Rome Masters Tennis Picks 2026 (Saturday 16th May)

The WTA Final at Rome takes centre stage on Saturday and the winner is going to be heading to the French Open in confident mood.

It has long been considered that the majority of the best players will skip the last week in between this tournament and the start of the French Open, especially with a Sunday start in play at that Grand Slam and that is looking like being the case next week.

And that means Rome is the last big opportunity for those top names to make a statement ahead of the second Grand Slam title of the 2026 season.

Coco Gauff - 2.5 games v Elina Svitolina: You cannot ignore the fact that Elina Svitolina has beaten Coco Gauff twice this season on the hard courts, including at the Australian Open, while the World Number 10 is not going to be lacking for confidence in the Rome Finals.

Victories over Elena Rybakina and Iga Swiatek, two of the French Open favourites, on back to back days have carried the Ukrainian into the Final, although the numbers suggest Elina Svitolina was perhaps a touch fortunate in both matches. In those two wins, Svitolina faced 36 Break Points compared with the 22 created, but she has played the big points as effectively as possible and this is a tournament the veteran has enjoyed playing.

Her best run at the French Open has been reaching the Quarter Final and Elina Svitolina has done that five times, but she was back to back Rome Champion in 2017 and 2018. and has reached the Quarter Final on three occasions since then.

Of course she is enjoying her best run in Rome since last winning the title here eight years ago and that makes Elina Svitolina dangerous.

There is room for improvement when you look at the Break Points faced and being created, but this will be a confident player and those two wins over Coco Gauff will stand her in good stead.

The American is very comfortable on the clay courts and her Semi Final win and the manner in which it was delivered will have given the World Number 4 plenty of reason to believe she can finally win a big clay court event at 1000 level.

Coco Gauff has been a consistent figure at the French Open- she has reached the Quarter Final five times in a row, while turning one of those into a Semi Final run, another finishing Runner Up and then finally winning the Grand Slam title in Paris eleven months ago. At the same time, she has reached the Final in Madrid and Rome, but losing both times, and Coco Gauff has two other Semi Final runs in the Italian capital before reaching another Final here on Thursday.

On the clay courts, serving numbers are going to make difficult reading compared with the faster surfaces, but both have been doing well enough- the difference here is that Coco Gauff has been the superior return player in Rome and that could see her begin to exert some control on this Final.

The second serve continues to be a vulnerability and Elina Svitolina should be able to attack that part of the Gauff game to real positive effect.

The same can be said for the higher Ranked player and this has the makings of a Final that should see both players pick up some momentum at different times.

However, the edge has to be with Coco Gauff who has shown a bit more consistency compared with Elina Svitolina, even if the latter seemingly matches up pretty well with the World Number 4.

Both winning a set would not be a surprise, but Gauff may still have enough in her return game to cover this spread even if the contest does need that deciding set to determine the Rome Champion in 2026.

MY PICKS : Coco Gauff - 2.5 Games @ 1.91 William Hill (1 Unit)

Rome Update: 6-4, + 0.74 Units (10 Units Staked, + 7.40% Yield)

Rome Masters Tennis Picks 2019 (May 16th)

After a terrible day of rain at the Rome Open, the Tennis on Thursday is going to see the whole of the Second Round and Third Round being completed which means a number of players are going to have to win two matches in a matter of hours to stay in the tournament.

It is not ideal, but the organisers have to get this tournament back on track, although the weather forecast for the weekend is not looking great. The next two days do look better though and I would expect the event to be back in line with what they would have expected.


With the quick turnaround I do think there are going to be some matches that I would want to move past, but others could still be worthy of being selected for the Tennis Picks. There really isn't going to be the time I would like to put any thoughts down, but I should be able to invest enough time to look through the matches as they are put together and add any to this thread.

I will endeavour to get those matches out at least a couple of hours before the players are due on court, but much depends on the speed in which the layers are able to formulate their markets. Adding in the factor of some players being involved in a second match of the day going up against others who have not played may mean a slight shift in my criteria and I think it will also mean I am passing on some matches that may have usually been intriguing to me.


This thread will be updated over the next few hours as more Third Round matches are confirmed and I will update season and weekly totals in the Friday thread as we reach the Quarter Final in Rome.


MY PICKS: Matteo Berrettini - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Coral (2 Units)
Kristina Mladenovic + 4.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Naomi Osaka - 4.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)
Kei Nishikori - 2.5 Games @ 1.72 Coral (2 Units)
Roger Federer - 2.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Karolina Pliskova - 4.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Midweek Football Picks 2018- Europa League Final (May 16th)

Europa League Final 2018- Marseille vs Atletico Madrid

The Europa League Final is played in Lyon, France on Wednesday evening and the most comfortable aspect of the Final for Marseille may be that it is played at a ground they are familiar with.

Ultimately it is no surprise that Marseille are the underdog in the Final against Atletico Madrid who have been set as favourites ever since they dropped out of the Champions League into the Europa League. The early season form which cost Atletico Madrid their place in the Champions League is long gone and they have rounded into strong form and have plenty of European experience to call upon.

Many of these players have been involved in the Atletico Madrid squads who have reached two Champions League Finals in recent seasons and have regularly made the last eight of the Champions League under Diego Simeone. Their charismatic manager is banned from the touchline for the Final, but Atletico Madrid are a well drilled team and that shouldn't be a big problem for a team who beat Arsenal 1-0 at home in the Second Leg with their manager sitting in the stands.

Atletico Madrid remain tough to beat and they are sprinkled with some magic players in forward areas who can create something special to break the deadlock in any game.

It does mean they are the more likely winners despite the strong run Marseille have had in the Europa League especially when you look at the general levels of performance produced by the two teams.

While Atletico Madrid have beaten Copenhagen, Lokomotiv Moscow, Sporting Lisbon and Arsenal, Marseille have beaten Sporting Braga, Athletic Bilbao, Leipzig and Salzburg.

The wins over Athletic Bilbao will give Marseille some real confidence against another Spanish team, but the majority of the best results Marseille have produced in the Europa League have come at home. In fact the win in Bilbao is the only win Marseille have had outside of their own Stadium in 9 Europa League ties and they have lost 5 of their last 7 and all without scoring a goal in normal time.

That has to be a real concern for the fans even if they are likely to have more fans than Atletico Madrid in the stands in Lyon. They are now going up against an Atletico Madrid team who are very tough to break down, although one that didn't have an away clean sheet in their 4 Europa League Knock Out ties.

Out of the two teams I would expect Atletico Madrid to be able to play their more natural game and limit what Marseille are able to do in the final third. Marseille have some quality players and some pace in the final third, but Atletico Madrid are organised and tough to break down when they have something to defend and I think that will be the case on Wednesday in the Final.


With the forward players Atletico Madrid have I think they will find the goal that may be enough to secure the Europa League trophy and backing the Spanish team to win to nil looks a huge price.

MY PICK: Atletico Madrid Win to Nil @ 2.87 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Rome Masters Tennis Picks 2018 (May 16th)

Tuesday did turn out to be a wet day in Rome, but there was a break in the weather for long enough to complete almost every match that had been on the schedule.

For the Tennis Picks it was a mixed day with a couple of winners and a couple of losers on the day and that was about right when you broke down how those matches went.

Wednesday and Thursday both look like poor days for tennis, but there should be enough breaks in the rain to allow the matches to take to the court. There are a number of matches scheduled as the remainder of the Second Round in both the ATP and WTA events being played are all set to be completed on Wednesday.


Kei Nishikori - 1.5 games v Grigor Dimitrov: Injury has seen Kei Nishikori drop down the World Rankings and that has meant he has been involved in plenty of big matches early in tournaments since he returned to the main Tour. It looks to be no different in Rome this week after Nishikori saw off Feliciano Lopez to earn his spot in the Second Round where he has been paired with Grigor Dimitrov.

The clay courts have been a surface on which Nishikori has played some very strong tennis in his career and nothing much has changed in that regards. He has reached the Final in Monte Carlo last month and the First Round loss to Novak Djokovic in Madrid was a close match that could have easily gone Nishikori's way.

He certainly has the stronger pedigree on the clay courts than Grigor Dimitrov and I think Nishikori is capable of getting the better of this good looking Second Round match.

Dimitrov has not had the best record on the clay courts in the last three seasons and he is just 5-3 on the surface this time around. The serve remains a solid weapon for Dimitrov but he has not been able to create the breaks of serve that a player of his quality should and I think Nishikori is the stronger player.

The Nishikori serve can be a little vulnerable as he has to work hard to protect it, but he has been doing that well enough in 2018. One area he will be looking to show improvement is when it comes to the break of serve despite Nishikori continuing to have plenty of success on the return of serve.

This may go three sets, but I think Nishikori is going to win this match and I will back him to get past Dimitrov on a surface the former prefers.


Pablo Carreno Busta - 3.5 games v Steve Johnson: One of the surprising issues on the clay courts in 2018 is the struggles Pablo Carreno Busta has had despite being very comfortable on the surface. He has just been lacking consistency which has prevented Carreno Busta having any really strong runs, but a solid win over Jared Donaldson in the First Round should give him some confidence.

The problem for Carreno Busta backers is that he still needed three sets to get the job done despite looking comfortably the stronger player on the day against Donaldson. Losing sets when looking the better player has been a problem for the Spaniard and he won't want to give Steve Johnson too much encouragement.

The American won the title in Houston, although the clay courts in that tournament are significantly different to those played in European tournaments. However any title win will make a player feel good about themselves and Johnson won his first European clay court match when beating Stan Wawrinka in the First Round.

Johnson had a very strong record on the clay courts last season but generally he has struggled with his return on the surface which isn't a big surprise for a player that doesn't play on the clay too often. The serve has been very important for Johnson this season in his seven clay court matches and it has produced much stronger numbers than usual which has covered the problems on the return that continue to blight the Johnson game.

Someone like Carreno Busta should be able to challenge Johnson's serve more than most, and I think that could give him the edge in this Second Round match. The Spaniard has to be careful he doesn't allow Johnson to get into a rhythm early, but the conditions should suit Carreno Busta significantly more than Johnson and I think he is able to produce a good looking win here.


Novak Djokovic - 5.5 games v Nikoloz Basilashvili: Coming back from injury and the emotion of completing the dreams you've had since being a child is a tough road for any athlete to tread. For Novak Djokovic it has felt the last couple of years have been difficult to negotiate since winning the French Open in 2016 when he was very much the man to beat at the top of men's tennis.

An injury hit 2017 saw Djokovic miss half the season and he has admitted he returned to the Tour a little too early in 2018 as he missed playing competitive tennis. It is perhaps not a big surprise the former World Number 1 feels that way having produced a 7-6 record so far in 2018 but there have been some positive signs during the clay court swing which suggests Djokovic is moving in a positive direction.

One of the major question marks for Djokovic was whether the arm injury that hindered him in 2017 was going to have a negative impact on his serve, but that has not really been the case. There has been a slight improvement in the service points being won since moving onto the clay courts compared with his overall 2018 numbers and the bigger test for Djokovic is getting a little more success on the return of serve.

The return has been a massive part of Djokovic's success through his career but he is not breaking as frequently as when the Serb was at his best. However I don't think Djokovic is that far from getting back into some rhythm on the break of serve and I think the match up with Nikoloz Bashilashvili will work for him.

Basilashvili is a talented player but there is no doubt that his serve is vulnerable the better the quality of opponent he faces and I think holding is going to be a problem for him in this Second Round match. That is highlighted by the decline in the hold percentage when you look at Basilashvili's matches against top 50 Ranked players and then top 20 Ranked players on the clay courts over the last four seasons.

I wouldn't be surprised if Basilashvili has some success on the return himself, but ultimately this is the kind of match Djokovic should be comfortable in. It is a big number of games to cover, but Djokovic is more than capable of doing that by completing one set with a couple of breaks of serve more than Basilashvili.


Caroline Garcia - 4.5 games v Timea Babos: I am taking a couple of the ladies in action on Wednesday to cover big numbers in wins and the first of those is Caroline Garcia who has had a strong clay court season so far. I expect she will want another strong week to give her plenty of momentum to take into her home Grand Slam and Garcia certainly is playing well enough to win this match.

Timea Babos will be feeling good about herself after beating home favourite Sara Errani in the First Round, but that is a rare success for Babos on the clay courts.

The win over Errani is the first success Babos has had on the clay courts in 2018 and she has finished with a losing record in two of the last three seasons. Last season Babos finished up with a 1-5 record on the clay courts and you can't say she has been too unlucky as her second serve has been very attackable for opponents.

Babos' numbers take a significant hit when you see how she has played against top 50 Ranked opponents on the clay courts and her return has proven to be ineffective in those matches. In the Second Round she plays a strong server in Garcia and I think that can give the latter the foundation from which she can go on the attack in the return of serve.

I do think Garcia is going to want to improve on her own return of serve, but the numbers are stronger when she plays those opponents outside of the top 20 in the World Rankings and I think that shows up here. As the superior clay court player I think Garcia wins this match and can cover what is a big number of games.


Maria Sharapova - 4.5 games v Dominika Cibulkova: After seeing Maria Sharapova miss the cover for me on Tuesday you may think I would want to steer away from the former World Number 1. However I think she had every chance of covering in her win over Ashleigh Barty and this match may be a little more up her street.

There is no doubting the fight and heart Dominika Cibulkova brings to the court, but injury and a loss of form means she is only 9-8 on the Tour in 2018. She won her first match since February when beating Francesca Schiavone in the First Round and Cibulkova has not had a lot of success on the clay courts since April 2017.

The numbers have not been too bad overall, but they do take a dent when you see how Cibulkova has done against the better players on the Tour.

Her aggressive style should suit Maria Sharapova a little more than Ashleigh Barty who managed to irritate the Russian with the backhand slices which extracted errors from Sharapova's game. However it was another win for Sharapova who will feel better about her game all around over the last couple of weeks and she is playing much better at the moment than a few weeks ago.

Sharapova is a comfortable clay court player and her superior serve should give her a chance to run through a few more service games than Cibulkova which is key to having a chance to cover this number of games. The three wins last week all came by margins of five games or more and Sharapova may have gotten to that again with a little more luck at key times in the First Round here.

Cibulkova won't roll over for any opponent, but I think Sharapova will be a little too good all around and she can cover this number.

MY PICKS: Kei Nishikori - 1.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Pablo Carreno Busta - 3.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Novak Djokovic - 5.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Caroline Garcia - 4.5 Games @ 2.10 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Maria Sharapova - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Rome Masters Update: 6-4, + 3.16 Units (20 Units Staked, + 15.80% Yield)

Rome Masters Tennis Picks 2017 (May 16th)

The Rome Masters continues on Tuesday with some of the big names on both Tours in action as the Second Round begins in the last big event before the French Open.

The big news from the tennis world actually came away from Rome on Monday when it was announced by Roger Federer that he won't be playing at the French Open this season. It won't come as a big surprise when he opted out of all clay court events in preparation for the second Grand Slam of the season, but it is still a big story considering how well Federer has played in 2017 when he has been on the court.

Titles at the Australian Open and both Indian Wells and Miami Masters has shown Federer is close to his best, but that also meant the focus for him has been the grass court and remaining hard court season. It also puts to bed the rumours that Federer will retire at the end of the 2017 season as he suggested he would be back at the French Open next season and this decision is designed to give him the best possible chance of success for a number of years on the Tour.

Roger Federer will arguably be the favourite to win at Wimbledon so it didn't make a lot of sense for Federer to play one clay court event rather than focusing on the tournaments in Stuttgart and Halle in June which will be played in preparation for SW19.


On Tuesday we are also expected to find out whether Maria Sharapova will be given a Wild Card into the French Open either at the main draw or Qualifying stages. She confirmed a place in the Wimbledon Qualifiers on Monday in Rome, but Sharapova may still be expecting to receive a Wild Card into the main draw there too, although I have a feeling the French Open will give her a spot in the Qualifiers and Wimbledon will allow Sharapova to play the Qualifiers and earn her right back into the main draw.

The Sharapova issue remains a controversial one, but she can move on from that with a good run in Rome to rebuild her Ranking into a position where Wild Cards are not required for the big events later in the season as well as at the US Open.


Johanna Konta - 3.5 games v Yulia Putintseva: The clay court swing is not going to be the most productive time of the season for Johanna Konta especially with the British player still trying to work out exactly how to be effective on the surface. The movement is an issue for Konta and the patience to build the points is different to how she can play on the hard and grass courts.

I am not expecting big runs for Konta either here in Rome or at the French Open unless she can mentally prepare for the clay better than she has done. In saying that, I do think Konta can get the better of Yulia Putintseva who has a solid win over Monica Puig in the First Round, but who has not been in great form over the last six weeks in the move to the clay courts.

I think Putintseva will have the edge when it comes to the movement around the court, but Konta should be able to have a slight edge when it comes to the power off the ground. The serve is definitely stronger from Konta who can then set up short balls to put the pressure on Putintseva and I do think the higher Ranked player will earn the majority of break points.

It hasn't been a fun experience on the clay courts for Konta since winning the Miami Premier Event, but the two losses she has suffered have come against solid clay courters. I am not so sure Putintseva is of the same level as the likes of Anastasija Sevastova or Laura Siegemund and so I am looking for Konta to have the power edge in the match to break down Putintseva.

I can see both sets being tough battles for the players with a number of breaks of serve, but ultimately I am looking for Konta to get the better of both and come through 7-5, 6-4.


Maria Sharapova - 4.5 games v Mirjana Lucic-Baroni: This is the second time in as many weeks that Maria Sharapova and Mirjana Lucic-Baroni are meeting on the Tour and I am looking for Sharapova to make it two wins from two.

Last week they did play a competitive match in Madrid which looks more comfortable in terms of games won than it was at times. Sharapova really struggled to get her serve going in that match until the final set, and the Russian did have some problems holding on against Christina McHale in the First Round here.

Sharapova knows she will have to be better against Lucic-Baroni, although I am anticipating she will have a number of chances to break the serve of the veteran too. Last week Sharapova created 19 break points in the three sets they competed against one another and Lucic-Baroni did have a tough First Round match to get through on Monday.

The Lucic-Baroni serve is likely to be attacked with some real success from Sharapova, but she is playing well enough to cause some problems of her own. I can see that creating another really competitive first set, but this time I expect Sharapova to get on top of her opponent a little quicker and being able to overpower Lucic-Baroni in a big hitting match.

I will be looking for Sharapova to come through with a 6-4, 6-3 kind of win this week.


Pablo Carreno Busta - 3.5 games v Gilles Simon: If this match was played twelve months ago, I would suggest that Gilles Simon would have been the favourite but the two players have moved in different directions since then. In fact they played twice on the clay courts during the 2016 European swing and both times Simon was the favourite to beat Pablo Carreno Busta, although the two matches were split with a win apiece.

Pablo Carreno Busta may have had a disappointing early exit in Madrid last week, but he has been a player who has significantly improved over the last few months. He is very comfortable on the clay courts, although you have to respect that Simon is still a player who can wear down opponents mentally and physically with his style.

However I do think the Frenchman has lost half a step around the court and Carreno Busta is a strong clay court player who can take advantage of that. I anticipate there will be a few breaks points for both players too and there will be swings in momentum, but it is the Spaniard who I believe will come out on top.

Simon has had some really disappointing one sided losses in 2017 and I am going to put down Carreno Busta's poor result in Madrid to be down to him winning the title in Estoril days earlier. There are no such excuses this week in Rome and I am going to look for Carreno Busta to work his way to a 7-5, 6-3 kind of win in this First Round match.


John Isner - 2.5 games v Florian Mayer: Both John Isner and Florian Mayer have had solid First Round wins in Rome behind them this week, but it is the big American who I am backing to progress to the Third Round. The clay courts might not be the favoured domain of those coming across from North America, but Isner is comfortable on the surface and actually appreciates the time he usually gets.

The courts in Rome should be good for Isner who has a very good win over Albert Ramos-Vinolas behind him in the draw. The Isner serve is still a huge weapon on the surface and the added time to get his forehand into play certainly suits Isner.

His opponent Florian Mayer has to be respected and has the kind of game that can bamboozle opponents. The serve can be under-rated when the German is feeling his game and the slicing and dicing employed off the ground is alien to so many opponents that Mayer can frustrate and confuse them.

However the veteran is not at his peak these days and a sloppy service game or two is not really that far away from him at this stage of his career. Mayer hasn't had a lot of wins this season which is going to put him at a mental disadvantage in this match and I can see Isner finding a way through the Mayer serve at least twice during the course of the match.

After a tight first set, I will be looking for Isner to find his way to a 7-6, 6-3 win in this one.


Marin Cilic - 4.5 games v Ryan Harrison: Ryan Harrison came back from a set and a break down to beat Jared Donaldson in the First Round here, but the challenge increases significantly in the Second Round when he faces Istanbul Champion Marin Cilic.

Cilic is off a disappointing early exit to Alexander Zverev at the Madrid Masters, but the young German has a decent head to head against Cilic and is also comfortable on the clay courts. The same can't be said for Ryan Harrison who is happy for the points earned from coming through the First Round but is likely to be much happier once the clay court season is behind us.

There are some problems for Cilic to resolve in this one as Harrison has a decent serve and will play aggressively to try and put his opponent under pressure. Unfortunately for Harrison, I am not sure he will have the patience on the clay courts to really build the points and that is where Cilic has to feel the longer a rally goes, the more chance he has to win the point.

The Croatian has a big serve of his own to set up the points and I think Cilic can take advantage of the Harrison second serve to move into a position to win this match and cover this number. I expect a better week here in Rome for Cilic than he had in Madrid and he can begin his run with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Harrison.

MY PICKS: Johanna Konta - 3.5 Games @ 1.85 William Hill (2 Units)
Maria Sharapova - 4.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Pablo Carreno Busta - 3.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)
John Isner - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Sky Bet (2 Units)
Marin Cilic - 4.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Rome Update: 3-1, + 3.30 Units (8 Units Staked, + 41.25% Yield)

Midweek Football Picks 2017 (May 15-18)

The Premier League and majority of big European Leagues will come to a close at the end of this week and that means a couple of months without a lot of football is ready to come out.

It has been a difficult season for the picks, but that's just the way it goes sometimes and I just have to do some research over the next few months to prepare for the 2017/18 season.

This week we have a number of make-up games in the Premier League as we complete the season on Sunday.


Chelsea v Watford Pick: The emotion of winning the Premier League just a few days ago has to be factored in to the kind of performance Chelsea are going to be able to produce on Monday. The celebrations will mean the players might just lose a touch of intensity, while Antonio Conte may make some big changes to his starting eleven to ensure his key players are ready for the FA Cup Final in two weeks time.

You can certainly see John Terry starting the last couple of League games as he signs off on his Chelsea career and other fringe players may also get their opportunity with the Premier League title secured.

Even with that in mind, Chelsea are home for the final two League games and I don't think there will be a big let down. They are also fortunate in the two opponents they have yet to play and Watford is an ideal fixture for a celebration considering how poorly they have played down the stretch.

The Hornets have not scored in their last 6 away Premier League games and the players may just have stopped playing for the manager now their future has been secured. There could be a managerial change again at Vicarage Road in the summer and I do think it will be tough for Watford to pick up their own play for this fixture.

I considered picking Chelsea to win to nil, but I think they can celebrate the Premier League with a convincing performance at Stamford Bridge on Monday. Conte will inspire his players to keep pushing and I think Chelsea win this by a couple of goals at least against a demotivated Watford.


Arsenal v Sunderland Pick: The top four chances took a huge blow on Sunday for Arsenal as Liverpool's win over West Ham United means The Gunners are hoping for at least one upset in the final week of the season to change things for them. They can at least try and keep the pressure on Liverpool and Manchester City by winning this Premier League game on Tuesday, although they will likely need a performance from already relegated Middlesbrough to have any chance of returning to the Champions League.

Arsene Wenger can't focus on that, but has to make sure Arsenal keep up their recent good run of form and at least have some momentum to take into the FA Cup Final. Winning that competition without a top four finish won't alleviate any pressure on the manager though and a big decision needs to be made at the Emirates Stadium in the next couple of weeks.

The players haven't given up on the manager as shown by their run of recent wins which has given them a chance of breaking back into the top four at the final hurdle. They have been winning games and scoring plenty of goals and I am not sure Sunderland are going to be able to offer enough resistance in this one.

Another poor performance on Saturday upset the locals as Sunderland were beaten by Swansea City at the Stadium of Light and a lack of goals has been an issue all season. They have failed to score in 6 of their last 8 away games in all competitions while Arsenal have kept clean sheets in their last 4 home Premier League games.

Instead of looking for Arsenal to cover a big handicap, I am looking for them to win this game with another clean sheet and I will back that at a decent enough price. The Gunners defence is far from watertight, but Sunderland's struggles in front of goal can't be ignored and I will back the home side to win the game and keep the clean sheet.


Manchester City v West Brom Pick: The West Brom players may have had a day extra to prepare for this fixture, but I think the players also put in an absolutely huge effort in their 0-1 home loss to Chelsea which would have taken away some of the energy in the legs.

That could be a big problem at Manchester City who remain a team who can create a lot of chances at home, but who look vulnerable at the back. I am not sure West Brom are going to have the belief to really have a go at Manchester City and will look to defend in numbers, but they put in so much mentally and physically against Chelsea that perhaps there isn't enough to contain a fast and exciting Manchester City attack.

A lack of clinical finishing does continue to disappoint Pep Guardiola but I think it could be a long evening for West Brom and better decisions in the final third will likely see Manchester City win with some comfort.

West Brom haven't been easy to beat away from home with 4 of their last 6 in the Premier League ending in draws, but around that you have seen heavy losses at Tottenham Hotspur, Everton and Watford. With the tiredness in the squad following Friday's efforts, I think they may struggle to avoid another heavy loss to Manchester City and I am going to back the home side to put themselves right on the brink of earning their place in the Champions League Group Stage with a convincing win on Tuesday.


Southampton v Manchester United Pick: There is next to nothing on the line for both Southampton and Manchester United in this make up game in the Premier League on Wednesday. Both Claude Puel and Jose Mourinho will make changes to the starting eleven to keep some freshness in the legs of the players and you can understand why the layers have made it odds on for fewer than three goals to be shared out.

Southampton have just been struggling for goals in recent Premier League games as fatigue and perhaps losing faith in Puel has taken hold.

On the other hand, Manchester United have been looking a little leggy down the stretch while the manager's proclamation of focusing on the Europa League has filtered down into the recent Manchester United performances in the Premier League.

It really might not be a great football game on Wednesday with both teams looking ahead to other issues and not having a full concentration on the fixture at hand. Perhaps that lack of focus means there could be a few lapses of concentration at the back, but both Southampton and Manchester United have shown defensive strength even when the attacking performances have not been up to the standard the fans would hope.

Games at St Mary's between these teams have usually been very entertaining in terms of goals scored. This one might go against the grain at this point of the season and I don't think there will be a lot of goals scored.

The 1-1 is a player, but I will be looking for one, or both, of these teams failing to score on Wednesday in what feels like it could be a real 'end of season feel' to the game.


Leicester City v Tottenham Hotspur Pick: This game does not have as much on the line as when the television networks asked for it to be played on a Thursday so it could be broadcast. Both Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur are ending the season with some positive momentum though and the freedom for the players to express themselves should mean this is an entertaining game.

Leicester City have some defensive problems which should be exploited by the talent that Tottenham Hotspur have in the final third. On the other hand, Leicester City have played very well at home under Craig Shakespeare and have won 5 straight League games here under him while scoring at least twice in each game.

The strong Tottenham Hotspur defence that has been in evidence at White Hart Lane has not been as effective away from home and so I do anticipate Leicester City will have some chances. They have been playing with more effectiveness under Shakespeare and looking more like the Leicester City that won the title last season.

Both teams should be willing to put in a full effort to win the game with nothing to lose and I think there will be three goals shared out in this fixture. I can see both teams scoring and someone should have the quality to get something more from the game and backing at least three goals to be scored looks the way forward.

MY PICKS: Chelsea - 1.5 Asian Handicap @ 1.73 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Arsenal Win to Nil @ 1.80 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Manchester City - 2.25 Asian Handicap @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Southampton-Manchester United Both Teams to Score- NO @ 2.10 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Leicester City-Tottenham Hotspur Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.75 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Weekend Football Picks 2015 (May 16-18)

Southampton v Aston Villa Pick: The first game of the Premier League weekend should be an interesting one as Southampton have really picked up their form at home in recent weeks, while Aston Villa have given the likes of Manchester United and Manchester City something to think about in losing efforts at those grounds.

Wins at Sunderland and Tottenham Hotspur show how far Aston Villa have come when it comes to the mental side of the game and they are a team playing with confidence and belief that they can get a result anywhere.

I would expect both teams to try and get forward to score the goals to win this game and both have been doing that in recent weeks to give off the feeling that we will see goals in the game.

I'd likely favour Southampton because of their recent successes at St Mary's, but Aston Villa have been very dangerous in recent games. I would be surprised if Villa don't score at least once in this game and I am going to back there being at least three goals in this game.


Burnley v Stoke City Pick: The final home game of the season won't have the atmosphere that is typically associated with a relegated team as the Burnley fans are well aware that their team was limited, but have given their all through the season. There have been some special results for Burnley, including drawing at Chelsea and beating Manchester City at Turf Moor, but the team ultimately was short of goals and the necessary quality at this level.

Sean Dyche's attention may already have turned to next season and bringing in the players to ensure an immediate return to the Premier League, but he will want to end this season on a positive note. Avoiding bottom spot in the League table would be one such goal in mind and Burnley won't be rolling over for Stoke City even if they have been having a hard time scoring goals.

That might be an issue against a tough Stoke City team that will want a bit of revenge for a home loss to Burnley and who are also trying to finish as high as possible in the Premier League. Mark Hughes has been improving the way Stoke City have gone about their football and the team have responded with a top half of the table finish, which can be confirmed with a win on Saturday.

When thinking about it, I am finding it hard to see why Stoke City are the not the favourite to win this game aside from the Burnley team putting in a huge effort in their final home game. I don't expect it to be easy, but the lack of goals in the home team is a concern and Stoke City have been playing well in recent weeks, albeit not away from home.

They have lost 3 of their last 4 away games in the Premier League, but Stoke City are a big price to end their season on their travels with a victory. It has to be worth a small interest considering Burnley have had a tough time scoring goals at home in recent games and Stoke City can sneak the three points back down to the Brittania Stadium.


Sunderland v Leicester City Pick: If this game had been played last weekend, it would have been full of tension for both Sunderland and Leicester City, but I think the results have given the away side a little more freedom.

Sunderland may have pulled themselves out of the bottom three, but they are still in a dangerous position as a defeat here could potentially see them needing to earn results at either Arsenal or Chelsea to ensure they avoid the drop. That is a pressure situation for the home side, especially if they hear Hull City have the lead at White Hart Lane, while I think Leicester City have a lot of confidence and can play knowing they are almost safe.

It would take a real strange set of results for Leicester City to finish in the bottom three at this stage, but they won't want to go into the last day needing a result and Nigel Pearson will look for the points to secure top flight status on Saturday. His team have been scoring plenty of goals and you can't buy the confidence that comes from a run of 6 wins in 7 games.

Leicester City have won tough away games at West Brom and Burnley in that run too and the fact they have been scoring goals could give them the edge in this one.

I actually think the Foxes can win here and Sunderland may be looking for a favour or two from the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United to prevent Hull City overtaking them. You have to credit the steel with which Sunderland have been grinding out results as they use the experiences of twelve months ago to once again pull themselves out of a very sticky situation, but Leicester City are the team in form and can earn the three points.


Liverpool v Crystal Palace Pick: When the Sky television cameras decided to pitch up at Anfield for this game last month, they would have been expecting Liverpool to be firmly in the midst of challenging for a Champions League spot. However, the game doesn't have the same kind of feeling at all after Liverpool could only draw 1-1 at Chelsea last weekend and so the focus has shifted onto Steven Gerrard.

Gerrard plays his last game at Anfield for Liverpool this weekend and all of the attention is on him for this game, which has to be a real distraction to the players. The fact the Champions League is no out of reach is another issue the Liverpool players have to deal with as they look to the end of what has been a long and ultimately disappointing campaign for them.

And if Crystal Palace produce what they have in their recent losses at Chelsea and at home to Manchester United, they can take advantage of any lingering disappointment and frustration the home team might have. There is pace to burn in the forward areas for Crystal Palace and they should have a real chance to utilise the counter-attack that Alan Pardew prefers.

Any distraction or loss of focus in the home dressing room can be punished by Crystal Palace and I think Liverpool are a remarkably short price considering everything going on at the club.

Neither team has much to lose from this game, which can free players up in their minds, but Liverpool might be trying too hard to make this a memorable occasion for Steven Gerrard rather than trying to win the game. Of course they WANT to win, but Crystal Palace have the pace to expose what has been a soft underbelly and I like their chances to get something from this game.

It has to be worth a small interest in backing Crystal Palace on the English Handicap to avoid defeat at Anfield on Saturday.


Manchester United v Arsenal Pick: After some rough weeks with teams figuring out what Manchester United want to do, Louis Van Gaal had to be happy with the heart his team displayed in beating a Crystal Palace team that gave everything they could last weekend. That has put Manchester United all but into the Champions League for next season and now the focus turns to trying to steal 3rd place from under the noses of Arsenal.

This might be the kind of game that Manchester United need to get back to the form they showed to hammer Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool and Manchester City in a small stretch of games. Unlike the likes of Chelsea and Everton, Arsenal are unlikely to do a man-marking job to stop Manchester United playing as Arsene Wenger has enough belief in his teams to outplay the opposition.

It just isn't in the Wenger make-up to try and stifle his opponents and he is much more comfortable allowing his own team to express themselves. For the most part in 2015, Arsenal have expressed themselves very well and even the loss to Swansea came because of a lack of composure in front of goal and former goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski having the game of his life.

If they create the same sort of chances at Old Trafford, it is unlikely that Arsenal will be as bad in front of goal for a second consecutive game. And Arsenal should have a chance to create those chances with the Manchester United defence still not 100% certain of keeping teams out unless David De Gea makes some fabulous saves as he did at Selhurst Park last weekend.

On the other hand, I am expecting Manchester United to have their success in front of goal too as Arsenal will give them a chance to play their game and create chances. Both Wayne Rooney and Robin Van Persie are expected to be available for selection so Manchester United should be capable of scoring goals and this could be an entertaining game on Sunday with plenty on the line.

Both games between Manchester United and Arsenal have featured goals this season and I will back there being at least three shared by the teams on Sunday.

MY PICKS: Southampton-Aston Villa Over 2.5 Goals @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Stoke City @ 3.00 Bet Victor (1 Unit)
Leicester City @ 2.80 Bet Fred (1 Unit)
Crystal Palace + 1 English Handicap @ 2.70 Bet365 (1 Unit)
Manchester United-Arsenal Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.85 Betfair Sportsbook (2 Units)

May Update: 6-12, - 9.66 Units (36 Units Staked, - 26.83% Yield)

April Final: 18-27-1, - 14.29 Units (83 Units Staked, - 17.22% Yield)
March Final: 30-18, + 30.66 Units (88 Units Staked, + 34.84% Yield)
February Final: 20-24-2, + 3.19 Units (75 Units Staked, + 4.25% Yield)
January Final: 10-22-1, - 10.54 Units (57 Units Staked, - 18.49% Yield)
December Final: 25-19-1, + 18.70 Units (81 Units Staked, + 23.09% Yield)
November Final: 17-21, - 0.59 Units (69 Units Staked, - 1% Yield)
October Final: 8-18, - 14.79 Units (47 Units Staked, - 31.47% Yield)
September Final: 12-18, - 2.28 Units (41 Units Staked, - 5.56% Yield)
August Final: 8-22, - 19.92 Units (51 Units Staked, - 39.06% Yield)

Season 2014/15: 148-189-5, - 9.86 Units (592 Units Staked, - 1.67% Yield)
Season 2013/14: 164-185-3, + 15.84 Units (577 Units Staked, + 2.75% Yield)
Season 2012/13: + 4.42 Units (415 Units Staked, + 1.07% Yield)

Rome Tennis Picks 2014 (May 16th)

When Jo-Wilfried Tsonga missed a number of chances to take the first set of his match against Milos Raonic, I tweeted out that I was hoping it wasn't going to be one of those days when the little bit of luck needed was not going to be on my side.

I had nothing to fear as the rest of the day proved to be very successful for the picks and has rebuilt the season totals that were so badly affected by a poor week in Madrid last week.

With the Quarter Finals all scheduled for Friday, hopefully the good run of the last couple of days can go on for a few more days before the French Open begins in a little over a week from today.


Milos Raonic - 3.5 games v Jeremy Chardy: Jeremy Chardy followed up his impressive win over Roger Federer with a comfortable one over Ivan Dodig, but his tournament could come to an end against the big-serving Canadian.

I backed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to beat Milos Raonic on Thursday, but the aggressive style of play that is favoured by the latter these days paid dividends once he got through a first set he should really have lost.

The match up with Chardy that is seemingly up Raonic's street as he has won all four previous matches they have played on the professional Tour, including a comfortable straight sets win in Madrid last week.

Raonic can put immense pressure on Chardy with his serve and it could lead to the Frenchman perhaps pushing too hard to stay with him. The groundies of Chardy can be erratic too and Raonic dominated his second serve last week to the extent that anything similar will give him a great chance to record another comfortable win against him and move into the Semi Final.


Grigor Dimitrov - 2.5 games v Tommy Haas: The veteran Tommy Haas is showing very little sign of slowing down as a threat on the Tour and his win over Stanislas Wawrinka in the Third Round was impressive.

Arguably, Grigor Dimitrov's win over Tomas Berdych later in the afternoon was even more impressive in the manner it came about and this should lead to a top quality Quarter Final between two one-handed backhand exponents.

I am giving the edge to Dimitrov in the contest as I believe he will have a little more in the tank at this stage of their careers, while also slightly better when it comes to the serve and the return of serve. These can make all the difference in what should be a fascinating encounter and I like Dimitrov to come through with a 63, 46, 64 win.


Andy Murray + 4.5 games v Rafael Nadal: It is hard to believe that these two players have not met since 2011 considering they have both been at the top of the men's game in that time, so this is going to be an interesting match to view.

Andy Murray wanted the match with Rafael Nadal to assess how well his preparations have been going for the French Open, although I don't think anyone is confusing this Nadal with the one that has been so dominant on the clay courts over the last decade.

For the second match in a row, Nadal was pushed harder than expected and I think Murray has every chance of becoming the latest player to be able to do that. The Brit hasn't been serving as well as he will need to in this match, but I think he will also have a few chances to break serve as Nadal just isn't getting enough from that aspect of his game.

Can Murray win the match? I believe he could, but that will come down to taking the key points and keeping Nadal down if he gets into a strong position, something Mikhail Youzhny couldn't do on Thursday when leading 76, 20 before losing 11 games in a row.

Even a competitive loss would give Murray the cover and I think he will be able to do that at the least.


Ana Ivanovic - 3.5 games v Carla Suarez Navarro: I have backed Ana Ivanovic twice this week and I am going to risk being behind her for at least one more match- it is simply a risk because Ivanovic can blow hot and cold on a tennis court and you can't always be convinced with what you are going to see.

If she is cold, Carla Suarez Navarro has the nous and expertise on the clay courts to take advantage and move through to the Semi Final, but if Ivanovic is on her game, I would expect her to be too strong for the Spaniard.

The extra power should see Ivanovic through if she is on form, especially against the weaker second serve that Suarez Navarro possesses. The inconsistency is the biggest factor that can't be determined in Ivanovic's game at this moment, but I would think she can win this match 63, 64.


Agnieszka Radwanska - 2.5 games v Jelena Jankovic: Agnieszka Radwanska has won the last five matches in a row against Jelena Jankovic which suggests there is something not quite right in the match up for the Serb.

I can't quite put my finger on what that is apart from the fact that Radwanska employs a few more variations in her game and that might be hurting the rhythm that Jankovic likes to play with.

Losing rhythm means more unforced errors against an opponent that thrives on them and that is where I think the clay courts will only make it harder for Jankovic to hit through her opponent.

She did win their only previous meeting on a clay court, but I expect Radwanska to square that up here with a 63, 57, 63 win.

MY PICKS: Milos Raonic - 3.5 Games @ 2.05 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Grigor Dimitrov - 2.5 Games @ 1.73 Ladbrokes (2 Units)
Andy Murray + 4.5 Games @ 1.92 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Ana Ivanovic - 3.5 Games @ 1.92 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Agnieszka Radwanska - 2.5 Games @ 2.10 Pinnacle (2 Units)

Rome Update: 12-6, + 9.26 Units (36 Units Staked, + 25.72% Yield)

Tennis Picks May 16th (Rome)

It wasn't a great day yesterday as I finished where I had started thanks to a 2-2 day with the 4 picks I made. To be honest, I am pretty happy I got out with that record considering the first two picks went down without much of a fight.

I was also happy and sad at the same time when I watched the David Nalbandian-Andy Murray match in the evening- I was happy to see Nalbandian playing as well as he did after he was crushed in the first set, but sad as he didn't have the luck on his side as Murray needed a net cord to break serve and then saved two break points by clipping lines.

Still, it shows Nalbandian is in good enough form to hopefully cause some problems at the French Open, while I think he may just have moved into one of the seeded positions for that tournament with his win in the First Round here.

My picks for Wednesday follow:

Angelique Kerber - 4.5 games v Vania King: Anyone who read my outright preview of the event knows I believe that Angelique Kerber could have a big week here and I would expect her to deal with Vania King in the form she has been in.

Neither one of the players has a great pedigree on the clay courts in their careers, but Kerber has begun to show she is more than capable on the surface this season and it has taken some of the best players on the Tour to stop here in the tournaments so far.

Kerber was not at her best in the First Round but coming through that match should give her confidence while she has won the only previous meeting between these players on a clay court a couple of years ago.


Samantha Stosur - 2.5 games v Sara Errani: I can only think that Sam Stosur has some sort of niggling injury that she is being priced so high to beat Sara Errani, especially considering she has won all 4 previous meetings between the players, although all of those have been on the hard courts.

Stosur is a former French Open Finalist so she has plenty of pedigree on the clay courts and she has been a Quarter Finalist in Madrid last week and in Stuttgart on the surface.

Errani is playing at home and she did win tournamenta in Budapest, Acapulco and Barcelona this season on the clay courts, but she won just 1 game in a loss to Agnieska Radwanska last week and she was heavily beaten by Victoria Azarenka here last season.

I think the Australian will be too strong on merit, but keep an eye out for injury news as this price looks far too nice.


Caroline Wozniacki - 5.5 games v Anabel Medina Garrigues: I am also taking the former World Number 1 today as I think her game plan can frustrate Anabel Medina Garrigues into making the mistakes that should lead to a straight forward win for Caroline Wozniacki.

Wozniacki has had some tough draws in the clay court season so it is no surprise she hasn't been seen at the latter end of tournaments, but this is a decent player for her to play as she will be allowed to get into her rhythm and Medina Garrigues is unlikely to hit through her with consistency.

The Spaniard has also lost heavily in matches she has lost recently, while a 6-1, 6-2 loss to Simona Halep is concerning as she is someone that has a similar defensive abilities as Wozniacki.

The Dane has also won the last two matches between the players and would have covered this spread in those wins.


Roger Federer - 5.5 games v Carlos Berlocq: Roger Federer dealt with the conditions in Madrid brilliantly to win the event last week and move into the top 2 in the World Rankings and I expect he is going to be too strong for Carlos Berlocq who has had injury worries of late.

Federer should be able to find a couple of breaks in one of the sets that should take him to the cover in the match and he should move through comfortably in this one as long as he doesn't make too many changes to his game to 'test' himself.

Berlocq has had a solid season, but he can make a lot of errors and that will be exposed by Federer here in my opinion.


Gilles Simon - 4.5 games v Guillermo Garcia-Lopez: This is a bit of a risky pick, but I think Gilles Simon is playing well enough at the moment to cause Guillermo Garcia-Lopez to give up enough service breaks and fail to stay within the cover in this one.

Simon beat Garcia-Lopez in Madrid last week and I think his win in Budapest will give him confidence that he can beat the Spaniard who is ranked at number 85 in the World.

I expect Simon will be able to frustrate Garcia-Lopez with his ability to force an opponent to play one more ball and that should give him the chance to break serve enough times to lead to a comfortable enough straight sets win.


John Isner - 2.5 games v Andrea Seppi: My biggest concern here is that John Isner looked so unmotivated in his win over Philip Kohlschreiber until deep into the match and how he deals with the Italian crowd that will be behind their compatriot Andreas Seppi is the key to the who match.

Most people would think the likes of Isner would hate the slower surfaces, but he has said it gives him time on the ball while not really affecting his serve and you have to believe a man that pushed Rafael Nadal to 5 sets at the French Open last year and also beat Roger Federer on the surface in a Davis Cup tie in Switzerland earlier this year.

Seppi is a solid player and did win in Belgrade, but his serve is very vulnerable and I think he will give Isner at least a couple of opportunities per set to break his serve and that will make it tough for him to come back.

Isner did need 5 sets to beat Seppi at the Australian Open in 2010, but he is an improved player since then and I think he can win this match with a break in each set.


MY PICKS: Angelique Kerber - 4.5 games @ 1.80 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Samantha Stosur - 2.5 games @ 1.92 Bet365 (2 Units)
Caroline Wozniacki - 5.5 games @ 2.10 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Roger Federer - 5.5 games @ 1.80 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Gilles Simon - 4.5 games @ 2.10 Paddy Power (2 Units)
John Isner - 2.5 games @ 2.14 Pinnacle (2 Units)


Weekly Update: 5-3, + 3.24 Units (16 Units Staked)

English Football Play Off Second Leg Picks

With the football season just about going through its final moments for the 2011-12 season, I figured I would keep this one thread for the English Play Offs that are taking place in the lower Leagues for the rest of the week.

Either tomorrow or Wednesday, I will begin working on my 'thoughts of the season' post and will give you my take on how each Premier League team performed as well as handing out some awards for significant achievements like 'Manager of the Year', 'Team of the Year' and so on.

Later in the week, I will break down the Champions League Final and give my 'keys to the game', while also writing up a full preview of the game.


Sheffield United v Stevenage Preview (http://goonersguide.com/football-pick-14253-Sheffield-United-v-Stevenage.htm)

Southend v Crewe Preview (http://goonersguide.com/football-pick-14278-Southend-v-Crewe.htm)

Torquay United v Cheltenham Preview (http://www.goonersguide.com/football-pick-14286-Torquay-United-v-Cheltenham.htm)


MY PICKS: Sheffield United-Stevenage Over 2.5 Goals @ 2.10 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Crewe + 0.5 Asian Handicap @ 1.95 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Torquay United-Cheltenham Over 2.5 Goals @ 2.10 Ladbrokes (2 Units)