Miami Masters Tennis Picks 2025 (Sunday 30th March)

The last match in Miami is set to feature a veteran Champion clinging onto his spot amongst the elite and a young, up and coming player who will want to become the next big star representing Czechia.

It is an intriguing Final, but you can read my thoughts below and the reason I am favouring Novak Djokovic to win a seventh title at the event.

After Aryna Sabalenka's strong win in the WTA Final, the Tennis Picks will be ending with a positive return from the event regardless of the outcome in the ATP Final.

Of course chasing one more winner is still the ambition with the tournament coming to a conclusion on Sunday, while most of the Tour are already preparing for the clay court season.

Novak Djokovic - 3.5 games v Jakub Mensik: There are already so many records held by Novak Djokovic in the world of tennis and he can become the player with the most titles in Miami if he is able to win on Sunday. At the moment Novak Djokovic shares the record with Andre Agassi with both players having secured six titles here, but the former World Number 1 has an opportunity to secure a very positive time in South Florida by winning a seventh.

He has not played in the Miami Final since 2016 when winning the last of three straight titles here and Novak Djokovic has produced some of his best tennis over the last several days to earn this shot.

The Semi Final proved to be a routine day in the office for Novak Djokovic as he once again got the better of Grigor Dimitrov and he has continued to pile the pressure on his opponents through strong serving. That has freed up the best return player of all time to take his chances at attacking on the return and Novak Djokovic has found a strong balance in his tennis to make him the favourite to win another title in Miami.

His opponent in the Miami Final has plenty of supporters and at 19 years old there is a feeling that Jakub Mensik will develop into a top 15 player at the worst. Three top 18 Ranked players have been beaten in the tournament, which will have given Jakub Mensik plenty of confidence, and he is already guaranteed a spot in the top 30 in the World Rankings at the end of this tournament.

The serve is going to be a big weapon for the player from Czechia over the next decade and it has proven to be very important in this tournament.

However, Jakub Mensik has not been nearly as effective on the return of serve and you have to believe that a veteran with the qualities of Novak Djokovic will find a way to get into the return games.

His win over Taylor Fritz will have given Jakub Mensik a huge amount of belief that he can compete with the best players on the Tour. It should also mean he can make this more competitive than when he was beaten by Novak Djokovic in Shanghai at the end of last year, although closing the gap is still a big ask of the teenager.

As may have been expected, Jakub Mensik struggled on the return when these two met in Shanghai and the Novak Djokovic return built up the pressure on the youngster. He was able to keep himself together for a while, but ultimately that pressure told and something similar could happen in the Miami Final with Novak Djokovic finding a way to break down Jakub Mensik and ultimately lead to a cover in the Miami Final.

MY PICK: Novak Djokovic - 3.5 Games @ 1.75 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Miami Update: 14-9, + 2.86 Units (23 Units Staked, + 12.43% Yield)

Boxing Picks 2024- Tim Tszyu vs Sebastian Fundora (Saturday 31st March)

There have been some solid fight nights over the last couple of weeks, but those have been exciting for fans rather than having angles to approach from the Boxing Picks perspective.

Seeing William Zepeda and Dalton Smith continue progressing is exciting and there should be some big fights ahead for both of those in the months and years ahead.

Both will certainly be chasing the biggest names in and around their Divisions in their next bouts and there are some good options around, even if Dalton Smith surprisingly continues to call out Adam Azim. That feels like a fight that will be in a much better position to be made in twelve to eighteen months time with Smith beating a former World Title challenger and who absolutely should be thinking about a crack at a World Title next time out.

In that time Adam Azim should be able to continue his own development and potentially earn a World Title of his own, which would make a potential domestic Unification a major money fight.

The last Boxing Picks came from Saudi Arabian card 'Knockout Chaos' and it was a huge night for Anthony Joshua and Boxing in general.

The former World Champion did exactly what people felt Tyson Fury should have done against Francis Ngannou and Joshua is now in line to face the winner of the Fury-Usyk fight in May.

That is the next big fight night in the Middle East, but will followed by a massive June 1st card headlined by Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol.

On the undercard is the five vs five Queensberry vs Matchroom rivalry night and it is a winner on that night that could be the next opponent for Anthony Joshua. While we have not had official confirmation, Filip Hrgovic vs Daniel Dubois looks set to be for a potentially vacant IBF World Title and the winner would be expected to defend against Joshua, while Fury and Oleksandr Usyk perhaps head into a rematch.

The officials in Saudi Arabia have spoken about wanting to host a big fight night in London at Wembley Stadium before Riyadh Season and that being headlined by Joshua vs Hrgovic/Dubois sounds like something that could be in play. It would also be another five vs five card led by the rival promoters Frank Warren and Eddie Hearn and that would be a major night for British fans who have been frustrated that their biggest names have not been fighting on these shores.

Queensberry and Matchroom have still had, and have, some big nights in the United Kingdom, but Boxxer may feel they are picking up any perceived slack from the top promotional companies.

Hopefully by next week we will have news about the long talked about fight between Light Heavyweights Anthony Yarde and Joshua Buatsi, while they are going to have Chris Billam Smith vs Richard Riakporhe for a World Title in the summer. Some still hope those two major fights could be placed on the same card, which would be immense, and Boxxer have a solid looking card coming up on Sunday.

Picks from that one will be on another thread, but the focus on this one is on the first PBC card to be broadcasted in their new deal with Amazon Prime.

Over the next couple of months heading into the Euro 2024 we have some major Boxing nights and this will really put a strong first six months on the board for the fans of the sport.

With the money being invested by Saudi Arabia, many more major nights are expected over the second half of the year too and that can only be good news for the fans. The best part is that some major Unifications are going to be signed off too and this is only positive for the sport, which has perhaps handcuffed itself far too often in recent years.

Now if the governing bodies can take the World Titles from those holding them hostage, it should give the next generation of stars a real opportunity to push through.

This is certainly the case this weekend when Tim Tszyu and Sebastian Fundora fight for two of the four belts in the Light Middleweight Division after Jermell Charlo's remaining World Titles were taken from him.

We need this and the winner is expected to face Terence Crawford next so there is another potential monster fight coming up in the summer.

Again, this can only be good news for the sport and the fans and the only hope is that PBC can bring a bit more activity to the fighters they have under their stable.

This opening card in association with Amazon Prime looks a decent one, although it is a shame that none of the main broadcasters signed it up in the United Kingdom and fans here will have to go through a Pay-Per-View channel rather than having it attached to any subscription.

It is hard to imagine too many buying the card on Easter Weekend with the main event taking place in the early hours of the morning in the UK, and that is the real shame.

At least these fights are being made and on Easter Sunday we do have a non PPV card taking place in London that looks pretty good too.

Tim Tszyu vs Sebastian Fundora

Twelve months ago this might have been a much more intriguing fight than many believe it is now, although personally it is not an opinion that I share.

Tim Tszyu has really shown his character in continuing to take on the challengers he has, even after Jermell Charlo strung him along and eventually pulled out of defending his Light Middleweight World Titles against the Australian. Some may have waited, but Tszyu continued to develop and Charlo has shown little appetite for taking on a fighter that may have progressed beyond him now.

It is still a potential Super-Fight, even after Charlo was well beaten by Canelo Alvarez in a surprise bid to win the Super Middleweight World Titles, but Tim Tszyu is not thinking about that and instead focusing on his own career.

Over the last twelve months, Tim Tszyu has beaten Tony Harrison, Carlos Ocampo and Brian Mendoza and he has picked up the WBO World Title, albeit not exactly in the manner he would have hoped. Now he has an opportunity to add the WBC World Title to his collection and with the carrot at the end of the stick being a potential defence against Terence Crawford next, which is potentially a tougher fight than facing Jermell Charlo even if Bud is coming up in weight.

The win over Brian Mendoza last time out stands out as it might have been Sebastian Fundora in the opposite corner if things had been different.

The Towering Inferno won the interim WBC World Title when beating Erickson Lubin in a really good fight and he then defended it against the aforementioned Carlos Ocampo. However, Sebastian Fundora's unbeaten run and interim World Title were ripped away from him by Brian Mendoza in a brutal Seventh Round Knock Out.

Eleven months have passed since Sebastian Fundora's defeat, but he has been given this opportunity after Keith Thurman was forced to withdraw from his scheduled fight with Tim Tszyu. He had been preparing for a fight on the undercard so there won't be many excuses for Sebastian Fundora to not be in shape, and it does feel the much bigger adjustments have to be made by Tszyu on relatively short notice.

Straight out of the gate is the huge size disadvantage with Sebastian Fundora having dimensions that you would expect from a big Light Heavyweight. It is still quite remarkable that he is making 154 pounds at almost 6'6 in height, although the criticism has long been that Fundora does not make use of his length as he should.

That will help Tim Tszyu who has shown his strength in close quarters and there have definitely been some vulnerabilities about Sebastian Fundora that the Australian can exploit.

The manner of the Knock Out defeat eleven months ago is hard to ignore- you do have to wonder what that has taken from Sebastian Fundora and the inactivity since is not ideal when facing someone like Tim Tszyu.

My expectation is that this is going to be a rough, stand in the trenches kind of fight, but the Knock Out loss suffered by Sebastian Fundora may have snapped some of the aura around him. Erickson Lubin had him seriously hurt and there is little doubt that Tim Tszyu has harder punches than both Lubin and Brian Mendoza and he has shown enough resiliency to whatever has come back his way.

Sebastian Fundora may have his moments, but Tim Tszyu looks to be improving all of the time and he is expected to break through the taller man with some big shots both to the head and body.

Unless something drastically has changed, Sebastian Fundora is likely going to stand right in front of Tim Tszyu and that is likely to be a poor game plan against a fighter that will be looking to make a statement to Jermell Charlo, Terence Crawford or whoever may be next on his hit list.

Both Lubin and Mendoza put Sebastian Fundora down in the Seventh Round, the latter for good, and Tim Tszyu may be able to do so in and around the same kind of time. He did have to break down Tony Harrison late on and got to Carlos Ocampo very early, but this time there is some feeling of this developing into a fight in a phone booth type of contest and the Australian can come out on top in the mid-Rounds.

A solid undercard has been put together and fighters looking to get into the World Title mix in the Light Middleweight Division will face off when Brian Mendoza returns to face Serhii Bohachuk, who was Fundora's original opponent on the card.

The odds favour Bohachuk, but this should be a decent scrap to watch and Brian Mendoza has had a taste of fighting for World Titles and will want to come again.

You have to believe Serhii Bohachuk will come out on top, but the big test for him is whether he can keep up his run of twenty-three wins and twenty-three Stoppages. The Ukrainian was upset by Brandon Adams so this is a fight Mendoza will feel he can win and one to enjoy.

Erislandy Lara should have too much for Michael Zerafa in a Middleweight bout for the WBA World Title held by the former. However, inactivity from both veterans is hardly ideal preparation, and that should mean Lara is able to defend his World Title on the cards.

Julio Cesar Martinez has not really kicked on his career as would have once been hoped and he has not really looked the same fighter since losing handily to Chocolatito in March 2022.

This is his third fight since then and he is facing an unbeaten opponent in Angelino Cordova, which is a potential banana skin for the Champion. He should still win, and it may just be worth a small interest on the Champion getting this one finished in the Championship Rounds.

The chief supporting bout on this card is between Rolly Romero and Isaac Cruz, two fighters who have suffered recent losses to Gervonta Davis and who have been chasing that rematch with Tank since.

Both fighters are perhaps living off their performances against Tank Davis- Isaac Cruz was the more impressive of the two, but that is perhaps the reason he is such a strong favourite in this one.

He did not look at his best in a Split Decision win last time out and Isaac Cruz is moving up in weight to take on the WBA Light-Welterweight Champion, while he has been relatively inactive.

However, his last fight did take place since we last saw Rolly Romero in the ring in his controversial win over veteran Ismael Barroso.

Injuries have forced Romero to spend some time out of the ring and the winner of this one is expected to take on Barroso, who has won the interim title in Romero's extended absence.

The feeling has long been that Rolly Romero may be one of the weakest World Champions there has been for some time and it is hard to imagine him keeping Isaac Cruz from building up some steam.

Barring a massive improvement from the performance against Ismael Barroso, this does feel like decent match making from Isaac Cruz and his team. Moving up in weight means dealing with heavier hands than he is used to, but Cruz should be able to land plenty of his own against an opponent who is not nearly as good as he thinks he is.

Ismael Barroso ran out of steam and this allowed Tony Weeks to make his bogus call to stop the fight, even when the veteran was not hurt. It is incredibly unlikely that Isaac Cruz is going to slip away in this one and he may just find the big shots after the halfway mark that may end up seeing him become a new World Champion without the need to hear the scorecards.

The PBC card is the big one on the night, but we do have another World Title being contested in California when Gilberto Ramirez faces Arsen Goulamirian for the WBA Cruiserweight World Title.

The Mexican bounced back from a comfortable defeat to Dmitry Bivol at Light Heavyweight to beat Joe Smith Jr at Cruiserweight. However, this is the first genuine Cruiserweight Gilberto Ramirez will have faced and a Champion that is unbeaten.

In saying that, Arsen Goulamirian has been inactive through injury and delayed fights and you can understand why Ramirez has been set as the favourite. The money has been coming in on the Champion though and it may be a fight where the winner ends up Unifying against the upcoming Chris Billam-Smith vs Richard Riakporhe II bout in the United Kingdom.

A more active Goulamirian would likely have too much for Gilberto Ramirez, but he still looks a considerable price for the 'upset' even as the away fighter.

On Friday evening there is another Top Rank card taking place and headlined by Oscar Valdez who returns after losing by a comfortable margin against Emanuel Navarrete last August.

That is the second loss in three fights, albeit against Navarrete and Shakur Stevenson, but Oscar Valdez has the chance to pick up an interim World Title in the Super Featherweight Division.

He faces Liam Wilson, who impressed in a losing effort against the aforementioned Navarrete in February 2023 when trying to win the full World Title in this Division. The winner of this one is likely going to be upgraded to full World Champion once it becomes clear what Emanuel Navarrete wants to do going forward, and Wilson has been active enough to win two fights in a row since losing to the Mexican.

You would have to give the edge to Valdez, although this is a fighter who has not looked the same since popping in a failed drugs test.

The power has not been the same, but Wilson's two defeats have both been inside the distance and Oscar Valdez may just be able to wear him down in what could be a really good main event.

There are some decent looking fights on the undercard, but a future headliner is the one looking to get that much closer to a World Title fight.

Raymond Muratalla wants to get to that level as soon as possible in the tough Lightweight Division and there are some potentially big names lined up to fight him.

He has to keep things ticking along and Muratalla can break down and Stop Xolisani Ndongeni.

Arnold Barboza Jr Stopped the South African in January in the Eighth Round, but that was also up at Light-Welterweight.

You do have to wonder if getting down to the 135 pound limit for the first time since 2019 is going to have taken something from the tank, but Raymond Muratalla is much more patient in his work and won't rush anything.

If it comes he will go through the gears, but Raymond Muratalla may have to wait until just after halfway for his shots to really make a telling contribution and he can avoid having to hear the scorecards for just the fourth time in his professional career.

MY PICKS: Tim Tszyu to Win Between 5-8 @ 3.20 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Erislandy Lara to Win by Decision/Technical Decision @ 2.25 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Julio Cesar Martinez to Win Between 7-12 @ 4.00 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Isaac Cruz to Win Between 7-12 @ 3.20 Coral (1 Unit)

Arsen Goulamirian to Win @ 2.75 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Raymond Muratalla to Win Between 6-10 @ 2.87 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Boxing 2024: 13-16, + 11.52 Units (45 Units Staked, + 25.60% Yield)

Miami Masters Tennis Picks 2023 (March 30th)

This is going to be a pretty short thread and that is because I do not have any selections from the matches scheduled to be played on Thursday at the Miami Masters.

The Quarter Final Pick from Petra Kvitova vs Ekaterina Alexandrova has been held over from Wednesday as poor weather hit South Florida and that is scheduled to be played, but the three ATP Quarter Final matches and the one WTA Semi Final match look difficult to call.

A few thoughts below.

The WTA Semi Final between Elena Rybakina and Jessica Pegula looks incredibly close to call and the layers have it spot on with the former as a narrow favourite. I do think Pegula could earn the upset having beaten Rybakina twice before, but the latest win was in a third set tie-breaker that could have easily gone the other way and I am finding it very hard to be certain one way or the other.

Daniil Medvedev and Karen Khachanov should both win their Quarter Final matches, but the former is being asked to cover a very big spread against an opponent who has a serve that could be difficult to break. To ask Medvedev to break at least three times might be too much, while Karen Khachanov has a tough opponent in front of him who is playing some strong hard court tennis in Miami.

Once again, the spread looks right on the money.

The Carlos Alcaraz vs Taylor Fritz match has been carried over from Wednesday and I was not convinced by any selection then and that remains the case.

Hopefully there will be a Pick or two to be made from the three matches that will be scheduled for Friday, but we will see.

MY PICKS: Petra Kvitova - 2.5 Games (Advised Wednesday)

Miami Update: 26-26, - 8.18 Units (106 Units Staked, - 7.72% Yield)

Miami Masters Tennis Picks 2022 (March 30th)

Monday proved to be the late show for the Tennis Picks, but Tuesday was not so kind as the Miami schedule was completed.

The late losses were a little disappointing considering the position both Stefanos Tsitsipas and Taylor Fritz found themselves in, but it is what it is.

It is Quarter Final day on Wednesday as the Miami Masters rattles to a close this weekend. The WTA Semi Final line up will be completed, but half of the ATP Quarter Final matches are set for Thursday with half played today.

Alexander Zverev - 3.5 games v Casper Ruud: After some difficult moments over the last month, the former Miami Masters Runner Up Alexander Zverev is hoping to go one better in 2022. The tournament looks an open one as we have gotten down to the Quarter Final stage and Alexander Zverev is playing really well.

He is going to need all of his best tennis when taking on Casper Ruud who has yet to drop a set in the tournament and had a rare success over a top 20 Ranked opponent on the hard courts when beating Cameron Norrie in the Fourth Round. It is a win and a performance that has to give Casper Ruud confidence, while the slow conditions on the main court in Miami will suit a player who is very effective on the clay courts.

This time he is playing an opponent who is in very fine form of his own and Alexander Zverev will not be worried about the conditions himself. The slower court gives him plenty of time to set up the big groundstrokes and the final match scheduled to be played on Wednesday night in Miami looks to be a very strong one.

Both Casper Ruud and Alexander Zverev will be very happy with the way they have been serving in the tournament- both are holding 96% of service games played, but it is Ruud who has the edge when it comes to the return of serve having broken in 41% of return games played compared with Zverev's mark of 25%.

One difference is that it feels like Alexander Zverev is peaking in this tournament and he has shown improvement in each of his three wins in Miami. Casper Ruud was very impressive in his first two wins, but the victory over Cameron Norrie was more competitive than the straight sets scoreline suggests and I do think he is going to have to be a lot better if he is going to compete with someone as strong as Alexander Zverev.

Over the course of 2022 there is nothing between these players in terms of numbers, but over a twelve month period it is Alexander Zverev who has put together the stronger hard court numbers. There has also been the massive difference in level of performance when Casper Ruud and Alexander Zverev have played top 20 Ranked opponents on the hard courts over the last twelve months and I do think the higher Ranked player deserves to be set as the favourite.

Even the margin of favouritism doesn't concern me.

Alexander Zverev has won both previous hard court matches between these players and both of those wins came in 2021. The German has yet to drop a set to Casper Ruud and he has held 94% of service games played in those matches compared with Ruud's mark of 63% and there has been a huge advantage in favour of Alexander Zverev when it comes to the point percentage won behind serve.

It should be a decent Quarter Final, but I do think Alexander Zverev is going to have enough in his tennis to win the match and also cover the spread on his way to another Miami Semi Final.

Paula Badosa - 2.5 games v Jessica Pegula: The season has been a little inconsistent from Jessica Pegula and she has not reached the heights produced in 2021, but I think the standards set have contributed to the feeling that she is underachieving. A run to the Quarter Final at the Australian Open should have really been a spark for Jessica Pegula, but some earlier than expected losses have prevented her from really making an impact on the Tour.

Things may feel different in Miami where Jessica Pegula has reached another Quarter Final and she has yet to drop a set in her three wins here. She also benefited from only needing to play a single set in her Fourth Round win, but I am not sure it is going to be too much of a concern for Paula Badosa considering there has been a day of rest between those Fourth Round matches and this Quarter Final.

Jessica Pegula's biggest problem so far this season on the hard courts has been the struggle to really get into her return games. However, the American has been happy in home settings this week in Miami and she has managed to win 51% of return points played in her three wins here compared with her overall 41% mark in 2022.

I expect the return to be challenged by Paula Badosa who has proven to be a pretty effective server on the hard courts, although the second serve can be vulnerable at times. I do think Jessica Pegula will be able to have success attacking the second serve, but Paula Badosa's first serve has been effective and she continues to show plenty of consistency when it comes to her return of serve.

Paula Badosa can also stay on top of Jessica Pegula by continuing to get a high percentage of first serves in play- she is just shy of 70% of first serves made this week in Miami and that is a number that will certainly put Pegula in a tough spot when it comes to trying to build some pressure on her Spanish opponent.

I do think Paula Badosa will see plenty more second serves on current form and I think that will help the higher Ranked player work her way through to the Semi Final. Conditions here won't be too much of a bother for Badosa and I think she can do enough to secure a victory in a manner to cover this mark.

Iga Swiatek - 5.5 games v Petra Kvitova: The abrupt decision to retire made by Ashleigh Barty means the WTA Tour is missing their World Number 1, but Iga Swiatek is producing the kind of form that means she is going to take over that spot sooner than later. At this moment in time, Iga Swiatek is the best player on the Tour and I certainly think the Polish player is going to very confident going into the clay court season.

The former French Open Champion may be the player to beat when Roland Garros comes around at the end of May, but Iga Swiatek has made steady improvements on the hard courts over the last couple of years. She won the title in Indian Wells last week and Iga Swiatek has refused to be satisfied by the success as she has arrived in Miami with more titles on her mind.

Iga Swiatek's numbers on the hard courts in 2022 have been very impressive and she has won a couple of titles on the surface, which has to be respected. The serve has been decent enough, but it is the fact that Iga Swiatek has won 51% of return points played on the surface which has sparked the kind of successes she has enjoyed so far this season.

Her overall numbers have been really impressive in the Miami Masters- Iga Swiatek has served very well and she has won 57% of return points played in her three matches here. She has broken at least four times in each of her matches played, while Iga Swiatek has dropped serve just twice in the tournament and is performing with a lot of confidence.

Someone like Petra Kvitova could be very dangerous and at her best the left-hander is a very confident hard court player in her own right. She was a little fortunate to win in the Fourth Round, while Petra Kvitova has suffered some heavy losses on the hard courts including when winning just three games in her defeat to Maria Sakkari in Indian Wells.

Inconsistent results have contributed to average hard court numbers and Petra Kvitova has not been as effective on the return of serve as her opponent. The serve can be a potent weapon at its best, but Petra Kvitova's second serve could be put under pressure by someone who is playing at the level that Iga Swiatek is playing at.

The slower conditions in Miami have given Petra Kvitova a chance to have a full swing when it comes to the return and she has won 50% of return points played in the tournament, although she has not come anywhere near the numbers that Iga Swiatek has produced on serve. It is the Petra Kvitova second serve which has really been vulnerable in the tournament and I think that will be the difference between these players in this Quarter Final.

This is a very big spread when you think of how good Petra Kvitova can be, but her hard court numbers over the last twelve months suggest she is going to need to turn back the clock and produce a special performance to be as competitive as she would like. At the moment, Iga Swiatek doesn't look like a player that is going to leave too many openings for her opponent to exploit and I will look for the soon to be World Number 1 to win and cover on her way to another Semi Final.

MY PICKS: Alexander Zverev - 3.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Paula Badosa - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Iga Swiatek - 5.5 Games @ 2.10 Bet365 (2 Units)

Miami Update: 23-24, - 8.98 Units (94 Units Staked, - 9.55% Yield)

Miami Masters Day 8 Tennis Picks 2021 (March 30th)

The Tournament Schedule at the Miami Masters means we have to wait for some of the markets to be generated for those matches that are set to be played on Day 8.

The entire ATP Fourth Round and two of the WTA Quarter Finals are set to be played and waiting for the completion of the Day 7 matches means there is also a wait for the upcoming markets to be put together. That does mean I will look the majority of the matches on Tuesday morning when I will add any selections to this thread, although I have looked through half of the ATP Fourth Round matches that were set up on Sunday evening.

I will update the thread on Tuesday and will also update the totals from the Miami Masters at the same time.

Daniil Medvedev - 4.5 games v Frances Tiafoe: Severe cramping looked like it might see the demise of the favourite to win the title at the ATP Miami Masters, but Daniil Medvedev continues to display the kind of resistance and belief in his own game to overcome challenges. Being in this half of the draw is important for Daniil Medvedev too as it means he gets a rest day between the Third Round and Fourth Round and that should mean he is able to get over the issues he faced a couple of days ago.

It was a deserved win for Daniil Medvedev over Alexei Popyrin and only a single lapse in the second set forced him to spend over two and a half hours on the court. I don't think his overall conditioning is a concern, but I do think the Russian will want to be a little more focused throughout this Fourth Round match to avoid being dragged into another deep match.

His opponent won't be a lot fresher as Frances Tiafoe was able to recover from a set down for a third time at the Miami Masters. The American has spent effectively at least two hours on the court in each of his three wins, but Tiafoe has also been on the right side of a bit of fortune over the past week to earn his spot in the Fourth Round.

The numbers have suggested that Frances Tiafoe is little more than a fairly steady hard court player, although he is getting a touch more out of his serve this week. His is still winning 37% of the return points played, but Tiafoe has held 88% of his service games played this past week compared with his 80% mark for the 2021 season on the hard courts.

It is encouraging for Tiafoe, but he is going to be tested by the Daniil Medvedev return game which is as good as virtually anyone on the Tour. Daniil Medvedev has created at least eight break points in both wins secured in Miami and he has broken in 32% of return games played on the hard courts in 2021 which will give him the confidence to attack the Tiafoe serve.

Frances Tiafoe has played the big points on his serve very well this week, but I expect Daniil Medvedev to put him under more pressure than his previous opponents.

Last year Medvedev beat Tiafoe at both the Australian and US Open tournaments and he has won all three hard court matches these two have played against one another. I have to respect the fact that Frances Tiafoe has had some success getting into the Daniil Medvedev serve in those matches, but the worry for the home player has to be the 52% of return games in which Medvedev has broken his serve.

The Russian top five World Ranked player has won just under 49% of return points played against Frances Tiafoe in their previous hard court matches and I think Daniil Medvedev covers this handicap in a win.

John Isner-Roberto Bautista Agut over 23.5 games: There are significant signs that there is a decline in the level John Isner has been able to bring to the courts over the last fifteen months and it may soon mean slipping down the World Rankings. The change in the system back the normal 52 Week system will hurt Isner unless he can put some serious Ranking points back on the board and his two wins in Miami will help.

He is now a month out from his 36th birthday and there have been some signs that the once potent serve is losing some of its power. He has held a high 88% of his service games played on the hard courts in 2021, but that is still a drop off from the 92% number we have become used to seeing from Isner over the course of the season.

It also puts immense pressure on a player who has always been a pretty limited returner- John Isner has broken in less than 10% of return games played on the hard courts in the 2019, 2020 and 2021 season. In the last fifteen months John Isner has won fewer than 28% of the return points played on the hard courts and some of the confidence may have been lost during that time, another issue which will have benefited from the wins secured over the past week.

In the Fourth Round John Isner takes on Roberto Bautista Agut who has not really found the level we have come to expect from the Spaniard. He is still playing at a good level, but there is room for improvement from Bautista Agut and his win over Jan-Lennard Struff in the Third Round will have helped, especially the way he came from behind to secure it.

Playing the big points more efficiently is the key for Roberto Bautista Agut who has won 65% of the points played behind serve this season, the same as his 2020 numbers. However he is holding 78% of his service games compared with 82% last season, while Roberto Bautista Agut is just a couple of percentage points below his mark for returning points won in 2021 compared with 2020. Again, that has led to him breaking significantly less than he was last season, but it really won't take a lot for Bautista Agut to get back to the kind of level he had been operating at.

He is playing well enough to feel he can get the better of John Isner on current form, although it is the American who holds a 3-1 lead in their head to head matches. All have been tight matches played on hard courts, the last of which came here in Miami two years ago as Isner won a couple of tie-breakers to move through the draw and was eventually a beaten Finalist.

Both players have had success looking after their own serve in those head to head matches and I think we will see something similar here. All four of their previous matches have needed at least 26 games played between them and the first three went the distance.

The feeling is that both are going to have successes on the serve, but the two players have been guilty of some sloppy service games which could see this match go the distance too. It certainly suggests the match is one that can see this total games line surpassed, even on a slower surface that is a regular feature of the Miami Masters.

Alexander Bublik v Taylor Fritz: The absence of a number of the top 100 players in the World Rankings will have hurt the Miami Masters draw and appeal to the fans, but it is also a big opportunity for players to pick up some vital Ranking points. Both Taylor Fritz and Alexander Bublik are in the top 50 of the World Rankings and reaching a Masters Quarter Final will be a huge boost, especially ahead of the clay court season when neither is expected to have a massive impact.

There is some pressure on both players knowing the opportunity they have in front of them and I don't think either is going to be worried about the match up.

Taylor Fritz was perhaps a little more fortunate to reach the Fourth Round having secured a tight win over Cameron Norrie in the Third Round, while Alexander Bublik has made the kind of light work that would have been expected of him when the matches were set for the last couple of Rounds. This is the toughest match that Bublik will have faced in the tournament, but he is showing signs of improvement as the confidence builds.

I expect there to be plenty of service games where both Taylor Fritz and Alexander Bublik are able to shorten points and rip through them in short order. Both players have very similar service numbers on the hard courts in 2021 with both winning around 66% of service points played and both holding 85% of service games played.

There are also similarities with the returning performances with both winning 34% of return points played on the hard courts, although Alexander Bublik has perhaps played the bigger points a little better having broken in 21% of return games played compared with Taylor Fritz' 18% mark.

It is a Fourth Round match with all the hallmarks of being a close one, but I do think Alexander Bublik has the mental edge having won both previous matches between these players. Those have come on the hard courts and it is Bublik who has managed to hold in 96% of the service games he has played compared with Taylor Fritz' 89% mark in those matches.

I do note that it is Taylor Fritz who has created more of the break points in both matches, so it is not beyond the realm of possibility that he can turn the form around. However I think the overall season performances on the big points seem to favour Alexander Bublik and he may just edge past Taylor Fritz as the underdog, and especially at a price where he seems to be under-rated quite significantly in my opinion.

A three setter can't be ruled out and I do think both would have preferred quicker conditions, but I like the way Alexander Bublik has been playing and his numbers suggest he may have the slight edge in this one. I feel the wrong player is being favoured in the Fourth Round match and I will back the underdog to move into the Quarter Final.

MY PICKS: Daniil Medvedev - 4.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

John Isner-Roberto Bautista Agut Over 23.5 Games @ 1.91 Coral (2 Units)

Alexander Bublik @ 2.30 Bet365 (2 Units)

Elina Svitolina - 3.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Andrey Rublev - 4.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Miami Masters Update: 27-21, + 5.32 Units (96 Units Staked, + 5.54% Yield)

Weekend Football Picks 2019 (March 30-April 1)

The final international break of the 2018/19 season is now behind us and that means two months of intense domestic football is ahead.

We are down to the last seven rounds of Premier League Football and for Fantasy Players this is the exciting time of hitting Double GameWeeks and Blank Weeks when you can really take a hold of your mini-Leagues.

Ten teams play twice this week and later in the month there is going to be another couple of rounds where there will be the chance to double up the points. Most will still have chips to use to maximise their returns, but for me I would suggest this could be the most productive of the Double GameWeeks ahead.

The bigger name clubs have good looking fixtures on paper compared with the Double GameWeek coming up in Week 35 so this may be the time to let the 'Bench Boost' or 'Triple Captain' chips loose- I know I will be playing one of those.


As with any Fantasy Week I had some very good plays and some that I would like to forget in GW31 when five Premier League fixtures were played across two days. Ryan Babel being a potential star for Fulham was perhaps my favourite as he did score, but Eden Hazard failed to sparkle as I thought he could for Chelsea at Everton.

Below you will be able to read my thoughts about the fixtures to be played this week as well as the Fantasy Star and Alternate for each game.

I will then have my top selections in from goalkeeper to forward from the Fantasy game this week which will hopefully offer some positives for those who decide to transfer in any of those players I have highlighted.


Fulham v Manchester City Pick: The Premier League title race looks like one that could run down to the very last day of the season and both Liverpool and Manchester City have to recognise how fatal the next slip could be.

It is Manchester City who get to go up first this weekend as they open the Premier League round of games with a trip to Craven Cottage. A win would move them back to the top of the table twenty-four hours before Liverpool are due to host Tottenham Hotspur, but anything less may give their rivals the impetus needed to go on and win a first English title in twenty-nine years.

Pep Guardiola will be reminding his players to take things game by game, but they have not looked completely convincing away from home in recent weeks. Two late goals were needed to win in Schalke, while Manchester City came from 2-0 down and needed some controversy to beat Swansea City 2-3 in the FA Cup Quarter Final two weeks ago. Add in the narrow win at Bournemouth and you have to say there are one or two things for Guardiola to have addressed during the two week international break.

With players heading off around Europe it can be a tough time for teams to produce their best out of the international break, although Manchester City have won by wide margins in all three previous occasions following the internationals this season. It is certainly something Scott Parker and Fulham will be looking to take advantage of, but it is hard to see that really happening.

Two weeks ago Fulham almost put a spanner in the Liverpool title charge when holding them to a draw and time ticking on, but another defensive mistake cost them another defeat. Fulham have been beaten by all five of the top six they have hosted this season, but they have shown they can hang in for long enough to cause one or two problems which has to be something Manchester City look to avoid.

However both Arsenal and Manchester United have won here comfortably and Fulham have not defended well enough to think they can contain Manchester City. Perhaps they sit in and make life difficult as they can, but Liverpool could have hammered Fulham early on and this Manchester City team score enough goals to think they win here by a comfortable margin.

Chelsea, Spurs and Liverpool have all won 1-2 here, but I think Manchester City get closer to the margin Manchester United produced and I will back the visitors to cover the Asian Handicap and earn one of their more routine away wins in the last two months.

Fantasy Star: Sergio Aguero- looks to be the starting striker for Pep Guardiola and has had two weeks rest while Gabriel Jesus has been playing for Brazil.

Alternate: Raheem Sterling- improving all the time and the England winger is in fine form for both club and country. Will he start after playing two games for England, that is my only question mark?


Brighton v Southampton Pick: This is a big game down at the bottom of the Premier League table as both Brighton and Southampton look to ease relegation concerns by winning this weekend when they face each other at the Amex Stadium.

The international break can destroy some of the momentum teams have built up, but both teams should be feeling confident in their chances of earning the three points when you think of how they have been playing.

Southampton have won 2 of their last 3 Premier League games which has allowed them to move out of the bottom three, while Brighton have won back to back Premier League games and also knocked out Millwall in the FA Cup Quarter Final on a penalty shoot out.

Confidence shouldn't be a problem in what is expected to be a tense game where both teams should have their chances of at least getting on the scoreboard. Both Brighton and Southampton have looked threatening going forward in recent games, but neither has shown such strength defensively to think they are going to put together a host of clean sheets.

All 3 Premier League games between them over the last eighteen months have finished in score draws too and I would not be surprised if that is the case again on Saturday. At odds against you can back both teams to score in this one and that would have been a winner in 6 of the last 7 games Brighton have played as well as in 9 of the last 11 Southampton games.

You can't always tell how the international break would have affected form, but I think the two teams may be quite content if this did end in a draw and backing both teams to score is my pick. I think the 1-1 scoreline is most likely to continue the run of score draws between these south coast rivals.

Fantasy Star: Glenn Murray- his goals are going to be key for Brighton to avoid the drop and he should have chances against this Southampton defence.

Alternate: Danny Ings- is back from an injury and like Murray, I would expect the striker to get some chances against an underperforming Brighton defence.


Burnley v Wolves Pick: This is a fairly difficult game to predict with Burnley out of form going into the international break, but Wolves being a team who can sometimes play down to the level of their opponent and also potentially focused on the FA Cup Semi Final which is coming up next weekend.

A run of 4 losses in a row is a concern for Burnley and that concern is doubled down when you think they have conceded at least twice in each of those defeats. That includes a 1-3 loss to Crystal Palace and a 1-2 defeat to ten man Leicester City in their last couple of games at Turf Moor, but Burnley remain full of belief that they have enough to make sure they finish outside of the bottom three of the Premier League table.

They are facing a Wolves team who don't score a lot of away goals- while they have proven to be a tough team to beat, Wolves have scored more than one away goal in just 3 of their 15 away Premier League games this season and that means they simply don't win as many games as they would like.

Wolves tend to get at least the one goal though as they have managed to hit the net in 8 of their last 10 away Premier League games and one of the failures came at Manchester City when reduced to ten men very early on. That is going to be a concern for a Burnley team conceding as many goals as they have been, but they can take encouragement from the fact that Wolves have conceded in 11 straight away League games too.

The system employed by Sean Dyche has produced goals for Burnley who have scored in 11 straight games at Turf Moor in all competitions and I can't help feel the layers have given up a decent price for both teams scoring in this one. The last time they met almost exactly three years ago saw both teams hit the net against each other and I do think the 1-1 is a real player again in this one.

Perhaps this is a day when Wolves put their chances together and produce a clinical performance, but I do think both teams will have their opportunities and at close to odds against I will back both teams to hit the net.

Fantasy Star: Raul Jimenez- it's a boring selection, but he has been a huge part of the Wolves attack and likely a key figure again if they are going to score at Turf Moor.

Alternate: Dwight McNeil- the youngster has been in impressive form for Burnley and is going to be key to unlocking a stubborn defence.


Crystal Palace v Huddersfield Town Pick: This has to be seen as a big chance for Crystal Palace to earn an important three points that can take them away from the bottom three of the Premier League and perhaps begin to ease the fans from any relegation worries that may be around.

Going out of the FA Cup in the Quarter Final was a blow for Roy Hodgson's men, but they have key players back this weekend and ultimately survival in the Premier League was the main ambition for the manager at the start of the campaign.

Playing at Selhurst Park has been difficult for Crystal Palace with their style of play not really that effective when it comes to breaking down opponents who want to sit in deep. Defensive mistakes means The Eagles have found it tough to score the two goals they have needed to win such games, but they should have enough to beat a Huddersfield Town team who conceded too many and don't score enough on their travels.

Granted The Terriers managed three at West Ham United two weeks ago, but that snapped a run of 6 without scoring on their travels. Huddersfield Town have also lost 3 straight to Crystal Palace without scoring in any of those games and Roy Hodgson's team's last 5 home wins have come in games where they have kept clean sheets.

You would have to imagine a team containing the likes of Wilfried Zaha, Michy Batshuayi, Christian Benteke and Andros Townsend will have enough to create chances and score goals against this struggling Huddersfield Town team and I do think they can win this fixture.

It didn't work out for me two weeks ago, but I will back Crystal Palace to win this fixture with a clean sheet at odds against and move into a position where they are close to securing another season in the Premier League.

Fantasy Star: Michy Batshuayi- has looked pretty lively and been amongst the goals for Crystal Palace. Could be main threat with Wilfried Zaha possibly missing.

Alternate: Jeffrey Schlupp- a defender who can be used in midfield and who has been involved in creating and scoring goals. Clean sheet bonus a real possibility too.


Leicester City v Bournemouth Pick: This should be one of the more exciting games of the Premier League weekend with both Brendan Rodgers and Eddie Howe wanting their Leicester City and Bournemouth teams to play attacking football.

Neither team has defended as well as they would have liked so there should be opportunities for both teams to take advantage.

In recent years the games between these teams have tended to be tighter than you would think, but I do think the home team will be set up to get forward with much more conviction than Claude Puel would have done for Leicester City.

Since Brendan Rodgers has come in as manager, Leicester City have scored in all 4 games and they have scored two or more goals in 3 of those. They've needed those goals to win games as Leicester City have not been keeping clean sheets, and I do think they can take advantage of the fact that Bournemouth have been conceding goals at an alarming rate away from the Vitality Stadium.

It would be a surprise if a Bournemouth team containing David Brooks, Callum Wilson and Josh King are not able to create problems for the home team, but I believe Leicester City can edge them out for an important three points. I am anticipating goals and Bournemouth had conceded two or more goals in 9 away Premier League games in a row before the clean sheet earned at Huddersfield Town.

Backing Leicester City to win a game featuring two or more goals looks to be the call here.

Fantasy Star: Jamie Vardy- looks to be enjoying his football under Brendan Rodgers and has scored four times since Claude Puel was sacked.

Alternate: David Brooks- the Welshman has been in fine form and could be the man to take advantage of a Leicester City defence that has struggled for clean sheets.


Manchester United v Watford Pick: There should be a really good atmosphere at Old Trafford on Saturday after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was announced as the permanent manager of Manchester United on Thursday.

This is a decision that might leave me a little unconvinced, but in reality the performances and results have improved to such a level under the Norwegian that it was the only real decision the board at Manchester United could have made.

A big summer awaits the club, but the key for Manchester United is earning a top four finish at the very least and making sure Champions League Football is being offered to any new potential recruitments. They can move into one of those places by beating Watford before the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and Chelsea play this weekend and I think the positive atmosphere is going to help produce a positive performance after back to back losses.

Manchester United have not been at their best at Old Trafford in recent games, but the late win over Southampton earlier this month ended a run of 3 without a win at home.

Now they are facing a Watford team who have lost at Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool and Manchester City this season and who will be trying to remain focused on the Premier League ahead of the FA Cup Semi Final being played next Sunday. I don't think that will be a big distraction coming out of the international break and certainly not the factor that decides this fixture, but Watford have struggled when visiting the top teams and I expect that may continue.

Javi Gracia will likely want to have his team set up to frustrate Manchester United, but the home team have shown they can create the chances to break them down. Manchester United have beaten Watford 7 times in a row at Old Trafford and I think the positive feelings from the appointment of Solskjaer will see the crowd get behind the team and help them overcome this opponent.

Manchester United have scored at least twice in 8 of their last 10 at Old Trafford and I think they will do just enough to cover the Asian Handicap in this one.

Fantasy Star: Paul Pogba- has thrived under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and can underline that point by scoring in the first game since the Norwegian was made permanent manager.

Alternate: Marcus Rashford- was missing for England duty, but is available this week and looks to lead the line in the absence of Romelu Lukaku. Could take advantage of a distracted Watford team looking ahead to the FA Cup Semi Final next Sunday.


West Ham United v Everton Pick: This might not have been the fixture that leapt off the page for live television coverage in this round of Premier League games, but West Ham United and Everton could produce an entertaining fixture for the neutrals tuning in.

Neither team has looked very secure defensively, but there are some really good attacking players that can take advantage of those vulnerabilities and I think that should mean chances at both ends.

You have to give the edge to West Ham United considering they have won 5 of their last 6 at the London Stadium although the manner of the win over Huddersfield Town will raise some doubts. In that fixture The Hammers trailed 1-3 before fighting back for a stunning 4-3 victory, but going down to Everton will be a much bigger mountain to climb.

Everton have won 2 of their last 4 away Premier League games and they also led 0-2 at Newcastle United before blowing it in the second half of a 3-2 defeat. A strong second half saw them dismiss Chelsea two weeks ago, but the pressure remains on manager Marco Silva with rumours suggesting Everton will be looking for yet another new manager at the end of the current campaign.

I would imagine those rumours would disappear if Everton can finish 7th in the Premier League table, but that remains a big task for a team who have generally struggled away from home.

This is a fixture that has produced goals in recent years and I do think we are going to get at least three in this one. I was very close to backing West Ham United on the Asian Handicap considering the home form compared with the Everton away form, but the last few performances on their travels has made me a little wary of opposing the the visitors.

In saying that I would be surprised if West Ham United were to lose this game considering they have only been beaten in 1 of their last 5 at home by Everton. While I do think we will see goals, I think West Ham United may edge the victory on the day and I am going to select them on the Handicap to do that.

Fantasy Star: Javier Hernandez- West Ham United have been strong at home and Javier Hernandez has scored in 2 of the last 3 at the London Stadium.

Alternate: Gylfi Sigurdsson- if Everton are going to upset the home team, the Icelandic midfielder is likely going to be an influential part of their success.


Cardiff City v Chelsea Pick: The first of the live televised games from the Premier League on Sunday afternoon comes from Wales and it has big implications at the top and bottom of the table. With games beginning to run down the importance of every fixture is increasing tenfold and neither Cardiff City nor Chelsea can afford a defeat.

On Saturday Cardiff City will have watched a couple of their rivals in avoiding relegation face each other, while Burnley take on a potentially distracted Wolves team so the gap between them and safety may have grown. With games against Chelsea and Manchester City to come this week it does put pressure on Cardiff City and they have struggled when facing the top clubs so far this season.

Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have all scored at least three goals and won by at least three goal margins in wins at the Cardiff City Stadium this season. Arsenal scored three times in a narrow win here too, and I do think this Chelsea team are capable when at their best.

The only issue with Maurizio Sarri's men is you don't seem to know what you're getting from half to half let alone game to game. Two weeks ago they were beaten at Everton to lose their 5th away League game in 6 played, but Chelsea could have been out of sight in the first half before crumbling in the second.

A similar level here will likely be enough to see Chelsea break down Cardiff City and their one win in recent away League games did come at struggling Fulham. They've also won comfortably at Huddersfield Town, Southampton and Burnley earlier this season and edged out Brighton so I do think the talented Chelsea players can get the better of a Cardiff City team missing influential centre back Sol Bamba and who have conceded plenty of goals at home all season.

It is hard to trust Chelsea, but they have winnable League games coming up over the next nine days and I think they can get back into a position where the top four finish they crave is back within their control. That will begin with a win at Cardiff City and I will back them to do that by a comfortable margin when it is all said and done.

Fantasy Star: Eden Hazard- scored for Belgium during the international break and banged in a hat-trick against Cardiff City earlier this season.

Alternative: Ross Barkley- might not be a starter so a risky play, but had chances against Everton and was in good form for England.


Liverpool v Tottenham Hotspur Pick: At this stage of the season you are going to see many people predicting how the rest of the Premier League campaign is going to play out and this looks like one of the major obstacles in front of Liverpool over their last seven games.

Tottenham Hotspur can play spoiler as they visit both Anfield and the Etihad Stadium in the Premier League before the season is out, but the game means plenty for clubs as they chase the ambitions they have set out for the 2018/19 season.

In the last couple of months Liverpool have lost control of their own destiny as far as the title race is concerned, but Jurgen Klopp has to feel winning their remaining seven League games will be enough to earn a first title since 1990. Two major fixtures at Anfield look to pose the most problems and the first of those is the visit of Tottenham Hotspur despite the fact that Spurs have not won in 8 attempts here.

On the face of it Liverpool look very short, but they have been very good at Anfield all season and Tottenham Hotspur have just lost their way away from home. Spurs have lost their last 3 Premier League games on their travels and that has seen them pulled into a battle for the top four places in the table, but this is still a dangerous team that can cause problems for the best teams in England and Europe.

I expect they will cause problems for Liverpool, but ultimately I would not be surprised if there is too much attacking threat from the home team to be contained by the visitors. Tottenham Hotspur have conceded at least twice in their last 3 away League games and Liverpool have scored at least three times in 3 in a row at Anfield which is likely part of the reason they are such strong favourites to win here.

However teams have begun to create more chances and taken more opportunities against Liverpool and I think Tottenham Hotspur will play their part in this one. Liverpool have kept 2 clean sheets from their last 6 Premier League games at home and that includes conceding to Leicester City, Crystal Palace and Burnley. Over the course of the season Tottenham Hotspur have shown they can score away goals and I think they will help play their part in a fixture that finishes with three or more goals shared out.

4 of the last 6 overall and 5 of the last 7 at Anfield between these clubs have hit that mark and I will select this fixture to do the same.

Fantasy Star: Sadio Mane- the player propelling the Liverpool title race at the moment having scored and won the penalty in the win over Fulham two weeks ago.

Alternative: Harry Kane- scored the equaliser at Anfield last season and should be sharper with more creativity behind him having returned from an injury six weeks ago.


Arsenal v Newcastle United Pick: The final Premier League game of the weekend sees yet another top four chasing side looking to keep the pressure on the teams around them by earning the three points. Arsenal are hosting Newcastle United in front of the television cameras and they are will likely be looking to get back into the top four by the time this game kicks off as both Manchester United and Chelsea are expected to win their fixtures played on Saturday and Sunday respectively.

There could be some tension in the Arsenal stands with the fans knowing how important a return to the Champions League is for the club, but they have been very strong at home this season and I expect that will continue.

Arsenal have won 6 in a row here in all competitions while scoring at least twice in each game. They have creative, attacking players that will feel they can break down a Newcastle United team that will be set up to counter the home team and I think they can do that.

While Newcastle United have been in improved form, they have not been the best travellers and the majority of their best results have come at home. They do have a decent front three that can cause problems for a vulnerable Arsenal defence, but Arsenal have shown improvement of their own with a single goal conceded in their last 5 at home.

Fortune has perhaps helped that number of goals conceded, but Arsenal should be confident and they should be too strong for Newcastle United having beaten them 6 times in a row at home. The last 5 wins earned by Arsenal at home have come by two or more goal margins and I will back them on the Asian Handicap to continue that run in this one too.

Newcastle United are rarely blown away which has to be respected and only Liverpool and West Ham United have beaten them by more than a one goal margin. They have lost 2-1 at Manchester City, 3-2 at Manchester United, 2-1 at Chelsea and 1-0 at Tottenham Hotspur, but Arsenal are in really good nick and I think they will be able to score the goals to win by a wider margin than those four teams mentioned.

A Newcastle United goal will be tough to overcome on the Handicap, but I will look for Arsenal to find a way to cover.

Fantasy Star: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang- loves playing at the Emirates Stadium and should have chances against this Newcastle United defence.

Alternative: Sead Kolasinac- a potential assist maker and also the chance of a clean sheet with Arsenal managing 5 in their last 6 at the Emirates Stadium.

Fantasy Football

This is where I will be looking to identify the key players that could make a difference for your teams in the Official Fantasy Football game in GameWeek 32.

There is a Double GameWeek being played so the main focus may be on those players having a couple of games, but that has to be expected with the opportunity to maximise points. I've been building a team with this Week in mind for some time and all eleven of my players starting will be playing twice this week.

It does mean a difficult GameWeek 33 is coming up, but I should have at least nine of the required eleven in action then too. Next season I will take a more personal approach to this section as I improve it, but for now I am continuing with identifying up to four 'expensive' and four 'cheap' options in the four positions we need to fill out our teams where possible.

Goalkeeper 4.8 Million and Above

Ederson (Manchester City- 5.6 Million): Games agains Fulham and Cardiff City to come should offer a really good chance for at least one clean sheet and some will be expecting two. One of the key players in the Manchester City that won't be given a rest or be rotated.

Kepa (Chelsea- 5.4 Million): He may have annoyed his manager and fans for his antics in the League Cup Final, but Kepa should be playing both games for Chelsea this week. Those come against Cardiff City and Brighton and like Ederson I would expect at least one clean sheet and possibly two.

Goalkeeper 4.7 Million and Below

Ben Foster (Watford- 4.6 Million): Huerelho Gomes has been the Cup Goalkeeper for Watford so Ben Foster could start both games this week against Manchester United and Fulham. Clean sheets have been tough, but Foster does add up the 'save' bonus points and could be a cheap option if you want to divert funds elsewhere.

I considered Rui Patricio, but Nuno Espirito Santo gave John Ruddy a chance in a League game so he was prepared for the Cup game he was going to play for Wolves and that may be the case this week too.

Defender 5.1 Million and Above

Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea- 6.3 Million): He is expensive, but Chelsea's other right back is injured at the moment so 'Dave' should play both League games where the team have a decent chance of collecting one clean sheet at the least.

Aymeric Laporte (Manchester City- 5.9 Million): If you want to invest in a Manchester City Defender rather than the Goalkeeper, Aymeric Laporte is the most likely to start both Premier League games in my opinion.

Luke Shaw (Manchester United- 5.1 Million): Clean sheets have not been that common for Manchester United, but the English left back can get into attacking positions under the new management staff.

Defender 5 Million and Below

Jeffrey Schlupp (Crystal Palace- 4.5 Million): A Defender who plays in Midfield from time to time and has been involved in creating and scoring goals for Crystal Palace. Decent chance of one clean sheet against Huddersfield Town and The Eagles have been very good going forward away from home so could cause problems at Tottenham Hotspur who are opening their new Stadium.

Adrian Mariappa (Watford- 4.2 Million): There are likely to be changes to the Watford starting eleven as Javi Gracia prepares them for the FA Cup Semi Final to be played next weekend. However I don't think they will be wholesale changes and Mariappa could be selected for the home game with Fulham and the chance of a clean sheet at a cheap price.

Midfielder 7.1 Million and Above

Raheem Sterling (Manchester City- 11.6 Million): The English winger is in incredible form for club and country and Pep Guardiola will surely start him in both League games as Manchester City look to keep the pressure on Liverpool in the Premier League title race.

Eden Hazard (Chelsea- 10.9 Million): I have both of the players I've identified here in this mini section. Eden Hazard should have some real opportunity for a big return in games against Cardiff City and Brighton especially as Chelsea don't play again until Monday.

Paul Pogba (Manchester United- 8.9 Million): Another midfielder I have in my Fantasy Team and one who could be looking to cap Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's appointment as permanent manager by underlining his progress under the Norwegian.

Heung-Min Son (Tottenham Hotspur- 8.6 Million): A tough game at Liverpool followed by a home game with Crystal Palace in the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Might be a bit of a risky play, but Son should be confident having scored in the win over Colombia for the South Korean national team.

Midfielder 7 Million and Below

Jesse Lingard (Manchester United- 6.7 Million): An alternative to Paul Pogba at 2 Million cheaper. Should be well rested having not joined England during the international break and likely to start both League games with Romelu Lukaku injured.

Pedro (Chelsea- 6.4 Million): Been starting more than not under Maurizio Sarri and does offer a goal threat for Chelsea.

Ross Barkley (Chelsea- 5.1 Million): Scored for England on international duty and is an attacking threat for Chelsea. Risk is question of whether he plays both League games.

Forward 6.4 Million and Above

Sergio Aguero (Manchester City- 11.8 Milion): Was not selected for Argentina international duty so has been resting at home and ready to add to the goals he has been banging in for Manchester City. Expecting him to start both League games, could fill his boots.

Marcus Rashford (Manchester United- 7.6 Million): Romelu Lukaku is expected to miss both League games this week which means Marcus Rashford will lead the line for Manchester United. Hasn't been in the best form, but did score a consolation in the FA Cup Quarter Final defeat at Molineux two weeks ago.

Raul Jimenez (Wolves- 6.8 Million): A key player for Wolves all season, but my only doubt is he may not start both League games with the upcoming FA Cup Semi Final in mind.

Forward 6.3 Million and Below

Glenn Murray (Brighton- 6.3 Million): Has a good chance to score against Southampton on current form of the The Saints defence, and it wouldn't be a big surprise if he caused problems for Chelsea during the week too.

Javier Hernandez (West Ham United- 6.1 Million): Scored in two of his last three home games for West Ham United, the former Manchester United player could have chances against Everton to add to that run. Only player I've selected who is not playing twice this week, but a cheaper option that can see you stock up other positions with higher priced players.

MY PICKS: Manchester City - 2.25 Asian Handicap @ 1.80 Bet Victor
Brighton-Southampton Both Teams to Score @ 2.00 Bet Fred
Burnley-Wolves Both Teams to Score @ 2.00 William Hill
Crystal Palace Win to Nil @ 2.05 Bet365
Leicester City Win & Over 1.5 Goals @ 2.15 Ladbrokes
Manchester United - 1.25 Asian Handicap @ 2.05 Bet Victor
West Ham United 0 Asian Handicap @ 1.83 Bet Victor
Chelsea - 1.25 Asian Handicap @ 2.00 Bet Fred
Liverpool-Tottenham Hotspur Over 2.5 Goals @ 
Arsenal - 1.25 Asian Handicap @ 1.91 Bet Victor