Boxing Picks 2026- George Liddard vs Tyler Denny (Saturday 21st March)

More announcements are expected in relation to cards through to the middle of the 2026 season, but we are in the midst of a good run of Boxing nights.

There are intriguing fights scheduled for this weekend and we should begin to get some idea as to who is going to be the leading name in the Middleweight Division, which has been one that has been lacking a clear number one fighter for a while.

Next week we begin a run featuring the British Heavyweights who will be vying for World Titles and it remains a very good time to be a Boxing fan.

For those in the United Kingdom, the news that Zuffa Boxing have signed a deal with Sky Sports is intriguing, especially as it was stated they want to host five nights a year in the country.

Matchroom and Queensberry Promotions have to be a little concerned about that entire deal with fighters already intrigued by the idea of joining Zuffa and the strong backing of Turki Alalshikh.

This is certainly something that will be in the headlines going forward, while the place of Boxxer feels like it is behind the new kids on the block and it may actually work for Ben Shalom.

George Liddard vs Tyler Denny

With the right steps, George Liddard could be moving towards a World Title shot within the next eighteen months.

As mentioned, the top of the Middleweight Rankings feels pretty open at the moment and this is the next stage of the development of the unbeaten 23 year old.

George Liddard picked up the British Middleweight Title with a Stoppage win over Kieron Conway and he is given the chance to defend against another veteran.

Tyler Denny won't want to think of himself as a gatekeeper, but a strong run of form was ended emphatically by Hamzah Sheeraz and the 34 year old has won a couple of fights since then. He is capable of producing an upset, as he has done against the likes of Felix Cash, but you have to question how much is left in the tank eleven years after making his debut.

This does feel like a showcase fight for George Liddard who became the first fighter to Stop Kieron Conway last time out.

Nothing will come easy against a veteran like Tyler Denny, but George Liddard may have a gear or two that can overwhelm him and he can earn a Stoppage.

On the undercard, Jimmy Sains is expected to retain his English Middleweight Title, but he may not be able to add to the ten Stoppages produced in eleven previous wins against a tough, grizzled opponent.

Giorgio Visioli is also expected to retain his English Title, but he may have to settle for another victory on the cards when taking on Levi Giles.

There is also an important card run by Matchroom over in the United States this Saturday.

Carlos Adames versus Ammo Williams was supposed to have taken place on the big Teofimo Lopez-Shakur Stevenson card at the end of January, but the former had to withdraw on the eve of the contest.

Eddie Hearn promised Williams he would rearrange the fight as soon as possible and the Challenger had a comfortable Ten Round win on the night against a replacement.

Four wins in a row since losing to Hamzah Sheeraz have pushed Ammo Williams into this World Title shot, but Carlos Adames is a tough out.

The WBC Champion should have been given the nod when on the end of a Split Decision draw against the aforementioned Sheeraz, but Carlos Adames has been out of the ring for thirteen months.

That is a potential issue, but Adames has been on a good run since his lose career defeat and the feeling in January was that he would have too much power for this opponent.

He may need a bit of time to just shake off any ring rust, but Carlos Adames can go through the gears and push for a late Stoppage.

The last time Lester Martinez was in action, he did himself proud and enhanced his reputation.

One frustration was that an interim WBC Super Middleweight Title was allowed to be contested in a Ten Rounder rather than a Twelve Rounder as expected.

His team felt Martinez was well on the way to upsetting Christian Mbili, but the unbeaten fighter can make up for lost time by picking up the same strap on Saturday.

Immanuwel Aleem has shown some toughness, but he will have rarely faced someone who is as relentless and powerful as Lester Martinez and this may be a one-sided contest.

MY PICKS: George Liddard to Win by KO/TKO/Disqualification @ 1.72 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Carlos Adames to Win Between 7-12 @ 4.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Lester Martinez to Win Between 1-6 @ 3.25 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Boxing 2026: 7-12, - 5.97 Units (33 Units Staked, - 18.09% Yield)

European Tour 3- Belgium Darts Open Day 2 Picks 2026 (Saturday 21st March)

The Belgium Darts Open continues on Saturday with the entirety of the Second Round played across two Sessions and the big names have now entered the tournament.

After issues crossing the border, some of those names have been complaining about getting to European events and the Tour could suffer if top players decide it is more hassle than it is worth.

It is unlikely with the prize money on offer, but there have been frustrations on social media and you would hope that those can be channeled in a positive way.

The opening day of the European Tour 3 event went as well as hoped with both selections returning winners, but it is a long weekend and Saturday is looking a busier day.

Hopefully there is some momentum behind the selections after a decent Night 7 at the Premier League too, but nothing can be taken for granted.

Martin Schindler v William O'Connor: There are better displays to come from Martin Schindler who has been struggling for consistency in the first three months of the 2026 season.

He would have been incredibly disappointed to have been dumped out in the Second Round in Germany last week, but Schindler is a solid competitor on the European Tour and can make amends in Belgium.

William O'Connor was a comfortable First Round winner on Friday, but had lost five of the previous seven matches played.

This will be close considering the recent level of Martin Schindler, but the expectation is that he can dig in and produce an important win.

Damon Heta to win & over 1.5 180s v Daryl Gurney: We know how good Damon Heta can be, but he has had a rough few months on the Tour.

His run to the European Tour 2 Semi Final last weekend will have given Heta a boost and especially as he came through a very competitive Quarter Final against a home player.

Scoring is going to be key to make sure the Australian remains in front of Daryl Gurney who has picked up enough wins to still be full of belief, even without a noted deep run at a recent tournament.

Crushing Ian White 6-1 in the First Round will give Daryl Gurney plenty of confidence, but Damon Heta beat him twice on the floor last season and can use that performance in Germany to spark another solid run.

Danny Noppert to win & both players over 1.5 180s v Luke Woodhouse: He may have been far from his best in beating Ricky Evans last week, but Danny Noppert reminded everyone of the consistently strong level being produced week to week when coming up short against Gerwyn Price.

A win over Luke Humphries has already been secured and the Dutchman is one of those players who will feel aggrieved about missing out on the Premier League, but who is more than capable to be invited into that tournament in 2027.

You have to expect Danny Noppert to be tested by Luke Woodhouse, but the latter has not really kicked on as hoped.

Both are solid maximum hitters- Luke Woodhouse had four in his 6-1 loss to Chris Dobey last week- but the edge is with Danny Noppert who has won seven of the last eight matches against this opponent.

Nathan Aspinall to win & most 180s v Ryan Joyce: One of the players that were complaining about the time it was taking to get through passport control ahead of the Belgium Darts Open was Nathan Aspinall and he will be keen to have a strong impact at the tournament to make it worth his while.

The Asp is unfortunate to not be playing in the Premier League this season, but results over the last month have not been the best.

Some of the draws have been unkind to him, but Aspinall will not be looking to make excuses in Belgium.

He is most definitely the heavier scorer compared with Ryan Joyce, but the latter is very dangerous with his doubling and so it should be a competitive match.

However, Ryan Joyce has really been struggling with his form over the last several weeks and he was beaten twice by Nathan Aspinall in 2025.

Maximum hitting is a strength for Aspinall and he can use that power scoring to ensure he has enough cracks at a double to edge past Relentless.

Luke Humphries to win & most 180s v Dirk van Duijvenbode: This should be a maximum filled contest when two of the most prolific 180 hitters on the Tour face one another in the Second Round.

Another Semi Final defeat at the Premier League means Luke Humphries continues to struggle to find the consistency he is expecting from himself, but the performances remain at a very good level.

Scoring has been much improved with his new flights, but doubling continues to be an issue and Humphries will have to clear that up in this Second Round match.

In a lot of situations, his scoring will allow him to pull clear and get through Legs, but that is not going to be the case against Dirk van Duijvenbode if the Dutchman is near his best.

The latter played well in Germany last weekend and has added a First Round win here, but Dirk van Duijvenbode can sometimes feel the pressure when being hit with the scoring power that someone like Luke Humphries can provide.

He remains dangerous and the maximum hitting power can blow away this selection, but the expectation is that Luke Humphries wins and his own power hitting has been evident in 2026.

Josh Rock to win & most 180s Kim Huybrechts: For the second time in three nights, Josh Rock is going to have to expect the crowd are going to be heavily in support of his opponent.

The Premier League nightmare continued in Dublin when Rock was blown away by Gerwyn Price, but the crowd did him no favours.

At least Josh Rock can say he has been producing much better darts outside of the Premier League setting and he may be able to edge past home favourite Kim Huybrechts in this Second Round match to conclude the days play.

He has dropped down to World Number 61 after a difficult time on the Tour, but Kim Huybrechts has put some decent form on the board in recent weeks.

The Belgian averaged over 100 in beating Nico Springer in the First Round and that will have given him a huge boost in confidence, but this may be a step too far right now for Kim Huybrechts and Josh Rock can use some superior scoring to edge through to Sunday.

MY PICKS: Martin Schindler @ 2.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Damon Heta to Win & Over 1.5 180s @ 2.20 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Danny Noppert to Win & Both Players Over 1.5 180s @ 2.37 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Nathan Aspinall to Win & Most 180s @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Luke Humphries to Win & Most 180s @ 2.50 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Josh Rock to Win & Most 180s @ 2.87 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Belgium Darts Open: 2-0, + 2.20 Units (2 Units Staked, + 110% Yield)

Miami Tennis Day 5 Picks 2026 (Saturday 21st March)

It was a busy day at the Miami Open on Day 4 of the main draw tournament, but the weather has yet to play ball and a delay in the morning has meant the event is not quite back on track.

Most are forecasting an improvement in the conditions for the next few days and that should ensure this event is ready to be completed as planned at the end of next week.

Once again, any selections from Day 5 of the tournament will be added to this thread once the full markets are put together, but there are still some early options, which can be read below.

Mirra Andreeva - 5.5 games v Marie Bouzkova: There has been some teenage angst in some of the recent performances, but Mirra Andreeva was able to hold herself together after dropping the second set in her Second Round win. The box has asked for some calmness, but it has been a tough period for the World Number 10, despite the huge amount of wins and quality of performance she is still producing.

Emotions got the better of Mirra Andreeva at the end of her defeat at Indian Wells, but that has become far too common a sight on a tennis court in 2026.

At her best, the 18 year old is still someone who can beat the very best on the Tour, but Mirra Andreeva has found it tough to put it all together at the business end of events in 2026. The second serve has been a bit of an issue, but the first serve is steady and still an important weapon, while Andreeva has shown a bit more on the return.

The numbers have looked impressive when it comes to facing opponents Ranked outside of the top 20 on the hard courts in 2026 and Mirra Andreeva has regularly found herself getting the better of Marie Bouzkova, which has to help settle the higher Ranked player.

All three previous meetings on the Tour have been won by Mirra Andreeva in straight sets and she has been a very strong winner in the two hard court matches against this opponent.

Marie Bouzkova is very experienced on the Tour and is still Ranked inside a Seeded spot, while her Second Round win here will have just handed her a few more Ranking Points. The 6-8 record on the hard courts may not have gotten much attention, but Marie Bouzkova has picked enough wins to be pushing back towards a her career best World Ranking mark of Number 24 and an upset on Saturday could really help.

However, it should be noted that Bouzkova has built her early hard court record on beating those she would expect and she has lost her last four matches when facing someone Ranked higher than herself. Those have all been one-sided defeats to players Ranked Number 22 or higher and the Czech player has struggled to protect serve and offered little resistance on the return in those contests.

At the moment it can be tough to trust Mirra Andreeva with the youngster seemingly losing focus and belief pretty quickly, but she has not suffered too many upsets before the early loss in Indian Wells and she can come through this one with an impressive win.

Alexandra Eala - 1.5 games v Magda Linette: Being a left-handed player that once played in the Rafael Nadal Academy will always earn some attention, but Alexandra Eala is also the leading figure of Filipino tennis and that has meant big crowd support wherever she has played.

The 20 year old has used that effectively and is now at a career high World Number 29 in the Rankings, although Alexandra Eala is under some pressure to avoid a big drop.

The reason for that is the then-teenager reached the Semi Final in Miami twelve months ago and defending those is always going to be challenging for a player who had to beat three top ten Seeds to reach the final four. Alexandra Eala is Seeded here this year, which meant beginning in the Second Round, but she will have to string the wins together and may benefit from Iga Swiatek's upset loss.

Instead of the World Number 2, Alexandra Eala is facing Magda Linette in the Third Round and this is an opponent she has already beaten once on the hard courts in 2026.

That victory was earned in pretty routine fashion in Auckland in the build up to the Australian Open, but Eala will do well to remember that a veteran like Magda Linette will have taken plenty to work on out of that defeat.

There hasn't been much from the tennis played in 2026 to believe Linette was going to upset her compatriot in the Second Round and the real challenge for the World Number 50 is building on that victory, although like her opponent in this match, Magda Linette has a strong run to defend.

Twelve months ago she reached the Quarter Final in Miami and that means this is a big match for both players.

Magda Linette's hard court numbers have remained average, which has been the case for the last couple of seasons prior to 2026.

Credit has to be given to the veteran that she has not slipped massively when playing those Ranked higher than herself and that is down to the experience that she possesses. Magda Linette certainly can pose problems for her opponent, and she is the kind of steady force that will exploit any nerves or tension that Alexandra Eala may be feeling.

However, that win in Auckland will give Alexandra Eala that feeling of confidence that may just see her come through this Third Round match.

Alex Michelsen - 1.5 games v Cameron Norrie: These two players met twice last year on the hard courts and those matches were split one win each.

However, Alex Michelsen had clearly been the stronger player in both matches in Dallas and Delray Beach and was unfortunate to lose the first of those before beating Cameron Norrie the following week.

Both have produced similar levels on the hard courts in 2026 and there is likely to be little between them here.

A difference between the players is that Alex Michelsen has been slightly stronger behind the serve and Cameron Norrie has been a bit more effective returning.

Both played well in Indian Wells, but the head to head suggests the younger player deserves to be favourite and Alex Michelsen can do just enough to show that on the scoreboard.

Andrey Rublev - 2.5 games v Alejandro Tabilo: There is nothing wrong with Alejandro Tabilo on a hard court and his numbers are consistent, even if they are not spectacular.

The 28 year old is clearly more comfortable on the clay courts and has had mixed results on this surface in 2026, but he has been given plenty of respect from the layers in this Second Round match.

It has come as a surprise- yes, Andrey Rublev was beaten early in Indian Wells, but the World Number 16 has reached the Semi Final at three different hard court events this season.

Prior to the defeat in the Californian desert, Andrey Rublev had enjoyed the Middle East swing and he should still have some real confidence, even if he has not enjoyed playing in Miami in recent times.

The numbers have been pretty strong in 2026 and Rublev holds a hard court win over Alejandro Tabilo.

This should help him in getting back to winning ways in Miami and the Andrey Rublev serve, which is being held in 87% of games played, may just keep the pressure on his Chilean opponent.

Alejandro Tabilo is a lefty and his serve can be a big weapon on the hard courts, but Andrey Rublev looks a game or two light in the handicap market for this Second Round match and can be backed to cover.

MY PICKS: Mirra Andreeva - 5.5 Games @ 1.85 William Hill (1 Unit)

Alexandra Eala - 1.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Alex Michelsen - 1.5 Games @ 1.80 William Hill (1 Unit)

Andrey Rublev - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Karolina Muchova - 4.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Miami Update: 8-2, + 5.41 Units (10 Units Staked, + 54.10% Yield)

Miami Masters Tennis Picks 2025 (Friday 21st March)

There is a feeling that some meat was left on the bones after the results filtered through on Thursday, but it is also clear that hindsight is 20/20.

The fairest point that can be made is that there was no regret over the selections that were made and that is absolutely where you want to be- if you do that far more often than not, you can live with the results, even when they have not returned as hoped.

We move onto Friday and the conclusion of the WTA Second Round, but the start of the ATP's Second Round, which means the top names are beginning their run in Miami. Seeded players have received a Bye through the opening Round, but that means facing someone with a win under their belt and it is a challenging stage to negotiate for each of the big names getting underway.

Power outage in the area meant the thread was not able to be published on Thursday evening as planned, but the selections can be read below as the Miami Masters tournament gets ready to move towards the second week.

Novak Djokovic - 5.5 games v Rinky Hijikata: After retiring during the Australian Open Semi Final, Novak Djokovic has failed to win a match in two separate tournaments. Earlier this month he was upset in the Second Round at Indian Wells, but the partnership with Andy Murray continues and the former World Number 1 will be expecting to have a much bigger impact here in Miami.

There are improvements to be made- the second serve has really not been working to a level that we have come to expect from Novak Djokovic. Being able to protect that part of his tennis has allowed Novak Djokovic to grind down the best players on the Tour and he will be looking to show a bit more strength behind the second serve to just rebuild some overall confidence in his own tennis.

It is clear that Novak Djokovic is focusing on matters on the court having not put his name down on the lawsuit that the PTPA have begun against the ATP Tour, although the Serb is expected to be a keen supporter of the PTPA.

Nothing can be taken for granted against any opponent right now, especially after losing to the World Number 85 in Indian Wells, but Novak Djokovic is facing an opponent in Rinky Hijikata who has been struggling for any consistency in 2025.

The Australian is Ranked at Number 86 heading into Miami, but he came through a tough First Round match and Hijikata is now bidding to win consecutive matches for the first time since before the Australian Open played in January.

A real concern for Rinky Hijikata is the fact that a number of matches have gotten away from him and ended up in one-sided losses on the scoreboard.

Earlier this season he was beaten by Djokovic 6-3, 6-3, and there is every reason to believe the higher Ranked player can do that again as long as he is serving with even slightly more consistency on the second serve. Novak Djokovic will create chances against the Rinky Hijikata serve, as so many opponents have managed to do in recent matches against the Australian, and it could lead to a first win since Melbourne and in strong fashion from Djokovic too.

Tommy Paul - 3.5 games v Alexander Bublik: After withdrawing in Acapulco, there would have been some concern about the kind of readiness that Tommy Paul would have to compete in Indian Wells.

Two wins were produced in solid fashion, but Tommy Paul was well beaten by Daniil Medvedev in the Fourth Round and the American will certainly be expecting more from himself here. He has been placed in a decent section of the draw and that will help the World Number 13 as Tommy Paul looks to put another strong tournament in the books before turning his attention to the European clay courts.

His first match in Miami will be against Alexander Bublik, who was a solid First Round winner and will likely still be in confident form having had a strong run in Phoenix last week at Challenger level. In what has been a tough start to the season, Alexander Bublik will just be happy that he has found a way to secure some wins this month, although this has not been an easy match up for him.

Losing four of five matches to Tommy Paul will be a mental obstacle to overcome, especially as the last two defeats have been in relatively easy fashion.

Alexander Bublik does have a decent serve when at his best, but it can be a shot that he offers little protection when the focus is not quite at a level that it should be. This is always a concern with Bublik and a steady, consistent Tommy Paul likely continues to put the wins together against this opponent by not having the same level of dips within matches.

Faster conditions that have been spoken about in Miami should aid Alexander Bublik, but Tommy Paul is not going to be worried about those either and the home player can find his way through to the Third Round behind a solid win.

MY PICKS: Novak Djokovic - 5.5 Games @ 2.10 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Tommy Paul - 3.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Elina Svitolina + 2.5 Games @ 1.95 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Elise Mertens - 2.5 Games @ 1.95 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Miami Update: 3-1, + 1.38 Units (4 Units Staked, + 34.50% Yield)

Miami Masters Tennis Picks 2023 (March 21st)

The first of the Sunshine Doubles is in the books with Carlos Alcaraz and Elena Rybakina winning the Indian Wells titles on Sunday, but there is no rest for the top players on both Tours as the Miami Masters is set to get into main draw action.

Once again the top Seeds will Receive a Bye into the Second Round, which means they do have a few days of rest between the two Masters tournaments.

Soon the attention will be moving from the hard courts to the clay courts as the run to the French Open begins from early April, but for now this is a big opportunity for those players that enjoy the hard courts to pick up some more vital World Rankings. Novak Djokovic is going to be missing from the ATP Masters event in Miami as he did in Indian Wells, but the status for entry is set to change in the United States and that should mean the current World Number 2 is able to travel for the big Masters events played before the US Open later in the year.

It does mean Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev will once again be the leading contenders to win the title, while the WTA Tour might finally have seen a couple of contenders head to the fore to challenge Iga Swiatek. The reality is that both Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina will be a threat in three of the four Grand Slams that are played on the Tour, but both will have something to prove when it comes to the clay courts on which the World Number 1 is a clear favourite to win the next Slam to be played.

The tournament schedule will have a more familiar feel than the Indian Wells one as we prepare for another couple of weeks of Masters Tennis.

A productive tournament was produced for the Tennis Picks thanks to Carlos Alcaraz beating Daniil Medvedev in the ATP Final at Indian Wells and I am looking for further progress at the Miami Masters. The updated seasonal and monthly totals can be seen below as I look for a strong opening to the Miami Tennis Picks to keep the momentum going into the clay court season.

The Tennis Tour is a long one and so you have to expect some peaks and troughs when the inches go against the selections, but I am happy with my adjustments that have produced a good set of results over the first two and a half months of the 2023 season.

I will have longer threads for days at the event as the tournament progresses, but for Tuesday you can see my selections below.

MY PICKS: Yulia Putintseva - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Camila Giorgi - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Tennis 2023: + 24.39 Units (243 Units Staked, + 10.04% Yield)

March 2023: + 10.45 Units (79 Units Staked, + 13.23% Yield)

February 2023: + 0.26 Units (18 Units Staked, + 1.44% Yield)

January 2023: + 13.68 Units (146 Units Staked, + 9.37% Yield)

Indian Wells Tennis Picks 2015 (March 21st)

The two remaining Quarter Finals of the Masters tournament summed up the disappointment I have felt from the picks I have made at the Indian Wells event over the last ten days.

The first was just a poor pick as Roger Federer dominated Tomas Berdych and wrapped up a convincing win, but the second was seeing Rafael Nadal totally control the match with Milos Raonic but just not have enough to come over the line.

That has been the story for me- a mix of bad picks with bad luck and that is a quick way to have a losing event which is what Indian Wells has become. The last two days can reduce some of the damage if the picks feel right, but I do hope the bit of luck that is needed is on my side.

Novak Djokovic - 3.5 games v Andy Murray: I honestly thought the layers would have been asking Novak Djokovic to cover at least one more game which would have made this a 'no pick' Semi Final for me, but this number of games is appealing to me.

Novak Djokovic has dominated the head to head with Andy Murray since losing the Wimbledon Final to his rival in 2013 and that includes a win at the Australian Open Final earlier this season.

That match was actually very tightly contested for the first three sets before Murray went away, and the British Number 1 has been playing well enough to challenge Djokovic here. However, he has had to answer questions about the mental side of things having lost so many big matches to Djokovic and I do wonder how Murray can deal with that.

Murray has been playing well this week, but the level of competition moves even higher in this one and Djokovic has loved playing at Indian Wells where he is looking to defend the title he won last season. There will be a lot of long rallies and both will be tested physically, but Djokovic should be a little too good for Murray and I think he has the belief that he will get the better of him and I like him to find a 75, 64 win in this one.

Roger Federer - 3.5 games v Milos Raonic: I tweeted last night that it is going to take a lot for Milos Raonic to recover emotionally from a really tough win over Rafael Nadal in their Quarter Final and I do think Roger Federer will pick him off in this one.

Federer has been playing very well this week and I think it will ask a lot for Raonic to continue playing the points as big as he was yesterday even under pressure situations. Nadal was continuously getting to deuce on the Raonic serve and Federer is playing well enough to get enough balls into play and work his way through to the victory.

If Raonic is serving as well as yesterday, it might be tough for Federer to get over this number of games, but I do think the Canadian will struggle to get up to the level he found yesterday and Federer should take advantage.

Both men like serving first in matches which may play a big part in covering this number of games, but I think Federer will find a break in both sets to earn the victory 64, 64 and I will be looking forward to what could be a very good Final.

MY PICKS: Novak Djokovic - 3.5 Games @ 1.83 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Roger Federer - 3.5 Games @ 2.20 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Indian Wells Update: 17-22, - 13.30 Units (78 Units Stake, - 17.05% Yield)

Weekend Football Picks 2015 (March 21-22)

Most of the talk this week has surrounded the failure of the Premier League to have a representative in the Quarter Final of either European competition which has led to a range of excuses as to why this has happened.

First we had Arsene Wenger complaining about the away goals rule and believing that it should be done away with until after extra time of the Second Leg is completed, although that just reeks of sour grapes to me.

We all know the rules in European competition, so the question I would pose to Mr Wenger is why did his Arsenal team push for another goal when they had just pulled back the First Leg to a 1-2 deficit? Surely they knew another away goal conceded would have been curtains for them in the tie and the better policy would have been to count their blessings that it was only going to be a one goal deficit to take to Monaco, which Arsenal proved they could overturn.

It's easy to complain about the rules after the fact, but Arsene Wenger should perhaps have an internal look and wonder why he didn't ask his players to calm down in the First Leg that proved to be their downfall against an average Monaco team.


The other suggestion came from Louis Van Gaal after his long(!) experiences in English football- Van Gaal suggested the lack of a Winter Break was the problem, although his observations look nothing more than an extension of his complaints in December.

Van Gaal spoke about the Premier League being the forefront twenty years ago, but ignored the simple fact that Chelsea won the Champions League just three years ago with the same conditions that every team has faced this season.


For me it is more simplistic with things going in cycles in Europe as they have always done- it isn't that long since England were regularly providing Semi Finalists and Finalists in the Champions League, while the Europa League has long been seen as a distraction in England compared to how other Leagues in Europe view that competition.

The Premier League is simply not a very good League in terms of the quality they have- the two best teams in Chelsea and Manchester City are still far short of the best, while some tactical mistakes didn't help either team. Arsenal should have no excuses with their loss to Monaco and have to take the full blame, while the Europa League was only seriously seen as a positive by Everton rather than Tottenham Hotspur or Liverpool who both were knocked out in the Last 32.

And even though I think Chelsea are short of the best teams, they were Semi Finalists just last season and it is too easy to make a snap judgement as to the failures of the Premier League on the evidence of one season.


An international break follows this round of fixtures so these set of games are very important for teams to have some confidence to take into the final two months of the season. There are some big games being played, none more so than the one at Anfield between Liverpool and Manchester United on Sunday, and teams are beginning to be separated into their sections for the remainder of the campaign.


Manchester City v West Brom Pick: The defeat to Barcelona isn't an embarrassing result on its own, but Manchester City owners have to be disappointed that they have once again failed to progress past the Last 16 of the Champions League. Manuel Pellegrini's future as manager of the club remains up in the air and failing to retain the Premier League title may be enough for a change to be made.

Pellegrini has been adamant that he is not under pressure, but that was before the latest defeat to Barcelona and he will definitely be feeling some sort of stress if Manchester City continue to lose games at the rate they have been doing. 4 defeats from the last 5 games in all competitions is a problem, especially as the teams below Manchester City in the Premier League have been closing in on them.

Falling out of the Champions League places is not an option for Manchester City and Manuel Pellegrini has to pick his team up and earn the three points in this game. That won't be easy as the team will be disappointed by their exit in the Premier League and will be facing a West Brom team that will look to make life as difficult as possible thanks to the organisation that Tony Pulis will bring.

However, Pulis will have to make do without Chris Brunt and Claudio Yacob through suspension and Ben Foster with an injury and losing those three players who have been important for him is a blow. West Brom have also not been as good away from home as they have at The Hawthornes and they will have to keep their concentration if they are to avoid defeat in this game.

Manchester City have at least been fairly comfortable winners in their last two home Premier League games and I am expecting them to at least bounce back from their defeat at the Nou Camp. The problem for West Brom is losing a couple of players that have been part of the strong defensive performances they have produced, although those have come mainly at home.

They have conceded at least twice in 3 of their last 4 away games in all competitions and West Brom haven't visited a team as good as Manchester City in that run of games. It is a big test for the home team, but I believe they come back and win this by a couple of goals.


Newcastle United v Arsenal Pick: It is that time of the season where some teams look like they are already spending more time planning where they are going to go on their holidays than focusing on football matches. John Carver might be trying to inspire his Newcastle United to aim for more than that, but the performances on the pitch have not been the best and 3 losses from their last 4 Premier League games will not have inspired much confidence from the stands either.

Now they face one of the most in-form teams in the Premier League, although one that suffered an agonising defeat in European competition during the week. However, Arsenal did win the game in Monaco on the night to keep the belief in the players that they are more than capable of finishing in the top four of the Premier League.

The loss of Fabricio Coloccini and Papiss Cisse through suspension really hurts Newcastle United at both ends of the pitch and they have only scored one goal in their last 4 games in the League. That goal came courtesy of Cisse in the win over Aston Villa and they haven't scored in their last two games which is a problem for Newcastle United.

Arsenal have been scoring plenty of goals themselves and have 4 consecutive away games in all competitions where they have scored at least two goals. Getting to that number will almost certainly mean the three points will return to North London with The Gunners on Saturday evening and I do think they win this game.

However, the price for the away win is not exactly going to get people rushing off their feet to get involved in and I think there might be more joy in looking for Newcastle United to continue their run of failing to score. They couldn't breach a Manchester United defence that hasn't played that well away from home in their last game at St James' Park while Newcastle United have failed to score in their last 3 home games against Arsenal.

Therefore, a small interest on Arsenal winning this game with a clean sheet might provide a big priced winner.


Southampton v Burnley Pick: A lot of the success that Southampton have had this season has come off the back of really disciplined defensive performances which has made them hard to break down. The problem for them has been at the other end of the field where Graziano Pelle has come off the boil and Southampton have struggled for a consistent source of goals.

That might be the biggest problem for Southampton when it comes to trying to find their way into the top four of the Premier League and could be an issue in games where the onus is on them to attack. It will be the case on Saturday as most will be expecting Southampton to win and I do think the result at Chelsea last weekend will show Ronald Koeman and his men that they can still achieve something special.

It was a shot in the arm for Southampton, but Burnley arguably produced a much bigger result by beating Manchester City and pulling themselves to within a point of getting out of the relegation zone. They are in the midst of a tough run of games as Burnley will have faced five of the top seven teams in a row by the end of April, but the win over Manchester City will give them confidence in the next three matches they face.

However, it has to be said that Burnley's best performances have come at Turf Moor and they have not been as effective on their travels. Only a solid Tom Heaton performance prevented them taking a real beating at Anfield in what was a 2-0 defeat to Liverpool and they have lost 4 of their last 5 away games in all competitions with each of those losses coming by two goals.

In that time Burnley did draw at Chelsea too, but I think Southampton have just turned a corner and will prove a little too good for them. The lack of goals concern me of course, but Burnley have not been that good defensively on their travels and I like Southampton win by a couple of goals like others have done against Burnley of late.


Liverpool v Manchester United Pick: This is a game that could have a lot of implications for the top four places come the end of the season, especially as it looks like being a few points that will separate these teams when I came to predicting the remaining results this season. I had Liverpool down to win this game and have been fearful of a big setback for Manchester United for some time, although the performance against Tottenham Hotspur at least gives the team some positive momentum to take to Anfield.

Unfortunately for Manchester United, they haven't been as good away from home as they have been at Old Trafford and seem to be running into a Liverpool team that has a lot of momentum behind them. The 0-1 win at Swansea was huge especially as Liverpool didn't play that well in that game and they are a team that can create a lot of chances against this Manchester United defence.

As well as Manchester United played last week, the problem is that Liverpool have a lot of pace and creativity in the forward areas that Tottenham Hotspur couldn't rely upon. The likes of Daniel Sturridge, Raheem Sterling, Adam Lallana and Philippe Coutinho all have the capability to exploit any miscommunication in the Manchester United back four/five and David De Gea will need to show the same level of form as he did at Old Trafford when the teams met in December.

Some would look at the 3-0 scoreline and perhaps be surprised about me talking up the goalkeeper- however, anyone who watched the game would remember De Gea picking up the plaudits and I believe he even won the 'Man of the Match' award as he made three or four big saves.

Liverpool created a lot of chances that day, but were not very clinical in front of goal and the return of Sturridge makes them a lot more dangerous in my opinion. The England international hasn't been at the top of his level since his return, but he remains sharp and gives the players behind him something to aim for.

I have been worrying that Manchester United are due a bit of a battering and this could be the game where they could receive one, but the performance last week might have something to build upon. I also believe Liverpool are a team that can be turned around and given problems defensively themselves and this could be the game where a returning Angel Di Maria makes a real mark on the Premier League.

My fear recently has been Liverpool score early and pick Manchester United off, but the visitors might create a few openings themselves. If it is anything like the game at Old Trafford, there might be a few chances at both ends of the field and it may end up being another game offering up another three goals at least.

6 of the last 8 games between these old rivals have produced at least three goals to be shared between the teams and this could very much be another with neither defence really that reliable.


Hull City v Chelsea Pick: There was some fatigue in the Chelsea performance in the first half against Southampton, but the second half would have pleased Jose Mourinho even if they didn't quite do enough to win the game. Now they have had a week to prepare for this game with Hull City and Mourinho was unwavering in his belief in his set of players be declaring they are the team that will win the Premier League.

Mourinho has to be hoping that his players don't slip up again as they have in recent games where they have failed to win more than half of their last 10 games in all competitions. However, Chelsea have won 3 straight away games in the Premier League and will enjoy the extra space they are likely to be afforded as the onus is on Hull City to try and do more attacking than they would perhaps like to.

Hull City have been playing well at home as shown by 3 wins from their last 5 League games here, but they haven't faced a team of the ability of Chelsea in that run. The side did earn a draw at Manchester City not too long ago which suggests they can match the best sides when they get the defensive shape right, but Hull will need more to hold off Chelsea in this one.

This has been a fixture that Chelsea have enjoyed in recent seasons and they were comfortable winners at the KC Stadium last season. The extra rest is surely going to do Chelsea some good as they can focus solely on the Premier League and they do have players that can produce match winning performances.

I do think Chelsea will recover from recent setbacks and should have enough pace in the forward positions to create chances against a Hull City team missing a shield in Tom Huddlestone. As long as Chelsea bring the urgency they showed in the second half last weekend, I expect them to win this game by a couple of goals.


Queens Park Rangers v Everton Pick: The embarrassing 5-2 loss in Dynamo Kiev once again highlighted the awful defensive performances that have become a feature of Roberto Martinez teams in his managerial career. Another trend that Everton won't want to get caught up in is the amount of relegation battles Martinez has been involved in as a Premier League manager and winning this game will at least ease the tension that is developing around the club.

However, Everton are coming back from a long trip to Kiev and now face a Queens Park Rangers who are going to be desperate to take advantage of any tiredness and disappointment that the Everton players are feeling.

It will need a big turnaround in form for QPR to do that considering they have lost their last 4 Premier League games and have been poor defensively with mistakes helping give teams an easier ride than they should have. They have also lost their last 5 games at Loftus Road in all competitions and conceded at least two goals in 4 of those games which is always going to be a big task to overcome.

Everton did win two games in a row before the capitulation in Kiev, but both of those wins came at Goodison Park and they have now lost 3 in a row away from home in all competitions and also 8 of their last 9 away games in the Premier League. Their defensive vulnerabilities have been exploited in those games with at least two goals conceded in 5 of their last 7 away games in the League.

You can probably guess where I am heading with this pick- both teams have been so poor defensively, but have players like Romelu Lukaku and Charlie Austin who are capable of making the most of the chances that are perhaps presented to them. With that in mind, looking for at least three goals to be shared by these teams doesn't look the worst call in the world.

The last 4 Queens Park Rangers game have seen at least three goals shared out, while the last 3 Everton games have gone the same way and this looks a big price at odds against for this game to head that way too.

MY PICKS: Manchester City - 1.5 Asian Handicap @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)
Arsenal Win to Nil @ 2.88 Coral (1 Unit)
Southampton - 1.25 Asian Handicap @ 2.15 Bet365 (2 Units)
Liverpool-Manchester United Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.98 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Chelsea - 1.25 Asian Handicap @ 2.15 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Queens Park Rangers-Everton Over 2.5 Goals @ 2.00 Sky Bet (2 Units)

March Update: 23-14, + 21.70 Units (68 Units Staked, + 31.91% Yield)

February Final: 20-24-2, + 3.19 Units (75 Units Staked, + 4.25% Yield)
January Final: 10-22-1, - 10.54 Units (57 Units Staked, - 18.49% Yield)
December Final: 25-19-1, + 18.70 Units (81 Units Staked, + 23.09% Yield)
November Final: 17-21, - 0.59 Units (69 Units Staked, - 1% Yield)
October Final: 8-18, - 14.79 Units (47 Units Staked, - 31.47% Yield)
September Final: 12-18, - 2.28 Units (41 Units Staked, - 5.56% Yield)
August Final: 8-22, - 19.92 Units (51 Units Staked, - 39.06% Yield)

Season 2014/15: 100-144-4, - 26.23 Units (421 Units Staked, - 6.23% Yield)
Season 2013/14: 164-185-3, + 15.84 Units (577 Units Staked, + 2.75% Yield)
Season 2012/13: + 4.42 Units (415 Units Staked, + 1.07% Yield)

Miami Tennis Picks 2014 (March 21st)

It is time for the television cameras to pick up the action from the Miami Masters tournament after beginning to show the Premier Event yesterday and the event really feels like it is going to be underway now all the big names are ready to begin their title challenge.

That is no disrespect to the other players on the Tour, but every sport is really determined by the power of the star names and so it only really feels an event's status is linked with which names are involved in it.


The picks made a decent start to the tournament here with a 2-1 beginning on Thursday, although I was a little disappointed that Maria Sharapova couldn't quite cover the games in her win over Karumi Nara. With Serena Williams making a comfortable start to her week too, I am pretty satisfied with the beginning of the Miami event and hope that can be built on over the next nine days.


Roger Federer - 3.5 games v Ivo Karlovic: Fans of 'old school' tennis may enjoy this Second Round match as both Ivo Karlovic and Roger Federer are going to want to get into the net to finish off points, while the serve-volley tactic will be in full force.

I don't think you can doubt that Karlovic has dropped a touch of pace in his play and he is just that little bit slower getting up to the net which gives his opponents more chances to break serve these days than in his prime.

A more aggressive Roger Federer may also be able to take advantage of that half-step and this may be a slightly more comfortable win than the layers may imagine. If you take the last 9 sets played between these players, albeit over a five year period, Federer has won every one and surprisingly only 2 have needed a tie-break to separate them.

With the form that he has displayed to open 2014, I can see Roger Federer winning this one 63, 64 using his more attacking game to keep Karlovic on his toes.


Fernando Verdasco - 3.5 games v Thiemo de Bakker: Coming through the qualifiers here in Miami will make Thiemo de Bakker a dangerous opponent in this Second Round for Fernando Verdasco, but I still expect the higher Ranked player to show his class and move through.

As big a game as de Bakker has, he has generally enjoyed the slower clay courts a lot more than the hard courts, although the conditions in Miami are not the quickest we will see through the year. The problem for de Bakker is finding the consistency to beat someone as talented as Verdasco unless the latter decides to shoot himself in the foot.

We know Verdasco has a decent serve and heavy groundstrokes that can really work well on the hard courts, but he is also liable to going through stretches in a match where he forgets he is a Singles player too and getting the ball in the court becomes unbelievably difficult for him.

However, Verdasco showed more resiliency at Indian Wells when facing pressure points on serve and I can see him being too good for de Bakker with a 64, 64 win.


Alize Cornet - 1.5 games v Andrea Petkovic: An interesting Second Round match is in prospect between these two players, but I had Alize Cornet as a stronger favourite to win the match than what is being priced up.

Cornet has been playing at a more consistent level over the last twelve months and she has certainly shown more form than Andrea Petkovic, including beating her in three sets in Paris earlier this season.

The German is also coming off a disappointing couple of losses to Camila Giorgi while also struggling to reach the level she did before an injury derailed her career somewhat. Petkovic is dangerous when she puts her tennis together, but that is happening less and less these days and I like Cornet to come through, possibly in three sets.

MY PICKS: Roger Federer - 3.5 Games @ 2.00 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Fernando Verdasco - 3.5 Games @ 1.83 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Alize Cornet - 1.5 Games @ 1.90 Pinnacle (2 Units)

Miami Update: 2-1, + 2 Units (6 Units Staked, + 33% Yield)

Tennis Picks Miami 2013 (March 21st)

It hasn't been the greatest start to the tournament here for me on a personal level, but hopefully things will get moving in the right direction in the coming days. Despite that, I am glad to see that I am still not having a terrible time and a small loss can be rectified as the tournament gains speed.


Yanina Wickmayer - 2.5 games v Ayumi Morita: Ayumi Morita came back from a big deficit to beat Heather Watson in the First Round, but I don't believe she will be as fortunate when she comes up against Yanina Wickmayer in the Second Round.

Wickmayer is very inconsistent, but will have a confidence boost from the fact she has beaten Morita in both previous matches, including for the loss of just three games in Doha a little over twelve months ago.

Both players have had their injury problems of late, but I think Wickmayer has enough in her tank to at least come through one Round here. My only concern is that the Belgian does tend to drift in sets and can fall to big losses in one set despite winning matches. However, I think she will have enough belief and talent to ensure she should cover, even if the match happens to go into a third set.


Venus Williams - 5.5 games v Kimiko Date-Krumm: There is little doubt, despite still being Number 18 in the World Rankings, that Venus Williams is not the player of yesteryear, although it is now very rare that she will face someone OLDER than her on the Main Tour.

I think that means Williams will still have the edge over her opponent, even though the elder of the famous tennis playing sisters is not the same dominant force she used to be.

However, Venus destroyed Kimiko Date-Krumm here in Miami last year and she is still capable on her day. On the other hand, Date-Krumm is beginning to slip massively down the Rankings and has lost a lot of matches over the last twelve months.

While Venus makes more errors these days and her serve isn't as potent as it used to be, I still think she is capable of coming through with a 6-4, 6-2 win.


Marion Bartoli - 1.5 games v Andrea Petkovic: Andrea Petkovic was a real character on the Main Tour and was beginning to find herself at the latter stages of big events on the WTA Tour until injury has forced her to take a backward step.

The German has played little tennis this year and I think the layers are over-estimating her chances of knocking off Marion Bartoli, even though Petkovic has won 3 of the last 4 matches between the players.

Bartoli has been playing some decent tennis and will force Petkovic to earn every point and I am not sure she will be able to do that on current match fitness. Only some of the bigger names in the Women's game have been able to knock Bartoli off so far in 2013, and I think the Frenchwoman will be too strong right now.


MY PICKS: Yanina Wickmayer - 2.5 Games @ 2.00 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Venus Williams - 5.5 Games @ 2.00 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Marion Bartoli - 1.5 Games @ 1.85 Pinnacle (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 3-3, - 0.30 Units (12 Units Staked, - 0.36% Yield)

English Midweek Picks (March 21)

I haven't been around much over the last few days thanks to work commitments taking priority, while I also figured it was a pretty good time to take a break after a couple of very unsuccessful days.

It doesn't hurt to take some time off and recharge the batteries, as well as getting an opportunity to consider where things may have been going wrong, and I hope this time has been well spent (even if my head has been buried in plenty of paperwork for my job).

Below are my picks from the Premier League games taking place on Wednesday 21 March:

Manchester City v Chelsea Preview (http://goonersguide.com/football-pick-13495-Manchester-City-v-Chelsea.htm)

Tottenham Hotspur v Stoke City Preview (http://goonersguide.com/football-pick-13496-Tottenham-Hotspur-v-Stoke-City.htm)

Everton v Arsenal Preview (http://goonersguide.com/football-pick-13497-Everton-v-Arsenal.htm)

QPR v Liverpool Preview (http://goonersguide.com/football-pick-13498-QPR-v-Liverpool.htm)


MY PICKS: Manchester City @ 1.95 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Tottenham Hotspur Win to Nil @ 2.50 Ladbrokes (2 Units)
Everton-Arsenal Time of Last Goal After 73rd Minute @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)
QPR-Liverpool Over 2.5 Goals @ 2.05 Pinnacle (2 Units)