Premier League Darts Night 6 Picks 2026 (Thursday 12th March)

Another big Ranking event played on television has been retained by Luke Littler and the World Number 1 continues to be the player to beat, while also looking stronger than his main contenders at key times within matches.

Some fans may be getting a little bored of seeing Littler have things his own way, but that has been far from the case in the Premier League, at least through the opening five nights of the tournament.

No one will be worried that Luke Littler is not going to make the top four and return to the Play Offs, but both the World Number 1 and Luke Humphries will be keen to get going.

Nottingham will host Night 6 of the Premier League and you cannot keep waiting for things to happen once you get to the halfway stage of the tournament later this month- others will be looking to build on strong starts to keep the pressure on the top two players in the world and that makes the Quarter Final matches very important to just continue to tick points over.

Luke Littler would love to pick up another Nightly win to ease any lingering concerns about his form, and that means there is perhaps more pressure on the other Luke, Humphries, to get moving.

The UK Open was won by Luke Littler and he has been enjoying the horse racing at Cheltenham earlier this week, where he was joined by Luke Humphries.

Both will be looking to remind fans of how focused they are and Littler can put a lot of effort into Night 6 knowing he will not be travelling to Germany for the European Tour 2 event beginning on Friday.

Luke Littler has made it clear that he has not enjoyed playing in Germany, but the other seven Premier League players will be heading over to Goettingen where they will begin their bid for a European Tour title in the Second Round on Saturday.

Josh Rock v Stephen Bunting: You would have to say that Josh Rock has been a little unfortunate through the opening five nights of the Premier League- the debutant has yet to win, but has produced his best form against the stronger players in the tournament and underwhelmed in others.

He has been close to picking up a win having narrowly been beaten in a good match against Luke Littler last week, but it was more of the same when Josh Rock lost the UK Open Semi Final to the same opponent.

Reaching the Semi Final has to give him belief and confidence and Rocky also got the better of Stephen Bunting in that tournament.

Much like last year, Stephen Bunting has struggled for consistency in the Premier League and has been all or nothing again.

Four Quarter Final defeats will have dented the confidence, but the one time he did win, Bunting went on and picked up a Nightly win and that means he has not lost as much touch with the top four as he did twelve months ago.

Both players will sense the importance of this Quarter Final, but Josh Rock has had a strong weekend behind him and that may give him the momentum to finally get a Premier League win on the board.

Jonny Clayton & Michael van Gerwen over 2.5 180s: No one will suggest these two players are hitting the maximums at the same rate as Luke Littler, but both Jonny Clayton and Michael van Gerwen have been hitting plenty in their own right.

Two wins at the UK Open will have just gotten van Gerwen back on track after an illness, even if he was blown away by James Wade in a Sixth Round loss.

He wasn't playing badly, and Michael van Gerwen has made a solid start to the Premier League campaign and certainly could be a little stronger with a few days of recovery this week.

Jonny Clayton was undone by his old mate Gerwyn Price in a tight match at the UK Open, but the Welsh Number 1 has continued to play at a very good level in 2026.

It is Clayton who is leading the Premier League table having picked up a Nightly win and winning each of the five Quarter Final matches played- he knows that it is very important to keep points ticking over in a competitive field and Jonny Clayton may just edge this one.

The layers are finding it hard to separate the two and this has the makings of a match that will need at least ten Legs before separating them- both should have the time to reach three maximums each and that looks the play.

Luke Humphries to win & most 180s v Gian van Veen: Go back twelve months and price up this kind of match and you would likely have Luke Humphries down as a big favourite.

He is the favourite on Thursday, but Humphries is not clear and that is largely down to the fact he keeps finding a way to lose tight matches against Gian van Veen.

There has already been a 6-5 loss in the Premier League and a 7-5 loss in a European Tour match in 2026, and those after Luke Humphries beat van Veen 5-0 at the World Masters and looked to have righted the ship.

A tale of the season has been Humphries playing well and finding ways to lose and that has been the case in the Premier League defeat to Gian van Veen when missing a huge amount of doubles.

Treble hitting has been less of an issue for Luke Humphries and he may score more of those than the Dutchman, but you have to believe he cannot keep missing at key times. The World Number 2 needs a big run here in Nottingham and he looks a big price to win a match with the most maximums in this one, even against an opponent like Gian van Veen who has shown tremendous character to win matches when not always playing at his best.

Luke Littler to win & most 180s v Gerwyn Price: Last year there was a suggestion that Luke Littler did not enjoy playing Gerwyn Price, but he has won all four meetings against the Welshman in 2026.

Some of those have been really close and competitive, but Littler is motivated to put it to all of his rivals and he continues to blitz through a few minutes to take matches away from those who think they might just have got his number.

The scary prospect for his main rivals is that Littler seemed to win the UK Open in second gear and that makes him a big favourite to win every tournament he enters.

His overall performance may not have been near his 'A game', but Littler should be very focused on Night 6 of the Premier League with the decision made to skip European Tour 2 in Germany.

Luke Littler will also be aware that he cannot afford to give anything away to Gerwyn Price, who has been playing at a very good level and who reached the UK Open Semi Final last Sunday.

However, it was another tournament where Price just ran out of steam and he may not have the firepower to stick with the World Number 1 in this Quarter Final.

Gerwyn Price has been hitting plenty of maximums of his own, but a focused Luke Littler can be very tough to stop, assuming he is not thinking about Cheltenham any more.

MY PICKS: Josh Rock @ 1.80 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Jonny Clayton & Michael van Gerwen Over 2.5 180s @ 2.62 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Luke Humphries to Win & Most 180s @ 3.10 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Luke Littler to Win & Most 180s @ 2.10 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Darts 2026: 27-35, - 4.07 Units (61 Units Staked, - 6.67% Yield)

Indian Wells Tennis Day 9 Picks 2026 (Thursday 12th March)

The tournament has been a difficult one for the Tennis Picks, but there may be some late momentum that can be carried through to the end of the weekend.

Both selections on Wednesday returned as winners and it may have been better if Katerina Siniakova had been able to complete her Fourth Round match, although she did look spent a couple of days earlier and perhaps did well to manage nine games before withdrawing.

The schedule for the rest of the tournament means all of the Quarter Final matches are set to be played on Thursday.

That will be followed by the WTA Semi Finals on Friday, the ATP Semi Finals on Saturday and both Singles Finals concluding the tournament on Sunday.

It is not the usual ending to these joint Masters events, but the organisers clearly feel that works best and that means an extremely busy Thursday with some of those Quarter Final matches only put together in the Evening Session on Wednesday in the Californian desert.

Four Picks have been made and those can be seen below, while the updated totals for the Indian Wells tournament have also been added.

Jannik Sinner - 5.5 games v Learner Tien: There will be plenty of support for young American Learner Tien in this Indian Wells Quarter Final and an upset in this Round will almost certainly mean cracking the top 20 of the World Rankings for the first time.

Regardless of the result, Learner Tien is set for a new career high World Ranking mark on Monday morning after coming through some very tight matches in each of the previous three Rounds. He has had to spend a considerable amount of court to come through in back to back three setters, but all of this will give the young player a lot of confidence to take into the rest of the season.

Learner Tien has already beaten two players Ranked inside the top 20 so this is not a match that should keep him up at night, although the American will be aware of the size of the task in front of him

Joao Fonseca and a heckler were not enough to put Jannik Sinner off in his own Fourth Round win and the World Number 2 will be very happy with his performance on the court.

He met a younger opponent playing close to his best, but Jannik Sinner was able to keep himself focused and ended up winning the match turning points.

In this Quarter Final, Sinner will know he is going to have more control of the rallies than he was awarded by Joao Fonseca and that always makes players feel more comfortable about what they can produce on the court. Big hitting was taking the racquet out of Sinner's hands in the last Round, but that is not expected to be the case in the Quarter Final, much like when the players met on the hard courts of Beijing in October in a Final that was dominated by the higher Ranked player.

You will expect Learner Tien to have used that match to make adjustments as to how he would prepare and challenge the best players on the court, but he will need to have replenished his energy levels.

The lefty serve can be a little awkward for opponent's to read and Learner Tien is going to have to serve well to try and put some scoreboard pressure on Jannik Sinner.

If he can do that, he can win a few more games than he managed in Beijing, but you still have to give the Italian a big edge in the contest.

Jannik Sinner has been quite considerably the stronger returner of the two players and he can have a bit more time to dictate things in the rallies to turn a few more points in his favour than he did in the Fourth Round.

Covering this number will not be easy, but Sinner looks the right play here and he may just have too much on both sides of the net for the improving Learner Tien.

Aryna Sabalenka - 4.5 games v Victoria Mboko: There are a couple of young players in the WTA Tour who look really close to having a serious breakthrough and not many would back against Victoria Mboko being the first of those to do that at Grand Slam level.

Her growth over the last twelve months has be monumental and the Canadian is stringing wins together.

She has won a big WTA 1000 event in Montreal, but this year Victoria Mboko has been able to back that up by reaching the Final in Doha and she is on another strong run in Indian Wells. She also reached the Fourth Round in the Australian Open and it has taken some of the biggest names on the Tour to stop her runs.

One of those was Aryna Sabalenka who beat Victoria Mboko in straight sets in Melbourne, although it was anything but a one-sided contest, especially after the teenager got to grips with what she was facing in the second set. A Tie-Breaker was needed by Sabalenka to get through on her way to another Final at that tournament, but she was the stronger player and would like to frank that victory.

Aryna Sabalenka is playing in her first tournament since losing the Australian Open Final and she has not been troubled here, although may be the first to admit that this looks like it could be the toughest test to date.

The serve continues to be an advantage for the World Number 1 and she is going to need to serve well to try and contain the obvious threat that Victoria Mboko brings onto the court.

The World Number 10 has been playing well and the dominant win over Amanda Anisimova will have gotten many sitting up and taking notice. She holds a win over Madison Keys and Elena Rybakina this year and so there is nothing in this match that will intimidate Mboko, but she will look to try and get on the front foot and dictate behind her own serve to see if she can rattle the best player on the Tour.

When they met in Melbourne, Aryna Sabalenka was the stronger return player and that is likely going to be the case again, which makes it right to believe she can eventually have a bit too much for the youngster standing across the net.

Covering is going to be challenging considering what we have seen from Victoria Mboko on the hard courts over the last nine months, but Aryna Sabalenka may just be playing at a high enough level to edge past this line set. It may be a Quarter Final with some swings in momentum, but eventually the Belarusian may have done enough to progress with a stylish looking win on the scoreboard.

MY PICKS: Jannik Sinner - 5.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Aryna Sabalenka - 4.5 Games @ 1.85 William Hill (1 Unit)

Daniil Medvedev - 2.5 Games @ 1.87 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Iga Swiatek - 4.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Indian Wells Update: 9-11, - 3.76 Units (20 Units Staked, - 18.80% Yield)

Indian Wells Tennis Picks 2025 (Wednesday 12th March)

One winner, one loser, and that continues a relatively poor trend in Indian Wells, although it could be worse.

The poor weather delayed many of the matches, but the tournament has stayed on schedule and that means the remaining Fourth Round matches will be played on Wednesday as we move into the business end of the first of back to back Masters events.

Once again it will be two selections from the matches scheduled to be played and those can be read below.

Coco Gauff v Belinda Bencic: No one could have anticipated Belinda Bencic's return to the Tour to be as successful as it has been just several months after giving birth.

Even the former top ten Ranked player admitted that she had entered some events with little expectation, but Belinda Bencic played well in Melbourne at the Australian Open and has backed that up really well. Winning the WTA 500 event in Abu Dhabi will have provided another boost in confidence after the run to the Fourth Round at the Australian Open and Belinda Bencis has been in fine form in Indian Wells.

Three wins have been secured here and the last two have been against top 20 Ranked opponents, including beating Doha Champion Amanda Anisimova in the Second Round.

Belinda Bencic has always been a decent server on the hard courts, but she is certainly playing with more aggression and belief in her return and that has been key to the performances and results produced.

Next up is another big test for the Swiss player when going up against Coco Gauff, who will have plenty of support from the stands.

The World Number 3 was beaten in the Australian Open Quarter Final, which was a huge disappointment, but followed up with opening defeats in both Doha and Dubai. That meant Coco Gauff entered the tournament in Indian Wells having lost three hard court matches in a row, and there is a vulnerability about her tennis despite winning twice in this WTA 1000 event.

Coco Gauff was better in the Third Round win over Maria Sakkari than in her opening victory here, but she will be tested by a confident Belinda Bencic.

They met at the Australian Open in January and Coco Gauff had to fight back from a set down to get the better of this opponent. Her serve is still an issue, especially the second serve, but Coco Gauff may feel she can get enough balls back into play to wear down Belinda Bencic, even if the latter is playing at a really good level.

Too many Double Faults are putting Coco Gauff under pressure, but the first serve could offer up some cheaper points and Belinda Bencic may just come up short against a top ten Ranked opponent for the fourth time in five matches played in 2025.

Brandon Nakashima-Ben Shelton over 23.5 games: Two American players will be looking for a strong serving day in order to book their place in the Quarter Final of the first ATP Masters played in 2025.

Brandon Nakashima has forced his way into the World Number 33 Ranking spot, which is his career best mark, and his confidence has to be in a good place after reaching the Semi Final in Acapulco and Quarter Final in Delray Beach. The hard courts are a surface on which Brandon Nakashima is very comfortable and his two wins in Indian Wells have come in dominant fashion.

There is room for improvement as far as the return of serve numbers go, but Brandon Nakashima has displayed quality serving and that has put the scoreboard pressure on opponents.

He will need to serve well when taking on compatriot Ben Shelton, who is the World Number 12, which is also his peak career Ranking.

Ben Shelton has certainly looked like a player that enjoys the big stage and that was backed up by reaching the Australian Open Semi Final. Early losses in hard court events in February will have been a disappointment, but Shelton has been in good form in Indian Wells and has won back to back matches for the first time since Melbourne.

Much like his opponent, Ben Shelton has been a very strong server and that has used that to try and build scoreboard pressure. His return still has room to be improved, again like Brandon Nakashima, and both players are likely going to be as successful as their serving can be on the day.

It is Ben Shelton who has won all three previous meetings between the players on the Tour and that includes a victory at the Australian Open. Ben Shelton has won all seven sets played against Brandon Nakashima, but it should also be noted that every set has seen both players win at least five games.

That is not surprising when you think Ben Shelton has won 71% of service points played and held 95% of those games played, while Brandon Nakashima has won 70% of service points played leading to holds in 88% of service games played.

The mental edge is with Ben Shelton having won the big points to secure the victories, but the players can combine to cover this total games line set. Both have served well enough to believe they can look after that aspect of their tennis and that should mean tie-breakers are in play, which can quickly put this Fourth Round match on the way to surpassing the total set.

MY PICKS: Coco Gauff @ 1.80 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Brandon Nakashima-Ben Shelton Over 23.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Indian Wells Update: 3-3, - 0.52 Units (6 Units Staked, - 8.67% Yield)

Indian Wells Masters Tennis Picks 2024 (Tuesday 12th March)

There was a lot of tennis to get through on Monday as the Third Round was completed at Indian Wells, but there has not been a bigger upset than Novak Djokovic being dumped out by a Lucky Loser.

While admitting his opponent did play well, Novak Djokovic was plenty critical about his own level of performance and this is something he will want to address in Miami and when the clay court season gets underway in April.

Something similar came out of his camp after the crushing loss to Jannik Sinner at the Australian Open and there is little doubt that the rest of the field are getting closer to the World Number 1.

Novak Djokovic will go into the next three Grand Slams as the favourite, but the feeling is that the days of the Serb being an odds on favourite or a very short favourite to win Slams looks to be over.

He can make a mockery of that prediction by dominating the clay court season ahead of the French Open, while Novak Djokovic is still amongst the top two players in the world on a grass court, but it is only good news for Men's Tennis that players are not heading onto the court already defeated.

There looks to be positive news on the Rafael Nadal front with reports suggesting the issue picked up at Indian Wells is not one that should prevent him from lining up in the Monte Carlo draw.

You just hope Nadal can get through the tough clay court season and be well prepared, but most importantly healhty, when the French Open comes around as it seemingly looks more and more likely that this could be the final season he plays on the Tour.

Things can change if Rafael Nadal has a really strong nine months, but the body is not on the same page as the heart and mind and I can only hope he gets to go out on his own terms.

A positive run on Monday has turned this tournament back around for the Tennis Picks, but it still feels like a vulnerable position as we move into the Fourth Round at Indian Wells.

Tuesday does look a much tougher day to make predictions with some very good looking matches heading to the courts, but there are some selections made, which can be read below.

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 2.5 games v Jiri Lehecka: The improvements being made by Jiri Lehecka means he has to be massively respected ahead of this Fourth Round match at Indian Wells.

He has won a title on the hard courts and played well in big events in Dubai and now at Indian Wells and there is a feeling that his own belief is growing against some of the elite players on the Tour.

Beating Andrey Rublev will have Lehecka moving into this Fourth Round clash with a lot more confidence and his serving threat has to be respected.

However, he is facing an opponent in Stefanos Tsitsipas who looks to have bounced back from whatever has been ailing him.

That is reflected by his fall out of the top ten in the World Rankings, but Tsitsipas will force his way back into those positions if he can keep things rolling in Indian Wells. He has looked very good through the first two wins and Tsitsipas will have the slight mental edge over this opponent having beaten Jiri Lehecka in both previous matches on the Tour.

Both players have been solid servers in those matches, but Stefanos Tsitsipas has gotten a little more out of his return game.

The last of those matches was at the Australian Open in 2023 and there is little doubt that Jiri Lehecka has grown as a player since that match. The return against top 20 Ranked opponents have still not been quite up to top level, but Jiri Lehecka has won three of his five matches against those opponents on the hard courts this year, including beating Karen Khachanov in Dubai and Rublev in the Third Round here.

Stefanos Tsitsipas has a perfect 10-0 record when facing opponents outside of the top 20 in the Rankings and Jiri Lehecka is still trying to crack that mark in his career. This should be close and competitive, but the feeling is that the Greek player will have more of the Break Point opportunities and that can see him progress into the Quarter Final and cover this mark set.

Jasmine Paolini - 1.5 games v Anastasia Potapova: Confidence can be a funny thing in a sport like tennis and it can make all of the difference for a player.

Jasmine Paolini is playing with real confidence and it has seemingly come out of the blue.

Not many would have predicted that the Italian player would love opening matches in Linz and Doha and then win seven matches in a row to take home the biggest title of her career in Dubai and then progress into the Fourth Round at Indian Wells.

The numbers suggest it is not a sustainable run, but Jasmine Paolini will only worry about what she can produce on the courts as she prepares to face Anastasia Potapova for the first time.

The World Number 33 has been a comfortable winner in her opening two matches at Indian Wells and Anastasia Potapova has won nine of the fourteen matches played in 2024 on the hard courts. However, the challenge has been to beat a player Ranked higher than her and not those she is expected to beat and Potapova has won just one of four matches against those above her in the World Rankings.

Her serve has been ok in those matches, but Potapova has been struggling on the return.

However, she should have a bit more joy against this Jasmine Paolini serve, although the latter is likely to put Potapova under pressure with her own return.

The layers are not great believers in Paolini right now, despite her moving into a career high World Ranking mark. As stated, it looks like she is performing and producing results at an unsustainable level, but Jasmine Paolini does have enough quality in her return of serve to win this Fourth Round match.

Caroline Wozniacki v Angelique Kerber: The last time these two veterans met on the Tour was back in June 2018 when Caroline Wozniacki came from a set down to beat Angelique Kerber in the Semi Final at Eastbourne.

Both players are former Grand Slam Champions and both were amongst the elite on the Tour, but Wozniacki and Kerber have spent considerable time away in recent years as they have both become mothers.

Caroline Wozniacki retired and only returned at the back end of last year, while Angelique Kerber made it clear she would return to the Tour having spent the entirety of 2023 enjoying her life.

There have been similarities in the return to the Tour with both Caroline Wozniacki and Angelique Kerber struggling to find their best form on a consistent basis.

It has been different in Indian Wells and both players will be keen to progress to the Quarter Final and pick up some massive Ranking points at the same time.

The German leads the head to head 8-7, but it is Wozniacki who has a 6-5 lead in their hard court matches.

None of that really matters here, but it does mean there will be little to surprise the other in this big match.

In their limited time spent on court prior to Indian Wells, Caroline Wozniacki had perhaps shown a bit more competitiveness than Angelique Kerber. The former had at least pushed opponents and perhaps been a little unfortunate to lose matches, while Kerber had not really found anything near her best tennis when losing six of her first seven matches in 2024.

The two have performed well at this tournament, but the slight edge has to be with Caroline Wozniacki who is perhaps setting up a few cheaper points thanks to the first serve.

It cannot be ignored that Angelique Kerber has the more impressive wins having seen off two top 20 Ranked opponents and only having dropped a single set in those two wins. The return has been really effective from Kerber and made up for the lack of consistency on the serve and this feels like a match that will have a lot of breaks of serve throughout.

However, the slight edge is with Caroline Wozniacki on form at this tournament and in 2024 in general and she can get the better of her long-term rival in a big Fourth Round match.

MY PICKS: Stefanos Tsitsipas - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Jasmine Paolini - 1.5 Games @ 1.75 Coral (2 Units)

Caroline Wozniacki @ 1.91 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Indian Wells Update: 19-16, + 1.26 Units (70 Units Staked, + 1.80% Yield)

Indian Wells Tennis Picks 2023 (March 12th)

After a 4-0 run to close the day on Friday, a perfect 3-0 Saturday has placed the Tennis Picks in a very strong position through the opening four days at Indian Wells.

I've not had the time to place down any thoughts on the matches on Sunday, but my selections and the updated totals from the week can be seen below.

MY PICKS: Karen Khachanov - 1.5 games @ 1.87 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Jessica Pegula - 4.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

Veronika Kudermetova - 1.5 Games @ 1.87 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Coco Gauff - 3.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

Barbora Krejcikova - 5.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

Aryna Sabalenka - 5.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Indian Wells Update: 14-6, + 12.03 Units (41 Units Staked, + 29.34% Yield)

Indian Wells Masters Tennis Picks 2022 (March 12th)

Friday proved to be another largely frustrating day, but one in which I thought the Tennis Picks were performing better than the final outcome.

It might be down to the fact that a couple of the losing selections essentially got to the hill before slipping over and failed to get over the line- Karolina Pliskova led 6-2, 5-2 before losing, while Miomir Kecmanovic was up 6-4, 4-2 and also was unable to cover the spread as he blew the second set before rallying.

That hurts, but again I make the point that I think the selections were correct and ultimately failed on a bit of misfortune rather than being outright poor picks.

And I promise to not make a Pick when Andy Murray faces Taro Daniel again having fallen to 0-3 in those selections alone this season.

Carlos Alcaraz - 3.5 games v Mackenzie McDonald: Scheduling your season in the right way is just as important to the top players on the Tour as the ability to produce their best tennis in the big moments. Over the years Dominic Thiem is an example of someone who has had to change their schedule to make sure they are ready to compete throughout the long season and I do think it is something that Carlos Alcaraz is going to have to figure out in the years ahead.

The young, extremely talented Spaniard is clearly going to very comfortable on the clay courts and I think it is no surprise that he leant towards the South American Golden Swing between the Australian Open and the Indian Wells Masters. To be fair, Carlos Alcaraz only entered the one tournament in Rio and he went on and one the ATP 500 event, while he has also reached a career best World Ranking of Number 19.

Last season he also played in South America on the clay courts before losing a couple of quick matches in Acapulco and Miami on the hard courts, while he also lost his first match at Indian Wells. A couple of those losses came against Alexander Zverev and Andy Murray, but Carlos Alcaraz is a very solid hard court player and I think the biggest challenge for him is how to handle the move from the clay onto this surface.

Indian Wells may prove to be best way to get accustomed to the hard courts over the next three weeks before the entire Tour moves onto the clay courts. Carlos Alcaraz should appreciate the slower court speed, while the youngster has held 81% of service games played on the hard courts over the last twelve months, while breaking in almost 28% of return games in the same time span.

Carlos Alcaraz was playing well at the Australian Open, but he will have to be focused from the start of this one against a comfortable hard court player in Mackenzie McDonald. The American was a straight sets winner in the First Round, so is comfortable in the conditions, while Mackenzie McDonald reached the Quarter Final in Dubai last month.

However, it should be pointed out that Mackenzie McDonald has weaker numbers behind both serve and return compared with Carlos Alcaraz and I expect that to make the difference in this Second Round match. The serve is a little more vulnerable when McDonald faces top 50 Ranked opponents on the hard courts, although his 5-5 record in 2022 has to be respected.

A deeper look over the last twelve months shows that Mackenzie McDonald has struggled with his return against top 50 Ranked opponents on the hard courts and I think that leaves his serve a little more vulnerable too.

A first match on the surface since January is a slight concern, but Carlos Alcaraz is extremely talented and a progressive player that should have too much for this level of opponent.

Rafael Nadal - 4.5 games v Sebastian Korda: The future is looking like it could be very bright for Sebastian Korda, but the young player could be given another lesson by current top star Rafael Nadal. These two met at the French Open two years ago and Rafael Nadal crushed Sebastian Korda, who admitted before the match that Nadal was an idol that he had long admired.

I don't think Rafael Nadal will be as dominant in this match as he was on his favoured surface in Paris, but the Spaniard has taken full advantage of being the only member of the long valued 'Big Three' of the ATP Tour that is currently played consistently. Roger Federer is injured and Novak Djokovic's problems are well documented, but Rafael Nadal has still had to do his own work on the court after a serious injury in 2021.

Some thought it could be a career ending injury for Rafael Nadal, but he has returned very successfully in 2022 and is still unbeaten. Title wins in Melbourne and Acapulco have sandwiched the twenty-first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open and Nadal is playing at arguably his best level on the hard courts.

The serve has been effective, but it is the 32% of return games in which he has found a break of serve which has been very impressive and powered the successes Rafael Nadal has had.

Sebastian Korda has had some mixed performances on the hard courts in 2022 and his serve is one that can be a little vulnerable, which is an area that Nadal can exploit. Like his hero, Sebastian Korda has been very good on the return of serve, but it will be tough to break down the Rafael Nadal serve if he is chasing this match.

Those return numbers have also taken a considerable dip when Sebastian Korda has faced players higher up the World Rankings and I think that is where he has a lot of room to improve. While he has been competitive in matches through sheer talent, a player like Rafael Nadal has already shown Sebastian Korda the kind of work you need to get through to challenge him and I think the younger player is still going to up short at the big moments.

The conditions at Indian Wells suit Rafael Nadal and he has had strong results at this Masters event, while the form of the Spaniard is second to none. The tennis should be easy on the eye throughout this match, but I think Rafael Nadal finds the breaks of serve that he will need to cover this handicap spread.

Daniel Evans - 5.5 games v Federico Coria: Some of the early performances in 2022 were very encouraging for Daniel Evans and he looked on course to improve his career best World Ranking and perhaps even crack the top 20 for the first time. Consistency, or lack thereof, has always been the big question next to the Daniel Evans name and some of the early optimism may have faded.

Early losses in a couple of big events held in the Middle East won't have helped, but Daniel Evans is a big favourite to win his opening match at the Indian Wells Masters.

He was beaten in the Third Round when playing here in the Autumn in 2021, but the bare minimum expected of him in this tournament is to match that performance. This is the first match Daniel Evans will have played here compared with Federico Coria who had to win in the First Round to earn his spot next to Evans in the draw, but that doesn't cover up the issues Coria has had on the hard courts.

Federico Coria beat Pablo Cuevas in the First Round, but over the last twelve months he has compiled a 3-9 record on the hard courts. The Argentine is on course to break the top 60 of the World Rankings for the first time and earning automatic entry into the biggest events on the Tour will be a real boost for him.

The stronger results have come on the clay courts and Federico Coria has struggled to really compete at an effective level on this surface. He has only held 64% of his service games played on the hard courts over the last twelve months and that puts Coria under an immense amount of pressure on the surface.

However, Federico Coria has not been good enough returning on this surface with breaks in just shy of 19% of return games played and even the slower conditions in Indian Wells may not be enough to change the outcome of this match. Daniel Evans is not going to overpower Federico Coria, but I do think he can exert enough pressure on the return having broken in 21% of return games played over the last twelve months on the hard courts.

This is a very big spread, but Daniel Evans has shown he can blow past opponents of a certain level and I think that will be the case in this Second Round match.

Naomi Osaka - 4.5 games v Veronika Kudermetova: After being out of action since the Australian Open, it was perhaps no surprise that Naomi Osaka needed a little bit of court time to find her rhythm. She would have hoped for a much easier First Round match than having to face Sloane Stephens just a couple of weeks out from a title win, but the way Naomi Osaka rolled through the last two sets has to be highly encouraging.

Seeing Naomi Osaka in the First Round took some getting used to as the former World Number 1 has slipped down the World Rankings. The only hope I have is that she is ready to compete on a week to week basis and Naomi Osaka can get back amongst the very best players on the Tour, which is her rightful place, but it will take some hard work to do so.

Having a strong Indian Wells will help and Naomi Osaka continues to produce some big numbers on the hard courts, which will make her very dangerous for every single other player in the draw.

It is Veronika Kudermetova who has to face Naomi Osaka as the Seeded player that received a Bye through to the Second Round. She reached the Final in Dubai, one of the big events on the Tour, and that will offer Veronika Kudermetova, although she will also know how much she will have to lift her level to compete with someone who has won multiple Grand Slam titles on this surface.

Veronika Kudermetova also reached the Final in Melbourne in the build towards the Australian Open, but it has been a case of all or nothing more often than not in 2022. Early losses have also been a part of the season for Kudermetova, while her numbers suggest those two runs to the Final mentioned are an overachievement rather than something sustainable on current form.

Her return game has plenty of room for improvement and I think Veronika Kudermetova will struggle to get a lot of joy from Naomi Osaka. After the slow start against Sloane Stephens, Osaka began to look really good behind serve and I think that shot will lay the foundation for a clear win in the Second Round.

Naomi Osaka will be the first to admit that her own return game can be improved to make life that much easier for her, but I think she can build the pressure on her opponent and that can lead to the breaks needed to cover this spread.

Maria Sakkari - 4.5 games v Katerina Siniakova: The Australian Open ended relatively disappointingly for Maria Sakkari, but in previous years a run to the Fourth Round might have been seen as a positive. That only goes to show how much Maria Sakkari has improved on the Tour and she has followed up that run Down Under with some strong performances on the Tour.

The Greek player reached the Final in St Petersburg and was a Semi Finalist in Doha and those results underline the progress that has been made. Maria Sakkari is still waiting to win a really big title though to back up her current Number 6 World Ranking, but she is a much improved player on the Tour and someone who has produced much stronger numbers on this surface than in previous years.

Maria Sakkari has a very good serve and that is the foundation for her success, but she has also won 45% of return points played in 2022. Even looking back at a longer sample shows Maria Sakkari has been pretty steady on the return over a twelve month period and I think she can produce a much stronger effort at Indian Wells than she did a few months ago.

It is no surprise to see Maria Sakkari as a strong favourite against Katerina Siniakova who has only really had one half decent tournament as a Singles player in 2022. She won three Qualifiers in Dubai, but Katerina Siniakova had not won a main draw match on the Tour until the First Round win here at Indian Wells.

There was a time when Katerina Siniakova was a solid player on the Tour, but these days she is perhaps better as a Doubles player and has a second serve that can be attacked. The Czech player has lost matches by wide margins throughout 2022 and Katerina Siniakova is just 1-8 on the hard courts over the last twelve months when facing an opponent Ranked inside the top 20.

Katerina Siniakova has struggled to be competitive in those matches and she was well beaten by Maria Sakkari when these two players met at the US Open.

On that day it was the Maria Sakkari return which proved to be a huge advantage and I think it will be similar when they meet at Indian Wells in the Second Round. Katerina Siniakova can be a dangerous player when at her best, but she has struggled when playing against players Ranked as highly as Maria Sakkari and I think the top ten player will be too good.

Alison Van Uytvanck + 4.5 games v Elena Rybakina: I am pretty high on Elena Rybakina and what she has the potential to do in her career, but I am going to be opposing her in this Second Round match.

The Kazakhstan player has produced a 7-3 record on the hard courts in 2022 and her numbers have been very impressive in those matches. Elena Rybakina reached the Final in Adelaide in January before losing to World Number 1 Ashleigh Barty, but she has had some injury issues since then and it has meant a lack of consistency since that Final.

It certainly leaves Elena Rybakina vulnerable and I do think someone like Alison Van Uytvanck has the game on the hard courts to at least push an opponent that has been struggling physically in recent weeks.

Alison Van Uytvanck has a solid serve, which makes her dangerous and likely competitive, although performances against top 50 Ranked players on the hard courts over the last twelve months leaves much to be desired. However, she has been competitive in her two previous losses to Elena Rybakina and I think the physicality of the match could see the momentum lean towards the Belgian.

If Elena Rybakina is feeling as close to full health as she can, I do think she is someone who as the big serve to keep opponents at bay. The room for improvement is on the returning side of her tennis and the lack of competitive tennis of late may mean Rybakina is lacking some rhythm on that side of her game in this match.

I would have loved Alison Van Uytvanck to have been given one more game, but this start may still be enough for the Belgian to keep this one close.

MY PICKS: Carlos Alcaraz - 3.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Rafael Nadal - 4.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Daniel Evans - 5.5 Games @ 2.10 Bet365 (2 Units)

Naomi Osaka - 4.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Maria Sakkari - 4.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

Alison Van Uytvanck + 4.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Indian Wells Update: 6-7, - 4.82 Units (26 Units Staked, - 18.54% Yield)

Weekend Football Picks and Fantasy Football 2021 (March 12-15)

I have something to get off my chest about the last round of the Fantasy Football game, but that can wait for the dedicated section below.

Before that let me put a few thoughts down about the Premier League fixtures to be played from Friday to Monday as we fast approach a break in play with the March internationals still scheduled to be played later this month.

Newcastle United v Aston Villa Pick: The Premier League weekend opens up on Friday evening and both Newcastle United and Aston Villa will be looking for the maximum points to move towards their ambitions for the season. The home team may have earned a point last weekend, but Fulham's win at Liverpool has closed the gap between Newcastle United and the relegation zone and Steve Bruce has to be feeling the pressure.

Some suggested a defeat at The Hawthorns last weekend would have cost Bruce his job, but the point earned has given him a little more time.

Pressure doesn't disappear though and a defeat on Friday could leave Newcastle United vulnerable to falling into the bottom three although that would need Brighton and Fulham to earn unexpected results later this weekend. Steve Bruce will be under immense pressure if Newcastle United do lose though and being without key attacking players makes it very difficult to believe in them.

There is some talent still here, but finding the balance between attack and defence has been difficult for Newcastle United.

Now they have to face an Aston Villa team who have found a way to outperform the underlying statistics and pick up clean sheets despite the huge chances they are giving up. At least in this game they could be playing a team short of attacking threat, although Aston Villa have struggled to create a lot themselves without Jack Grealish in the line up.

The hope is that the England international will be ready to go this week, but even then Aston Villa be playing at a tough ground for them. In recent years Aston Villa have not won in 12 visits to St James' Park and this feels like it will be another close game with goals lacking when these teams have faced each other.

The last 10 between these clubs have ended with less than three goals shared out and the recent struggles of both teams in the final third could see that trend move at least one more game. Inconsistent performances have blighted both over the last several weeks, but the injuries to the Newcastle United key attacking players and Aston Villa's run of five goals in 8 League games should add up to another low-scoring fixture.

Leeds United v Chelsea Pick: The early Saturday offering from the Premier League should be an interesting tactical battle between two managers who are convinced by the way they would like their football to be played.

Both Marcelo Bielsa and Thomas Tuchel have clear identities and both Leeds United and Chelsea have responded to their managers respectively. The better players are in the visitor's dressing room though and that should give Thomas Tuchel a real chance to set his Chelsea team up in a manner to expose the Leeds United spaces that have been left behind for much of the season.

No one will criticise the attacking intent of the Leeds United play, but it does leave them vulnerable to those teams with the quality that Chelsea will bring to the field. There have also been signs of frustration from Leeds United in front of goal and they have failed to hit the net in 3 of their last 4 Premier League games.

Playing on this Elland Road surface is not ideal for either club, but that can't be an excuse for either team either. Chelsea's recent form is certainly going to give them a more confident approach to this fixture, but the lack of goals away from Stamford Bridge is a concern.

They should have the chances to at least change the narrative on that front at Elland Road considering the manner in which Leeds United approach things. I also think set pieces continue to be a big problem for Leeds United to deal with and Chelsea have scored plenty of goals from corners and free kicks this season which suggests they can expose the vulnerabilities Leeds United have shown.

Leeds United should test this Chelsea team even though Tuchel has made them a little more balanced on that side of the field. However you do have to believe that Chelsea will prove to be a little too strong and an early goal could set them up to score at least twice for the first time away from home since early February when they managed to hit that mark in Yorkshire at Sheffield United.

The home team will continue to press, but Chelsea can punish them with the pace and quality they have in the final third. The feeling is that the visitors will earn the three points in a relatively high-scoring game as Chelsea look to put a stamp on one of the top four places and ensure a return to the Champions League next season.

Crystal Palace v West Brom Pick: All of the pressure has shifted to West Brom who would have seen the improvements made by relegation rivals Fulham that has left them 8 points from safety. The goalless draw with Newcastle United last weekend will have really hurt Sam Allardyce, although West Brom deserved a lot more from the fixture.

Ultimately they have looked short of the quality in the final third that would have been needed to avoid relegation and it would be a huge surprise if West Brom managed to do that now. This is almost the last chance saloon for them with another failure to secure a win likely only delaying the inevitable.

However a win might give West Brom the confidence to take into the April and May schedule with a chance to really work on Sam Allardyce's methods. The break in play might have come too late to really make a difference and West Brom are facing a Crystal Palace team who have worked hard for back to back clean sheets at Selhurst Park.

Like Sam Allardyce, Roy Hodgson will have spent a week working on the shape of this Crystal Palace team from a defensive standpoint to make sure they keep the points ticking over. Even with a long injury list Crystal Palace have managed to do that, although the lack of recent goals has to be a concern.

Crystal Palace will be given a huge boost by a returning Wilfred Zaha and Christian Benteke has offered a new threat for them having struggled for much of the last eighteen months. The return of Zaha in particular should mean Crystal Palace carry more of an attacking threat in this one and a moment of magic is more likely to come from the home team as they move a step closer to securing Premier League Football for another season.

There are enough talented players in the final third who can do that for Crystal Palace when you add the likes of Andros Townsend and Eberechi Eze to Zaha and Benteke and I think the home team may edge to the full points. The first goal will be crucial with goals drying up in the Premier League over the last couple of weeks, but The Eagles can get their noses in front here and that may be enough to secure a vital three points.

Everton v Burnley Pick: Performing at home has been difficult for most teams in the Premier League this season as the continued absence of fans affects clubs, but it is still a strange trend.

Everton are another who have seemingly been much more effective away from home, but an improvement at Goodison Park could see the team potentially scrap their way into the top four. A defeat at Chelsea is a setback for the club as they chase a surprising spot in the Champions League, but Everton are only 4 points off those places and have a game in hand over the teams above them.

All of that will mean nothing if they can't get back to winning ways on Saturday when they host a Burnley team who have been hard to beat in recent weeks. Everton did have 3 clean sheets in a row in the Premier League before losing at Stamford Bridge and the feeling is they can hold Burnley at arm's length in this one which should give them the edge.

For all the battling qualities Burnley have displayed, they have lost 4 of their last 6 away Premier League games. However the exceptions have both resulted in victories which includes a 0-1 win at Anfield and that has to be respected.

Burnley are simply not creating a lot of chances and defensively there have been gaps teams have exploited. For one reason or another, poor finishing has cost some against Burnley and Arsenal were guilty of that last weekend.

Everton have looked a little more certain about their ability to turn chances into goals of late though and they have a very strong recent record against Burnley. The Toffees have won 5 of the last 6 at home against Burnley and I think they can do that here, although Everton may have to ride out some difficult moments if they are not able to put this opponent away.

We saw that in narrow wins over Southampton and West Brom recently, but Everton have shown they can win those kind of games and can do the same against Burnley.

Fulham v Manchester City Pick: There will be plenty of people lined up ready to congratulate Scott Parker in the manner his Fulham team have given themselves a chance to avoid the drop, but the manager himself won't be satisfied until it is confirmed that Premier League Football will remain at Craven Cottage for another season.

After a slow start to the season, Fulham are motoring now and 3 wins in their last 7 Premier League games has given them a real opportunity.

The win last weekend at Anfield was an upset even though Liverpool made plenty of changes to their first eleven and any positive result on Saturday will drag Fulham out of the bottom three for twenty-four hours at the least.

Performances have improved and Fulham have looked a little stronger on both ends of the field over the last couple of months. Scott Parker has found the right formula to get the best out of his team and make them hard to beat, but turning some draws into wins has given Fulham a huge amount of momentum which they would look to carry through the March international break.

Upsetting the odds again will be on the minds of the players, but Manchester City are a different proposition to an injury hit Liverpool team. Playing at Craven Cottage has been a little more difficult for Fulham who have lacked for goals here and have failed to score in 4 of their last 5 League games at home, and they have been beaten in 5 of their last 7 here in all competitions.

Manchester City might have seen their long winning run ended at the hands of rivals Manchester United last Sunday, but they are back to winning ways having crushed Southampton on Wednesday. They have won 12 straight away games in all competitions and Manchester City are a team who have created chances and scored plenty of goals on their travels, while 10 of those 12 wins have come by two or more goal margins.

They have won their last 3 fixtures at Craven Cottage and the attacking quality is likely going to make all the difference for them.

Over the last couple of weeks the defensive strength Manchester City have been displaying has not looked as impregnable as it had been before. Fulham may cause some problems with the pace they have in forward areas, but I do feel Manchester City will control the play and eventually break down this tough Fulham team in a relatively comfortable win when all is said and done. 

Southampton v Brighton Pick: The early Sunday kick off in the Premier League is a big game on the south coast as Southampton get set to entertain Brighton.

A win at Sheffield United last weekend has at least given Southampton some breathing room to the bottom three, but there is no doubt they still need to put some more points on the board to avoid being dragged into a relegation scrap. Beating Brighton would really put Southampton on the brink of securing their top flight status and the performances over the last week have given the group some confidence.

Ralph Hasenhuttl was able to rotate his squad for the defeat at Manchester City, but he would have also kept some key players fresh and ready to go for this Premier League fixture.

Over the last couple of weeks Southampton have been creating chances, but it is important to have some of their key defenders back which will at least make the system feel like it has a solid base. They did concede five at Manchester City, but before that Southampton earned the clean sheet at Sheffield United and only conceded a single goal to Everton and I do think they are on the right road.

Keeping Brighton at bay will not be easy and you do have to expect that all the big chances being created by The Seagulls will eventually be rewarded with some big results. This is a team who have looked comfortable getting forward and they have been defending pretty well even if their opponents have been clinical in the final third which has resulted in more goals being conceded than you would imagine.

At some point you just have to accept that it is the way the season is going for Brighton and they may struggle for a result at St Mary's.

The last 3 between them at this ground have all ended in draws, but the feeling is that Southampton may just hold the edge in this fixture. They have shown a little more power in the final third and even without Danny Ings Southampton may do enough to secure the three points and leave Brighton in a very difficult spot in the Division.

Leicester City v Sheffield United Pick: Injuries have hurt both Leicester City and Sheffield United over the last few weeks and it has seen the two clubs fail to put together the kind of positive results that they would have liked.

While the visitors are hurting defensively, Leicester City are missing creative, attacking talents like James Maddison and Harvey Barnes and it has just seen them struggle in front of goal. Last weekend they needed a huge mistake from the Brighton goalkeeper to earn the victory at the Amex Stadium, but prior to that Leicester City have been struggling.

Even in the win at Brighton they did struggle to create a lot of chances and you do wonder if they can expose the issues Sheffield United have been having at the back. The Blades have given up some big chances, but Jamie Vardy has not been at his best and Leicester City are going to have to dig deep to earn the points to keep their top four ambitions on track.

One benefit for Leicester City is that they are facing a Sheffield United team who have struggled to create chances and the lack of goals has proven to be costly for the visitors. With Jonny Evans expected back, Brendan Rodgers may be looking for The Foxes to set up a secure foundation with the expectation that his team can do just enough to find the goals to earn the three points.

Leicester City have scored more than two goals in just 1 of their last 12 games in all competitions while Sheffield United have not scored in 4 of their last 5 fixtures. The feeling is that a low-scoring home win is most likely going to be the outcome of this one as Leicester City maintain their spot in the top four.

Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur Pick: Both Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur were playing in the Europa League on Thursday, but at least the latter were playing in North London rather than needing to travel back from the continent like Arsenal had to.

The situation was reversed earlier this season when Tottenham Hotspur hosted the North London derby and it didn't stop them winning the game 2-0. Jose Mourinho was quick to point that out to the press when he was asked whether his Tottenham Hotspur team had an advantage this weekend.

Both teams won comfortably on Thursday and look in a good position to make the Europa League Quarter Final so all focus can turn to this important Premier League game. It is still such a shame that these fixtures have to be played in an era where the fans have yet to return to the ground and it has sometimes meant the games have lacked the intensity that we would otherwise have.

Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur cannot allow that to happen if they are to achieve their domestic aims and I do think two strong teams will be selected. Mikel Arteta did rest some players for the League game at Burnley which came between Europa League ties, but the win at Olympiacos and the margin of victory has meant the Spaniard can play any team he likes.

Jose Mourinho will be hoping Harry Kane hasn't picked up a serious knock having come off with a knee issue against Dinamo Zagreb, and his Tottenham Hotspur team have been playing with some confidence. In recent games they have been creating plenty of chances and defensively they have largely managed games which should mean Tottenham Hotspur have every chance to win a first League game at Arsenal since November 2010.

They would have ended that run if they had held onto their 0-2 lead at the Emirates Stadium last season and Arsenal remain a team who have been a little inconsistent in the final third. The Gunners continue to cause more problems for themselves defensively than they need to and I do think Tottenham Hotspur have the players to hurt them.

This could be a fun North London derby, but my feeling is that Tottenham Hotspur may be the stronger team. Arsenal are dangerous and they have some talented players that can cause problems for any team they face, but Tottenham Hotspur may have the edge overall and I think they can find a way to earn the three points.

Manchester United v West Ham United Pick: If this match had been played a month ago Manchester United would have been considerable favourites to win the fixture and the evidence for that is the price they were to beat West Ham United in the FA Cup Fifth Round in February.

Since then the form has become inconsistent and the injuries in the front line means Manchester United are going to have to work very hard to break down this West Ham United team. The visitors have been defending really effectively in recent weeks and they were very unfortunate to lose at Manchester City a couple of weeks ago, while David Moyes seems to have everyone on the same page.

He will be looking to frustrate Manchester United and Moyes should feel confident in his team to do that if the home team are without Anthony Martial, Edinson Cavani and possibly Marcus Rashford. That leaves Manchester United short of considerable talent and there is a big drop to the next level with Daniel James, Mason Greenwood and possibly Amad Diallo having to occupy the front three places.

West Ham United have contained better attacking line ups than that and this is a team who are playing with a lot of belief. Even Jesse Lingard has come into the squad and produced some of his better football, but his absence this weekend will mean an opportunity for someone else to pick up the baton.

The Hammers are creating chances and they offer a real threat from set pieces which is something that has been something of an Achilles heel for Manchester United all season. They were undone by another corner on Thursday evening and I think there will be plenty backing West Ham United to earn the upset on Sunday evening and really put the cat amongst the pigeons when it comes to the top four race.

I have to say that Manchester United have largely been in control defensively in recent games though and it may need set pieces to undo them. If they can restrict the opportunity for West Ham United to put balls into the box they should be able to largely deal with this attacking line up which has pace and skill, but can be a little hit and miss.

Goals may be at a premium with the two defences taking to the field and the first goal is likely going to be vital. I am really not sure which way that will go though and instead think this may be a low-scoring game on Sunday evening.

The last 2 between these clubs at Old Trafford have both finished with fewer than three goals shared out and this may be the third match to do that in succession.

Wolves v Liverpool Pick: Monday Night Football comes from Molineux and that may actually be music to the ears of Liverpool fans considering the awful form they have displayed at home. They may have lost 6 straight at Anfield, but Liverpool have won 3 of their last 4 away Premier League games and have also beaten Leipzig on a neutral field twice so the players won't be lacking for too much confidence.

They have a strong record against Wolves and they have won their last 4 Premier League games at Molinuex.

Not many would have imagined the 4-0 win over Wolves at Anfield in early December would have been followed by just one more League win at home going through to the end of March, but Liverpool's away form has to be respected. They have been creating plenty of chances in those fixtures on their travels and Liverpool have players who can hurt Wolves here.

Wolves have been inconsistent for months and ever since losing Raul Jimenez they have been even harder to get a good read on. They will dominate the chances and come away with a draw like they did at Aston Villa, but on another day they will be hammered and look terrible at the back and somehow come away with a victory as they did against Leeds United.

They are unbeaten in 3 at home and have won 2 of those games, but both Arsenal and Leeds United will believe they deserved a lot more. Liverpool's recent away performances suggest they can can get more and they may have too much for Wolves in the final third as they look for the three points to at least reignite their challenge for a top four finish.

This should be close, but Liverpool should have the better of the chances and that should see them come away with the points. I don't imagine a really high-scoring game, but Liverpool should create the better chances and just give themselves a shot in the arm when it comes to the Champions League race in the English top flight.

MY PICKS: Newcastle United-Aston Villa Under 2.5 Goals

Chelsea to Win & Over 1.5 Goals

Crystal Palace - 0.25 Asian Handicap

Everton

Manchester City - 1.25 Asian Handicap

Southampton 0 Asian Handicap

Leicester City & Under 3.5 Goals

Tottenham Hotspur 0 Asian Handicap

Manchester United-West Ham United Under 2.5 Goals

Liverpool & Under 5 Goals

Fantasy Football GameWeek 28

This season has been one of the more inconsistent Premier League seasons we have seen in a long time with home advantage so hit and miss and with strange results coming out every week.

That is something we have all had to adjust to, but even then it can be very difficult to accept some of the 'luck' factors and especially when they seem to be going against you each passing week. I have certainly decided that the gut feeling has to overrule the head if I am going to earn my spot in the top 100K after the latest decision that seems to have gone against me.

I am not even going to mention Luke Shaw's huge haul that I left on the bench, that is something I would have done in most situations like the one Manchester United faced but it sums up the manner in which you can't really predict outcomes of any fixture with genuine confidence.

What has bothered me is my transfer decision making- last week I identified James Ward-Prowse as a potential midfield option, but ended up coming down in favour of Mason Mount.

The 'luck' I spoke about saw Danny Ings pick up an injury and JWP has not only taken advantage of scoring one Penalty, but scored another one in his Double GameWeek and also picked up an assist. Unsurprisingly to anyone who has been reading this thread, Mount didn't even start for Chelsea and it proved to be a decision that cost 20 points.

I've been on the wrong side of too many of these, while I am also getting a little fed up of my bench letting me down. And then teams like Aston Villa continue to confound the XG by picking up clean sheets despite teams racking up huge Expected Goal numbers against them, but insist on missing point blank sitters.

It all adds up and it has left me in a disappointing position, but I should activate the Wild Card soon and look to go with more gut feeling than anything else.

Next week I am going to be using my Free Hit so I should use the Free Transfer we all get in each week as I won't be able to carry it beyond GW29 anyway. Marcus Rashford is the player most likely that I will move out of my squad and that is because he is set to miss out this week.

The way the FPL game has me feeling this season makes me believe that either I will take out Rashford and he will surprisingly start and bang in a hat-trick on Sunday, or I will remove him and my Bench option will score a single point. Once those thoughts get in your head you can make rash decisions, but I do think it is the right play to remove the Manchester United player and look for other options.

It feels like it could be a one week rental for whoever I bring in and so there are plenty of options open to me, although the focus has to be on those who could be a differential. The best teams look to be Everton, Leicester City and Chelsea who look the most likely teams to score at least twice this week, but I will be thinking about this until the Friday afternoon deadline.

Kai Havertz had a big game against Everton, but I have the aforementioned Mason Mount, while Gylfi Sigurdsson was appealing if not suffering with a slight knock. The injuries to the attacking midfielders at Leicester City maybe raises the appeal of someone like Youri Tielemans, while Gareth Bale and Mason Greenwood could be decent differentials.

It is something that I will be considering while I am very tempted with putting the armband on Mount against the attack minded Leeds United. That is another aspect I am considering because I need to do without a 'single pointer' as Captain so Harry Kane and possibly the midfielder I bring in are other choices to lead the team. Raheem Sterling was rested in midweek, but Fulham have defended pretty well of late which reduces some of the appeal there.

Next week the options will be much clearer with four Premier League games scheduled to be played and with the Free Hit Chip in the pocket.

Good luck with your plays this week.

Tennis Picks 2021 (March 12th)

The tournaments are getting down to the final couple of days as the Semi Final and Quarter Final matches scheduled for Friday are set to be played.

A busy day means this thread is far shorter than the previous ones this past week, but you can see my selections below for those set to go on Friday.

MY PICKS: Barbora Krejcikova - 1.5 Games @ 1.91 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Daniil Medvedev - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Pierre-Hugues Herbert + 4.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Arthur Rinderknech-Ugo Humbert Over 22.5 Games @ 1.90 Bet365 (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 9-9, - 2.38 Units (36 Units Staked, - 6.61% Yield)

Indian Wells Masters Day 7 Tennis Picks 2019 (March 12th)

More winners have been put into the books at Indian Wells on Monday and that is keeping the week moving in a positive direction.

On Tuesday the Third Round of the ATP Masters event is completed, while the entire Fourth Round of the WTA Premier Event is set to be played on one day. The temperatures look like they are going to take an upswing and that is going to change the conditions in Indian Wells for the players who have been used to playing in a much cooler environment.

It could have a real impact on how much the players are able to hit through the court in the days ahead and it is something to consider when you make you picks for the remainder of this tournament.


Daniil Medvedev - 3.5 games v Filip Krajinovic: In each passing week you can see the improvement that Daniil Medvedev is making in his game and it is important for him to keep racking up the World Ranking points ahead of the clay court portion of the season. The young Russian player is yet to produce his best on the clay, but he can put himself into a position to be Ranked highly at the big events coming up which in turn should place him in a strong position to have a real go when it comes to Wimbledon and the US Open later this year.

He has reached a career high World Ranking last month and Medvedev is continuing to edge closer to a top ten Ranking for the first time, but this Third Round match should be a challenge for him. Injuries have hurt Filip Krajinovic over the last twelve months, but the Serbian is playing with real confidence at the moment and should offer up some real resistance to Medvedev.

It is never easy to face a Qualifier like Krajinovic who is very happy in the conditions, especially as he was also playing in the Challenger event held here last week. He has managed to put four wins on the board already at this Masters event which should see Krajinovic return to the top 100 in the Rankings, and he has produced back to back strong wins over top 50 Ranked opponents including another over David Goffin having already beaten the Belgian earlier this season.

Filip Krajinovic is producing some solid numbers and it is the return of serve which has proven to be very important for him. In each of the last four years he has shown improvement on the return and in 2019 he is breaking in just under 30% of the return games played on the hard courts which will give anyone a strong chance of putting a run of wins together.

You would imagine those numbers take a dent when playing the higher Ranked opponents, but that has not been the case and so Krajinovic has to be respected here.

However, Daniil Medvedev has been playing at a very high level and even a couple of back to back losses in Rotterdam and Dubai have not dented the numbers he is producing. His serve has remained strong with an almost 85% hold rate on the hard courts in both 2018 and so far in 2019, but Medvedev has upped the break percentage and that makes him a player that could take the next step in his career as he continues to improve.

It should prove to be the difference in this match too as Medvedev holds serve a little more regularly than Krajinovic and can actually match the return numbers that the latter has produced. This could be a rare hard court match with a few more breaks of serve between two ATP players as the slower conditions in Indian Wells does make it a little more difficult for the servers, but Medvedev should have the edge.

All credit to Krajinovic for putting the wins together, but the run could end here.


Marin Cilic - 2.5 games v Denis Shapovalov: In recent years Marin Cilic has been one of the top players on the Tour and in the last couple of years he has come very close to adding to the US Open Grand Slam title he has won. A couple of Grand Slam Final defeats and deep runs in others have seen the Croatian come close to becoming a multiple time Grand Slam Champion, but 2019 has begun with a little more difficulty for him.

His numbers are down across the board in 2019 compared with 2018 heading into this Third Round match at Indian Wells, but Cilic remains a strong server and that does put pressure on opponents. There is a real will to win that still burns inside of Cilic and that is why he is still producing a winning record, but he could be more vulnerable in matches like this one than he has been in previous years.

The service numbers are slightly down on last season, but Cilic has still been holding at a strong rate and I think those will improve if he can get his returning back on track. While still winning plenty of points off the opponent's serve, Cilic has perhaps not been as clinical at finishing off the break points as he has been in previous years and I do think that is going to be something that can be worked out by the Croatian.

On Tuesday he faces the young star Denis Shapovalov although I think the Canadian is going to have to up his game if he is going to challenge someone as good as Cilic can be.

Denis Shapovalov has been in mixed form on the hard courts in 2019 and I do think that is something of a surprise as you would feel this is one of his better surfaces. The court in Indian Wells is arguably one of the tougher courts for Shapovalov to play on, but he did have a solid win over Steve Johnson in the Second Round which may give him a boost of confidence to take into this match.

His overall numbers on the hard courts have been solid in 2019, but Shapovalov has not really been able to pick it up when he has faced a top 50 Ranked opponent. Before this week he had lost all four matches in that situation and his service hold percentage drops from 83% down to 75%, while his break percentage falls from 19% to 15%.

Those numbers are not too dissimilar to his 2018 ones and I do think this is a tough match up for Shapovalov with Cilic's long levers meaning he can get a few more balls back in play than the youngster may think. When they met on an indoor hard court at the end of 2018 Cilic dominated on the return and I think he is going to have the edge in this one too.

I really thought he would have been a game bigger favourite on the handicap so I will back Cilic in this spot to move through to the Fourth Round.


Kyle Edmund - 3.5 games v Radu Albot: Any player who comes through the Qualifiers and can work their way to the Third Round in these ATP Masters events has to be respected, but Radu Albot's confidence may be even higher than those who have done that previously.

You would say the draw has been pretty kind to Albot so far this week, but it is up to players to take advantage and he has backed up what has been a strong 2019 so far. The Moldovan hit a career high World Ranking at the end of February which came about after he won the Delray Beach title, while Albot has already reached the Semi Final in Marseille.

Those wins have come in tournaments that have featured some big names and I do think Albot deserves the respect he is being given by the layers. The numbers are up on the serve and that has been important for Albot as it has given him a chance to put his decent returning skills to good use instead of trying to play catch up in matches.

However I do think you have to note the performances against the top 50 Ranked opponents even though Albot has a 3-2 record on the hard courts in those matches. His service numbers dip closer to his general numbers from previous seasons and Albot has not returned as effectively as he would have liked and I do think think both elements of his game will be tested by Kyle Edmund.

The British Number 1 took a few weeks off after the Australian Open as he was perhaps suffering with a knock or two that needed to be shaken off. A lack of competitive tennis would have been a concern going into the Indian Wells Masters, but a good decision to take in the Challenger event here last week has paid off with Edmund going on to win the title.

Confidence should not be a problem and that was evident in his Second Round match against Nicolas Jarry when Edmund dropped just two games on his way through to this match. Improving the return of serve is the key for Edmund if he is going to take the next step in his career, and so far he has been strong on that side of his game in 2019 although Edmund has yet to really play some of the top names on the Tour.

The serve could be a big weapon for Edmund and he has solid hold numbers over the last couple of years which I think can be used to pressure Albot in this Third Round match. It could open up some chances on the return, although I don't like dismissing Albot easily with the way he has been playing in the last six weeks.

However I do think Edmund is comfortable in the conditions and he has shown an ability to play on the slower surfaces which should not frustrate him in Indian Wells. The wind has died down somewhat from earlier this week and the temperatures should not be too bad, while the humidity is something Edmund has dealt with in his time here over the last couple of weeks.

It is going to be tight on the numbers, but I do think Edmund can keep his Indian Wells run going and just edge out Albot over the course of this match.


Roger Federer - 3.5 games v Stan Wawrinka: I wanted to write very few words about this match rather than placing it in the 'MY PICKS' section below.

I know I've wrote about Roger Federer and not wanting to back him to cover at 4.5 games and higher because of a return game that has been lacking the kind of punch you would want, but coming down one game is more reasonable for him.

In that situation he might not have to break as many as three times as he may have to do for a 4.5 game handicap if the coin toss goes against him. Now it is a chance for Federer to cover with a single break of serve, especially against someone who is serving as big as Wawrinka has been in 2019.

The problem for Stan Wawrinka is the awful head to head with Federer on the hard courts while his own return of serve numbers have not really recovered to the level he had prior to his injury. A couple of loose service games, which can be a feature of a Wawrinka performance, may be enough for Federer to win and cover in this Third Round match and I think the former World Number 1 can do that.


Karolina Pliskova - 3.5 games v Anett Kontaveit: The first thing I have noticed about Anett Kontaveit this week is that she looks to be in about as good a physical shape as I remember. At first glance I didn't even recognise her and it could see Kontaveit become a player that begins to fulfil the obvious potential she has with a big game that can be tough for opponents to deal with when she is in form.

Inconsistencies need to be erased if Kontaveit is really going to get in amongst the very best players on the Tour, but she looks like being in a position to reach a new career high World Ranking at the end of Indian Wells. Putting another win on the board by upsetting Karolina Pliskova would almost certainly see her break inside the top 20 of the World Rankings but beating players already in those positions has not been something the Estonian has been able to do with any kind of regularity.

In very simple terms Kontaveit has not returned as well as she would have liked in those matches against the top players on the WTA Tour and it puts a lot of pressure on her to produce big serving days to stay competitive. The retirement of Anastasija Sevastova on Monday means Kontaveit is 4-7 in matches against top 20 Ranked opponents on the hard courts over the last twelve months, but the numbers indicate that the defeats have tended to be a little one-sided and the wins have been very tight.

Now she has to face Karolina Pliskova in the Fourth Round and this is a player that has enjoyed strong runs at Indian Wells in the last few years visiting. The Czech player has yet to go on and win the title, which would represent the biggest of her career, but Pliskova is going to be very difficult to stop this year as she has bounced back from an underwhelming 2018 on this surface.

A strong 15-3 record on the hard courts is impressive and the numbers have been good, although there is a slight concern about the fact that Pliskova has been involved in so many three set matches. While she has won a large majority of those, it is a tough way to continue to make a living and hope to win big titles.

It also makes it hard to really be confident in backing a player to cover more than a 2.5 game spread when they are being asked to win matches in the final set. However in this case I do think the Pliskova serve is going to be a huge weapon for her when you consider the problems Kontaveit has had in returning against top 20 Ranked players over the last twelve months.

If Pliskova can get enough first serves in play I do think it will be difficult for Kontaveit to really get her teeth into this match. It is especially tough if Pliskova can start to get a read on the Kontaveit serve and I think we will see the Czech player find a way to win a set with a couple of breaks of serve attached to it.

That could be enough for her to cover here and I will back her to do that against a player who has lost seven matches to top 20 Ranked players on the hard courts in the last twelve months. Six of those losses would have seen her fail to earn a cover with this start and I will look for the same to happen here.


Aryna Sabalenka - 1.5 games v Angelique Kerber: Is this a passing of the torch moment between two players going in opposite directions as far as their careers go? That may be a touch harsh on 31 year old Angelique Kerber who has shown she can bounce back and win big titles even when off form and who is currently the defending Wimbledon Champion, but it does feel like Aryna Sabalenka is marching towards the top of the women's game.

There are some talented players ahead of the Belarusian in the Rankings and her window for success may not be that wide if she doesn't continue improving with some huge talents breaking through. Aryna Sabalenka went into the Australian Open as one of the favourites to win the title and was dismissed emphatically by one of those young talents, but she is young and looks to be improving all the time.

You can see those improvements from the numbers when you split up the last twelve months into three parts. Early on Sabalenka was not quite putting it all together, but by the back end of 2018 she was flying and has only seemingly gotten better in the first couple of months of 2019.

One concern for Sabalenka fans has to be the fact she has yet to beat a top 20 Ranked player on the hard courts in 2019 and the two losses suffered have seen her fall away after dropping tight opening sets. That indicates the first set in this Fourth Round match is going to be very important for the younger player just to make sure she keeps her belief going.

Angelique Kerber is a superb defender and she can frustrate Sabalenka in their first match against each other, although the German has looked far from assured herself. Her general numbers on the hard courts have actually been strong, but Kerber has struggled when the competition has ramped up and I think that could be the case again.

Where Sabalenka has a winning record against top 20 players she has faced on the hard courts over the last twelve months, Kerber is 3-6 in those matches. She has not returned nearly as well as she would have liked and is capable of and that has put pressure on Kerber whose own serve can be a vulnerability when she is facing these kinds of big hitters like Sabalenka.

At her best Kerber could frustrate the life out of Sabalenka with an ability to get plenty of returns in play and defend the big hitting groundstrokes. I just don't think we have seen enough of Kerber at her best in these big matches over a prolonged period now and I will look for Sabalenka to record her biggest win of 2019 by edging out Kerber over three sets.

MY PICKS: Daniil Medvedev - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Marin Cilic - 2.5 Games @ 1.95 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Kyle Edmund - 3.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Roger Federer - 3.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Karolina Pliskova - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)
Aryna Sabalenka - 1.5 Games @ 1.85 William Hill (2 Units)
Qiang Wang @ 2.20 Bet365 (2 Units)
Elina Svitolina - 1.5 Games @ 1.91 Ladbrokes (2 Units)
Venus Williams - 4.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Indian Wells Update: 19-12, + 11.08 Units (62 Units Staked, + 17.87% Yield)