European Tour 3- Belgium Darts Open Day 3 Picks 2026 (Sunday 22nd March)

The two Sessions at the Belgium Darts Open see the completion of this latest European Tour event and the second of those is where the Quarter Finals, Semi Finals and Final are all played.

During the Day Session, Luke Littler was beaten and that is going to mean the remaining eight players are filled with extra confidence that they can go on and win the title here.

Niels Zonneveld over 2.5 180s & Danny Noppert over 1.5 180s: The big test for Niels Zonneveld is going to be backing up the upset over Luke Littler from earlier in the day.

He played really well in that Third Round match and has come through a couple of final Leg deciders and Niels Zonneveld has been hitting the maximums for fun.

Danny Noppert is also a big maximum hitter and backing the two players to hit a number of those looks the right way to take this Quarter Final on board.

Jonny Clayton to win & over 2.5 180s v Andy Baetens: The home crowd will be firmly behind Andy Baetens who has had a very strong weekend with upsets loaded up.

He will be looking for another against a Premier League opponent in this Quarter Final having already beaten Stephen Bunting, but Jonny Clayton continues to produce quality darts every time he steps to the oche.

Losing early on Night 7 of the Premier League has not dented the confidence of the leader in the standings, and Jonny Clayton can find a way to get past the home player.

Jonny Clayton can hit plenty of maximums when he gets into a groove and this could be a match that goes nine or more Legs, which should give the Welshman a chance to get up to three maximums hit.

Luke Humphries to win & both over 1.5 180s v Chris Dobey: There are no outright markets set until the Third Round is complete, but Luke Humphries has to feel a big opportunity has opened up to win this title.

Criticism from social media has clearly bothered Luke Humphries this weekend, but he has used that to fuel him and the World Number 2 continues to produce quality darts.

He needs to back those up with doubling to win a big title, but he can get the better of Chris Dobey in what should be a big hitting Quarter Final.

The former Premier League contender is fighting to get back amongst the elite and Chris Dobey can be very strong on his day- he hits plenty of 180s, but he may not have the consistency to keep up with Luke Humphries and the latter can earn a spot in the Semi Final later in the day.

MY PICKS: Niels Zonneveld Over 2.5 180s & Danny Noppert Over 1.5 180s @ 1.86 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Jonny Clayton to Win & Over 2.5 180s @ 2.25 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Luke Humphries to Win & Both Over 1.5 180s @ 2.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Belgium Darts Open: 4-4, + 0.57 Units (8 Units Staked, + 7.12% Yield)

Miami Tennis Day 6 Picks 2026 (Sunday 22nd March)

The conditions have meant a lot of tennis has been loaded into the last couple of days at the Miami Open, but the tournament should feel like it is back on track.

We have another relatively busy schedule, but there is only one selection that has come to the fore and that can be read below.

Arthur Fils - 1.5 games v Stefanos Tsitsipas: These two players have met four times on the Tour and it is Arthur Fils who has managed to work his way past Stefanos Tsitsipas each time- one of those wins was when the latter had to retire very early in the match, but the other three victories have been completed with a Match Point converted and that will give Fils plenty of confidence.

The first two wins were secured on the hard courts, although the last of those matches was at the back end of the 2024 season.

However, it was a time when Stefanos Tsitsipas was the higher Ranked player and at a time when Arthur Fils was still building his way up the World Rankings.

The last twelve months have been very difficult for Stefanos Tsitsipas and he entered the Miami Masters the World Number 51 and had lost three matches in a row. He has won consecutive matches in this tournament, which is only the second time Tsitsipas has managed that in a main Tour event in 2026, while he should take confidence from the Second Round victory over Alex De Minaur.

That has been a match up that has been heavily in Stefanos Tsitsipas' favour and so there is a different mental challenge ahead of this Third Round match.

Arthur Fils has been in fine form since returning from an injury that forced him to miss the Australian Open.

The Frenchman has reached the Final in Doha and the Quarter Final last week in Indian Wells and Arthur Fils will be looking for a confidence boosting run ahead of the clay court season when there is pressure on his shoulders as the leading home player going into the French Open. With that said, it is important to make sure he is pushing into the Seeding positions for the second Grand Slam of the season and a couple more wins in Miami will build up some momentum to push deeper into the top 32.

Out of the two players, Arthur Fils does have a considerable edge on the return of serve and that could be the difference maker on the day.

That was the case in the two hard court wins the 21 year old has had over Stefanos Tsitsipas in 2024 and the confidence of the younger player is at a pretty good level.

Stefanos Tsitsipas is more than capable of producing some very good tennis on this surface, but Arthur Fils may just edge him out.

MY PICKS: Arthur Fils - 1.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Miami Update: 11-5, + 5.87 Units (15 Units Staked, + 39.13% Yield)

Miami Masters Tennis Picks 2025 (Saturday 22nd March)

We move into the Miami Masters WTA Third Round on Saturday as the tournament rolls on and the remainder of the Seeded ATP players get their events underway.

With the time difference, the Miami tournament update will be added to the thread on Saturday once all of the results have been confirmed.

Despite a busy day of action scheduled at the event, the layers look to be firmly on top of the markets and the only two selections both come from the WTA matches and can be read below.

Coco Gauff - 4.5 games v Maria Sakkari: You never want to get carried away over one result, but Coco Gauff should have gained plenty of confidence after producing a double bagel in beating former Australian Open Champion Sofia Kenin.

She will also be well aware that the challenges will be much tougher the deeper Coco Gauff is able to get into the Miami tournament over the remainder of the month.

Next up is Maria Sakkari and Coco Gauff will be looking to frank the form that saw her beat the Greek player last week in Indian Wells. That means Coco Gauff has won three of the last four meetings with Maria Sakkari with all of those taking place on the hard courts and there is no doubt that Sakkari is not playing at the level that once took her into World Number 3.

The second serve has been something of a weakness for Maria Sakkari, while her return numbers have also dipped on the hard courts in her sixteen matches played in 2025. It took three sets to win in the First Round and Sakkari has struggled to string victories together, while the relatively straight-forward loss to Coco Gauff in Indian Wells will not have been forgotten.

Both players struggled with the second serve in that match in California- this has been an issue for Coco Gauff for a little while now with the Double Faults far too common a feature of her matches than she would like. However, there was a big difference in the impact landing the first serve had for both players and Coco Gauff may feel she can get even more out of that shot on the faster Miami courts.

This is a big spread if Coco Gauff is struggling with her first serve percentage, but Maria Sakkari has not been playing at a high level and the American can use the support from the stands to eventually ease through to the Fourth Round.

Naomi Osaka - 4.5 games v Hailey Baptiste: Two wins in a row in Miami to add to the First Round win in Indian Wells will just prevent Hailey Baptiste from slipping out of the top 100 in the World Rankings.

She was perhaps fortunate to beat Daria Kasatkina in the Second Round, but the American can play with some freedom having perhaps already gotten further than she would have imagined when the draw was made.

Beating two top 50 Ranked opponents will have done Hailey Baptiste the world of good as far as confidence goes and there may be an opportunity against Naomi Osaka.

That is mainly down to the fact that Naomi Osaka has struggled for consistency in form and health since returning to the WTA Tour- the desire to play with the 'big dogs' remains as high as ever, but Osaka has not really strung the wins together as some may have imagined since returning to the Tour and that has left her as the World Number 61.

Two solid wins in Miami will help, but it does say plenty that two of the three losses suffered this season have ended in a mid-match retirement. It is something that makes it more difficult to trust Naomi Osaka's body to be held together as she plays a third match in the same tournament for just the third time in 2025.

Helping is the fact that Naomi Osaka has crushed Hailey Baptiste once already this season and this is an opponent that will have a similar approach to the former World Number 1.

That approach means following a big serve with a heavy forehand, but Baptiste did look a little weary when falling over the line against Daria Kasatkina and it is going to be much harder to contain Naomi Osaka if the latter is playing anywhere near the level produced in the Second Round.

Both players have had issues on the return when it comes to hard court matches, but the Osaka serve has been much more consistent compared with the World Number 98.

Hailey Baptiste will feel she has little to lose, but Naomi Osaka's qualities should give her the edge and she can cover a big number, even at her current level in her career.

MY PICKS: Coco Gauff - 4.5 Games @ 1.66 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Naomi Osaka - 4.5 Games @ 2.10 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Miami Update: 6-2, + 3.38 Units (8 Units Staked, + 42.25% Yield)

Boxing Picks 2025- Sebastian Fundora vs Chordale Booker (Saturday 22nd March)

The latest news reports indicated that the TKO compensation for the new Boxing League being constructed would not be offering the kind of payments that so many top Boxers have been used to and instead it would be taking a UFC approach to the payment structure.

Those reports have been disputed by Turki Alalshikh, but they would certainly not have worried the top promoters in the world and suggests TKO may take an approach of signing up potential rather than bringing in established stars.

Of course those numbers could have been leaked so the organisers and Alalshikh can generate some feedback, while also being able to state that the reports are wrong, and there is still plenty of time before anything official has to be put out there. This time can be used to change structures and the approach, but for now Turki Alalshikh will continuing partnering the big promoters and use them to ensure Riyadh Season and The Ring events have the biggest names involved.

The full card for Canelo's next outing has been released and it is not exactly the depth of event that we have come to expect from those being held in Saudi Arabia.

That is not to say it is a weak card per se, but fans have been spoiled and so a feeling of being underwhelmed cannot come as that much of a surprise.

It is a big weekend with a solid event being run in Times Square on Friday before the Saudi event on Saturday and then being rounded out by Naoya Inoue's next American outing. The match ups on Saturday and Sunday may not be that appealing, but the Friday night card looks decent enough and fans will be hoping that bigger events will come out of those being run.

Nick Ball's win last weekend means he is a step closer to facing Naoya Inoue, assuming The Monster keeps winning, while the winners on the Friday card in New York City will be pitted together later in the year.

And we should also have an official announcement of Canelo Alvarez vs Terence Crawford as long as the Mexican comes through May 3rd unscathed.

The next couple of weeks bring together another couple of solid cards before the move into April and the attention turning to Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn, at least for UK fans.

There are some important fights to come in April, including a Welterweight Unification, and so fight fans have to be very happy with the events being put together as we approach the halfway mark of the 2025 season.

Hopefully more events will begin to be announced over the next four weeks with some big nights expected in the summer as Boxing becomes a year long sport and not having an unofficial 'break' in the middle of the year as had become the norm.

Sebastian Fundora vs Chordale Booker

Almost exactly twelve months have passed since Sebastian Fundora came in as a late replacement and took advantage of an elbow that gashed open Tim Tsyzu as he upset the Australian on a Split Decision.

That means Sebastian Fundora holds the Light Middleweight World Titles for both the WBO and WBC, but suffice to say he has failed to really build on the momentum of that win over Tim Tszyu.

Some of that is not his fault- he wanted to defend his World Titles against Errol Spence Jr, but that fight was not signed off by the organisations and Fundora has effectively been sitting out.

He may hold two of the four World Titles in the Division, but there are plenty of naysayers when it comes to where Sebastian Fundora sits in the Division.

Making believers out of doubters is unlikely going to be the outcome of beating Chordale Booker, if indeed Fundora is able to win this fight, and there will be a real push to see him pitted against some of the bigger names in the Division. That is not likely to be against Interim WBO Champion Terence Crawford, who is set to face Canelo Alvarez, but Vergil Ortiz Jr is now the Interim WBC Champion in the Division and that looks like a fight that should be made.

Sebastian Fundora will state that he is willing to take on anyone, and he has shown plenty of heart in his showings, although the twelve month layoff is very disappointing for a 27 year old.

It is not expected to have an impact on Saturday when facing Chordale Booker who has been floating between Light Middleweight and Middleweight in recent outings and who has not really been in the ring with anyone of note since being blown away by Ammo Williams inside the First Round in 2022. The Booker story is an inspiration one and winning the World Titles would really make some feel-good headlines, but it does feel like he is the beneficiary of an opportunity that may not have come about just yet if Sebastian Fundora had been more active.

We know what we are going to get from Fundora- he will come forward, he will throw plenty of punches and Brian Mendoza and Erickson Lubin have both shown the tall Light Middleweight can be hurt.

However, that is not expected to be something that Chordale Booker can do without having to take some serious punishment of his own and Sebastian Fundora has broken through fighters of this level pretty quickly previously.

Inactivity is a factor, but Sebastian Fundora may be able to shake off some of the cobwebs and still secure a victory inside the first half of the contest before perhaps calling out some of the bigger names in the Division.

The undercard has a couple of fighters rebuilding after a defeat, but the focus for the Picks is on Jesus Alejandro Ramos Jr who is looking for a third straight win after losing to Erickson Lubin.

Around six weeks have passed since Ramos Jr was last in the ring beating Jeison Rosario and he has decided to step back to Light Middleweight for this contest.

It is a showcase fight against Guido Emmanuel Schramm, a fighter who comes in as a replacement having lost two in a row.

He was Stopped by Vladimir Hernandez in Six Rounds last June, but anyone fighting out of Argentina should be respected.

However, saying that, this is a fight that Jesus Alejandro Ramos Jr should be relatively comfortable as he moves through the gears and he is worth backing to secure a late Stoppage for the third time in a row having won his last two in the Ninth and Eighth Round respectively.

Matchoom are hosting another big card in Australia and the main event features George Kambosos Jr having moved up from Lightweight into the Light Welterweight Division.

Being a Unified World Champion in the 135 Division is a career highlight for Kambosos Jr, although he has lost three of four fights since the upset over Teofimo Lopez. Even in the victory over Maxi Hughes, there were plenty out there feeling the Australian was very fortunate to be given the nod on the cards and this feels like the last big run in his career.

A late replacement had to be found to keep the event going and that opportunity has been given to Jake Wyllie, another Australian and one who has produced fifteen Stoppages in sixteen professional wins.

Jake Wyllie was involved in a fight at the end of February which ended prematurely in a No Contest in the Third Round and he admitted he was attending this event as a fan. Being a natural at Light Welterweight will help, but this is a massive step up for the 24 year old and it should be a bout that George Kambosos Jr can roll through.

There is no doubt that George Kambosos Jr is an overachiever and not many would have tipped him up to have reached the kind of level he has. In saying that, he should be levels above someone like Jake Wyllie and the younger man could empty the tank early in his bid for an upset and it will be Kambosos Jr dominating proceedings.

We saw an overmatched Brock Jarvis Stopped by Keith Thurman earlier this month and there is little reason to believe that someone like Jake Wyllie will have a lot more of a chance to get into the second half of this contest.

The former Lightweight World Champion has not exactly been a dominant fighter, but George Kambosos Jr has long been above the level of opponent he is facing as a late replacement and that should show up.

An undercard with local, developing talent and some leading female fighters should make for a decent show for those attending, but the sole selection will be from the main event.

You have to imagine Skye Nicolson and Cherneka Johnson are both able to defend their World Titles- the former is likely to be comfortable, while Johnson may just do a little more to edge Nina Hughes for a second time. Out of the two, Cherneka Johnson is the more vulnerable, but Nina Hughes may have to do a bit more to rip the titles from the Champion after a controversial defeat when the two met previously.

MY PICKS: Sebastian Fundora to Win Between 1-6 @ 4.33 Paddy Power (1 Unit)

Jesus Alejandro Ramos Jr to Win Between 6-10 @ 2.00 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

George Kambosos Jr to Win Between 1-6 @ 3.40 Paddy Power (1 Unit)

Boxing 2025: 11-30, - 16.26 Units (50 Units Staked, - 32.52% Yield)

Miami Masters Tennis Picks 2023 (March 22nd)

It was not a good start to the new week, but I think there was some misfortune with one of the two selections made on Tuesday at the Miami Masters.

After moving into commanding positions in each of the three sets played, Camila Giorgi found a way to give up her advantages and ultimately needed three tie-breakers in her victory.

That is disappointing, but it is only the start of the week.

The extremely early start times in the early part of the draw has made it a tad difficult to write out any analysis of the selections through the first two days, but hopefully I will find more time as the Miami Masters progresses into the Second Round and beyond.

MY PICKS: JJ Wolf - 1.5 Games @ 1.90 Bet365 (2 Units)

Marton Fucsovics - 4.5 Games @ 1.90 Bet365 (2 Units)

Andy Murray - 4.5 Games @ 1.87 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Alexei Popyrin @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Ugo Humbert - 3.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Ashlyn Krueger - 0.5 Games @ 1.87 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Marketa Vondrousova - 5.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Xinyu Wang @ 1.83 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Miami Update: 0-2, - 4 Units (4 Units Staked, - 100% Yield)

Miami Masters Tennis Picks 2022 (March 22nd)

The Grand Slams are clearly the biggest events on the calendar during the Tennis season, but the Masters events are scattered throughout the year and those can inspire big performances when the Slams come around.

Indian Wells is the first Masters in the books in the 2022 season as it returns to its rightful place in the calendar.

But there is no rest for the top names with the Miami Masters set to begin on Tuesday and played through the remainder of the month before the entire Tour shifts attention to the French Open. The clay court season begins in April and there are two more big Masters events to be played in Madrid and Rome before the second Grand Slam of the season begins, but for those who are not at their happiest on the red dirt, the Miami Masters is the last big chance to put up some significant points for a couple of months.

Taylor Fritz and Iga Swiatek took home the Indian Wells titles and it is not easy to complete a back to back- the former might not even play in Miami if his injury has not calmed down.

Without Novak Djokovic, it has felt like the top of the ATP Tour has become a lot more open, even if Rafael Nadal has been the one member of the Big Three competing and clearing up some of the trophies that have been handed out. The Spaniard was not at his best last week, but reached another Final before his unbeaten run to begin 2022 was over and Rafael Nadal may soon return to the top of the World Rankings now we are about to enter the clay court season.

He was suffering with an illness at the end of Indian Wells so there is every chance both Men’s Finalists miss out in Miami.

Iga Swiatek’s win in Indian Wells will be well received by fans of the WTA Tour as it begins to feel like the Pole is producing the consistency that has sometimes been lacking from the top names. There was no Ashleigh Barty in the draw, but Iga Swiatek has made a fast start to the season regardless and is a former French Open Champion so will have to be respected going forward.

She has moved into the World Number 2 spot in the World Rankings and beaten Finalist Maria Sakkari is up to World Number 3, although it does feel like the Greek player is in an artificially high spot having failed to win a Slam or a Masters title.

Maria Sakkari is improving though and may be reaching her peak years so I think there is more to come, although the longer you have to wait to break through the ceiling, the more likely it is that you won’t be able to achieve that.

The WTA Miami event looks like it will be another open one, although it was good to see some of the top names reaching the business end of the Indian Wells event. As much as we love competition, I do feel the Tennis Tours need those big time rivalries at the top to bring in the casual viewers so the big names facing each other more and more often for the biggest prizes is important.

This week there will be a number of disappointed ATP players heading to Miami looking for a much better event than the last Masters played. Uncertainty about the status of some of the top names is not helping, but I am hoping to see another good couple of weeks in North America before the move onto the clay courts.

Novak Djokovic is almost certainly going to be back when the Tour moves back to Europe and there will be many looking forward to seeing the World Number 1 back on the court.

The Indian Wells Masters was a decent tournament for fans, but I did expect better from the Tennis Picks.

It has been tough sledging since the Australian Open, when producing a winning return, but the Miami Masters offers the chance for redemption before the return to the clay courts, which is usually my favoured time of the season.

That’s a big statement to make, but I am looking for some momentum to take into those tournaments as we build towards the French Open.

Amanda Anisimova - 3.5 games v Shelby Rogers: I have absolutely no doubt the kind of player that Amanda Anisimova will become on the WTA Tour, but the last couple of years have been very difficult for her. Personal issues and the pandemic have slowed some of the progression that was being made by the young American, but there have been signs that Amanda Anisimova is ready to move back up the World Rankings having won a title and reached the Fourth Round at the Australian Open already.

The career best World Ranking was achieved at the back end of the 2019 season, but Amanda Anisimova looks to be moving back in a positive direction. An illness forced her out of the Indian Wells Masters in the Second Round, but there should have been enough time to overcome any lingering issues and Anisimova can have a much bigger impact all around in the Miami Masters.

The numbers over the last twelve months have been impressive and Amanda Anisimova is certainly capable of beating her compatriot Shelby Rogers in the First Round here. There is still some room for improvement when it comes to the return of serve, but Amanda Anisimova is a solid server and she will certainly feel she is the superior return player on the court in this First Round match.

Shelby Rogers reached a career best World Ranking earlier this season, but she had been struggling before winning a couple of matches at Indian Wells. Both wins came in competitive matches, but Rogers was well beaten in the Third Round and she has won just 39% of return points played on the surface in 2022.

She will have to be wary of allowing Amanda Anisimova to see too many Second Serves, especially as Shelby Rogers is not likely to have much success attacking the Anisimova serve if the latter is close to her top level.

Shelby Rogers did win a really close, competitive match between these players on the clay courts last year, but I think Amanda Anisimova is showing strong form. Barring any lingering illness concerns, Amanda Anisimova should have the quality of tennis to get the better of her compatriot in this First Round match and I think she can do that well enough to cover this spread.

Ann Li - 4.5 games v Mayar Sherif: There is no doubt the kind of impact that Mayar Sherif will be having on young girls in her homeland and surrounding nations to show what is possible and she has reached a career high World Ranking at the back end of 2021. 2022 has been a much tougher year for her so far though and Mayar Sherif will be a significant underdog when she takes on Ann Li, who should receive plenty of backing from the stands.

Since reaching the Semi Final of a tournament in Melbourne prior to the Australian Open, Ann Li has had a much tougher time on the Tour and she has slipped twenty places from the career best World Ranking of Number 44. That has to be a concern, but Ann Li is a young player who has plenty of potential and I do think the slump in form is something she will be able to arrest.

Ann Li is just 2-5 beginning at the Australian Open, while the American has not quite reached the numbers that she was producing in 2021. Over the last twelve months Ann Li has been a solid hard court player, but she has room for improvement and that makes this a potentially awkward First Round match if there has been a dent in the confidence.

However, Mayar Sherif is also going to be struggling with her confidence having lost seven of her eight matches played on the hard courts this season. The serve has been vulnerable and the Egyptian has only won 36% of return points played, while those numbers have not been that impressive even when taking into consideration opponents Mayar Sherif has played that are Ranked outside the top 50.

Ann Li has handled the players she would be expecting to beat in better fashion than Mayar Sherif, while the American also has won both previous matches between these players.

The first of those came at the Australian Open in January 2020, while Ann Li dominated Mayar Sherif in Melbourne a couple of months ago. Ann Li has dominated the two previous matches and has won 49% of return points played, while her first serve has been very tough for Mayar Sherif to deal with so there is every chance the American can produce a big win here.

A lack of confidence is a potential hindrance, but I think Li will know she likes the match up and I think she can clear a big spread.

Caroline Garcia - 2.5 games v Anna Bondar: The improvement in her World Ranking and entry into the top 100 is largely down to the performances Anna Bondar has produced on the clay courts. Her hard court numbers over the last twelve months are less impressive, but she did reach the Quarter Final in Lyon before her early loss at the Indian Wells Masters.

The clay court season is coming up in a couple of weeks and Anna Bondar might already be focusing on trying to have a some successes that can see her improve her World Ranking further. However, she has entered the Miami Masters and the Hungarian has won enough matches on this surface this season and over the last twelve months to believe she can take on someone who has been as erratic as Carolina Garcia.

It has been a difficult season for Caroline Garcia who is down at World Number 66 in the Rankings and who has struggled to string wins together. A Semi Final run in Lyon may have given her a boost, but the Frenchwoman was beaten in the Second Round at Indian Wells and her numbers on the hard courts over the last twelve months have been fairly average.

Caroline Garcia has generally been able to handle those players Ranked outside the top 50 and that will offer her encouragement. One of the areas that will need to be improved is the returning part of her tennis, but Caroline Garcia will feel she can at least showcase better against an opponent like Anna Bondar who has a 1-6 record when facing top 100 Ranked opponents on the hard courts.

Like her opponent, Anna Bondar has struggled with her return against some of the better players she is likely to face and that is expected to be the situation for her in the First Round.

The outcome of the spread is likely to depend on how high the percentage of First Serves found are for Anna Bondar, but she has yet to really get to grips with hard court tennis at this level. While Caroline Garcia has struggled for consistency, she has found a bit more from the return against lower Ranked players on this surface and I think the Frenchwoman can cover the wide handicap mark to move through to the Second Round.

Kaia Kanepi - 2.5 games v Maryna Zanevska: The run to the Australian Open Quarter Final was unexpected for veteran Kaia Kanepi and she won a couple of matches on her return to the Tour last week in Indian Wells. There will be some disappointment that the tournament ended at the hands of Harriet Dart, but Kaia Kanepi is producing enough solid tennis in 2022 to believe she can have another decent impact when the Miami Masters begins.

The Estonian is a pretty strong favourite to beat Maryna Zanevska, but this is a player that needs to be respected.

Maryna Zanevska lost a tight First Round match in Indian Wells, while she has a return game that makes her dangerous on the hard courts. Over the last twelve months, Maryna Zanevska has won 45% of return points played and that means there will be some pressure on Kaia Kanepi to find the level of serving that has allowed her to make such a positive start to the season.

There is no doubt that both players have decent First Serves that have to be respected, but the match could be decided by which of the two is able to get more of those in play. Kaia Kanepi has also won 45% of return points played on the hard courts in 2022, while I think there has been a significant edge in her performance on the Second Serve that should give her the edge in this First Round meeting.

Both have had a slippage in numbers when facing top 100 Ranked players, but again Kaia Kanepi's edge on the Second Serve may end up being the difference between the players.

Mentally, Kaia Kanepi has the edge having won the last two matches against Maryna Zanevska, although they are playing one another for the first time since November 2020. The last match was on the clay courts, but Kaia Kanepi has also won their previous hard court match in good fashion and I think the veteran can get the better of this match.

I would not be surprised if there are a few breaks of serve over the course of the match, but Kaia Kanepi may have enough all around game to cover here.

MY PICKS: Amanda Anisimova - 3.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Ann Li - 4.5 Games @ 2.10 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Caroline Garcia - 2.5 Games @ 1.72 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Kaia Kanepi - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Miami Tennis Picks 2016 (March 22nd)

The first of the two big events in North America was completed on Sunday with Victoria Azarenka and Novak Djokovic taking home the titles in Indian Wells. There were only a couple of days for the top players to recover before the Miami Open begins although the top Seeds won't be in action until later in the week having received a bye in the First Round.

The Indian Wells picks worked out well to get this season moving back in a positive direction, but it is all about building on that in the next week and a bit although I won't have full picks from this tournament as I will be jetting off to Las Vegas for the final four days of the event.


The WTA Premier Event will begin first as it did at Indian Wells, although the ATP Masters event will begin on Wednesday rather than Thursday as it did at the last tournament.


Margarita Gasparyan - 2.5 games v Annika Beck: There is only one place between these players in the World Rankings, but I think the upside in the Margarita Gasparyan game compared with Annika Beck will see the former surpass the latter shortly. At this point of their career there really isn't a lot between the players, but I think the Gasparyan power will be the difference maker in this First Round match in Miami.

There have been some similarities with the results both Gasparyan and Beck have achieved so far this season- both had a solid run at the Australian Open, but have struggled to really put the wins together since then. However, Gasparyan can at least point to a few successes in the early Rounds of events before bumping into one of the top Seeds and finding that a bridge too difficult to cross.

I can see Annika Beck having some success against her in this First Round match with an ability to get plenty of balls back in play. That will extract errors from an inconsistent Gasparyan but I also think the young Russian player will have quite a bit of joy attacking the Beck serve and that should see her come through this tough match.

It should be close at times and I can see a few games going to deuce and those big moments will determine which player goes through. I just feel Gasparyan will have the edge in terms of ability to hit through the court a little more and I like her to come through 63, 46, 64.


Danka Kovinic + 3.5 games v Denisa Allertova: When the First Round draw was made, I thought the First Round match between Denisa Allertova and Danka Kovinic would be close to a pick 'em contest. However the layers have leaned quite convincingly towards Allertova and I am not sure I am of the same opinion.

In my opinion, Danka Kovinic is the more likely winner of the two players so having a chance to get a significant number of games on her side is hard to ignore.

There is no doubt that we will see a number of breaks of serve from both players who have the ability to really get after the return, but perhaps don't have the biggest serves on Tour. It is no surprise that two players between Number 50 and Number 55 in the World Rankings have had some inconsistent results this season, although you would have to lean towards Allertova in getting the better wins under her belt.

However I do think Kovinic showed in Indian Wells that she is capable of plenty too and I won't at all be surprised if we need three sets to separate these players. I have a real belief that Kovinic can win this match outright, but taking the games looks to be the better way in backing her in the hope that the match is as close as I think it will be.

MY PICKS: Margarita Gasparyan - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Danka Kovinic + 3.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Indian Wells Final: 27-17, + 15.74 Units (88 Units Staked, + 17.89% Yield)

Season 2016: - 30.20 Units (548 Units Staked, - 5.51% Yield)
Season 2015: - 21.81 Units (1812 Units Staked, - 1% Yield)
Season 2014: + 45.05 Units (1586.5 Units Staked, + 2.84% Yield)

Season 2013: + 21.74 Units (1251.5 Units Staked, + 1.73% Yield)

Season 2012: + 49.21 Units (855 Units Staked, + 5.76% Yield)

Season 2011: + 82.02 Units

Indian Wells Tennis Picks 2015 (March 22nd)

The two Finals will played at Indian Wells on Sunday and both look like they could be entertaining, although there is no doubt that the one most will be looking forward to is the Masters Final between Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.

The Premier Event Final between Jelena Jankovic and Simona Halep should be a decent one, but I think most people at Indian Wells were hoping for the dream situation of Serena Williams returning to the tournament and competing on the final Sunday. Unfortunately Williams had to pull out before the Semi Final, although it is expected that she will take part in the tournament in Miami which will begin later this week.


Both Semi Final picks came in on Saturday, but it still hasn't changed the fact that it has been a poor tournament for the picks, although it is still a very good first three months. The second Masters/Premier Event begins in Miami later this week and hopefully it will be a more productive event for me personally.


Simona Halep - 4.5 games v Jelena Jankovic: This has been a really good tournament for Jelena Jankovic no matter how it ends for her as she has played herself into some sort of form to take into the next two months going into the French Open.

I still feel it might be a little too much for her to see off Simona Halep who benefited from the Serena Williams pull out in the Semi Final as I do think the Romanian will have the edge when it comes to the physicality of the match. Jankovic has had to spend a lot of time on the court and been in a number of very close matches, but winning those matches might have given her the belief that her destiny is to win the tournament.

She will have to come through some tough periods in this match if she is going to come out with the title because Simona Halep has been able to get a grip of matches and has been ruthless in making sure she takes her chances when they come. Both Madison Keys and Belinda Bencic missed their chances to earn double breaks of serve when they had Jankovic on the ropes and I don't expect Halep is going to let her off as they did.

Halep has won the last three matches between the pair, but they have been close in terms of needing to go the distance each time, although Halep has given Jankovic a bagel in each of the last two matches. I believe she is capable of earning a big enough win to cover these games as long as Halep doesn't let the nerves restrict her play.

This might need three sets to separate them again, but I think Halep will win and win one set either 61 or 62 to set the cover.


Roger Federer + 2.5 games v Novak Djokovic: Two of the big rivals on the ATP Tour will contest another big title between them in the Final on Sunday and Roger Federer has spoken of his desire to earn a measure of revenge against Novak Djokovic for the defeat at Indian Wells twelves months ago.

Federer did get the better of Djokovic in Dubai last month, but the conditions in Indian Wells are slower than in this tournament and it is going to be a lot more difficult for Federer to beat the World Number 1.

However, he clearly has a lot of belief in his game to win here after deciding to skip the event in Miami and I do think it will be incredibly close as many of their matches tend to be. Roger Federer has always gotten up for playing Djokovic and I do think he matches up very well against him with the sliced backhand particularly troublesome for the Serb.

The aggressive play from Federer in attacking the net when the opportunity arises has also seen him become very competitive against the best players in the best of three set matches, although physically it has been more difficult to put that game plan into action in Grand Slam best of five set matches.

Federer will have to serve well if he is going to win the title, but he has done that for the most part this week and I do think he will create chances against the Djokovic serve. Does Federer have enough to win the title? I am not sure to be honest, because Djokovic loves Indian Wells and showed in his win over Andy Murray that his eye is well and truly in.

However, I do expect to see this match to go the distance at the very least and there is every chance another final set tie-breaker is on the cards so taking the games might be the most sensible way to back Federer who is certainly capable of upsetting the odds and winning the title.

MY PICKS: Simona Halep - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 William Hill (2 Units)
Roger Federer + 2.5 Games @ 1.92 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Indian Wells Update: 19-22, - 9.24 Units (82 Units Staked, - 11.27% 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 22nd)

Yesterday proved to be the reverse of Thursday and means it has been a mixed start to the Miami tournament for the picks. It's not the end of the world, although I hope these picks from the matches to be played on Saturday can at least kick-start an event that has been a little slow compared to Indian Wells last week, although I can't put my finger on why that is the case.


It is also a surprise to me that with all the matches on offer on Saturday, it is only the one match that really appeals to me.


Lucie Safarova + 4.5 games v Maria Sharapova: Lucie Safarova has made a decent start on the Singles Tour in 2014 and I think she is being a touch under-rated to give Maria Sharapova some real problems in this Third Round match.

Since returning from Sochi, Sharapova has put in some understandably mixed performances and she has to raise her game by a couple of levels from her Second Round match. If she does that, Sharapova can certainly give Safarova plenty of problems, but the serve has been erratic and that makes this number of games look a tough one to cover.

Add the fact that Safarova is one of the more solid servers in recent weeks and I think she can put a lot of pressure on her higher Ranked opponent and I can see Safarova stealing a set.

It should remain competitive throughout and I just think the games are too high and perhaps more to do with Sharapova's name rather than her actual performances over the last month.

MY PICKS: Lucie Safarova + 4.5 Games @ 1.92 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Miami Update: 3-3, - 0.20 Units (12 Units Staked, - 1.67% Yield)

Weekend Football Picks 2014 (March 22-23)

It was the week in which the final eight teams in the Champions League and the Europa League were decided and the draw on Friday was no less intriguing.

For the first time, all eight Group winners in the Champions League made it through to the Quarter Finals and that meant there wasn't going to be an easy game to find for any team.

The draw proved as much, although both Real Madrid and Bayern Munich will probably be big favourites to see off Borussia Dortmund and Manchester United respectively.

For a Manchester United fan, this was arguably the second worst draw the team could have faced behind Real Madrid, especially with the way the season has developed to this point. On the face of things, Bayern Munich should have too much pace in wide areas and a large control of the ball from the midfield, whoever they pick in there.

However, the side are a little vulnerable at the back themselves and I still feel they are lacking the centre forward that Robert Lewandowski will provide them in the summer, although I won't be rushing to back Manchester United to knock them out either.

All I saying at this point is I don't think it will be a Mission Impossible for United, but it is definitely a Mission Extremely Difficult.


The remaining two ties are much closer to predict in my opinion and I can see Chelsea finding a way to beat Paris Saint-Germain with the second leg being back in London... The tie has all the hallmarks of an away goal win for Jose Mourinho and yet another Semi Final for a manager proven at this level.

Barcelona v Atletico Madrid is very intriguing and the teams have played tight games against one another all season and I imagine the tie to be the same. If Barcelona can take a lead into the second leg, I would expect they can grab a goal at the Vicente Calderon that could prove to be critical.


One more thing- when did UEFA stop doing the Semi Final draw along with the Quarter Finals as they had in previous years?


The Europa League draw also looks a pretty good one on paper, if only because it looks like providing a really good end to the tournament. The likes of Juventus and Benfica look a cut above the rest of the teams left, both of those falling out of the Champions League at the Group Stage, and that could be a good Final if the draw pans out the way it should.

Lyon won't be rolling over for Juventus, but they are not the team of old and I would fancy the Old Lady to see them off.


Enough about Europe for now as the final week of March provides three big games in the Premier League that may give us a better idea of the destination of the title this season. First off is Chelsea v Arsenal, but that will be followed by Manchester City visiting Old Trafford and the Emirates Stadium before April.


When it comes to making the picks, I am not a big fan of these weekends when the results seem 'obvious' in some games because football rarely goes exactly like you would expect. There does seem to be some mismatches with the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City facing relegation threatened teams, but the pressure at this stage of the season is another factor to deal with and hard to really place the importance of that.


Chelsea v Arsenal Pick: There is definitely no love lost between the managers, but this match means more than bragging rights as both Chelsea and Arsenal could take a step towards the Premier League title, while also damaging their opponents irreversibly at this late stage of the season.

It is especially the case for Arsenal in my opinion and I think Arsene Wenger would be satisfied with a draw from the game- unlike previous years under his management, I think this Arsenal team is resilient enough to repel the attack that they will see and I also think Wenger is more pragmatic in his approach and accepting of points earned.

Prior years would have perhaps seen Arsenal push forward too much and leave gaps for Chelsea to expose, but losing some of the midfielders they have will also give an edge to the home team. That is especially the case for a Chelsea team that have been playing very well at Stamford Bridge for much of the season and had a confidence boosting 2-0 win over Galatasaray in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

That also gives Chelsea enough time to prepare for this game and I think they can plug the gaps left by the suspensions of Ramires and Willian to enough of an extent to win this game. It is much more important for Chelsea to win the game and I can see them being a little more clinical than Tottenham Hotspur were when chances came their way last weekend against this Arsenal team.

Jose Mourinho did only win 1 of his 3 home games against Arsenal in his first stint as Chelsea manager and we saw his poor history at Villa Park return last weekend- however, I think the home side will have too much of the ball and find a way to secure three points that may effectively end the Arsenal title challenge.


Cardiff City v Liverpool Pick: Even the most passionate of Manchester United fans had to begrudgingly accept that Liverpool were far and away the better side at Old Trafford last weekend and most have also perhaps got a slight fear that the rivals from down the M62 are in a position to win their first League title in 24 years.

There is still plenty of time for twists and turns in the title race, but there is also no doubt that Liverpool are the in-form team in the Premier League that seems to be full of goals and it is hard to imagine Cardiff City being the team to slow them down.

Complacency is the biggest threat to Liverpool in this game because they have the pace and clinical finishing up top that should provide the goals to see off their hosts and earn another three points. With Sunderland to come during the week, there is also every chance that Liverpool could end the week in top spot in the League depending on the result from the Chelsea-Arsenal game to be played on Saturday lunchtime.

Cardiff City haven't been losing a lot of games at home with only 3 defeats in their last 7 at home in the Premier League, but they seem to drop their heads and lose quite comfortably when they are beaten. That is shown up by their last 4 home League defeats all coming by at least two goals and it will be interesting to see how they respond if they go behind in this one.

It seems obvious, and nothing is obvious when making picks for football games, but I can't see how Cardiff keep this close with the amount of goals Liverpool have been scoring. They have hit three goals in 4 of their last 5 away games in the Premier League, all wins, and both Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge create and score the chances they find.

I would love to be wrong and Liverpool fail to win here, but I can only see a comfortable away win on recent performances of both teams.


Everton v Swansea Pick: Another late goal helped Everton pick up a vital three points last weekend and there will be a real confidence that they can win another game in front of their own fans this weekend.

I think they are the right choice in the game, but the odds on quotes look very short considering how they have needed goals in the last ten minutes to beat West Ham United and Cardiff City. While Swansea haven't been winning games, they have shown a little more goal-scoring threat in recent games and that should be a concern for Roberto Martinez and his defence which could be missing Phil Jagielka again.

Swansea have now scored in 4 straight away games and Everton have conceded in 3 of their last 4 games at home so I think there is more than a slight chance that the away side contributes in this game.

However, I do believe Everton are going to have a little too much attacking threat and they have scored at least two goals in 6 of their last 7 home wins.

Together, that is enough for me to prefer backing Everton to win a game in which both sides score than the short odds for them to win this game.


Manchester City v Fulham Pick: Manuel Pellegrini doesn't strike me as a manager that looks beyond the immediate game in front of his team and that means I don't foresee him resting too many players in anticipation of the Manchester derby to be played on Tuesday. It is a big game for Manchester City after this one as they face away games at Manchester United and Arsenal in the course of a few days and that means they cannot afford to drop points in a game like this if they are to win the Premier League title.

The concern for City fans will be the slight downturn in terms of goals scored in recent games, but some of that may have been down to fatigue and now the team have had a full week to prepare for this game. It may be enough time for Sergio Aguero to return and all eyes are now focused on the final 11 League games Manchester City have to play.

Fulham showed they can be stubborn in their draw at Manchester United last month, but a lot of that was also down to the performance of the home team and I think it will be much tougher for them here.

They have shown extra determination under Felix Magath at times, but Fulham continue to have issues defensively and conceding three goals at Cardiff City doesn't bode well for their chances at this ground. The likes of Liverpool and Chelsea have also hit three past Fulham in recent games, both of those at Craven Cottage, and it will be a big ask for them to keep the scoreline respectable in my opinion.

Vincent Kompany is missing, but Manchester City showed defensive solidity in their win with ten men against Hull City last weekend and I think they prove to be too powerful in a comfortable home win. After that, Pellegrini is sure to turn his attention to the big game at Old Trafford which will be played on Tuesday evening.


West Ham United v Manchester United Pick: There is little doubt that David Moyes needs to take all the positives he can at the moment and overturning a 2-0 deficit in the Champions League is one of the few highs that Manchester United have experienced under his guidance during a tough first season without Sir Alex Ferguson.

Manchester United rode their luck at times with Olympiacos missing a couple of clear-cut opportunities to score what would have been a vital away goal, but many times you could also say the luck has not been with the side. It has also been a season of one step forward, two steps backwards for the new manager and he has to urge against complacency in what is usually a feisty affair in East London.

Sam Allardyce would have had a week to prepare for this game and West Ham United rarely roll over for too many teams at their own ground where the fans make it a lively occasion. The Hammers are also on a decent run of form at home and the return of Andy Carroll will give the Manchester United defenders something to think about without the presence of Nemanja Vidic.

However, it has been pace that Manchester United have been most susceptible to and I don't see a lot of that in the West Ham side, even though I am sure the players on the field will be up for the game and will make life extremely difficult.

At odds on, Manchester United are no price for me considering the turbulent nature of the season, but they have been stronger away from home as shown by the 8 wins they have achieved in the Premier League (2 more than at Old Trafford). Even if the away side were to pick up the three points, it is unlikely to be a straight-forward game and West Ham United won't be put away easily.

Both teams will want to get forward and it is unsurprising that this is a fixture that usually produces a fair few goals, including 8 in the two games at Upton Park last season. I won't be in the least bit surprised if this is another game that has at least three goals shared.

MY PICKS: Chelsea to Win @ 1.92 Ladbrokes (2 Units)
Liverpool - 1.5 Asian Handicap @ 2.05 Ladbrokes (2 Units)
Both Teams to Score and Everton to Win @ 3.50 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)
Manchester City - 2.25 Asian Handicap @ 1.95 Pinnacle (2 Units)
West Ham United-Manchester United Over 2.5 Goals @ 2.00 Pinnacle (2 Units)

March Update: 16-17, + 3.12 Units (57 Units Staked, + 5.47% 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)