NBA PlayOffs 2024- Conference Semi Final Picks Game 5-7 (May 14-20)

We had a few comfortable First Round Series in the NBA PlayOffs, which is not going to be a massive surprise to fans, but the Conference Semi Final Series have perhaps been more competitive than imagined.

At the time of writing, we have two guaranteed Game 6s to be played and by Monday evening there may be a situation where all four Series are going to head into a Game 6 no matter the outcome of the upcoming Game 5.

This is a time where teams are being worn down and the gaps between games have stretched rotations, but the last three potential games of the Conference Semi Finals are given a bit more breathing room. This should help some teams, but the pressure has ramped up ahead of the Conference Finals as the chance of a NBA Championship is felt by the players and fans.

NBA Conference Semi Final Picks- Game 5-7 (May 14th-20th)

Tuesday 14th May

Indiana Pacers @ New York Knicks Game 5 Pick: The key point to remember as fans of the New York Knicks is that the blowout loss in Game 4 counts the same as if the team were beaten by a single point... Namely it leads to one game and the Conference Semi Final Series is still tied at 2-2 before shifting back to Madison Square Garden.

There is little doubt that the Knicks looked tired and fatigued as they were punched in the mouth in the First Quarter of Game 4 and never made things competitive. The short rotation has meant the starters have played heavy minutes and the blowout loss might actually have helped the Knicks with the likes of Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart earning more rest than they would have expected.

Overcoming the absence of OG Anunoby has proven to be tough for the Knicks since signing him and the record backs that up. Unfortunately it looks unlikely that Anunoby is going to return to boost the team before Game 5 and the Knicks starters have to find a way to bounce back and slow the obvious momentum picked up by the Indiana Pacers.

After a late three pointer that turned Game 3 in their favour, the Indiana Pacers could not have come out any stronger than they did in Game 4 and they were in control of the outcome from the off. The deeper rotation is keeping the Pacers as fresh as they need to be and that is allowing to use speed and tempo to break down the New York Knicks.

More of the same has to be expected in Game 5, and they have shown they can produce some very efficient basketball at The Garden, even if the Pacers have come up short in both games here in this Series.

Momentum is with the road team, but the New York Knicks will be expecting to bounce back and just have that bit more energy thanks to the blowout defeat in Game 4. This has worked for teams in the Conference Semi Final Series in recent years with teams coming off a Game 4 defeat of more than seven points being 17-6 against the spread in the last twenty-three games in that situation.

Game 4 could not have gone any worse for the Knicks, and there is a feeling this team is wearing down, but they have shown their character all season and a response is expected. The Pacers will shoot the ball well, but they are not a Defensive powerhouse and that will help New York who may just move ahead again in this Series.

Minnesota Timberwolves @ Denver Nuggets Game 5 Pick: This has been a tough Conference Semi Final Series to predict, but the defending Champions Denver Nuggets will only be concerned with how they are playing now.

After dropping both home games to open the Series, the Nuggets have won two in a row as a road underdog to not only level the Conference Semi Final at 2-2, but they will return home as favourites to make it through to the Western Conference Finals.

Home advantage has not meant much in this Series with all four won by the road team, but the momentum is now in favour of the defending Champions. They have found a way to make adjustments Offensively, but have backed that up with continuing ability to step up Defensively and the questions are now being asked about the Minnesota Timberwolves and what they can do to turn things back in their own favour.

Anthony Edwards had a monster Game 4, but he was given little efficient support and ultimately that cost the Timberwolves.

Karl-Anthony Towns is huge for the Timberwolves, but struggled in Game 4 and that will have to change if Minnesota are going to return home later this week and not have to face an elimination game.

At the same time, Minnesota are under some pressure to make adjustments to slow down the Denver Nuggets who have been very good Offensively in back to back wins. Nikola Jokic has been as advertised in the last couple of games, but his efficiency has been helped by the big improvements made by Jamal Murray, who struggled badly in Game 1 and Game 2.

With the top two players on the roster performing to the level hoped, it has made things easier for the role players and that has seen Michael Porter Jr and Aaron Gordon both stepping up. It was Gordon's 27 points in Game 4 that will have made the headlines, especially at 11/12 from the field, and the Nuggets may just feel they have gotten to grip with the Timberwolves and this Series.

Keeping the momentum going at home will be key, but this has been a tough Series for the hosts and the favourites have struggled in Game 5 of the NBA Conference Semi Final Series in recent years. The Nuggets are right to be favoured considering what we have seen in the last couple of games, and the pressure is on Minnesota to make adjustments so the narrow lean has to be with Denver and a potential first favourite cover within this Series.

The Timberwolves have to find a way to make adjustments, but the momentum with the Nuggets is hard to ignore here.

Wednesday 15th May

Cleveland Cavaliers @ Boston Celtics Game 5 Pick: Being without Jarrett Allen has made it very difficult for the Cleveland Cavaliers in this Conference Semi Final Series, but that difficulty increased tenfold when it was announced that Donovan Mitchell would miss Game 4.

Unsurprisingly it led to a comfortable enough win for the Boston Celtics once they got to grips with an unfamiliar line up that was in front of them.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown continue to lead the Celtics and it would be a massive surprise if they are not able to complete the Series win on Wednesday and ensure they are able to earn some rest before the Conference Finals. The two top players on the Boston roster have been key to the two road wins to take a commanding 3-1 lead in the Series and they are huge favourites to win this one on Wednesday with the expectation being that both Mitchell and Allen are going to miss out again.

Adjustments from the Cleveland Cavaliers will be made, but they simply lack the firepower to take on this Boston team and even more so without their two best players on the court. The role players stepped up in Game 4, but that was at home and it is going to be a much different, much more intense atmosphere to overcome as Cleveland look for a second road win in this Conference Semi Final Series.

It looks very hard to do that and the spread underlines the difficulties for the road team.

However, it is a big number and one that could be hard for the Boston Celtics to overcome if the Cleveland Cavaliers continue to play as hard as they have in the last couple of games. The Celtics did blow out the Cavaliers at home in Game 1, and the feeling is that this is another game in this Series which will trends towards the 'over' with the amount of three point shooting expected.

48 of the 94 shots Cleveland took in Game 4 were from the three point distance and they will likely need to do the same here if they are going to earn the upset. The Celtics have not shot the three ball very well in this Series, but they are also a team that will take a lot of those looks and it could lead to a higher scoring game than expected, even when involving two solid Defensive teams.

Dallas Mavericks @ Oklahoma City Thunder Game 5 Pick: For all the world it looked like being a 3-1 lead for the Dallas Mavericks as the Fourth Quarter moved into the final minutes of Game 4, but the Oklahoma City Thunder rallied and reminded everyone why they are the Number 1 Seed in the West.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the superstar in the making, but this Thunder team has a very strong, young core, that are a growing after every game in the post-season.

It was SGA who led the way in the comeback against the Mavericks in Game 4, but Dallas are going to feel like they gave it away.

Luka Doncic had a triple-double, but Kyrie Irving offered very little support and it was PJ Washington who once again stepped up to support the top Mavericks player. However, it was not a very good game from Doncic who made just 6/20 shots from the field and who had more Turnovers than made shots at the end of the game.

The Mavericks know they are going to need more from Doncic, who is playing through the pain, but they will also want to see Irving step up having failed to score at least 10 points for the second time in the Series. The first time it was not a concern with Dallas winning easily on the road, but it is after the narrow loss in Game 4, a defeat that pushes the momentum on the side of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

This time Oklahoma City are the big favourite in Game 5, but this might be the third time in a row to back the 'under' play in this Conference Semi Final Series.

Both teams have shown they can be competitive Defensively and the referees seem to be letting the players perform through contact. In three of the four games played in the Series, the teams have finished under the total line set and even the drop in that total has not prevented the teams to continue to dominate on the Defensive side of the court.

Having to play Overtime would almost certainly see this game fly over the total, but if it ends in regulation, the feeling is that the slightly out of sync Offensive units will not be able to combine for enough points to surpass the total line set.

Thursday 16th May

Denver Nuggets @ Minnesota Timberwolves Game 6 Pick: The defending Champions have certainly reminded everyone why they won the Championship last year and why they still have the best player in the NBA on their roster.

Dropping the first two games of a Series, both at home no less, would have dented the confidence of most, but that is not the case for the Denver Nuggets. Instead they have beaten the Minnesota Timberwolves three times in a row and now return to Target Center hoping to book a spot in the Western Conference Finals without having to host another game.

All of the momentum is with the Nuggets who have shown their strength at both sides of the court, while the Minnesota Timberwolves look to be wearing down. Anthony Edwards is a star in the making, but like many others before him, he is learning a valuable lesson about PlayOff Basketball and what it means when the stakes are ramped up.

He did have 18 points in Game 5, but Anthony Edwards took 15 shots to do that.

A bigger adjustment for the team will be trying to find a way to slow down Nikola Jokic, who picked up his MVP award on Tuesday and underlined his status as the best player in the NBA by dominating the Timberwolves in a big win for Denver. 75 points have been scored across the last two games and Jokic was extra special in the Game 5 win having performed without turning the ball over once.

Enough support is being provided by the likes of Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon and the Nuggets have all of the momentum to carry them through to the Western Conference Finals by winning a fourth game in a row.

The underdog is 17-8 against the spread in Game 6 of the Conference Semi Final Series over the last ten years and it is difficult to see what kind of adjustments Minnesota can make to stop the Denver Nuggets after three successive losses.

Being at home should mean the Timberwolves are going to leave it all on the court to try and push a Game 7 across the line this weekend, but Minnesota's Offensive issues have not been cleared up. That means relying on making the stops to stay competitive, but they have had no answer for Nikola Jokic and we may see more of the same on Thursday.

Friday 17th May

New York Knicks @ Indiana Pacers Game 6 Pick: One half of the Eastern Conference Finals has been set after the Boston Celtics won their Conference Semi Final Series in the exact same manner as they won their First Round Series.

While the top Seed in the East and the favourite to win the NBA Championship will be resting, Game 6 of the Indiana Pacers-New York Knicks Series takes place on Friday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Home court has proven to be decisive in this Series so far with all five games won by the host, and that means the New York Knicks are leading the Series 3-2. The blowout loss in Game 4 was a concern, but the starters were well rested for Game 5 and the adjustment to the starting line up and bringing in Miles McBride into the five proved to be a very strong move for the Knicks.

They returned the favour to the Pacers by blowing them away in Game 5 and the Knicks will also appreciate the extra day of rest between that game and this one back in Indiana. Instead of one day of rest between games, there has been two clear days and that is so important to a short-handed Knicks team, and that may give them every opportunity to try and close this Series without having to play one more game at Madison Square Garden on Sunday.

OG Anunoby's absence has been keenly felt by the Knicks and he is expected to miss the remainder of this Series, even if he is beginning to get back on the court. Having him return for the Eastern Conference Finals would be a huge boost for the New York Knicks, but no one in this locker room will be looking too far ahead and they will certainly be anticipating a reaction from the Indiana Pacers.

The Pacers couldn't miss in Game 4 to level the Series, but they were also dominant on the boards and that is where the Knicks took over in their Game 5 win. The Indiana role players have been better at home, while Tyrese Haliburton will also have something to prove having scored just 13 points in 33 minutes on the court in what was a surprisingly passive display.

He had scored 55 points across Game 3 and Game 4 and being back on home court should help in what should be a more competitive game than the last two we have seen.

The spread looks to be in a good position for the New York Knicks to make use of the points being given to them, but the lean instead may be on the 'under'.

That total line has dropped a couple of points after the last two blowouts, but you have to believe the Defensive intensity will be higher after a couple of days of rest. The 'under' is on a 9-2 run in Game 6 of the Conference Semi Final Series and it has hit in three in a row in this Series.

Both teams can get very hot from the three point line, which challenges this total line mark, but there is little margin for error at this stage of this Series and so the Defensive focus may take over for both teams after back to back blowouts for the hosts.

Saturday 18th May

Oklahoma City Thunder @ Dallas Mavericks Game 6 Pick: This has been a really competitive Series and the Dallas Mavericks may feel they have broken the spirit of the young Oklahoma City Thunder, even if they are the Number 1 Seed in the Western Conference. However, Game 4 saw the Thunder win here at the American Airlines Center and this Series is far from over right now.

A big effort will be needed and the Thunder will certainly be hoping that Luka Doncic of Game 4 is playing, rather than the Doncic who was smiling and happy in a dominant Game 5 performance. A late block from Luka Doncic turned the game completely in favour of the Mavericks and Dallas will feel they can go as far as their best player can take them.

Once again adjustments will have to be made by the Oklahoma City Thunder, although they may also feel a couple of days of between games will have helped cool down Doncic.

The Thunder will have to be more convincing on the boards and they have to find a way to force others to beat them if they are going to drag this Conference Semi Final Series into a Game 7 decider, like the other Western Conference Semi Final.

They have talented youngsters, but the Mavericks have really picked up their Defensive intensity and worked out a way to cool the Thunder down. That has seen Dallas win three of the last four games and Oklahoma City have not scored more than 101 points in any of the last three.

However, one of those still produced a winning effort thanks to their own Defensive make up and this Game 6 may follow recent trends.

After the Denver-Minnesota Game 6 on Thursday, the 'under' has been a winner in ten of the last twelve Game 6s played in the Conference Semi Finals. Both the Mavericks and Thunder know the importance of keeping things steady on that side of the court and each of the last three in this Series has fallen below the total points line set.

In saying that, it should be noted that the total has moved from 216.5 points in Game 3 down as low as 209 points in some places for this one. This is a considerable drop, but the teams look locked in on the Defensive side of the court and that may show up in the final score on the day.

Picking a winner is not easy with the underdog in good form in recent Game 6s, but Denver failed to cover in such a spot on Thursday and Dallas may feel they have broken the back of this Series by winning Game 5 on the road. Three wins in four games certainly gives them the momentum and the Mavericks might just edge to the victory in another strong Defensive showing.

Sunday 19th May

Indiana Pacers @ New York Knicks Game 7 Pick: Home court has proven to be key to this Series and the New York Knicks will be hoping that trend remains strong as we are treated to a Game 7 in this Eastern Conference Semi Final.

The Boston Celtics are going to be big favourites regardless of the winner, but there is some pressure on the Knicks who will be aiming to reach a first Conference Finals in almost twenty-five years. They led 2-0 and 3-2 in the Series and so the expectation will have been raised, while the players may feel a big opportunity was missed if New York are not able to rally one more time.

Losing on Friday evening in Indiana would have hurt and the Pacers will have had some confidence restored, but the mental hurdle here is that they have yet to win at Madison Square Garden in the Series.

After blowing out the Knicks in Game 4, the Pacers could not have arrived at The Garden in any more confident mood than when they did in Game 5, but they were on the wrong end of a blowout on that day.

It is quite clear that the Rebounding is going to be massive and that has been key to the successes of the teams, especially clearing up the three point misses and making sure that second chances can be created. This is something New York have been able to do much more effectively at Madison Square Garden than on the road and this may be the key to the outcome of this one.

Indiana will have confidence and Game 6 winners have had the edge in recent Game 7s in the Conference Semi Finals. That has to offer them something to hold onto as they look for a first win here in this Series, but the players have not quite reached the same level of performance when playing here and that might be the key factor that influences the outcome of this one.

Pressure and tension will be really high on the day as the two teams look to reach the Eastern Conference Finals, but the Knicks can show their ability to bounce back and edge through with a win and cover at home.

Minnesota Timberwolves @ Denver Nuggets Game 7 Pick: It looked like the defending Champions had gotten a full grip on this Conference Semi Final Series, but the Minnesota Timberwolves rallied for a Game 6 win to force this Game 7. Prior to that, the Denver Nuggets had won three in a row and looked like they had been very comfortable with the match up, but they were blown out last time out and have to deal with this 'Win or Go Home' spot.

Being back at home for that one is a benefit and the Nuggets will be looking to make one or two adjustments having failed to contain Anthony Edwards as they had in the previous three wins.

The Timberwolves credited the return of Mike Conley for opening things up for Edwards, but Denver have won games with Conley on the floor for the opponent and it was just a dud performance from the off.

The home crowd and the conditions in Denver will favour the Nuggets, but there is pressure- for example they have played three times here in this Series against the Timberwolves and have lost twice.

However, they did win last time out here and that will help the Nuggets, while they will just make a couple of Defensive adjustments to make sure they are in better shape to deal with what Minnesota bring to the court.

The expectation is that the Denver Nuggets cannot be as poor Offensively as they were in Game 6- they started badly and never really found a way to get things going, but Denver have showed enough prior to Game 6 to believe they can get back on the horse.

They followed a 26 point loss to the Timberwolves in Game 2 to blowout Minnesota by 27 points in their next game. Having a couple of days of rest between games will help Denver refocus and all of their experiences to fall back upon may just see them find a way to get over the line.

Nothing will come easy for Denver, but they have shown they are strong enough Defensively to largely manage what Minnesota bring to the court and the Nuggets can wear them down over the course of this important Game 7.

MY PICKS: 14/05 New York Knicks - 2.5 Points @ 1.91 Coral (1 Unit)

14/05 Denver Nuggets - 4 Points @ 1.91 William Hill (1 Unit)

15/05 Boston Celtics-Cleveland Cavaliers Over 205.5 Points @ 1.91 William Hill (1 Unit)

15/05 Oklahoma City Thunder-Dallas Mavericks Under 213.5 Points @ 1.91 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

16/05 Denver Nuggets + 2.5 Points @ 1.91 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

17/05 Indiana Pacers-New York Knicks Under 215.5 Points @ 1.91 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

18/05 Dallas Mavericks-Oklahoma City Thunder Under 209.5 Points @ 1.91 William Hill (1 Unit)

19/05 New York Knicks - 2 Points @ 1.91 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

19/05 Denver Nuggets - 5 Points @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Conference Semi Final Update: 13-11, + 0.87 Units (24 Units Staked, + 3.63% Yield)

First Round: 22-17, + 3.27 Units (38 Units Staked, + 8.61% Yield)

Boxing Picks 2023- Devin Haney vs Vasyl Lomachenko (May 20th)

While the Heavyweight Division remains stagnant, the lower weight classes are continuing to offer up some big fights to keep us Boxing fans happy with the sport.

We should have really seen the Undisputed Heavyweight World Title decided last month, but instead it is another week where we seem to be back into social media posts about one another rather than actually signing a contract to settle things inside the ring.

The breakdown of Oleksandr Usyk's talks with Daniel Dubois for his mandatory defence of the WBA World Title has followed on the heels of Tyson Fury's rumoured bouts with Zhilei Zhang and Andy Ruiz both seemingly becoming impossible to make too. It is all a big disappointment and the Saudi Arabia tournament that has been rumoured is to take place in the final quarter of the year and ultimately I think we are all bored off the lack of movement at the top of the Heavyweight Division.

Over the next two weeks we are going to see World Titles defended at Cruiserweight and in the Featherweight Divisions, while there is a pretty big Undisputed fight taking place in the women's side of the sport.

However, all are under the cloud of the super-fight between Devin Haney and Vasyl Lomachenko for all of the World Titles in the 135 Division and that takes place this weekend in Las Vegas.

All we want as fans is to see the best fighting the best and this weekend it is certainly going to be a headline fight that should be drawing attention from all in the sport.

Last weekend proved to be one with a slight profit produced for the Boxing Picks and that has dragged the total very close to moving back into the black for the season.

I was fortunate with the extremely controversial Stoppage awarded to Rolly Romero and I do think he is either going to have to pay the WBA organisation a lot of money to be protected, or he is going to be found out very quickly.

He has been ordered to face Ohara Davies next and I think that is a fight that the British fighter will feel he can win and then perhaps look for the rematch with Josh Taylor down the line.

Janibek Alimkhanuly battered an overmatched Steven Butler far earlier than I thought he might and has called out some of the big names in the Middleweight Division, but I am still not convinced that he is as good as he thinks. Butler was made to order, but Denzel Bentley showed what can be achieved against this 'boogeyman', although I don't believe the other Champions will be rushing to face him either.

Devin Haney vs Vasyl Lomachenko

I am still not sure Devin Haney gets the credit that he should do, but that is largely down to what is a relatively poor resume, depending on how high you rate the fighters he has beaten to become Undisputed at Lightweight.

Back to back wins over George Kambosos Jr are decent enough, but, again, this also depends on how highly you rate the Australian.

His win over Teofimo Lopez made Kambosos Jr, but he had won a couple of Split Decisions against Mickey Bey and Lee Selby prior to that and I think the win had a lot more to do with Lopez being out of sorts than George Kambosos Jr suddenly becoming one of the top fighters in the Division.

I will never take anything away from someone who did what George Kambosos Jr did, but ultimately that is the best win on Devin Haney's resume and it is hard to shake off the way he was rocked to his boots against Jorge Linares.

The latter had dropped Vasyl Lomachenko previously, but that was in a fight three years before he faced Devin Haney and Jorge Linares was Stopped by The Matrix.

Much like it did for Teofimo Lopez, this is a fight that could really cement Devin Haney as one of the best young fighters in the sport. You would think being an Undisputed Champion would have done that, but a win over Lomachenko would really raise his stock and Devin Haney could be set for some monster fights in the 135 and 140 pound Divisions in the months ahead.

I have so much respect for Vasyl Lomachenko, but he is challenging himself at the 135 pound limit and the veteran is only fighting for the fourth time since losing to Teofimo Lopez in 2020. He blamed a shoulder injury that day, but Lomachenko did not look completely himself in his last fight against Jemaine Ortiz and that means he will be entering this fight as the underdog for the first time in his professional career.

The cards were wider than they should have been in the win over Ortiz, but I do wonder if Vasyl Lomachenko was trying not to give too much away and scare off any of the big names in the Division. The fact he was facing a sparring partner might have meant Lomachenko was prepared to do just enough to win and I do think we will see a much better version of the Ukrainian in the ring on Saturday.

I can understand why the prices are what they are for this fight with Vasyl Lomachenko being the smaller fighter and Devin Haney's tactics of jabbing and grabbing could be difficult to deal with. While not the flashiest fighter out there, Devin Haney is comfortable with the basics of boxing and may feel that is enough to just contain the Vasyl Lomachenko threat and win this one on the cards, even if the promotional side of the fight means Haney will talk up his ambition of going through the gears to force a Stoppage.

My feeling is that Haney will not want to take too many risks with someone who can find some very strange angles from which to land and it is the shot that you don't see which can cause immense damage.

Vasyl Lomachenko has been guilty of some slow starts in recent bouts, which could be a sign of age catching up with him, but he can ill-afford one in this World Title bid. It was the slow start that cost him against Teofimo Lopez, but I expect the smart team behind Lomachenko to have accepted that and that could be key to the outcome of this one.

As good as Devin Haney is with the fundamentals, I do think that will aid Vasyl Lomachenko who will likely not need five or six Rounds to 'download data' to see what is in front of him.

Ultimately it could come down to how much leeway the referee gives Devin Haney when he goes into holding mode- if Vasyl Lomachenko is able to just work a bit inside, he could have some successes and may be ready to turn back the clock and earn the upset.

I am guessing the smart money is on Devin Haney to win a Decision, but a small interest in Vasyl Lomachenko just showing Haney the levels that he has yet to reach has to be the play.

A strong undercard will be supporting the main event in Las Vegas and that includes the return of Oscar Valdez who has been absent from the ring for thirteen months since losing for the first time as a professional against Shakur Stevenson.

The American has since left the 130 pound Division and Oscar Valdez was supposed to have challenged Emanuel Navarrete for the WBO World Title earlier this year before being forced out with an injury.

A good decision was made to get back into the ring for a 'tune up' ahead of that World Title bid, although don't let Adam Lopez hear this fight described as that. He has followed Oscar Valdez up into the Super Featherweight Division, but Lopez has lost two of his last four fights, while he was also Stopped in the Seventh Round when facing Valdez in November 2019.

It was a premature Stoppage on the day, but Adam Lopez was hurt and I do think Oscar Valdez can break him down for a second half Stoppage again as he shakes off the ring rust.

A big punching crossroads fight between Raymond Muratalla and Jeremiah Nakathila could be the one that fans are talking about in the morning.

Both are chasing big fights in the Lightweight Division and the winner will be looking to make a statement.

The younger fighter is the favourite, but Muratalla has not been in the ring with someone like Jeremiah Nakathila before and I think this is going to be a really good watch.

With thirty-three Stoppages from forty-two fights between them, I think someone is going to be broken down in the second half of this one.

There is also a vacant Super Flyweight World Title on the line as Andrew Moloney looks to join brother Jason as a WBO World Champion, albeit in the Division below. However, Junto Nakatani is a heavy handed unbeaten fighter that has been climbing the Rankings and I think he will outwork Moloney on the cards.

Katie Taylor vs Chantelle Cameron

Instead of Amanda Serrano and a Stadium, Katie Taylor is fighting at home for the first time in an Arena and she is going up in weight to become an Undisputed World Champion in a second Division.

Take nothing away from her career, but I do think Taylor has benefited from being in two minute Rounds and having Ten Round Championship bouts.

Early on in her career I do think Katie Taylor would have been ok operating with the extra minutes in the ring, but over the last couple of years she has been in tight, competitive fights and I do think the minutes she would have been doing as a male fighter would have likely meant the unbeaten run was long behind her.

Other female fighters have spoken about the desire to move to three minute Rounds and even Twelve Round contests, but this is something that Katie Taylor has been pretty opposed to doing. I definitely think she would have been beaten in that hard Fifth Round against Amanda Serrano with the extra minute to deal with, but Taylor should be credited for being an inspiration to so many.

She is the 'A' side despite Chantelle Cameron going into the bout as the Undisputed Champion at Light Welterweight, but Katie Taylor is the draw as she looks to add a host of World Titles to those she holds at Lightweight.

Unsurprisingly there are common opponents between these unbeaten fighters considering the lack of depth in women's boxing and the ease that fighters seem to go up and down the Divisions compared with the men's side of the sport.

Being at home means that Katie Taylor is going to be getting the lion's share of the support and I do think that can sway the judges. At some point Taylor is going to just get 'old' in the ring and Chantelle Cameron is more than good enough to win a fight like this one with the natural weight and size in her favour, but in these two minute Rounds there is enough chance for Katie Taylor to come in and shoot some combinations and use her footwork to largely stay out of the way.

I expect Taylor to start fast and win the majority of the opening Five Rounds, but Chantelle Cameron to find more success in the second half of the fight. If the Light Welterweight Undisputed Champion can steal a Round or two early, Chantelle Cameron can win this one, but opposing Katie Taylor on the cards is not easy considering some of the tight wins she has had in her career.

Good luck to the judges who call a close fight against Taylor in Dublin, but I do think the home fighter will win her Rounds clearly enough to eventually come through with a Decision win.

The undercard features a number of Irish fighters, while the chief support is from Terri Harper as she looks to defend her Light Middleweight World Titles against First Lady Cecilia Braekhus.

Two losses to Jessica McCaskill in Undisputed fights in the Welterweight Division should have ended Braekhus' time at the top and at 41 years old I am not sure she has enough intensity to win a fight that is likely to go to the cards.

I am not a big fan of Harper who has been guided away from danger for the majority of her career and has been beaten by Alycia Baumgardner and should have lost to Natasha Jonas. Her handlers have likely picked this as a relatively straight-forward defence against an opponent who might not be able to match Terri Harper's output.

I would love to pick Cecilia Braekhus to win this one at the price, but I think she has been far too inactive over the last three years and this looks like a nice payday ahead of retirement.

The fight of most intrigue on the card looks to be the one between Dennis Hogan and JJ Metcalf and this feels like a crossroads fight for two who will be hoping World Titles will soon open up in a loaded Division.

Dennis Hogan has been in with the tougher company having lost to Jaime Munguia, Jermall Charlo and Tim Tszyu, while JJ Metcalf has losses to Ted Cheeseman and Kieron Conway on the resume.

An upset win over Kerman Lejarraga has just reinvigorated his career, and I do think this is going to be a fan friendly fight with both Metcalf and Hogan likely going to be standing in the pocket and trading.

I am surprised the 'Champion' is the underdog, but I think Hogan was a little fortunate to beat Sam Eggington with the home nod perhaps the key.

In this one I can see one of these fighters just running out of steam in the second half of the contest as the punching output eventually finds a breakthrough in what should be a really good watch.

Unbeaten home fighter Caoimhin Agyarko can return from a long injury lay off to beat Grant Dennis early, while huge prospect Gary Cully should keep the momentum going against Jose Felix.

His last couple of outings have raised his profile, but Cully may need a few more Rounds to break down Felix who has taken Tyrone McKenna and Sandor Martin to the cards in his last two fights.

Paddy Donovan has been frustrated with his partnership with Top Rank and has decided to part way and join Matchroom. He fights under this banner for the first time, and he can go through the gears having needed just a single Round to win on April 1st, while Sam O'maison has taken the likes of Dalton Smith into the Sixth Round before being Stopped.

Another continuing his progress in the professional ranks is Thomas Carty and the Heavyweight can break down Jay McFarlane in the second half of this Eight Rounder.

MY PICKS: Vasyl Lomachenko to Win by Decision/Technical Decision @ 4.75 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Oscar Valdez to Win Between 6-10 @ 2.50 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Raymond Muratalla-Jeremiah Nakathila to Finish Between 6-10 @ 2.62 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Junto Nakatani to Win By Decision/Technical Decision @ 3.00 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Katie Taylor to by Decision/Technical Decision @ 1.72 Coral (2 Units)

Dennis Hogan-JJ Metcalf to Finish Between 7-12 @ 4.00 Bet365 (2 Units)

Caoimhin Agyarko to Win Between 1-5 @ 2.10 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Gary Cully to Win Between 6-10 @ 5.50 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Paddy Donovan to Win Between 5-8 @ 3.00 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Thomas Carty to Win Between 5-8 @ 3.25 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Boxing 2023: 25-36, - 0.22 Units (115 Units Staked, - 0.001% Yield)

Boxing Picks 2022- Joshua Buatsi vs Craig Richards (May 21st)

It took a few more months to determine which of the boxers would become the seventh Undisputed Champion and the first in the Light Middleweight Division, but Jermell Charlo found the big shots late in the bout with Brian Castano to force a Stoppage after the disputed Draw the first time around.

There are some decent Challengers lined up behind Jermell Charlo, but all credit has to be given to the American for Unifying his Division.

He has choices from here- Charlo could wait for the likes of Errol Spence Jr or Terence Crawford to move up and create a genuine SuperFight, or he could choose to move up to the Middleweight Division and see if he can join his twin brother at becoming a Champion at that weight.

Fighting some of the Challengers like unbeaten Tim Tszyu or Sebastian Fundora could be first up for Jermell Charlo, but all the options are in front of him.

Last weekend was also one in which Jaron Ennis continued making an impact in the 147 Division, while Gilberto Ramirez will be looking to line up a shot at one of the top names in the Light Heavyweight Division after blowing away his opponent.

However, there was a setback for Tony Yoka in the Heavyweight Division as he was well beaten by Martin Bakole, despite one judge horrifically calling the fight a Draw. Thankfully that card was overruled by two others and Martin Bakole has set himself up for some big fights in the Heavyweight Division and with a British base behind him, he could soon be having some big bouts domestically.

It was a positive week for the Boxing Picks with some strong results on Saturday helping increase the profit margin on the season.

The biggest priced winner was the Jermell Charlo Stoppage in the second half of that Championship bout, while the likes of Jaron Ennis and Gilberto Ramirez added to the winners.

I do still want my Picks to be more efficient, but I have to be happy with the updated totals for the season.

Kerman Lejarraga vs James Metcalf

A couple of blowout defeats to David Avanesyan saw Kerman Lejarraga's momentum in the 147 thrown out and the decision was made to move up to 154.

The Light Middleweight Division is not as deep as the loaded Welterweight Division and so there is plenty of potential for Kerman Lejarraga to have an impact in this weight class. He has won six straight fights in this Division since moving up, although the Spaniard had to ride out an early storm against Jez Smith before stopping the British fighter in the Seventh Round.

Tyrone Nurse and Jack Flatley are two other Brits who have been beaten by Kerman Lejarraga in the move up to Light Middleweight and James Metcalf will be the latest to try his hand at upsetting the home favourite.

Kid Shamrock was beaten for the first time by Ted Cheeseman when stopped in the Championship Rounds and followed up with a Decision defeat to Kieron Conway, while James Metcalf has been out of the ring for over a year having won his last bout at Middleweight.

Once again James Metcalf is trying to push his career forward by taking a big step up in class having fallen short against Cheeseman and Conway. He did show plenty of toughness in the loss to Ted Cheeseman, but I think Kerman Lejarraga may be better than The Big Cheese and he hits plenty hard having beaten twenty-six of the thirty-four opponents inside the distance.

Since moving up to Light Middleweight, Kerman Lejarraga has won half of his six fights inside the distance and I do think he has carried his power.

A couple of those Stoppages have been earned in the second half of bouts and I do think Kerman Lejarraga is going to have to break down James Metcalf in this one. He should be capable of doing that and eventually getting to Metcalf to get the ref to jump in before the final bell sounds.

There is a pretty deep undercard being run in Bilbao but the only other bout from which I will be making a selection is Jon Miguez' Welterweight bout against James Moorcroft.

It is only an Eight Rounder, but Jon Miguez has been given a chance to beat an opponent who has not really gotten up to this level.

James Moorcroft will give it a go, but he was stopped when he moved up a level in competition and I do think he will struggle to keep Jon Miguez off him down the stretch.

Over in the United Kingdom, Frank Warren has put on a Friday night card at York Hall with some of the younger talent on his roster going out.

Brad Foster has been out of the ring for seventh months since losing for the first time against Jason Cunningham and he has a couple more Draws on his resume too. He is favoured to win this vacant International Title, but Ionut Baluta is going to make him work for everything Foster wants to get out of this one.

I actually think he may have enough of an engine to upset the British fighter having pushed Michael Conlan all the way and Ionut Baluta has the gas tank to make life very difficult for Brad Foster as he looks for better on the cards.

On the same card, Andrew Cain will be looking to extend his unbeaten start to his career to ten fights and the Liverpudlian has stopped eight of his previous nine opponents. He is facing Luis Moreno who was seen in the United Kingdom taking Dennis McCann to the cards, but Moreno was put down late in that one and his other loss as a pro saw him stopped.

I think Andrew Cain will be able to roll through to the finish in this Ten Rounder, but the layers are expecting a very early night for Cain and I think there is some reason to back him to break down Luis Moreno and, instead, stop him in the second half.

There is also Light Heavyweight action coming from Canada on Friday evening as Jean Pascal and Fanlong Meng meet to try and push on towards a World Title bid. The pandemic meant Meng was not able to take on Artur Beterbiev when getting into Mandatory position, but he finally ended a long layoff by winning a Ten Rounder at the back end of 2021.

A Title bid may have to wait, but Fanlong Meng is taking on an inactive Jean Pascal who should have had a rematch against Badou Jack before failing drug tests. It means the Canadian has not been in the ring since December 2019 and that long layoff has to be a major concern.

I don't really rate Fanlong Meng that highly, but I do think he will end up getting the nod against an inactive Jean Pascal. However, if this had taken place a year ago, I may have been much more inclined to back Pascal, especially at the prices quoted for the underdog.

It should work as an effective eliminator with the winner likely to push on towards a World Title shot, but one that may be worth keeping an eye on. Backing Jean Pascal to win a decision at the prices looks appealing, but the two and a half year layoff is not and it means keeping the power dry for a busy Saturday of Boxing.

Joshua Buatsi vs Craig Richards

There hasn't been the kind of ticket sales for the main event at the O2 Arena that it deserves and I think that is partly down to the fact that two of the top Light Heavyweights in the United Kingdom are fighting on a streaming app rather than a platform like Sky Sports.

Ticket sales aside, this is a genuinely good fight between Joshua Buatsi and Craig Richards and the winner is surely going to be in line to fight for a World Title in the months ahead. The Light Heavyweight Division is stacked and some of the Titles are going to be Unified next month, but for Buatsi and Richards this is a huge bout on Saturday to prepare themselves to get in line for a Title shot soon.

Craig Richards has had a taste of the World level having lost a very close fight to Dmitry Bivol, a loss that looks pretty incredible when you think of Bivol's win over Canelo Alvarez earlier this month. That has given Craig Richards plenty of belief ahead of this one and he does feel he has operated at a level that has yet to be tasted by Joshua Buatsi.

Even though he is the underdog, Craig Richards will feel he can give Joshua Buatsi a real test of his credentials and the performance against Dmitry Bivol will add to the confidence.

The win over Shakan Pitters is impressive, but Craig Richards still has plenty to prove against someone who has long been tipped for the top in the Light Heavyweight Division.

Joshua Buatsi impressed in breaking down and stopping Ricards Bolotniks in his last bout back in August, but it has been a considerable layoff for him. He has been a spiteful fighter and does get on top of opponents when has them hurt, while the power has carried into the latter Rounds of his bouts and could prove to be crucial in this one.

I do think it will be a really good fight and Craig Richards is someone who deserves a lot of respect, but Joshua Buatsi can take a big step towards the World Title level. His power and patience has been key under Virgil Hunter and I think we will see more improvements from him having had a number of months to work with the trainer.

I can just see Joshua Buatsi begin to break down Craig Richards in the middle of the Twelve Rounds scheduled and, unlike Dmitry Bivol, I think Virgil Hunter will be urging his man to put his foot down and really go for the finish when the opportunity presents.

I would be foolish to dismiss Spider's toughness, but Joshua Buatsi can be a very efficient finisher when the time presents and I think he will just push down on the pedal in the second half of this fight and break down Craig Richards.

The main event in London looks a really good fight, but the undercard is not as deep as fans would perhaps have liked. It may have contributed to the low sales for the night, but there are a couple of recognisable names looking to get to work.

Alen Babic may not be as good as some believe, but he has been well matched by his promotional team and I expect him to secure an early win over Adam Balski.

A couple of fighters have been able to give Alen Babic a few Rounds in his recent bouts with Mark Bennett lasting Five Rounds and David Spilmont going Six Rounds, but those are some big Heavyweights and could perhaps absorb more than I expect from Adam Balski who has been fighting at Cruiserweight.

He has only lost once so will head to London with some confidence, but Alen Babic is likely to hit him with something very big early and I think Adam Balski may not have the resistance of the 252 plus pound opponents like Bennett and Spilmont. The Savage has not been past Three Rounds in the other eight wins on his resume and I think he can get this one done inside the first third of the scheduled Twelve Rounds and Alen Babic can then perhaps look to move on to a Bridgerweight World Title bid.

After a surprise loss, Robbie Davies Jr won a couple of fights in the second half of 2021 and he will be looking to keep the momentum going when taking on Javier Molina.

At 32 years old, Davies Jr cannot afford another setback, but he has to be wary of Molina who has operated at a decent level and has never been stopped. Javier Molina has not fought for over twelve months though and I think the Robbie Davies Jr skills can see him produce a win on the cards.

Over in the United States we have a couple of different cards which are going to be have main events that could see the winners push on for a World Title shot in the months ahead.

The feeling is that David Benavidez will have far too much for David Lemieux at this stage of their careers and especially with the latter's best work coming at the Middleweight limit rather than Super Middleweight.

Much depends on how much David Lemieux has in the tank, but I do think David Benavidez has the style to break him down and start to put him under the cosh in the second half of this Twelve Rounder.

The favourite doesn't have one punch power, but he won't find it too difficult to find David Lemieux and I expect that is going to be a big problem for the Canadian. I think he will be able to get through a few more Rounds than the layers believe, while David Benavidez has stopped his last four opponents in the Seventh Round or later.

In Las Vegas, veteran Jemel Herring is hoping to upset a young unbeaten opponent as he moves up to the 135 pound Division following his one-sided loss to Shakur Stevenson. Jamaine Ortiz is unbeaten and hungry, but I think Herring may still have enough in the tank to take that one on the cards and I expect him to handle the naturally bigger man who has not really fought anyone of this kind of level before.

An interim WBO World Title is on the line on the same card in the Middleweight Division and I think Zhanibek Alimkhanuly will be able to get the better of unbeaten British fighter Danny Dignum.

The Kazakhstani has beaten a couple of opponents who have reached World level and should have had a shot at Demetrius Andrade, but the American moved up to 168 and an injury means this bout could soon be upgrade to full World Title honours.

It is a considerable step up for Danny Dignum and I do think he is going to have to display plenty of toughness to stay with Alimkhanuly.

Two southpaw fighters may take a bit of time to get used to one another, but I think the step up may be too high for the unbeaten Brit and Zhanibek Alimkhanuly can get the job done in the second half of the bout.

MY PICKS: Kerman Lejarraga to Win Between 6-10 @ 4.00 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Jon Miguez to Win Between 5-8 @ 3.50 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Ionut Baluta to Win by Decision/Technical Decision @ 3.10 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Andrew Cain to Win Between 6-10 @ 5.00 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Joshua Buatsi to Win Between 7-12 @ 3.50 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Alen Babic to Win Between 1-4 @ 2.50 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Robbie Davies Jr to Win by Decision/Technical Decision @ 2.40 Paddy Power (2 Units)

David Benavidez to Win Between 7-12 @ 4.00 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Jemel Herring to Win Decision/Technical Decision @ 4.33 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Zhanibek Alimkhanuly to Win Between 7-12 @ 3.60 Bet365 (2 Units)

Boxing 2022: 14-22, + 16.16 Units (67 Units Staked, + 24.12% Yield)

Rome Masters Tennis Picks 2018 (May 20th)

This has been a busy, busy weekend and it has been tough to get the time I need to write down my analysis of matches to be played in Rome.

We have gotten to the final day in Rome on Sunday and this week we will also see the four tournaments to be played in the week ahead also beginning First Round matches on Sunday. The main reason for that is the French Open actually gets going next Sunday rather than the traditional Monday start for the other Slams and so there is a pressure on the tournaments this week to make sure they are concluded by Saturday.

The Picks on Saturday were not as good as Friday with a couple of near misses turning my fortunes, but it has still been a winning week to this point. Hopefully the two remaining Picks from Rome can make sure there are some positive numbers to add to the season totals.

MY PICKS: Rafael Nadal - 4.5 Games @ 2.05 Boyle Sports (2 Units)
Elina Svitolina @ 2.20 William Hill (2 Units)
Sachia Vickery - 5.5 Games @ 2.00 William Hill (2 Units)

Rome Update: 15-13, + 1.34 Units (56 Units Staked, + 2.39% Yield)

Rome Masters Tennis Picks 2017 (May 20th)

The rain finally arrived in a big way in Rome on Friday evening and the forecast is not that great on Saturday either, although we have got three of the four Semi Finals already in place.

I am not sure if all the matches will be completed on Saturday and I am mainly taking a watching brief anyway with the two WTA Premier Event Semi Finals close to call. However I am going to have a pick from the sole ATP Masters Semi Final which has been set that you can read below.


Alexander Zverev - 2.5 games v John Isner: There is a difference in the height from which the John Isner serve comes down from compared with the Milos Raonic one, but Alexander Zverev will have gotten some idea of what he is going to face in the Semi Final. The young German was a strong winner in the Quarter Final against Raonic and Zverev has two wins over John Isner on the hard courts in his career.

The clay courts should favour Zverev even more and I think he can complete the job that Marin Cilic should really have done on Friday. Cilic had the better of the last two sets against Isner, but the big serve bailed out the American and that is the weapon that can be a threat on any surface.

However Zverev is in fine form and, like Cilic, he has the long levers to get enough of the serves back in play and force Isner to win the point in the rallies. Isner has been playing well enough to do that in this match, but I think Zverev's experience of playing Raonic will mean he is focused and ready to win this match and move into a Masters Final.

Zverev looked after his serve well enough in the Quarter Final win over Raonic to think he won't give too much away to Isner and I will be looking for him to win a tie-breaker before finding the breaks of serve to come through the match. I am expecting Zverev to earn his way to a 7-6, 6-4 win and cover this number that Cilic barely missed out on on Friday.

MY PICKS: Alexander Zverev - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 William Hill (2 Units)

Rome Update: 16-10, + 9.34 Units (52 Units Staked, + 17.96% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2015 (May 20th)

Wednesday is a very busy day across the tournaments being played this week with all of them looking to get the results in the bag by Saturday as the French Open will begin on Sunday. That means all the Quarter Finals will be played on Thursday, Semi Finals on Friday and Finals on Saturday which means the tournaments are looking to get on schedule on Wednesday.

There might be a lot of tennis to be played on Wednesday, but that doesn't always mean there will be a lot of picks- with the French Open less than a week away, my focus is also on that event and wondering what kind of motivation some of the players will have left this week, while I am not going to make picks just for the sake of it.

As always, I have to feel 100% confident in the pick and anything less is simply not worth the hassle of picking with the next Grand Slam on deck.


Nick Kyrgios v Dominic Thiem: Two young guns that could be competing at the top of the men's game for years to come meet for the first time on the professional Tour in this Second Round match in Nice. Nick Kyrgios had to battle his way through in the First Round against Mikhail Kukushkin, especially after a really tight first set that was decided on a tie-breaker, but his serve will always give him a chance in matches like that even when not at his best.

The Australian will have to be better against Dominic Thiem who was an impressive winner in the First Round and had a good week in Rome last week. However, Thiem has the same problem that many young players do in trying to find the consistency from week to week and I also think his serve can be erratic and will give Kyrgios a chance in this match.

While I think Thiem can hang with Kyrgios from the back of the court and is probably the better player off the ground at this stage of their careers, the serve can make a big difference with Kyrgios likely to be able to set up some short balls and unreturnable serves.

While Thiem will have some success on serve, he can make mistakes at times that Kyrgios can jump on and find his way to a three set victory, possibly having the match decided on a tie-breaker.


Joao Sousa - 2.5 games v Jurgen Melzer: I respect the heart with what Joao Sousa plays, but his game is one that can be attacked by the best players on the Tour and has been a big reason he has been losing as many matches as he has through the last twelve months.

However, the clay courts should give him a real chance to beat the veteran Jurgen Melzer who had an impressive First Round win, but is clearly in the last paces of his career. Melzer was a solid player that could give the best players a hard time when he was on his game, but he has been doing a lot of losing on the Singles Tour as the veteran has begun to wind down.

Melzer has lost to players that are not quite as good as Joao Sousa, although it has to be said that the latter has to play at a high level to avoid the upset in this one.

The Melzer serve used to be a real weapon and if that is firing, it is going to be an issue for Sousa to deal with, but it has been a long time since the Austrian has won back to back matches on the Singles Tour and I think Sousa comes through 76, 64.


Alize Cornet - 3.5 games v Elena Vesnina: It has been an inconsistent clay court season for Alize Cornet who has beaten the likes of Simona Halep, but also lost to someone like Denisa Allertova during this portion of the season. The Frenchwoman also had a disappointing Roland Garros last season so it could be a morale boosting week for Cornet if she can go deep into the Strasbourg draw.

That won't be straight-forward against Elena Vesnina, although her best success has been on the Doubles Tour this season. Vesnina has also struggled on the Singles Tour on the clay court but her defeats have been less impressive than the majority of Cornet's and she simply hasn't beaten someone of the calibre of Halep.

Cornet has also dominated the head to head between these two as her athleticism around the court has forced mistakes from the Vesnina game as she is forced to hit closer and closer to the lines. The clay courts are not the favourite surface of either of these players, but Cornet should have the movement to at least force Vesnina to hit one more ball than she may like.

As I have said, this is going to be far from an easy match for Cornet, but she should still find enough in her game to come through with a 64, 64 win and a place in the Quarter Final.

MY PICKS: Nick Kyrgios @ 1.75 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Joao Sousa - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Alize Cornet - 3.5 Games @ 1.92 Bet365 (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 5-2, + 4.70 Units (14 Units Staked, + 33.57% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2014 (May 20th)

Two Masters tournaments have come and gone on the clay courts and that has left Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal as the clear favourites to win in Roland Garros which begins at the end of this week.

They have both looked vulnerable at times and I am looking forward to the draw on Friday which will make it clearer as to who is likely to pick up the title in Paris, but the top two players in the World have certainly strengthened their positions at the top of the market for the French Open.


Serena Williams looked much stronger in Rome than when she was forced to withdraw from Madrid and I would expect her to remain a strong favourite to retain her title won at the French Open twelve months ago. If Williams brings her form into Roland Garros, it will be tough to prevent her winning the title, but over the last eighteen months we have seen her have one really poor match in the Grand Slams and suffer some surprising defeats that have prevented her sweeping all titles in front of her.

The absence of Victoria Azarenka hurts the women's draw, but the likes of Maria Sharapova, Na Li and perhaps losing French Open Finalist Sara Errani could have deep runs in the tournament and take advantage of any slip up from Williams.


Rome at least provided an upturn in fortunes for the picks after a pretty terrible time in Madrid and gives some momentum to move into this final week before the French Open. This week can be a dangerous one with most of the biggest names on the Tour having time to recover before the start of the second Grand Slam event of 2014, so there may be a few surprising results. However, most of the players taking part have very small real ambitions at the French Open and will likely put in a good shift to try and win a title.

I might not necessarily make picks for every day this week unless there is something that catches my eye, but hopefully we will see a positive week to take into the French Open whose main draw will be completed on Friday morning.


Carlos Berlocq - 1.5 games v Julien Benneteau: It was a strong week for Julien Benneteau who won the tournament in Bordeaux, albeit at the Challenger level, but that may also make him vulnerable early in the event in Nice.

Playing in front of the home support will inspire Benneteau, but he hasn't really performed on the clay courts in the last few seasons and may be a little fatigued from the events of last week. The win also came on the level below the main Tour and I think that is where Carlos Berlocq could take advantage.

The Argentinian has won a clay court title just three weeks ago in Oeiras, and even Berlocq's disappearance over the last two weeks might not be as big a concern in this match. Of the two, Berlocq is much more comfortable on the clay courts and he has won two titles at this level on the surface.

Berlocq might need three sets to come through, but I expect him to do that and cover this handicap.


Stefanie Voegele v Silvia Soler-Espinosa: Neither of these players have had a great season as they come into this match with identical 5-12 record in main Tour matches, although Silvia Soler-Espinosa has won a couple of matches in the qualifiers to boost the confidence.

That at least shows some form compared with what Stefanie Voegele has produced over the last three months, but the Swiss player has dominated the head to head with Soler-Espinosa.

Including in that is a win in Morocco last month, although I would have thought the clay courts would favour Soler-Espinosa more than Voegele. That hasn't been the case and I think Voegele has some sort of match up problem for the Spaniard to deal with and shouldn't be an underdog in this match.


Sloane Stephens - 2.5 games v Julia Goerges: Any time Sloane Stephens is playing in a smaller tournament where the attendance may not bring in the grandeur she loves, she can be guilty of perhaps not taking a match as seriously as she should.

Stephens has a ton of talent but her work ethic has to be questioned at times- how can a player that has made Quarter Finals in three of the four Slams yet to have made one Final in any Tour event is beyond me.

It hasn't been a good start to 2014 for a player that seemed to have made her breakthrough last season, but Stephens should have too much for Julia Goerges. This is a player that has struggled in the last couple of years and is now outside of the top 100 and her inconsistency is not helped by a poor mental attitude to constructing points outside of hitting the ball harder and harder.

There should be plenty of breaks of serve in this one with both players likely to have their moments, but I will back the American to come through 63, 46, 75.


Camila Giorgi + 3.5 games v Alize Cornet: Anyone who has seen this young Italian player on a tennis court will know that Camila Giorgi has a lot of talent that could lead her to the top of the women's game if it is handled correctly.

One issue is the stories that have accompanied Giorgi's rise on the Tour that came to a head earlier in the season and that has stunted her growth as far as I am concerned.

However, she should still have plenty in the locker to give Alize Cornet some real problems in this First Round match in Strasbourg, especially if their two matches earlier in the season are any indication. Giorgi has the power to really hurt the Frenchwoman's serve and I can see her powering her way to taking at least one of the sets in the match.

Whether Giorgi has enough to see off a hard working Cornet is another matter, especially during the periods when the shots are a little more erratic, but I think the games being given to the Italian could prove too much for Cornet to cover.

MY PICKS: Carlos Berlocq - 1.5 Games @ 1.80 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Stefanie Voegele @ 2.10 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Sloane Stephens - 2.5 Games @ 1.90 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Camila Giorgi + 3.5 Games @ 2.10 Pinnacle (2 Units)

Rome Final: 14-8, + 9.20 Units (44 Units Staked, + 20.91% Yield)

Season 2014: + 31.64 Units (657 Units Staked, + 4.82% Yield)

Season 2013: + 21.74 Units (1251.5 Units Staked, + 1.73% Yield)
Season 2012: + 49.21 Units (855 Units Staked, + 5.76% Yield)
Season 2011: + 82.02 Units

Tennis Picks 2013 (May 20th)

I didn't make too many picks last week as I just felt the tournament in Rome was a little unpredictable... My gut feeling was correct, especially as all five picks failed to come off, and so I was glad to have stepped out for the most part.

It also goes without saying that there is a possibility this will be a quiet week, although I will make picks wherever I see fit. I have added one outright pick for the week which can be found here


Albert Ramos - 3.5 games v Victor Hanescu: Both of these players will consider the clay courts as their favourite surface, but I think the younger man can prevail in the contest.

Albert Ramos has certainly shown the more consistency in recent matches compared with Victor Hanescu, although the latter has reached a couple of Quarter Finals in the smaller clay court tournaments himself.

I think both players will feel confident behind their own serve, but I just feel that Ramos is perhaps a little more solid on that front and that can prove to be the difference in the match. While Hanescu certainly can serve effectively, he does tend to throw in at least one poor game per set and this could easily end with a 64 64 win for the Spaniard.


Christina McHale - 3.5 games v Lauren Davis: These two young American players will likely be looking forward to the Tour moving away from the clay courts in the next couple of weeks, but for now they have a chance to move through to the Second Round of a clay court tournament.

Of the two, Christina McHale has shown more form on the surface compared with Lauren Davis, particularly when it comes to the main tour level events. That includes reaching the Third Round at the French Open when she beat Davis enroute and I think McHale's experience will likely be the key to her beating her compatriot again.

Like many WTA Tour matches, especially on clay courts, I expect a few breaks of serve but for McHale to have come through with a break more in each set at least.


MY PICKS: Albert Ramos - 3.5 Games @ 1.92 Bet 365 (2 Units)
Christina McHale - 3.5 Games @ 1.73 Bet 365 (2 Units)