared with 72% for the Frenchman. Those numbers are ever so slightly tighter when only considering hard court matches between these players, and the performances of the two from the First Round has me favouring Marin Cilic to come through in three or four sets.

MY PICKS: Yoshihito Nishioka @ 2.30 Ladbrokes (2 Units)
Roberto Bautista Agut - 7.5 Games @ 1.75 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Marin Cilic - 1.5 Sets @ 1.72 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Elena Rybakina - 3.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Dayana Yastremska - 2.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Australian Open Update: 8-7, - 0.52 Units (30 Units Staked, - 1.73% Yield)

Midweek Football Picks and Fantasy Football 2020 (January 21-23)

This is the last really short turnaround in the Premier League this season and that limited gap between two rounds of Fantasy Football rounds can be massively unhelpful.

More on that later, but beforehand you can see my Picks from the latest round of games to be played.


Aston Villa v Watford Pick: When teams separated by a relegation side are meeting in any League it is going to be a big game and it is no different in the Premier League when Aston Villa in 18th place host Watford in 17th place. Games are beginning to run down now and so both teams will understand the importance of the fixture and a tense evening could be in the offing at Villa Park.

Tense is one thing, but neither Aston Villa nor Watford have to have a lot of belief in the way they have been defending to think they can sit in and perhaps play for a point. In all honesty a point is not the greatest result for either club who will see games like this one as very important to earn the three points that can begin to build a significant gap to the bottom three.

Aston Villa have been decent enough going forward even without Wesley to lead the line and they will feel they can get something from this Watford defence that has offered up one or two big chances per game.

However Watford have also looked a lot better going forward since Nigel Pearson took over as manager and an in-form Troy Deeney will feel he can bully Aston Villa much like he did in the home win over them at the end of December. It was Deeney's missed penalty that cost Watford the three points in the goalless draw with Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, but the overall performance was very good and keeping those levels up will make them hard to beat.

The visitors are actually the slight favourites here, but Aston Villa have won 5 of their last 9 games here in all competitions and played well enough at Brighton to deserve respect. It does feel like a fixture that could easily end up 2-1 either way and the chances that both teams have been creating and allowing in recent games makes backing over 2.5 goals look the play.


Bournemouth v Brighton Pick: All the signs are pointing to Bournemouth being a prime relegation contender, but one win on Tuesday will shift the entire mindset of this club. That is what makes this a difficult fixture to predict and especially more so when you think of how poorly Brighton have travelled for much of the season.

The Seagulls are also coming off a disappointing 1-1 home draw with Aston Villa and they are very much in the relegation dogfight too.

So while I can understand why Brighton are favourites, I don't think their away form makes them a team I would want to back. On the other hand Bournemouth look short of confidence and have been decimated by injuries which makes them unappealing and I do think there are better options out there this midweek.


Crystal Palace v Southampton Pick: Both Crystal Palace and Southampton have to be pretty happy with the way their seasons are shaping up in the Premier League and both will believe they can win a fixture like this one.

Both put in big efforts on Saturday as Crystal Palace fought back for a point at Manchester City at the same time as Southampton were blowing a 2-0 lead over Wolves in an eventual 2-3 home defeat.

The short turnaround is a concern and both managers have accepted this is the last really difficult moment of the seasons for them when the fixtures come thick and fast. Crystal Palace will have ten days off after this game and then will soon join the first ever Winter Break in the English top flight, but the injury list is a long one and Crystal Palace have been struggling to turn draws into wins.

At the same time they have been very difficult to beat so there is a challenge for the in-form Southampton team who had won 5 of 6 before their 2-3 loss to Wolves. The Saints have won 3 in a row away from home and they have been scoring plenty of goals in recent games on their travels which makes them an interesting favourite here.

Add in the fact that Southampton have won on their last 2 visits to Selhurst Park and I think the visitors will have their backers, but Crystal Palace won't roll over for them. Roy Hodgson's team are well set up, and they have found goals even through their injury crisis and 4 of their last 5 Premier League games have ended with both teams finding the net.

That happened the first time these teams met this season and I can see that being the outcome of this one too.


Everton v Newcastle United Pick: The 1-1 draw at West Ham United might not have been the perfect result for Everton, but this is a team that continues to create chances and produce a lot of shots on goal under Carlo Ancelotti. Some will point out back to back 1-0 home wins as a sign that Everton are doing things in a different way, but they have created a lot of chances in both games against Burnley and Brighton and only a lack of composure in the final third has prevented Everton from winning by wider margins.

They should continue to create chances against a Newcastle United team that put in a huge effort to see off Chelsea on Saturday. Steve Bruce is finally being respected by the fans and this is a team that has proven they can be a stubborn one to face whether you visit them or host them.

Wolves found that out as they had to settle for a 1-1 home draw with Newcastle United despite having the majority of chances on the day. A stubborn team like The Magpies can't be allowed to hang around and build confidence one they dig in so the onus is on Everton to take the game to them.

I do think Newcastle United can cause one or two problems of their own, but the short turn from Saturday to Tuesday does work against them. They put in a big effort against Chelsea and the squad is already plenty stretched and I think Everton can take advantage even if both Richarlison and Gylfi Sigurdsson are absent again.

Everton have a good recent home history against Newcastle United and I think they can beat them here. They've created enough chances to believe they can win in a game featuring two or more goals and that is the play even if the last two games here have both ended 1-0.


Sheffield United v Manchester City Pick: The Premier League title race might be over if we are being realistic, but Manchester City can't allow malaise to set in if they are going to have a big season over the next several months. Pep Guardiola has made it clear that he expects his team to keep performing and putting points on the board, and I do think there are going to be one or two players who are going to have to prove to the manager that they can be a part of the long-term project here.

This is far from an easy game for Manchester City who beat Sheffield United 2-0 at home last month, but in a fixture where the visitors had plenty of good chances of their own.

Sheffield United have bounced back in their last 3 games during which time they have won twice and they are a team who will look to play their football against this vulnerable Manchester City defence.

On the other hand it will be difficult to contain Manchester City too considering they have scored two or more goals in 8 away games in a row. This is a team who create a lot of chances, but who have been let down by their poor defensive record and I think that may show up in this one too.

Manchester City have only had 2 clean sheets in their last 12 away games and that should give the home team an opportunity. It is almost impossible to imagine Manchester City failing to score so backing both teams to score looks the way to go with this one.


Chelsea v Arsenal Pick: The big Premier League game on Tuesday evening comes from West London as two clubs who will still be hoping to finish in the Champions League places meet for the second time this season.

Arsenal will be looking for revenge having blown a 1-0 lead against Chelsea in the eventual 1-2 defeat last month at the Emirates Stadium. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's absence is a bitter blow for Arsenal who have created chances under Mikel Arteta, but who have continued to struggle defensively.

Those issues at the back can be exploited by Chelsea even if they have perhaps struggled for consistency in the final third. Frank Lampard has been frustrated by the missed chances his team have had in recent games and there is talk of reinforcements being brought in to aid what is a very young squad of players.

Tammy Abraham has shown he can lead the line for Chelsea, but he is being asked to play a lot of minutes and I think it would help if Lampard was convinced by his other options. Christian Pulisic is injured which means Chelsea are relying on players to find some consistency that have yet to show they are there yet.

However Chelsea do create chances and I think they will be able to do that against this Arsenal team. The first goal will be key for Chelsea to prevent them from being bogged down as has been the case in some games at Stamford Bridge this season.

Chelsea have won their last couple of games here and Arsenal have struggled to turn draws into wins away from home. The Gunners haven't lost too many games of late, but they have not been at their best as they are getting used to a new manager and system. Being without their biggest goal-threat is a real blow too and so backing Chelsea to win a game featuring two or more goals looks an appealing play.


Leicester City v West Ham United Pick: It is one thing for Leicester City to have lost a bit of form after what was a tremendous run a couple of months ago, but even then it is hard to believe they would lose games to Southampton and Burnley once they took the lead.

In both of those Premier League games Leicester City have scored the first goal, but both times they have been on the wrong end of a 2-1 defeat. The defeat at Turf Moor was largely down to the Jamie Vardy missed penalty while the teams were level at 1-1 in the second half, but the manager has to be frustrated with the slight loss of confidence which is leading to bad decisions.

Leicester City were the better team on Sunday, but failures in the final third coupled with some defensive mistakes means they have suffered consecutive losses. At least the teams below them have not really been able to take advantage so Leicester City remain firmly in control of one of the Champions League places on offer in the Premier League, but Brendan Rodgers will want to get the Premier League back on track before heading into two important Cup ties away from home.

They have struggled in recent home games with a single win in their last 5 at the King Power Stadium, but facing West Ham United should give Leicester City a chance to bounce back. The Foxes don't have a very good recent record against their visitors at home, but Leicester City will have noted the amount of chances West Ham United have continued to give up and I think they can exploit those.

David Moyes will accept his team are just short at the moment with key injuries hurting them, while he also will want to put a stamp on this squad during the upcoming Winter Break. The really busy period of the season is behind them which means Moyes can work on the system in training, but this game might come at the wrong time for that.

West Ham United have been in decent form under David Moyes, but this is a tough place to play. They might cause one or two problems for Leicester City considering the lack of confidence in the home ranks, but I believe Brendan Rodgers will get a reaction from his team who can't continue to be as loose in the final third as they have been in recent games.

The home team will likely need to score at least twice to win this fixture on current form and I think they can do that.


Tottenham Hotspur v Norwich City Pick: There has been some good play from Tottenham Hotspur in the final third in recent games, but the lack of clinical finishing has been hurting them in the last couple of fixtures.

A home loss to Liverpool and a goalless draw at Watford means Tottenham Hotspur have yet to score a League game since Harry Kane was ruled out until April. It will be a major concern for Jose Mourinho, although I am sure he is going to be pleased with the clean sheet earned against Watford thanks to a Troy Deeney penalty miss.

Jose Mourinho will be looking for his team to build on the point at Watford when they face bottom club Norwich City who have looked like a team destined for a return to the Championship. Daniel Farke's men did beat Bournemouth on Saturday which will give them a huge boost in confidence, but even then they are 6 points from safety and looking like a very weak away team.

Norwich City are one of the poorest teams I have seen visiting Old Trafford in some time and they were beaten 4-0 by Manchester United. They have lost 3 of their last 4 away games in the Premier League and I do think Tottenham Hotspur can get back to winning ways in the League for the first time since Boxing Day.

Backing the home team to cover the Asian Handicap is a little dangerous considering their lack of form, but I think Tottenham Hotspur should have too much for this Norwich City team. Defensively Spurs are struggling, but I think they will make better use of the chances they create in this one and I will back them to secure the three points with a relatively comfortable win.


Manchester United v Burnley Pick: This is a big moment for Manchester United as the tension builds around the club with the fans unhappy with the continued abuse of the way things are run. It is clear that this is a commercial juggernaut rather than one that is focused on winning on the field and the likes of the Glazer family and Ed Woodward are going to continue to hear voices of dissension.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wants the fans to get behind the team and not to become divided with the owners again, but the manager has some questions to answer especially after the injury suffered by Marcus Rashford. The decision to play him against Wolves looks negligent at best and it is going to cost Rashford the majority of the remainder of the campaign which should also hit Solskjaer hard.

Failing to get back into the Champions League will be a massive blow to the current manager and others have found their time ended at Old Trafford when missing what looks the most basic of asks.

Being without Rashford looks like it could prevent Manchester United doing that, but they have to bounce back on Wednesday when hosting Burnley who are off a big win on Sunday. Sean Dyche's men had a big second half reaction to come from behind and beat Leicester City, although they did need a Jamie Vardy missed penalty to edge to the important three points.

There are still concerns defensively and Burnley have allowed teams to create too many chances against them which can be exposed by Manchester United who have won 4 of their last 5 at Old Trafford. Again losing Rashford hurts, but there is enough attacking talent to get on top of a Burnley team who have been hammered at Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea over the last few weeks.

Burnley do have a decent record at Old Trafford in recent seasons with 3 draws in a row here- in fact Burnley have been leading 0-2 in each of their last two visits and Manchester United have scored injury time levellers on both occasions.

Manchester United will be vulnerable having had confidence dented in the defeat to Liverpool, but I think they can bounce back at home. They should create enough chances to win the game and it should be enough to cover the Asian Handicap as long as Manchester United can get their noses in front in this one.


Wolves v Liverpool Pick: The Premier League title race is all but over, although Jurgen Klopp will be looking for his side to try and secure that trophy in record time which will then give Liverpool a chance to attack the other Cup competitions they are involved in.

I hate to say it, but Liverpool can cement their place in history if they can defend their Champions League title in a season where they can match Manchester United's stunning efforts in 1999 when winning the real treble.

That has to be a focus of this group of players and Liverpool are showing little mercy to their floundering title challengers by continuing to rack up the wins. At times they have rode their luck, but earlier this season they were showing a sign of Champions by winning games when things were not breaking for them.

Both Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur did have some glaring openings against Liverpool without troubling the scoreboard and that has to be a slight concern for Jurgen Klopp. Wolves did the same when these teams met at Anfield last month and this is a team off a confidence boosting 2-3 win at Southampton as they recovered from 2-0 down.

Of course Nuno Espirito Santo will know this is a much tougher game for his Wolves team, but they are also about to enter a ten day break and that should mean all of the players give their all. Motivation won't be lacking as they look to become the first team to beat Liverpool this season and I do think the performance at Anfield is encouraging enough to believe Wolves can cause problems.

Keeping Liverpool out looks a long-shot though and the best play may be backing both teams to hit the back of the net in this one. If Anthony Martial showed more composure when through on goal, Manchester United would have done that and Tottenham Hotspur had at least two gilt-edged chances to score in their own loss to Liverpool earlier this month.

The 6 clean sheets in a row will be a boost for Liverpool, but both teams should have the chances to hit the back of the net on Thursday.

MY PICKS: Aston Villa-Watford Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.95 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Crystal Palace-Southampton Both Teams to Score @ 1.95 Bet365 (2 Units)
Everton & Over 1.5 Goals @ 1.95 Coral (2 Units)
Sheffield United-Manchester City Both Teams to Score @ 1.85 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Chelsea & Over 1.5 Goals @ 2.15 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Leicester City & Over 1.5 Goals @ 1.70 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Tottenham Hotspur - 1.25 Asian Handicap @ 1.94 Bet365 (2 Units)
Manchester United - 1.25 Asian Handicap @ 2.06 Bet365 (2 Units)
Wolves-Liverpool Both Teams to Score @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

January 2019/20: 2-6, - 8.78 Units (16 Units Staked, - 54.88% Yield)
December 2019/20: 16-14, - 0.58 Units (60 Units Staked, - 1% Yield)
November 2019/20: 9-16, - 12.66 Units (50 Units Staked, - 25.32% Yield)
October 2019/20: 16-14-2, + 6.14 Units (62 Units Staked, + 9.90% Yield)
September 2019/20: 13-9-1, + 8.82 Units (46 Units Staked, + 19.17% Yield)
August 2019/20: 14-17-2, - 8.78 Units (64 Units Staked, - 13.72% Yield)

Fantasy Football GameWeek 24

The first Double GameWeek of the season is ready to go for those of us who play Fantasy Football and the two teams who will be involved are Liverpool and West Ham United.

I had already begun preparation for that by bringing in Roberto Firmino to join Sadio Mane, and there will be plenty ready to use their Triple Captain card this week. I am not one of those with the week between games meaning there could be some rotations in the squad especially with a FA Cup game sandwiched in-between, although I do expect two largely strong teams to be picked.

Players like Trent Alexander-Arnold, Andrew Robertson and the front three will all be well backed I am sure, but I do think those could be rotated which makes the Triple Captain chip one I am going to keep in hand.

Unsurprisingly one of my two transfers this week are going to be used to bring in a third Liverpool player. The injury to Marcus Rashford means I can't bring in a second West Ham United player (I don't want a striker from their team considering the fixtures), but I had to change Rashford at the high value he is.

The player I have targeted for Rashford is Troy Deeney who has been in hot form for Watford, a team scoring plenty of goals for Nigel Pearson. He is on Penalties for his team and the next three games are favourable for the English striker and means I can shore up other areas of the squad in February.

The second choice might surprise as I have gone with Alisson to replace Paulo Gazzaniga- my thinking here is that I am going to have to spend a transfer to replace him by the time the next GameWeek rolls around and I want to make changes to the midfield options by then, while I also believe the Liverpool goalkeeper is about as secure a choice you can have along with Virgil Van Dijk in the backline for both Premier League games to be played.

Of course I am not overlooking how well the two full backs have played and how much of an attacking return they can offer as well as defensive points, but for the long-term health of my squad the replacement of Tottenham Hotspur's goalkeeper seems better especially with Hugo Lloris likely to return soon. It is a decision that leaves plenty in the bank to upgrade the likes of Pablo Fornals in the next GameWeek too.

My GameWeek 24 Team

Alisson- plays twice within this GW.

Serge Aurier- home game against Norwich City.

Harry Maguire- home game against Burnley, although potential of being partnered by Phil Jones is not very encouraging.

Caglar Soyuncu- another team playing at home as Leicester City host West Ham United.

Sadio Mane (C)- easy choice with two games to be played, although I held off activating the Triple Captain chip.

Kevin De Bruyne- a huge influence in the Manchester City midfield.

Jack Grealish- continues to be single handedly trying to pull Aston Villa out of the bottom three.

Pablo Fornals- doesn't seem to be in David Moyes' plans, but plays twice this GW.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin- home game against Newcastle United and scored twice against them earlier this season.

Troy Deeney- in form and also the Watford penalty taker.

Roberto Firmino- brought in a couple of weeks ago for this DGW.

Bench- Michael McGovern, James Ward-Prowse, John Lundstram, Federico Fernandez