Indian Wells Tennis Day 1 Picks 2026 (Wednesday 4th March)

The three weeks following the Australian Open were not as productive as the opening Grand Slam of the season for the Tennis Picks, but the solid return at the ATP Dubai event has pushed the season totals back in a positive direction.

The Final was not played in Dubai after Tallon Griekspoor decided he could not compete with the injury suffered in the Semi Final, but that tournament was unlikely to be concluded after escalating tensions in the Middle East led to open warfare in the region.

It is a concerning time for all, but the sporting world will try and continue and the Indian Wells Masters opens March with the first of two really important events.

This is also the time of the season when the opening hard court run comes to a conclusion and both Tours will soon turn the attention to the French Open.

We have had some clay court tennis played in South America, but the Tours will head back to Europe at the end of the Miami Masters later this month and that is when the serious push towards the French Open will begin with some big tournaments to be played.

Over recent years, most will have noted the conditions in Indian Wells and how different the hard courts play in the desert compared with the other North American hard court tournaments.

This has to be factored into the selections being made, but it has been a difficult tournament to read and that will also be considered.

Both ATP and WTA tournaments will be beginning on Wednesday and it will feature a similar schedule to Grand Slam events with the two halves of each draw being split to play on alternate days.

Unsurprisingly the fields are loaded with the best names on the Tour, including returning players like Aryna Sabalenka who have not been out on the court since Melbourne.

The top names will be entering the Masters event in the Second Round, which begins on Friday, but the First Round gets going on Wednesday and completed on Thursday before those big names enter the fray in what is long considered to be the 'biggest' tournament outside of the Grand Slam events.

McCartney Kessler - 1.5 games v Zeynep Sonmez: Indian Wells may be described as the 'fifth Major', but this hard court tournament plays pretty differently to most on the Tour.

Adjustments have to be made to the criteria for selections compared with some of the other hard court events played through the course of the year.

That does not only apply to those of us watching, but the players themselves have to made adjustments in a tournament where the return has been very important. Most hard courts may favour stronger serving, but that has not always been the case in Indian Wells where the wind can pick up and the ball can fly through the air very quickly at times.

McCartney Kessler is the sole selection from the host of First Round matches to be played on Wednesday as the main draw gets underway in both the WTA and ATP events.

The American should be a little more familiar all around with the differences in events played in her country and Kessler has played in the main draw here before. Last season she was beaten in the Second Round by Aryna Sabalenka, but McCartney Kessler has been growing on the Tour and had much stronger runs at other WTA 1000 events played on the hard courts as the season progressed.

The 4-3 record to open 2026 may not inspire, but McCartney Kessler has been in with tough competition for the majority of those matches. That is certainly the case in terms of the World Rankings of opponents faced and Kessler has still been able to produce some solid numbers overall.

Her opponent has an 8-6 record on the hard courts in 2026, but half of those wins have been in Qualifying settings and Zeynep Sonmez had lost four hard court matches in a row before reaching the Quarter Final in Merida last week.

The World Number 80 has built her opening record on getting the better of weaker players on the Tour and the 3-6 mark against top 100 Ranked opponents has to be a concern. Zeynep Sonmez actually upset the highest Ranked opponent she has faced in Ekaterina Alexandrova (World Number 11) at the Australian Open, but none of the other matches have been against anyone Ranked higher than World Number 39 and that makes the record look a little weaker.

The serve has really been an issue in those nine matches and McCartney Kessler may be able to tee off on some of the returns to get on the front foot in the rally.

It also should be said that Zaynep Sonmez has produced a slightly weaker return than the American and it may lead to the higher Ranked player coming through with a solid win.

A concern has to be the back issue that forced McCartney Kessler to miss the Middle East swing after reaching the Quarter Final in Abu Dhabi, but that is factored into the odds.

MY PICKS: McCartney Kessler - 1.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Season 2026: 62-46, + 15.25 Units (174 Units Staked, + 8.76% Yield)

Boxing Picks 2023- Brandon Figueroa vs Mark Magsayo (March 4th)

It has been an interesting start to the 2023 year for Boxing fans with one or two really good fights already in the books (Anthony Yarde-Artur Beterbiev and Mauricio Lara-Leigh Wood were two excellent headline fights and I think UK fans should appreciate that both were on our shores).

The British fighters came up a little short in those two fights mentioned, but I think both have raised their stock in the performances- Anthony Yarde will certainly come again and Leigh Wood looked to be up on the cards before the Lara power came through at the end of the Seventh Round.

There was some criticism of the corner stoppage in the Wood loss, but I think Ben Davison made the right call- Leigh Wood looked out on his feet and Lara is a brutal finisher, which could have meant a serious injury for the former Champion who will likely get a shot at winning back his crown later this year.

The question for the Wood team is whether they allow Lara to go into a trilogy with Josh Warrington with the promise of fighting the winner or take the immediate rematch with Lara themselves. I am not a member of that team that will make the decision, but I think I would be leaning with a fight against the winner and just give Leigh Wood a little more time to right himself after making one costly mistake in a fight where he performed really well.

January and February are now behind us and we go into the next two months of the calendar with some huge fights on the dock. This month is going to be rounded off by the massive Caleb Plant and David Benavidez fight and I cannot wait for that, but March begins with a top bout in the Featherweight Division when Brandon Figueroa and Mark Magsayo meet in Ontario, California, on Saturday evening.

This is for an interim World Title with the winner expected to face Rey Vargas next, while this is a bubbling Division where Mauricio Lara is another Champion. If Figueroa wins, he might even decide it is worth going back down to Super Bantamweight and fight the winner of the upcoming Stephen Fulton-Naoya Inoue super fight, but this is a fight against Magsayo that looks like it will produce epic fireworks.

I am expecting this weekend to be the start of a really good run over the next couple of months, although we did hear bad news that the Katie Taylor-Amanda Serrano rematch has been postponed due to an injury to the latter.

Matchroom Boxing has not had much luck over the last few days with Callum Smith pulling out of his headline fight next week with an injury of his own, but the return of Anthony Joshua is now less than a month away. I am surprised that we have not had more noise around that fight, especially from Eddie Hearn and the team, but I am expecting that to be ramped up next week as Matchroom continues to promote the card from Liverpool even after losing the top of the bill fighter.

This has not been the start to the season for the Boxing Picks that I would have liked, but I have been slightly unfortunate with a couple of selections that would have turned the results on their head.

Hopefully better is to come with some top bills coming up.

Brandon Figueroa vs Mark Magsayo

There are some interim World Title fights that may not really be up to scratch, but I think this one has all of the makings of a barnstormer.

The saying 'never judge a book by its cover' seems to apply very well to 'The Heartbreaker' Brandon Figueroa who has perhaps been considered a different kind of fighter than he actually is, largely down to the way he looks.

However, he has proven time and again that he is willing to bite down on the gum shield and fight through a storm if he needs to and Brandon Figueroa is a tough customer. A very narrow defeat to Stephen Fulton in a very good fight shows what kind of level that Figueroa is capable of operating at, and his move upwards into the Featherweight Division means there are some big fights in front of him.

One of those is coming up as soon as this Saturday with the winner of this one set to face Rey Vargas for the full WBC World Title.

Brandon Figueroa has looked big at his previous weight and he does have the height and reach advantage over Mark Magsayo, who is best known for becoming the second fighter to beat Gary Russell Jr after Vasyl Lomachenko. Like his opponent, Magsayo's only professional defeat came in a razor thin Split Decision to the aforementioned Rey Vargas and the Filipino will be confident of being able to turn that around in any potential rematch.

Of course he has a very tough opponent blocking that path to Vargas-Magsayo II and this feels like a fight that can only be fun to watch.

Both are going to believe they can hurt the other and I think the styles are likely to gel perfectly.

So who wins?

The one common opponent is Julio Ceja and Mark Magsoya crushed him in the Tenth Round after Brandon Figueroa earned a Draw. However, the Figueroa-Ceja fight saw the latter come in way overweight and that has to be factored in when considering the outcomes.

Also, you cannot forget Julio Ceja had Mark Magsayo in a whole heap of trouble in the Fifth Round before the Filipino found a special punch to end the fight in the Tenth and the body work which had hurt Magsayo will certainly have been noted by Brandon Figueroa.

A devastating win over Carlos Castro in his first fight at this weight limit shows that Figueroa will carry his power, although you do have to wonder how he will stand up to the big shots that Mark Magsayo is almost certainly going to land. The American does not always use his advantages of height and length and that will mean having to deal with the punching power of Magsayo, but I do think Brandon Figueroa will create a lot of punishment too.

My feeling is that both of these top class Boxers could hit the canvas, but Brandon Figueroa's body shot work could pay dividends when all is said and done.

Mark Magsayo gets massive respect from me, but I think 'The Heartbreaker' is capable of breaking him down in the second half of the fight and he will find a way to earn the Stoppage in what could be a fight where many will be calling to see it all again.

One of the undercard fights I am looking forward to seeing involves a returning Jarrett Hurd who was once considered the best fighter in the Light Middleweight Division.

Those days are gone and he has lost two of his last three fights, but Hurd returns from an almost two year lay off as he looks to get his career back on track.

I am a big fan of Hurd and I do hope there is more left in the tank as he returns at the Middleweight limit, but he will be tested by Jose Resendiz, although the Mexican has not exactly been much more active than the favourite.

Jarrett Hurd has the length to win this fight, and he may need the cards to do so, but the hope is that he looks good enough to move into a position to take on some of the better fighters in a tough Division.

There is another card of interest on Saturday and this one comes from Newcastle, England as two former Matchroom promoted fighters meet in the main event.

It is an eliminator for the WBA Light Welterweight World Title now held by Alberto Puello, who won one of the titles dropped by Josh Taylor. Puello will be defending his World Title against Rolly Romero in May, but for Lewis Ritson and Ohara Davies, this Saturday is a big opportunity to get into the mix in an open Division.

Not that much time has passed since Ritson and Davies were being promoted by Eddie Hearn, but performances and/or behaviour was not up to scratch and the pair have been rebuilding far under the radar since days of being promoted as main event level players.

Ohara Davies admits himself that he is not the biggest ticket seller and that means going on the road into the lion's den once again. However, he has only been beaten by Josh Taylor and Jack Catterall and those two are fighters at the World level where Davies still believes he deserves to be operating.

To be perfectly blunt, there are not too many wins on his resume that suggests that should be the case, but this is a big opportunity for Ohara Davies.

Lewis Ritson has to feel the same having burst onto the scene with big wins over Joe Murray, Scott Cardle and Paul Hyland Jr over a combined Four Rounds, but the spark was doused when beaten by Francesco Patera in his home town.

A very fortunate win over Miguel Vasquez in a fight that many felt he lost was followed by a brutal beatdown by Jeremias Ponce, which mercilessly ended in the Tenth Round.

Two wins since then has just gotten Ritson back on track, but both of these fighters have not been as active as they should have been and I do think Ohara Davies is the better Boxer of the two.

At one stage people spoke about Ritson's power being a massive difference maker, but only two of his last eight fights have ended in a Stoppage win and I don't think he will be able to put that kind of dent into Ohara Davies. The latter has a decent Stoppage record of his own, but the feeling is that Ohara Davies will not want to take too many risks early and he can build a big lead on the cards against the home fighter.

At 31 years old Ohara Davies has to make his move now and Lewis Ritson took a pretty bad beating from Ponce, the kind of fight that will take years off a fighter's resiliency.

The home crowd should keep Lewis Ritson marching forward in a bid to turn this fight around, but I think Ohara Davies will find the openings the longer it goes on and the punches will wear down Ritson over the course of the Twelve Rounds.

Winning on the cards away from home isn't easy, but Davies has the skills to do that.

However, I think there will be an opportunity for Two Tanks to just plant his feet and hurt Lewis Ritson in the latter stages of this one and a late Stoppage is the pick.

On the undercard, unbeaten Thomas Patrick Ward takes on fellow unbeaten Otabek Kholmatov in what is an eliminator for the WBA World title currently held by Mauricio Lara. Any World Title shot may be some way down the line in that organisation, but Ward is also highly Ranked by the WBO and a win may see him in a position to fight the winner of Isaac Dogboe and Robeisy Ramirez who fight for the vacant World Title next month.

It is a big test for Ward as he steps up a considerable level and I just have this feeling this could end up in a similar way as when unbeaten Danny Dignum stepped up in class to fight Janibek Alimkhanuly.

Otabek Kholmatov has not been as active as he would have expected to be, and he was finally pushed the distance in his last fight a year ago. However, it feels he has been progressing much more quickly than Thomas Patrick Ward and I think the power will make all the difference in this one.

I just think Ward is fortunate to still have a high Ranking and an unbeaten record as he looked well on the way to a loss against Thomas Essomba before an accidental cut led to a Technical Draw on the cards.

If he can get through the first half of the fight, Thomas Patrick Ward may feel he has the ability to earn a pathway to a Decision win, but I think Kholmatov will have the power to hurt an opponent taking a considerable step up.

MY PICKS: Brandon Figueroa to Win by KO/TKO/Disqualification @ 2.75 Bet365 (2 Units)

Ohara Davies to Win Between 7-12 @ 5.00 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Otabek Kholmatov to Win by KO/TKO/Disqualification @ 1.91 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Boxing Update 2023: 3-7, - 6.16 Units (19 Units Staked, - 32.42% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2021 (March 4th)

I have to say I am a little frustrated with the amount of times I have seen the player I have picked to win a match not only lose the first set, but to lose it by a couple of breaks of serve.

It has immediately put the selection in a difficult spot, but it is becoming doubly irritating the amount of times the said pick comes back to win in relatively routine fashion.

Putting these together suggests the actual identification of Tennis Picks is still working, but the little bit of luck that is always needed seems to have deserted me so far this season. Seeing a selection lose the one of the first two sets isn't the issue, but seeing a selection continually lose more games than they win in those two sets despite turning matches around is baffling.

It is frustrating, but you have to stick with the process and believe that it is impossible for that kind of situation to keep getting the better of you. Last week I found so many players winning matches by a game or two below the handicap mark because of the early setbacks and it has been more of the same so far this week.

At the end of the tournaments being played this week I will have a look back and see how I could have made the adjustments needed, but I don't want to move away from a method that has found the right winner far more often than not. Those inches going against me is just part of the deal in a long season, but the key is to not lose early faith unless it becomes a trend that travels through a number of weeks.

Diego Sebastian Schwartzman - 4.5 games v Lukas Klein: In the last few seasons Diego Sebastian Schwartzman has proven to be a solid clay court player rather than a spectacular one and his early defeat in Cordoba would have hurt. He will be looking to show a lot more about the kind of level he can produce on the surface when taking part in a second home tournament, this time in Buenos Aires, and the top Seed is a big favourite to win this Second Round match.

You can understand why Schwartzman is the favourite when he takes on Lukas Klein who is Ranked closer to 300 than 200 in the World Rankings. The 22 year old has come through three Qualifying Rounds and upset the World Number 103 in the First Round, but this is the first time Klein will have taken on someone ranked inside the top 100 and his clay court numbers do not leap off the page.

That is not to say he is not having a strong week, but this is a considerable step up for someone who has average numbers on the surface despite operating at a lower level than this ATP event is being played at. All credit has to be given to Lukas Klein for the level he is showing this week, but the serve is one that can be attacked and his going up against an opponent who has shown he is a solid returner at a much higher level than Klein is used to playing at.

The key to the match and how 'comfortable' it is for the home top Seed is how well Diego Sebastian Schwartzman can manage his own serve. That has largely been a weakness for the top Seed on the clay courts, but Lukas Klein may not have the consistency to stay with Schwartzman for long periods of this match and that is where I do think the Argentinian can take control of this match.

I am a little concerned with Schwartzman's serving which can lead to him dropping sets by wide margins if he is slightly off his game, but being at home should motivate a better performance than the one put together in Cordoba last week. Any Qualifier can be dangerous and the Golden Swing tournaments have a habit of producing players that come alive and then disappear for the rest of the season, but it would be a massive surprise if Lukas Klein is able to win this match.

Unless he serves at a level that has not been seen from him in his career, Lukas Klein is likely to be put under pressure by Diego Sebastian Schwartzman and it could lead to a relatively straight-forward win for the favourite.

Pablo Andujar - 2.5 games v Gianluca Mager: A battling display was enough for Gianluca Magr to make it through to the Second Round in Buenos Aires, but he was a little fortunate to get by compatriot Salvatore Caruso in the First Round. He faced three more points than Caruso, but Gianluca Mager was able to play the big points a little better and that was enough to secure a straight sets win, although it could have easily gone another way.

Make no mistake that Gianluca Mager will have to be a lot better if he is going to reach the Quarter Final here and I think it will be a challenge for the Italian.

Pablo Andujar was a strong winner in the First Round, but he is a player that has consistently played his best tennis on the clay courts. The level he can reach is certainly higher than Gianluca Mager's and I think their head to head shows that Pablo Andujar is pretty comfortable in this match up and especially on the red dirt.

The Spaniard has won both previous clay court matches between the players and he has dominated the return of serve in those matches which has proven to be the key for Andujar. The return of serve has been an important part of the game for Pablo Andujar in the last couple of seasons on the clay courts and I think that is going to be the deciding factor in this Second Round match on the Golden Swing.

Neither player has had a lot of competitive time on the red dirt so far this season, but I think Pablo Andujar is the superior player on the surface and I think he will be able to show that over a couple of hours on the courts.

MY PICKS: Diego Sebastian Schwartzman - 4.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Pablo Andujar - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

David Goffin - 3.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 4.5 Games @ 2.20 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Marton Fucsovics - 2.5 Games @ 1.91 Coral (2 Units)

Petra Kvitova - 1.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 10-13, - 8.48 Units (46 Units Staked, - 18.43% Yield)

Weekend Football Picks 2018 (March 1-5)

In a couple of years we could be just about coming out of a Winter Break if the Premier League proposals are improved, but for now all of the teams in the top flight in England will be getting ready for another important round of fixtures.

I've started this thread on a Thursday to cover the Arsenal vs Manchester City fixture which is being made up from the weekend when the two teams met in the League Cup Final.

Arsenal would have seen the first silverware of the season slip away on Sunday and also their chances of a top four finish look as bleak as the weather to say the least.

The same could potentially be said for Chelsea who blew a 0-1 lead at Manchester United last weekend and have to revisit Manchester to take on the runaway leaders on Sunday. With the teams above them all having what look like winnable League games, Chelsea could find themselves 5 points off the top four with nine games remaining at the end of the weekend.

Antonio Conte is back under pressure and Chelsea have a big month ahead which includes hosting Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League as well as a trip to Barcelona after this game at Manchester City. Those three games may just determine how this season is going to end for Conte and Chelsea before what looks an inevitable parting in the summer.

The likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool and Manchester United have to take advantage of Chelsea's tough fixture this weekend. It is very important to the latter two teams who meet at Old Trafford next Saturday as the race for the Champions League places begins to heat up.

This weekend is also a big one at the bottom of the table with Southampton hosting Stoke City the biggest game for those teams threatened with relegation. It really feels like the losing team could spiral out of the Division in that fixture which only increases the importance of the three points on offer on another big weekend in England.


Arsenal v Manchester City Pick: The worst thing that could happen to Arsene Wenger and Arsenal is conceding early in this Premier League game on Thursday as they try and get the fans back behind them after a poor showing in the League Cup Final.

It may have been a different story if Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had not missed what looked a big opportunity in the first ten minutes of the Cup Final, but there was not a lot of belief in the Arsenal ranks once they went 2-0 down.

Bouncing back against Manchester City won't be easy with Pep Guardiola unlikely to make wholesale changes to his starting eleven. I can imagine some defensive changes are made to make sure Vincent Kompany is fit for the Chelsea game on Sunday, while the likes of Bernado Silva, Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus could also freshen attacking areas, but Manchester City will bring a strong squad to town.

Their recent away performances have not been as strong as Guardiola may have liked and that does make Manchester City look short odds to win here at the Emirates Stadium. As poor as Arsenal were on Sunday, I do expect a reaction at home where they have a strong record this season and I would be stunned if they waved the white flag as quickly at the Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal certainly can cause problems for Manchester City at the back, but the bigger concern for the fans will be how poor Arsenal have looked defensively. It would be a huge surprise if they are able to contain Manchester City and I am going back to the same market which only just let me down on Sunday.

Namely I expect to see four or more goals shared out.

Neither defence is watertight and Arsenal games at the Emirates Stadium against the teams above them have produced fireworks so far this season. The League games against Manchester United (1-3), Liverpool (3-3) and Chelsea (2-2) have all produced four or more goals and Arsenal showed considerable fight in all of those games despite being behind in all of those.

I expect a little more from Arsenal going forward at home, while Manchester City will play the same way and look to cause panic in the backline for the home team. As long as Arsenal don't give up in the same manner they did at Wembley Stadium, chances should come through the ninety minutes and I will back four or more goals to be shared out.


Burnley v Everton Pick: This may be the opening live Premier League game of the weekend but everything is pointing to a tight encounter with few goals scored.

There are times when that expectation can be blown away by an early goal which will produce an entertaining game, but Burnley and Everton will both focus on being tight and tough to beat. With Sean Dyche and Sam Allardyce having a week to organise the defences in the manner they would like, it could be difficult for the creative players to really show off their talents and goals may come at a premium.

Burnley home games have simply not featured a lot of goals this season with just twenty-one scored here in 14 Premier League games. Late goals have seen the last couple end 1-1 and that is the only scoreline that really worries me when it comes to my pick from this fixture.

Backing under 1.5 goals looks to be the call with only late goals preventing that happening in the last 3 Burnley home games. The team continue to be tough to break down and more than half of their 14 Premier League home games have ended with one or fewer goals shared out.

Everton have been poorer defensively away from home which is a concern, while they have some talented players in the attacking areas that could give Burnley problems. However the defeat last weekend at Watford showed an Everton team more focused on getting things right defensively which affected their attacking intent and I am going to have a small interest in one or fewer goals scored here.

Some may want to keep the 1-1 score on their side, which is a real player having occurred in 3 of the last 4 Burnley games, but I will look for both teams to be tight enough to prevent a huge outlay of goals in this one.


Leicester City v Bournemouth Pick: There is still something for Leicester City to aim for from a strong finish in the Premier League but they were lacking some ideas in the 1-1 home draw with Stoke City last weekend. The Foxes improved once they equalised, but the focus has to be on winning the FA Cup now they have reached the Quarter Final Round.

However there is every chance 7th place in the Premier League will offer Leicester City the best chance for a return to European Football next season and they should be able to give Bournemouth a few problems in this one.

I don't doubt Bournemouth can have their successes too if Leicester City are as flat as they were last weekend. Bournemouth have been scoring plenty of goals in their recent games although defensively there remain some problems which comes with the style of play Eddie Howe wishes to employ.

Recent Leicester City home games have not featured as many goals as you may think, but I think they can get one more than last weekend when they host Bournemouth this weekend. The away side are capable of punishing Leicester City if they defend as they did against Stoke City, but I also expect more from the home team and will back at least three goals to be shared out in this one.


Southampton v Stoke City Pick: A true relegation six pointer looks to be set to be played at St Mary's on Saturday when Southampton host Stoke City and there is a sense that the winning team can use this as a springboard to avoid relegation while the losing team would be in huge trouble.

That means tension in the air and that could restrict the way both Southampton and Stoke City are able to express themselves.

Both teams have had some positive results of late, but the problem has been turning some of those into wins. Stoke City may be particularly concerned having missed a penalty for a home win over Brighton, and also leading at both Bournemouth and Leicester City without picking up the three points.

However they have looked a little more solid under Paul Lambert's guidance and only a couple of mistakes have let them down. They are facing a Southampton team who have not scored more than once at home in any of their last 7 Premier League games going back to November and Stoke City may feel they can restrict the home team which could lead to an upset here.

Southampton look very short for a team who have not won a League game at home since the 4-1 win over Everton in November, especially as they failed to beat Huddersfield Town and Brighton in that run. Stoke City are a similar kind of team who will look to frustrate the home team and then look for their classy players like Xherdan Shaqiri to create something.

The lack of wins for Southampton makes it hard to think they can win this fixture comfortably and backing Stoke City on the Asian Handicap which returns half the stake in a narrow loss looks the call. Stoke City have not played well away from home for much of the season, but they have led in their last 2 away League games and getting in front will likely make it very tough for Southampton to beat them.

The home team haven't had a clean sheet in their last 9 Premier League games at St Mary's so I will take Stoke City with the start on the Asian Handicap.


Tottenham Hotspur v Huddersfield Town Pick: Finishing in the top four and having a place back in the Champions League is very important for Tottenham Hotspur who are set to move into New White Hart Lane in August.

The late goal at Crystal Palace last weekend has helped Tottenham Hotspur move into the top four and they have a chance to put 5 points between themselves and 5th placed Chelsea who travel to Manchester City on Sunday.

Hosting Huddersfield Town at Wembley Stadium where Tottenham Hotspur have won 6 in a row in all competitions should be the kind of fixture Spurs are able to win comfortably enough.

The only doubt I really have is that Tottenham Hotspur play the Second Leg of their Champions League Last 16 tie against Juventus during the week with that tie finely balanced at 2-2 after the First Leg in Turin. The fans will be distracted by looking ahead to a big Champions League night so the key for Mauricio Pochettino is making sure his players are not overlooking a Huddersfield Town team who have won back to back Premier League games.

If they are Huddersfield Town can be organised enough to cause some problems, although they have not been capable of really shutting down the very best teams in the Premier League. There is no doubt that Tottenham Hotspur are one of those and their big names were rested in the win over Rochdale and I do like the home team to produce a comfortable win on the day.

Huddersfield Town did win at The Hawthorns last weekend, but they had been struggling away from home in the Premier League prior to that. Conceding goals has been an issue for Huddersfield Town and Tottenham Hotspur have been scoring plenty of goals at Wembley Stadium in recent months.

The Terriers have played 8 Premier League games against the top six clubs this season so far and they have conceded at least twice in 7 of those. They have lost 7 of those 8 games and 6 of those losses have come by two or more goals with 4 of those coming by three or more margins.

I would anticipate Tottenham Hotspur are able to win by at least a two goal margin on Saturday, but I am going to back them on the Asian Handicap to perhaps go one better. At worst I would expect the stake to be returned, but Liverpool and Arsenal have beaten Huddersfield Town by three or more goals in home games this season and I will look for Tottenham Hotspur to do the same.

That would be ideal preparation for the Champions League Second Leg against Juventus on Wednesday.


Watford v West Brom Pick: This could be it as far as West Brom's future as a Premier League club is concerned as well as Alan Pardew's short time managing at The Hawthorns.

Pardew was reportedly criticised by Chris Brunt for the poor tactics employed in the 1-2 defeat to Huddersfield Town last weekend which has put West Brom in a really deep hole as far as survival is concerned. The fans were also very unhappy with the performance and the board have seemingly given Pardew one game to prove that he can turn things around in the final 10 Premier League games.

It is a big ask for West Brom even if they change manager and they head to Vicarage Road where Watford have won back to back League games. The home team have battled through a deep injury list which added Gerard Deulofeu to it last weekend, but Watford have looked much more settled with Javi Gracia than they were under Marco Silva during his final days in charge.

However this has to be the kind of fixture that Alan Pardew would have targeted for West Brom to try and get out of trouble. The same could be said last weekend against Huddersfield Town at home, but defensively there are too many goals being conceded by West Brom.

The Baggies have created some big chances of their own though and I think they will have chances in this one too. Even though Watford earned a clean sheet last weekend, they have been defensively poor at times and games at Vicarage Road have seen plenty of goals shared out prior to the 1-0 win over Everton.

I expect both teams will have their chances to score in this fixture, and backing at least three goals to be shared out looks a big price. West Brom games have involved plenty of goals of late and they can't sit back in this one, while Watford have been scoring and conceding goals for fun at home prior to last weekend.

Earlier this season these teams shared out four goals, but I will simply look for at least three to be scored in this one.


Liverpool v Newcastle United Pick: A cold snap has hit the United Kingdom over the last few days, but Liverpool and Newcastle United can combine to warm up the fans with an entertaining game of football on Saturday afternoon.

Games at Anfield have certainly not been short of goals in recent weeks, but Rafa Benitez will try and set Newcastle United up to frustrate his former club. That looks a long shot when you see how Newcastle United have defended away from home and instead the better option may be to try and get up further up the pitch and try and threaten Liverpool.

That has been made tougher with the likes of Jonjo Shelvey, Dwight Gayle and Islam Slimani not expected to be involved this weekend. However Newcastle United will still believe they have enough to at least cause problems for a Liverpool team who have not had a home clean sheet in their last 6 at Anfield in all competitions.

On the other hand, Liverpool have been very good in the final third in recent weeks which has seen the team score at least twice in their last 7 at Anfield. They will look to get Newcastle United on the back foot very early in this one and then look to counter their visitors when they do take some risks, and Liverpool will note how effective the other top clubs have been against Newcastle United at home.

Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City have all scored at least three times in home wins over Newcastle United this season, although The Magpies have scored in all 3 of those League games too. They could play a part in this one, but ultimately it would be a surprise if Liverpool don't win the game considering the kind of form they have been producing.

Backing at least four goals looks to be the play at odds against though and it is only a slightly shorter price than backing Liverpool to win a high-scoring game with that many goals shared out. It covers a high-scoring draw like Tottenham Hotspur earned at Anfield recently, while West Brom won 2-3 here in the FA Cup at the end of January which has to be respected.

Of course I do give a strong lean towards a Liverpool win, but they could concede on the way to help reach the four goal mark. All 3 Newcastle United away Premier League games at teams in the current top five have ended with at least four goals shared out and I will back that to be the outcome at odds against.


Brighton v Arsenal Pick: Arsene Wenger looked completely dejected in his post-match interview after watching his Arsenal team being outclassed by Manchester City for the second time in the space of a few days.

Questions have been raised about the future of Wenger again and the players have to pick themselves up from their confidence taking a battering worse than the United Kingdom has been from the 'Beast from the East'.

A poor away record in the Premier League doesn't inspire a lot of belief in Arsenal doing that this weekend even though they travel to the south coast to take on a Brighton team fighting relegation. However Brighton have picked up their form of late and 1 loss from their last 8 games in all competitions at the Amex Stadium makes them dangerous.

Brighton have begun to find goals from their play and have recorded 4 wins from their last 5 games at the Amex Stadium. They have scored at least twice in 5 of their last 6 home games in all competitions while Brighton have beaten West Ham United 3-1 and Swansea City 4-1 in their last couple of Premier League games here and will feel they can pose questions for an Arsenal backline which is far from being watertight.

Those defensive issues were highlighted in Arsenal's defeats at Bournemouth and Swansea City in the Premier League since the turn of the calendar year. With the confidence Brighton have been playing with, they will certainly feel they can create chances against Arsenal, although I also expect a lot better from Arsenal when they go forward.

With the attacking players Arsenal can call upon, they will be able to get at a Brighton defence which has not kept a clean sheet in any of their last 6 at home in all competitions. The likes of Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea have all visited the Amex Stadium and scored at least twice and I do think Arsenal will have their chances in this one too.

Picking a winner isn't easy when you consider the form of the two teams- I would have favoured Brighton to avoid defeat if they had a better record against the top six clubs this season, but they concede too many goals in those games. On the other hand Arsenal have struggled away from home all season and instead I am backing at least three goals to be shared out.

That has happened in the last 6 Brighton home games in all competitions, while 5 of Arsenal's last 8 away games have also seen that number reached. Neither defence will be confident of keeping a clean sheet and I will look for at least three goals to be shared out in this one.


Manchester City v Chelsea Pick: The Premier League title might be heading to Manchester City without too much fuss in the weeks ahead, but the other top clubs will be interested spectators as the race for the top four heats up.

I have little doubt that the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur will be looking for a favour from the runaway League leaders and Manchester City are playing well enough to think they can provide that.

The only concern for Manchester City has to be the fact they have played two games since Chelsea finished up at Old Trafford last Sunday, but Pep Guardiola did get to see his team coast through the second half of their win at the Emirates Stadium on Thursday. That should mean fatigue is not an issue for a team who have won 12 in a row at home in all competitions and their last 13 Premier League games here.

Chelsea could play a part with the performances they have produced against Barcelona and Manchester United, but failing to win games they led is a blow to the confidence. Worse still is losing at Old Trafford last weekend which has put their top four ambitions in a difficult spot especially if Chelsea fail to get something here.

It is hard to see them turning around form which has seen Chelsea lose their last 3 away games in all competitions, even though they led in a couple of those. With the likes of Eden Hazard, Willian and Pedro capable of causing problems for their potentially tired hosts, Chelsea can play a part in this one but ultimately their away form has been a concern and I think Manchester City will win this one.

Defensively Chelsea will have to be a lot better than they have been in recent away games if they are going to avoid the loss, but I do think they can score here too.

The last 3 Chelsea away games have all ended in losses despite scoring though and I will back Manchester City to win a game featuring three or more goals on Sunday.


Crystal Palace v Manchester United Pick: There was evidence of Roy Hodgson's frustration in the 0-1 loss to Tottenham Hotspur last Sunday with the television cameras picking up the former England manager banging his head against his seat after the late goal conceded by his Crystal Palace team.

Injuries have really hurt the Hodgson options and it comes at a time of the season when Crystal Palace have some big games coming thick and fast. Even a full strength Crystal Palace team would be an underdog in those games, but one hit with the long injury list like this one will really have a hard time.

One thing Hodgson will insist upon is hard work and defensive discipline and that almost worked in their narrow defeat to Tottenham Hotspur. He will be looking to frustrate a Manchester United team who have lost back to back away Premier League games at Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United without scoring, while goals have generally been something of an issue for Jose Mourinho's men having failed to score in 3 of their last 4 away games in all competitions.

However Manchester United should come into this Monday night kick off with some confidence after coming from behind to beat Chelsea last Sunday. Going behind and winning games is not something that has been that common for Manchester United in recent years, but doing so will have given the players a boost ahead of another big month.

This is a tough test to back that up with Crystal Palace being a tough team to play at Selhurst Park, even with the injuries in the squad. The absence of Wilfried Zaha is a huge blow for Crystal Palace and games without him have seen the team struggle to pose a consistent goal threat.

That may be a problem on Monday evening too and I think Manchester United will be able to create the chances that Tottenham Hotspur did here. A better day from Harry Kane would have led to a comfortable win for Tottenham Hotspur last Sunday with the big opportunities that came his way, and I think Manchester United will be able to find a goal or two here.

Ultimately they will look to keep Crystal Palace from building too much without Zaha and potentially Yohan Cabaye. That takes away some real creativity from the Crystal Palace team and Manchester United can win this one with a clean sheet.

MY PICKS: Arsenal-Manchester City Over 3.5 Goals @ 2.37 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Burnley-Everton Under 1.5 Goals @ 2.75 William Hill (1 Unit)
Leicester City-Bournemouth Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.80 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Stoke City + 0.75 Asian Handicap @ 1.95 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Tottenham Hotspur - 2 Asian Handicap @ 1.94 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Watford-West Brom Over 2.5 Goals @ 2.20 Ladbrokes (2 Units)
Liverpool-Newcastle United Over 3.5 Goals @ 2.10 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Brighton-Arsenal Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.83 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Manchester City Win & Over 2.5 Goals @ 2.30 Ladbrokes (2 Units)
Manchester United Win to Nil @ 2.50 Boyle Sports (2 Units)

Boxing Picks 2017- Haye vs Bellew/Garcia vs Thurman (March 4th)

There have already been some stunning boxing fights in 2017 and there is no doubt there is another huge one on March 4th that is going to start separating the very, very good from the elite.

Of course I am talking about the battle of the unbeaten fighters Danny Garcia and Keith Thurman in the Welterweight Division where some of the biggest names in boxing reside. Our own Kell Brook has a huge dust up with Errol Spence Jr to come in a couple of months with every chance of being paired with the winner on Saturday night later in the year if he can come through his mandatory against a dangerous unbeaten American fighter.

Amir Khan remains the mandatory to Garcia's WBC title and has been pushing for that rematch for a while. That might depend on whether Khan is able to secure the fight with Manny Pacquiao in May as suggested as he would have to win that fight to be the next in line to take on Garcia and earn a revenge for his loss to the Philadelphia fighter.

While Garcia vs Thurman might be the biggest fight for the boxing fans out there, casual fans will be much more interested in the big card at the O2 Arena in London where former Heavyweight Champion David Haye has his grudge fight with current WBC Cruiserweight Champion Tony Bellew.

There has been a lot of talking ahead of that fight and there is a clear dislike between not only the two boxers, but also the respective camps right up to Eddie Hearn. That has seen the fight bring in the attention from casual fans and it certainly will be an occasion to enjoy.

David Allen vs David Howe

One of the more low-key fights on the underdog is between two Heavyweights who are unlikely to ever reach World level.

Out of the two, David Allen has aligned himself with Eddie Hearn to bounce back from losses to Dillian Whyte and Luis Ortiz and is the far younger fighter in this one. Allen was winning just last weekend and I have no doubt that Hearn is not going to risk him with a live opponent as quickly as he has this weekend knowing the long term picture.

Allen is not going to be good enough to win a World title, but at 21 years old he is going to be more than capable of trying to reach British and potentially European level. Get to there and Anthony Joshua keeps winning and Allen becomes an attractive opponent for him down the line as a fairly comfortable fight that Joshua can give the British fans once he makes his mooted move to begin fighting out in the United States.

David Howe has been beaten 4 times before and 3 of those have come by Knock Out/TKO. 2 of those losses have come in the First Round and I am not sure Howe, at 36 years old, is going to have a lot in the mental tank to take a few shots in this one.

I am not at all sold on the power that Allen has nor the technique he currently exhibits, but 4 of his 7 previous Knock Out wins have come in Round 1. This should be another night to tick him along and I think the quick turnaround from last week is likely to lead to another early night for the 'White Rhino'.

Backing Allen to win this one in the 1st Round looks a decent pick to open the undercard at the O2 Arena on Saturday.

Ohara Davies vs Derry Matthews

This is the first of two grudge London versus Liverpool fights on the card at the O2 Arena and it does look like a crossroads kind of fight.

Ohara Davies might be unbeaten, but his record has not got anyone on it that has fought at the level Derry Matthews has, although Matthews is coming off a loss to Luke Campbell and has had to move up in weight for this fight.

You have to think there is going to be nowhere for Matthews to go if he was to lose this fight as it would be his third loss in a row. At least the defeats to Terry Flanaghan and Campbell have come against fighters who are at the top of their game, but losing to a fighter in his 15th pro fight would be a huge blow for Matthews.

I like the confidence Matthews is displaying and the feeling he can box or fight, but I am not sure he is going to outbox Davies as much as he thinks himself. Despite the lack of a real challenger, Davies wins plenty of rounds and I think he will build up a lead on the scorecards which will start seeing Matthews become a little desperate as he looks to go for the Knock Out.

In his last fight Davies was criticised for perhaps not picking up the pace and looking to stop his opponent but instead coast to a comfortable win on the cards. Someone like Derry Matthews is likely to force Davies into more of a firefight if he is chasing the fight but the Liverpudlian has been stopped 8 times in his career and Davies has stopped 11 of his 14 opponents in the pro ranks.

It would be a surprise if Davies takes too many risks early, but I do think he will begin to wear down Matthews and can pick him off as the fight develops. The corner may stop it for their man if Matthews is eating too many shots, but that won't be until the second half of the fight.

Matthews was stopped in Round 4 by Luke Campbell, but this one might go a few more Rounds as Davies bides his time before finishing him off.

Sam Eggington v Paulie Malignaggi

I love Paulie Malignaggi.

I think the American is already an excellent commentator and he is clearly going to be one of the voices of boxing going forward with his easy enthusiasm and knowledge easy to get behind.

However this is a fight and his commentating skills don't really mean anything at all when he comes through the ropes.

There has to be little left in the tank for Malignaggi who reached the top of his game and has been in with some of the top names of the last ten years. Ultimately Malignaggi found himself coming up short when in with the likes of Miguel Cotto, Ricky Hatton, Amir Khan, Shawn Porter and Danny Garcia and the last four of those have ended in stoppages.

I do think the punch resistance has gone from his peak days and Sam Eggington is coming in off a stoppage of an out of condition Frankie Gavin.

Now it has to be said that Eggington is not in the same company as those names who have previously stopped Malignaggi, but the big question is how much does the New Yorker have left in the tank. He has spoken about being in two minds about retiring and his wins since the loss to Garcia have not exactly come against top quality opposition too.

Eggington does have a serious dig into the body and I can see him wearing down Malignaggi in this one and slowing down an opponent whose speed and reflexes have regressed. Malignaggi has plenty of experience and has vowed to use all of his wily skills to bamboozle Eggington and I do think the American will be ahead on the cards and potentially wins this one on points.

However a nagging feeling is Eggington is catching Malignaggi at the right time and will be too young, too powerful and can wear him down to force a stoppage in the second half of the fight. It will be time for Malignaggi to concentrate on his commentating career, while Eggington can take a step towards some of the really big fights that are available in the Welterweight Division.

David Haye vs Tony Bellew

Things have certainly got a little heated between David Haye and Tony Bellew and all of the talking and soundbites have resulted in plenty of interest in a fight that Haye keeps telling anyone who will listen is 'one sided'.

I genuinely think Haye does not believe Bellew should be in this fight but it looks like the public have demanded it with tickets selling out in record time. All of this came from Bellew rushing the ring to try and 'attack' Haye in his 3rd Round win over BJ Flores a few months ago.

A heavier than expected David Haye looks like he will be coming in to overwhelm Bellew and I think the smart money has to be on the guy who has been campaigning at Heavyweight for the last few years. Of course the lay off from the ring with just three Rounds boxed since Knocking Out Dereck Chisora has just put a few doubts in this fight and whether Haye has enough left to finish off Bellew or whether he will get 'gassed' as Bellew has been warning.

Regardless of Bellew's constant knocking off the Haye resume, this is a fighter that carried the power to Knock Out the likes of Audley Harrison and Chisora and Haye has looked sharp. I am not sure he has slipped as much as Bellew likes to say and Haye is going to be very dangerous early on in this fight.

Bellew will look to take it into the deeper Rounds and see what Haye has in the tank, but I am not sure he can get out of the way of the power that the former Heavyweight Champion possesses.

This really feels like the Enzo Maccarinelli fight that Haye concluded with big punches in the 2nd Round.

I think there are levels to punchers and while 'Bomber' thinks he carries power, I don't think he has as much as he thinks. He fought Nathan Cleverly twice and went to decision both times against a fighter who was obliterated by Sergiy Kovalev, while Bellew was put down at Cruiserweight by Ilunga Makabu and was stopped heavily by Adonis Stevenson at Light Heavyweight.

Haye is a bigger hitter than both those fighters and I think Bellew is going to have to do something very different to get out of the first 4 Rounds here. David Haye has mentioned that he is predicting a Round 3 Knock Out (anyone who remembers his fight with Audley Harrison will remember Haye telling everyone that he had told his friends to bet him winning in that Round) and I really don't think Bellew will be able to stand up to the shots nor move out of the mindset to want to fight back.

That will likely cost Bellew and Haye can be backed at odds against to win this fight in the first 4 Rounds and that looks the most obvious way to back the former Heavyweight Champion. Expect Haye to be calling out all the other Heavyweights at the end of the fight, especially Anthony Joshua and his promoter Eddie Hearn.

Danny Garcia vs Keith Thurman

There are some fights that get a lot of hype when it isn't really justified (just think of some of the hyped up opponents Anthony Joshua has fought that have been considered 'PPV' material), but this fight between Danny Garcia and Keith Thurman has been overshadowed in the United Kingdom by the grudge fight between David Haye and Tony Bellew.

Make no mistake though, this is a fight that not only has huge implications in the Welterweight Division, but it is one where the winner may have every argument to suggest they are the 'Pound for Pound' Number 1 fighter on the planet.

Both fighters are unbeaten and both Garcia and Thurman have some big wins on their CVs which makes this a much tougher fight to call than the oddsmakers have suggested. Thurman is a fairly big favourite for the win, but Garcia has found a way to make adjustments and win big fights through his career, and many times when he has been set as the underdog.

I do think Thurman has the edge in power and is perhaps the 'prettier' boxer to watch, but Garcia is might effective, has a neutraliser of a left hook and might just be better at the weight.

There have been a couple of decisions given to Garcia which have prevented him from really being given the credit he should as a fighter. However his wins over Amir Khan and Lucas Matthysse are highly respected ones.

Both have decisioned Roberto Guerrero and Thurman has a solid win over Shawn Porter, a former Kell Brook victim, to his name. I am just not sure that Thurman doesn't have to drain himself a little more than Garcia to get down to this weight which could see some body shots slow him down.

I am a big fan of Thurman, I really am, but Garcia is the kind of fighter that doesn't have a lot of flashy tools outside of a legit left hook, but still does enough to win fights. Someone being dropped could be the difference maker in this fight, but without that this looks like a controversial decision in the making.

This is actually more of a 50-50 fight than the oddsmakers think and I will back Garcia to come through with a decision win in what could be a really good fight early on Sunday morning for us in the United Kingdom. I just like Garcia perhaps tagging Thurman with a left hook and being stronger at the weight which can help him past yet another tough challenge as the underdog. I really don't like Angel Garcia much, but Danny is a very good fighter and looks a big price to add another decision to his resume.

MY PICKS: David Allen Win in the 1st Round @ 2.25 Ladbrokes (2 Units)

Ohara Davies Win Between 7-12 @ 3.75 Paddy Power (1 Unit)
Sam Eggington Win Between 7-12 @ 5.50 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)
David Haye Win Between 1-4 @ 2.10 Sky Bet (2 Units)
Danny Garcia Win on Points @ 5.00 William Hill (1 Unit)