Premier League Darts Night 7 Picks 2026 (Thursday 19th March)

Wessel Nijman has threatened to produce a top result together in a big tournament and it all came together for the Dutchman in Germany last week at European Tour 2.

You can't blame the media for focusing on the talented youngsters Luke Littler and Gian van Veen, but Wessel Nijman has room to grow and the hope is that he can kick on from that success last weekend.

If he can, perhaps Nijman will be a debutant in the Premier League next season.

He won't be playing this Thursday in Dublin when Night 7 of the Premier League begins and we are almost at the halfway mark of the tournament with the fight for the top four places heating up.

Another Night win was secured by Jonny Clayton last week and you have to believe that the Welshman is well on his way to locking up one of the top four places having opened up an 8 point lead over second placed Luke Littler. Both players skipped the tournament in Germany with Littler long making it clear he does not like playing in that country after issues with the crowd, while Clayton was dealing with a foot issue last Thursday and needed some rest, rather than travelling to the European Tour 2 event.

Luke Littler is facing Stephen Bunting on Night 7 and the latter will understand why the World Number 1 skipped the event last week after having his match ruined by whistling.

Luke Humphries also missed European Tour 2 and he has a rematch of the Night 6 Final when facing Jonny Clayton in the last of the Quarter Finals.

Just four points separate Luke Littler in 2nd place and Stephen Bunting in 7th and so there is still all to play for in the tournament, while Josh Rock will be hoping fans have travelled from Northern Ireland to Dublin to support his bid for a maiden Premier League win.

It was a torrid weekend for the Darts Picks, but there is an opportunity to bounce back over the next few days with Night 7 and Night 8 of the Premier League sandwiching the European Tour 3 event in Belgium. That event begins on Friday and is played through Sunday, but the concentration for now is on Night 7 of this tournament in Dublin where the top names face off again.

Gian van Veen has been a late withdrawal as he suffers from kidney stones and that is a major concern for the young player, but has perhaps been a factor in his recent downturn in form.

After his own recent struggles with his health, the two points without playing a match will be a boost for Michael van Gerwen who will have moved back into the top four before the start of play in Dublin on Night 7 of the Premier League.

Luke Littler to win & most 180s v Stephen Bunting: It has to be pretty funny to think that there have been some questions about Luke Littler's early motivations in the Premier League, yet he has cruised into second place in the standings.

That just reminds everyone of the supreme talent of the teenager and Littler continues to be the player to beat in every tournament he enters.

He didn't enter European Tour 2 last weekend and having a bit of time off may have done Luke Littler some good as he prepares to return to action in Dublin. The crowd are likely going to get on his back with Stephen Bunting likely to be a more popular figure, but that has rarely prevented Littler from playing however he feels like and he should have too much for this opponent.

Whistling from the crowds has become a far too common event at the darts over the last twelve months and Bunting was on the wrong side of that in Germany.

This should be played in a better atmosphere for the World Number 9, but Stephen Bunting has suffered four early exits in six Premier League Nights and he may not be able to match the heavy, consistent scoring power of Luke Littler in this race to six Legs.

Gerwyn Price to win & most 180s v Josh Rock: Both of these players were beaten pretty comfortably by Wessel Nijman at the European Tour 2 event last weekend, but Gerwyn Price's defeat was in the Final of that event in Germany.

Josh Rock will have taken confidence from another decent run outside of the Premier League, but he remains without a win in this tournament and the pressure continues to build.

He has admitted that he is perhaps overthinking on a Thursday evening with performances outside of the Premier League remaining steady, but that is always the challenge for debutants in this weekly tournament.

Over the course of the season, Josh Rock can match the maximum hitting of Gerwyn Price, but the numbers within this Premier League have been pretty different. In this tournament alone, the Welshman is hitting those big shots with a touch more regularity and that makes the price on him completing the double in this Quarter Final look pretty appealing.

Luke Humphries to win & most 180s v Jonny Clayton: Who would have thunk that Jonny Clayton would be the first to reach two Nightly wins in the Premier League and have a huge lead at the top of the table as we approach the midway point of the competition.

He was favourite to finish bottom of the standings when the tournament kicked off, but Clayton was telling anyone that was prepared to listen how much he enjoys the Premier League.

A former Winner, Jonny Clayton is the only player who has avoided a Quarter Final defeat so far.

That could change this week as we get a repeat of the Night 6 Final when Luke Humphries opposes Clayton and the World Number 2 has to be wondering when things are going to finally fully click for him.

Luke Humphries has some big wins this season, but he has faltered at key times in tournaments and that has prevented him from picking up more titles and especially more points in the Premier League. There has been nothing wrong with the averages and the scoring, but missing key doubles at big moments have proven to be costly, although you have to fully believe Humphries will win many more matches than he loses on current form.

He has lost twice to Jonny Clayton in the Premier League, which makes it three defeats in a row to this opponent and so there is a mental obstacle to overcome, but Luke Humphries will feel his doubling has been the reason he has fallen in both Premier League contests this season.

Even a slight improvement there could turn the tables and it should be noted that Luke Humphries has hit more maximums than Jonny Clayton in both Premier League matches against one another.

MY PICKS: Luke Littler to Win & Most 180s @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Gerwyn Price to Win & Most 180s @ 3.25 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Luke Humphries to Win & Most 180s @ 2.40 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Darts 2026: 31-47, - 9.24 Units (75 Units Staked, - 12.32% Yield)

Miami Tennis Day 3 Picks 2026 (Thursday 19th March)

Early reports indicated it was going to be a wet start to the Miami Masters, but a complete washout on Day 2 is a real disappointment for the fans.

It all adds up to an extremely busy Thursday when almost the entire First Round of the ATP tournament and the majority of the WTA event have to be completed- some of the Second Round matches that were due to be played on Thursday are scheduled to go out on the new Stadium court, but we are already in catch up mode at the tournament.

The two selections that were made from Day 2 will have to be played on Thursday and there are two more selections below that were originally in the batch of remaining First Round matches due to be played on Day 3.

A few Second Round selections had been identified from the WTA event being played here, but those will be out in the Day 4 thread- with the majority of those matches set to be scheduled for Friday being put together at the end of play on Thursday, further selections will be added to that thread on the day as we also try to keep up with a tournament that would have appreciated having some tennis on Day 2 instead of the complete wipeout of a day.

Marin Cilic - 2.5 games v Alexei Popyrin: He will be turning 38 years old later this year, but Marin Cilic still feels he has enough in the tank to compete at a level that will make him feel satisfied. Early results have been pretty solid in 2026, including reaching a Semi Final in Dallas, but Marin Cilic suffered opening defeats in Delray Beach and Indian Wells.

Instead of taking in a Challenger event last week, Marin Cilic will have headed over to Miami and begun preparation for the next Masters event on the calendar.

The faster surfaces remain his favourite domain and Marin Cilic may be targeting a strong run that can help him move closer to the Seeding positions for the next two Grand Slams on the clay courts and grass courts. You would definitely like his chances of having an impact at Wimbledon, but Marin Cilic is pretty competent on all surfaces and he is rightly set as the favourite for this First Round match.

Alexei Popyrin entered the top 20 of the World Rankings in August 2025 to reach a new career high mark, but his form since then has been disappointing.

Now the Australian will be entering the Miami Masters as the World Number 47 and it is really concerning to see Alexei Popyrin holding a 9-23 record on the hard courts since the beginning of the 2025 season. He is at 2-8 for the 2026 season and that is largely down the pressure that Popyrin has faced on the return with less than 30% of returning points won in those ten matches.

The serve will always be a potentially dangerous weapon, but Alexei Popyrin has not been able to play the big points effectively with the pressure that has been put on him by his own struggles.

Marin Cilic can put pressure on with his own strong serve, while the veteran has also been the much more effective return player in the opening months of the season.

The 2-1 head to head in favour of the Croatian will also help mentally and that includes a very strong win in Miami, albeit back in 2022.

The last meeting came thirteen months ago on the hard courts of Dubai, and Marin Cilic rallied in that one for another victory over Alexei Popyrin and he may have the higher confidence level to come through this First Round match.

Alex Michelsen - 3.5 games v Mattia Bellucci: Any time someone comes through the Qualifiers, they have to be respected and that is certainly the case for Mattia Bellucci who also reached the Final of a Challenger event in between these two big Masters events played in North America.

That run will have given him confidence, although it should also be noted it would have been in a field where players are not quite of the level that he is going to be facing in the main draw.

However, this is a winnable match for the lefty and Mattia Bellucci will have some confidence behind him after a difficult opening to the 2026 season- he will surely be looking forward to the run on the clay courts coming up, but Bellucci has shown he can be competitive on the hard courts.

Over the last twelve months he has tended to struggle against the higher Ranked opponents faced though and that is the situation for the Italian in the Miami First Round.

Alex Michelsen has had some mixed results, but a strong run in Indian Wells will have done him the world of good and he can use the home crowd to push through this opening match.

At 21 years old, Michelsen will know there is room for improvement, but he has a serve that can be effective and his return numbers have been much better when facing those Ranked below him. That is evident over the last twelve months and Alex Michelsen is expected to get the better of Mattia Bellucci having beaten him on the Washington hard courts a little over eighteen months ago.

MY PICKS: Marin Cilic - 2.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Alex Michelsen - 3.5 Games @ 2.25 William Hill (1 Unit)

Miami Masters Tennis Picks 2025 (Wednesday 19th March)

The first of the Sunshine Masters events was concluded this past Sunday, but the Tour quickly moves onto Miami.

Jack Draper and Mirra Andreeva will both be looking to making it a Double over the next several days, but the rivals would have been getting ready as they look for the last big hard court title until August in the build up to the US Open.

Things have not all been plain-sailing between Indian Wells and Miami and that was after news broke that the Player Council that had been put together several years ago with the likes of Novak Djokovic attached will now be challenging the ATP and WTA Tour as well as the ITF in the courts as the prospect of a 'breakaway' Tour continues to be spoken about.

We have seen Golf suffer the same fate and the financial backing is surely going to be provided by those in the Middle East with deep pockets and the ambition to take over much of the sporting world. That is a story for another day, but the first step is this court case and whether the PTPA lawsuit can prove that the 'cartel' are not doing the best for the sport.

For all the good intentions being spoken about, ultimately it comes down to the top players wanting more money, but breaking up the Tour in the current form does not seem the best idea. We will see how it all plays out though and whether and 'reforms' are offered by the Tours.

Some of the players that have attached their name to the lawsuit are going to be playing in Miami this week and it will be interesting to see what kind of reaction they get from the crowds, but it was clear that the very top names have not get involved at this stage.

The suggestion is that they have wanted this lawsuit to come from a host of tennis players and not have one or two leading names taking the headlines, but the real feeling is that the top names don't want to get too involved at this stage, especially if things do not pan out as expected.

Maybe that is being cynical, but it is still early days and the fight has only just begun.

Instead having a big name join if the first battles are won could make a really big impact at a big moment and that could be the reason for holding back right now, rather than players worrying about potential financial implications.

The First Round in Miami started on Tuesday with the WTA tournament getting underway, but the ATP will join the party on Wednesday.

First Round matches have been tough to find selections from, but there is one from the play scheduled for Wednesday, which can be read below.

It was a poor result in Indian Wells and the 2025 totals have been updated at the bottom of the page. Bouncing back in Miami is the focus for the remainder of the month and then attention will turn to the clay court season and trying to make a really positive push into Roland Garros.

Alexander Bublik - 2.5 games v Sebastian Baez: Strong performances on the clay courts has helped Sebastian Baez maintain his World Ranking, but it has been a year long struggle for Alexander Bublik.

Dropping down to World Number 80 having hit his peak Rank in May last year of Number 17 underlines the kind of form Alexander Bublik has been in for much of the last twelve months.

Moving onto the clay courts is not going to offer much respite for someone who is likely going to have to Qualify for at least one of the upcoming Masters events to be played on the red dirt in the lead up to the French Open.

In saying all that, it is perhaps a surprise to see Alexander Bublik down as the favourite and this is the kind of player that would have to be avoided even if he is playing Sebastian Baez who has shown little real appetite for the early Masters events on the hard courts.

The win-loss record at Indian Wells and Miami tells a tale and Sebastian Baez has yet to win a main draw match here since really breaking through on the Tour. He has not exactly ripped things up in Indian Wells either, where the heavier conditions could aid someone happy to be playing on the clay, and the World Number 36 has lost all three hard court matches played in 2025.

Alexander Bublik had also been struggling for wins having lost eight of the first ten hard court matches played in 2025 culminating in a disappointing opening loss at Indian Wells. However, the decision to pack the racquet and make a short journey to Phoenix to play a Challenger has paid off for Bublik and reaching the Final there will at least have raised the confidence levels.

Battling through some of the early matches in Phoenix will have helped and the conditions should been in Alexander Bublik's favour in South Florida.

He is not easy to trust considering the form and the tendency to lose all focus on the court, but Sebastian Baez can aid Bublik with a poor hard court serve and the lower Ranked player can at least underline his favouritism for the victory.

MY PICKS: Alexander Bublik - 2.5 Games @ 1.75 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

2025 Season: 54-41, + 11.22 Units (133 Units Staked, + 8.44% Yield)

Indian Wells Tennis Picks 2023 (March 19th)

Most of the ATP and WTA Tour participants would have made the journey across the United States from Indian Wells to Miami as the next Masters event on the calendar begins on Tuesday with the WTA First Round, but four players remain in California.

Both Indian Wells Finals are to be played on Sunday and both look like they could produce a lot of fun tennis for those attending.

I was a touch disappointed with the 1-1 return for the Tennis Picks on Saturday, although it was perhaps a fair reflection of the performances of those selections.

Daniil Medvedev could have easily covered the big line against Frances Tiafoe having missed a number of Break Points to move into a position to do that, although Carlos Alcaraz did have to fight through a very tough match against Jannik Sinner, which could have gone the other way.

It has still been a very strong tournament for the Tennis Picks and finishing off the right way on Sunday is all that I am thinking about now.

Aryna Sabalenka - 2.5 games v Elena Rybakina: A rematch of the Australian Open Final will take place on the hard courts of Indian Wells when the WTA Final is played and you could make a case for Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina to be two of the best three players in the world.

Not many are in stronger form than the reigning Australian Open Champion and Elena Rybakina would be a top four Ranked player if she had received the Ranking points from winning Wimbledon last year. I think both will feel they can have a massive impact at Wimbledon in July, assuming Sabalenka will be allowed to compete this year, and these head to head matches throughout the year on the Tour can provide a mental edge if they are to come up against one another in those big Slam matches.

At the moment Aryna Sabalena has the edge over Elena Rybakina and I think she will frank that with a win in this Final.

Both are big hitters who want to get on the front foot, while the serve is a potent weapon for the two players.

I am not surprised that so many of their previous matches have needed a deciding set when you consider how important a single break of serve can be in matches between them.

Aryna Sabalenka has had the better of the returning numbers this week and that was the case in Melbourne back in January- I think that is likely to be the outcome of this one as Sabalenka closes in on the World Number 1 Ranking a little further.

Carlos Alcaraz v Daniil Medvedev: After eighteen months where Daniil Medvedev has not kicked on as far as it looked was possible, he is looking for a Masters title at Indian Wells which will have him back amongst the very top players on the ATP Tour.

Winning the title will not improve his World Ranking, but it will give Medvedev confidence to take into the next Masters event in Miami and maybe even for the clay court season if he can win on what he considers to be a slow surface.

The World Number 1 Ranking is on the line for Carlos Alcaraz and a win would take him back past Novak Djokovic- the Spaniard missed the Australian Open which was won by Djokovic, but the absence of the latter for these two American Masters events have opened the door for Carlos Alcaraz ahead of the clay court season when he may be considered the favourite alongside Novak Djokovic to win the next Grand Slam event at the French Open.

His return to the hard courts could not have gone much better and I do think the conditions will suit Carlos Alcaraz more than Daniil Medvedev. The numbers from the tournament have backed that up with Alcaraz getting a bit more out of his return as he looks to square up the professional match head to head with Daniil Medvedev at 1-1.

The highest Ranked player beaten by Medvedev at the Indian Wells tournament has been Alexander Zverev, the current World Number 14, but Carlos Alcaraz has seen off Felix Auger-Aliassime (World Number 10) and Jannik Sinner (World Number 13) and still produced the stronger numbers at the tournament.

Both are extremely confident hard court players, which has to be respected, but I think the conditions are more favourable to Carlos Alcaraz and he can find a way to come through as the favourite in the ATP Final.

MY PICKS: Aryna Sabalenka - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Carlos Alcaraz @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

Indian Wells Update: 23-14, + 11.01 Units (75 Units Staked, + 14.68% Yield)

Indian Wells Masters Tennis Picks 2022 (March 19th)

The ATP Semi Finals are set to be played on Saturday at Indian Wells and there are two decent matches scheduled for the day.

Rafael Nadal - 2.5 games v Carlos Alcaraz: There are going to be plenty out there looking for a passing of the torch moment when the present and the future of Spanish Tennis face off in the Semi Final at Indian Wells.

No one can deny the obvious talent of Carlos Alcaraz who is into the top 20 of the World Rankings and that is something special at the age of 18 years old. In years past, a teenager breaking onto the Tour and climbing the Rankings was all the rage, but Men's tennis has become very physical and the feeling was that it would take players a lot longer to mature and be ready to compete with the very best players on the Tour.

Carlos Alcaraz is making a mockery of those feelings though and he is improving at a rate of knots every time he plays. Even moving between the hard courts and clay courts doesn't seem to bother him too much and he has been in dominating form in this tournament where the slower hard court conditions seem to suit him very much.

The serve is still a work in progress, but Carlos Alcaraz has stunningly broken in 57% of return games played in the tournament- the fact he has played three players Ranked inside the top 30 in his four matches at Indian Wells underlines how impressive that number is and Carlos Alcaraz was able to beat the defending Champion Cameron Norrie in straight sets in the Quarter Final.

An aggressive player, Carlos Alcaraz feels he is going to show a lot better against unbeaten Rafael Nadal than when they met on the clay in Madrid last year.

On that day, Rafael Nadal handed out a lesson to his young compatriot, but Carlos Alcaraz feels he has learnt plenty from the veteran in their practice sessions together. In fact they were on the practice courts together here at Indian Wells and that should stand the younger player in good stead, although it is still a big ask to beat Rafael Nadal at such a big event.

He has remained unbeaten, but Rafael Nadal has at least looked a little beatable here which should encourage Carlos Alcaraz.

Unlike the lower Seed, Rafael Nadal has not blown away opponents and that is largely down to the fact he has only found breaks of serve in 18% of return games played in the four matches here. You have to factor in the opponents though and the likes of Reilly Opelka and Nick Kyrgios are huge servers, although Carlos Alcaraz may take inspiration from Sebastian Korda who pushed Rafael Nadal all the way and was unfortunate to lose in three sets in the Second Round.

Unfortunately it feels like Nadal has been allowed to settle into the tournament now and I do think there will be an aura on the other side of the net that will be difficult for Carlos Alcaraz to deal with. I don't think he gets blown away like he did in Madrid, but Rafael Nadal has been serving slightly better than Carlos Alcaraz in this tournament and I think that may give the Australian Open the edge.

Carlos Alcaraz will see his time come, but I think the veteran Spaniard can stay on top of him here and just remind Alcaraz how much more work has to be done to compete with the very top names on the Tour.

MY PICKS: Rafael Nadal - 2.5 Games @ 1.91 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Andrey Rublev - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Weekend Football Picks and Fantasy Football 2021 (March 19-21)

I honestly don't know how players feel, but they have to be understandably exhausted if us fans are beginning to feel the amount of Football that has been played over the last few months.

With an upcoming international break, the players will at least get to stay in a different environment for a few days and that is an opportunity to just reset after a busy number of months across the top European Leagues. It is important to recover both physically and mentally considering the congested manner of the last two months of the season as Leagues look to complete their schedules before the Euro 2020 Tournament begins in June.

Big matches are coming up, but the two week break will be nice for me personally and I do think it will just help a few get over some niggles and make sure they ready for the tough two months to come.

The Fantasy Football game will have a break too, but I will get onto that below once I put down my thoughts on the four Premier League games scheduled to be played this weekend.

Fulham v Leeds United Pick: This is not a very busy Premier League weekend with only four games scheduled around the FA Cup Quarter Final matches that set to be completed. The opening Premier League game comes from Craven Cottage where Fulham will host Leeds United in what is a very important game for both teams.

A win for Fulham would actually take them out of the bottom three for twenty-four hours at least and also peg back both Burnley and Brighton who earned important away wins last weekend. On the other side, a win for Leeds United will mean they are on the brink of reaching 40 points from the season and would end any lingering concerns of being dragged back into a relegation battle.

Both teams failed to score against Big Six opponents at home last weekend, but Leeds United will have been a lot happier with the point against Chelsea than Fulham were in being comprehensively beaten by Manchester City on this ground.

Leeds United have now failed to score in 3 Premier League games and they have also lost their last 3 away League games with the latter 2 coming in games where they failed to score. Chances continue to be created which makes Leeds United dangerous, but Marcelo Bielsa will be demanding a better composure in the final third.

They should have some opportunities against a Fulham team who have shown better defensive solidity in the last couple of months, but who have allowed Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City to create big chances here. Even Sheffield United had their moments in a 1-0 defeat to Fulham at Craven Cottage and Leeds United will play with a certain style that will always seen men pushed forward into attacking areas.

Fulham have also been lacking goals in recent home games with a single strike in 6 at Craven Cottage in all competitions. There is still a feeling that Fulham are perhaps not being as clinical as they should be despite the arrival of Josh Maja and that has let them down despite getting into promising positions against the likes of West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur in recent games here.

Scott Parker's team are likely to cause one or two problems for Leeds United too and the away team have not produced too many draws this season. Both teams hitting the net would not be a surprise in what should be decent conditions to play football and all 3 games between these teams since August 2019 have ended with three or more goals shared out.

A 2-1 scoreline either way would not surprise me at all and I think we will see goals in this fixture as Fulham and Leeds United chase valuable points.

Brighton v Newcastle United Pick: For much of the season Brighton and Newcastle United have been performing in very different ways with the former underperforming compared to their underlying stats and the latter perhaps picking up some fortunate points.

Losing some key attacking players has just blunted the Newcastle United effectiveness in the final third, but they have been better in recent home games. However The Magpies somehow left West Brom with a goalless draw and the feeling is they are going to have to ride their luck to earn any kind of positive result here.

In the last couple of games Brighton's underlying numbers have not been as impressive as they have been for much of the season, but they did earn an important, confidence boosting win over Southampton last weekend. Prior to that Brighton have somehow found a way to lose matches where they have deserved so much more, but the win over Southampton may have just given the team a boost that they can carry into this fixture.

Brighton have conceded late to lose back to back home games against Crystal Palace and Leicester City, but they were perhaps the better team in both fixtures. The latter defeat was a tighter game, but Brighton hammered rivals Crystal Palace and manager Graham Potter is perhaps still struggling to work out how his team failed to win.

They should be able to create chances against this Newcastle United team who have been more vulnerable away from home, although The Magpies have shown some resiliency. 3 draws in a row underlines the point even if they should have lost at The Hawthorns during that run and I imagine Steve Bruce will look for his side to be well organised defensively and perhaps steal a result.

Three points are very important to both teams and the tension will only increase if Fulham have been able to beat Leeds United on Friday. That should make this a tight, competitive fixture, but my feeling is that Brighton can find a way to double up their home wins for the season.

It is unlikely to be a really high-scoring game considering the struggles both Brighton and Newcastle United have had turning chances into goals in the final third, but The Seagulls may be the more dangerous. That is largely down to the fact that Newcastle United could go into the fixture without their three main attacking threats and I think a narrow home win is the most likely outcome of the fixture.

West Ham United v Arsenal Pick: This is an important London derby for both West Ham United and Arsenal who are looking for valuable points that could be key in determining how the European spots are shared out at the end of the season.

At this stage of the season Mikel Arteta is still looking for some consistency from his Arsenal team, but he would have been pleased to see his side reach the Europa League Quarter Final during the week. The 0-1 home defeat in the Second Leg of the Last 16 tie would have stung, but Arteta will believe his team only have themselves to blame having created some big opportunities and been wasteful in front of goal.

In recent games Arsenal have been creating plenty of chances and in the main they have been producing the end product to their football which has meant a decent run being put together. The defeat to Olympiacos will have just stifled some of the momentum, but Arsenal will feel they can hurt a West Ham United team who have not defended as well as their results may suggest.

The Hammers have 4 clean sheets in their last 7 games in all competitions in normal time, and they have won 6 of their last 7 at home. Since losing to Liverpool in the Premier League, West Ham United have won 3 League games in a row here and they have scored at least twice in each of those victories.

David Moyes has Jesse Lingard back this week, but he will still want his West Ham United team to show a little more ambition going forward. They will pose a real threat from set pieces and West Ham United have pace and power in the final third which should challenge an Arsenal team that played during the week while the home team were training and recovering.

Both teams should have the chances to hit the back of the net, and 4 of the last 6 between Arsenal and West Ham United have ended with at least three goals shared out.

An early goal could really spark this fixture and I think the amount of chances both created and allowed by the two teams should see a high-scoring game being produced. My narrow edge is with West Ham United to earn a positive result, but a 2-1 scoreline either way would not be a massive surprise in this one.

Aston Villa v Tottenham Hotspur Pick: This has been a remarkably difficult week for Tottenham Hotspur who had led 0-1 at Arsenal before losing the North London derby and followed that up by blowing a 2-0 lead over Dinamo Zagreb to exit the Europa League in a 3-0 defeat in the Croatian capital.

The latter loss is one that clearly has stung Jose Mourinho who struggled to explain what had happened, while Hugo Lloris did not mince his words as he essentially pointed fingers at some of his team-mates for the poor performance.

I would have expected Tottenham Hotspur to have a reaction to the loss to Arsenal in the North London derby, but they were sloppy and lacking confidence in the defeat in Zagreb on Thursday. The performance was truly unexpected, and the pressure is on the players to be much better on Sunday as they look to try and close in on the top four places in the Premier League.

Heung-Min Son and Erik Lamela are both expected to miss out and that is a blow for Tottenham Hotspur.

Even then they should have a chance to show they are much better than the last couple of results as Tottenham Hotspur head to Villa Park to take on an Aston Villa team who have been struggling for consistency.

Aston Villa have only scored two goals in their last 4 Premier League games and only poor finishing from Wolves and Newcastle United helped Dean Smith's men earn draws in the last couple of League games. Defensively the results have been better than the underlying numbers and it is hard to ignore how inconsistent Aston Villa have been in the final third without Jack Grealish.

The midfielder could be back this weekend, but Aston Villa have lost half of their last 4 home Premier League games and there is still plenty of talent available to Jose Mourinho. I don't think this will be an easy game for either team, and Tottenham Hotspur are travelling back from Croatia which could sap some energy.

If the players have perhaps given up on Jose Mourinho it could leave Tottenham Hotspur vulnerable, but there has to be some personal pride that will be on display here. The loss at Dinamo Zagreb will have stung so many inside the Tottenham Hotspur dressing room, but they are facing a team that have given up some big chances and the likes of Lucas Moura, Gareth Bale and Harry Kane could hurt Aston Villa.

As bad as the result was at Dinamo Zagreb, Tottenham Hotspur can bounce back here and I think they can be backed on the Asian Handicap against an Aston Villa team who will offer some big chances to their visitors.

MY PICKS: Fulham-Leeds United Over 2.5 Goals

Brighton to Win & Under 3.5 Goals

West Ham United-Arsenal Over 2.5 Goals

Tottenham Hotspur 0 Asian Handicap

Fantasy Football GameWeek 29

I have made it clear for some time that my Free Hit would be used in a different way than I would usually have used it in a Fantasy Football season and it is going to be activated for the four Premier League games to be played this weekend.

I simply do not have a squad that is capable of managing this GW and my Wild Card and Triple Captain Chips are still in hand- the news that the Premier League could push back a Round of fixtures to ensure clubs get to play one home and one away game in front of fans means there could be a bigger DGW left than most have anticipated with the FA Cup Finalists now 'blanking' rather than having a fixture pushed on between GW37 (FA Cup Final Weekend) and GW38.

Hopefully we are going to get more clarification on plans in the two week international break, but the Free Hit looks to be of most use to me this weekend to make sure I have a full fifteen players ready to go.

So who am I looking to target?

From the defensive side of the field all of the numbers are suggesting Brighton have to be the team considered most likely to earn a clean sheet.

Both West Ham United and Arsenal have decent underlying numbers, while Tottenham Hotspur could benefit from facing a goal-shy Aston Villa even coming in off the quite staggering Extra Time upset at Dinamo Zagreb on Thursday.

Fulham and Leeds United feel like they could be involved in a high-scoring game so the attacking options from both teams have to be considered.

The underlying numbers from an attacking point of view suggests an early goal could really spark the fixture, and it is a week where risks can be taken in a bid to get closer to those leading the Mini Leagues you may be involved in.

There are some players that have gotten some traction in the FPL Community that are worth a second look, but the injury to Heung-Min Son is a blow for Tottenham Hotspur's attacking threat and especially after the Extra Time that was needed a few days ago. Jack Grealish's potential return will mean Aston Villa are at least looking a little better going forward, while I think some differentials should be selected if only to try and produce a strong GW.

The Captain selection doesn't look very easy aside from going with Harry Kane, but this is something I will think about right through to the deadline.

Tennis Picks 2021 (March 19th)

This is proving to be a very good week for the Tennis Picks, but Thursday evening was a busy one for me which means I have not had the time to write out full selections from the tournament matches scheduled to be played on Friday.

I will add any selections from the two events being played in Mexico once those matches are put together through the night and hopefully a strong end to the week can put an exclamation point on the results produced so far.

Those weekly totals will be updated in this thread once the two selections from Thursday's matches in Mexico have been completed.

MY PICKS: Lloyd Harris-Denis Shapovalov Over 22.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 12-7, + 8.56 Units (38 Units Staked, + 22.53% Yield)

Indian Wells Tennis Picks 2015 (March 19th)

Wednesday was slightly annoying despite a positive record for the day because it does feel that at least two more picks should have been rewarded with winners. Tomas Berdych won the first set against Lukas Rosol very comfortably but allowed the momentum to get away from him in the second set before recovering to book his place in the Quarter Final.

The Serena Williams pick was even more frustrating as she found a way to battle through the first set, but dropped all momentum by allowing her serve to be broken in her first two games of the second set. Williams was breaking the Timea Bacsinszky serve at will by that point and managed three breaks of serve from four return games, but those early breaks given up meant it ended up being a 75, 63 win and not the 75, 62 scoreline I had predicted.

We have reached the business end of the tournament at Indian Wells which means there are only four matches scheduled on Thursday as the Premier Event Semi Final line up is completed, while the first two Masters Quarter Finals are played.


Flavia Pennetta - 3.5 games v Sabine Lisicki: I was surprised to see Sabine Lisicki make her way through the draw and she has to be respected in this Quarter Final, but the defending Champion Flavia Pennetta has shown little sign of wanting to lose her grip on the title she won last season.

Wins over Madison Brengle and Sam Stosur in straight sets were good performances, but coming from a set down to beat Maria Sharapova was very impressive from Pennetta and the Italian will be tough to stop on that form.

Pennetta has shown better form in 2015 than Lisicki and the conditions seem to be very much to her liking and I do think the wins she has had this week are more impressive than the German has put together. However, Lisicki needs to be respected as she is a player that does play better when full of confidence like she should be at Indian Wells this week and this should be a tough battle.

I just feel Pennetta is the more secure player of the two and she can dig deeper than Lisicki when the chips are down at any point in the match. It could be fun viewing, but I will look for Pennetta to battle to a 75, 64 win in this one.


Andy Murray - 4.5 games v Feliciano Lopez: Andy Murray has a very strong record against left-handed players not called Rafael Nadal and that includes winning all 9 matches against Feliciano Lopez ahead of this Quarter Final at Indian Wells.

The last twelve months have been very good for Lopez so he might be coming into this match with the most belief he has ever had when facing Andy Murray as he looks to improve on his career-high World Ranking. A win over Kei Nishikori in the Fourth Round was very impressive from Lopez, but he is now going up against an in-form Murray in this Quarter Final.

Murray would have got a good look at what a left-hander will bring to the court in his routine win over Adrian Mannarino in the Fourth Round, although the Lopez serve is a lot bigger than what the Frenchman can produce. However, I think Murray has been seeing the ball very big on the return and his head to head suggests he has the tools to negate Lopez' biggest weapon and exploit a backhand that is below average.

If Lopez is serving well, it could be a close match, but even slightly below his best with that part of his game would see Murray dictate the match for the most part. Murray's own serve can be something of a weakness, particularly the second serve, but I expect him to focus on the Lopez backhand which isn't really a shot that the Spaniard likes to hit over and Murray won't be punished as much as others can.

That should lead to a 64, 63 win for the British Number 1 and potentially a big Semi Final against Novak Djokovic upcoming.


Novak Djokovic - 5.5 games v Bernard Tomic: There is little doubt that Bernard Tomic is in decent form, but he might have spent a lot more emotional effort in seeing off Thanasi Kokkinakis in the Fourth Round on Wednesday. It was clearly a big match for Tomic to show that he is still the face of the future of Australian tennis and that might leave him a little short of emotion even if he is going into a big match with the World Number 1 Novak Djokovic.

Djokovic did what he had to do to see off John Isner in the Fourth Round and the Serb looks to be in good form going into this Quarter Final. He still needs to find a level or two if Djokovic seriously wants to win the title with the likes of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal looking in decent form in the bottom half of the draw, but I expect he starts to raise his game now.

I have been impressed with the wins that Tomic has put together this week, but he will have to serve better than he did yesterday if he is to get through against the best returner on the Tour. That might end up causing a little too much pressure on the Australian in this one and I expect Djokovic to win the longer rallies more often than not.

They haven't played one another for two and a half years, and Tomic has improved massively since then, but I am still not completely convinced by his ability against the best players on the Tour. I will look for Djokovic to take the belief away from Tomic in the first set and then move through fairly comfortably into another Semi Final at this event following a 64, 62 win.

MY PICKS: Flavia Pennetta - 3.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Andy Murray - 4.5 Games @ 1.95 Sporting Bet (2 Units)
Novak Djokovic - 5.5 Games @ 1.92 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Indian Wells Update: 16-19, - 9.20 Units (70 Units Staked, - 13.14% Yield)

Midweek Football Picks 2014 (March 18-20)

It has been a miserable couple of days for all Manchester United fans and it means that the game on Wednesday night against Olympiacos has taken on a brand new level of importance for David Moyes if he really anticipates being the manager of this club for anything near the six year contract he was given last summer.


The week will finalise the final eight teams that will be contesting the Champions League and the Europa League this season and Friday will set the routes for the Finals to be played in Lisbon and Turin in the next couple of months.


It will be tense with the majority of these second legs having a lot more to play for than we saw a week ago in the first four Last 16 second legs in the Champions League, while the Europa League ties are mostly in the balance. That should mean a pretty good week of football to enjoy for the neutrals as well as the fans of those sides still involved in the competition.


Chelsea v Galatasaray Pick: Jose Mourinho was unimpressed with some of the refereeing decisions that cost his Chelsea side at Villa Park on Saturday, but the manager is known for quickly moving on and will get his team focused on the task at hand.

With a bit more clinical finishing in Istanbul, Chelsea could easily have had one foot in the next Round of the Champions League, but they had to eventually settle for a 1-1 draw and that makes Galatasaray a dangerous threat in the second leg.

The first thing that Mourinho will be drilling into his team is the clean sheet that will ensure Chelsea move through to the Quarter Final even if they fail to win this game at Stamford Bridge. They have looked good enough to achieve that goal in recent weeks as they have settled into their defensive shape, and that will also open up some gaps as Galatasaray will become a little more determined to get forward and score the one goal they definitely need in London.

With the likes of Didier Drogba and Wesley Sneijder in the line up, there should be a chance for goals for Galatasaray, but I don't think they are good enough to knock off this Chelsea team. If the Turks start chasing the game later on, there is every chance that Chelsea will also be able to score a killer goal on the break with the pace they have behind the lone attacker.

I think that is the more likely issue from the game and I can see Chelsea winning this by a couple of goals when the game is concluded.


Manchester United v Olympiacos Pick: While losing to your biggest rivals is always a disappointment, the lack of character displayed by Manchester United was perhaps the biggest complaint of the fans. They may have stayed behind the team during a terrible final 20 minutes at Old Trafford, but the cold light of day would have revealed how far below the required standard the team played.

This game now presents a huge test of the short David Moyes era at Old Trafford and the pressure on the manager in a defeat will be incredible, especially with the big matches continuing to come over the next week.

I personally don't have a lot of faith in Manchester United being able to overcome too many of the teams remaining in the Champions League, but I still think Olympiacos are there for the taking as they aren't a side that have impressed me greatly. In saying that, a draw in Benfica looks a very respectable score considering how well that side played against Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League and Olympiacos only had a narrow loss in Paris Saint-Germain too.

If Olympiacos score, it will be incredibly difficult for Manchester United to score the four goals that will be required of them to go through. They haven't created enough chances to see that happening, but I think the players are due a big performance and have reserved the majority of those for the Champions League.

Aside from the crushing wins over Bayer Leverkusen though, United haven't blown teams away and they will need to play one of their best matches of the season to overturn what looks an incredibly difficult scoreline from Athens. Can they do it? I certainly think there is enough in the side to beat this Olympiacos team comfortably, but the fact that one goal from the away side is going to make it tough for United to qualify.

I was tempted to pick United to qualify, but that price has shortened too much considering the form the team have shown and instead I will back the home side to give the fans something to cheer about with a win and possibly taking the tie to extra time.


Borussia Dortmund v Zenit St Petersburg Pick: With a 4-2 lead from the game in Russia, Borussia Dortmund are under little pressure and probably will be concentrating on not allowing Zenit St Petersburg to get back in the game. However, Jurgen Klopp expects his team to play in a certain way which will produce chances, but also give Zenit opportunities to score goals.

As poor as Borussia Dortmund's run has been at home in the last few months, Zenit St Petersburg will have to play a little more open than normal and that should give the home team enough chances to win this game comfortably. Before the defeat against Borussia Moechengladbach, Dortmund had won back to back home games while scoring 7 goals and keeping two clean sheets.

4 of their last 6 home wins in the Champions League have also seen Borussia Dortmund win by at least two goals and I think it will be tough for Zenit to prevent that happening here.

The side have been in poor form and are getting set to hear a new voice in the dressing room in the form of Andre Villas-Boas, while heavy losses at Atletico Madrid and Austria Vienna have every chance of being repeated.


Anzhi Makhachkala v AZ Alkmaar Pick: With a 1-0 lead from the First Leg, AZ Alkmaar will certainly feel they have an advantage they can hold on to against this Anzhi Makhachkala team that haven't scored a lot of goals at home all season.

Anzhi have only scored 3 goals in their last 10 games here in all competitions and they have only scored 2 goals in their last 5 home games in the Europa League so it may be a big ask for the Russian side to overturn this deficit in normal time.

There is no doubt that AZ Alkmaar will come here with a decent defensive shape as they have kept 2 clean sheets in their last 4 away games in the Europa League. The fact they have lost 4 of their last 6 away games in all competitions has to be a concern, but I can see this being a defensive game and I don't think the layers have fully appreciated that.

While they have priced the under 2.5 goals at a level I expected, I think there is a bit of value in picking the under 1.5 goals with the lack of home goals and the expectation that AZ Alkmaar won't come here with an open game in plan. There is a chance there could be extra time in this one, but I like goals to be in short supply in this Second Leg.


Benfica v Tottenham Hotspur Pick: It is not just a huge task for Tottenham Hotspur having lost the First Leg of this tie 1-3 at White Hart Lane, but Benfica have been very tough to play at the Stadium of Light and it looks a mountain for the English club to climb.

Benfica have now won 10 in a row at home in all competitions and have beaten teams of the standard of Paris Saint-Germain in front of their own fans already. Since that win over PSG, Benfica have won 9 in a row in all competitions and have kept clean sheets in each of those wins which will make it that much more difficult for Spurs to overturn this lead.

You have to expect Benfica will look to make themselves tough to beat first of all and having a lead of this nature does put them in a tough position whether to stick with what they have or twist. That is the biggest obstacle for the home team to overcome, but Tottenham Hotspur have a lot of defensive injuries and will likely offer Benfica some chances to score goals.

There is no doubt that Spurs have some attacking threat in their team, but they have failed to score in their last 3 away games in all competitions and backing Benfica to win to nil looks a big price.


Fiorentina v Juventus Pick: This is a really big game for both teams and I can't imagine either leaving too much on the field as they look to make it through to the Quarter Final where both will also feel they can go on and win the Europa League.

There are two theories in my mind for how this game will go- either Fiorentina will look to keep things tight knowing the goalless draw is in their favour and could potentially be caught late by a Juventus team that haven't failed to score in 5 away games.

The second theory is Fiorentina look for the goals that will see them put the pressure on Juventus with the belief that they are likely going to concede at some point to the Serie A leaders.

Personally I think there is the chance of this game producing the goals for an entertaining evening in Florence as neither team will have a lot to lose and gaps will begin to show in a Cup tie if either team has a lead going into the final twenty minutes. I am impressed with Juventus' three clean sheets in a row on their travels, but Fiorentina will point to their 4-2 home win over them earlier this season as proof they can pierce a defence if they need to.

Goals are going to be my call from this Second Leg in a game where a first half goal could certainly open the floodgates in a big Last 16 tie.


Napoli v Porto Pick: This is one of those ties that is in such a state of balance that any kind of goal could quickly shift the momentum.

Out of all the results you can gain in a European home leg, 1-0 puts a team in a very strange position as they can't really go away from home and sit on the lead. However, there is so much to gain by scoring one goal and that is what Porto will be thinking to themselves on their visit to Naples.

However, Napoli have been playing very well at home and have shown their quality in Europe when only just failing to make the Last 16 of the Champions League. On the other hand, Porto were poor in not making it out of a Group where the second place side needed just 6 points to move forward.

I also think Rafa Benitez has become very good at seeing off teams in Europe and that is shown by his pedigree over the last few years where he has seen his teams reach two Champions League Finals, winning one, and also winning the Europa League with Chelsea last season.

Benitez can be a touch too cautious to win League titles, but his methods have worked well in two legged ties and I think he will help Napoli win the game on the night, although it will be tough for them to qualify if Porto score. I would also be concerned if Napoli are leading 2-1 and chasing the game that Porto hit them on the counter-attack, but I think there is just a decent enough price on the home side to back Napoli to win.


Salzburg v Basel Pick: Salzburg have shown how well they can play in the Europa League as they have brought the confidence from their League form into the competition and there is a real belief that they are going to see off Basel in this Second Leg.

After all the chances they did have in the First Leg, Salzburg will feel they will be a little more clinical if those same chances land their way in this game. In the Europa League, Salzburg have scored at least two goals in all 5 home games, while they have hit three or more in 4 of those wins.

There is no doubt in my mind that Basel are a better team than they showed last week in the bits and pieces of the game I watched, but it is a big ask for them to come to an in-form team like Salzburg and snap their poor away record in the Europa League.

Basel may score in the game, but they could end up chasing it late on as Salzburg have the lead and I can see the Austrian team pulling away to book their place in the Europa League Quarter Final.

MY PICKS: Chelsea - 1.25 Asian Handicap @ 1.92 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Manchester United - 1.25 Asian Handicap @ 2.20 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Borussia Dortmund - 1.5 Asian Handicap @ 1.92 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Anzhi Makhachkala-AZ Alkmaar Under 1.5 Goals @ 3.10 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)
Benfica Win to Nil @ 2.88 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)
Fiorentina-Juventus Over 2.5 Goals @ 2.10 Bet Victor (1 Unit)
Napoli @ 1.95 Boyle Sports (1 Unit)
Salzburg - 1.25 Asian Handicap @ 2.00 Pinnacle (1 Unit)

March Update: 13-12, + 2.78 Units (46 Units Staked, + 6.04% Yield)

February Final: 12-28, - 16.74 Units (61 Units Staked, - 27.44% Yield)
January Final: 17-24, - 3.18 Units (62 Units Staked, - 5.13% Yield)
December Final: 19-16-2, + 13.34 Units (66 Units Staked, + 20.21% Yield)
November Final: 17-19-1, + 0.50 Units (56 Units Staked, + 0.09% Yield)
October Final: 20-16-1, + 12.94 Units (51 Units Staked, + 25.37% Yield)
September Final: 13-12, + 1.24 Units (39 Units Staked, + 3.18% Yield)
August Final: 13-26, - 12.13 Units (54 Units Staked, - 22.46% Yield)

Season 2013/14: 111-131-3, - 4.03 Units (389 Units Staked, - 1.04% Yield)
Season 2012/13: + 4.42 Units (415 Units Staked, + 1.07% Yield)

Tennis Picks Miami 2013 (March 19th)

The WTA event will start a day earlier than the ATP Masters tournament and these are my picks from the first day of the main tournament.

You can find my outright picks for the WTA tournament here


Lesya Tsurenko - 3.5 games v Su-Wei Hsieh: This isn't the most confident pick in the World as the WTA can be so up and down, especially in the First Round of these tournaments.

However, I do think Su-Wei Hsieh is coming down to her usual level after a very good 2012 season, while her opponent Lesya Tsurenko has won a lot of matches recently and is likely to have the higher confidence of the two players.

Tsurenko is actually Ranked 36 places below Hsieh, but I think those will be much closer at the end of the season and it is very possible that it is the Ukrainian who has the higher Ranking in November.

It will likely be a match that features a few breaks of serve, but I like Tsurenko's chances of coming away with a 6-4, 6-4 win here.


Shuai Peng - 3.5 games v Sofia Arvidsson: These two players are locked at 2-2 in the head to head, but I am going to back Shuai Peng to take the lead in their personal battle and book her place in the Second Round.

I think Peng's speed around the court will likely force Sofia Arvidsson into more errors in this match and I do think she is the better hard court player of the two. While Arfidsson did have some success on the hard courts last season, Peng has generally been winning far more matches on the surface and that could be enough to create the difference between them here.

This is another match that will likely feature a few breaks of serve, but I expect Peng to be on the right side in a straight sets victory and cover the spread.


MY PICKS: Lesya Tsurenko - 3.5 Games @ 2.00 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Shuai Peng - 3.5 Games @ 2.00 Pinnacle (2 Units)