World Cup of Darts Day 3 Picks 2026 (Saturday 13th June)

The Football World Cup started on Thursday on the same day as the World Cup of Darts began and this remains a popular tournament for Darts fans tuning in for a rare pairs event.

Unsurprisingly the favourites are England with the two Lukes joining together for a second year and looking to vastly improve on the opening exit twelve months ago.

Teams like Netherlands and Northern Ireland will have plenty to say about the odds with the latter of those teams the defending Champions and the former putting two Premier League participants together.

The pairs event are very different for players with one throw each meaning a significant time between stepping up to the oche compared with the usual Tour. That does make upsets more common and teams will have to be aware as to how they gel together in order to have the best run possible and that is where Northern Ireland could find a way to defend the title won last year.

With the Group Stage concluded, the Second Round is played across two Sessions and in a best of fifteen Legs format.

While some will feel that will give the better teams a chance to really impose themselves, the reality is that England's demise in the Second Round last year will just keep players and teams that much more focused as they bid to avoid doing the same.

Ireland most 180s & over 2.5 180s v Poland: Both of these teams impressed in the Group Stage and Ireland certainly look like they could be a lively underdog in the outright market.

They will have to score well to put the pressure on Poland and the Irish team have already thrown six maximums in the two Group matches played, while hitting three in each victory.

Those came in the best of nine Leg format and Ireland should have plenty of time to hit at least three maximums again.

Poland are capable of getting things going when it comes to attacking the treble 20 bed and they have to be respected, but this is a team that have been throwing big scores with consistency without needing maximums.

They are favourites to win, but Ireland are rightly favoured to have more maximums in the contest and them doing so in a match where they put at least three on the board looks the best approach to take.

Scotland - 4.5 legs v Norway: Twelve months ago, Scotland drew the short straw when being paired to face Netherlands in the Second Round, but the 8-0 defeat will have stung.

Gary Anderson is back, but this time he is being partnered by Cameron Menzies rather than Peter Wright and it will be interesting how they play together.

Both can be very good scorers and Anderson's finishing can carry the team, while Scotland also benefit from facing a much more comfortable looking opponent compared with the 2025 tournament.

Norway did not exactly light up the scoreboard in beating Finland and Hungary to top the Group Stage, and they barely got over the line in the end.

Cor Dekker is a solid competitor, but the pressure could be on partner Kent Joran Sivertsen and the expectation is that Scotland make amends for their 2025 embarrassing exit by earning a big win in the Second Round in 2026.

Wales - 2.5 legs v United States: There was some controversy surrounding Gerwyn Price's absence for the World Cup of Darts, but the tournament continues and Jonny Clayton will try and help Nick Kenny through the occasion.

Wales had two very different performances in the Group Stage, but the second was perhaps more lacklustre with Qualification effectively secured before the match against Thailand begun.

It could have led to a loss of focus, but Clayton and Kenny have more to give and the upper level may be too much for a steady United States to compete.

Coming through a Group containing Australia and Canada will give the USA a huge amount of confidence, but they may need another gear if the Welsh are now a little more focused moving into the Knock Out Rounds.

The draw looks tough with the winner set to face either England or Spain in the Quarter Final, but Wales could move into that Round behind a confident win as long as Jonny Clayton and Nick Kenny rediscover the scoring from Thursday.

Germany - 1.5 legs v Czechia: This looks like a potentially quality Second Round match on paper, but the home crowd are surely going to help push Germany over the line.

Both of the teams impressed in the Group Stage, but it was Germany who produced the higher level during the two wins they produced compared with Czechia, who were steady in the first game and more impressive in the second.

Last year Germany reached the Semi Final of the World Cup of Darts and the team will be confident that they can help one another through difficult moments.

Czechia also reached the Knock Out Rounds last year and they look a stronger team with Adam Gawlas joining 'Evil Charlie', but Germany may have the upper hand in the scoring stakes and that can see them edge through without a deciding Leg.

England over 4.5 180s v Spain: Luke Humphries and Luke Littler too chunks out of one another in the Premier League Final at the end of May, but they will be pairing up for a second time at the World Cup of Darts with redemption on the mind.

They were huge favourites to win this tournament last year, but England were upset by Germany in the Second Round.

Both Littler and Humphries seem to get on well enough, but they are also rivals at the very top of the sport and it would not surprise if privately they would prefer to play with someone else rather than one another.

However, they should be better than they were twelve months ago and both players will have something to prove.

Spain came through an awkward looking Group and eliminated the Seeded team of Croatia, but this is a big step upwards and the team will have to be better.

Cristo Reyes has shown he can produce a high level this year, but England's power scoring is likely going to give them the edge- last year they had five maximums in a defeat and England can reach that number in what is likely to be a winning effort in the Second Round this time around.

MY PICKS: Ireland Most 180s & Over 2.5 180s @ 2.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Scotland - 4.5 Legs @ 2.00 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Wales - 2.5 Legs @ 2.00 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Germany - 1.5 Legs @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

England Over 4.5 180s @ 2.25 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Darts 2026: 78-106, - 14.76 Units (181 Units Staked, - 8.15% Yield)

NBA Playoffs 2026- NBA Finals Picks Game 1-7 (Wednesday 3rd June-Friday 19th June)

Twelve months ago, the 2025 NBA Finals began with the main focus for this writer being the narrow exit suffered by the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals.

During the course of an up and down regular season, the Knicks looked like a team that may come up short again and at 2-1 down in the First Round of the NBA Playoffs, the critics were sharpening the knives.

Instead of crumbling to a very early exit, the New York Knicks rallied and they are on a Playoff heater and now return to the NBA Finals for the first time in 27 years!

History has a tendency to repeat itself and so it is perhaps fitting that the New York Knicks will be facing the San Antonio Spurs, the team that beat the Knicks 4-1 in the 1999 NBA Finals.

While the Knicks have been crushing all who have stood in front of them, the San Antonio Spurs had to dig deep to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma City Thunder, but it would be a poor excuse for a young team to speak about fatigue having last played on Saturday. There have been plenty of emotion put into reaching the NBA Finals, but inexperience is a bigger factor in the NBA Finals for this young core.

The NBA have to be really pleased with the Finals match up at a time when the Football World Cup is due to kick off in the United States- Victor Wembanyama is trying to become the face of the League and going up against a New York Knicks team that have given the entire City a huge energy boost should make for fascinating viewing for as long as these Finals last.

NBA Finals 2026- San Antonio Spurs vs New York Knicks (June 3rd-19th)

Wednesday 3rd June

New York Knicks @ San Antonio Spurs Game 1 Pick: Earlier in the season, the New York Knicks upset the San Antonio Spurs to win the NBA Cup and the two teams have fought their way through the Playoffs to set up a rematch for a much bigger prize.

Twelve years have passed since the San Antonio Spurs last won the NBA Championship, but the Draft Pick of Victor Wembanyama was seen as a pivotal moment in a new era. The Spurs have to be given credit for other choices they have made and this is a young group that could create a dynasty in the years ahead having shown what they can do when beating the defending Champions Oklahoma City Thunder in seven games in the Western Conference Finals.

That victory means the Spurs arrive at the NBA Finals with a lot of belief and it is San Antonio that will get to host the first two games of the Series.

One of the big questions for this young San Antonio team is how they will handle the pressure of playing in the NBA Finals after missing six straight Playoff seasons before this one. Some of those questions have been answered in beating the Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma City Thunder in the Playoffs, but the NBA Finals is considered a significantly different experience and some of the biggest names in NBA history have suffered in the first appearance on this stage.

Victor Wembanyama is the key for the Spurs and he cannot afford to struggle- big performances in the four wins secured over the Oklahoma City Thunder proved decisive and it is no surprise that the Thunder won the three games when Wemby was not at his best.

He can be a monster factor on both ends of the floor, but it is also important that the other players on the court contribute as the Spurs look to keep the New York Knicks waiting for a Championship.

Fifty-three years have passed since the New York Knicks last won the NBA Championship and twenty-seven since they last played in the NBA Finals.

Much of the intervening time has been a mess, but Leon Rose has to be given a lot of credit for the way he has constructed this roster- the signing of Jalen Brunson has proved to be a masterstroke, but deals to bring in the likes of Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges have all strengthened the roster.

Throw in Mitchell Robinson, who should be recovered from a pinky injury that had some fearing he would miss some of the NBA Finals, and the likes of Landry Shamet and Miles McBride from the bench and this New York Knicks team will feel they can match up with anyone.

It helps that they have won eleven Playoff games in a row and by huge margins as they completed back to back sweeps of the Philadelphia 76ers and Cleveland Cavaliers. That means the team have had eight days of rest, while the San Antonio Spurs have had to play three games in that time, and the New York Knicks will be looking to make that rest count.

There is no doubting that there is going to be a lot of pressure on the New York Knicks, but they will feel they match up well with the San Antonio Spurs and the three regular season games between the teams back that up. The Knicks won twice and in good fashion, while they were only narrowly beaten in San Antonio and the New York team can make the adjustments within the game to change the flow of the momentum.

The Knicks do match up well with the San Antonio Spurs, but the same will be felt by the Western Conference Champions.

New York are well rested, but you do have to wonder if that will mean another slow start- yes, they beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 1 in the Eastern Conference Finals, but it should not be forgotten that the Knicks were 22 Points behind in the Fourth Quarter and Cleveland blew a big opportunity.

That was after another seven games had been needed in the previous Series and this San Antonio Spurs team have had a bit more recovery time compared with Cleveland.

Being at home in Game 1 is also a big advantage and this is a NBA Finals featuring two teams who will want to spot up shooters at the three point arc- if the Knicks are a little more rusty than rested, the San Antonio Spurs may take advantage and Game 1s of recent NBA Finals have been dominated by the home team.

Hosts who have also been asked to lay at least 4.5 points in NBA Finals have also been on a very strong run and the feeling is that the rhythm of the San Antonio Spurs may see them get into the lead and manage that much better than Cleveland did against the New York Knicks.

Friday 5th June

New York Knicks @ San Antonio Spurs Game 2 Pick: In the middle of the Third Quarter, it felt like the New York Knicks were struggling to find the right rhythm to get back into Game 1 of the NBA Finals and the long Playoff run of wins looked to be coming to an end.

However, this has proven to be a team that has forgotten how to lose and the Knicks continue to come up with big plays in the Fourth Quarter, much as they have all season.

Captain Clutch, Jalen Brunson, made the big plays late in the Fourth Quarter that ultimately helped the New York Knicks overcome a big deficit and take the 1-0 lead in the Series, but they will be expecting a big effort from the San Antonio Spurs in Game 2. All season the Spurs have bounced back when losing and this is a young core that have listened to the adjustments that have been made in the Playoff run so there will remain a confidence and a belief that they can turn things back around.

Mitch Johnson has done a fine job as Head Coach, but he will have had to listen to some criticism for the way he oversaw the Fourth Quarter- Dylan Harper was not given the minutes that his first half performance deserved and the likes of De'Aaron Fox really did not reach the level that you would expect of someone of his quality.

Even Victor Wembanyama was critical of his own effort in Game 1, but this is a player who has recovered and come out and made a statement after a poor showing and everyone associated with the Knicks will expect that on Friday night.

There was much to like about the way the Knicks kept battling, but New York will also believe there is much more to come from themselves- Brunson was immense late in the Fourth Quarter yet again, but overall he will believe he needs to be more efficient and everyone will be hoping that the early knee and ankle injuries suffered by the best player on the team are not going to become a problem.

Both teams struggled from the three point range, but having that Game 1 under the belt and limited rest between the first two games of the NBA Finals should mean shooters are in better rhythm. Open looks were not knocked down, but the Spurs and Knicks will continue trying to get to open shooters and expect themselves to be better.

Defensive adjustments may be made by the San Antonio Spurs to make Wembanyama more effective after allowing the New York Knicks to get into the paint with real success in Game 1. The Spurs will also look for a more efficient game from Wemby who was 6-21 in Game 1 and San Antonio are still in a position where hosts have tended to play well, as the Oklahoma City Thunder did in Game 2 after dropping the opener of the NBA Finals twelve months ago.

It is a League where narrow margins make up the bigger picture and the San Antonio Spurs struggled to make the shots presented to them- they will want to create more turnovers than they did in the second half of Game 1, while the Head Coach will likely shift up the Defensive schemes and turn to the hot hands a little quicker than he did in the opener.

Losing is a blow for the Spurs, but they are still capable of earning a split of the first two games, but this New York Knicks team is playing with momentum and a confidence that will be difficult to shake.

The expectation is that the Spurs will make the adjustments to bounce back and the three point shooters are likely to be better with the looks they get in Game 2 having missed some good chances in Game 1. All season San Antonio have done that and the outright winner continues to dominate in the NBA Playoffs in 2026 at a record rate.

Being wrong would not be difficult to accept as a fan, but the feeling is that everything will be tied up when these teams meet in a NBA Finals game at Madison Square Garden for the first time since 1999 on Monday.

Monday 8th June

San Antonio Spurs @ New York Knicks Game 3 Pick: For just the third time in the history of the NBA Finals, a road team has won the opening two games and the previous two times it happened, those teams went on to win the NBA Championship.

As you can imagine, excitement has soared through the roof in New York City after the home town Knicks returned with a 2-0 lead from the business trip to Texas.

Fifty-three years since winning the NBA Championship for the last time, the New York Knicks return home with a big lead and with two games to be played at Madison Square Garden. Even a split would be seen as a positive in the Series setting, but the Knicks have won thirteen Playoff games in a row and they do not want to lose any momentum.

Experience at key times in the Fourth Quarter have been key in both opening wins and it is certainly the inexperience of the San Antonio Spurs that has proved to be costly.

They had chances to win both opening games, but the Spurs have made critical, fatal mistakes at the worst times and Victor Wembanyama will have been hearing all about his over the last couple of days.

With the game tied, Wembanyama picked up the Defensive Rebound and the Spurs in a position to get the final shot of the game- the entire NBA world would have gasped when he inexplicably decided to throw the ball forward to Stephon Castle, who had already turned his head to get up the court and move into a position to open up the Offensive plays for the last shot of the game.

Victor Wembanya's turnover proved to be decisive with Jalen Brunson picking up the ball, earning the foul and sinking one of two Free Throws to help the New York Knicks into the lead. Even then, Wemby had a chance to win the game for the Spurs, but missed a decent look at the basket and San Antonio travel looking to at least earn one more shot at home.

Game 3 is huge for the Spurs- no NBA team has won a Playoff Series from 0-3 behind, but the young team will have to find a way to dig in and cool what is going to be a raucous Madison Square Garden crowd.

It is a big ask as they look to make adjustments, but the Spurs will still believe they have played well enough to have found a way to win both games.

The New York Knicks will be confident as long as they are within striking range in the Fourth Quarter, but this is going to be a potentially pressurised environment with the team able to reach out and touch the trophy. They have shown so much character and conviction in the play throughout this post-season run and the Knicks continue to defy the odds, but they are favourites in Game 3 and that is going to bring a different kind of pressure on the team.

Jalen Brunson has found some big buckets late, but the Knicks still need more from him, while the way they have played on the Defensive side of the court continues to impress.

The Knicks are capable, but so are the Spurs and the best way to approach Game 3 is backing the under to hit for a third time in the 2026 Finals.

In recent seasons, the under has been the big winner in NBA Finals games and both the Knicks and Spurs have shown they can be very effective on that side of the court, which has made life tougher for the shooters as they continue to fight through contested lanes.

There have been stretches of misses throughout the first two games of the NBA Finals and that may be the best approach to take to Game 3 as the Series shifts to the East Coast.

Wednesday 10th June

San Antonio Spurs @ New York Knicks Game 4 Pick: The energy around New York City had been electric after winning both games on the road in the NBA Finals, but that perhaps contributed to a few nerves for the home town Knicks early in Game 3.

Ir was the first NBA Finals game played at Madison Square Garden in twenty-seven years and that meant a huge increase in ticket prices- some have suggested that the raw fans being priced out contributed to a less than raucous atmosphere inside The Garden and allowed the San Antonio Spurs to settle in during this business trip as they look to drag themselves back into the Series.

Even then, it was another close, competitive game and that has to be the expectation around Game 4, which feels hugely pivotal.

If the Knicks win, a 3-1 lead looks like one that will lead to the end of the fifty-three year wait to win the NBA Championship.

However, a Spurs win not only levels up the NBA Finals, but it likely sees the oddsmakers shift back into making San Antonio favourite.

One day of rest between Game 3 and Game 4 does make things challenging, especially for the San Antonio Spurs who asked the key contributors to do some heavy lifting on Monday to ensure they were not being asked to become the first team in NBA history to win a best of seven Series from 3-0 behind. That does mean fatigue is a potential issue against a New York Knicks team who have a bit more depth that Head Coach Mike Brown feels he can rely upon to make important contributions.

The energy will be a little more nervy around the New York Knicks after seeing the thirteen game Playoff winning run ended and it is important to make a more decisive start.

Mike Brown has also been highly critical of the officiating in the last couple of games and that is something that could be on the mind of those taking charge in Game 4. There was a huge disparity in Free Throws attempted and the Knicks will look to attack what may be a young, slightly fatigued team that put so much into Monday night.

Game 3 comfortably moved past the total. but the Fourth Quarter only featured 43 points combined as tiredness of both physical and mental nature perhaps began to take its toll.

That could carry over into Game 4 and backing the under is the play in what looks a very tough game from which to pick a winner.

Saturday 13th June

New York Knicks @ San Antonio Spurs Game 5 Pick: Big comebacks are a part of any sporting field, but when they happen in the Finals of any of those sports, they go down in history.

Game 4 of the 2026 NBA Finals will sit alongside the New England Patriots recovery from 28-3 down in the Super Bowl as the most improbable of comebacks and arguably the New York Knicks win over San Antonio Spurs surpasses anything that has come before.

Trailing by 29 points and looking lost at both ends of the court, the New York Knicks created the biggest comeback in NBA Finals history to steal Game 4 from under the noses of the San Antonio Spurs and move to one win from a first Championship since 1973.

For the second time in the NBA Finals, the San Antonio Spurs have to be wondering how they have managed to lose a game in the final seconds, although this one will feel worse than Game 2 considering the lead that had been built.

De'Aaron Fox will have to accept the criticism that has come his way- the turnovers in the Third and Fourth Quarter were pretty poor, but it is the abject decision making from a veteran to try and score a basket with the Spurs up by a point and with the shot clock off that has garnered most attention. The absolute play is to drag the ball out and get the Knicks to foul, but Fox made a ridiculously poor choice and ultimately that was a key reason the Spurs ended up falling.

However, the blame cannot be attached to one play and one player- the Spurs had a huge lead but scored just 30 points in the second half having put 76 points on the board in the first half. Poor clock management and a lack of conviction in trying to get to the rim against a team in foul trouble cannot be ignored, while Head Coach Mitch Johnson has to be questioned for the lack of Timeouts used to try and refocus the team as the lead began to dwindle.

Of course you have to credit the New York Knicks for fighting back- that makes them 5-3 in the last two post-seasons when trailing by 20 points, but like the Game 1 win in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Knicks needed help from the visiting team.

Never giving up is a real testament to the character of the players, but no one is taking anything for granted just yet and each of the four games could have easily swung the other way.

Two days of rest between games means physical fatigue is less of a concern, but you do have to wonder how much the San Antonio Spurs have left as they return home needing to win three games to win the NBA Championship. At 2-2 you would have made them favourites, but the entire situation of Game 4 means this young team are going to have grow up really quickly if they are going to force a return to New York City and Madison Square Garden.

It is really hard to factor how the Spurs are feeling, although they bounced back from blowing Game 2 in disastrous fashion to win Game 3 on the road.

You have to expect an early push from the Spurs, but the New York Knicks continue to show that they will not be cowed by a quick punch and instead will have plenty left in the tank to fight back. The Knicks did put in a huge second half effort to win Game 4 and they will also have to deal with what could be an emotional letdown and so picking a side is perhaps not as easy as it may feel.

For some the momentum is such with the Knicks that the points being given to them is very appealing, but the better approach may be going to back to the under market.

It was an incredibly fortunate winner in Game 4 considering how well the Spurs shot in the first half, but that was a level that was always going to be hard to sustain.

The expectation is that better clock management is going to be the key for both teams and that may help produce a shortened game, while the officials have been criticised for some of the fouls that have been given.

There is every chance that the NBA Finals is concluded on Saturday, but the Spurs will have something to say about that and two teams playing after the emotions of Wednesday night may not be able to combine to surpass this points total. Both have been very good Defensively and been able to slow the other down for stretches and that could be the case in Game 5 with three of the first four games in the NBA Finals all finishing below the total set.

MY PICKS: 03/06 San Antonio Spurs - 4.5 Points @ 1.91 William Hill (1 Unit)

05/06 San Antonio Spurs - 6 Points @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

08/06 New York Knicks-San Antonio Spurs Under 215.5 Points @ 1.91 William Hill (1 Unit)

10/06 New York Knicks-San Antonio Spurs Under 216.5 Points @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

13/06 San Antonio Spurs-New York Knicks Under 216.5 Points @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

NBA Finals: 01-3, - 2.09 Units (4 Units Staked, - 52.25% Yield)

Conference Finals: 9-2, + 6.24 Units (11 Units Staked, + 56.73% Yield)

Second Round: 5-8, - 3.45 Units (13 Units Staked, - 26.54% Yield)

First Round: 15-17, - 3.28 Units (32 Units Staked, - 10.25% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2025 (Friday 13th June)

The French Open frustration was largely built on the fact that too many matches had seen players dominate the Break Points, but find a way to miss out on winning those important points.

It felt like something of a hangover from that when the opening Pick of the week struggled to get over the line, despite having the better of the chances.

However, Diana Shnaider was able to rally together in time to produce the win needed and Elena Rybakina was then able to save some late Break Points to earn another winner.

Emma Raducanu rounded out the day, even after blowing a 5-0 lead in the first set, and that has produced a solid opener to the grass court season.

There is still some work to do to secure a positive return for the week, but that start at least puts a solid foundation to build upon.

Madison Keys - 2.5 games v Diana Shnaider: The opening Quarter Final at Queens looks a very good looking match on Friday and both Madison Keys and Diana Shnaider have had solid victories under their belt over the last few days.

Playing on the grass after a long grass court season can be challenging, but having those matches, and wins, to fall back upon should mean Keys and Shnaider are pretty happy with where they are.

Madison Keys was Seeded through to the Second Round and won her match on Wednesday, which means having had a day of rest ahead of the Quarter Final. That should be a help, while the fact that Diana Shnaider was pushed into a third set in her own Second Round win over Katie Boulter could leave the youngster a little vulnerable.

She has won a title on the grass in 2024 and so Diana Shnaider will enter the court with some confidence.

Serving well is going to be the key for the World Number 12 and the first two matches have shown enough from Diana Shnaider to believe she can give Madison Keys something to think about. Playing the Break Points with a bit more confidence will be important and Diana Shnaider has to be careful that she is not offering up too many looks at her second serve.

There is no doubt that Madison Keys is going to be serving well- this is a big part of her tennis and over the years the serve has been a key weapon for Keys on the grass. She has enjoyed some quality runs at Wimbledon and there is a new confidence around Madison Keys since winning the Australian Open earlier this year.

One of the criticisms of the American has been on the return of serve as Madison Keys has struggled with the balance needed to be really effective on this surface.

However, Keys got her eye in during the Second Round win and she did have too much for Diana Shnaider when they met in Miami in March 2024.

The younger player is much improved fifteen months later, but Madison Keys may just have the grass court know-how to get the better of Diana Shnaider again.

Elena Rybakina - 5.5 games v Tatjana Maria: At 37 years old, you can forgive Tatjana Maria if she is considering ending her time on the Tour at the end of the season, especially having lost more matches than she has won over the last twelve months.

Slipping down the World Rankings and having to Qualify for some of the important events on the Tour may not be something that Tatjana Maria is prepared to do, although her run at Queens will certainly help.

Her run is set to take her back inside the top 80 of the World Rankings, but Maria will be thinking about more than that.

It would mean upsetting a former Wimbledon Champion- Elena Rybakina won the title in 2022, but it was also a memorable tournament for Tatjana Maria who reached the Semi Final and was a set away from beating Ons Jabeur. Four wins here in Queens, including two against top 30 Ranked players, will have given Tatjana Maria confidence and her previous grass exploits deserve respect.

At the same time this is another significant test for the underdog, especially if Elena Rybakina has just found her range back on the grass court.

Only late nerves added some drama to the Second Round win over Heather Watson, but Elena Rybakina was very good on the day and she will have gained plenty from having that grass court match. Her game is tailored to be very effective on this surface and the Quarter Final could follow a similar pattern to the Second Round win.

Elena Rybakina will know there are some improvements to be made- she will need to do better on the second serve and the returning numbers can be improved, but the power in her tennis is hard to ignore.

A tough opening set is to be expected, but Elena Rybakina can find a way to move in front and then perhaps power through the second set, much like she did against Heather Watson.

The only previous match between Elena Rybakina and Tatjana Maria ended with the former coming through 7-5, 6-0 on a hard court at the back end of 2023. This one is unlikely to be as wide as that, but Elena Rybakina could still cover the handicap mark that has been set.

MY PICKS: Madison Keys - 2.5 Games @ 1.66 William Hill (1 Unit)

Elena Rybakina - 5.5 Games @ 2.00 William Hill (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 3-0, + 2.65 Units (3 Units Staked, + 88.33% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2022 (June 13th)

The first grass court tournaments of the 2022 season are in the books, but stronger fields have assembled this week with bigger Ranking points available.

With the uncertainty about the tournament in Queens and whether the Ranking points would be stripped after Wimbledon's decision to ban Russian and Belarusian players, I do think it has suffered in the entry list.

In previous years, Queens has had so many of the top names involved, but the field clearly looks weaker in 2022, although Matteo Berrettini is back as the defending Champion fresh off his success last week in Stuttgart.

After a difficult ending to the clay court season, it was good to get the grass court season off to a winning start with both Picks on Sunday coming back as winners.

It is something to build upon with another busy week to come as four events get underway on Monday.

Cameron Norrie - 1.5 games v Grigor Dimitrov: This is the first grass court event being played by both Cameron Norrie and Grigor Dimitrov and they would have likely been hoping for an 'easier' First Round match than the one in front of them.

He may represent Britain, but Cameron Norrie had not really played that well on the grass courts before reaching the Final here at Queens last year. The lefty followed that up by making the Third Round at Wimbledon before losing to Roger Federer in four sets and so there may be more confidence going into the next month than Cameron Norrie has had previously.

I won't ignore the fact that the draws opened up for Cameron Norrie last year with the best win coming in the Semi Final at this event when he beat Denis Shapovalov. However, that is one of just two wins against opponents Ranked inside the top 30 in 2021 and Cameron Norrie will still have something to prove as he begins another run at Queens.

Facing someone like Grigor Dimitrov will give Cameron Norrie plenty to think about with the Bulgarian being comfortable on the grass courts, although recent years have become much tougher for Dimitrov.

Since reaching the Semi Final in Queens and following up with a Fourth Round run at Wimbledon in 2017, Grigor Dimitrov is just 2-5 in grass court matches. Last year he didn't even bother playing any grass court events in the lead into Wimbledon, while Grigor Dimitrov has won a single match in his two previous appearances at this event.

Both players will be confident in their serving numbers on the grass courts, but Cameron Norrie showed something with his returning in 2021. That is more than what we have seen from Grigor Dimitrov, while the higher Ranked player also has the mental edge from the previous two matches between them.

Those two matches may have both been played on the hard courts in 2021, but Cameron Norrie won both and has yet to drop a set to Grigor Dimitrov. There has been a clear edge in favour of Cameron Norrie who has held 85% of his service games played in those two matches compared with Dimitrov's 61% number and I do think the experiences of last year will aid the British player in this one.

In the last three seasons on the grass courts, Grigor Dimitrov has only broken in 16% of return games played and that has put significant pressure on his own serve. I think that could show up in this First Round match and Cameron Norrie should be able to serve well enough to get on top of Grigor Dimitrov and cover this spread in the victory.

Alexander Bublik - 2.5 games v Lorenzo Musetti: After Roland Garros came to a conclusion, most players would have been focusing on the grass court season and transitioning onto the surface before Wimbledon begins. For Lorenzo Musetti, it was a time to play a Challenger event on the clay before heading to Stuttgart and it is perhaps no surprise he was beaten in the First Round.

He did win the Challenger in Forli, but it did mean Lorenzo Musetti had little time on the grass before losing in Stuttgart.

Now he has had a few more days to adjust, but you cannot ignore the fact that the young Italian is playing just his third match on the surface and has been well beaten in his first two attempts at grass court tennis. The serve has the potential to be a weapon on grass, especially against a largely limited return player he is facing in the First Round in London, but Lorenzo Musetti has struggled when it comes to the return and I do think that goes against him here.

Alexander Bublik was beaten in the Second Round in Stuttgart, but that does mean he has a win under his belt and he is someone who has shown improvement in his grass court tennis in 2019 and 2021. The loss to Andy Murray would have hurt last week, but Alexander Bublik was guilty of some loose play and could easily have turned the match on its head if serving out the second set.

While not being the best return player, Alexander Bublik did break twice in both matches played last week and ended 2021 with 20% of return games ending with a break on the grass. I do think he will get a few more looks than Lorenzo Musetti in this one with that experience of stringing wins together giving him a mental edge in the match and I do think he can do enough to find the breaks needed to progress with a strong win on the scoreboard behind him.

As long as Alexander Bublik serves well, he should be able to contain the Lorenzo Musetti return and it could lead to frustration and scoreboard pressure wearing on the younger player. We have seen him crack in his only two previous grass court matches on the pro Tour and I can see Alexander Bublik becoming the latest to take advantage.

MY PICKS: Cameron Norrie - 1.5 Games @ 1.95 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Alexander Bublik - 2.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Andrey Rublev - 3.5 Games @ 1.66 Bet365 (2 Units)

Ilya Ivashka-Jan-Lennard Struff Over 22.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Viktorija Gloubic - 2.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet Fred (2 Units)

French Open Tennis Day 15 Picks 2021- Men's Final (June 13th)

We have a new Women's Grand Slam Champion after Barbora Krejcikova found a way to eventually break down the Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova game after splitting the first two sets.

The second Grand Slam of the season will end and in just over two weeks time the third Slam of the season will begin at Wimbledon, although there is some questions as to how many fans are going to be in attendance.

But before all that, we need to crown a current French Open Men's Champion as one of the Big Three looks to hold off a Next Gen talent searching for a first Slam.

Novak Djokovic - 5.5 games v Stefanos Tsitsipas: Overcoming the Semi Final hurdle which has thwarted him in his early career is clearly a huge moment for Stefanos Tsitsipas, but he might have one or two regrets that he was pushed as hard as he was on Friday. After moving 2-0 ahead in sets, Stefanos Tsitsipas could not quite finish off Alexander Zverev and was forced to play for over three and a half hours to eventually prevail in a fifth set.

As I have said, it is a huge moment for his career and the feeling is that Stefanos Tsitsipas could open the door for multiple Slam successes the moment he is able to pick up his first one. It is not quite the same level of expectation as it was for Roger Federer almost twenty years ago, but a very strong career could develop for Tsitsipas who is much younger than the Big Three and who looks the stand out player of his generation.

Winning his first Grand Slam title will be a big challenge for Stefanos Tsitsipas as he goes in against the World Number 1 who spent over four hours on the court to beat Rafael Nadal on Friday in the second Semi Final.

Novak Djokovic will have put in a huge amount of effort to get past the dominant player at the French Open and he has become the only player that has beaten Rafael Nadal twice in Paris. Only two men have ever done that before, but it should be pointed out that neither of those (Robin Soderling and Novak Djokovic) went on to win the French Open, but instead they came up short in the Final each time.

I don't think someone who has won 18 Grand Slam titles in his career will be thinking too much about that, but Novak Djokovic might be underlining his status as the best tennis player of all time. His numbers are comparable to Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal across the board, but Novak Djokovic will become the only one of the three who has won multiple titles at each of the Grand Slam tournaments if he is able to secure the title on Sunday.

Emotionally it is a climb down for Novak Djokovic, but I think that is counterbalanced by the amount of emotional investment Stefanos Tsitsipas will have made to reach the Final himself. The World Number 1 has spent considerably more time on the court than Stefanos Tsitsipas at the French Open and was also winning a title in the days before this Grand Slam began so there will be some questions of Novak Djokovic, although I think the match up is one that he won't mind.

The serve has really worked well in the conditions in Paris over the last fortnight and I think that is key for Novak Djokovic if he is going to beat Stefanos Tsitsipas. He lost some of his focus in a five set win over the Greek superstar in the French Open Semi Final last season having won the first two sets easily, before Tsitsipas was able to rally and eventually come up short in the decider.

These two also met in Rome last month and it was another tight win for Novak Djokovic that went the distance, but the improved serve in Paris is going to give the top Seed another advantage. Novak Djokovic will be helped by the fact that Stefanos Tsitsipas has perhaps not been returning as well as he would have liked despite reaching the Final and that may have something to do with the slightly quicker conditions on these clay courts compared to the other tournaments that were played in preparation for this Grand Slam.

Stefanos Tsitsipas has to be concerned if his return game is not at a level he would want and that is because he has to expect to be put under pressure by Novak Djokovic's return. This is arguably the best part of the Djokovic game and he can be considered the best returner of serve that there has ever been.

In their head to heads, Novak Djokovic has broken in 25% of return games played against Stefanos Tsitsipas and the Greek player has only responded in 15% of return games. All three previous clay court matches between these players have been won by Novak Djokovic and in those he has broken the Stefanos Tsitsipas serve in 32% of return games played compared with 18% for the younger player and I do think these numbers will ultimately be something we see on Sunday.

The last two clay court matches have needed all eight sets played before Novak Djokovic has got the better of Stefanos Tsitsipas here at Roland Garros in October 2020 and in Rome in May 2021. However, Novak Djokovic has created an eye-watering 45 break points compared with Stefanos Tsitsipas' 29 and I do think the World Number 1 is going to be very hard to beat on Sunday with all of his focus going in on winning these Grand Slam titles.

If Novak Djokovic wins on Sunday I really think he is going to have a major shot at winning all four Grand Slams in a single season and at that point it would be almost impossible to suggest there is any other player in history who would surpass him. Even without the calendar Grand Slam, Novak Djokovic can move to within a single Grand Slam of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal and I don't think he lets the opportunity slip past him.

Stefanos Tsitsipas is a very good player, but ultimately I think the stronger return game of Novak Djokovic makes the difference between them and he might be able to break down the younger man and pull away for a cover of what looks a big mark on paper.

He would have covered this line in the five set win over Tsitsipas at the French Open last year despite the match going the distance, but this time I expect Novak Djokovic to get the job done in four sets.

MY PICKS: Novak Djokovic - 4.5 Games @ 1.75 Coral (2 Units)

French Open Update: 50-43, + 1.70 Units (186 Units Staked, + 1% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2019 (June 13th)

The weather in London isn't exactly screaming June and summer, but the same can be said around Europe.

Both events in Stuttgart and Hertogenbosch have been affected by the poor conditions around, but at least they managed to keep their events on track for the most part. On Thursday the Cricket World Cup arrives in Nottingham for the latest game in that tournament, but fans won't be too pleased to know that the WTA event and ATP Challenger event being held there has been moved indoors because of all the rain that has been in the area this week.

It looks like more of the same there on Thursday, but my focus is on the matches that are actually going to be played on the grass. I had a mixed Tuesday, but I am disappointed I did not write anything out for Wednesday. Life got in the way a little bit, but that is just the way it goes and there are angles that hit the mark for Thursday to try and get this week moving in a positive direction.


The one issue with grass court events is that we don't get a huge sample of form or how players are going to deal with the surface. There are some players out there on Thursday who might not have had much fun on the grass in their careers so far, but these things can quickly be turned around in the three or four events players take in over the next month.

Small samples mean it is tougher to get a read of how a player can perform on the grass, but we do have enough to make plays on the way through to Wimbledon when more stock can be put into the form displayed in the weeks leading to the third Grand Slam of the season.

It is something to consider and will also make a difference for those matches that are hitting enough marks to mak the selections over the remainder of the month.


Adrian Mannarino - 1.5 games v Fernando Verdasco: A couple of years ago Adrian Mannarino recorded his first win over Fernando Verdasco when these two players met on the grass courts of Antalya. They play in the Second Round in Hertogenbosch on Thursday and this is the first match the Spaniard will be playing on the grass in 2019.

There was a time when Verdasco was actually a pretty happy player on the grass, but the last couple of years have been more of a struggle for him. He has been losing a lot more than he has been winning and Verdasco's numbers have been average to say the least despite what you would consider to be a decent game that should transfer onto the surface.

To be fair to Verdasco, he has maintained decent hold numbers on the grass over the last few years. However the return has not had the same impact and that has left him vulnerable in matches and I think that is especially the case early in this grass season as he gets set to take on a competent player on the surface who already has produced a win to move into the Second Round.

Adrian Mannarino will be glad to be moving from off the clay and onto the grass courts, although there is some pressure on him with plenty of points to defend over the next month. Last year he reached the Final in Antalya and also had a Quarter Final run at Queens and Fourth Round run at Wimbledon so it may be difficult for Mannarino to prevent the slide down the World Rankings his last twelve months perhaps deserved.

His win in the First Round was a good one, but against an opponent who has not played a lot of tennis at this level in the last couple of years through injury. There have been signs that Mannarino is declining as a player and 2018 was a much tougher year on the grass compared with 2017 even though he earned one more win that year.

The Frenchman has a vulnerable serve which is a concern going into this match, but I do think he finds enough returns that can stay low on the grass which can cause problems for his opponent. Adrian Mannarino is confident enough on a grass court to believe he can win this match even though Fernando Verdasco is the more talented player on the court.


Richard Gasquet - 1.5 games v Mikhail Kukushkin: It is going to take Richard Gasquet a little bit of time to recover to a point where he can play his best tennis on the Tour. A long injury lay off and a return on the clay courts was perhaps far from ideal, but Gasquet is one of the more comfortable grass court players out there.

His win in the First Round in Hertogenbosch looks a solid one even if Gasquet needed three tough sets which could have sapped some energy. He certainly was more convincing than Mikhail Kukushkin, although I do think this is another player who is very happy on the grass and can use a decent serve to set up his entire performance from match to match.

Both players do have solid serves for the surface and they can both return effectively enough which makes this a close match. The lack of matches in the legs in 2019 may affect Richard Gasquet, but his serve has proved to be more potent of the two in their previous matches.

That may be the case and the difference maker when they play each other in this Second Round match. I do think Kukushkin will challenge Gasquet considering his own level on the grass and those lack of matches I have mentioned, but the Frenchman is someone who can produce some of his best tennis on this surface and I expect him to edge this one.

MY PICKS: Adrian Mannarino - 1.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Richard Gasquet - 1.5 Games @ 1.91 Ladbrokes (2 Units)
Matteo Berrettini-Karen Khachanov Over 24.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Alexander Zverev - 3.5 Games @ 2.20 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Felix Auger-Aliassime - 1.5 Games @ 1.80 Ladbrokes (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 6-6, - 1.34 Units (24 Units Staked, - 5.58% Yield)

Season 2019: + 75.37 Units (956 Units Staked, + 7.88% Yield)

NBA Finals Picks 2019 (May 30-June 16)

NBA Finals 2019- Toronto Raptors vs Golden State Warriors (May 30-June 16)

While one of the teams competing in the NBA Finals will come as no surprise, the Toronto Raptors are ready to compete in their first Finals of franchise history.

As the image above may indicate, Kawhi Leonard has been a huge part of the successes that the Raptors have been able to put together in 2019, but this could be a one and done deal for him in Toronto. With impending Free Agency due to begin, Toronto could be losing their star player and it could be argued that only a NBA Finals win could potentially change his mind.

Usually I think Kevin Durant would be the man on the other side of the poster, but his injury leaves him a doubt for the early portion of the NBA Finals. Maybe we will finally see a dominant Finals from Steph Curry in a Finals that is more competitive than some may have indicated.

We are going to be opening up with two games in Canada before shifting to California for two games next week. You have to think Toronto need to make a positive start to the Finals with the two games here coming up and I am also hoping for a much better set of Picks for the NBA Finals than I had for the Conference Finals.

Thursday 30th May

Golden State Warriors @ Toronto Raptors Game 1 Pick: Kawhi Leonard has been huge for the Toronto Raptors in the NBA PlayOffs and has taken over from Kevin Durant as the best performer in the post-season. Much is going to depend on Leonard again as Toronto look for their first NBA Championship in franchise history, but standing in front of them is the defending Champions Golden State Warriors who are going for a three-peat as Champions.

The Warriors closed the door on the Portland Trail Blazers in a sweep during the Western Conference Finals and that means they have had a few more days to rest. It hasn't helped enough to get Kevin Durant back who is now going to have missed six games in a row in the PlayOffs as speculation about his future continues to swirl.

Golden State have won all five games they have played without Durant in the starting line up as Steph Curry and Klay Thompson have gotten hot from the field. The only concern for the Warriors has to be the big holes they have found themselves in during the last three games against Portland Trail Blazers, even though rallying for wins in each of those will give this veteran group of players plenty of confidence.

However starting slowly is not really a plan for the NBA Finals as Golden State will be looking to show the Raptors what they have learned during their four previous years of reaching the Finals. On the other hand only a couple of the Toronto players have had the experience of reaching the NBA Finals, although in Leonard they have someone who stopped the Miami Heat winning a third straight NBA Championship when finishing as Finals MVP as a San Antonio Spurs player.

Leonard looks like he could be feeling much better after being slowed by a leg injury in the Eastern Conference Finals win over the Milwaukee Bucks. His team-mates also stepped up their play to not only become the first team to beat the Bucks three times in a row this season, but they completed a run of four straight wins over the team with the Number 1 record in the NBA.

Toronto also have the knowledge of beating Golden State twice in the regular season and they are a team that will cause some real problems for the Warriors. The big men should have a real edge over the Warriors and Toronto have been shooting the three ball well enough to believe they can counter anything Curry and Klay Thompson can produce after the Splash Brothers hammered the Trail Blazers in the Conference Finals.

The layers are finding it very difficult to split these teams in Game 1 and the potential of a returning DeMarcus Cousins does give the Warriors the chance to offer a different look to the Raptors. Kevin Durant's continued absence is still hurting the Warriors, but they have shown they can perform very well without him and I think this is going to be a game that goes down to the wire with both teams having a chance to win it.

Being able to back Golden State as the underdog is very tempting as I do think they are going to leave Toronto with a split of the first two games, but I am slightly concerned that there could be rustiness from their long lay off. Toronto have also had a few days to digest what they have accomplished so far this season, but they will need to ensure they are continuing to knock down their three pointers to keep ahead of the Warriors and also make sure they are playing the kind of Defense which stifled the Bucks in the Conference Finals.

The poor record in Game 1s held by the Raptors is troublesome when it comes to the spread, but I am going to look for the two Offenses to perhaps need some time to get going in this Series. If the Raptors are going to win they are going to need to be as active Defensively as they have been in the last couple of Series, while Golden State have also showed they can lock down on that side of the court when they need to.

Games between the Raptors and Warriors have leant towards the high total and this one is not a big one if I am being honest. However I am going to be looking for a game in which the teams don't have a perfect rhythm from an Offensive standpoint and I will look for both Defenses to get the better of things in the opener.

The refs can play a huge part in the totals if they get a little whistle happy, but both teams can be very strong Defensively and my first selection in the NBA Finals will be this game failing to reach the total set.


Sunday 2nd June
Golden State Warriors @ Toronto Raptors Game 2 Pick: At the end of the first quarter it looked like the rustiness of the two teams was going to produce a low scoring game as I had predicted in Game 1. However there was some frustration that the teams decided to fall in love with the three ball and also manage to grab a whistle happy crew to see the teams go into overdrive in the middle two quarters either side of half time.

Frustration aside, it was a big game for the Toronto Raptors who held off any rally the Golden State Warriors were able to make and extend their streak to five straight wins in the PlayOffs. Canada is expectant and there is a real belief that the Raptors are ready to bring home the NBA Championship.

But hold your horses.

This is the defending NBA Champions looking for a three-peat and I am expecting a big response from the Golden State Warriors. Kevin Durant continues to sit out, but I know this Warriors team are better than what they showed in Game 1 when Toronto were able to do what they wanted from the field and Pascal Siakam was able to dominate the third quarter.

Some soul searching would have been done the last couple of days but the Warriors won't have been panicking even if they have lost three straight games to Toronto in the 2018/19 season. Adjustments will be made by a team who have been as successful as Golden State have been in the post-season and I do think they can show considerable fight in Game 2.

Before the Series began I felt the Warriors would be returning home with a 1-1 scoreline and Golden State are 11-2 following a straight up loss since the All Star Game. They have also gone 3-1 after a defeat in the PlayOffs and I do think there is going to be a game soon where the Toronto role players are simply not making the shots they have been over the last two weeks.

The Raptors are being favoured again at home, but I like the underdogs to show why they have been the team to beat in the NBA. By the time the Series shifts back to the Oracle Arena we could see Kevin Durant ready to go and I think the Warriors can begin to shift the momentum back towards them with a vital road win in a pivotal Game 2.


Wednesday 5th June
Toronto Raptors @ Golden State Warriors Game 3 Pick: It needed the Toronto Raptors to go cold out of half time to allow the Golden State Warriors to recover and steal Game 2 from the Eastern Conference Champions. Even then it went right down to the wire and the Raptors will be kicking themselves for some of the wide open misses they were guilty of throughout the second half.

Now the NBA Finals shift to the Oracle Arena for two games and the Golden State Warriors are favoured by a much healthier margin than the Toronto Raptors were for either game they hosted. On the face of things you can understand that, but I am finding it much more difficult to be confident in the Warriors when you think of the injuries they are dealing with.

Klay Thompson will suit up by all accounts, but he is not going to be anywhere near 100%, while Kevin Durant remains sidelined. Kevon Looney has been ruled out and is unlikely to return before the end of this season and all in all you have to figure the Raptors are not going to have a better chance to win a road game in this passionate Arena as what they have in Game 3.

They will have to weather a storm at some point and Toronto have not been as good on the road as they have been in front of their own rabid fanbase. Kawhi Leonard is clearly not at 100% himself, but he remains strong enough from the field to keep providing space for the role players and this is really going to come down to which of those players step up the best for either team.

The underdog has now covered in five of the last six games and the Warriors are just 2-5 against the spread in their last seven at home. I have no doubt that Toronto have not been as strong on the road as they have at home which is a concern, but I don't expect the Raptors to be as loose with their open shots as they were in Game 2 and that should allow them to keep this competitive and I do think they have every chance to stealing home court back from the Warriors.

We have seen teams rally together when they are facing the kind of adversity that the Warriors are dealing with from an injury front so I would not be surprised if Golden State did find a way to win this. But a blow out of the Raptors would be unexpected and might be the start of a very short Series if that happens with Golden State looking like they could be much healthier by the time Game 4 swings around.


Friday 7th June
Toronto Raptors @ Golden State Warriors Game 4 Pick: There are going to be a lot of questions for Steve Kerr to answer if the Golden State Warriors lose the NBA Finals because of the decisions made for Game 3. Klay Thompson was kept out of Game 3 to avoid aggravating the hamstring injury he picked up in Game 2, but the Golden State Warriors dropped the game and have given back home court.

To be fair to the Toronto Raptors they took the opportunity to win the game with a heavy dose of three pointers and making sure they answered every time the Warriors rallied. Ultimately the Warriors didn't have enough at either end of the court and they are now in a 'desperate' position to win Game 4 and at least head to Toronto avoiding facing an elimination game.

The Raptors have to keep going as they are with the role players stepping up. Barring a terrible third quarter in Game 2, Toronto could have found themselves 3-0 up in the NBA Finals and they are getting plenty out of players other than Kawhi Leonard which is keeping the Warriors off balance.

Thompson's return will give Golden State an Offensive boost to go with Steph Curry, but it is the impact he can have on the Defensive side of the court which may be most important. The hope for the Warriors is that the two days between Game 3 and Game 4 will have really helped get Klay Thompson close to 100% for this one, especially with Kevin Durant seemingly ruled out for another game.

We see the spread at the same mark as it was in Game 3 and that was one that was led by the Raptors from wire to wire. I will make the same point that the Raptors are a little erratic on the road and this time the presence of Klay Thompson will have me going the other way and looking for the Warriors to win and cover.

Other players have to step up, but having Thompson out there does provide another scorer outside of Curry. The pressure is on the Warriors, but they have a lot of experience of being up and down in the NBA Finals and I think that will keep them focused on the task at hand.

Golden State have been a miserable team to back on the spread all season as they tend to be overrated by the layers who know they will be backed. However the Warriors are 8-3 against the spread in their last eleven off a loss and if the Raptors are slightly off with their shooting for any stretch of time like they were in Game 2 then I do think the Warriors can pull away for the win before the Finals shift back to Canada.

It might look a poor pick deep into this game, but I do expect to see a reaction from the Warriors and they can play with the urgency and experience of Champions to edge out the Raptors as they pull away in the fourth quarter.


Monday 10th June
Golden State Warriors @ Toronto Raptors Game 5 Pick: In the last couple of years we have heard the Golden State Warriors being compared to the great Michael Jordan Chicago Bulls team and a number of other teams that have become dynasties in the NBA. Winning a third NBA Championship in a row would have backed up those who put the Golden State Warriors up alongside the very best teams in NBA history, but a 3-2 record in the NBA Finals doesn't look nearly as good.

The Warriors would have won four in a row heading into the 2018/19 season if it wasn't for a collapse against the Cleveland Cavaliers when leading the 2016 NBA Finals 3-1. They became the first NBA team to blow that lead in a best of seven game Finals, but now the Warriors are hoping for some redemption after dropping both games at home in the NBA Finals.

Being 3-1 down and with all the momentum going to the Toronto Raptors looks to be a long path back for Golden State. Injuries have hurt them at the wrong time, but both Kevan Looney and Klay Thompson played on Friday and have had a couple of days to rest and get ready for this one.

The biggest news could be the impending return of Kevin Durant whose stock has risen significantly during the NBA Finals without taking to the court for one game. Durant practiced on Sunday and the feeling is that he will be suited up for Game 5, although how much anyone can impact a game when coming back after almost a month on the sidelines is up in the air.

At the very least Durant will perhaps open things up for the Warriors Offensively having seen the team struggle outside of the Splash Brothers for scoring. Steph Curry and Thompson will need to be efficient from the field and hope someone else can step up for them, especially if Toronto continue to find and knock down the open shots as they have been doing.

Toronto have loved playing at home and I think they are going to be very confident they can close out this Finals even if Durant is available to play. Kawhi Leonard is almost certainly finishing as MVP, but he has been well supported through the likes of Danny Green, Marc Gasol and Fred VanVleet who are playing at a high level Offensively and Defensively.

Since the news of Durant broke the spread is almost dropping to a pick 'em line and my lean is perhaps with the Raptors after winning both games at the Oracle Arena. It is definitely hard to oppose them, but I have to think Golden State bounce back from a sub-par Offensive showing and that could help Game 5 of the NBA Finals surpass the total points line set for the game.

The 'over' has a strong trend when you see the Warriors playing on the road and the two days of rest between games should help them on that side of the court too. Even a rusty Durant will help open things up as the Raptors will have to respect the shooting of the best player in the NBA and that should also help the Warriors in finding some success.

It has also been the play in recent Toronto games and I don't think this team is going to suddenly move off the three point line which has been a key weapon for them in the PlayOffs. Relying on the three ball can be difficult for teams when the rhythm is slightly off, but I think Toronto are in form and they can contribute to what should be a high-scoring Game 5 with so much on the line for both teams and their potential futures.


Thursday 13th June
Toronto Raptors @ Golden State Warriors Game 6 Pick: Where else can you possibly start than with Kevin Durant? It was awful seeing him going down with what was a ruptured Achilles tendon that leaves his availability for the 2019/20 season up in the air.

Seeing one of the best players in the world go down and look like he is going to miss a prime year of his career is hard and I agreed with Jalen Rose and his assessment of things. In fact I had said the same things to friends in the aftermath of Game 5 in that Durant was in a lose-lose situation and he should never have risked his own health for the benefit of those who have wanted to write negative stories about him ever since he signed with the Golden State Warriors.

If he hadn't played we would have heard more reports from sources that Durant is being questioned by team-mates, as we did after Game 4, and if he had scored 50 points and lasted through Game 5 I am sure there would have been articles questioning why he didn't come back sooner.

For the narrative the injury was perhaps the best thing that happened, but you would have to be one cold hearted piece of work to think this is best for Durant. In a year when he was the Number 1 Free Agent heading to the market, this is a tragedy not just for those fanbases who though they could entice Durant to their teams, but for the whole NBA and anyone who enjoys watching the best play the best.

The Golden State Warriors and Toronto Raptors have no choice but to head to Game 6 and let the Durant issue move to the back of the mind. Golden State barely were able to do that in Game 5 as they won for the second time on the road in the Finals, although it does mean only Game 1 has been won by the hosts.

Now we are back at the Oracle Arena for the last time no matter what happens and the Warriors have to use the emotion of the scenario to help them find a way to force a Game 7. Once again the issue is whether they have enough scoring avenues to overcome the loss of Durant and the slow down in Game 5 suggests it is not going to be easy for them.

There is some pressure on the Raptors too who will feel they have done enough to win the Finals already, yet here they are facing a Game 6 in a hostile environment. Toronto have won twice here already in the Finals and once in the regular season so I do think they are capable of getting things done on Thursday, but the pressure of expectation could be having an impact on them.

Three point shooting is obviously very important for the Warriors, but they have to find a way to make things easier for themselves by attacking the rim too. Getting into the bonus has been something the Raptors have been able to do with consistency success, but the Warriors need to find all avenues of scoring if they are going to force a Game 7 back on the road.

The Raptors have been able to produce some consistency Offensively and they should have their own successes here. There is more depth to their rotation and the Raptors will know how to win here which makes them very dangerous and closing out the Series and the Finals would not be a huge surprise.

I don't think the Warriors will go away quietly even being short-handed and I am still a little irritated Game 5 ended up with an 'under' considering where the game was at half time. It is a concern that the home team don't have enough to break down the Raptors in this one, but I am going to make the same play and look for the teams to actually foul down the stretch to give themselves a chance to help climb over the total points line set.

MY PICKS: 30/05 Toronto Raptors-Golden State Warriors Under 214 Points @ 2.00 Sky Bet (1 Unit)
02/06 Golden State Warriors @ 2.20 Bet365 (1 Unit)
05/06 Toronto Raptors + 4.5 Points @ 1.91 William Hill (1 Unit)
07/06 Golden State Warriors - 4.5 Points @ 1.91 William Hill (1 Unit)
10/06 Toronto Raptors-Golden State Warriors Over 214 Points @ 1.91 Betfair Sportsbook (1 Unit)
13/06 Golden State Warriors-Toronto Raptors Over 211.5 Points @ 1.91 Betfair Sportsbook (1 Unit)

NBA Finals: 2-3, - 0.89 Units (5 Units Staked, - 17.80% Yield)

Conference Finals: 4-6, - 2.36 Units (10 Units Staked, - 23.60% Yield)
Second Round: 12-11, - 0.04 Units (23 Units Staked, - 0% Yield)
First Round: 23-17, + 4.02 (40 Units Staked, + 10.05% Yield)