Wimbledon Tennis Day 14 Pick 2024- Men's Final (Sunday 14th July)

The attention of the nation might already have turned to the Euro 2024 Final, but tennis fans will at least have the opportunity to lead into that game by watching the Final of the Men's event at Wimbledon.

It looks like being a really good Final twelve months after Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic met in a five set classic in SW19 and both are going to be feeling good about their chances of success having eased through the Semi Final matches on Friday.

The tournament comes to a close, but the attention will quickly turn to the Olympic Games later this month before the players hop across the pond and prepare for the upcoming US Open which begins at the end of August as is traditional.

We should have some real interest in the Olympic Games with that tournament potentially being the last for Rafael Nadal on the famous courts of Roland Garros, while Andy Murray is another hoping to be fit enough to compete as a Singles player for the final time having missed Wimbledon to his own frustration.

The new Ladies Champion at Wimbledon is Barbora Krejcikova as we have yet another surprising winner of the tournament on the WTA side of things.

She now has as many Grand Slams as Aryna Sabalenka and more than both Coco Gauff and Elena Rybakina, which is a real surprise, and Barbora Krejcikova will be heading back into the top ten of the World Rankings on Monday. It might give the former French Open Champion a chance to take some momentum into the Olympic Games back on the clay courts, but for now the Czech player will enjoy becoming Wimbledon Champion as her mentor Jana Novotna had managed to do in her career too.

Now the attention will turn to the big Men's Final between top of the top three players in the World and by the end one of the players will be holding two of the four Grand Slam titles.

Carlos Alcaraz-Novak Djokovic over 40.5 games: Twelve months ago, Carlos Alcaraz reached the Final at Wimbledon in somewhat surprising fashion considering he had been beaten relatively early at the French Open. He was the Queen's Champion, which is always a good indicator of the kind of successes a player can have at Wimbledon, but Alcaraz was the underdog against Novak Djokovic, the seven time Champion.

The Rematch is played this Sunday and this time it is the defending Champion Carlos Alcaraz set as the favourite against the former World Number 1.

A lot of Spanish fans will have eyes on this Wimbledon Final before the Euro 2024 Final is played later in the evening and they will be keen to see a Double. Despite not finding his best tennis consistently, Carlos Alcaraz has shown he has the character to come through some difficult moments in his run to the Wimbledon Final.

There is also a real feeling that Carlos Alcaraz has come through the tougher half of the draw with three wins over top 16 Ranked opponents, while the highest Ranked player Novak Djokovic has beaten is the World Number 15 Holger Rune.

Carlos Alcaraz will be the first to admit that even then, his level will have to be picked up if he is going to get the better of Novak Djokovic for a second time in a row at Wimbledon. His serving numbers have really not been up to the standard expected on a grass court and that is going to be tested by arguably the greatest return player in the history of the sport.

The Novak Djokovic return numbers have perhaps not been as strong as we have come to expect, but that might have something to do with a far more aggressive approach taken through this tournament. The knee is not one that Djokovic wants to have to take into long rallies as often as he has been known to do, and that aggression has led to more mistakes and looking to end points quicker than normal.

It is something that will likely have been noted by the Alcaraz team and they will be keen to not give too much away to Djokovic and force him into those rallies that the seven time Champion has been looking to avoid.

One area where Novak Djokovic has had more success is behind his serve with his follow up shot to that opening one looking to get into position to end points as soon as possible. His numbers have been strong throughout his run to the Final and even Lorenzo Musetti struggled to test Djokovic in the manner he would have hoped on this side of his tennis.

Novak Djokovic has only dropped serve five times throughout the fortnight at Wimbledon, whereas Carlos Alcaraz dropped serve five times in just his Third Round match. This might be key to the outcome of this match, as could the fact that Novak Djokovic has won the last two matches against the Spaniard since losing the Wimbledon Final in 2023.

Matches between the players have been intense, but Novak Djokovic has had the edge on the service numbers.

However, some of those numbers are influenced by the match at Roland Garros in 2023 when Carlos Alcaraz completely cramped up under the tension of the occasion. He is a much stronger player now and this has all of the makings of another Wimbledon epic.

There will be plenty of fans hoping the match is perhaps not quite as intense as the almost five hours spend on court last season (with the fear it would potentially begin to encroach towards the Euro 2024 Final kick off), but another four setter has to be the minimum expectation.

Last season there were two sets that ended in 6-1 scores, which could make it hard to cover the total line in this one if it does indeed conclude in four sets.

With the way both Alcaraz and Djokovic are playing, it would be a surprise if we do see those one-sided sets again, especially after their battle at Cincinnati last August.

Novak Djokovic perhaps looks an appealing underdog, but he has not really bettered too many of his rivals so far this season and this is a big step up compared with previous opponents played.

Being slightly more battle-hardened should aid Carlos Alcaraz, but the real expectation is for another very competitive match between players from different generations. They should both contribute to a strong Final in which both players will win a set and that should put this match well on the way to surpass the total games line in this one.

MY PICKS: Carlos Alcaraz-Novak Djokovic Over 40.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Wimbledon Update: 21-21, - 5.44 Units (84 Units Staked, - 6.48% Yield)

Wimbledon Tennis Day 12 Picks 2023 (July 14th)

Hands up if you had Marketa Vondrousova vs Ons Jabeur in the Ladies Wimbledon Final?

Both players deserve a lot of credit for making their way through the draw to compete for the title on Saturday, although the eye-catching wins have been produced by Ons Jabeur who will almost certainly going into the Final as the favourite.

Beating Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka in back to back matches and both from a set behind is solid form, but Sabalenka will be kicking herself for the capitulation in the second set.

After moving 4-2 ahead and having game points for 5-3, errors just ratcheted up another level and this became the latest Grand Slam Semi Final where Aryna Sabalenka has been beaten in a final set decider. She will need to win one of those pretty quickly to avoid the reputation growing amongst her opponents that Sabalenka will go off the boil if you can just stick around for long enough, but it will also be important for her from her own mental standpoint.

Losing in Paris and London in the manner she has will be a big blow for the World Number 2 who has still only made it through to one Grand Slam Final.

The Final is played on Saturday, but on Friday the attention will turn to the men as the two Semi Final matches are played between some of the best players on the Tour.

We look to be on course to see the Final that everyone would have wanted when the draw was made two weeks ago, but Daniil Medvedev and Jannik Sinner will both have something to say about that.

Novak Djokovic - 5.5 games v Jannik Sinner: Twelve months ago these two players met in the Wimbledon Quarter Final and Jannik Sinner shocked everyone by moving into a 2-0 lead in sets and looking like the player with all of the momentum after crushing Novak Djokovic in that second set.

Things quickly unravelled from there though and Novak Djokovic turned up the gears in winning the last three sets in that Quarter Final 6/3, 6/2, 6/2.

There was nothing going on from Jannik Sinner's side of the court in those last three sets, but he has another year of experience under his belt as he looks to knock off the defending Champion. His performances in the Wimbledon run to the Semi Final has been very strong, but the Italian will also appreciate that he has taken advantage of what has been a very kind draw having not beaten any opponent Ranked inside the top 78 in the World Rankings.

Moving from that level up to facing Novak Djokovic, who is the best grass court player in the world by some margin, is going to be very difficult for Jannik Sinner. He has an aggressive game that will give him confidence, but Novak Djokovic showed he can more than handle that through the last three sets of their Quarter Final in 2022 and I would expect a much quicker start from the World Number 2 knowing about the threat that Sinner can pose at his best.

There had not been a lot of positive form ahead of the Wimbledon tournament from Jannik Sinner, while he had shown little love for the grass before making an impact at this Grand Slam in 2022.

You have to believe that Sinner will know he is going to have to serve very well to just try and put a lid on the Novak Djokovic return quality and make sure that he is playing front foot tennis. Once Djokovic got comfortable with the rhythm in the Quarter Final match in 2022, he was able to keep Sinner under immense pressure and the latter's aggression means he can go off the boil with the slight margins as we have seen in this tournament against lesser opponents.

Any slip in standard will be punished by Novak Djokovic, who can still find another level when it comes to the return of serve.

His level has not been as strong as it was in the 2022 tournament win, but Novak Djokovic did break the Andrey Rublev serve five times in the last Round and that was enough to cover this kind of handicap line. The number is actually similar as it was for the Quarter Final last year and this time I would expect Novak Djokovic to be focused much more quickly than he seemed to be in the first two sets last time these two met on this court.

One factor that could make things a little better for the aggressive style that Jannik Sinner will look to employ is that the forecast is calling for a lot of rain on Friday afternoon and this match may be played under the roof. Taking away outside conditions should allow Sinner to hit through the ball, but Novak Djokovic has become used to winning in many ways on Centre Court and can extend his unbeaten run by making a big statement against one of the young talents on the ATP Tour.

Carlos Alcaraz - 1.5 sets v Daniil Medvedev: Two years ago an 18 year old Carlos Alcaraz was given something of a lesson by Daniil Medvedev in the Wimbledon Second Round and it was the latter who cruised through to the next Round in straight sets.

Fast forward to July 14th 2023 and things have changed- in their first meeting at Wimbledon, Carlos Alcaraz entered the tournament as the World Number 75, but he is now the top Seed and much more comfortable on the grass courts having reached the Fourth Round at Wimbledon in 2022 and won the the title at Queen's Club ahead of the third Grand Slam of the season.

Daniil Medvedev was the World Number 2 in June 2021 and has become a Grand Slam Champion since that match, but he is still a little uncertain about the grass courts. This is the best run he has enjoyed at Wimbledon having previously reached the Fourth Round in 2021, while Daniil Medvedev has plenty of experience as he prepares to play in his sixth Grand Slam Semi Final match.

He will be confident having won four of the previous five Grand Slam Semi Finals played and Daniil Medvedev has tended to become very battle hardened once he reaches this stage of a major tournament. The win over Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon has to give Medvedev some confidence, although the current World Number 1 will point out the extremely one-sided victory he holds over the Russian from the Indian Wells Final in March.

The serve will have to be a much bigger weapon for Daniil Medvedev in this Semi Final compared with Indian Wells if he is going to give his opponent something to think about.

Ranking wise Daniil Medvedev has had a nice run at Wimbledon, but wins over Adrian Mannarino and Christopher Eubanks are solid ones against opponents who are decent grass court players. In general he is serving well, but it will be a concern with the amount of breaks of serve he allowed a fairly limited Eubanks to find in the Quarter Final and Daniil Medvedev is going to have to just clean up some of the tennis in order to win this match.

He is capable of doing that, but it feels like Medvedev is going to allow Carlos Alcaraz to dictate the points and that might not be the best approach if the match between them at Indian Wells is anything to go by.

And like the first Semi Final, there is every chance that this match is going to be played under the roof and that is going to put more pressure on Medvedev to serve at his best to try and contain the threat from the World Number 1. Daniil Medvedev has been playing the big points pretty effectively and the decision to stand deep in the court on the return should mean he can at least get plenty of balls back into play.

However, Carlos Alcaraz has shown he can be pretty happy up the court from the baseline and this is a match where he can earn a bit of revenge for the loss at SW19 two years ago.

The Spaniard has been serving at a slightly higher level than Daniil Medvedev in this tournament and he has the superior wins when it comes to Rankings. However, Carlos Alcaraz has been pushed by players who can serve very big in Nicolas Jarry and Matteo Berrettini and Daniil Medvedev has to believe he can do something similar in this match under the roof.

You can make a case for Daniil Medvedev to win a set and at his best he can beat anyone on the Tour- however, over the last twelve months he has a 6-8 record against top ten Ranked opponents and three of those wins were in the same tournament in Dubai. The return numbers have not been impressive in those fourteen matches, and that has put him under pressure when it comes to the serve.

Over the same time period, Carlos Alcaraz has a 7-3 record against top ten Ranked opponents and he has had a slight edge on the return compared with Medvedev.

Controlling his emotions will be key after what was seen in Paris in the match against Novak Djokovic, but Carlos Alcaraz can use that experience to edge past this opponent.

An inspired Daniil Medvedev has to be expected on the court with something to prove- he will know that everyone is expecting a Final between the top two Ranked players in the world and that may mean Medvedev can play with a 'nothing to lose' attitude, which can make him very dangerous.

Tight sets have to be expected, but Carlos Alcaraz may be able to win a few more key points to earn his place in the Sunday Final with a three or four set win.

MY PICKS: Novak Djokovic - 5.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Carlos Alcaraz - 1.5 Sets @ 1.72 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Wimbledon Update: 55-55, - 12.98 Units (220 Units Staked, - 5.90% Yield)

Midweek Football Picks and Fantasy Football 2020 (July 14-17)

We are down to the final three Premier League rounds of the 2019/20 season and the big news ahead of the midweek fixtures has to be that two of the four Champions League places have been decided.

Manchester City won their appeal against UEFA when the CAS announced they should not be banned from European competition and that means this club will be playing in the Champions League along with Liverpool.

They did sound very confident from the day the initial ban was handed out by UEFA that it would be overturned and it does feel like the latter rushed the punishment without getting all their ducks in a row.

Now they are unlikely to take things any further which will be music to the ears of everyone associated with Manchester City, but perhaps not so much to Chelsea, Leicester City and Manchester United fans.

Those three teams look certain to finish in the top five of the Premier League and there might have been some hope that a Manchester City ban would allow all of them to make the Champions League, but instead it will be three teams fighting for two places. That final day fixture between Leicester City and Manchester United could easily be a winner takes all contest, although I am firm in my own belief that Manchester United will finish in the top four if they can beat Southampton, Crystal Palace and West Ham United before the final day fixtures are completed.


Things may look a little clearer by the end of this week as Premier League matches are played from Tuesday through to Friday. I will get into the FPL GW below, but first you can read my thoughts on how the matches from the midweek round will go.


Chelsea v Norwich City Pick: The Leicester City defeat on Sunday has left Chelsea in control of one of the top four places with three Premier League games to play, but Frank Lampard will not see the silver lining after his own team were crushed 3-0 at Sheffield United.

Frank Lampard will be demanding a big reaction from his team who have two very difficult looking games to come to conclude the season. Dropping points against an already relegated opponent could be a fatal blow to Chelsea's Champions League ambitions, but a win would put pressure on the likes of Leicester City and Manchester United who will be playing later this week.

The CAS decision to overturn Manchester City's ban from European competition has just upped the pressure on Chelsea and failing to return to the Champions League would be a huge blow to the club.

Chelsea have won 4 in a row at home over the last several months and Chelsea have conceded a single goal in that time.

Now they are hosting a Norwich City team who have scored 4 goals in their last 10 away Premier League games and who looked short of confidence in their 0-4 home loss to West Ham United on Saturday. There may be a feeling of release in the squad now that Norwich City have nothing to lose over their last three games, but it is very difficult to imagine things being very different at a tough away ground.

You can't always trust Chelsea considering their recent defensive performances, but they should largely manage this game as they did when beating Watford 3-0 here in their last fixture at Stamford Bridge. There is enough time to prepare for a big Cup game to come this weekend to believe Frank Lampard will play a strong team and I think they will be too good for Norwich City and likely win this game with a clean sheet.


Burnley v Wolves Pick: This might not be the fixture that neutral fans will be wanting to tune into in the early Wednesday slot, but it is an important one for both Burnley and Wolves.

Both of these teams have real ambitions of earning European spots next season, but the draw is not going to do anything for either and so you would expect attacking line ups to be selected.

However, neither Burnley nor Wolves have shown a lot of consistency in the final third since the season resumed and both have been better defensively. Well they have both been better defensively as far as the results would state, but Burnley have not been keeping teams from creating some very good chances against them and they have been thankful to Nick Pope for keeping them in games like he did in their 1-1 draw at Liverpool on Saturday.

Even in the last 2 games at Turf Moor, Burnley have not exactly been watertight against Watford and Sheffield United and this has to give Wolves some confidence off an impressive 3-0 win over Everton.

In saying that Wolves did not create a lot until given a penalty late in the first half and then scored another less than a minute after half time in that game. There is some quality in the Wolves team, but they are a functional team that can struggle to break down opponents and I honestly could see this game flying in a number of different directions.

Burnley are unbeaten in 6 at home, but Wolves had won 3 away games in succession before conceding very late on at Sheffield United. My feeling is that Wolves may sneak the win, but they are plenty short to do that and I will just be looking out for Willy Boly and Raul Jimenez to be amongst the Fantasy points.


Manchester City v Bournemouth Pick: Watford, West Ham United and Aston Villa all won games before Bournemouth kicked off and the players had to be feeling the pressure with their Premier League futures looking under threat when they took to the Vitality Stadium turf.

They were 0-1 down to Leicester City and Bournemouth looked a little lost before they received a huge slice of luck to get back into the game. Two goals in quick succession followed by a Leicester City sending off gave Bournemouth all the momentum they needed as they saw off the Champions League chasing visitors 4-1 and Bournemouth have a sniff of avoiding the drop now.

In all honesty this is likely the last game they would have wanted off the back of a morale boosting win and Eddie Howe is likely going to want his team to sit in and try and stay in the game as long as possible.

That is much easier to say than do and especially with more defensive injuries to deal with as Nathan Ake limped off on Sunday.

It would be difficult enough visiting the Etihad Stadium with a fully fit squad, but this looks a very big ask of Bournemouth. Manchester City have won 5 in a row at home in the Premier League and they have out-scored opponents 17-0 in the 4 games played here since the restart of English Football.

Pep Guardiola will likely rotate his squad knowing they have a big Cup Semi Final to come this weekend, but this is a deep squad and there will still be a lot of quality in the Manchester City starting eleven. That quality should tell against a Bournemouth team they have beaten 4 times in a row at home in the Premier League and by a 16-2 aggregate.

Goal difference could be the difference between the Premier League and Championship next season, but Bournemouth will do well to leave here even with a narrow defeat. Manchester City are flying at the moment and creating chances for fun and they should be able to get through Bournemouth fairly comfortably.

Manchester United beat Bournemouth 5-2 at Old Trafford ten days ago, and I think Manchester City will match that margin even with the changes the manager is likely to make.

The team should be looking to make a statement of their own after the club were given a reprieve from their European ban and I would expect a relatively straight-forward day for Manchester City.


Newcastle United v Tottenham Hotspur Pick: Both teams are looking for a strong end to the Premier League season, although it is only Tottenham Hotspur who now have a realistic ambition of playing in Europe next season.

The come from behind win over Arsenal on Sunday will have been a real shot in the arm for the players, but Tottenham Hotspur have struggled away from home all season. The layers are clearly pricing them up at odds on to win here because Tottenham Hotspur 'need' the game more than their hosts, but defensively they have looked vulnerable on their travels and that is something Newcastle United can exploit.

Steve Bruce has set his Newcastle United team to be fairly attacking in recent weeks with survival secured and looking to progress the squad forward. They are playing with pace in the final third and Newcastle United have created chances in games, although the new look and mentality has left them very open at the back.

Watford and West Ham United have both exposed the vulnerabilities of Newcastle United as they have begun to play with more attacking intent and that is what Tottenham Hotspur have to do.

It does have to be said that Tottenham Hotspur have not exactly impressed over the last month and they are a team who can struggle for consistency in the final third. Some of that is down to understanding what Jose Mourinho wants, but it is also partly down to the manager who tends to be more cautious in his style.

He can't afford to see Tottenham Hotspur drop points here though despite Mourinho's personal poor record at St James' Park. He has never managed a Premier League win here and I do think Newcastle United are playing well enough to create chances and score goals here.

I would not be surprised if Newcastle United earn a positive result here despite their own recent poor run. They have created chances though and I think Newcastle United can score, but the bigger feeling is that this is going to be a fixture that produces goals with both teams likely wanting to get forward.

6 of the last 7 at St James' Park between these clubs have featured at least three goals shared out and I do think there will be chances for both teams. The draw is not really worth anything to either team so this should be a game where risks are taken to earn the maximum points and a 2-1 scoreline either way would not be a surprise.


Arsenal v Liverpool Pick: In most top flight seasons Arsenal versus Liverpool is one of the stand out fixtures, but both clubs don't have as much to play for when they meet with just three League games to negotiate.

Liverpool have achieved all they wanted by winning the Premier League title and they have been struggling for some consistency in recent matches. The 1-1 home draw with Burnley are the first points Liverpool have dropped at Anfield since January 2019 and they have won just half of the 6 Premier League games played over the last month.

There is more on the line for Arsenal, but the 2-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday will have knocked confidence of the players. They previously drew 1-1 with Leicester City and might now be focused on trying to win the FA Cup as arguably their best route back into the Europa League.

Mikel Arteta does have his side playing pretty well defensively, but there are still mistakes in the team which was evident in the loss in the North London derby. They still look vulnerable to set pieces too and Liverpool have fine deliverers of the ball and a big team that can cause massive problems for the home team.

However there has yet to be the a lot of consistency in their play and I do think this could be a tight game on a ground where Arsenal and Liverpool have drawn 3 of their last 4 games against each other.

In general this has been a fixture which has produced a lot of goals so the layers are not taking any chances with it, but I think Arteta has looked to make Arsenal a little tougher all around. The last two managers have perhaps looked to go toe to toe with Liverpool, but I don't believe Arteta will approach this the same way and it could be a tight game.

It took a special goal from Alexandre Lacazette and a huge mistake from the Arsenal defence to produce two early goals on Sunday, but chances were not coming frequently outside of that. Liverpool won't want to be as open as they have been in their last couple of games as they chase three wins to break Manchester City's 100 point record, and I can see a relatively tight game to come out.

An early goal will change the entire feel of the fixture, but I think both teams might look to work their way into this one and it might be surprisingly low-scoring.


Everton v Aston Villa Pick: Anyone watching the Everton performance in their 3-0 loss at Wolves on Sunday may be worried about how much the players want to put into the remainder of the season. While it is true to say there is little left for Everton to play for, the players will also know Carlo Ancelotti has been appointed to take the club to the next level and so they have to prove they deserve to be kept on board.

The manager will be expecting a huge reaction from his team after the last performance and Everton have been stronger at home. They are unbeaten in 11 at Goodison Park in all competitions, although Everton have been given some problems by both Leicester City and Southampton in their last couple of games here.

Aston Villa have simply not looked like a team with the same attacking threat as those two clubs though and that has to be taken on board.

They have produced a big win on Sunday, but Aston Villa's confidence looks to be balanced finely and you do wonder how much belief they have to turn things around if they fall behind. They have still looked vulnerable at the back and could be missing a couple of defenders in this one, while Aston Villa are not producing a lot of consistency in the final third which adds to the pressure on those defenders looking to keep the backdoor shut.

As poor as Everton were on Sunday, I do think they are better than what they showed and they should have more spaces to try and exploit in this one. I do think they will have a reaction to the performance and Aston Villa might not have enough goals to stay with their hosts who look more threatening going forward than their relegation threatened visitors.

Aston Villa have more to play for, and they may feel that Everton are there for the taking after Sunday, but that might make the home team underestimated. Just because Aston Villa 'need' to win more than Everton, I am not sure the home team will be ready to roll over for them and there is enough of an attacking threat to give the home team a narrow win.


Leicester City v Sheffield United Pick: Over the last several months Leicester City have looked far short of the team they were earlier in the season when there was some suggestion they could be Liverpool's closest challengers for the Premier League title. Instead the team are fighting to even earn a top four position as Manchester United have closed in on them and this is far from an easy game for them.

Brendan Rodgers will feel his team dropped key points in their 4-1 defeat at the Vitality Stadium on Sunday- on the day Leicester City looked dominant at 0-1 up, but mistakes at the back turned the game on its head and the heavy defeat will have knocked the confidence of the players.

The hope is that Ben Chilwell and James Maddison can return to the squad sooner rather than later, but Leicester City have to go without in this one in all likelihood and the pressure is on. Anything less than a win could be curtains for Leicester City in their bid to return to the Champions League with games against Spurs and Manchester United to finish the season and especially so if there is a wide gap to bridge by the end of Thursday night which could be the case.

They might be desperate for the win, but Chris Wilder's Sheffield United don't roll over for any opponent. The heavy defeats of both Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea underline the point and the players look to be in much better shape than when they returned to action last month.

Sheffield United don't concede a lot of goals and their strong defensive shape will give them every chance of earning a positive result here. One goal may be enough to avoid a defeat at the King Power Stadium, and The Blades have found a cutting edge over the last ten days which has to be given a lot of respect.

It is a fixture that feels like it could be very close, but there doesn't seem to be a lot of value floating around this one. Leicester City are odds against to win, but backing them to win any game at the moment feels like a chore as they have struggled at both ends of the field.

However, I do think Sheffield United are a hard team to read because they do lack some goals and that is especially the case on their travels. This has the feeling of a single goal being enough to secure the points for either side and I can't say I am very confident on being able to select which of the two teams will do enough to do that.

Both teams will believe in their own abilities, but my lean might be towards Sheffield United to find a way to earn a positive result on the day and put another dagger into Leicester City's push for a Champions League finish.


Crystal Palace v Manchester United Pick: There are two ways of viewing some teams at this stage of the season in the position that Crystal Palace find themselves and that is either they are going to want to upset others who are playing for more than pride or they have already begun thinking about a short holiday between seasons.

A 5 game losing run in the Premier League may suggest that Crystal Palace are not so focused at the moment, but that would ignore the effort the players put in to their 2-3 defeat here to Chelsea last week.

Without a doubt it would be a different atmosphere if the fans were allowed into the Stadium as they would be urging their players to get forward and upset a 'big name club', but Crystal Palace found enough from within to challenge Chelsea. I would be surprised if things were much different when they host Manchester United on Thursday and this has been a high-scoring fixture in recent seasons as Crystal Palace have pushed Manchester United.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be reminding his players that teams with 'nothing to play for' can be very dangerous as Southampton proved on Monday night. The injury time equaliser meant Manchester United were left outside the top four and no longer control their own destiny, while the pressure will certainly be on if both Chelsea and Leicester City win their Premier League games before United play on Thursday evening.

At least Manchester United have continued scoring plenty of goals and that should encourage them against an injury hit Crystal Palace team that have conceded 17 goals in 5 consecutive Premier League defeats. Chelsea managed to score three times in winning here, but Roy Hodgson will be looking to attack a Manchester United backline that has been anything but secure in their last couple of games.

I do think Crystal Palace will score, but I also think Manchester United can bounce back from their dropped points on Monday. They have a pacy front three who can take any game away from an opponent and Crystal Palace are offering some very good chances out to teams they are facing.

Manchester United have won 5 of their last 6 games on this ground and have scored at least twice in each of those wins. They have scored three times in their last 2 visits to Selhurst Park and also in their last 2 away Premier League games in general and I think Manchester United will come out on top of this high-scoring game on Thursday.


Southampton v Brighton Pick: One of the factors that can be most difficult to give a strength to is how teams are coping with the short turnaround between matches as the Premier League tries to complete the season before the end of the month.

Southampton have had two days fewer to prepare for this Premier League game than Brighton, and I do think that is an issue which could prove to be a difference on the day.

It is something that concerns me, but Southampton have been in very good form over the last couple of weeks and they have to believe they can become the latest club to exploit some of the Brighton defensive weaknesses.

Brighton did win at Norwich City in their last away game, but they have conceded 11 goals in 3 defeats to Manchester United, Liverpool and Manchester City. There is no doubt that Southampton are not quite as strong as those teams, but they have been creating plenty of chances when going forward at Everton and Old Trafford and I do think they may have the edge in the contest.

It should be a decent game with both managers liking their teams to get forward and create opportunities, and I would not be surprised if both teams have chances to hit the back of the net. Southampton have been getting the better of Brighton in the last two years, and they would have won 4 in a row if not blowing a 2-0 lead in a 2-2 draw here last season.

There has been a better shape in Brighton's defending in recent away games which has to be respected, but Southampton might just have too much in the final third in this one. Ralph Hasenhuttl is likely to pick another attacking line up that will look to press Brighton and force mistakes high up the pitch, while Danny Ings may still feel he can win the Golden Boot race with a strong end to the season.

I expect Ings to have some chances and I think Southampton may edge this one, although Brighton have to be respected with their battling away displays of late.


West Ham United v Watford Pick: This is not quite a 'loser is relegated' kind of match, but the winning team in this Friday night showdown will almost certainly be safe from the drop.

Both David Moyes and Nigel Pearson will know the importance of the three points, although there is a slight feeling that the draw might suit both if Bournemouth and Aston Villa have been beaten in games played on Wednesday and Thursday.

That situation does cloud this one, but on current form I do think the edge is with home team West Ham United. In their last four Premier League games West Ham United have dominated the chances compared with their opponents, although the defensive problems always leaves the team vulnerable to a defeat like they suffered against Burnley.

The wins over Chelsea and Norwich City were fully deserved and West Ham United should have beaten Newcastle United and Burnley too, but it is all about which of these teams takes their chances the best.

Watford won't be short of confidence having rallied from 0-1 down to beat both Norwich City and Newcastle United over the last ten days. Both wins did come at home though and Watford have not scored in their last 4 away games in the Premier League and lost each one.

They should be able to pose some problems for West Ham United with their pace in the forward areas, but I do think Nigel Pearson will be concerned by some of the defending of late.

I expect the majority of chances to come for the home team and I do think that will give them the edge in this fixture. It might be close and tense if both Bournemouth and Aston Villa have won midweek games, but regardless of the situation I do think West Ham United are playing the better all around football over the last couple of weeks which can see them edge to the three points.

MY PICKS: Chelsea Win to Nil
Manchester City - 2.25 Asian Handicap
Newcastle United-Tottenham Hotspur Over 2.5 Goals
Arsenal-Liverpool Under 2.5 Goals
Everton - 0.25 Asian Handicap
Manchester United & Over Two Total Goals
Southampton - 0.25 Asian Handicap
West Ham United 0 Asian Handicap

Fantasy Football GameWeek 36+

It can be easy to perhaps panic and make rash decisions when playing the Fantasy Football game and especially when coming in off what is a disappointing week compared to those around you.

However I did say I wanted to keep the squad together so I would have two transfers to use in GameWeek 36+ and it has turned out to be the right decision.

Michail Antonio was brought in ahead of West Ham United's game against Burnley and it did not work out, but four goals in GW35+ has more than made up for it. The goal conceded by Liverpool was surprising, but Wolves returned a clean sheet and a goal for Raul Jimenez to at least boost the total for the week.

Captaining Anthony Martial proved to be a good move, although Manchester United's failure to earn a clean sheet was a blow. Even worse, as a fan it stung to see the team concede a second goal deep into injury time, but I do think the attacking threat of the side will give them a chance to end this Fantasy season in strong fashion.


I am still very much keeping the Free Hit Chip for the final GameWeek of the season as I am comfortable with the squad and have the two transfers to play this week.

For me the weakness of the team is clearly in the front line where Roberto Firmino and Raul Jimenez are taking the lion's share of the funds available.

With Jimenez scoring on Sunday I do feel I might be moving him on at the wrong time, but Firmino 100% has to be taken out this week. Liverpool have two difficult games coming up and Firmino seems to be the one that ties everything together for them, but is not often on the end of the chances being created.

Both Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane are chasing goal targets so they might be a little more 'greedy' with nothing left for Liverpool to play for.

I am really looking to bring in selections that may have an impact in each of the next two GameWeeks knowing the final weekend of the 2019/20 season will be a blank canvass from which I can paint my last team. It isn't easy ignoring the Chelsea and Manchester City fixtures this week, but with Chelsea going to Anfield next week I am happy keeping Christian Pulisic around even if he is a potential rotation candidate.

The one player I am most worried about avoiding is Phil Foden- I think he starts against a defensively weak Bournemouth team and he has been getting into very good positions for a Manchester City team who have scored ten goals in two games,

He could be a difference maker at this stage of the season, but I am not comfortable about dropping any of my midfield options and so the Manchester City player I am targeting is Gabriel Jesus.

The Cup Semi Final against Arsenal is the bigger game this week, but I do think Pep Guardiola is trying to build the confidence of a striker that may be key for Manchester City in the FA Cup and Champions League over the next several weeks. Gabriel Jesus was withdrawn with half an hour to go on Saturday and I would be disappointed if he doesn't lead the line.

Picking him and Danny Ings (chasing a Golden Boot and playing Brighton and Bournemouth in the next two GWs) in place of Firmino and Jimenez looks like a good enough move for me here. Wolves are playing two teams who have not defended very well in recent weeks in terms of the raw numbers, but they don't blow teams away so the risk in dropping Raul Jimenez looks like one I am ready to take.


Once again I am sticking with the Manchester United options in terms of a Captain and will go with Anthony Martial for the second GW in a row- the FA Cup Semi Final coming up on Sunday does cloud things as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer tries to keep the squad as fresh as possible, but the top four is more important than a Cup success to the manager and I do expect Martial to get at least 70 minutes against a Crystal Palace team who have conceded goals for fun in 5 consecutive losses.

With the transfers made I do feel like my overall team in GW36+ looks pretty good and I don't want to take any hits to change it more than it needs to be. This squad should be good enough for both upcoming GWs although my plan for the last free transfer of the season is to add to the midfield options for GW37+ or cover for any injuries coming out of the next four days of football.


My GW36+ team is going to be as follows:

Alisson (Liverpool v Arsenal)

Willy Boly (Wolves v Burnley)
James Justin (Leicester City v Sheffield United)
Virgil Van Dijk (Liverpool v Arsenal)

Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City v Bournemouth)
Anthony Martial (Manchester United v Crystal Palace)
Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United v Crystal Palace)
Christian Pulisic (Chelsea v Norwich City)
Michail Antonio (West Ham United v Watford)

Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City v Bournemouth)
Danny Ings (Southampton v Brighton)

Bench: Emiliano Martinez, Dwight Gayle, Harry Maguire, Federico Fernandez

Wimbledon Tennis Day 13 Picks 2019- Gentlemen's Final (July 14th)

Simona Halep is the new Wimbledon Champion and I have to say it has got to be close to the best performance of her career when dismissing Serena Williams as comprehensively as she did.

I have always had a lot of time for Halep who works hard around the court, but I was not convinced she could find her best tennis on the grass to beat Williams. I was proven more than a little wrong as the Romanian showed her consistency and ability to play defensive tennis too much for Williams to cope with who remains a Grand Slam behind Margaret Court in terms of all time Grand Slam titles won.

The pressure has to be growing on Williams to try and get up to Court's twenty-four Slams and Wimbledon might have been her best chance to do that in 2019. She is going to be entering the top hard court events in the build up to the US Open, but she has not won the title in New York since 2014 and I do think women's tennis is competitive enough at the top to make it very hard for Serena Williams to win the remaining Grand Slam event of the 2019 season.

Serena Williams has struggled to play the very best players on the Tour and some of the aura around her has dissipated with injury and failure to win a Grand Slam since the 2017 Australian Open beginning to add up. I would not be surprised to see Williams as the favourite to win at Flushing Meadows, but I wouldn't be rushing out to back her at this stage either.


On Sunday we head into the Gentlemen's Final to wrap up Wimbledon 2019, although general sports fans are spoilt for choice on the day. The Cricket World Cup Final and the British Grand Prix are underway at the same time as the men's Final at Wimbledon, but the fact we have Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer involved should bring in a few casuals too.

In this day and age, many will have secondary viewing options on the day with laptops and tablets able to stream some of the events, but it isn't an ideal situation for any of the organisers. Twelve months ago the Wimbledon men's Final clashed with the World Cup Final so it is what it is.


Below you can read my Pick from the Wimbledon Final as well as the updated Wimbledon totals.


Novak Djokovic-Roger Federer over 39.5 games: We got to see another high quality match between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in the Semi Final on Friday, but it was not quite good enough for my selection of over 39.5 games. The total missed by one game and that was much to do with the 6-1 set secured by Rafael Nadal in the second set, while he did have a break point in the final game that would have been enough to cover the total games line if he had converted it.

Thankfully on the same day Novak Djokovic had already won his Semi Final in four sets over Roberto Bautista Agut which ensured a profit for the day.

The final match to be played at Wimbledon 2019 in the Singles tournament is the Gentlemen's Final between Djokovic and Federer and they have met three previous times on the grass courts of SW19. Novak Djokovic leads that head to head 2-1, while he is also 9-6 ahead when it comes to Grand Slam meetings between these players, but Federer is playing with some serious confidence now after coming through a sticky period in the middle of his Semi Final.

A strong serving day from the former World Number 1 will put the current World Number 1 and defending Champion Novak Djokovic under some serious pressure. Everyone acknowledges the very strong returning that the Serb can produce at his best, but on this surface an aggressive performance from Roger Federer will be well rewarded.

He will have to be as aggressive as he was against Nadal, and Federer can't be worried about getting things wrong because a defensive performance is one that Novak Djokovic will exploit. In the tournament Roger Federer's serving numbers have been very impressive and winning 70% of service points against Rafael Nadal are some eye-catching numbers.

Roger Federer was broken twice by Nadal, but both in the second set and that is also an indication of how well he had been serving on the day. The service numbers have been very consistent on the grass over the last three years and while there has been an element of decline on the return, the serve is also working to build pressure on opponent's who will know it is difficult to recover being a break down against Federer.

The truth is that Novak Djokovic's service numbers have been very consistent too over the same period and being the defending Wimbledon Champion means he is going to be mentally much better prepared for the surface than Rafael Nadal. It has been a few years since Nadal has reached the Wimbledon Final so perhaps he was mentally struggling in the big moments, but that isn't going to be the case for Djokovic who has kept his strong serving together through this tournament and over the last three years on the grass courts.

His returning is the more consistent of the two players, but Federer might take risks in this one to look to take this to Djokovic. Even with that in mind I do think the right player is being favoured, although I am not going to take on underdog Federer in this one.

I think it is unlikely that Novak Djokovic wins or loses this in three sets and so I am going back to the market I used for the Roger Federer versus Rafael Nadal Semi Final. With a returner as capable as Djokovic there is a chance he could secure a set like Nadal did, but the serving of both players and the likely aggressive approach from Roger Federer should mean we get four sets that go relatively deep.

In their three Wimbledon matches, Novak Djokovic has held 89% of his service games compared with Roger Federer at 86%. All three have gone at least four sets with one of them going the distance, so I am anticipating a potential tie-breaker or two with the way the two have been able to serve so far in the tournament and through the recent years on the grass. In the last two matches between these two on the grass, we have seen at least two tie-breakers played each time and I am going to look for the two players to combine for enough games to cover this line.

Hopefully we do get to see a quality Final. I am expecting to see some very good tennis played considering the form of both Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer at Wimbledon over the last two weeks and my selection for the final is not taking a position on either player, but on the match going beyond three sets and giving us four competitive sets at the least.

MY PICKS: Novak Djokovic-Roger Federer Over 39.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Wimbledon Update: 55-41, + 21.44 Units (191 Units Staked, + 11.23% Yield)

World Cup Final 2018 Pick- France vs Croatia (July 15th)

I can't believe a month at the World Cup is about o come to a close on Sunday and I have to say the tournament has been about as good as any going back to Italia 90.

The England run was magnificent and united a country at a difficult time, while there have been a couple of truly memorable World Cup matches notably Portugal vs Spain and Brazil vs Belgium.

Hopefully there are two more quality matches to come with the unwanted Third/Fourth Play Off coming on Saturday before the Final between France and Croatia kicks off on Sunday.

And then it will be all eyes turned to Qatar in four and a half years time.

Belgium vs England

Some would consider this the most meaningless game in international football as the two losing Semi Finalists at the World Cup Finals meet for the right to say they finished third at the event. No player is going to be that interested about parading a bronze medal around, but there is an edge to Belgium versus England which could mean another high-scoring game.

High-scoring games is what the Third/Fourth Play Off has become known for as teams are perhaps using changed line ups and there isn't anything to lose so attacking football comes to the fore.

Both Belgium and England will feel they can get at what can be considered vulnerable defences and the attacking players will have their chances in this one.

The edge between the teams comes from the fact that so many of them will be familiar with one another with a huge amount of the Belgium players currently plying their trade in the English Premier League. While the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku were not featured in the Group Stage win over England, I imagine they will be urging Roberto Martinez to allow them to play this game.

Martinez himself has insisted Belgium are looking for their best ever World Cup Finals and they can do that by winning this game and surpassing the efforts made by the 1986 squad. It is also important to Martinez to give the team some momentum for the UEFA Nations League and moving through to Euro 2020 in two years time after an improved Belgium performance at this World Cup.

Gareth Southgate has suggested the same for England, but injuries are adding up and England have had less time to get over their disappointment of missing out on a World Cup Finals place. They have also had to play an additional thirty minutes before going out of the tournament and I think a fresher Belgium with arguably a stronger starting eleven will be too good for England.

This may not be the game that either team wanted to be playing this weekend but I think the players will be keen to get one over on club team-mates and that makes for a good looking game of football.


I have to give the edge to Belgium who have the stronger attacking approach and what looks like a defence with a few less mistakes in them than their England counterparts. Having an extra day to recover for this game will help and I think Belgium are worth backing on the Asian Handicap to earn the win.

France vs Croatia

This may not be a World Cup Final that a lot of people would have predicted at the start of the tournament but it could be argued the two best teams have made it through to contest the biggest prize in football.

Teams like Belgium may argue against that, and some have even suggested the Semi Final between France and Belgium was effectively the 'real Final', but France will need to be reminded of how things can go wrong if you overlook an opponent.

Just look back two years- France beat World Cup Champions Germany 2-0 in the Euro 2016 Semi Final and most expected them to get past Portugal and even more so when Cristiano Ronaldo had to leave very early with an injury. Even then things did not work out as they would have expected as they were beaten 0-1 in their home Final and I think Didier Deschamps will make sure the players are reminded of needing to be focused.

I do think the players would have learned from those mistakes though and I don't think France will make those again.

That isn't underestimating Croatia, but there has to be an accumulated fatigue building up to the levels which will make it tough for them to perform at their best. For forty-five minutes against England Croatia were clearly second best and it was only a couple of big missed opportunities that prevented England from taking complete control of that Semi Final.

France may be a cautious side by nature under Deschamps, but they have been looking pretty tight defensively and they have the midfield to disrupt the power of the Croatian side in the middle of the park. That is key for France and doing that should mean they can expose what has looked a vulnerable Croatia defence and I very much think France win this Final.

They are the fresher team who have had longer to prepare for the Final and the experience of Euro 2016 should really help the players focus for this one. France have enough quality in the final third to create chances and are a threat at set pieces, while the last couple of games have seen them defend very well.

It all adds up to a simple selection for me and that is backing France to win this game. If they score first, as they have in their three Knock Out ties and Croatia have conceded first in all three Knock Out ties, I think France will be very tough to peg back and have the counter attack to finish off what will be tired opponents.


All credit to Croatia for making the Final, but all the additional football needed will have added up physically and emotionally and I will back France to win a second World Cup title twenty years after the first.

MY PICKS: Belgium - 0.25 Asian Handicap @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)
France @ 1.95 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Semi Final Final: 1-1, + 0.20 Units (4 Units Staked, + 5% Yield)
Quarter Final Final: 2-2, + 2.70 Units (8 Units, + 33.75% Yield)
Last 16 Final: 2-6, - 7.20 Units (16 Units Staked, - 45% Yield)
Group Stage Round Robin Three Final: 8-8, + 3.53 Units (27.50 Units Staked, + 12.84% Yield)
Group Stage Round Robin Two Final: 8-7-1, + 1.09 Units (31 Units Staked, + 3.52% Yield)


Group Stage Round Robin One Final: 8-8, + 5.24 Units (28 Units Staked, + 18.71% Yield)

Wimbledon Tennis Day 11 Picks 2017 (July 14th)

At one point in this tournament, it looked like the men's Semi Finals were going to be epic, but I think some of the air has been taken out of the excitement since Manic Monday.

Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic have all been exited the tournament since then and now it feels like Roger Federer is going to be very difficult to stop.

I know in my mind what the 'best' Final would be, but the Semi Final matches will determine who actually has a chance to play for the title on Sunday and they are at least a little fascinating if not the ideal matches for the fans who may have had big expectations on Monday morning.


I went into the Ladies' Semi Finals in a difficult position as to whether I should lay off the Venus Williams price from the outright picks or not. Ultimately I decided to let things ride and it paid off as the American reached the Final on Saturday.

I will take a lot at the Ladies' Final on Friday and see what do to with what will be a big priced winner if Venus can go on and win the title as I am expecting in the immediate aftermath of the Semi Final matches.

For now I will concentrate on the men's event.

Sam Querrey-Marin Cilic over 41.5 games: There have been factors around both wins, but Sam Querrey has beaten the defending Wimbledon Champion in 2016 and 2017. Last year there was no immediate emotional come down from the American after beating Novak Djokovic, but there are more factors at play in this Semi Final match against Marin Cilic.

The win over Novak Djokovic came in four sets and it was in the Third Round, but this time Querrey is into a maiden Semi Final at the Grand Slam level which is clearly going to play some part in the mindset. This year Querrey has also had to win three matches in a row in five sets which means there could be a touch of fatigue for a player who also has played some Doubles.

Now he faces an opponent he has never beaten before which includes three losses on the grass and two of those coming at Wimbledon. Marin Cilic also had to go through five sets to get by Gilles Muller, who had surprised Rafael Nadal, and I think the Croatian will have been disappointed with his returning for large parts of his Quarter Final.

Overall Cilic has been very good on the return of serve in this tournament, although facing the big Sam Querrey delivery is going to be as frustrating as it was facing Muller's. There will be times when Querrey has four big serves and the game will be over, but Cilic will feel he can get the better of the American over the distance as some tiredness perhaps sets in.

The Querrey return game is still not one that should worry Cilic a lot, but the latter has thrown in a couple of really sloppy games throughout the tournament matches which may give his opponent a chance. I still don't think it will be enough to win the match but Querrey will be feeling some confidence which may help him take a set in this one at the least.

The two previous matches between these two at Wimbledon have both gone deep into a fifth set and I am not anticipating a lot of breaks of serve in this one either. I do think Cilic will have the edge in the contest with the way he can return, but his generally poor tie-breaker record in 2017 means Querrey should have his chances if he is not fatiguing and able to keep serving as well as he can.

It does feel the layers are perhaps underestimating the chance of Querrey taking a set in this one with the line they have released for the total games. If this was to go into a fourth set as I am expecting, I do think it will be very tough for the match to finish under the total with the way both Querrey and Cilic are able to serve and I will back the games to be surpassed in this one.


Roger Federer-Tomas Berdych over 3.5 sets: I will be the first to admit that when Novak Djokovic first pulled out of his Quarter Final with Tomas Berdych my initial reaction was that Roger Federer was going to be far too good for the Czech player. It will take a brave person to oppose Federer when it comes to winning the tournament, but Berdych is playing well enough to have something to say in this one.

It will take a big effort from Berdych whose returning numbers have declined this season to the point that you have to feel that his days as a mainstay in the top 10 of the World Rankings may be behind him. The run at Wimbledon may have given Berdych a boost having matched his run to the Semi Final in 2016, but he was beaten easily enough in 2016 by Andy Murray and has to show better on the return to challenge Roger Federer.

The one bonus for Berdych is how well he has been serving, but he is facing Federer who just saw off Milos Raonic in straight sets and managed to get the Canadian into tough spots behind serve. With Roger Federer serving as well as he has been this past ten days, it is going to be very difficult for Berdych to get his teeth into this match and I do worry for him.

It is also Roger Federer who has won the last seven matches between these players and he has just dropped two sets in that time while also beating Berdych in straight sets at the Australian Open in January. Those wins will give Federer confidence, but Berdych may take something away from his narrow loss to Federer in Miami when Berdych actually won more points in the match despite the defeat.

The last time they met at Wimbledon it was Berdych who got the better of Federer in four sets, but it doesn't feel like he is returning well enough to do that this time. However I do think Berdych is serving well enough to take a set in this one and backing the match to need at least four sets looks the call.

I was tempted to pick Federer to win this one in four sets, but I think simply looking for this match to be a little more competitive than most think is the way the second Semi Final could go. While Berdych may struggle to get his teeth into the Federer service games with any consistency, I do think he is playing well enough to serve his way to a set and that is the main reason I am backing this to go into a fourth set.

It would be a huge surprise to me if Berdych was able to win this in straight sets, but I do think he can give Federer something to think about in the match and at least push the former World Number 1 into a competitive contest.

MY PICKS: Sam Querrey-Marin Cilic Over 41.5 Games @ 1.83 Sporting Bet (2 Units)
Roger Federer-Tomas Berdych Over 3.5 Sets @ 2.10 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Wimbledon Update: 43-47, - 6.24 Units (175 Units Staked, - 3.57% Yield)