Winmau World Masters Darts Day 3 Picks 2026 (Saturday 31st January)

If Mike de Dekker had aimed his dart a quarter of an inch to the right, Luke Littler would have been dumped out of the World Masters and the rest of the draw would have really felt a big opportunity had opened up to win the opening Ranking tournament of the 2026 season.

There is an intimidation factor around the World Number 1 for many, while you always feel the longer formats are so much tougher to get the better of Luke Littler.

Most of the big names have made it through to the Second Round and that means there will be plenty of players who will have the belief that they can win the title over the next couple of days. Of course Luke Littler will remain a big favourite until he is out of the event, but we are now moving into the best of seven Set format, although the best of three Legs to win a set means there are chances for upsets with a five or ten minute barrage.

The Second Round is going to be split over two Sessions before the Quarter Final matches are played on Sunday afternoon.

From there, the Semi Final and Final will be scheduled for the Sunday evening as the first Ranking title is handed out and the top eight names will then begin Premier League action next Thursday.

Double- Chris Dobey & Gary Anderson to win: The opening two Second Round matches should see both favourites through after strong performances in the First Round.

Chris Dobey played really well to beat Jermaine Wattimena and averaged just shy of 100.

He is not playing in the Premier League this season, which may not be a bad thing for Dobey, and he should have too much for Damon Heta.

The Australian ended the last calendar year in poor form and did not look himself at the World Championships last month. Getting the better of Michael van Gerwen will give Heta a lot of confidence, but the former did not have his best match and Damo is going to have be a lot better to move into the Quarter Final.

Doubling Chris Dobey with Gary Anderson is the call, even if the latter may still be seething about influencers as he was after his First Round win.

The performance on the oche was nothing to be angry about and Anderson had the better of James Wade when they met on the Tour last season.

You never want to dismiss someone who can dig in like Wade and the First Round performance from a player looking to prove the PDC wrong for leaving him out of the Premier League was very good. Again, James Wade will be under more pressure from the scoring power that Gary Anderson can put together and the former two-time World Champion can edge through.

Gerwyn Price to Win & Over 3.5 180s: Jonny Clayton is the Welsh Number 1 and the Runner Up from twelve months ago at the World Masters, but Gerwyn Price has gotten the better of his mate on the Tour over the last twelve months.

Both produced some very strong darts in the opening Round and there will be no doubt that another strong performance will be needed to move into the Sunday Quarter Final.

Eight straight wins have been produced by Gerwyn Price in this rivalry and he threw four maximums in his First Round win.

Both can be true again in this good looking Second Round match.

Danny Noppert to Win & Over 3.5 180s: He 'only' needed three maximums during the win over Daryl Gurney in the First Round, but Danny Noppert is going to have to win at least a couple more Legs in this and can move that total up to at least four.

He will need them to fend off Stephen Bunting for a second year in a row at the World Masters having beaten him 4-3 in the Quarter Finals twelve months ago.

That was a high quality match and both will be happy enough with the First Round wins on Friday.

Out of the two players, Danny Noppert will perhaps be feeling slightly better with his level and he has been the more consistent player, which can make the difference.

The heavy scoring that can be produced by Stephen Bunting makes him dangerous, but it is the Dutchman who has gotten the better of the recent TV meetings and he can do that again.

Luke Littler to Win & Over 5.5 180s: The power scoring of Ross Smith has to be respected and that has allowed him to push Luke Littler in previous meetings, while the First Round win and the manner he produced it will have given Smith a boost.

He was unexpectedly beaten very early at the World Championships, but Ross Smith is still inside the top 20 of the World Rankings and will be looking for a fast start to 2026.

Of course this is a huge challenge for anyone and Luke Littler was still hitting plenty of maximums even as he looked to be heading out of the tournament on Friday.

There is never really much doubt in his ability to pound the treble 20 and Littler should be able to get up to at least six in this match, which should have at least 10-12 Legs played.

He will need to find those big scores to keep the pressure on a heavy scorer in Ross Smith and Luke Littler should be able to come through in six sets.

MY PICKS: Chris Dobey & Gary Anderson to Win @ 2.25 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Gerwyn Price to Win & Over 3.5 180s @ 2.25 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Danny Noppert to Win & Over 3.5 180s @ 2.50 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Luke Littler to Win & Over 5.5 180s @ 1.95 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

World Masters Update: 2-4, - 0.61 Units (6 Units Staked, - 10.17% Yield)

Boxing Picks 2026- Teofimo Lopez vs Shakur Stevenson (Saturday 31st January)

More and more news is beginning to be released to the public about upcoming fight cards- this past week Zuffa Boxing placed another couple of events on the schedule, while Tyson Fury announced his long-expected comeback for April, although it was a surprise to hear the broadcast deal is with Netflix rather than DAZN.

This feels like another moment where the power of the Saudi influence in Boxing is moving away from supporting that site, which now has a number of Promoters as exclusive to DAZN, and instead focusing on supporting the new kids on the block.

It is common knowledge that Zuffa Boxing is being led by Dana White and TKO, but also that Turki Alalshikh has aligned with them as a minority owner of the new League. If the money is no longer interested in propping up DAZN or the Promoters that have previously been well backed by Alalshikh, you do have to wonder what the future holds.

In saying all that, none of the rival Promoters were too afraid of Zuffa 01- it was a pretty poor card, but the atmosphere and the look of the event was way below the expectations of Boxing fans, no matter what those paid to lead the broadcasting were saying. The criticism has been shared across the board between organisers, those who set up the venue and the commentators with Max Kellerman having to absorb plenty of shots about 'shilling' for his new employers, but this whole product look has not been lost on Dana White who said things will get better.

Something does not sit right with the moves being made by Zuffa Boxing, and there are plenty of articles out there laying out why not, but they look like they are here to stay right now and the other Promoters should just be a little cautious with plays being made behind the scenes.

Andy Cruz came up short in his World Title bid last week, but that means we have a new player in Raymond Muratalla who is likely going to move up in weight class with a signature win on the resume.

Big improvements will be needed from Callum Walsh, who did just enough for a second fight in a row and who failed to push the tempo against a veteran that had been Stopped before.

Despite Kellerman's proclamations, most real fans would have seen the performance for what it was and Walsh will do well to become the 'face' of this League unless really taking the next steps in his development.

There are a number of big cards lined up on the last weekend of January, although the main event of the Boxxer card had to be abandoned last week when Adam Azim suffered a late hand injury- this is a setback considering the lack of activity in recent months and his return will have to be pushed back into April or May, which is far from ideal.

Hopefully Boxxer are going to release a few more dates for upcoming main events, and we should be getting more news from Queensberry and Matchroom about April and May dates shortly.

And just before this thread was set to be posted, it was announced late on Friday night that we do have the Deontay Wilder vs Derek Chisora is now official, which looks a decent contest for both at their respective stages of their careers.

Teofimo Lopez vs Shakur Stevenson

There are plenty of World Champions and big Boxing names heading out to the ring this weekend, but make no mistake, all eyes are on the main event at Madison Square Garden.

A few years ago there was a real excitement that the likes of Gervonta Davis, Devin Haney, Ryan Garcia and Teofimo Lopez would make this a special era.

They were described as the 'Four Kings', much like the 1980s led by Sugar Ray Leonard, but it has been a disappointing period all things considered.

All four of those names have been in and around the World Title picture, but we have not had the multiple fights and rematches that were promised.

Out of the four names, Teofimo Lopez is perhaps the one that will feel most disappointed- that is not to say that he has not put together a solid career with some big wins on the resume, but he is the only that has not fought any of the other three names mentioned.

Things change on Saturday.

Shakur Stevenson was not amongst those names mentioned, but that is also because he started his professional career at a much lower weight class.

For a long time Stevenson has been spoken about as the best Boxer in America, although criticism of his style is that he has been so good that he has often coasted through fights.

He remains unbeaten and Shakur Stevenson is moving up another weight Division in order to really announce himself as the heir apparent to Terence Crawford and Floyd Mayweather Jr, while also becoming a top pick in the pound for pound debate.

Layers have a lot of respect for the skills- Stevenson does hit with more authority than his record suggests and is arguably the best defensive Boxer in the world too- and he is has been set as a significant favourite.

The overriding feeling is that Stevenson will showcase those skills and ultimately be able to bamboozle Teofimo Lopez, but there is a nagging doubt.

Teofimo Lopez has thrived when people don't believe in him and his best wins have been as an underdog.

That makes him dangerous, even if everything is pointing to a Shakur Stevenson win and that makes the fight 'must watch' even in the early hours of the morning in the United Kingdom.

You'd have to agree with the oddsmakers with Shakur Stevenson favourite and most likely to win on the cards, but this is a fight to simply sit back and watch as two stars look to elevate themselves even further.

It is a loaded undercard for the big event in New York City and there are a couple of other World Titles at stake outside of the main event.

Keyshawn Davis returns after embarrassingly missing weight the last time he was due out, but he has moved into the loaded Light-Welterweight Division and is expected to find a way past Jamaine Ortiz, who has been in with Vasyl Lomachenko and Teofimo Lopez and only been beaten on the cards.

Bruce Carrington has been upgraded to full Champion in the Featherweight Division and he should be able to get the better of veteran Carlos Castro- a late Stoppage cannot be ruled out, but the likelihood is that the American will find a way on the cards.

He may not be on the best spot on the card, but Jarrell Miller is back in action this weekend and once again is going to be pushing to get his career back on track- he has not fought in eighteen months and Miller was in line to face Fabio Wardley last year before the latter went on to win the WBO World Title.

Big Baby can match his nickname-sharing Jared Anderson in Stopping Kingsley Ibeh- it should be a fun Heavyweight fight, but Miller can wear down an opponent who has not really stepped up his level since that loss to Anderson.

An event that was supposed to be headlined by Adam Azim will go on in London on Saturday and one of the bouts that has been pushed up the card features a new signing made by Boxxer.

Light Heavyweight Gradus Kraus will be looking to impress and he should have the power to blitz past 32 year old Boris Crighton.

The latter was Stopped in Three Rounds last time out back in September and he may struggle to deal with the power of the young Dutchman.

There will be plenty of eyes on that card in London thanks to Boxxer's deal with the BBC meaning it is available to most households, but British fans will be much more interested in the event in Newcastle, which is going to have a World Title main event.

Josh Kelly is the home Challenger, but is facing Bakhram Murtazaliev who believes he has been avoided and that has contributed to a significant absence from the ring.

The IBF Light Middleweight World Champion was last seen crushing Tim Tszyu in Three Rounds back in October 2024 and had Stopped Jack Culcay in the previous fight to pick up the vacant Title.

He will come forward all day so the pressure is on Josh Kelly to be able to keep this fighter from overwhelming him.

No one will deny the obvious talent that Josh Kelly has, but there have long been questions about the stamina and whether he can maintain any punch resistance as the gas tank empties.

Everyone will remember what David Avanesyan was able to do to Josh Kelly and the Champion is likely going to accept losing some of the early Rounds as long as he able to get close enough to start putting a dent into the home favourite.

In all likelihood, that impact will really become apparent in the second half of this World Title fight against an opponent who showed plenty of signs of fatigue in his narrow win over Ismael Davis.

Josh Kelly has only had One Round since that win over Davis in September 2024 so can hardly point to having significant less ring rust to shift compared with the World Champion and he is going to have to be perfect for thirty-six minutes. We all saw how quickly things unravelled in the loss to Avanesyan and Bakhram Murtazaliev can force another Stoppage to retain his Belt.

The undercard should feature wins for Josh Padley and Elif Nur Turhan but the prices are pretty short on the likely outcomes of a Decision for the former and another Stoppage for the latter.

There are going to be plenty of eyes on the Kelly-Murtazaliev main event with some reports indicating Jaron Ennis could be next for the winner after negotiations with Vergil Ortiz Jr have seemingly stalled for now.

However, Ennis will not be the only one looking on.

In Puerto Rico, Xander Zayas and Abass Baraou will be Unifying their WBO and WBA Light Middleweight Titles and the winning fighter may be looking to move another step towards Undisputed by taking on the winner of that bout in Newcastle.

The home fighter is the favourite, but Baraou will give Xander Zayas plenty to think about and the expectation before the bout is that the younger, unbeaten fighter can come through on the cards after a fun battle.

There is a potential for Giovani Santillan to be the next opponent for the winner of the main event as he looks for a third win in a row since losing to Brian Norman Jr in a Welterweight World Title fight.

Giovani Santillan has won twice in a row since then, and is now moving up into the Light Middleweight Division against Courtney Pennington who has a 17-11-3 record.

Only four of those defeats have been in Stoppages and that will be the target for Santillan to grow some interest in him being the next contender to whoever holds two World Titles after the main event at the end of the night.

MY PICKS: Jarrell Miller to Win by KO/TKO/Disqualification @ 1.91 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Gradus Kraus to Win Between 1-4 @ 1.80 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Bakhram Murtazaliev to Win by KO/TKO/Disqualification @ 1.72 William Hill (2 Units)

Boxing 2026: 1-5, - 4.26 Units (10 Units Staked, - 42.60% Yield)

Australian Open Tennis Day 14 Pick- Women's Final 2026 (Saturday 31st January)

Don't misunderstand, I had been just as disappointed as most with the lack of drama at the opening Grand Slam of the season.

But then it was the turn of the men in the Semi Finals.

And boy, did Friday provide us everything that us fans were demanding and more.

Carlos Alcaraz came through in the longest Australian Open Semi Final on record with the match going three minutes shy of five and a half hours.

You'd have to worry about his fitness ahead of the Final, but the second Semi Final went well over four hours before Novak Djokovic found his way into yet another Grand Slam Final.

I will have more thoughts on that in the Day 15 thread as the Australian Open comes to a conclusion, but first we have what could be a 'blink and you miss it' Women's Final.

Two big hitters are not going to hang around in service games and it should be a decent contest between Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina as two players who will occupy the top three places in the World Rankings on Monday morning meet in the Melbourne showpiece on Saturday evening.

Elena Rybakina v Aryna Sabalenka: On the pure numbers, you have to consider Aryna Sabalenka not only the World Number 1, but the top player on the hard courts on the WTA Tour.

This is the fourth year in a row that she will be competing in the Australian Open Final and Aryna Sabalenka has also reached the US Open in each of the last three seasons. Four Grand Slams have been won on the surface- twice in a row at both of Melbourne and New York City- but Aryna Sabalenka was denied a third straight success here twelve months ago when upset by Madison Keys.

You would also consider Elena Rybakina's game to work very well on the hard courts and so it is a surprise that she is playing in her first Grand Slam Final on the surface since the 2023 Australian Open.

In fact, you can go even further and state that it is a surprise that she has not reached another Grand Slam Final since that defeat in Melbourne, but Elena Rybakina has been in good form for several months now and there will be plenty of confidence and experience that she can call upon for this Final.

Both players have been in exceptional form at the Australian Open- neither has dropped a set and both Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina have been particularly effective at protecting the second serve. It is Rybakina who has a narrow advantage on the first serve percentage of points won, but the World Number 1 has been the slightly superior return player.

However, that return game is going to be tested by this Elena Rybakina serve, even in the Night Session when the cooler conditions can make the ball all the heavier to try and hit through the court. That has not prevented the World Number 5 from still having a big impact with her serve and that could be a key to the outcome of this match.

Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina will know that they are going to win plenty of points when the first serve lands and both will want to get on the front foot. That could also mean playing with more aggression on the return of serve whenever a second serve is seen and this has been the one match up that has proven to be pretty challenging for the top Seed.

In 2023, Aryna Sabalenka came from a set behind to beat Elena Rybakina in the Australian Open Final and that meant the Belarusian had won the opening four matches between the players on the Tour and all in three set matches.

She most definitely had the mental edge at that stage, but two months later Elena Rybakina beat Sabalenka for the first time in the Indian Wells Final.

That result has sparked a positive run for the lower Ranked player and the last ten between these two players have ended in six Elena Rybakina wins.

It also includes a run of six wins in the last eight hard court matches, including Elena Rybakina winning two of three last year- both of those wins were on some of the faster hard courts at Cincinnati and then indoors in Riyadh, while Aryna Sabalenka beat this opponent in Wuhan in between those defeats.

Of course the win in the Australian Open Final is one that will give Aryna Sabalenka a lot of confidence, but in the eight matches on the hard courts since then, the World Number 1 has struggled to match the serving qualities of Elena Rybakina. The returning percentage of points won is 10% lower against Rybakina compared with Aryna Sabalenka's average and that is a big difference that keeps the top Seed under real pressure.

Her first serve has not been as punishing in those matches against Elena Rybakina either and the power that the latter can generate means she can stick with Aryna Sabalenka and give as good as she gets.

You have to respect the qualities of Sabalenka in winning multiple Grand Slam Finals and the consistency she has had at all Majors to reach the business end of tournaments over and over again.

Elena Rybakina has struggled for the momentum within Grand Slam tournaments that is needed to go as deep as she would have expected, but that has not been the case in Melbourne and she looks like she can upset the odds.

Twelve months ago, Aryna Sabalenka opened the season by winning the title in Brisbane and then reached the Final in Melbourne.

She has done the same in 2026, but Madison Keys managed to find a way to get the better of Aryna Sabalenka in 2025 and the feeling is that Elena Rybakina's game matches up well enough to help the 26 year old win a second Grand Slam title.

MY PICK: Elena Rybakina @ 2.50 Bet365 (2 Units)

Australian Open Update: 36-23, + 12.08 Units (122 Units Staked, + 9.90% Yield)

Weekend Football Picks and Fantasy Football 2021 (January 30-31)

The next six weeks are incredibly busy not only for Premier League teams, but also for those of us playing the Fantasy Football game with deadlines coming around very quickly, perhaps even while the previous GameWeek is not fully completed.

That is not the case this week, but there isn't much time between the end of GW20 and the beginning of GW21 with the deadline coming up on Saturday morning at 11am, an hour and a half before Everton and Newcastle United get the next round of fixtures going.

Fantasy thoughts will be below, but for us Manchester United fans GW20 proved to be something of a reality check after the 1-2 home defeat to Sheffield United.

It is a hugely disappointing result and one that has handed the title initiative back to Manchester City, but this could be the kind of setback that sparks another positive run.

There are two ways for this to go- either Manchester United will show there is a genuine belief they can go on and win some big prizes this year, and that means winning at Arsenal on Saturday and riding the momentum through Southampton and Everton, but the other is that United suffer another couple of poor results and slip away from Manchester City before their rivals face a tough portion of their schedule.

At this stage it is hard to know the direction United will go, but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will have noted that he can't rely on the squad and it may mean having to play stronger teams than he would like every few days during this busy part of the season.

For me United really missed Luke Shaw on Wednesday, while the likes of Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford have run out of chances- I expect one to play every week, but both can't be selected while Mason Greenwood offers a better balance on the right side of the attack and Edinson Cavani is clearly the best Number 9 at the club.

I don't doubt it is hard for players to go without rest, but that is where Manchester United have to prioritise the Premier League over the Cup competitions which are scheduled to be played in February.

Going forward I would like to see a team like this one in most games: David De Gea, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Eric Bailly, Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw, Paul Pogba, Fred, Bruno Fernandes, Mason Greenwood, Marcus Rashford and Edinson Cavani.

You can rotate Victor Lindelof with Bailly, Scott McTominay with Fred, and Anthony Martial with Rashford to bring in some fresh legs, but that would be my starting eleven for most Premier League games.

In the FA Cup and the Europa League you can make more changes with Dean Henderson, Alex Telles, Axel Tuanzebe, Nemanja Matic, Juan Mata, Daniel James and Amad Diallo being given more chances. I would certainly look for the squad to work their way past West Ham United and Real Sociedad while making sure Manchester United remain strong in the Premier League, although the change in priority could occur if a poor run does extend through the next couple of weeks in light of the defeat to Sheffield United.

Saturday is a big test for Manchester United from the manager down to the players and will tell us a lot about where they currently stand in their belief and confidence.

Everton v Newcastle United Pick: The opening game of the Premier League weekend sees Everton and Newcastle United both looking to return to winning ways after setbacks during the week. Both teams may feel they should have gotten more from their latest fixtures, but confidence is clearly with the home team ahead of kick off.

Everton have been playing well under Carlo Ancelotti which has seen them pushing up the Premier League standings as well as progressing in the FA Cup. They could have easily stolen three points against in-form Leicester City during the week, but the draw is not the worst result in the world and Everton have tended to beat those teams they should, especially at home.

This season there have been defeats to teams like West Ham United, Manchester United and Leeds United at Goodison Park, but only one of those are currently below Everton in the table. Everton have managed to beat the other four clubs they have faced who are below them in the Premier League table including wins over two of the current bottom five.

Now they host a Newcastle United team who have lost 5 Premier League games in a row overall as well as their last 5 away League games. Steve Bruce is under pressure from the fans, but the empty stands means there have not been a massive visible movement to have the manager removed and so far he retains the support of Mike Ashley.

The manager was encouraged by what he saw in the 1-2 defeat to Leeds United during the week and Newcastle United look to be getting healthier. They created some really good moments in the loss to Leeds United, but Everton are unlikely to be as open and I think this is a team who will be able to create chances against Newcastle United.

The Newcastle United defensive numbers are not very encouraging and they have been conceding a lot of goals. I expect James Rodriguez, Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin to expose those defensive problems and I think Everton will most likely win a fixture which features at least two total goals shared out.

Crystal Palace v Wolves Pick: I didn't think there would be a lot of goals when Crystal Palace and West Ham United met here during the week, but an early one for the home team really changed the complexion of the fixture.

Roy Hodgson's men scored twice in the eventual 2-3 defeat to their London rivals, but Crystal Palace did not create a lot of chances and that remains a big problem for them. In recent weeks that has blighted Crystal Palace who have been reliant on special moments from some of their more creative attacking players to break through and I think that is something that can't be sustained.

The expected goals have underlined the struggles in the final third and they may find it difficult to break down Wolves if the visitors are as strong as they were at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday evening. While still looking toothless for the most part going the other way, Wolves restricted Chelsea to very few chances despite the huge possession in favour of the hosts.

That result makes it back to back away clean sheets for Wolves who have been struggling in the Premier League ever since Raul Jimenez suffered a terrible injury.

It does have to be said that Wolves have looked a little more dangerous than Crystal Palace, but they could have a difficult day in the final third. While Crystal Palace have not been as consistent at the back as Roy Hodgson would have liked, in recent games they have had some big defensive performances around some of the weaker ones demonstrated.

You can't really tell which Crystal Palace team will turn up, but they have failed to score in both previous games against Wolves this season. Those results mean 5 of the 6 fixtures between these clubs have ended with one of the teams failing to score since Wolves returned to the top flight.

The exception was the 1-1 draw here last season, but Wolves needed an injury time goal to salvage that point and I am looking for this fixture to be much tighter than the Crystal Palace game played here during the week.

An early goal could open up the fixture again, but I think one of these teams will fail to find the net when two sides struggling for attacking consistency go up against relatively decent defences.

Manchester City v Sheffield United Pick: The layers look to have finally understood how well Manchester City have been performing defensively which means that the market for the home team to win with a clean sheet has been priced up significantly shorter than in other games in recent weeks.

Some of that may be down to the struggles of Sheffield United, but Pep Guardiola will be reminding his players to not take this opponent for granted.

The Sheffield United win at Old Trafford on Wednesday will really aid Manchester City here and prevent complacency setting in as they look to take control of the Premier League. There is a big League game coming up at Anfield, but Pep Guardiola will be demanding Manchester City go into it with two more Premier League wins and they should have far too much for Sheffield United on recent form.

Chris Wilder has to be given credit for picking strong teams in the Sheffield United FA Cup ties as he believed that would help turn the Premier League form. Since the Third Round win at Bristol Rovers, The Blades have won 2 of their 3 Premier League games played and Sheffield United might have given themselves a real chance of avoiding the drop.

The form in the first half of the season has left Sheffield United behind the black ball as they look to avoid relegation, but the win at Old Trafford will have given them a huge sense of belief. It also means they can't really afford to overlook any fixture in favour of another, but Sheffield United put in a huge effort to beat Manchester United and it wouldn't be a big surprise if they are already considering how to handle their next game.

On Tuesday Sheffield United host fellow relegation candidates West Brom and that is easily more important than this fixture. It is imperative that Sheffield United win that next game and so I can see the team being set up to make life difficult for Manchester City, but one that perhaps will be selected with the next League game in mind.

Manchester City are in ruthless form at the moment and they have won 11 games in a row so it is no surprise they are big favourites to tick that forward at least one more game. They have not always put teams to the sword, but Manchester City's win over West Brom on Tuesday shows what they can do when at their best and I think they are playing with real momentum.

Another clean sheet won't be a surprise, but this is still a difficult handicap to cover. Manchester City would only have covered this mark in 5 of their 15 home games in all competitions this season and the likes of Fulham, Newcastle United and Brighton have been beaten by two or fewer goals here.

It also has to be said that The Blades have rarely been beaten easily this season as the hard work keeps them competitive, and that is going to be key for them here. Once again the best approach may be backing Manchester City to win this one with a clean sheet even though the layers are getting on top of that market, but this may be the best avenue to go because Sheffield United might be looking to set up deep and just try to limit the damage on the day.

All 3 Manchester City wins over Sheffield United in the last eighteen months have come with clean sheets and I think that is the most likely outcome of this game too.

West Brom v Fulham Pick: Sam Allardyce may well feel his greatest achievement in his managerial career will be keeping West Brom in the Premier League, but another heavy home defeat will not have helped the confidence of the players.

The expert at keeping teams in the Premier League will be really disappointed by the results he has overseen at The Hawthorns as West Brom became the first team in over forty years who have conceded at least three times in five consecutive home top flight games.

Some of the defeats can be forgiven with Aston Villa, Arsenal and Manchester City all winning here, but the heavy loss to Leeds United will have hurt. The other defeat to Crystal Palace will also be hard for the West Brom players to explain and Sam Allardyce has admitted there seems to be some worry about playing here even without the fans in attendance.

West Brom have had some decent results away from home, but Allardyce won't be looking for excuses on Saturday in what is a vital relegation six pointer against 18th placed Fulham.

Scott Parker's team battled to a goalless draw with Brighton during the week, but the manager will know Fulham need to start putting some wins on the board if they have serious ambitions of avoiding the drop. The point is not a bad one at Brighton, but Fulham were very fortunate and it makes it hard to see them as a favourite to win away from home.

Fulham have looked a little stronger over the last couple of months, but they have struggled for the balance between attack and defence. I think Scott Parker would likely take a point, but this is a tough game for his team considering their recent performances.

That isn't saying that West Brom are in very strong form, but I do think this is the kind of match that Allardyce would have targeted for a victory. I think he will be drilling that into his players and his history suggests he will get a reaction, while West Brom are unlikely to be punished in the same way Arsenal and Manchester City have done at The Hawthorns.

The first goal will be absolutely massive on Saturday, but West Brom do look capable of avoiding a defeat as the home underdog.

Arsenal v Manchester United Pick: There is little doubt that a lot of Manchester United fans will have been getting excited not only by the recent results earned by the club, but also the position in the Premier League table.

Being top for the first time after New Year's Day since May 2013 when Sir Alex Ferguson was still in charge is exciting, but we will see how genuine a title contender Manchester United are over the next week.

Losing to Sheffield United at Old Trafford is a huge blow, but Manchester United were going to have a setback at some point and the key is how they respond to that defeat. A loss to the bottom club will be hard to swallow, but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will want to see his team dust themselves off ahead of what is a crucial part of the season.

Manchester United could spiral, especially with tough fixtures ahead of them, but playing at the Emirates Stadium may also inspire and motivate the players who have not suffered an away League defeat for over twelve months.

This has been a tough place for Manchester United to play in recent times and they have lost 4 of their last 5 at Arsenal in the Premier League. 3 of the last 4 have ended up in comfortable 2-0 wins for Arsenal and Mikel Arteta's team still believe they can challenge for a Champions League spot having picked up their own recent form.

Inconsistency hasn't been erased completely and Arsenal have struggled to always impose themselves on opponents at the Emirates Stadium. The Gunners have won 2 of their last 3 League games here against Chelsea and Newcastle United, but between that they could only draw with Crystal Palace and were perhaps fortunate to earn that point.

Arsenal have looked a little better defensively of late, but that will be tested by Manchester United who have looked good away from Old Trafford. There is naturally more space for Manchester United to exploit and I think they can be very dangerous, while defensively I expect a much better performance with Luke Shaw and Victor Lindelof or Eric Bailly back to partner Harry Maguire.

My expectation is that Manchester United will pick a team that is not as open as the one that faced Sheffield United and it has been a selection that makes them harder to beat. Liverpool found that out in the goalless draw at Anfield against Manchester United earlier this month, but the visitors created some big chances in that fixture too which is why I believe Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will approach this game the same way.

The results have been improved, but Arsenal have still looked a little unsure of themselves when getting forward and Manchester United will erode the confidence of their hosts as long as they don't give anything away. Defensively there have been improvements, but Manchester United should be able to create something here and I think the first goal will be crucial.

Games between Arsenal and Manchester United have been tight and competitive in recent seasons, and the last 4 League games have ended with fewer than three goals shared out. I think that will be the case on Saturday with both managers likely to set their teams up to not give too much away early, but there may be one or two chances to win the game in the second half and I think the layers are underestimating the likelihood of goals being at a premium on Saturday afternoon in wet, and potentially windy, conditions in North London.

Southampton v Aston Villa Pick: Two of the 'trendier' teams for the neutrals to get behind meet in the late kick off on Saturday in the Premier League and I do think Southampton and Aston Villa can provide some real entertainment for the fans.

When they met earlier this season at Villa Park the fixture ended 3-4 in favour of Southampton, although Aston Villa will feel they deserved a bit more than they ended up getting.

Now they will be looking for revenge as Aston Villa continue to create chances and play with a very positive attitude and nothing is expected to change here. They will know their hosts are having a few issues at the back and Aston Villa have played a refreshing brand of football which has them chasing European Football.

Southampton are also looking to earn a spot back in Europe and they will feel they could have gotten more out of the 1-3 defeat to Arsenal during the week. They are short of the numbers they would have liked to go in with, but Southampton continue to try and play attacking football and they will believe they can challenge an Aston Villa team who have been conceding plenty of chances and goals away from home.

Another high-scoring game between these two could be the outcome if there is an early strike to get things going, although picking a winner is not easy at all.

Chelsea v Burnley Pick: A new manager might have been in the dugout, but Chelsea did not have the kind of response some may have expected in the goalless draw with Wolves at Stamford Bridge during the week. They dominated the possession, but Chelsea did not create as many chances as Thomas Tuchel may privately have liked, although outwardly he was pretty happy with what he had seen.

More training sessions may mean a different look to the team that takes to the field on Sunday, but Tuchel is a manager who will be demanding more from his players.

They will need more if they are going to be a Burnley team who have won 3 in a row in all competitions and in their last away Premier League game became the first team to win at Anfield since April 2017. Burnley defended really well that day, although they largely rode their luck and had Nick Pope to thank for the 3-2 win over Aston Villa at Turf Moor in their last League game.

Aston Villa created a lot of chances in that game, but I am not sure we can expect Chelsea to show any more composure in the final third as they rebuild their own confidence. It will mean they have to take risks and Burnley will believe they can cause some panic in the home ranks the longer they can stay in the game.

Much will depend if Burnley can show a bit more toughness in their defending- what I mean by that is that in recent games Burnley have struggled to keep teams from creating big chances and I do think it is a problem for Burnley even if they are once again finding big results.

The last couple of times they have faced Chelsea it has been one way traffic against Burnley as they have been punished by the quality that The Blues can call upon.

This will be important for Chelsea- they have to get off to a faster start than they did against Wolves who became comfortable defending, but I expect Thomas Tuchel to have worked on that. I expect the home team to dominate the ball, but they have players who should be able to create enough in the final third to expose Nick Pope as others have and I think Chelsea will find a way to win this game.

In recent times Chelsea have begun to get the better of Burnley and they can extend their run of wins by two goals or more against this opponent to 4 games.

Leicester City v Leeds United Pick: The second game in the Premier League on Sunday has all the makings of a really good watch for the neutrals and that is largely down to the fact that Leeds United will always come out to play their football.

Some will criticise Marcelo Bielsa for that as it leaves his team very open and susceptible to the counter attack and that may especially be the case in this fixture against one of the best at attacking in transition in the League.

The absence of Jamie Vardy is a blow for Leicester City, but they still have pace and quality in the final third and the performance at Everton was more encouraging than the result. Brendan Rodgers has stated that his team have been able to cope in previous Vardy absences and I do think this is a good match for Leicester City who will likely be able to exploit key spaces that Leeds United will leave behind.

For the main part Leicester City have defended really well and in recent weeks that has especially been the case. While it is not easy to defend against this Leeds United team who come forward in numbers, Leicester City won't be worried about bringing them towards the backline and then springing with attacking intent.

That tactical approach saw Leicester City crush Leeds United at Elland Road earlier this season.

And the Leeds United approach has seen them vulnerable when facing some of the better teams in the Premier League, especially away from home. While they have played their part in those fixtures, Leeds United have conceded at least three goals at Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur this season, while Leicester City scored four times at Elland Road.

It would not be a major surprise if Leeds United scored here, but I think they are going to be very vulnerable to the Leicester City counter. Jamie Vardy is missing, but Leicester City have created a lot of chances in their last 2 home Premier League games and I do think they still have enough to win this game in what could be a relatively high-scoring one this weekend.

West Ham United v Liverpool Pick: Two of the top five meet on Sunday afternoon at the London Stadium when West Ham United host Liverpool and this is a very important game for both teams.

David Moyes has had a couple of days more than Jurgen Klopp to prepare his team and West Ham United have been in fine form. The team are creating chances, while they are defending really well too and Moyes has got the players believing and overachieving so far this season.

Finishing in the Champions League spots will be difficult, but any return to European Football would be a bonus for West Ham United. In a strange season where results have been a little wonky, David Moyes will feel there is an opportunity for West Ham United, although he will also know how important it is to take things game by game.

All credit has to be given to West Ham United for their 6 game winning run, but a couple of those wins came against lower League opposition in the FA Cup. Since the win over Everton, The Hammers have beaten three Premier League clubs who are sitting in 14th place or lower and they were beaten 1-3 by Manchester United at the London Stadium earlier this season.

If the match had been played a week ago West Ham United might have felt like Liverpool were there for the taking, but the Champions have not played badly in their last 2 away games. The defeat at Old Trafford would have hurt, but Liverpool dominated Tottenham Hotspur and fully deserved their win in North London, while they should have won at Newcastle United and Southampton on the strength of the chances created.

Liverpool have a very strong record at West Ham United in recent years and that also has to be respected, but they have yet to show the consistency away from home that the manager would have demanded. This team is missing key players in central defence which looks like leaving Liverpool vulnerable to this West Ham United team, although I do think the visitors will cause problems of their own.

The away record overall has to be a concern for Liverpool who look short here, especially if West Ham United defend as well as they have been in recent games. This will be a challenge for The Hammers and really give us a good idea of how far they can go this season, but I would be surprised if Liverpool were able to win comfortably considering the form of both clubs.

They may edge it, but I think West Ham United will push Liverpool all the way as they did at Anfield earlier this season and it should be a really competitive game.

Brighton v Tottenham Hotspur Pick: Both Brighton and Tottenham Hotspur will be disappointed with home results in the Premier League during the week.

Brighton drew with Fulham in a game they dominated, but it has been a trend for them this season. No one should doubt the amount of chances Brighton can create, but they are lacking composure in the final third to convert those which would have them operating much higher up the Premier League table.

Their visitors were beaten by Liverpool on Thursday and Tottenham Hotspur also look set to lose Harry Kane for a few matches. That is a real blow for Jose Mourinho's team who did not defend well and were punished for mistakes at the back, although Liverpool also created some very strong moments against them.

All in all Brighton have to be encouraged about their chances in this one and they did beat Tottenham Hotspur 3-0 here last season. Graham Potter won't change his style which does leave Brighton open against some of the best teams in the Premier League, but the manager believes it does give Brighton a chance to upset those teams if at their best.

We haven't seen that too often, but Brighton have rarely rolled over for the top teams in the Premier League. They will certainly believe they have nothing to lose if they can get after a Tottenham Hotspur team who have allowed teams to create some significant moments against them in recent weeks.

Defensively there are questions and some will believe there are problems in attack now that Harry Kane is set to miss some time. The striker has been a huge key to the way Tottenham Hotspur have approached games, but Tottenham Hotspur should be able to employ counter attacking tactics in this one with the knowledge that Brighton will look to get forward in numbers to hurt them.

I think there is a real chance Brighton could earn the upset if they are clinical in the final third and games against the top teams have been pretty high scoring over the last eighteen months. That is down to their own defensive shortcomings which tend to be exploited by the better teams in the Division and I do think the layers are underestimating the chance of seeing at least three goals here.

4 of the last 5 between Brighton and Tottenham Hotspur have ended that way and recent games at the Amex Stadium have seen some big chances being created at both ends of the field.

A 1-1 scoreline could scupper things, but I expect at least one more goal to be shared out when Brighton and Tottenham Hotspur meet in the final Premier League game of the weekend.

MY PICKS: Everton & Over 1.5 Goals

Crystal Palace-Wolves Both Teams to Score- NO

Manchester City Win to Nil

West Brom + 0.25 Asian Handicap

Arsenal-Manchester United Under 2.5 Goals

Southampton-Aston Villa Over 2.5 Goals

Chelsea - 1.25 Asian Handicap

Leicester City & Over 1.5 Goals

West Ham United + 0.75 Asian Handicap

Brighton-Tottenham Hotspur Over 2.5 Goals

Fantasy Football GameWeek 21

I made the decision to keep Marcus Rashford in GW20 and it turned out to be the right decision in terms of he wasn't going to be missing through injury- other than that the less said the better.

The transfer to bring in Ilkay Gundogan might have been one that many decided on, but everyone was rewarded when the Manchester City midfielder scored twice. He did miss out on a couple of extra points having been withdrawn before the 60th minute mark, but that almost certainly suggests Gundogan will start on Saturday in what looks like another potentially high-scoring return for Manchester City when they face Sheffield United at the Etihad Stadium.

63 points feels like a decent return, but I am writing this before the Tottenham Hotspur versus Liverpool game and that could be one that damages the overall ranking which is approaching the top 300k.

So where am I at this week? Sergio Reguilon has got to go and I do feel there are some options available to me.

I love the new positioning of Lucas Digne in the Everton team, while you can't ignore the obvious set piece potential he brings. Everton have some decent fixtures coming up and what I feel is going to be a DGW as their fixture is likely going to be played against Manchester City sooner rather than later.

He is appealing, but I am also keen on Antonio Rudiger with Chelsea's fixture list and the feeling he has already overtaken Kurt Zouma as the foremost partner for Thiago Silva. I do think that will be strengthened by the arrival of Rudiger's compatriot as manager of the club and Thomas Tuchel was previously considered keen to bring him to Paris Saint-Germain while in charge in the French capital.

Matt Targett is proving to be valuable for Aston Villa as another defender capable of bringing in attacking returns and they look to be the focus of my interest for that position.

I am a little irritated with the injury to Reguilon as he was likely going to play most weeks through to the end of February, but now I have to make a change. It has prevented me attacking the transfers in the manner I would have wished, as the Kevin De Bruyne injury also did, although I am considering a hit this week having avoided one last week.

Tomas Soucek and myself are not seeing eye to eye despite him largely being a feature in my squad from day one this season- after blanking in his DGW I decided to bench him in GW20 and was duly punished in the worst way meaning I have missed out on two of his hauls this season.

That is pointless from the cheap midfield option and I am looking at Leicester City assets to come in with Leeds United and Fulham next up for them. The injury to Jamie Vardy is a blow, but the fixtures look more appealing than West Ham United's and add to that the fact that Leicester City could soon be involved in a DGW and it makes a lot of sense.

It would mean bringing in Michail Antonio at some point because the West Ham fixtures do improve next week, but in a strange season I feel like I have had to take more hits than I would have liked and have not been able to roll transfers through as I would have liked.

The fixture list over the next month was updated on Friday and that included placing the FA Cup Fifth Round ties in their slots- I am surprised that there hasn't been more of an effort to actually re-arrange the seven games that have definitely needed to be moved from their original slots, especially as two of those involve Manchester City.

With full involvement in all four competitions they began the season with, Manchester City don't have a lot of room in the calendar to avoid having to play three times in six days and so I am surprised the Premier League have not made plans. Perhaps they are waiting for the FA Cup ties to be completed next week before GW24, but is the one where I think their game either at Everton or hosting Southampton should be played.

Both of those teams are playing on Sunday in GW24 so the fixture with Manchester City is most likely to be played around 5:30/6pm on Wednesday regardless of whether it is Everton or Southampton. For us Fantasy players it is irritating as we might not be able to prepare for the upcoming DGW as we normally would, but it is that kind of season after all.

I am also surprised the Premier League are willing to kick so many games down the road- you would think clubs would want to at least have played the same amount of fixtures as those around them as soon as possible. Add in the uncertainty about whether Covid-19 will impact on any more fixtures and I am a little unsure as to why the Premier League have not made firmer decisions right now.

UEFA have already given Leagues permission to schedule games on nights reserved for European Football (although kick off time would prevent a clash) with the belief that that will allow all fixtures to be completed in timely fashion, while the integrity of the League should mean teams will not want to hold onto 'games in hand' for too long.

Some of it may be down to the FA Cup Fifth Round coming up as the Premier League looks to see how many games will need to be re-arranged in GW29 when the Quarter Finals are set to be played, while teams not involved in European Football do have a bit more room for manoeuvre.

All the signs point to GW26 being the biggest double left in the calendar, but there are plenty of additional DGWs which can make the difference as long as we get to find out when those fixtures are going to be played.

I think some of those may be arranged at short notice, while fixtures could be moved around depending on how the FA Cup Quarter Final line up shapes up (for example a Tottenham Hotspur loss at Everton and a Sheffield United win over Bristol City could see the postponed Aston Villa v Tottenham Hotspur game moved to GW29 rather than offering a DGW later in the season).

This is just something we cannot account for this season, but keep an eye on fixtures and leave transfers as late as possible so you can perhaps take advantage of the situations as they come up.

Australian Open Tennis Day 12 Picks 2020 (January 31st)

So the Women's Final was set on Thursday and Novak Djokovic overcame a slow start to dominate Roger Federer and move into the Final of the Men's tournament which he is looking to win for the eighth time.

It should be a couple of good Finals regardless of who Djokovic faces on Sunday, but he will be a big favourite and I do think the Women's Final between Sofia Kenin and Garbine Muguruza will be the more competitive of the two to come.


On Day 12 at the Australian Open we only have the one Singles match and that is the second Men's Semi Final. The Tennis Picks had been on a strong run, but Thursday was more difficult with a 1-2 finish.

A stronger start from Novak Djokovic might have helped produce a winning record, but it is what it is and at least the tournament is in a position to produce a positive return. Much will depend on Novak Djokovic going on and winning the Men's Final on Sunday, but we will get to that in a couple of days time.


Dominic Thiem - 1.5 sets v Alexander Zverev: The main reason I am not more bullish about Dominic Thiem's chances to win this Semi Final has to be the fact that he spent over four hours on court to finally edge out Rafael Nadal in the Quarter Final. This is not the first long match the Austrian has had to play at the Australian Open and he is playing a relatively fresh Alexander Zverev who has quietly made his way through the draw.

Prior to the tournament I am not sure either of these players would have been considered genuine Finalists considering their recent records- Dominic Thiem has long played his best tennis on the clay courts rather than the hard courts and had never made a Quarter Final here, while Alexander Zverev had been struggling massively with his serve and had never reached a Quarter Final at a Grand Slam outside of Paris.

However both players have been in very good form and have some solid looking wins on the board. Both have been serving very well, but I have noted that Zverev has just had one or two difficulties on the return in his last couple of matches. He is not winning a lot of points on the return, but Zverev is winning the big points and the German has broken in eight games from twenty break points created in the last couple of matches.

The Zverev serve has been surprisingly effective throughout the tournament despite the fact he looked to be struggling with that shot prior to the Australian Open.

He is going to need all of that against Dominic Thiem whose own serve has been a very important weapon throughout the tournament too as he takes advantage of the conditions. It has given Thiem some freedom when it comes to the return of serve and I think his overall numbers have been a little more consistent than Zverev's which could be key to the outcome of the match.

Their head to head matches shows Dominic Thiem has an edge on the return of serve over Alexander Zverev and that has led to a 6-2 lead. The Austrian is 2-1 on the hard courts having won the last two meetings on the surface including a straight sets win over Zverev at the ATP Finals in London in November.

In the last two matches Dominic Thiem's edge on the return has proven to be quite significant and I think he can use his experiences to win this match. If it goes the distance you would think the fatigue issues could strike Thiem and so I do think he is likely to push to get this done in three or four sets.

Alexander Zverev has been in fine form over the last twelve days, but this has not been a good match up for him and I think Dominic Thiem out-serves him on his way to another Grand Slam Final.

MY PICKS: Dominic Thiem - 1.5 Sets @ 2.10 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Australian Open Update: 36-30, + 5.48 Units (134 Units Staked, + 4.09% Yield)

Midweek Football Picks 2018 (January 30-31)

It's hard to know where the time goes when the first month of 2018 is already set to go into the books.

For most managers in European Football they may be glad the month is coming to an end as it also means the January transfer window is about to shut. This is a disruptive time as teams try to mould their squads to the best shape for the remaining four months of the season when all the silverware, and heartbreak, is set to be handed out.

Some big deals have been concluded in the Premier League with the headline made by Manchester United in swooping up Alexis Sanchez. I wrote a short piece about his arrival which can be read here.

Other big clubs have also made some serious moves and the money spent is eye-watering to say the least. That is just the way football has gone these days at the very top level and there isn't really much we can do about it.


Talking about something we can't do much about, VAR is set to be rolled out fully next season in the Premier League despite the controversies attached to the system.

I've not been a fan of any system that is going to be used to decide subjective events, but for objective events it isn't a bad tool.

Objective events like goals and offside decisions are either right or wrong, there is no grey area. But for penalties and red cards there is and it is going to come down to what someone thinks while sitting in a booth miles away from the play.

Those are the decisions that will absolutely slow down the game and they won't always be straight-forward decisions that everyone agrees on so I have to say that I think the referee on the field is going to be undermined at times.

And for those fans in the Stadium, the match going experience is definitely going to feel much more negative than it does at the moment with little communication to let them know what is happening. At Anfield on Saturday you could see the confusion, although the focus has been on the three correct decisions made in the first half.

Fine, those were correct even if I thought the penalty was harsh with a theatrical jump from Mo Salah and the ball seemingly going to be well over his head anyway. However for the most part people agreed with the decisions.

What has been ignored is the reason why the referee went to VAR for Salah's second half goal? Taking away the pure enjoyment of the moment for absolutely no reason that was plain to see is my biggest concern for a system that will be used at the most passionate time of being a football fan.

I want to celebrate a goal, not sit back and let the referee spend a minute to make sure everything has lined up even when they don't need to. I mean I thought it was going to be used for 'clear and obvious decisions' which has not been seen, so why did the referee go to the system for what looked a clear goal?

That has barely been touched in the last couple of days, but taking away the passion of the supporters in the stands is something the Premier League has been working on for years and this is just another blow to it.

Ultimately it doesn't matter that I don't like the system- it is coming in regardless. I just hope those in power realise a way to reduce the lag in the game that was seen at Anfield else football as we know it is not going to be the same again.


On Tuesday and Wednesday we have another full round of Premier League fixtures as we get closer to the final third of the League season. The battle against relegation looks remarkably tight with the improvement made by both Swansea City and West Brom, while the three places below Manchester City in the race for the Champions League spots also look like will be going down to the wire.

With a full round of fixtures, there is a full round of football picks.


Swansea City v Arsenal Pick: The performance Swansea City produced in their win over Liverpool will have given the players a real shot in the arm that they can avoid the drop to the Championship. They will have to bring the same type of energy and defensive effort they did in that win last time out if they are going to get something from this one too.

On paper you would suggest the game against Arsenal is a ‘better’ one for Swansea City than facing Liverpool, but this is an Arsenal team who can be very strong on their day. They have had the benefit of a rest this weekend having not played in the FA Cup, and there has been a suggestion the players have been freed up by the end of the Alexis Sanchez saga.

They have certainly produced a couple of very good performances to beat Crystal Palace and Chelsea, but Arsenal have to show they can do the same away from home.

Arsenal have not won any of their last 4 away games, but they led at West Brom and Bournemouth before mistakes cost them. Mesut Ozil is available though and he has proven to be a very big player for Arsenal in the last couple of months with an ability to open teams up with his passing.

With Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere all available as other supporting players, Arsenal have enough creativity to break down Swansea City here.

Credit to the way Carlos Carvalhal has got his team playing, but the win against Liverpool was a rare success against a top six club. The one defeat under Carvalhal’s management came against Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League at the Liberty Stadium and the likes of Manchester United (twice) and Manchester City have also won comfortably here.

For all of the poor results Arsenal have had away from home of late, they have scored first in their last 3 away games in the Premier League. That could be crucial here and Arsenal have won 4 of their last 5 at the Liberty Stadium with the last couple of visits ending in comfortable wins for The Gunners.

I will look for Arsenal to win here and cover the Asian Handicap in the process. The first goal is going to be crucial to that, but Arsenal have scored first in their last 3 away League games and doing that here might be enough to begin wearing down the Swansea City players who were in action on Saturday.


West Ham United v Crystal Palace Pick: There is plenty on the line in this London derby as both West Ham United and Crystal Palace continue their fight against relegation. For all the improvement both clubs have made with new managers at the helm, both remain within touching distance of the bottom three.

A win on Tuesday for either club will go a long way to pulling them away from the bottom three and begin to feel a little easier about their position. However that would leave the losing team once again looking over their shoulders at the teams below them who have all shown signs of improvement in recent weeks.

Injuries are hurting both West Ham United and Crystal Palace and this may come down to which of the teams deal with those injuries better. Both have some key players returning for this fixture, but I do worry for a West Ham United team who are missing some big names in the final third.

They also had to battle through a difficult 2-0 defeat at Wigan Athletic on Saturday while Crystal Palace have been resting since their stunning 4-1 defeat at Arsenal.

Barring a poor start like that one, Crystal Palace should be the team with the better opportunity to win this game. They may be away from home, but before the defeat to Arsenal Crystal Palace had won 2 of 3 away League games and shown toughness on their travels.

With Manuel Lanzini and Marko Arnautovic out of the line up, West Ham United may find it tough to find the creativity in the final third to break down Crystal Palace in this one. The 1-1 scoreline is a real player, but I think Crystal Palace can show a little more in the final third against their injury hit hosts to work their way to the three points.

I would keep stakes to a minimum in a game which is as close as this one looks to be, but having a small interest in Crystal Palace to win for a third time in five years at West Ham United looks a decent price.


Huddersfield Town v Liverpool Pick: There is no doubting how big this Premier League game is at the top and bottom of the table with the two teams involved in tight relegation and top four battles respectively.

Both Huddersfield Town and Liverpool are hoping to bounce back from some poor results of late.

Huddersfield Town have proven to be a tough team to face at the John Smith’s Stadium with the win over Manchester United the stand out result. However they also led against Manchester City to show they are more than capable of challenging a Liverpool team who have defended incredibly poorly on their travels.

Unfortunately for Huddersfield Town, they have to worry about a backlash from Liverpool in this one after defeats to the bottom two clubs. Those losses were not good looks for Liverpool, but they will have seen the way Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and most recently West Ham United won on this ground this season.

The home fans have to worry that a fast start by Liverpool will see them very difficult to contain and it is a big test for Huddersfield Town. They will try and press Liverpool, but that could leave spaces to be exploited and I do think the away side will be very difficult to contain for Huddersfield Town.

Huddersfield Town can play their part too against a Liverpool defence that is susceptible against set pieces. They have scored against Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea here in the Premier League and they should have chances.

However Liverpool will also likely create opportunities and this could mean a high-scoring game at the John Smith’s Stadium. Backing at least three goals to be shared out looks the best way to approach this game with the fact that all 4 Huddersfield Town home games against the top six have ended that way.

Liverpool had been involved in 9 straight away games in all competitions which featured at least three goals before the loss at Swansea City. I will look for that trend to return here with at least three goals shared out between these teams.


Chelsea v Bournemouth Pick: Trying to work out what Chelsea will turn up from game to game has been very difficult this past few weeks. They performed really well to see off Brighton and Newcastle United, but in between draws with Norwich City and Leicester City have shown a set of players that have lost full confidence.

There has been elements of fatigue at times and I do worry that Chelsea have had to play twice since Bournemouth were last in action.

Eddie Howe has to make sure he sets up Bournemouth to take advantage if Chelsea are not able to produce their best. With Alvaro Morata missing, Chelsea may be lacking in the final third, but Eden Hazard will have to be contained if Bournemouth are going to spring the surprise.

It will all be about frustrating Chelsea who have shown they can quickly get into their stride if they can score early. Those strikes against Brighton and Newcastle United have then seen Chelsea dominate proceedings and that will be a worry for Bournemouth.

Recent weeks have seen Bournemouth produce some big results which should mean they come to Stamford Bridge with some belief. However they tend to be a side that gives the top teams in the Premier League the space to perform and that has resulted in some heavy losses to the likes of Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool in the League this season.

Last season they were beaten 3-0 at Stamford Bridge too and I think Antonio Conte had a chance to give the likes of Hazard and Pedro a rest on Sunday to be ready for this one. Bournemouth simply concede too many goals and the focus could quickly turn to the home game with Stoke City on Saturday which looks a massive one for Eddie Howe’s men.

Chelsea have not been putting a consistent run of wins together in recent weeks, but they have tended to win comfortably when they have. The Blues have only won 4 of their last 10 games in all competitions, but all of those wins have come by at least a two goal margin and I think they can do the same here.

I have to respect Bournemouth for the toughness they have shown in recent games and character to produce plenty of positive results. However they have tended to struggle against the top teams and I will back Chelsea to cover the Asian Handicap in a win on Wednesday.


Newcastle United v Burnley Pick: There are only fourteen games left in the Premier League which means we are getting very close to the point of the season where you’ll start seeing which sides are able to move away from relegation troubles and which are being dragged into it.

At the moment the Premier League is tightly congested from 10th down to 20th as 6 points will blanket those teams. Newcastle United are one of those teams and the fans continue to vent their anger at owner Mike Ashley, while Rafa Benitez makes it clear that he feels his squad needs reinforcements.

Benitez may not be very lucky when it comes to getting deals over the line and the atmosphere at St James’ Park makes it difficult for the players to perform. That is part of the reason that Newcastle United have not won any of their last 7 home Premier League games and had to settle for draws with Brighton and Swansea City in their last couple of League games here.

A lack of goals is a real concern and that is likely to be an issue against Burnley on Wednesday. Burnley have not been playing very well of late with 4 straight losses heading into this fixture, but the games they have played have been difficult.

Sean Dyche will organise Burnley to be tough to beat and they can at least contain Newcastle United to a point and give themselves a chance to earn valuable points. They have been tough to beat away from home and Burnley do have a threat which could cause problems for the home team who are lacking confidence.

I really don’t think there will be much between these teams and Burnley look tempting to back with a start on the Asian Handicap. Even though they have been in poor form, Burnley are still a tough team to beat as both Liverpool and Manchester United will tell you after narrow wins over them.

Burnley also look capable of scoring here and one goal could be enough to avoid defeat against goal-shy Newcastle United. With the poor run Newcastle United have been on, they don’t look a great favourite to back and I am going to back Burnley to earn a result here and snap their run of 4 losses in a row.


Manchester City v West Brom Pick: I have to admit I was very surprised with the strength of the team Alan Pardew picked in the FA Cup tie at Liverpool and even more surprised by the way West Brom were able to come from behind and win that tie.

They have simply not travelled that well away from home all season, but West Brom punished Liverpool for some weak defending and will be hoping to do the same at the Etihad Stadium.

it is a different challenge though with Pardew seeing some key players go down with injury on Saturday at Anfield. That could mean West Brom are a little short of numbers in this fixture and keeping players fresh for the big game against Southampton on Saturday may be on the mind of the manager.

Manchester City also suffered a big injury in their Cup tie this weekend, but Leroy Sane sounds like he has avoided a long-term injury. His team continued progressing in every competition they have entered this season and Manchester City will be a strong favourite to see off West Brom.

However it has to be noted that Pardew has made his team tough to beat and West Brom have caused problems for the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal before the win at Anfield. West Brom also drew 0-0 at Liverpool in the Premier League and I expect Pardew will want to soak up pressure and hit Manchester City on the break in this one.

The injuries are a big concern for West Brom with Jonny Evans, Kieran Gibbs, Jake Livermore and Hal Robson-Kanu all expected to miss out. I do think that just makes West Brom a little more vulnerable and Manchester City should be too good for them.

Conceding goals has been an issue for Manchester City with them seemingly being punished for every mistake they have made. Teams have had limited shots but managed to find the net and West Brom will be hoping to do the same as they did at Liverpool in the FA Cup by taking the chances that do come.

The Baggies are a big threat from set pieces, but I do think chances will be few and far between and Manchester City should have enough to win this one with a clean sheet. The Asian Handicap looks right on the money and I think backing Manchester City to win with a clean sheet is the most likely outcome of this fixture with the injuries West Brom will be dealing with.

There is also a chance that Alan Pardew will turn attention to the League game against Southampton on Saturday which is arguably more important than this one. It would mean maybe keeping some key players out and hoping to frustrate Manchester City and I think the play will dominated by the home team.

As long as they can avoid the big mistakes which have cost them of late, Manchester City can win to nil.


Stoke City v Watford Pick: We are almost down to the final third of the Premier League season and that means fixtures are increasing with importance in every passing week. For both Stoke City and Watford this is going to be a 'relegation six pointer' with both clubs trying to avoid relegation to the Championship.

Both have recently decided to make a managerial change and Stoke City had an immediate jolt after beating Huddersfield Town under Paul Lambert. The former Aston Villa manager is going to look for back to back wins for Stoke City for the first time since the end of August and being at home does give them an advantage in this one.

For all the negatives around Stoke City, they have won 3 of their last 5 home games in the Premier League and they are certainly in relatively better form than Watford. Their visitors were beaten on their travels again on Saturday and that means Watford have lost 8 of their last 9 away games in all competitions.

Injuries are really stretching the squad and that could be a problem for Watford considering Stoke City should be well rested coming into this fixture.

Games like this do tend to be close and these teams are closely matched which suggests there won't be much between them. On any given day matches between Stoke City and Watford could go either way, but I think the rested home team may have a slight enough edge to win this one.

Watford are still trying to get to grips with what Javi Gracia will want from them and I think Stoke City can take advantage of that. While Gracia hasn't had a lot of time to implement his ideas, Paul Lambert has been working with his players for ten days to have them ready to fulfil his game plan on Wednesday.

It won't be an easy game for either team, but Stoke City may just have the edge in this one and I will back them to win this fixture.


Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester United Pick: This is the big game of the week as two of the top five meet at the national Stadium in the Premier League.

The importance of the match will not be lost on either Tottenham Hotspur or Manchester United and it has all of the hallmarks of a close one.

Both teams are coming into the contest in very good form which is making it a tough one to read. I have to say I was surprised to see Manchester United as such an underdog to win here, but that may have something to do with the poor away record against the top teams in England under Jose Mourinho.

Tottenham Hotspur have also won 6 of their last 7 at Wembley Stadium in all competitions and beaten the likes of Liverpool and Real Madrid in emphatic fashion. With the likes of Christian Eriksen returning and Dele Alli and Harry Kane, Tottenham Hotspur have the quality to test a Manchester United backline which has kept 6 clean sheets in a row.

I do think Manchester United can win here, but can’t back them because of the poor record at Tottenham Hotspur in recent years. They did win at Arsenal in early December to snap a poor away record at the top six clubs, but Manchester United will also have to recognise that Tottenham Hotspur are arguably a tougher team than The Gunners.

I expect both teams will have their successes in this one with the attacking talent they can both call upon and I am looking forward to what should be a very good game of football. Games between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United in North London have tended to be fun affairs for the most part and in each of the last two seasons there have been at least three goals shared out.

Tottenham Hotspur have hosted Chelsea, Liverpool and Real Madrid this season and all of those games produced at least three goals. For the most part Manchester United away games under Jose Mourinho against the bigger clubs have been low-scoring affairs, but there has been more attacking intent in the last two at Chelsea and Arsenal and the latter did produce four goals and countless other chances for both Arsenal and United.

The layers have offered the chance of seeing at least three goals at odds against and I think that can be backed. The 1-1 is perhaps the biggest hindrance to that number being hit, but I think both clubs will be trying to win this fixture and the weather in London should allow the two teams to express themselves.

MY PICKS: Arsenal - 1 Asian Handicap @ 1.81 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Crystal Palace @ 2.60 Bet Victor (1 Unit)
Huddersfield Town-Liverpool Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.70 Betfair Sportsbook (2 Units)
Chelsea - 1.5 Asian Handicap @ 1.86 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Burnley + 0.5 Asian Handicap @ 1.77 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Manchester City Win to Nil @ 1.80 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Stoke City @ 2.25 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Tottenham Hotspur-Manchester United Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.95 Betfair Sportsbook (2 Units)